Chapter 151 : Event Impact and Territory Industry!
Chapter 151: Event Impact and Territory Industry!
Black-Eyed Sharp Bro now held considerable renown among the players, and compared to before the first test of the game, his number of fans had increased nearly tenfold. Within just minutes of a new post, it had already surpassed a million views across the internet.
“Hello everyone!”
“I’m Sharp Bro!”
“I’m thrilled!”
“Once again, I have to sing high praises for This Twisted Three Kingdoms Game!”
“The developers never fail to bring us new shocks and surprises!”
“Those of you who’ve been keeping an eye on the forums should know — recently, Lord has returned to the Land of the Stars and happened to select four followers. I was fortunate enough to be chosen as one of them.”
“Like many of you, at first, I thought this was just a special event. While it could broaden our horizons, it mainly served to introduce background lore, adding foreshadowing for the game’s worldbuilding and not really tying into the current main storyline.”
“But after personally taking part in the journey to the Land of the Stars…”
“Only then did we realize the extent of the production team’s ambition and sincerity!”
“Although the Land of the Stars isn’t part of the main storyline at this stage, it’s closely intertwined with the main plot of the Abyssal Three Kingdoms. This journey gave us a profound glimpse of just the tip of this game’s massive world!”
“Enough chatter! Let me now give a brief overview of what we discovered!”
“Of course, since I’m not a lore or setting fanatic, this won’t be a comprehensive cultural introduction. If you're interested in the Land of the Stars after reading this post, I recommend checking out the updates from Dawnlight, Little Bell, or Chimeras.”
“Let me briefly describe how this magical journey unfolded!”
“…(Thousands of words omitted)!”
“To prove that I’m not just making things up!”
“Below are more than a dozen screenshots I personally captured.”
“You’re free to use these photos, but please credit the source if you repost.”
“【Sacred Cang City Outer Port Reception Hall No.42.jpg】, 【Super-Large Dynamic Holographic Map of Sacred Cang City.jpg】, 【Starsea Lord Academy.jpg】, 【Instructor Hall and Lord Instructor Xuan Qingfeng.jpg】, 【Starsea Lord Market Near the Sacred Cang Academy.jpg】, 【Legendary Lord Principal Long.jpg】…”
“……”
“I believe that just by seeing these images…”
“Anyone would be stunned by the magnificence and grandeur of the hidden map — Sacred Cang City!”
“This was the most unforgettable journey I’ve ever experienced. It was a hardcore experience that far exceeded the limits of imagination. I believe only a journey like this can truly be called a journey.”
“Lastly, allow me to address some netizens’ questions and offer a personal summary!”
“First, regarding the worldbuilding.”
“It can now be confirmed.”
“The Land of the Stars is composed of countless star domains, just as the Abyssal World is made up of countless planes.”
“It’s still unclear whether the Land of the Stars and the Abyss came first and gave birth to the Will of the Stars and the Abyssal Will — or whether the two Supreme Wills created the stars and the abyss themselves. All we know is that the former pursues absolute prosperity and order, while the latter represents utter distortion and chaos.”
“These two factions are in a direct state of opposition. The Stars attempt to conquer the Abyss, and the Abyss is constantly eroding the Stars.”
“This conflict is subtly hinted at in the dialogues between Lords and the Starsea Attendants.”
“It’s said that some star domains have already been corrupted by the Abyss.”
“There have also been Starsea Lords who betrayed the Stars.”
“I suspect that in the mid-to-late stages of the game, our Scourge Army might join this even grander war under the leadership of the Lord and the Three Kingdoms heroes. But at present, there’s too little information to make any firm predictions.”
“Second, regarding the hidden map: Sacred Cang City.”
“Just as every Abyssal Plane is composed of countless shattered and twisted time-space dreams, each Holy Domain of the Stars is similarly vast in scale. The corresponding star region to the Abyssal Three Kingdoms Plane is called the Tianyuan Holy Domain. According to the Lord, its total population may reach as high as 180 billion.”
“The hidden map we entered is known as Sacred Cang City — one of the four major cities in this star domain. Its scale and size appeared comparable to an entire continent, encompassing all kinds of terrains and home to thousands upon thousands of races.”
“Sacred Cang City is massive, but not hollow.”
“Although it’s possible that many regions are just distant visual renders and haven’t been fully developed yet…”
“Every area we personally visited was filled with astonishing detail. The NPCs we saw numbered in the tens of thousands, all capable of interaction. Every corner brimmed with a sense of life and culture, and all the facilities and designs fit perfectly into the setting and lore.”
