Master of Kaidan
Chapter 184: Monopolized Resources

Chapter 184: Chapter 184: Monopolized Resources

"If the number of Kaidan in all four dumps is about the same, then the total number of Kaidan participating in this challenge should be close to three thousand..."

Feng Xue silently calculated the number of Kaidan in his mind, frowning slightly. Such a large number of Kaidan gave him a strange feeling. After all, how could three thousand Kaidan combined still be unable to compete with the Hundred Tales?

However, he then recalled the "Awakening" concept that Old Li had mentioned when introducing the Kaidan. When someone played an existing Kaidan, it could possibly cause the original Kaidan that had disappeared or died to awaken again.

Here, the trigger for awakening was probably not because someone played it, but because during the play, people’s [Identity] for the Kaidan diverted a portion back to the original Kaidan, eventually reviving it.

Just like his Swearer Kaidan, if anyone else tried to play as either a Swearer or an Executioner, some of the [Identity] they gained would be diverted to him.

So, could it be that the reason these Kaidan in Infinite City didn’t unite to break the monopoly of the Hundred Tales had something to do with this mechanism?

Could the organization occupying the Eastern Country find it easier to revive than other freelance Kaidan?

Of course, it was also possible that Feng Xue was overthinking. Maybe it was just that these Kaidan couldn’t trust each other after all. Not everyone was ready to die on the eve of success.

If the Hundred Tales absolutely refused even one tiny crack, everyone would naturally rise up, but at this moment, the Hundred Tales did provide an upward path. Though it wasn’t spacious, it did discourage many Kaidan from fighting desperately.

"This tactic seems somewhat familiar." Feng Xue sighed lightly, glancing at the various colors of the Kaidan Flames with the corner of his eye, trying to discern some patterns. But he quickly gave up because these flames were far too diverse, not only in color but also in shape.

Some resembled a dense sparkle of fireworks; some had several flames gathered together yet occasionally exploded; some even formed the shape of a large ’大’ character...

The most outrageous was Feng Xue even saw something that only looked like flames at first glance, but on closer inspection, it was actually a piece of grass shaped like flames.

Feng Xue initially thought this might represent the attribute of the Kaidan’s owner, but when he looked up at that Kaidan, he was sure he was absolutely wrong because it appeared to be just a water monkey.

"But speaking of it, water monkeys are quite widely spread Kaidan!" Feng Xue muttered, stopping his observation. Every time he saw an odd flame, he felt the urge to activate his Golden Finger to explore, but usually received a warning glance in return. This confirmed to him that the ability to sense others’ exploration was probably an innate trait of all Kaidan.

"Speaking of which, I haven’t seen flames on Old Li. Is it because only Kaidan can see flames, or does that guy have some means of hiding the flames?"

While Feng Xue’s mind wandered, the sliding doors at the entrance of the residential area slowly opened, and two Kaidan that were clearly not human but inexplicably not affected by the filter moved to the sides. (Note ①) One of them, with a club-shaped head, opened its frog-like mouth wide and loudly said:

"There are five minutes left until midnight. Please enter in an orderly manner, and non-Kaidan challengers should queue up for the trial. Also, even though we have opened the Tower of Babylon, the facilities in the residential area are not shared. Please do not act irrationally, or we will terminate this challenge month..."

Judging by the emotions perceived through the Heart of Bright Mirror, the club-headed one seemed to be making a routine announcement that was said every year. Many Kaidan were already stepping forward impatiently, wearing expressions that said, "I get it, I get it," as they passed through the door.

Feng Xue patiently listened to the points of attention, moving along with the crowd into the residential area, but what lay before him left him a bit disappointed.

He had expected to see a more twisted, peculiar, or sci-fi area, but what he saw could only be described as a plain, modern city.

On the wide streets, one could occasionally see a car or two parked along the roadside. Rows of residential buildings, about twenty stories high, stood in close succession, and functional facilities guarded by what seemed to be Kaidan from the Hundred Tales were occasionally visible...

Suddenly, Feng Xue’s gaze froze on a school sign because, in that instant, he received some information from the sign.

That sensation was exactly like the Knowledge that surged into his mind when he saw the "Gate" emblazoned with the Gatekeeper label, except this time he received information related to this school.

The content was somewhat chaotic and mixed, but simply put, the teachers in this school could provide primary knowledge teaching. Studying here could increase the efficiency of Knowledge acquisition, almost like a building in a farming game that boosts experience gain.

Upon seeing this, Feng Xue immediately began consciously looking for signs of other functional buildings. Sure enough, they all had special effects:

Hospitals could increase the recovery speed of injuries and illnesses, accelerating the enactment of healthcare-related professions; the library not only housed numerous books and journals but also enhanced memory; the supermarket allowed the purchase of all sorts of scarce materials, including paper, within Infinite City...

The most outrageous was the bank.

It could exchange Tower Coins and [Identity] at a 1:1 ratio without any handling fee, and the [Identity] exchanged was "pure."

Don’t underestimate this purity, because in theory, all [Identity] were impure, differing only in the types and amounts of impurities. For instance, the [Identity] on a non-player was full of impurities known as "personal imprints," whereas the [Identity] obtained from a True Object had relatively fewer impurities and almost no effect on a non-player.

But no matter how few the impurities, they could only be used as consumables in life. Only the targeted cognition obtained through a [Tag] could be considered relatively pure.

Yet the [Identity] exchanged at the bank was pure, which meant the [Identity] exchanged here could be used to enhance any label.

"No wonder they engaged in monopoly. With these resources aiding them, the efficiency of cultivating Kaidan by the Hundred Tales must far surpass those wild non-players!"

Feng Xue muttered, but he didn’t slow his pace, as he’d already spotted the towering building that reached the sky.

The giant tower up close felt entirely different from when viewed from afar. If seen from a distance, the tower might appear like a bamboo pole connecting the heavens and the earth, but now he felt like he was standing at the foot of a towering mountain.

The entire surface of the tower lacked constructions like windows, its entirety presenting a gray-white hue from years of weathering. On this wall, bronze lines extended as horizontally and vertically as circuits on a circuit board, adding a mechanical aesthetic to the ancient tower.

Each Kaidan stepped forward into the tower, and Feng Xue followed suit.

Just, as he stepped through the ten-meter-high gate, the scenery before him underwent a transformation...