49: Happiness is something you discover by comparison!

I took a trip to the Auction House to check out the skill books and blueprints, but there was nothing useful!

The Auction House in the Novice Village isn't connected to the outside world, so it doesn't have many good items.

Xu Shian had no choice but to head back to the You Jian Inn with a backpack full of newly purchased materials.

Among them, he even spotted an Engineering blueprint he could learn right now.

【Construction Blueprint: Inferior Musket】

Xu Shian's current Engineering level was stuck at fifty points and wouldn't go any higher.

Although he, Xu Shian, would likely never use this Inferior Musket, it was still fine for leveling up his skill!

After learning the blueprint directly, Xu Shian was speechless.

【Engineering: Inferior Musket】

【Materials: Copper Ingot * 4, Handful of Bolts * 3, Wood * 1】

【Inferior Musket】

【Ranged】

【Attack + 12】

【Durability: 25 / 25】

No wonder they say "Engineering ruins three generations"!

Just tell me, who could you possibly sell this 【Inferior Musket】 to once you've made it?

If there aren't any better blueprints to replace it in the next two days, I'll just use this 【Inferior Musket】 to grind my levels.

After all, there are no high-level blueprints for now, and there's no place in the Novice Village to learn Intermediate Engineering, so I can put that aside for later.

Xu Shian returned to the 'You Jian Inn', adjusted himself a little, and planned to start using Alchemy to churn out potions!

I have to admit, Engineering is truly a money pit.

There are so many things I really want, but they are ridiculously expensive and have no commercial value!

I have to rely on Alchemy, my cash cow, to support it.

Under normal circumstances, you can't make money with Beginner Alchemy in the Novice Village.

But who asked Xu Shian to have chosen such an awesome talent from the System Mall after so much deliberation...

He arrived at his room and looked at the pitch-black room next door; he figured that mother and daughter were probably still out strolling around the plaza!

I have to say, An Xixi's looks are truly top-tier.

In this game world without makeup or beauty filters, she could actually be breathtakingly beautiful...

I must develop my own strength, become powerful, and see if there's a chance to get intimate with her in the future.

I don't need to think about that in the short term; everyone's hope hasn't been extinguished yet.

The order of modern society is still quietly functioning...

Of course, human nature is inherently evil, and people will unconsciously test the bottom line of order bit by bit.

...

He spent three hours turning the herbs he bought into various potions!

In the middle of it, An Xixi came over to chat for a while and incidentally dropped off today's harvest.

Many items were put in the Auction House, and those with reasonable prices were basically snapped up instantly!

There was still a batch of inferior items left, and he reckoned it would take until tomorrow morning to see the results!

An Xixi lingered at Xu Shian's place for a long time, wanting to share what she had seen and heard at the night market.

Seeing that Xu Shian really didn't have time to pay attention to her, she pouted and left.

He didn't make any grenades today; given the strength of his grenades, they should last for another two days. It wouldn't be too late to make more tomorrow night after checking the remaining stock!

After finishing his work, Xu Shian went back to check under that post about the BOSS on the 【Jianghu Encyclopedia】.

This time, he even saw the stats of the Murloc BOSS that Kun had opened up!

Although the other party had hidden their name, Xu Shian guessed that it must have been Chen Jie who did it.

The four remaining members of the original team had now formed a fixed party.

Everyone had a certain tacit understanding of what should be done and what shouldn't be done...

However, Xu Shian didn't care; fishing, occasionally you catch a BOSS!

Even if he could fish up a BOSS in the future, it probably wouldn't be this one!

If someone is so awesome, let them fish it up themselves...

There were many more people and posts joining in the fun under this thread.

Now that the mobile phones of tens of billions of people worldwide have been confiscated, apart from everyone being issued a game system and participating in the game, there are no other entertainment facilities.

As everyone knows!

The best way to ruin a hobby is to turn it into a job...

For example... someone who loves reading novels, having done so for over twenty years.

Suddenly one day, that hobby becomes their job...

A disaster!

It simply loses its source of happiness!

...

Therefore, the biggest hobby for everyone now is browsing the forum!

As for the small vendors in the plaza, they are just a little pastime when one is extremely bored!

Currently, on a global scale, the 【Jianghu Encyclopedia】 has the greatest achievements on the forum and is the undisputed top internet celebrity!

Many of his posts have already been translated into over a dozen languages for users in other linguistic regions to pay to view.

I don't know if this myriad realms online is good or not, but the problem of piracy has been completely curbed!

You can read the free posts on the site as you please, but for paid posts, you can't even open a new thread to copy them...

You can't post it; now, for everyone combined, there is only the official forum as a place to communicate!

And today at noon, 【Jianghu Encyclopedia】 officially surpassed 【Money Can Move the Gods】 and topped the wealth ranking list with an unknown amount of wealth!

The three ranking lists are updated in real-time.

The level ranking list is currently still empty.

It's unknown exactly what conditions are needed to make the list.

The wealth ranking list is very clear; after all, it has already been announced that you need assets exceeding 100 gold coins to make the list!

There are currently only two people on the list.

First place: 【Jianghu Encyclopedia】

Second place: 【Money Can Move the Gods】

...

As for how much money they actually have? That's unknown...

Everyone doesn't know how this 【Money Can Move the Gods】 actually got their money, but it must be related to their talent!

Can he really be better than Xu Shian by selling things and doing business?

Not to mention Xu Shian doesn't believe it, the others in the 12315 Newbie Village don't believe it either...

But look at Liu Lili's wealth-type talent; A-rank is already quite strong.

If there were an SS-rank or even an SSS-rank wealth-type talent, presumably it wouldn't be difficult for her to reach the top...

And the rise of 【Jianghu Encyclopedia】 to the top is entirely due to the paid posts and tipping functions on the forum!

I can't speak for others, but Xu Shian has already tipped him quite a bit.

And the equipment ranking list...

First place: Fraud Ring (Bronze Tier)

Second place: Rapid-fire Bow (Silver Tier)

Third place: Sturdy Shield (Bronze Tier)

Fourth place: Fear Staff (Bronze Tier)

...

Tenth place: Flowery Feather Leather Boots (Bronze Tier)

Xu Shian's Fishbone Ring had already been pushed off the list.

And regarding the equipment ranking list, there was even a hot post on the forum discussing what kind of stats a Bronze ring could possibly have to suppress Silver equipment and take the top spot?

More people were discussing, where did this Silver equipment actually come from?

Currently, some of the Bronze equipment is dropped by elite monsters, and some is opened from Black Iron Treasure Chests!

But as for Silver equipment, there is currently only this one piece, and no other shops have it.

Forum leaks say it's in the hands of a US player named 【Dark Angel】!

Xu Shian didn't care how curious others were about his 【Fraud Ring】; he didn't have the good quality of clearing up doubts for others!

Lights out, time to sleep!

At 7:30 the next morning, Xu Shian's door was being pounded on!

He struggled to open his eyes, watching the sunlight streaming in—'Darwin Effect'? 'Ibuprofen Effect'? He couldn't quite collect his thoughts.

After hearing the thumping on the door again, he finally managed to pull his scattered thoughts back.

Sigh...

I kind of regret forming a team!

Nobody said that forming a team to level up means you can't sleep in, right?

Opening the door, outside was An Xixi, whose resentment was even heavier than Xu Shian's.

Looking at the dark circles under her eyes and the terrifying aura radiating from her.

Looking at her attire and state, he reckoned she had even eaten breakfast before coming over to call Xu Shian!

Xu Shian's mood suddenly improved...

As expected, happiness is all about comparison!