“When you step into Sacred Cang City…”
“You won’t want to blink!”
“It’s an extravagant visual feast!”
“Because every single frame is filled with wonder!”
“Every scene makes you feel the details — and the budget — exploding before your eyes!”
“Third, regarding the Myriad Races of the Stars.”
“From what we’ve observed, the number of Starsea races is still unknown. A small fraction of each race is chosen by the Will of the Stars to become Lords. The rest who are not chosen may instead pursue auxiliary professions, such as Forging or Alchemy.”
“In addition, among Starsea Lords, there exists an inherent class hierarchy and racial bias based on species.”
“From various signs, it’s not hard to tell — humanity’s status among the Myriad Races of the Stars is rather low. This makes the greatness, legendary status, and uniqueness of the Feather God all the more pronounced!”
“Fourth, regarding the great Lord Hang Yu!”
“This journey gave me deeper insight into Lord’s origins and background!”
“It allowed us to get to know a more flesh-and-blood version of Lord. Though he possesses extraordinary power, his birth within the Land of the Stars was humble. It was through his own effort that he rose to where he is today!”
“Undoubtedly, though Lord is a human, various signs and story clues show he possesses unique abilities — and that's how he was able to create the Scourge!”
“I even suspect that Lord may have some kind of connection that breaks the fourth wall with our real world!”
“Because not only does Lord understand the Three Kingdoms, he even has clear awareness of us players behind the Scourge Army. The secrets and burdens carried by this soul at the heart of This Twisted Three Kingdoms Game are far greater than most people imagine!”
“Fifth, regarding the territory.”
“This experience also helped me understand—”
“The upgraded NPC buildings within the territory do not appear out of thin air!”
“We discovered that NPCs like Yanling and Whitewood are employees Lord paid to hire from the Land of the Stars. The various buildings within the territory were constructed by Lord through gathering blueprints and materials.”
“Blueprints can be understood as a kind of command code issued to the Will of the Stars. Whenever the Lord obtains a blueprint and enough materials, he can summon the power of the Will of the Stars to instantly construct extraordinary buildings.”
“Now everyone should understand why the territory always recycles materials and mana stones from players!”
“Lord doesn’t just painstakingly train players and ensure the development of our Scourge Army — all the resources we turn in through quests are never used for Lord’s personal enjoyment. They become part of the territory’s facilities!”
“In other words!”
“Taken from the people, used for the people!”
“The more resources we players contribute—”
“The faster the territory develops, the quicker the game updates!”
“We shouldn’t let Lord bear all the burdens behind the scenes in silence. We should contribute more to the growth and construction of the territory. So I call on everyone to work harder on completing the territory’s resource quests, and contribute more where possible!”
“Sixth, the future of Sacred Cang City events.”
“Although Sacred Cang City is currently classified as an event map, a hidden map—”
“We believe there will be many more opportunities for player interaction with Sacred Cang City in the future.”
“For instance, this time we met with Principal Long, the Legendary Lord of Sacred Cang City. As we departed from the Land of the Stars, Principal Long expressed great appreciation for our Feather God and even invited him to participate in the next Lord Tournament held during Return Day.”
“I believe Sacred Cang City will host many such events in the future. Even though our Scourge Army will continue developing in the Three Kingdoms World, there will also be numerous chances to make a name for ourselves in the Land of the Stars — and bring glory to our Lord!”
“Seventh…”
“Eighth…”
“Ninth…”
“Tenth…”
“All right, I’ll stop here!”
“The above ten points are just my preliminary summary.”
“This special event was absolutely brilliant. There are too many things I couldn’t cover. I simply wrote what came to mind. Those interested can research further themselves — or wait for more detailed analysis and reveals from Little Bell and the others.”
Black-Eyed Sharp Bro’s post was an expansive essay, running over ten thousand words.
He also freely contributed more than a dozen live in-game screenshots.
This instantly sparked a storm of discussion on the game forum—and even across the entire internet.
Without seeing the photos of Sacred Cang City with their own eyes, no one could have imagined, purely through imagination, such a city where myriad races coexisted. Yet now, not only had such a city appeared, it was so detailed that it seemed almost as if it truly existed!
Needless to say—
The players were boiling with excitement.
The entire internet erupted into a frenzy of discussion.
“Hundreds of thousands, or even millions, tens of millions of NPCs? No way!”
“I think it’s unrealistic too. That many NPCs being fully interactive and able to affect each other? Even if all global servers were linked together, they’d crash instantly!”
“The design of this city is absolutely stunning!”
