Meteor Fall Master in the 'Starry Abyss'
Chapter 455 - 93. "8181 Gold Eye of Wealth

Chapter 455: 93. "8181 Gold Eye of Wealth

Li Aozi’s call did not receive a response. A breeze passed through, creating a rustling sound among the leaves.

Yawen remained silent.

Regardless, she must have heard his words. All Li Aozi could do was his best; the rest was up to Yawen to decide.

He could certainly be two-faced with strangers and enemies, but with Yawen, a simple and innocent girl, Li Aozi felt he had to be a bit more of a person.

"Forget it, Yawen will figure it out herself."

Li Aozi shook his head and turned his attention to the two copy crystals he had asked Yawen to place—this item, made by NPCs of different professions, had different effects.

For instance, crystals made by a Magician often created an independent monster-spawning dimension with higher material drop rates. A Mechanic’s crystal contained a virtual program with richer experience bonuses, while a Martial Artist’s crystal transmitted martial arts in the form of an ’Enlightenment Realm,’ offering a higher chance to acquire combat skills, and so on.

As a Star Realm Echoer, the copy crystals created by Li Aozi appeared in the form of ’Echo of Memories,’ where players could directly experience the stories woven by Li Aozi or make their own choices freely, much like a role-playing game.

The instance, "Underworld Humanity Laboratory," was of a lower level, not only prepared for Baizhu Star players but also provided for all public beta players. An average player could reach the minimum standard within two weeks.

As for "Valenkov’s Winter," it was a feast Li Aozi prepared specifically for his minions. He chose memories from the period when Velazquez’s troops clashed with Valenkov’s militia, where the power levels were relatively low. For players with a level cap of Alpha Stage, it provided training without great risk.

Players had not been the protagonists for several versions. Thus, the ’Infiltrate Restricted Area and Withdraw with Supplies’ gameplay would be mainstream in the Layer Abyss. Li Aozi gave his players early training to help them adapt.

Currently, no one had challenged these two instances yet, which was regrettable. However, this was just a short-term issue. The Baizhu Star players under Li Aozi were all level 15 minimum, ranging from professional players to members of major guilds and streamers—of course, geniuses like Caramel Snail were unique, but most players were organized.

Upon checking, Li Aozi found that the progress of the ruins’ construction was impressive. The Eye of Truth scanned the entire area, and his territory already covered 1800 acres. Though most of it was barren mountains and hills, the players’ work efficiency was genuinely terrifying.

"Do these people ever log off? Damn it, don’t they have jobs?"

Li Aozi couldn’t help but complain.

Given the substantial area, Li Aozi considered it and decided it was time to formally establish his basic power.

Whether Baizhu Star would pay attention to him was uncertain, but Li Aozi didn’t plan to waste time. The faster he nurtured his power, the sooner he could advance into the Layer Abyss.

On the other hand, the Society Citizens lurking on Baizhu Star also concerned Li Aozi.

For the foreseeable future, he had nothing much to do, either reading or traveling to read. With Yawen around, the players could be fully managed. Using the abilities of a Star Realm Echoer, he could remotely control the situation on Azure Star. Whether it was Mingji Heavy Industries or Red Arrow’s territories, he had his influence.

—Of course, geniuses like Caramel Snail were also heavily monitored and nurtured by Li Aozi.

"Time to plan my territory."

Establishing a territory.

"Starry Abyss" was an expansive game, with intricate processes encompassing various aspects of production and development. However, in the early stages, players had no rights to establish autonomous territories.

This was because Qiqiao Networks hadn’t developed the relevant system, leading players to form guilds using a few tents and campfires to establish so-called ’territories’—a sight so shabby that even mice would find it exposed.

With version 14.0 in his hands, Li Aozi had a complete set of territory-building systems.

However, Li Aozi had a problem.

As a pure combatant, Li Aozi had no ’status occupation.’

Yes, "Starry Abyss" acknowledged status occupations.

For example, roles like President, Politician, General, Governor, and Diplomat not only provided attribute bonuses but came with new branch systems dedicated to respective occupations’ operations.

Among status occupations, managing a territory required at least being a Gentry or a Landlord.

These occupations not only provided excellent land production bonuses but also crucially unlocked the territory management system, allowing Li Aozi to remotely control the territory’s development even while studying.

Though Star Realm Echoers had a remote communication effect, Yawen didn’t understand camp construction. Letting her manage it would be a disaster. Moreover, Li Aozi needed the system to assess his form and cover for his smuggling operations.

Yes, Li Aozi seriously considered becoming a fence.

