Chapter Eight: True Lifespan, The Ultimate Temptation!

How many people could truly resist the temptation of an extended lifespan?

In a span of just over a century, even with the advanced technology of the modern world pushing the average lifespan to one hundred and fifty years, many remain pathologically obsessed with their own longevity. To live even one extra day is a luxury.

Now, this miraculous game offers the chance to gain actual life-force, and furthermore, many items and equipment from within the game can manifest their effects on one's physical body in the real world. This realization is exhilarating, crashing against the deepest, most vulnerable parts of the human psyche like a surging tidal wave.

Scraping for reputation, vying for the destiny of feudal lords, founding nations, and cultivating the power of destiny—all of these pull at the desires of the masses.

Strive! Compete! Fight!

The endless struggles of countless players, the brutal wars, the desperate brawls, the schemes, the backstabbing, the mutual deception—one can only imagine the utter cruelty that lies ahead.

But madness aside, the harsh reality of the world must still be faced. Governments across the globe are working desperately to contain the hysteria, gradually releasing the secrets they have uncovered about "Mythical World" to keep the public in check.

Yet, the frenzy within the game world is difficult to suppress. Many players throw themselves into quests and charge into battle like men possessed, wave after wave, resulting in staggering casualties that have become nearly impossible to manage. This is one of the reasons Lin Mu does not want players to be the primary force for his territory's development.

At present, most ordinary people in the real world remain unaware of these secrets; only the wealthy, the powerful, and the elite are privy to them. Some in the middle class have caught wind of vague rumors, but even that has been enough for them to take it seriously, immediately pulling their investments from other virtual games. This has led to a monopoly in the global virtual gaming market.

In his previous life, Lin Mu only knew a portion of these secrets. It is possible that the upper echelons are withholding much more, a thought that weighs heavily on his mind.

Regardless, with his cheat-like head start, he has a massive advantage over countless other players. As long as he stays one step ahead and avoids any major, fundamental mistakes, he should be fine.

Lin Mu harbors a deep craving for the increased lifespan the game offers. Beyond longevity, he pursues power, rare treasures, and everything else the game holds.

Death is something one must face with composure if it is truly unavoidable; but if there is even the slightest glimmer of hope, it will be magnified infinitely. This is human nature, regardless of right or wrong.

When Lin Mu first learned the news, he was profoundly shaken, as if a fierce tiger had been unleashed within his heart, leaving him speechless. By reflecting on his own reaction, he could easily imagine the madness of others.

To hold the power of the world in one's palm and sleep on the knees of beauties! Who does not desire this? Who does not seek it?

Of course, Lin Mu would never go to the battle net to disclose this information. If the government’s strategic layout were disrupted or exposed, the consequences would be dire. After all, while the government’s actions may not always be perfectly humane or transparent, many of their measures are noble and essential for maintaining social stability; they are, after all, responsible for the entire population.

Many may loudly proclaim the importance of human rights, personal freedom, and the right to know, but that is all nonsense. Without a stable environment, such talk is meaningless. Try talking about human rights to people in a war-torn country—when they cannot even fill their stomachs or guarantee their own survival, such concepts are as fleeting as clouds.

Lin Mu is no saint; he cannot perform earth-shattering feats, and doing so would contradict his low-profile style.

The state exists for a reason; let the authorities handle those matters.

Lin Mu prefers to remain hidden among the common folk, observing the big picture, following the trends, and aiming to reap the greatest rewards within the game.

He has managed to regain his composure. After all, it is still early, very early, he reminded himself.

Now that his territory has a Fate Merchant, its potential for development has increased. Lin Mu cannot fully articulate the mystery of this, but he is determined to utilize and exploit it to the fullest.

"Yuan Zhi, are you a permanent resident of my territory, or will you move on to other territories?" Lin Mu pondered before asking this crucial question.

"I am stationed here with you, Lord. I shall settle in your territory from now on. I hope you can arrange lodging for me, and I trust you will forgive my suddenness!" Fate Merchants are elusive; in his past life, Lin Mu rarely encountered them. To have one like Yuan Zhi stationed here permanently is incredibly useful for exchanging items, saving him the time of searching for them.

Moreover, upon hearing that Yuan Zhi was staying, an idea with immense potential for profit popped into Lin Mu's mind, though it would be impossible to implement for the time being.

"Very well. You shall settle here. I will instruct my servants to attend to you. However, as the territory has just been established, conditions are quite crude and simple; I hope you can bear with it," Lin Mu said, feeling relieved.

"It is no trouble. To receive such hospitality from the Lord is more than enough for me," Yuan Zhi replied gratefully.

"Good! Now, I have 10,200 Reputation points. How many Fate Coins can I exchange for? Could you introduce your group to me? Also, are there any specific rules I should know?" Lin Mu asked. Although he could recite the trading rules of the Fate Merchants by heart, there might be details he had forgotten or was unaware of. Being humble and polite—that is the proper way to conduct oneself.

"Lord, since you are the first to encounter one of us Fate Merchants, you are entitled to relevant information. We Fate Merchants are divided into six ranks from low to high: Yellow, Xuan, Earth, Heaven, God, and Saint. The higher the rank, the higher the trading authority, meaning a higher cap on the items we can offer. Currently, I am of the Yellow rank, and the items I can sell are limited. The artifacts you desire, Lord, will require me to reach the Earth rank before I have the clearance to sell them."