“I’ve never seen a place so vast, so imaginative, yet so prosperous and orderly!”
“Do you think there’s a possibility... that this isn’t a game at all, and Sacred Cang City actually exists? (Funny)”
“Upstairs is crazy. I also wish a world like this existed, but a game is a game—don’t confuse it with reality.”
“But how do you explain so many things that defy logic?”
“Exactly. Forget the NPCs—just the cost to model this city could probably fund dozens, even hundreds of Avatar movies!”
“I think most parts of Sacred Cang City are just ultra-realistic CG, and not truly interactive.”
“Don’t follow gossip? The latest word is that Twisted Three Kingdoms is actually a Second Virtual World developed by official departments, using unprecedented black-box tech. Every scene and character is auto-generated.”
“What? This game is a state project?”
“All I care about is when I’ll get picked for the closed beta!”
“……”
This journey to the Starsea City-State—
Brought an entirely new wave of topics to the game.
And right now, the discussion had only just begun to ferment.
The mysterious hidden worldview of the game had only barely been revealed.
Though it was just a small glimpse, what appeared before people—
Was a world of unparalleled vastness.
The Lore Enthusiasts were overjoyed!
Because the material generated by the game this time—just the intricate design details and street-captured appearances of various races—was likely enough to fuel years' worth of research and speculation for Lore Enthusiasts across the web.
These detail-obsessed fans loved to take a magnifying glass to games. Even the simplest, most inconspicuous line of text, or a piece of patterned wall in some obscure corner, could inspire them to construct an entire epic narrative through deduction and imagination.
In ordinary games—
All details were manually inserted.
Under such conditions, limited by the dev team’s energy and the game’s scale, no matter how rich the fragmented storytelling or how dense the information, there were always limits. But in Twisted Three Kingdoms, the amount of information was, theoretically, infinite.
The more you dug into the details—
The deeper the research went—
Given enough time—
One might inevitably start to question: Is this really just a fictional world? Or is there a possibility that this is, without a doubt, a real world?
…………
Special Investigation Team Headquarters.
Wang Yue had spent hundreds of thousands of Contribution Points—
To bring back a large trove of videos and materials for the authorities.
These materials and videos were far more detailed than the dozen or so screenshots Black-Eyed Sharp Bro had shared online.
After a preliminary study, the experts in the Special Investigation Team immediately classified all of it as top-secret intelligence, sealed it away entirely, and banned its dissemination online.
At the same time—
Zhou Zhengming received orders from above.
The Special Investigation Team was to be disbanded, and the Special Investigation Department was to be established.
Zhou Zhengming, who had served as the team leader of the Special Investigation Team, would from today assume the role of Director of the Special Investigation Department.
This department would operate independently of all other departments. Its sole purpose: to research the game Twisted Three Kingdoms, gather all related intelligence, quietly cultivate official forces within the game, and prepare for the series of impacts this game was bound to bring.
He got a promotion.
But Zhou Zhengming couldn’t feel happy about it.
He felt an immense pressure and responsibility.
Zhou Zhengming immediately convened the first meeting of the newly established Special Investigation Department.
“Based on the bizarre operational nature of the game, its subtle influence on players’ bodies, and the recent intelligence and analysis results...”
One expert said with a grave expression, “We can now be one hundred percent certain—this game is not a product of modern human technology. The Abyssal Plane and the Starsea City-State that appeared in it are very likely real!”
Another expert, equally grim: “Although our research and discoveries are leading the world, a secret this huge simply cannot be hidden for long. Even if we mobilize the full power of every department, it may still prove impossible!”
“Exactly!”
“After all, the truth can’t stay buried forever!”
“Word is that, among the latest 900 players, one or two hundred are from overseas!”
“Twisted Three Kingdoms is just too hot right now. At this rate, it’ll become a cultural phenomenon. As more and more people pay attention, it’ll be impossible to keep the truth hidden!”
“……”
Everyone was engaged in heated discussion.
“No matter what, the truth must not be exposed too early! Neither we, nor the rest of the world, are ready! I know this task will be difficult—but this is the mission of our Special Investigation Department!”
Zhou Zhengming said sternly, “Starting now, no matter the cost, no matter the effort, we must suppress this secret. At least for the next year or so, no other force can be allowed to learn the truth.”
A year or so?
Not long, but not short either.
So long as the game didn’t suddenly cause some big incident, it should be fine.
If the Special Investigation Department could secure that year or so, it would give the country time to prepare across all fronts ahead of the rest of the world. Even if the secret couldn’t be kept forever and was leaked to other countries or factions, they could still cooperate to keep it hidden from the general public.
