Chapter 48: Leveling Up the Game

After dealing with his endlessly chattering parents, the first thing Qiao Mian did was contact Wang Lang.

The park would be closed for two days.

Fantasy Park was about to reach Level Two, which would undoubtedly bring many new functions. Plus, he had now saved over six hundred thousand game coins, enough to unlock the Sutra Pavilion.

He needed some time to renovate the park.

In particular, the newly added Sutra Pavilion required proper publicity so that outsiders would be informed in advance and could prepare funds to purchase items.

Moreover, Mistress Long and Granny Sun were nothing like those Transformers who could work around the clock or those beasts who considered overwork a blessing. The two of them had been so busy these days that they barely had time to invite him for a meal, leaving him feeling quite embarrassed.

He planned to recruit a few more people from the Divine Eagle world as soon as possible.

Currently, the park was bringing in about a hundred thousand game coins a day, so supporting a few more people was no trouble at all.

He would also give Mistress Long and Granny Sun a two-day vacation, and have Liang Xiaoyu take them out for a stroll.

The other night, Mistress Long had looked truly adorable in a T-shirt, shorts, and a high ponytail.

Her words had also shown a certain curiosity about the outside world.

...

On the first day of the closure.

Qiao Mian got up, washed, and relieved himself.

Circulating his inner energy, his body floated up, and with a few quick movements he vaulted over the fence and into the dense forest.

A stegosaurus, who was munching on leaves, saw Qiao Mian appear out of nowhere and immediately collapsed to the ground like a girl bullied by a strongman.

Qiao Mian paid it no mind.

He called out to Zero and opened the game interface.

After flipping to the sign-in button, Qiao Mian immediately chose “Sign In.”

Eight game coins were credited to his account.

On his personal interface, his experience bar for game level instantly surpassed the million mark.

A blinding golden light flashed by, and Zero’s voice sounded: “Congratulations, Mr. Qiao, through your careful management, the game has been upgraded to Level Two.”

At the same time, a prompt appeared before him.

[The game has been updated. Would you like to view the update notes?]

[Yes] [No]

Qiao Mian immediately selected “Yes.”

[View Update Notes]

He clicked to read through them carefully.

It was a long list, but only a few items were truly meaningful.

First was the increase in personal authority.

Previously, he could only intimidate or command all non-employee and visitor creatures within the park; now he could grant this authority to others.

Second was the upgrade to the park’s protective shield.

Though the old shield could withstand attacks as powerful as planet-buster cannons, it merely covered each scene mechanically. Now, not only was its strength increased, but its coverage could be customized according to Qiao Mian’s wishes.

This delighted him—he had, in some sense, become the true god of Fantasy Park.

By adjusting the position of the shield, he could confine certain individuals in place or expel them from the grounds.

As for the final feature...

Qiao Mian stood up, leapt onto the stegosaurus’s back, and found a forked place to sit.

He patted the dinosaur’s head gently, and the big fellow slowly got up and started to walk.

The forest was dark and humid.

Dew still clung to the leaves overhead.

As the stegosaurus plodded along, its head became damp from the moisture.

Yet when the dew-laden branches approached Qiao Mian, they were blocked by an invisible barrier.

This was the upgraded shield in action.

Qiao Mian wandered aimlessly for a while, then summoned the game interface.

Unlike before, the main screen now featured a prominent “Lottery” button.

This was the final reward granted by the game’s upgrade—a chance to draw a prize.

According to the [Game Notes], every time the game leveled up, there would be a free lottery draw.

The prize would be one out of ten randomly chosen items.

Each item had a ten percent chance of being drawn.

However...

You could spend game coins to increase the odds of winning a specific item!

The cost depended on the game level.

At Level Two, every one percent increase in the odds required ten thousand game coins.

“Could this game have been developed by Tengxun a million years from now?” Qiao Mian mused.

This lottery system reminded him of the Glory Crystal in that mobile game, which also subtly encouraged players to spend money for greater luck.

“To have received Fantasy Park in the first place proves I’m naturally lucky. Why would I need to spend money?”

Qiao Mian smirked and released his clenched fist, tapping the “Lottery” button.

A spinning wheel appeared before his eyes.

It was evenly divided into ten sections, each marked with a different color and item.

Qiao Mian examined them one by one.

The first was a Traverse Talisman, which would allow a specified person, including himself, a free round-trip to any unlocked dimension.

The second was the Ancient Sacred Body, described as an unparalleled, peerless physique from the world of “Shrouding the Heavens,” which could be strengthened by spending game coins [Click for details].

The third was a Dimensional Travel Ticket, permitting residents of unlocked worlds to visit Fantasy Park.

The fourth was a Dust Remover; the fifth and sixth were two designated scenes: Auction House and Dragon’s Lair.

The seventh was an Intelligent Security System, which would enhance the park’s security features and lighten the employees’ workload.

The eighth was called “Plane Incubator,” which allowed the acquisition of new dimensions by consuming game coins.

The ninth and tenth were “Transformation Art” and the cultivation technique “Grand Evolution Manual” from the world of “A Mortal’s Journey to Immortality.”

Of these ten, except for the Dust Remover—which could automatically clean park trash for a small cost and was somewhat unimpressive—the rest were highly valuable.

For instance...

The Traverse Talisman would let him experience new worlds.

He could also use it as a signature attraction of Fantasy Park, tantalizing all the Earthlings who coveted its wonders.

The Ancient Sacred Body and the Grand Evolution Manual could both be strengthened with game coins, granting him true extraordinary power and resolving the danger of leaving the park unprotected.

The only issue was that the coins required for either’s mastery were too great for him to achieve perfection in the short term.

The Dimensional Travel Ticket could expand his customer base, allowing natives of other worlds to become new sources of popularity.

The Intelligent Security System and Transformation Art needed no further explanation.

The Plane Incubator was undoubtedly invaluable for Fantasy Park now, freeing him from reliance on daily sign-ins to access new worlds.

The Auction House could solve many of his current problems, greatly boosting his ability to convert popularity into game coins—its importance rivaled that of the Plane Incubator.

Once the Dragon’s Lair appeared, it would surely become the park’s new must-see attraction, likely surpassing the current top-ranked Fitness Plaza in popularity.

So, how should he choose?

With almost no useless options among the prizes, his luck probably wouldn’t make much difference.

Was he really going to leave it up to fate?

Qiao Mian pondered in silence.