Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Phelos, sitting higher than everyone else, announced expressionlessly, "I am Phelos, the lord of this land. From now on, my orders are paramount. Those who cannot comply will be removed immediately. Understand?"

Phelos didn't need to be affable or lenient. This was a world where class and power outweighed everything else.

Here, he was the lord, they were his subjects, he a level 300 legendary archmage, while the highest among them had not even reached level 50.

So, here, his word was law!

The officials wore respectful expressions, though their true thoughts were anyone's guess.

Phelos didn't care.

"That settles it. Starting today, let's build the continent's premier gaming city together!" Phelos' mood lifted considerably as he spoke, "Our Lanyavelli boasts an exceptional geographical advantage; it won't take long to achieve this goal!"

All these grinding spots would be fiercely contested by the major guilds in any game—a truly exceptional location, indeed!

The officials wore expressions of existential doubt: "???". Surrounded by the undead, beasts, sea monsters—you call this geographically advantageous?!

While the concept of a "gaming city" was unfamiliar, the rest was understandable.

It was laughable; everyone knew that Da-Lanyavelli was such a poor, out-of-the-way place that even thieves couldn’t be bothered to raid it!

Could such a godforsaken place ever become a formidable city? That seemed more like a pipe dream.

A snort of laughter escaped an official whose manners left much to be desired.

"My apologies, my lord," he said quickly, "Something amusing crossed my mind!"

Phelos wasn't bothered. A lone wolf is either socially anxious or socially dominant, and clearly, Phelos wasn’t the former. He seemed aloof, but in essence, he was too proud to bother much with conversation—a classic case of 'chuunibyou' with a superiority complex.

After giving the officials a piece of his mind, Phelos directed the Governor to compile a report on the current population status of Lanyavelli City and left without a backward glance.

As for the Governor's fixation on fifty years of taxes, Phelos, with a balance of over three billion gold coins, genuinely didn't care.

After the meeting, the officials no longer had to maintain their composure and eagerly shared jokes about Phelos.

"Who does he think he is? Without even a surname, who knows how he managed to acquire his title and land? He really thinks he's somebody," one jeered.

Slaves and commoners lacked surnames, a privilege reserved for nobility.

Even in a remote and impoverished city like Lanyavelli, Phelos was the first noble they had encountered without a surname.

Although Governor Bok Chitty was not a noble at present, he had been one. His surname was a symbol of his noble heritage.

There was a pathway for commoners to rise in this world: to become Transcendents.

Once a Transcendent, one could buy a title: a barony for five thousand gold coins, a viscounty for fifty thousand. Many commoner Transcendents spent their lives striving for this sum.

"That figures, a prosperous domain would never fall to such a lowly commoner!" The word "lowly" was spoken softly, after all, the man was a Transcendent.

Though one could obtain a magical beast mount with a contract, using it required being either a spellcaster or a body refiner. The gap between ordinary people and Transcendents was wider than the heavens.

A baron said sourly, "Who knows what sort of dumb luck he had!" Not every noble had lands; he was an impoverished noble of old standing who had sold his estates to maintain the basic dignity of his status.

A cautious voice murmured, "If he has fifty thousand gold coins to buy a title, what if he’s a high-level spellcaster?"

Among Transcendents, spellcasters held a higher status than body refiners, as becoming a spellcaster was significantly more challenging.

This remark was met with veiled scorn, and the speaker regretted his words instantly, wishing he could disappear into the ground. A high-level spellcaster was a person of great significance! Fifty thousand gold coins might only buy a staff for such an individual—who would want a barren domain like Lanyavelli?

The magistrate, however, found himself lost in contemplation upon hearing those words, as he recalled the way Phelos had looked at him.

Emotionless, those eyes did not seem to belong to an ordinary human; the mere memory of them was enough to send a chill through him that made him want to shiver.

Yet he immediately dismissed the thought! It was not just the age of 25 that convinced him, but also the "fluctuations" that emanated from the other party. Even if they were a caster, they were merely a low-level one at best!

While high-ranking casters were undeniably formidable, a low-level caster could never surpass a body cultivator of the same tier.

The world was not short of adventures; perhaps this was just a lucky soul who, by some good fortune, stumbled upon a fortune from an unknown source.

*

Unlike other nobles' domains, this land was vast yet home to only one city still brimming with the breath of the living.

The City of Dayak—now known as the City of Lansville—being the sole city within the domain, naturally housed the indispensable "Lord's Manor."

At the very heart of the city stood the largest and tallest structure, a castle belonging to Phelos.

However, in comparison to the glittering Governing Hall just a street away, which was gilded in gold, the castle seemed somewhat "dim"; after all, "resplendent" was not just a mere adjective for the Governing Hall.

Next to the gleaming golden office buildings, the stone structure of the Lord's Manor seemed to resonate with a sense of history.