"Furthermore, some of us are wandering Fate Merchants. Their locations are not fixed; they go wherever there is business. Others provide location-based services like mine, targeting lords or heroes with deep potential. Your fortune is boundless, Lord, and it is my fate to serve you."

"We Fate Merchants use three types of currency, ranked from lowest to highest value: [Fate Coins], [Destiny Coins], and [Fate-Count Coins]. Fate Coins are exchanged for Reputation—one for one. That is, one point of Reputation earns you one Fate Coin. Destiny Coins are exchanged for the destiny of feudal lords, and Fate-Count Coins are exchanged for units of 'Fate-Count'."

"Your 10,200 Reputation points can be exchanged for 10,200 Fate Coins!" Yuan Zhi explained in detail. However, Lin Mu could tell that Yuan Zhi was being reserved about certain aspects, though he did not mind.

As Lin Mu heard about the currencies, a pleasant system notification chimed in his ear:

"Ding!"

"—System Notification: Congratulations to player Lin Mu for successfully and unexpectedly unlocking the [Fate-Count System]. As you are the first in the world to do so, you are rewarded with 10,000 Reputation points. You may click on the attribute to view the details."

"Oh? Lord, your Reputation has increased again. It seems your destiny is truly vast and your fortune deep," Yuan Zhi remarked, having caught a glimpse of what had transpired.

"Indeed. The Great Goddess [Nuwa] has unlocked the [Fate-Count System] for me. As the first 'Outsider' to unlock it, I was rewarded with 10,000 Reputation points. I am also very grateful to you for your detailed explanation."

Lin Mu truly needed to thank Yuan Zhi. The unlocking of the [Fate-Count System] is notoriously fickle, with no concrete strategy. In his past life, Lin Mu had triggered it inadvertently, and he had been trying to replicate that process ever since. Now, he had achieved it by pure chance—a classic case of planting a willow and having it grow into shade.

Lin Mu did not hide this, as it is said that Fate Merchants know many truths about this world, though they do not disclose them easily. By building a rapport with Yuan Zhi, he hoped to uncover secrets he was still unaware of. During their conversation, Yuan Zhi had carefully avoided certain topics, which Lin Mu noted but chose not to press. After all, it was their first meeting; there would be plenty of time in the future to dig deeper.

"You can now exchange for 20,200 Fate Coins, Lord. Shall we proceed? However, due to rule restrictions, there is a 5% handling fee for exchanging Reputation into Fate Coins. If you exchange 20,200 Reputation, you will receive 19,190 Fate Coins. I hope you do not mind." Yuan Zhi offered a helpless, bitter smile. This fee was decreed by the Great Goddess Nuwa; a mere ant like himself could not change it.

Lin Mu was aware of this rule. Whether the 5% fee was expensive or cheap, he didn't know, given his limited experience, but he didn't care. "Exchange them. 19,190 Fate Coins it is. What do you have for sale? Show me."

"Haha, you are truly generous, Lord." At the very start of the game, 20,200 Reputation points could be considered a vast fortune. Lin Mu knew the difficulty of obtaining Reputation, but since he had plenty of ways to earn more, he did not hesitate, waving his hand to confirm the exchange.

At the same time, a blue commodity panel appeared before him. It was identical to the one from his past life—at once incredibly unfamiliar and deeply imprinted in his memory:

[Lifespan] [Weapons] [Equipment] [Props] [Supplies]

Lin Mu ignored the [Lifespan] option. Now was not the time to discuss that; his current wealth was but a drop in the ocean. Given his current situation and needs, it was best to prioritize architectural blueprints.

Lin Mu clicked on the [Props] option, and a detailed sub-panel expanded:

Catalogues, blueprints... dense and rich with options.

Lin Mu entered 'architectural blueprint' into the search bar, and the panel immediately displayed the available items:

Basic Tailor Shop Blueprint (10): Requires 100 Fate Coins;
Basic Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (10): Requires 100 Fate Coins;
Basic Carpentry Workshop Blueprint (10): Requires 100 Fate Coins;
Basic Shipyard Blueprint (10): Requires 100 Fate Coins;
Basic Dockyard Blueprint (10): Requires 100 Fate Coins;
Basic Residential House Blueprint (100): Requires 50 Fate Coins;
...
Basic Refugee Camp Blueprint (4): Requires 1,000 Fate Coins;
Basic Private School Blueprint (1): Requires 2,000 Fate Coins;
Basic Vagrant Camp Blueprint (3): Requires 2,000 Fate Coins;
...
Intermediate Tailor Shop Blueprint (5): Requires 1,000 Fate Coins;
Intermediate Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (5): Requires 1,000 Fate Coins;
...
Intermediate Refugee Camp Blueprint (1): Requires 3,000 Fate Coins;
Intermediate Vagrant Camp Blueprint (1): Requires 5,000 Fate Coins;
...
Advanced Tailor Shop Blueprint (2): Requires 10,000 Fate Coins;
Advanced Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (2): Requires 10,000 Fate Coins;
...
Expert Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (0): Requires 100,000 Fate Coins;
...
Master Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (0): Requires 500,000 Fate Coins;
...
Grandmaster Blacksmith Shop Blueprint (0): Requires 1,000,000 Fate Coins;
...

The numbers in the parentheses indicated the quantity available, and the cost was the number of Fate Coins required for each. As a veteran of the game, Lin Mu knew all of this by heart.