After Shi Feng clicked on the translucent light-blue screen that had appeared, 1,500 Magic Crystals instantly vanished from his inventory.
The enormous Magic Crystal erupted with a pale blue radiance that shot straight into the sky, spreading out at a height of three to four hundred yards like an open umbrella, enveloping the entire Stone Forest Town.
The spectacular sight left every player in the town stunned.
"What the heck is that?"
"Could it be a magic barrier that Zero Wing set up?"
……
Everyone began buzzing with speculation about the Magic Tower, but in the short time they spent gossiping, some perceptive high-level players suddenly noticed that the ambient magic density around them was steadily rising.
"Can you guys feel it? The magic concentration in the town seems to have gone up."
"Yeah, now that you mention it, my head does feel a lot clearer."
"Wait—look at your status bar! There seems to be an extra buff!"
Following the exclamations of these players, more and more people in the town noticed the change. When someone pointed out the new buff on the status bar, they all hurriedly opened their system panels to check.
Magic-Saturated State: Stamina and mental recovery are greatly increased, and the mind remains clear at all times.
"This buff is insane!"
"Zero Wing, you legends!"
"Hahaha, this is awesome! Now even resting outside the inn gives recovery on par with staying inside one!"
"What an idiot—I just came out of the inn, and resting inside is way better. Not only is the recovery speed faster, but if you rest for five hours, you get a 30% EXP boost for two hours after the Magic-Saturated State wears off. Rest for ten hours, and you get a 30% EXP boost for four hours!"
"No way—seriously?"
"Go try it yourself. I have to work during the day, so I'm definitely going to rest in the inn for ten-plus hours. Now I don't have to worry about falling behind on levels!"
……
Once the players in the town realized what the Magic Tower could do, many of them were so excited they could barely contain themselves. They started cheering in the streets as if they had just won the lottery.
Most of the players in the town were free players. Unlike guild members, they didn't have a guild base where they could log off and enjoy the benefit of storing double experience, so their levels generally lagged behind. But plenty of free players refused to be shackled by guild rules—they would rather level up slower and enjoy the freedom and thrill of adventuring in the Divine Realm.
Now, with the ability to gain an EXP boost just by resting in an inn, they could have the best of both worlds: freedom and faster leveling. How could they not be thrilled?
The already bustling inns were instantly packed beyond capacity. Everyone rushed to the nearest inn to book a room. Players had previously cursed the Stone Forest inn prices as highway robbery—two to three times higher than anywhere else, with only Magic Crystal transactions bringing them to a normal rate. Now they all felt they had struck gold. Even paying two or three times the price for a room was well worth it.
After all, a ten-hour rest meant a 30% leveling speed increase lasting four hours. A little extra money was nothing.
"Damn it, what a ripoff! Why am I still being charged three times the normal inn price even when I pay with Magic Crystals?"