289: Chapter 290 A World Rich in Resources

"Did you really kill them all?"

Sagiri stood dazed in the now-empty alleyway. Her beautiful eyes, which appeared exceptionally large due to long-term malnutrition, were now wide open, filled with disbelief and shock. Her heart was still pounding wildly in her chest, her hands and feet were cold, and her breathing was rapid.

Those two young men in fine clothing—judging by their attire, bearing, and the casual way they could hand out 5,000 magic crystals as a tip—were definitely top-tier aristocratic youths with power and influence in Stanro City. Moreover, being over level 100 at such a young age, their talent must be exceptional; they were likely key figures being cultivated by their families. Killing them was equivalent to making mortal enemies with at least two deeply entrenched, powerful families in Stanro City at the same time!

Although Stanro City was not the most top-tier floating city in the vast Atlantis World, it was by no means an insignificant, small settlement. A family that could be called top-tier here possessed a network of influence, a number of powerful individuals, and potential backers that no ordinary adventurer or small faction could afford to provoke. Once the incident was exposed, the ensuing retaliation would inevitably be like a violent storm, endless and unforgiving!

However, this thought had just arisen before it was shattered by the calm, almost indifferent expression on the young man's face before her. Sagiri suddenly realized that from beginning to end, this mysterious young man had not shown the slightest worry, concern, or emotional fluctuation after killing. It was as if what he had just wiped out were not two aristocratic youths and several vagrants, but merely flicked a few specks of dust from his lapel.

She naturally did not know that before and after taking action, Lin Muyang had already quietly laid down multiple safeguards.

Unless an existence who also mastered God-Tier power descended personally to investigate in detail, anyone else who came to investigate would only find a blank slate, or a pile of contradictory, unconnected, and useless information. As for suspecting Lin Muyang? They wouldn't even be able to see that the three of them had ever appeared here.

And based on the massive amount of information fragments Lin Muyang had collected through his God-Tier perception after entering Stanro City, he could be certain that in the current Atlantis World, there were no individuals at his level who possessed God-Tier Talent or abilities.

If such an existence existed, they would inevitably be as dazzling as the sun, and their name would have long since become a legend, passed down, revered, or worshipped by countless people. But in the information stream he captured, no name was mentioned frequently to that extent, nor were there any clear records or descriptions of God-Tier power.

This meant that even if there were top-tier powerhouses in this world with sub-god level talent, they would still be suppressed by his God-Tier Aura. This was his greatest source of confidence.

...

In a daze, Sagiri, amidst extremely complex emotions, silently followed behind Lin Muyang. Just moments ago, Lin Muyang had left some magic crystals for her other beggar sisters and had even used means that could be called miraculous to raise their talent to C-rank, allowing them to become apprentices, before taking her away amidst their grateful and envious gazes.

She did not know where she was going, nor did she know what awaited her, but the faint spark of hope in her heart flickered within the ashes of her desperate situation, driving her footsteps forward.

Walking beside Alice and Gui Wanwan, an indescribable sense of inferiority quietly welled up in Sagiri's heart. These two young ladies not only possessed peerless beauty and extraordinary temperament, but they also held terrifying power that she could not imagine. The scene just now, where they had turned several people into nothingness with such nonchalance, was deeply imprinted in her mind. Compared to them, she, a 1st-level Barrier Master with only E-rank Talent, was as humble as dust.

"What... what value do I have that makes him worth rescuing, and even taking me with him?" This question swirled in her mind, leaving her both anxious and bewildered. But regardless, since she had already made her choice, she forced herself to suppress all distracting thoughts, lowered her head, and followed carefully.

Soon, Lin Muyang led them away from that troubled area, walking through the still-bustling streets of Stanro City. Finally, they stopped in front of a building with an elegant appearance and towering height. Floating in front of the building entrance were words formed by magical light— "Cloud Hotel".

Entering the spacious and bright lobby, paved with clean marble, Sagiri felt even more restrained, almost not daring to raise her head. The receptionist was a woman wearing a proper uniform with a standard smile. Her gaze swept quickly over Lin Muyang and the two others, pausing for a moment on Alice and Gui Wanwan, with a flash of astonishment in her eyes, but her professional training allowed her to quickly return to normal. When her gaze fell on Sagiri, who was covered in dirt and rags, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, but seeing that she was brought by Lin Muyang's group, she didn't ask further.

"One top-floor suite." Lin Muyang's tone was flat, not even asking for the price.

"Certainly, sir. The top-floor viewing suite costs 3,200 magic crystals per day, including basic meals and services. How many days will you be staying?" The receptionist operated the crystal panel in front of her skillfully.

"Book it for three days first." Lin Muyang casually took a small pouch of magic crystals from his storage space and placed it on the counter. The magic crystals clinked with a crisp sound, and their quality was excellent.

"3,200 magic crystals a day?" Hearing this number, Sagiri's heart twitched violently. This was simply an astronomical figure for her! She had begged for months, scrimping and saving with her companions, only to save less than 4,000 magic crystals, not even enough to stay here for a day and a half! This kind of luxury was something she could never have imagined before.

After handling the formalities, a waiter in a crisp uniform led them to a quiet and smooth magic elevator, going straight to the top floor of the building. The suite's doors slid open automatically to both sides, and the scene inside made even the anxious Sagiri gasp in surprise.

The room was extremely spacious with an astonishing ceiling height, decorated overall in light-toned magic wood and a certain milky-white stone, with a style that was simple yet grand. A huge arc-shaped floor-to-ceiling window occupied almost the entire wall, and outside the window lay the boundless sea of clouds and the continuous complex of buildings of Stanro City below.

