Chapter 16: The Developed Real World!

As many wealthy players began acquiring Village Building Orders at high prices, various types of weapons and equipment became available, prompting a surge of players rushing out of the city gates. They sought to hunt bosses, slay bandits, raid mountain strongholds, and search for wilderness villages... hoping for the luck to find a divine weapon or a legendary tool to strike it rich, or perhaps to obtain a Village Building Order and become wealthy overnight.

In *Mythical World*, anything is possible!

Striking it rich overnight is the dream of many professional players, and Lin Mu was once one of them.

It was unclear how other servers were faring, but the Huaxia Server was in a state of upheaval. The influence of Lin Mu establishing a village had greatly stimulated the nerves of various major factions in the Huaxia Server, causing many of their plans to move forward ahead of schedule and even increasing their investment volumes. A massive amount of wealth was circulating, making it feel as though a new great era had arrived.

The BattleNet forums were also filled with players writing guides on how to obtain Village Building Orders, though most were mere nonsense or speculation. Some famous internet celebrities on the real-world BattleNet were also jumping on the bandwagon to gain attention, but their posts lacked substance and were merely worth a passing glance.

In this highly developed internet age, influencers are indispensable.

The rise of new things represents the decline of the old; the rise of BattleNet represented the decline of the traditional internet.

After multiple upgrades, the real-world network had unified globally under one name: BattleNet! Much like the old internet, BattleNet reduced spatial barriers and strengthened communication, offering a vast array of functions. Simultaneously, BattleNet could connect to the virtual network, meaning the virtual and real worlds were interconnected and communicable.

With the advancement of information technology and the rapid development of virtual holographic technology, a large portion of the current BattleNet was occupied by the virtual space network. Within this virtual space, netizens could use virtual helmets to go shopping, chat face-to-face, or work in service and text-based industries. This saved immense resources and provided significant relief to real-world societal resources, reducing the pressure and destruction inflicted upon Earth's environment by humanity.

Virtual holographic space could scan your body to construct a model of yourself. Once your consciousness entered, you could use this body to engage in numerous activities within the virtual space!

Among the most popular activities was martial arts combat, where one could practice and hone their fighting skills!

In this advanced new era, it wasn't just information technology that was booming; biotechnology was also developing at a breakneck pace! As a branch of biotechnology, life sciences had seen massive growth, most notably with the invention of nutritional solutions.

In an age of high material abundance, physical exercise had become an essential pursuit.

Decades ago, after countless scientists dedicated their lives to rigorous research, life sciences regarding physical enhancement and longevity had made massive strides. It felt as though the entire world had become more vibrant and bustling. While the increase in lifespan added to the foundation of human civilization, countless nations had spent enormous sums on research. Technological development continued to change daily; humans could now maintain youth for longer, and average life expectancy had risen to over a hundred years, while the necessity and importance of physical exercise were widely emphasized.

Needless to say, a craze for fitness swept the nation, ushering in a new era.

To exercise effectively, one had to supplement the body with proper nutrition, and nutritional solutions filled that gap.

With the arrival of the new era, countless new industries were spawned, with sports competitions, combat tournaments, and virtual competitive leagues being top-tier sectors.

These sports, combat, and virtual leagues were highly scrutinized projects that attracted massive participation.

In schools, various martial arts clubs, combat clubs, and virtual competitive clubs were popping up constantly, enjoying great popularity among students. Martial arts stars, combat icons, and virtual competitive teams were pursued by countless fans; they were the darlings of society. In this new era, new vitality was breathing life into entirely new industries.

In the current world, if one hadn't learned at least a bit of martial arts or combat techniques, they would be looked down upon. Even Lin Mu, as a professional player, had to have a foundation in martial arts or combat to enter the industry; otherwise, he would have been at a significant disadvantage.

Lin Mu's school had many martial arts clubs, but he hadn't joined any, opting instead for the "Virtual Gaming Professional Player Club." He would occasionally go to the gym to work out, but he didn't place enough importance on it, which resulted in a somewhat low starting point in *Mythical Three Kingdoms*. However, his later desperate efforts to train had proven effective, making him quite an expert.