Although everyone knew that the game’s emergence could potentially bring an unprecedented impact to humanity—if that impact could be buffered over ten years, then perhaps the world could still undergo a relatively smooth transition.
But—
Could they pull it off?
The real fear was that the game might suddenly unleash another massive event!
Academician Xia said solemnly, “If the Land of the Stars and the Abyss truly exist... then what does that make us humans of Blue Star? I believe the most urgent task is to determine whether the Abyss and the Starsea will further affect our real-world lives.”
Zhou Zhengming turned his gaze to Wang Yue. “What do you think?”
Wang Yue thought for a moment and replied, “If we want to learn more of the truth behind the game, we still need to start with one key figure.”
“Who?”
“Lord Hang Yu.”
Wang Yue paused, then continued, “The reason we descended into the Abyss was entirely because of this Lord’s summons. So he’s not unfamiliar with our origins—or even with the Three Kingdoms setting…”
“In fact, through this operation it was easy to sense—Lord Hang Yu is not only capable of creating and forging the Scourge Army, but he also holds absolute control over it. He can mute or even take over the body of a Scourge Army member at any time.”
In other words—
No matter how strong the Scourge Army became—
They were ultimately under Lord Hang Yu’s command.
If one day the game fully manifested in the real world, and players obtained the powers they cultivated in-game—was it possible they would all live under Hang Yu’s influence and constraints?
There was no way to know for certain.
But the possibility existed.
Lord Hang Yu was now a subject of priority surveillance for the Special Investigation Department!
He was the Master of Scourge, the Creator of the Undying Scourge, and the Supreme Commander of the Scourge Army!
He definitely knew the players’ identities, and certainly knew of Blue Star’s existence. It was even possible that the game’s very emergence was tied to his will.
Lord Hang Yu was no ordinary Lord.
His existence was far from as simple as it appeared on the surface!
He might transform all of humanity from the ground up.
He might bring cataclysmic upheaval to Blue Star.
He might even—
With a single thought, decide and reshape the fate of all humankind!
Wang Yue said, “Maybe I can try probing him a little!”
But Zhou Zhengming shook his head. “Not yet! That’s too risky!”
Wang Yue asked, “Then what should I do next?”
Zhou Zhengming replied, “Whether or not the creator of this game is Hang Yu, the fact remains that he hasn’t taken the initiative to reveal everything. So we shouldn’t act recklessly either. Since it’s presented as a game, we continue treating it as a game—that’s the best outcome for everyone involved.”
The Special Investigation Department had already realized Twisted Three Kingdoms was extraordinary.
And Hang Yu most likely had already known about Wang Yue’s identity.
He might even be aware of the Special Investigation Department’s existence—and every move they made.
But as long as neither side pierced the veil, the game could continue.
If the Special Investigation Department acted too hastily and directly tested him—
No one knew what kind of consequences that might bring.
Zhou Zhengming said, “Our job isn’t just to convince others that Twisted Three Kingdoms is a game. Even we ourselves must treat it as a game. That is currently the safest and most secure approach.”
“As for this Hang Yu? He’s definitely a key figure!”
“But for now, we can only try to win him over!”
“Absolutely must not cross the line!”
Wang Yue nodded. “I know what I have to do now!”
Whether Hang Yu was an NPC or a real person—
The Special Investigation Department had decided to spare no effort or cost in trying to win his favor!
This effort was absolutely necessary. Putting aside Hang Yu’s transcendent status—even just getting him to bring Wang Yue into the Land of the Stars a few more times could provide the Special Investigation Department with a wealth of critical intel.
…………
Hang Yu didn’t care about the changes, discussions, or power struggles happening in the real world.
He simply browsed the forum casually before turning back to his own work.
At this very moment—
Inside the Lord’s Office—
A Territory Staff Assembly was being held.
Participants of this meeting included the chef team led by the head chefs Aki and Aba, the forging team led by Chief Forging Specialist Yan Ling, and the alchemy team led by Chief Alchemy Specialist Bai Mu—fifteen people in total.
To meet the ever-growing demands of his army—
And the increasing production needs—
Hang Yu’s territory had undergone several rounds of expansion in both facilities and recruitment. By now, the territory had fifteen production-oriented staff members, and under normal circumstances, monthly wages alone cost at least twenty to thirty thousand Magic Crystals.
Recently, the territory's finances had been extremely tight.
