White River City, City Hall.
"Why are there so many people?"
The moment Shi Feng stepped into the ground-floor hall, he could see a massive crowd of free players gathered inside.
They were clustering around NPC stewards to strike up conversations, while a large number queued in front of the land-title counters, their expressions excited. The sheer liveliness of the scene made it look more like a marketplace than a government building.
The only difference from an actual marketplace was that the players here were either experts or merchants wearing lavish outfits adorned with merchant emblems.
"Damn it, I was a step too late! I just rushed over from Black Dragon City, and all the premium houses in White River City have already been snatched up!"
"Tell me about it. I heard the premium houses were bought out half an hour ago. Now only the standard houses are left, and everyone's hemming and hawing over whether to buy one!"
"I wonder when the VIP suites in White River City will go on sale?"
"VIP suites? Even if the system really does put them up for sale, I doubt more than a handful of people could afford them."
"Even if they could afford them, I don't think anyone would buy a White River City one. After all, White River City is just an NPC city within a single kingdom — its resources can't compare to NPC cities in an empire. A premium house here is only on par with a standard house in an empire, and even the VIP suites are barely equivalent to the premium houses in imperial NPC cities. For that kind of money, you could buy properties in two imperial cities."
"True. Lately, I've heard Star Ring has poured enormous funds into suppressing Zero Wing again, and they've been buying up rare materials at sky-high prices in the Auction House over in Star Moon City. That's lured quite a few players over there to sell their goods. The number of players willing to sell items at the White River City Auction House keeps shrinking."
The players scouting the situation in the hall chattered quietly among themselves, and listening to their discussions, Shi Feng gradually understood why so many players had gathered here.
In his previous life, after the auction-arena competition had concluded, the system had opened up private Auction House rooms not long afterward. These rooms were located inside White River City's Auction House and were enormously popular among free players.
That was because these Auction House rooms offered players far more than just a place to live. They came with a beautiful view overlooking White River City's commercial district and provided a host of conveniences.
First, item storage. Players could store large quantities of items directly in these rooms without having to rent warehouse space — essentially a personal mini-warehouse.
Second, teleportation convenience. No matter where a player was, they could use a teleportation stone to warp straight to their Auction House room, completely free of charge. The cooldown was a bit long compared to teleportation scrolls, which could be used at any time, but for free players it was still invaluable — it was like having an extra teleportation point.
Third, buying and selling items was extremely convenient. Players didn't need to visit the main hall to list or purchase items; they could open the Auction House interface directly from their rooms.
Fourth, and most importantly, they could participate in the Auction House's premium auctions without having to fight for tickets or eligibility.
These four advantages drove the broader free-player community to compete eagerly for these Auction House rooms.
And the faction that controlled the Auction House stood to profit handsomely. How much revenue they earned depended entirely on how many rooms were purchased — the more rooms sold, the larger the share.
However, the price of these Auction House rooms wasn't cheap, and they reset once every month, so it all came down to the capability of the guild managing the Auction House.
If they could make the Auction House thrive, not only would revenue increase, but the revenue-sharing ratio would be raised as well.
That was why, in his previous life, every faction that had gained control of an Auction House had poured enormous effort into managing it — some even resorted to underhanded tactics to upgrade the NPC Auction House, because when run well, a single Auction House could generate revenue rivaling several others combined.
Of course, there was a significant risk: control of the Auction House wasn't guaranteed. If someone else seized it, all those benefits would go to them.
In this life, the competition for White River City's Auction House had already concluded, and naturally, the broader player community had begun fighting over the Auction House rooms. But the number of players coming to purchase rooms was painfully small.
Shi Feng vaguely recalled that in his previous life, the Auction House rooms in Star Moon City had been snatched up like crazy — so many people had competed that the system had even implemented automated bidding, and both standard and premium rooms had sold out completely.
Now, the number of players purchasing White River City Auction House rooms was downright pitiful.
Still, Shi Feng could understand. Zero Wing was facing a formidable enemy, and with a superpower like Star Ring applying pressure, players were weighing the pros and cons of buying Auction House rooms in White River City. So the best value — the premium rooms — had been sold out, while the standard rooms attracted virtually no interest.
"Star Ring's efficiency really is something." Shi Feng glanced at the indecisive crowd and silently marveled at Star Ring's methods. They had truly stopped at nothing to crush Zero Wing's economy.
In the brief moment Shi Feng was lost in thought, an NPC senior steward approached and led him to Whitman's study.
When they arrived, Whitman was seated at his desk as usual, quietly reading an ancient tome. He radiated not a shred of authority — it was hard to imagine that Whitman was already a Tier 5 Archmage of the Holy Wizard Class.
Shi Feng promptly handed over the one hundred units of Seven Star Crystal Stone and the Hero-tier raid commendations that the guild had collected.
"You really are a remarkable adventurer," Whitman said, studying Shi Feng with undisguised wonder in his eyes. He looked nothing like an NPC — more like a kindly elder. "I didn't expect you to complete this so quickly. No wonder Xia Lian thinks so highly of you. This is the certification you requested — I hope it helps you go even further!"
As Whitman handed over a piece of parchment, a rapid succession of system notifications chimed in Shi Feng's ears.
System: Congratulations! Player has completed the Sub-Legendary quest "Path of Prosperity." Rewards: White River City Auction House Opening Certification, +2 player levels, +5 Legacy Skill Points, +20 Free Mastery.
In an instant, Shi Feng's level jumped from 74 straight to 76. The Legacy Skill Points he had earned were stored away — unlike players of other hidden Classes, he was in no rush to use them to boost his power.
There were two reasons for this. First, it was unnecessary. He was already plenty strong, with his level leading even Huo Wu and the others by a full six tiers, and his skills were more than sufficient.
Second, it would be wasteful. The Tier 2 Class was merely a transitional stage — Tier 3 and above was where the real mainstream gameplay began. Legacy Skill Points weren't easy to come by, and respeccing was even harder. Plenty of expert players had paid a heavy price for squandering their Legacy Skill Points on temporary power spikes.
System: Player has completed Path of Prosperity. Bonus reward: choice between a top-tier architectural blueprint or a Gold-grade Town Upgrade Seal. Player has five minutes to make a selection.