Star Moon Kingdom, Zero Wing City.
Thanks to the abundant gold coins and the fact that no player construction was required, the moment Shui Se Qiang Wei finished paying, a number of high-rise buildings under construction sprang up throughout Zero Wing City.
Shops for two-star NPC merchants typically cost between five hundred and one thousand gold, ranging from two to three stories in height. Three-star NPC merchant shops, however, required two thousand gold and stood five stories tall or higher.
Less than fifteen minutes after the gold was paid, all of the NPC shops finished construction. The once somewhat empty Zero Wing City instantly became bustling with life.
The two three-star NPC merchant shops in the city center were especially eye-catching—one was five stories tall, the other six. Situated along the main street leading to the City Lord's Manor, they were second only to Candlelight Trading House in prominence. Moreover, their architectural style was even more ornate than Candlelight Trading House, making it clear at a glance that they were no ordinary establishments.
One of the two shops was a general store, and the other was a magic shop.
"Huh? When did two NPC shops appear here?"
"These buildings look so fancy—let's go inside and check them out."
Passing players noticed the two shops one after another and, unable to contain their curiosity, headed inside.
Once these players stepped into the two shops, they were completely stunned by the sight before them.
The sheer variety of items inside was something even the shops in a royal capital couldn't match, and many of the goods displayed in the crystal cabinets were things they had never seen before.
"Is that a basic magic formation? They actually sell these?"
"Holy crap! That's a first-tier area-of-effect magic scroll!"
"Incredible! That's a Bronze-rank pickaxe. If I had one of those, my mining speed and yield would definitely go way up."
"No way—they even have basic trap devices?"
The crowd stared at the items arranged across dozens of crystal display cases on the first floor, their eyes practically bulging out of their heads.
Basic magic formations were extremely rare on the market because assembling a complete set was notoriously difficult. Generally, only the major guilds could put together a full set, making them a coveted treasure for solo players and adventure parties alike.
Even though these were only basic formations, they could easily suppress Grand Lord-class monsters. That meant Grand Lords in the wild that were previously impossible to kill could now be dealt with straightforwardly.
First-tier magic scrolls were also scarce items—crucial lifelines when the chips were down.
Basic trap devices could be deployed to devastating effect against both players and monsters.
All of these were rare finds on the open market, the kind of things you stumbled upon only by luck. Now here they were, lined up in crystal display cases for sale, and at prices even lower than market value. How could anyone not be excited?
"Quick! Contact the party leader! We have to buy this entire set of basic magic formations!"
"Guild Master? I've found some Bronze-rank items at a general store in Zero Wing City!"
In an instant, the players who had entered the shops became a flurry of activity, frantically contacting their teammates or guild superiors, reporting everything they had seen in meticulous detail.
"How is that possible? Zero Wing City has shops like these?"
"I'll send the gold over right now—just make sure you keep your eyes on that item for me!"