With the rise of martial arts and combat virtual games, the science of human nutrition also flourished. National academies of science had developed nutritional solutions that provided all the nutritional requirements for intense physical training. These were extremely precious and, consequently, very expensive.

In the market, nutritional solutions were divided into four tiers: C, B, A, and S, in 60ml bottles. Tier C was affordable for the general public, priced at 1,000 RMB per bottle.

Tier B nutritional solution cost 5,000 RMB per bottle, Tier A cost 10,000 RMB, and Tier S was in such high demand that it was unavailable to the general public; perhaps only the powerful and wealthy could purchase it. Lin Mu had always wanted to buy some but never had the chance.

Tier S nutritional solution cost 100,000 RMB per bottle.

Commoners could occasionally afford a Tier C bottle, but they couldn't afford to drink it like a daily beverage. This perfectly illustrated the saying: "The poor do not practice martial arts, and the rich do not study."

Of course, the wealthy could treat nutritional solutions as daily drinks without a second thought, which fueled the dreams of many hot-blooded youths: "When I'm rich, I'll buy two bottles of Tier S, drink one and pour out the other! I'll even use Tier A nutrition for my baths!"

Nutritional solutions also came in different types: some were for oral consumption, and others were for soaking the body. However, one could not drink too much of the soaking type, whereas the oral type could be used to soak the body without limit.

Soaking nutritional solutions were as precious as the rare medicinal herbs of ancient times used to cleanse the marrow, making them incredibly expensive. Currently, Lin Mu did not have enough real-world money. Once things stabilized, he planned to exchange a large amount of currency to buy various nutritional solutions; after all, his cultivation required nutrition.

However, right now, he didn't even have enough money for Tier C.

Additionally, eating was a necessity. Various meal packages could be ordered online, eliminating the need to go out to eat. However, Lin Mu still preferred eating alone and going for walks.

But *Mythical World* had just launched—the golden era of development. He couldn't afford to waste time. He would just order takeout or eat instant noodles; it wasn't like he hadn't eaten them before.

Lin Mu had spent money on nutritional solutions in the past, but not for daily use.

Even in the corner of his rented room, there were still empty nutritional solution bottles stored away!

...

While training, Lin Mu logged into the built-in BattleNet forum within the game to see if there was any recent news or strange occurrences.

Players on the built-in BattleNet forum used their in-game account names, which could not be changed. This prevented players from creating multiple accounts to act as "water armies" (trolls/shills), thereby purifying the online environment to a certain extent. However, nicknames could be changed.

On the BattleNet forum homepage, there were only three featured posts

*《The World's Second Village, the Pride of the Huaxia Server!》*

*《The Huaxia Server's Second Village Has Appeared!》*

*《One Man Can Defy Ten Thousand!》*

Clicking on *《The World's Second Village, the Pride of the Huaxia Server!》*

"Less than a day has passed since the launch of *Mythical World*, and two players have already established territory villages. We know nothing of the adventures or hardships involved, so we shall not dwell on them.

However, the players of the world's second village are from our Huaxia Server, which is something all players of the Huaxia nation should be proud of! As they say, heroes emerge in chaotic times! Among our hundreds of millions of players in the Huaxia Server, a leader has already emerged in the early stages of *Mythical World*! This is truly worth celebrating. At the same time, we hope this Lord can take one step at a time and far surpass the Japanese devils to the east and the Koreans to the north!

The land of Huaxia is blessed with spiritual essence and treasures; heroes are countless. We hope everyone can rise like dragons!

Additionally, if this Lord player sees this post, there are wealthy players who wish to purchase your territory. If you wish to sell, the price is negotiable. You can contact me via my account!

PS: Seeking all types of Village Building Orders; seeking Copper Coins (1 Copper Coin = 1.5 RMB); various dungeon mission guides are also welcome.

— [Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng] from Linzi County, Qi Commandery, Qing Province"

Floor 1: Strengthen our great land! Jianghu Bai Xiaosheng, are you an intelligence chief? The truth is out...