The butler, along with all the servants, had been waiting at the entrance since early. The "front of house" was represented by a line of young, beautiful maids dressed in black and white, followed by handsome male servants in black and white suits—all unfamiliar faces to Phelos, likely slaves who had always worked at the Lord's Manor.

The throng of newly arrived slaves, numbering over a thousand, could not be made presentable in a short time; they were merely arranged behind to maintain a semblance of dignity.

With the striking presence of the young, attractive maids and manservants at the front, the gray-clad slaves naturally faded into the background.

Standing to the right of the manor's main entrance, an old man in a distinct attire from the other servants bowed respectfully: "My Lord, I am Blaise, the butler of this establishment, and your most loyal servant." His hair was peppered with gray, his frame robust, a frilled collar peeking out from his white shirt, a gold chain hanging from the pocket of his black suit, and his hands clad in white gloves. In both attire and demeanor, he appeared far superior to the other servants.

His greeting served as a signal, prompting the neatly arranged servants lining the path to kneel in unison: "My Lord, welcome home."

The servants within the Lord's Castle, naturally belonging to the Lord, were his slaves in all but name.

In this world, "servant" equated to "slave"; the concept of hired help did not exist.

The butler was a personage of high status among the slaves, not only adept in attending to his master's domestic needs but also possessed of considerable martial prowess.

Take, for instance, Butler Blaise here—he was a level 28 sorcerer.

In this world, there is a game known as "Child Betting," where the price of a child can even surpass that of a young, strong laborer. Children bought at a low price are sent to test for innate talents; those with promising abilities are sold at high prices to nobles.

The children "bet on" in "Child Betting" are "used" in this manner: the nobles purchase the talented ones, and though they too are slaves, they are trained to become personal attendants, butlers, bodyguards, or even sacrificial warriors, with the possibility of gaining knowledge and becoming extraordinary beings.

As for the children without talents, most of them perish during their first winter.

Children with talents receive treatment different from that of ordinary slaves; it's clear that Blaise was among the former.

The castle grounds are vast, with the front garden alone covering an area of three acres. The value of a slave lies in pleasing their master, and it was evident that, in anticipation of the new lord, the butler, along with the servants, had meticulously prepared the entire castle.

Today, for the first time in fifty years, the castle was eagerly awaiting its master, and naturally, Blaise intended to greet Pheloxis with all the servants in their best condition.

—Though the new slaves brought by the new master had slightly disrupted the plans, the absence of any extraordinary beings among them breathed a sigh of relief into Blaise. No extraordinary slaves meant no immediate threats to replace him.

The sight of thousands kneeling at the entrance to welcome Pheloxis was indeed impressive, yet Pheloxis felt no joy.

"Butler," Pheloxis commanded in an unquestionable tone to the gray-haired old man, "Three rules you must engrain in everyone's soul by the end of today, understood?"

With utmost respect, Blaise replied, "At your command, my lord." Though a butler's rank is above that of an ordinary servant, he remains an appendage of the master, whose favor he must constantly seek to retain his position.

The first order Pheloxis gave him, even if it required the sacrifice of his life, he would fulfill!

"First, execute my commands without any hesitation."

"Second, do not kneel."

"Third, address me as 'My Lord.'"

The first command was quite ordinary, something any master would demand, but the latter two left the butler puzzled.

Despite his confusion, the butler bowed without question, "Yes, My Lord. By the end of today, I will ensure all the servants have these three rules etched deep into their souls."

Pheloxis: "..." Ah, well, perhaps not to such an extreme.

The castle was large, and in the Yunalia Empire—or indeed, in this world—land was the least scarce resource. According to what Pheloxis had read in the city library, the Yunalia Empire, covering over eighty million square kilometers, had only 130 million citizens. Slaves were not counted as people, thus excluded from statistics. Even with slaves, the number would surely multiply but would not exceed a population of five hundred million.

It was, in every sense, a land of vast spaces and sparse population.

The entire castle occupied eight thousand square meters, with the main building alone covering one thousand five hundred square meters and standing seven stories tall. According to the butler, it contained a total of 360 rooms.

"My Lord, we have arrived at your bedroom." The butler opened the door to the main bedroom on the sixth floor for Pheloxis. The three hundred square meter spacious room was spotless, with gold and silver utensils gleaming, and a massive crystal chandelier that brightly and eleg

Philo: "..." He just felt it would be uncomfortable to sleep at night. The bedroom was beautiful, indeed, but it was either gold or silver, or it was adorned with various gems. It was too dazzling, really too dazzling!

"Take it all down!" Philo didn't want to glance at it any longer, and immediately began clinking and clattering as he pulled a pile of items from his spatial backpack.

Although Emperor Gan spent 24 hours a day, 365 days a year gaming, the homestead system in "Legend" was also a vital aspect of the game.

