C161 Village Showdown!

Inside the tavern.

"Turns out, a tavern is the perfect spot to unwind. Having a drink, chatting up the ladies—it's sheer bliss. This is the life! Amidst all the fighting, you've got to have a taste for the finer things, right?"

"Check this out—the drinks here have special effects. Take the Black Iron Beer, for instance; it toughens up my body and boosts my defense. Winter Spring Fire Wine bulks you up and amps your strength. And Vodka Wine? That's your ticket to braving the chill..."

"Plus, there's music and dancing. It's an awesome place. With more buddies around, we could throw some epic parties in the tavern!"

Villagers flocked to the tavern, instantly charmed by its myriad offerings.

And then there were those who couldn't tear themselves away from the pharmacy.

"Health potions, the classic red bottle!"

"They've even got energy potions—this pharmacy's got it all!"

"Ah, but the real gem is this little blue bottle. It's a huge help to men, if you catch my drift."

"Hehe!"

Every public building with its array of amenities was a treasure trove of benefits, leaving the villagers thoroughly content.

The village of old was more like a tense barracks with little zest for life. Now, it's transformed into a place where people can truly live.

There are shops for restocking supplies, blacksmiths for equipment repairs, taverns for entertainment, and inns for gatherings. It's not perfect yet, but it's a small place with all the essentials.

While the villagers were busy exploring these public buildings, Chen Guo was in his room, poring over the details of Flame Dragon Village.

"Village Name: Flame Dragon Village!"

"Village Level: 2"

"Village Chief: Chen Guo (Strongest War God)"

"Village Population: 7,526—growing steadily"

"Public Buildings: 9..."

"Level 2 Novice Mansions: 4,031..."

"Level 3 Novice Villas: 46..."

"Level 4 Novice Mansions: 0..."

This user-friendly interface allowed Chen Guo to quickly grasp the village's progress.

Haha!

Not too shabby!

Flame Dragon Village's development was impressive, a true picture of vitality.

Chen Guo couldn't be happier.

The better the village fared, the more perks he'd enjoy as the chief. His fortunes were intertwined with the village's—prospering together, suffering together.

Chen Guo scrutinized the upgrade requirements for the Level 4 newbie benefits:

- Stone: 500

- Wood: 500

- Gold: 20

- Fire Feather Stone: 10

Securing stone and wood was a breeze; Chen Guo had already amassed enough. These materials were ubiquitous—not quite to the point of being found at every turn, but certainly commonplace.

Gold, while more scarce, was also within easy reach. Chen Guo didn't need to hunt for it himself; a word to Zhou Tao, and he'd procure it. In the Whole Heaven Battlefield, gold and silver jewels held little significance, with pills serving as the primary currency. Yet, the allure of gold persisted among humans, and there were always those who gathered it effortlessly.

In the Whole Heaven Battlefield, gold's value was modest, and the cost to acquire it was minimal. With numerous deserted towns scattered throughout the Little World, laden with unclaimed treasures, collecting gold and silver was hardly a challenge.

The real hurdle was the Fire Feather Stone, a rare material whose whereabouts would require some investigation to obtain.

Just then, the system broadcasted a new announcement:

"Ding! With the establishment of 1,000 Beginner Villages worldwide, the third phase of the main storyline mission is now underway!"

"Third phase of the main storyline mission: Reach Level 50 within three months or face elimination."

A wave of solemnity washed over everyone. It was clear that this was yet another filtering process—a ruthless game sparing no respite for its players. Three months might seem ample, but ascending to Level 50 was no small feat, as leveling became increasingly difficult.

Not every trial challenger was a powerhouse like Chen Guo, capable of slaying monsters with ease and racking up substantial slaughter points. Nor did every Beginner Village have the advantage of a powerhouse like Chen Guo, whose presence alone could lift all boats.

The average trial challenger was hovering around Level 10. The formidable ones had just reached Level 20. Those at Level 30 were the village elite, and even in Flame Dragon Village, they were few and far between. Level 40 trial challengers were the ones who made the leaderboards.

As for Chen Guo, reaching Level 55 was an extraordinary feat, placing him among the global top ten—a testament to his exceptional prowess.

Reaching level 50 in just three months was a daunting challenge. The memory of erasing a billion lives weighed heavily on everyone, instilling a deep sense of urgency.

But before they could shake off that feeling, the system dropped another bombshell. Today, it acted like a relentless taskmaster, pushing everyone to compete in the village showdown.

"Global Beginner Village count has hit 1,000. Starting today, the Village Showdown is on!"

"The top five villages to reach level 3 will earn their villagers a whopping 5,000 attribute points each, with Village Chiefs receiving a massive 10,000 points! Plus, there's a chance for a random Epic reward!"

"Villages placing fifth to tenth will also level up to 3, with villagers getting 2,000 points and Village Chiefs 5,000 points – but no Epic reward for them!"

"This Showdown is exclusive to Blue Star; outsiders need not apply. It's time to accelerate progress on Blue Star!"

The announcement echoed repeatedly, leaving everyone in shock.

Such a lavish giveaway!

Unprecedented generosity!

Five thousand attribute points!

Ten thousand attribute points!

For the majority of trial challengers, these figures were beyond their wildest dreams. Even for someone like Chen Guo, these rewards were on par with defeating an incredibly formidable legendary creature.

Absolutely enticing!

The world channel erupted into chaos.

"Holy smokes, even a regular villager gets 5,000 points? Am I reading this right?"

"The Village Chief gets an insane 10,000 points!"

"This is beyond belief. We bust our humps leveling up, and if we're lucky, we get a few dozen points. Unlucky, and it's barely a handful. A stroke of good fortune might net us a few hundred points. But with this Showdown, just breaking into the top five nets you 5,000 points... My god, can you even grasp that concept?"

"I'm dying to get in on this. Too bad you have to be top five. Our village isn't even off the ground yet; we're nowhere close. Looks like we're missing out on this one!"

"There can't be many villages eligible to compete! This world is a textbook case of the Matthew effect: the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer..."

The World Announcements channel was abuzz with a mix of sighs, gasps, and exclamations; the news had everyone stirred up considerably.