The sudden transformation of the Candlelight Trading Company left everyone present completely dumbstruck.
"Huge!"
"What on earth did Zero Wing do?"
Everyone stared at the Candlelight Trading Company, which now loomed like a mountain, their hearts flooded with indescribable shock. The surrounding player-run shops might have been bustling, but compared to this hundred-meter-tall trading company, they looked utterly pathetic.
The merchant players present, in particular, could barely keep their eyes from popping out of their heads.
Ordinary players in the Divine Realm had no idea how the shop system worked, but for life-skill players and merchant players, it was as familiar as the back of their hand.
Shops in NPC cities were built under strict regulations — you couldn't just make them as tall as you pleased. A three-star shop, for example, was only seven stories high, and even after spending a fortune on upgrades, nine stories was the absolute limit.
But the Candlelight Trading Company now had a full twenty-one stories!
An increase in floors didn't just mean more shelf space for merchandise — it also meant the shop could accommodate far more life-skill players working inside. Ordinary shops might not match the various sub-profession associations in terms of working environment, but the advanced studios available in a three-star shop were actually superior. That was exactly why so many life-skill players wanted to come to White River City and join the Candlelight Trading Company.
The whole point was to stay at the Candlelight Trading Company in White River City. After all, top-tier studios were something ordinary life-skill players had no right to enjoy, but there was no cap on the number of advanced studios in a three-star shop — as long as you had enough floors, you could build as many as you wanted.
"What's going on? How can a shop in an NPC city reach twenty-one stories?" Yi Han gazed at the Candlelight Trading Company before her with undisguised disbelief.
Although the Moon God World was different from the Divine Realm continent, they had done some research on shops in the Divine Realm. The tallest shop they had ever seen was only nine stories. The Candlelight Trading Company before them was more than double that height, with a vastly larger footprint — it was an entirely different building from what it had been before.
"Could it be that the Candlelight Trading Company has upgraded?" Nancheng Jiumeng, the male knight standing beside her, hit upon a possibility, though uncertainty lingered in his voice.
"It must have advanced to a four-star shop. There's no other explanation for such a dramatic change." Miaowuyin nodded, secretly impressed despite herself.
Advancing a shop's star rating was no easy feat, especially beyond three stars. Very few superpowers currently owned four-star shops — most had only recently made the leap. But now the Candlelight Trading Company had upgraded to an even more powerful four-star establishment. That would give them a considerable edge.
"Zero Wing does have some tricks, I'll grant them that. But so what if it's a four-star shop?" Yi Han curled her lip, still dismissive. "Our Dark Pursuit Alliance has claimed an ancient civilization town with mid-tier meditation rooms that don't even exist on the Divine Realm continent. How could a single shop possibly compare to an entire town?"
Ancient civilization technology was superior to that of the current kingdoms and empires in many respects. The ancient civilization town their Dark Pursuit Alliance had obtained in the Moon God World was a city centered entirely around life-skill professions — not something any shop could hope to rival. And as the town continued to upgrade, even more technologies would be unlocked.
"The shop is open. Let's head in." Miaowuyin did not contradict what Yi Han had said.
She had already reviewed the materials Yi Han and the others had provided, and she had to admit that the Moon God World's life-skill standards were a full tier above those of the Divine Realm continent. Their alchemy techniques and methods were on par with — if not superior to — Candlelight's. They had every right to be confident.
At the entrance of the Candlelight Trading Company, Youyu Weixiao had been waiting for quite some time. The moment she spotted Yi Han and her companions approaching, she led the three straight inside, drawing envious and jealous stares from the countless players milling about outside.
The Candlelight Trading Company's advance to four-star status had everyone burning with curiosity about what the new interior looked like, especially the life-skill players who had come seeking to join. But now, aside from Candlelight's own members, no one was allowed inside — everyone else could only gaze longingly from beyond the entrance. The fact that Yi Han and Nancheng Jiumeng, two outsiders, had been permitted to enter naturally sparked considerable envy.