In his memory, during the Galactic Eye Campaign, both the Eye of the Galaxy and the Night Butterfly Crystals were nearly destroyed. Both sides contemplated buying new weaponry from the Layer Abyss civilization to change the tide of the war.

However, without diplomatic ties with the Interstellar Alliance, they couldn’t find a breakthrough.

What Li Aozi had to do was, over time, create a foreign trade network centered on his ruins’ teleportation nodes, continually expanding his influence.

As the saying goes, "To become an official, you must first commit arson and murder." Although Li Aozi wouldn’t go that far, he would gladly assist the Crystal Tower entangled in war, becoming a middleman trading in weapons within Starry Abyss.

This also required player cooperation, with him focusing on transportation while the players lived peacefully, crafting a seemingly serene town to conceal his business.

Players from the Fiery Summer District would gradually grow, coming into contact with the Starry Abyss and becoming familiar with the weapons Li Aozi brought in advance.

"I’ll just paint a grand picture, let Baizhu Star handle publicity. This way, when Azure Star players eventually enter space, they’ll remember me first, thinking, ’Li Aozi has great treasures, connections, and sticking with Brother Li means we’ll have our fill.’"

Li Aozi needed to construct his camp well, establishing a privately governed area was necessary.

For Li Aozi now, he had two options.

The first option, Li Aozi could buy land from the nearest government, and with land authorization, he could formally activate the system’s Homeland module.

But he lacked even a household registration, let alone buying land to become a Landlord.

The second option, smelting gold.

Li Aozi thought about it. One, he felt it wasn’t wise to draw attention after stirring up some trouble in Valenkov’s region.

Second, with his status as a student without a household registration and unclear financial sources, directly purchasing a piece of ancient ruins—the difficulty seemed a bit high.

Thus, Li Aozi directly spent money in the mall to buy a Pioneering Order, using it on the spot.

[You’ve cultivated a piece of wasteland. The land and its people will be your private property.]

[Homeland System unlocked]

[You have supreme authority over your homeland and can set taxes]

[Use your funds to build a new homeland!]

He opened the camp construction interface. With his building skills, a few adjustments laid out the future territory’s roads and facilities.

As for the name, it certainly couldn’t be called Ruins.

With a flourish, Li Aozi used his talent for dazzling names to christen his empire’s first village.

——————————

[Homeland Name]: Newbie Village

[Type]: Settlement (No distinctive industry)

[Level]: Level 1 territory (fragile)

[System]: Feudal (taxes solely decided by the lord)

[Leader]: Li Aozi

[Political Group]: Azure Star Immigrants (single political group, enjoying a 10% work efficiency bonus)

[Group Members]: Yavin Heskixin, Saga Qi (ID: Caramel Snail), Asakusa Kid (ID: Cumin Powder), etc.

(All Azure Star immigrants automatically join Li Aozi’s political group)

[Industries]: Biological Pool, Textile Industry, Land Reclamation, Hunting;

[Armed Forces]: Village Hunters (no defensive works, -50% external prestige)

[Landmark]: Ruins Hall (gather on Sunday mornings, dine together in the evening)

[Fund Pool]: 0 (no tax revenue)

[Administration Points]: 100 (sources: issuing effective orders and gaining resident approval/upgrading your administration team and establishing a tax system)

[Population]: 27

[Potential Threats]: Goblin Lair, Crystalline Wormhole Cave, Hidden Underground Ruins (to be explored)

Too many threats will drive your residents away

[Legitimacy of Power]: Legitimate

[Status]: Unrecognized private territory (immigration attraction -10%)

[Economy]: Impoverished

[Happiness]: 100 (full score)

[Assessment]:

"This place doesn’t even have a ditch. You can’t even jump into a river here. Your people are poor but hardworking, rarely earning enough to survive. They work day and night with inexplicable joy and happiness. No one understands how, but they are all deeply moved by your leadership."

"Your population is sparse and single-minded, with insufficient food supplies. You need to expand quickly and attract more immigrants, which is crucial for elevating your territory’s status."

"Fortunately, you have an outstanding tailor, skillful and talented. Establishing your textile industry quickly will undoubtedly thrive."

[Suggested Development]: Hunting and Gathering, Textile Clothing

————————

"Huh, this place has a Goblin Lair?"

Li Aozi was momentarily stunned, then excited:

"Crystalline Wormhole Cave, Hidden Underground Ruins... unexplored—could it be, there’s an Underground City here?"

If that was the case, he could be both a fence and a mine owner.

"Didn’t expect my first village-building to have such a fantastic start! I’m flying high!"