It was currently daytime, and stellar light passed through the specially made magic glass, softly spilling across the room. The soft, thick carpet was silent when stepped upon, and the room was divided into a living room, bedroom, study, and an independent bathroom area with a large viewing tub. The air was filled with a faint, calming fragrance.

Sagiri stood at the doorway, looking at the floor that was so clean it reflected her image and her own dirty, ragged shoes, not daring to step forward for a moment, fearing she would dirty this place.

"Xiao Wan, take her to wash up." Lin Muyang instructed Gui Wanwan, his gaze sweeping over Sagiri's thin frame, and added, "Her figure is about the same as Feng Ling's before Nirvana. You pick out a set that fits and have her change into it first."

"Yes, Master." Gui Wanwan nodded and walked up to Sagiri. Her cold face had no expression, but her eyes were not sharp. "Follow me."

Sagiri was like a startled little deer, subconsciously taking half a step back, then realizing her faux pas, she hurriedly lowered her head, her voice like a mosquito's buzz: "Th... thank you."

Gui Wanwan said nothing more and turned toward the bathroom. Sagiri hesitated for a moment, then followed with stiff steps, her dirty bare feet leaving a few faint stains on the carpet, making her cheeks burn.

Lin Muyang walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, stood with his hands behind his back, and overlooked the city below. His perception, like an invisible web, had already enveloped the entire Stanro City and was spreading further away from here.

Alice walked quietly to a position slightly behind his side, like the most perfect maid, her light blue eyes also looking at the strange world outside the window, filled with curiosity.

Through this massive amount of information, the power spectrum and social structure of the Atlantis World quickly became clear in Lin Muyang's mind.

"Stanro City, the City Lord is level 488, the strongest on the surface of this city. Including the City Lord, there are seven people in the city with levels exceeding 450. These seven are basically the ruling core and the combat ceiling of Stanro City."

"And looking at the entire Atlantis World... the highest level existence currently known has reached level 599, stuck at the threshold of the sixth major breakthrough. This is basically consistent with my previous estimates." Lin Muyang thought to himself. After hundreds of years of development, resources were highly concentrated at the top, so it was no surprise that such peak powerhouses were produced.

"In terms of talent, the highest recognized talent level recorded in Atlantis is currently sub-god level. It is one grade lower than the Demigod Level of Alice, Ayla, and the others, let alone true God-Tier. This is consistent with the current situation on Blue Star."

This made him feel a little more at ease. The gap in talent often meant a gap in potential and growth limits. A level 599 sub-god level powerhouse might not necessarily be able to crush the young ladies under his command who possessed Demigod Level or even God-Tier Talent, and who had been blessed by his multiple Auras. Of course, the huge gap in level and experience still needed to be faced squarely.

"What level of attributes would a sub-god level Class Transferee close to level 600 have?" Lin Muyang estimated, "The effect of my [Absolute Command] Aura probably won't be effective against opponents of this level, and might even be strongly resisted. But if there were a direct conflict, relying on the depth of the skill library brought by the Cooperative Linkage trait, and the Aura effects under multiple bond blessings, the outcome is still uncertain."

He had no intention of challenging the pinnacle of this world right now. The gap in level and practical experience was an objective fact, and the opponent might also possess some powerful skills, equipment, or trump cards unique to this world. Without absolute certainty and unnecessary conflict, low-key development and accumulating resources was the best strategy.

"In terms of resources..." Lin Muyang's attention turned to another key piece of information, "mythic grade equipment and skills remain top-tier strategic resources here, strictly controlled by major factions. But heaven-opening grade equipment and skills do exist, though they are extremely rare, worthy of being called legendary. On average, a sky-opening grade secret realm appears worldwide only every eight to ten months. Meanwhile, mythic grade Dungeons or secret realms appear twenty or thirty times a year."

This meant that in the Atlantis World, heaven-opening grade Elemental Essence was equally outrageously precious. Even those top powerhouses might not be willing to use it when breaking through themselves, let alone give it to their juniors. If his extravagant act of using more than a dozen heaven-opening grade Essences to break through level 100 were to get out, it would be enough to shock the entire world's top circles.

"However, for me, as long as I find one mythical-rank secret realm, there is a high probability of obtaining heaven-opening grade equipment, and subsequently decomposing it into Essence." Lin Muyang's mouth curled slightly. This was his greatest advantage: high-efficiency, high-quality resource acquisition capability.

"There is one more interesting point..." He noticed another detail captured from the information stream, "In Atlantis, because of longer development, the level lower limit of secret realms has been pushed much lower. The entry level lower limit for a mythical-rank secret realm has actually dropped to level 80. The lower limits for epic-grade and legendary-rank secret realms have even reached levels 22 and 42!"

This originally didn't mean much to him, because entering secret realms usually had level requirements. But at this moment, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

"I have now activated the bond system, and different Aura combinations can produce brand new special effects. So, is there a specific Aura combination whose bond effect allows me to bypass the level restrictions of secret realms like an exploit?"

This thought invigorated him. If it could really be realized, it would mean he could enter those low-level mythical-rank and epic-grade secret realms! With his current strength, clearing these low-level high-grade secret realms would be as easy as pie, and the efficiency of harvesting resources and experience would reach a terrifying level! Moreover, low-level secret realms were often less conspicuous, and the possibility of being monopolized by major factions was lower.

"Worth a try!"

Lin Muyang no longer hesitated, his consciousness sank into his spiritual world, and he began to try combining various Auras.