A bed with 30,000 comfort points, a 20,000-point sofa, a 10,000-point bedside table... Phelos casually threw out a purple furniture set officially priced at 100 million gold coins. Luxurious yet understated and visually pleasing, its beauty was so captivating that it even fetched a price of 300 million gold coins.

For every piece of furniture in "Legend," Philo's father would have his secretary buy and send them to him. However, Philo, focused solely on gaming and being a lone wolf player with no friends to invite, ended up storing all the furniture in a corner of his backpack.

"A 49-piece purple furniture set was indeed worth its price. Adding 500,000 comfort points, the furniture was not only aesthetically pleasing but also boasted decent protective abilities and various features. For instance, it could withstand at least 10 million damage from three critical hits by a world boss, offered various buffs after an hour's stay, included self-cleaning functions, and more. To justify its price, the game officials had loaded it with numerous effects."

After all, furniture differs from personal equipment. You can't carry furniture to fight monsters, and most regular players would choose to log off when tired from grinding. Without added effects, furniture would indeed be hard to sell at a high price.

"...Yes, my lord," Blaze responded, not understanding why Philo disliked these decorations. Even for a bedroom, he believed in filling every detail with the opulence of noble treasures.

But as a competent butler, he wouldn't question his master's decision and immediately began efficiently directing the maids and manservants to redecorate the master bedroom.

The room was filled with expensive gold and jewels, and the butler didn't trust leaving them to the servants. He carefully stored away some enchanted items, so he stayed behind while Philo went to "familiarize" himself with the castle, his future residence.

The servants worked efficiently yet cautiously to clear the room, but redecorating was left to the butler's discretion. "Mr. Butler, where should this go?"

"Start with moving the bed here." Even Blaze had to admit that the furniture was genuinely beautiful, mesmerizingly so. However, their biggest flaw was their "simplicity" – just a hint of gold trim, and not all pieces had it. Too modest for his taste!

Philo handed the butler an official effect diagram, and the butler carefully identified each piece of furniture, directing the servants to place them in their appropriate spots.

"Wait!" A flash of silver light streaked by, and Blaze shouted in alarm, stopping the manservant, who jumped in fright, thinking he had made a mistake, and waited with a pale face for his fate.

However, Blaze ignored the manservant and instead, his face dramatically changed as he leaned down to the ground, scrutinizing the patterns on the stool with intense focus, almost pressing his eyes against it.

The fact that Philo had just effortlessly taken out a pile of furniture from thin air had already surprised Blaze. Spatial equipment, a luxury unimaginable even in a lifetime for commoners, was commonplace for nobility.

A cubic meter of spatial equipment is priced around a thousand gold coins, and even a fallen noble would have one or two as a status symbol.

Low-level spatial equipment is affordable, but those exceeding ten cubic meters are exorbitantly priced.

"A ten cubic meter space equipment costs at least 30,000 gold coins, and the price for a hundred cubic meters is even higher. Nobles without connections can only bid at auctions, and a price of one million is considered a bargain."

There are two reasons why a noble might not have a surname: one is genuinely lacking a surname, but upon rising from commoner to noble status, they gain the right to a “crown surname,” a temptation no commoner could refuse!

The other possibility is that the surname is too distinguished to be known by common nobles and servants unless disclosed by the individual in question.

When Phelos removed a pile of furniture earlier, Blaze had felt certain that Phelos must be of the latter sort, a hunch that was further confirmed upon seeing this stool!

By the Goddess of Dawn! This is not ordinary gold—it's Soundthunder Gold, the legendary level 150 material!

Blaze wasn’t completely sure about the full range of Soundthunder Gold’s effects, but he had heard that adding just 1 gram to a wand could reduce the casting time of sub-level 100 thunder spells by 3 seconds, and even reduce the casting time of level 150 thunder curses by 1 second!

Seventy years ago, before Dayak City became known as a “remote little town,” and despite frequent attacks from beasts of the Sunset Mountains and seaside, it flourished, located a “safe” distance from the Endless Plains.

At an auction seventy years ago, a record-breaking sale drew the attention of royal legendary mages: the star was a chunk of Soundthunder Gold ore capable of being refined into 0.2 grams. The final bid of 350 million gold coins became a tale recounted for seven decades, with details still remembered by many today.

Blaze recognized it because that Soundthunder Gold ore had belonged to his "former master," and as a level 13 mage serving drinks, it was quite normal for him to have seen it.

The occasional flicker of a thin silver current was one of the signatures of Soundthunder Gold, a detail Blaze would never forget until his dying day!

But how could such a precious thing as Soundthunder Gold—

He must be seeing things, right? Surely, it had to be a mistake! How could Soundthunder Gold appear here? There are many things in the world that look similar; this must be one of those things that only looks like Soundthunder Gold but isn’t really!

Blaze was almost tearing himself apart!

Even for a mysterious noble of high standing, using Soundthunder Gold for mere furniture decoration was far too extravagant!