The invitation clearly stated that this matter was extremely important and would greatly benefit the guild's development. Thinking of the equipment previously sold by the Wealth Commerce Guild and Money Rat's deliberately mysterious expression, they all chose to attend.
But upon going there, their worldviews were completely overturned.
Led by Money Rat, the boss guarding the first floor of the Demon Corridor merely waved his hand, as if he knew him well. It wasn't until they saw the stairs that everyone suddenly woke up to the fact that there was actually a second floor here!
The further down they went, the more shocked the players became.
Just what was going on?
It wasn't until they stood inside the grand hall on the fifth floor that the crowd looked at that familiar figure in disbelief. Few here had never seen Fang Zhiyi, and it could even be said that few had never been killed by him.
It seemed the rumors outside were not true. Fang Zhiyi was not dead; he had even opened a shop here???
The place had been specially decorated to look like an auction house, with all sorts of glittering equipment hanging all over the walls.
Meanwhile, those bosses from the recent rumors were all standing there, staring at them curiously.
"Welcome to the Demon Corridor's auction house... I know you all need to improve your strength, and in the past, your choice was to fight your way down here floor by floor... But to tell you the truth, even if you clear the upper four floors, you won't get anything." Fang Zhiyi casually pointed at the wall full of equipment. "All the good stuff is right here."
"Therefore, I have commissioned a merchant from your side, Mr. Money Rat, to host this transaction for me."
These people had not yet recovered from their shock. A dungeon boss wanted to hold an auction?
This was no longer just artificial intelligence; it was simply... exactly like a human!
However, for the players, as long as there was equipment, it didn't matter whether they fought the boss or not.
Immediately after, Fang Zhiyi said something that left them even more astonished.
"In addition to this business, our Demon Corridor Group also undertakes the following services: boosting... That is, when you encounter certain dungeons you cannot clear, you can spend money to hire our fighters to do the work, though the price is not cheap."
"Combat skill improvement experience. Those who want to hone their combat skills can make an appointment through Mr. Money Rat... Our Miss Succubus, Mr. Headless Horseman, and the Demon Lord will wholeheartedly serve you. They can ensure they injure but do not kill you."
"Besides that, there is another service... We can also provide bounty services." Fang Zhiyi propped his face on one hand, his eyes sweeping over the players present. "You can post bounties with us to deal with some of your enemies. Of course, you get what you pay for..."
His fingers tapped slightly, and the Demon Lord, who had been standing to the side, suddenly vanished. The next moment, he appeared behind Young Master Yan, the guild leader of Brotherhood of the Four Seas.
"Lin Han sends his regards."
This was the last sentence Young Master Yan heard.
This action completely stunned the other players and made them realize the gap in levels. But more people looked at Fang Zhiyi. He could actually command such a powerful boss; just how strong did he have to be himself?
For a moment, those who had been hacked to death by Fang Zhiyi couldn't help but puff out their chests. Thinking about it now, it suddenly didn't feel so bad anymore!
No one cared about the death of a competitor; he would respawn anyway. Compared to that, the high-level players with money in their pockets began to grow restless with anticipation.
Young Master Yan crawled out of the respawn point, his face extremely ugly.
"Lin Han!!! I want you dead!!"
Lin Han, who was frowning in distress as he prepared to go to another dungeon, inexplicably shivered. Did he forget to cover himself with a blanket before entering the game?
"This world has become so realistic." The three of them had not spoken much along the way, and Xiaorou took the initiative to speak in order to break the ice.
"The NPC I used to always buy potions from actually bought out several surrounding potion shops. I really don't know what this place will become in the future."
"Who knows, maybe it will turn into a real world," Lin Han was in low spirits, but still replied.
"We are mortal enemies with those humans in the city, so we cannot get close to the city." After the auction ended and the crowd dispersed, Fang Zhiyi was lecturing his subordinates.
"However, we also have the right to pursue a better life!"
"What is a better life?" the demon asked.
"Well... eating well, drinking well, and sleeping well." Fang Zhiyi pointed around. "Do you really want to live underground for the rest of your lives? Mingling with those idiot minions outside every day?"
Several bosses looked at each other and shook their heads one after another. When it came to living environments, only the vampire's environment was slightly better.
"I have already given the list to Money Rat. He is responsible for purchasing in the city, and soon we will have a lot more things here. You guys get ready too, let's chant the slogan once!"
"Go, go, go! Work hard, work hard, work hard! We are the best!"
Little Hei almost laughed out loud. "Are you really treating this bunch of bosses as employees? Looking at it this way, a better life is indeed right before our eyes."
But Fang Zhiyi shook his head. "As the world develops, players will grow, and so will those human NPCs. Sooner or later, the bosses here will also become prey for the players. When that time comes, I won't be safe anymore either. So, to survive, we can only find another way."
"Speaking of which, how do you think Lin Han and his group are doing?"
"No need to guess. Having offended a major guild, they won't have an easy time." Fang Zhiyi rubbed the hilt of his sword with his fingers.
The matter concerning the Demon Corridor quickly spread. Although the players were surprised, it didn't cause too much of a stir because earth-shattering changes were also happening in other places. The originally cold and aloof city gate guards would actually take the initiative to ask players for bribes. The equipment shop owner who always only said one line had also learned to lowball the prices of equipment sold by players. Even the city lord who sold commercial properties had learned to raise prices. However, everyone could accept these changes because they knew they were players, different from these NPCs. If they died, they would respawn. To them, this was considered another world, and this realistic experience made everyone feel it was incredibly novel.
Meanwhile, the Demon Corridor also received several commission orders. Although expensive, it couldn't stop the sheer number of pay-to-win players.
A team of players was being tortured half to death by a monster wearing a tattered cloak. This was an area called the Demon Swamp. This boss had been staying here before; although hard to kill, it could be dealt with if they went all out. But now that it had a mind of its own, its behavior was no longer predictable, which raised the requirements for the players.
"Jie jie jie... Ants, prepare to die." The Swamp Monster had said this sentence an unknown number of times. It felt that this phrase sounded quite imposing.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
