Chapter 8: True Lifespan, Ultimate Temptation!

Faced with the temptation of increased lifespan, how many people can resist it?

In just over a hundred years, even with the advanced technology in the real world that has extended human life to 150 years, many people are still incredibly obsessed with their lifespan. Even a single extra day of life is considered a luxury.

Now, this magical game can actually grant additional lifespan, and many of the game's items and equipment can affect the real body, bringing a sense of excitement that surges like a vast sea, touching the deepest and most vulnerable parts of the heart.

Gathering reputation, competing for the fortune of feudal lords, founding a nation, cultivating and seizing fortune—these things deeply attract people.

Struggle, struggle, struggle!!

The countless players' struggles, the brutal wars, the fierce battles, the various open and covert conflicts, the scheming and deceit—all of these can be imagined to be extremely cruel.

Despite the madness, the harsh reality still needs to be faced. Governments around the world are trying to control the public's frenzy, gradually revealing the secrets of the "Mythical World" they know, and the public's situation is gradually being brought under control.

However, the madness in the game world is hard to suppress. Many players are crazily completing tasks, fighting on the battlefield like madmen, one after another, causing countless casualties, making it very difficult to control. This is one of the reasons why Lin Mu does not want players to be the main force in the development of his territory.

In the current real world, many ordinary people do not know the secrets; only some noble families and powerful figures are aware.

Some middle-level people have a vague understanding, but this has also caused them to take it very seriously, immediately withdrawing from other virtual games, leading to a monopoly in the virtual game market on Earth.

In his previous life, Lin Mu only knew part of the secret. There might be many secrets that the higher-ups have not revealed, which weighs heavily on his mind.

Regardless, with his godlike start, leading countless players, as long as he takes the first step, he will continue to lead. As long as he does not make any major mistakes, there should not be too many problems.

Lin Mu is also extremely eager to increase his lifespan. Besides lifespan, power, rare treasures, and other pursuits are also his goals.

Death, if it is inevitable, can only be faced with equanimity; if there is even the slightest hope, it will be infinitely magnified and intensely desired. This is human nature, regardless of right or wrong!

When Lin Mu first learned this news, he was deeply shocked, as if a fierce tiger had leaped out of his heart, leaving him speechless. Imagining the madness of others, he could understand their frenzy.

To rule the world while awake, to lie on a beauty's lap while drunk—who would not want this, who would not seek it!

Lin Mu certainly would not reveal this information on the internet. If the country's plans were exposed, the consequences would be very serious. After all, although the country's many actions cannot satisfy everyone, they are often noble and have a significant impact on the overall stability of society, for which they are responsible to the public.

Perhaps many people loudly proclaim so-called human rights, personal freedom, and the right to know, but that is all nonsense. Without a stable environment, how can one talk about human rights? If you talk about human rights in a war-torn country, where people cannot even fill their bellies or ensure their safety, human rights are like fleeting clouds.

Lin Mu is not a saint and cannot make earth-shattering moves, and this does not fit his low-key style.

The existence of the country has its reasons, and many things should be left to the country to handle.

Lin Mu will remain hidden among the common people, observing the whole picture, and act according to the situation, hoping to gain the greatest benefits in the game.

Now, Lin Mu can face it with a calm mind. After all, it is still early, very early, he thought.

Now that his territory has a Fate Merchant, the potential for development has increased. Lin Mu cannot express the intricacies, but he will try his best to utilize and explore them.

"Yuan Zhi, are you permanently stationed in my territory, or will you move to other territories?" Lin Mu thought for a moment and asked a key question.

"I am permanently stationed in Lord's territory. I will settle here and hope that Lord can arrange accommodation for me. I hope Lord will not blame me for my boldness!" Fate Merchants are unpredictable, and in his previous life, Lin Mu encountered them only a few times. Now, with Yuan Zhi permanently stationed, it will be very useful for future exchanges, saving the time needed to search for them.

Moreover, after hearing that Yuan Zhi is permanently stationed, Lin Mu had a very promising idea, though it cannot be realized for now.

"Alright, you can settle here. I will instruct my servants to serve you, but the conditions in the newly established territory are very harsh and simple. I hope you can bear with it!" Lin Mu felt at ease.

"No problem, to receive Lord's kindness, I am very satisfied," Yuan Zhi said gratefully.

"Good! Now, I have 10,200 reputation points. How many Fate Coins can I exchange for? Can you introduce your group and the specific rules?" Lin Mu asked. Although he can recite the trading rules of Fate Merchants by heart, there might be other unknown rules. Being humble and polite, yes, this is the right attitude.

"Lord, since you are the first to meet us Fate Merchants, you can receive relevant information. We Fate Merchants are ranked from low to high as Yellow, Black, Earth, Heaven, Divine, and Saint, with higher ranks having higher selling permissions, meaning higher item limits. Currently, I am at the Yellow rank, with limited items for sale. If Lord wants divine artifacts, I will need to reach the Earth rank to have the permission to sell them."