Floor 2: I guess I'm the first commenter... Where is the world's second village? Please give me the coordinates; I want to be your lackey. I'm relatively well-off in real life, spent a bit on gear, and haven't joined any large guilds. I've spent my years honing my PK and escape skills. Also, I have an outgoing personality, I'm honest, and my character is top-tier—I often help elderly ladies cross highways, though my integrity is long gone! Please take me in!

Floor 3: What mission gives a Village Building Order? Give us some leaks... private messages are fine too! I'm also willing to buy your mission process. I personally own fifty thousand acres of "farmland" and countless six-star "good houses." Girls are welcome, and talented people are welcome to join me.

Floor 4: Seeking Village Building Orders, starting from one million RMB! Negotiable. I'm not afraid of not having money, only of not having the goods. If interested, contact Xiao Mu of Flying Sky Game Studio, No. 1789!

Floor 5: Holy crap, is this real? A million for one Village Building Order? Get a Village Building Order and instantly become a millionaire? Brothers, let's go! Pick up your sticks and let's go fight bandits!

...

Floor 1788: So many people on the forum... I'm just here to farm some experience...

...

*《The Huaxia Server's Second Village Has Appeared!》*

"A player territory has unexpectedly appeared in Linzi County, Qi Commandery, Qing Province! I was just scraping by in Linzi, and today, my group of buddies and I were heading out to hunt beasts for some pocket money. As usual, we needed to pass through a flat grassland, but that once endless plain had, overnight, seen the establishment of a village. Several tall buildings had been erected, and the area was bustling with people.

Looking closely, it turned out to be the territory established by the player Jiang Chenglong! This must be our Huaxia Server's second village. Currently, only two player territories have been established in the Huaxia Server. This territory is in an excellent location, not far from Linzi County. To the east is the great Qingji River, to the north is the Black Tiger Mountain, and to the south is an endless plain. The land is fertile, backed by mountains and near water, with abundant rainfall and plenty of timber and stone. It is truly a blessed land. However, the terrain is flat and accessible from all sides; once war breaks out, this place will be hard to defend! Easy to attack, hard to defend!

But looking at the scale of the village, it seems to have been established by a major power—perhaps one of those big conglomerates. With their strength, capital, and foundation, they should be fine. If I had obtained a Village Building Order, I wouldn't build here. Well, first I'd pick a good time, and then... sell it, haha! There are so many rich players now, all buying Village Building Orders at high prices. If I had one, I'd definitely sell it to strike it rich overnight!! I'm so envious! I'll just go back to my miserable life hunting small monsters! — Xuan Tian Xiaodi"

Floor 1: Location is everything. Near mountains and water, rich in resources, and well-connected—these are all top choices. But when the Yellow Turban Rebellion hits, how will the Lord defend? Qing Province is one of the provinces most severely affected by the Yellow Turbans. I don't know if this Jiang Chenglong is full of confidence or just an idiot...

Floor 2: Good point above, but wouldn't it be fine to just join the Yellow Turban faction? Haha!

Floor 3: Regardless, I am also in Linzi County. I'll go see how this territory is first. If it's good, I'll join it and find a patron!

Floor 4: The third village of Huaxia is mine! Don't be jealous, you weaklings!

Floor 5: Xiaoyao Studio sincerely purchases Copper, Silver, and Gold coins, various game materials, blueprints, and Village Building Orders! A fifty-year-old brand with fifty years of integrity. Guaranteed!

Floor 6: Has anyone seen historical generals like Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, or Liu Bei? Why can't I find them!! Any Zhao Yun fans here? Let's go to Changshan together!

Floor 7: Joining the Yellow Turban faction? Give me a break. The system gods should advance things step-by-step according to history. Based on my 20 years of experience in virtual games, the Yellow Turban faction is destined to fail. Anyone who becomes a Yellow Turban bandit is doomed to die!

...

Floor 1900: I encountered a system village in Yizhou; how do I subjugate it? Seeking guidance from the experts!

...

(End of Chapter)