Between recruiting 900 new players, large-scale upgrades to territory buildings, and a trip back to the Land of the Stars’ Sacred Cang City, Hang Yu’s pockets were now practically cleaner than his face.
Although the territory’s finances could continually generate Magic Crystals, and although players killed monsters daily to drop Magic Stones, which provided some supplementary income—it was barely a drop in the bucket compared to the territory’s developmental needs.
After upgrading all twenty barracks—
The population cap for the Starsea Subordinates would rise from 2,000 to 4,000!
If he wanted to quickly fill the territory to capacity, he’d need to prepare at least 80,000 Magic Crystals!
On top of that, upgrading other territory facilities and constructing a proper defense system would also require a considerable budget!
Unless he was willing to go all in—sell off all his inventory of gear and precious materials—it would be hard to raise such a massive amount in a short time. So Hang Yu needed to find ways to increase revenue.
There were, in fact, many ways to solve financial problems.
When Hang Yu had met with Principal Long not long ago, the principal had offered to help him find new investors. But Hang Yu had already established a foothold in the Abyss and naturally didn’t want other Starsea forces interfering in his territory, so he politely declined.
Rather than borrowing money—
It was better to rely on himself!
Territory finances typically had three sources.
First: expand population and territory to increase income.
Second: create competitive goods to increase industrial revenue.
Third: keep expanding, looting, and hunting—use monster farming and war to feed the territory.
The purpose of this staff assembly was twofold: on one hand, to motivate and upgrade staff and integrate production; on the other, to—well—extract a little cash from the employees.
The Lord was running out of money.
But the staff still had money!
Hang Yu currently held 4 million Vital Energy!
In the next four or five days, he would gain at least another 2 million!
Hang Yu announced that he would immediately allocate about 3 million Vital Energy as a welfare benefit for long-term territory employees. As long as they signed long-term contracts with the territory, they could share in the Vital Energy Pool and use it to improve their personal abilities!
This would not only boost the territory’s productivity—
It would also help production capabilities keep pace with development.
On the other hand, while Hang Yu injected 3 million Vital Energy into the pool, the employees would still need the ability to claim it.
Take someone like Yan Ling, for example—with her strong performance, she had plenty of Contribution Points on hand and could directly exchange for a significant amount of Vital Energy to improve herself.
As for other employees, especially those newly hired, they didn’t have enough Contribution Points yet. So the Lord kindly opened up a Magic Crystal exchange service just for them.
Whether they borrowed money or took out loans, they would surely find a way to pay in Magic Crystals. No one wanted to miss out on such a generous benefit.
After this operation—
Earning tens of thousands of Magic Crystals would be a breeze.
And just like that, the territory’s financial issue would be temporarily alleviated.
Of course, squeezing staff funds could only ever be a stopgap measure.
Hang Yu said, “That’s all for today’s meeting. You can return to your work.”
“Yes!”
“Thank you, Lord!”
“Great gratitude to the Lord!”
“We will repay Lord’s kindness with hard work!”
“……”
At this moment, the way Yan Ling and the others looked at Hang Yu—
Was practically like looking at their savior. A few million Vital Energy spent just like that—where else could you find such a generous Lord? Every one of them was utterly loyal to him!
But just as everyone was preparing to leave—
Hang Yu said, “Hua Yue, Hua Xing—you two stay behind. I have a task for you.”
The twin sisters of the Flower Demon Race were briefly startled, but didn’t think much of it. They fluttered their wings and returned to the Lord’s side, awaiting their assignment.
Why us?
Uncle Bai Mu is far stronger in alchemy skills.
Though Hua Yue and Hua Xing were confused, they were also hopeful.
Hang Yu didn’t waste words. He pulled out two alchemy seed refining formulas from his storage space—he handed the Dragonbone Grass Seed Refining Formula to Hua Yue, and the Dragonblood Grass Seed Refining Formula to Hua Xing.
He was entrusting the task of refining seeds to the twin sisters.
It wasn’t that Hang Yu hadn’t considered giving it to Chief Alchemy Specialist Bai Mu—but Bai Mu was already responsible for crafting Dragon-Patterned Bone-Forging Pills and Dragon-Patterned Essence Pills. If the seed cultivation was handed to him as well, it would overly centralize authority.
That would harm the territory’s division of labor and might even pose hidden risks. It was better to delegate.
The two sisters were from the Flower Demon Race and had a natural gift for cultivation. Now with one responsible for each type of seed, they could ensure stable seed production—then use those seeds to stably mass-produce both types of attribute-enhancing medicine.
This could very well become a money tree—
And generate significant financial income for the territory!