"Additionally, some of us are wandering Fate Merchants, with no fixed location. Wherever there is business, they go, being unpredictable. Some, like us, provide fixed services to lords or heroes of territories with great potential. Lord is blessed, and I am fortunate to provide fixed services to Lord."

"We Fate Merchants use three types of currency, from low to high value: Fate Coins, Fortune Coins, and Destiny Coins. Fate Coins are exchanged for reputation, one-to-one, meaning 1 reputation point can be exchanged for 1 Fate Coin. Fortune Coins are exchanged for the fortune of feudal lords, one-to-one, and Destiny Coins are exchanged for destiny, one-to-one."

"Lord's 10,200 reputation points can be exchanged for 10,200 Fate Coins!" Yuan Zhi explained in detail, but Lin Mu could tell that he was holding back on some points, which Lin Mu did not mind.

As Lin Mu heard about the Fate Coins, a pleasant system prompt sounded in his ear:

" Ding!"

"System Notice: Congratulations, player Lin Mu, you have successfully activated the [Destiny System] unexpectedly. As the first person in the world to activate the [Destiny System], you are rewarded with 10,000 reputation points. You can click on the attributes to view the details."

"Ah, Lord, your reputation has increased again. It seems Lord is blessed with great fortune and deep blessings," Yuan Zhi noticed the increase in Lin Mu's reputation and understood what had happened.

"Yes, the great goddess [Nüwa] has activated the [Destiny System] for me. As the first person to activate it, I am rewarded with 10,000 reputation points. I am also very grateful for your detailed explanation."

Lin Mu indeed needed to thank Yuan Zhi. The activation of the [Destiny System] is very unpredictable, with no specific guide. In his previous life, Lin Mu activated it by chance, and he was hoping to do the same. Now, it happened unintentionally, truly a case of "accidental success."

Moreover, Lin Mu did not hide this. It is said that Fate Merchants know many truths about the world but do not easily reveal them. By befriending Yuan Zhi, Lin Mu hopes to learn secrets he does not know. During Yuan Zhi's introduction, he was careful to avoid some secrets, which Lin Mu could tell. He did not press the issue, as they were meeting for the first time, and there would be plenty of time to build trust.

"Now, Lord can exchange 20,200 Fate Coins. Do you want to exchange? However, due to the rules, Lord will need to pay a 5% handling fee. If Lord exchanges 20,200 reputation points, you will receive 19,190 Fate Coins. I hope Lord does not mind." Yuan Zhi smiled helplessly. The handling fee rule was set by the great goddess [Nüwa], and he, a mere ant, could not change it.

Lin Mu knew about the exchange rules. A 5% handling fee, he was not sure if it was expensive or cheap, as he had little experience. He did not mind Yuan Zhi's explanation: "Exchange, 19,190 Fate Coins it is. Show me what you have for sale."

"Ha, Lord is truly generous." At the start, 20,200 reputation points are very wealthy. Lin Mu knew the difficulty of gaining reputation but was not stingy, waving his hand to exchange everything.

A blue item panel appeared in front of Lin Mu, familiar yet strange, just like in his previous life:

[Lifespan][Weapons][Equipment][Items][Supplies]

Lin Mu ignored the [Lifespan] option; it was not the time to talk about it, as his wealth was just a drop in the ocean.

Given Lin Mu's current situation and conditions, the best choice would be building blueprints.

Lin Mu clicked on the [Items] option, revealing a detailed panel:

Illustrations, blueprints... the options were numerous and complex.

Lin Mu entered "building blueprints" in the search bar, and the panel immediately displayed the available blueprints:

-初级裁缝店建筑蓝图（10）：兑换需要100命运金币；

-初级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（10）：兑换需要100命运金币；

-初级木工坊建筑蓝图（10）：兑换需要100命运金币；

-初级船坞建筑蓝图（10）：兑换需要100命运金币；

-初级码头建筑蓝图（10）：兑换需要100命运金币；

-初级民居建筑蓝图（100）：兑换需要50命运金币；

-初级难民营建筑蓝图（4）：兑换需要1000命运金币；

-初级私塾建筑蓝图（1）：兑换需要2000命运金币；

-初级流民营建筑蓝图（3）：兑换需要2000命运金币；

-中级裁缝店建筑蓝图（5）：兑换需要1000命运金币；

-中级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（5）：兑换需要1000命运金币；

-中级难民营建筑蓝图（1）：兑换需要3000命运金币；

-中级流民营建筑蓝图（1）：兑换需要5000命运金币；

-高级裁缝店建筑蓝图（2）：兑换需要10000命运金币；

-高级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（2）：兑换需要10000命运金币；

-专家级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（0）：兑换需要100000命运金币；

-大师级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（0）：兑换需要500000命运金币；

-宗师级铁匠铺建筑蓝图（0）：兑换需要1000000命运金币；

The numbers in parentheses indicate the quantity, and the exchange requirements are the number of Fate Coins needed per blueprint, which Lin Mu, as an experienced player, knew well.

(End of Chapter)