Chapter Thirty-Nine: One Against Three!

There was still some time before "Fantasy" reopened, so I logged onto the official website to browse through the news regarding the update. "Fantasy" was about to officially set sail, having carefully added a wealth of exciting content while meticulously refining and perfecting previous shortcomings.

First, the pet system was introduced. Players have a variety of ways to obtain pets: they can hatch them from pet eggs using their own blood or tame wild monsters. Naturally, tamed pets return to Level 1 status, with their attributes reset. Pet grades are determined by their growth rate [Pet Growth = (Total attribute points at current level - Total attribute points at Level 1) / (Current level - 1)]. Generally, those with a growth rate below 5 are classified as Lower-tier, 5–10 as Mid-tier, 10–15 as Upper-tier, 15–20 as Spirit Beasts, and those above 20 as Immortal Beasts. As for Divine Beasts, they are merely legendary, powerful entities whose terrifying strength cannot be measured by standard data.

Generally, the higher the grade of the monster tamed, the better the pet's growth. Bosses have higher growth rates than common monsters of the same level; however, the higher a monster's level, the lower the success rate of taming it. The taming success rate for a Boss is only one-tenth that of a regular monster.

A pet's grade is not determined solely by its growth, but also by its overall strength, such as its skills and intelligence. Under normal circumstances, pets with low growth will naturally have inferior skills and intelligence. A pet's growth rate is not a fixed value added to its basic attributes per level; it is merely the average value for its current level. A pet's death or serious injury will affect its future growth rate; the more times it dies, the lower its growth will drop. Each player is limited to one pet, and once a pet has bonded with its master, it cannot be traded or sold. The experience a pet gains from leveling up is based on its contribution to defeating monsters, which prevents the phenomena of players power-leveling pets or pets power-leveling players.

The official launch of the reputation system is a major highlight of this update. Once a player’s reputation reaches 1,000, they can purchase shops in major cities to conduct their own business. Of course, businesses must be approved by the system to be legal; establishments like brothels, casinos, or shops with obvious political affiliations will not be permitted. There are also regulations on the number of shops a player can open. If a shop is in a main city or the imperial capital, only one is allowed; however, in smaller towns, to promote economic prosperity, one may purchase up to two.

The cost of purchasing a shop varies: 25,000 gold coins in the imperial capital, 20,000 in a main city, and 10,000 for a single shop in a small town. This does not include the costs of hiring staff or purchasing equipment. The city where the shop is located will tax its revenue at a rate of 5% of the transaction volume. Shops can be upgraded; once the owner's reputation reaches 3,000, the shop can be upgraded to Level 2. Level 2 shops have significantly improved scale and appearance, featuring two floors, and allow for the hiring of other players as staff. Once the owner's reputation reaches 6,000, the shop can be upgraded to Level 3. A Level 3 shop allows the owner to open two branches in towns outside of the main cities, though these branches can only be upgraded to Level 2.

The guild system is highly anticipated by players. Establishing a guild requires a reputation of 5,000. After applying to the government, players must complete a specific quest to receive a random map for their guild territory. The territory of a beginner-level guild can only be established as a small village, over which the guild has development and management rights. The village can accommodate 15 player-run shops, with the selling price for each determined by the guild. The guild can levy a 5% tax on transactions within the territory; after paying 2% to the system, the remainder goes into the guild treasury. Beginner guilds can recruit up to 2,000 members.

When the Guild Master's reputation reaches 10,000, the guild can be upgraded to intermediate. At this stage, it can house up to 5,000 members and upgrade the village into a town. However, during the initial phase of city building, the guild must independently withstand three large-scale monster sieges; if the city is breached and destroyed, the guild will become a footnote in history. Intermediate guild towns can house 50 shops, establish their own consignment and auction houses, and hire government guards or players to maintain order, up to a maximum of 1,500.

Upgrading from an intermediate to an advanced guild requires the Guild Master to reach 20,000 reputation. The membership cap expands to 10,000, and the mercenary limit increases to 3,000. Once the town is upgraded, it becomes a commercial hub equivalent to a main city. Building such a hub no longer requires surviving monster sieges, but rather accumulating a certain amount of "Merit."

Merit is a new feature introduced in the update, specifically used to measure a guild's contribution to the Huaxia Empire. There are many ways to earn Merit, such as clearing out bandits, capturing wanted criminals, maintaining high tax payments, demonstrating good governance in managed towns, or receiving public acclaim. Most importantly, after the national borders open, guilds that perform excellently in national wars and foreign trade will see their Merit increase significantly. Once Merit reaches 10,000 and the guild passes an inspection by imperial civil officials, they will be given a random quest scroll; completing it allows them to build a commercial hub. At this point, membership can expand to 20,000, mercenaries to 5,000, and the guild can purchase four Magic Crystal Cannons for defense, with all other facilities matching those of a main city.

Ways to earn reputation are no longer limited to hidden quests or triggering specific storylines. After the update, Mercenary Guilds have been added to all major cities. The quest boards will distribute both system and player-generated tasks. Completing these not only provides generous rewards but also increases reputation based on the task's difficulty. The system will also reward players for acts of charity and heroism. Conversely, there are penalties for wanted criminals; their reputation will decrease based on the severity of their crimes. If their reputation falls to -200, they will be unable to purchase items from system or player shops.

Reputation has other uses as well. Players can pay a fee to government officials to clear their PK (Player Kill) values using reputation; 20 reputation points can remove one PK point. Of course, this does not apply to "Red Name" wanted criminals. Reputation can also be used to increase carrying capacity and inventory space; players can exchange reputation at the Civil Affairs Department for these upgrades (50 reputation = 5 carrying capacity = 1 inventory slot).

When heroes vie for power, war is inevitable. Once intermediate guilds establish towns, they can wage war and annex one another. Casualties in these conflicts are governed by fate, and killing an opponent does not increase PK values. However, the party initiating the war must submit a declaration of war to the government to ensure the opponent can prepare their defenses. Attacking without a declaration is considered malicious PK; the attacked guild can receive assistance from the local main city's army, and other players may join the fray.

There are three types of declarations: Silver, Gold, and Purple Gold. A Silver declaration requires a three-day wait before an attack; a Gold declaration requires a one-day interval; a Purple Gold declaration allows an offensive to begin just two hours after submission. When armies clash, every second counts, and time is often the deciding factor; achieving surprise is a tactical advantage every commander seeks. If a guild loses a war and its town is occupied, it becomes a stepping stone for the conqueror, and the former town is relegated to an administrative village under the victor's jurisdiction.

Breathtaking scenery and magnificent landscapes are perfect for casual players to relax. In reality, as civilizations and landmarks fade, we can only mourn them. "Fantasy" has added prehistoric sites and endangered landmarks to its existing scenery—such as "Jurassic Park," "Xishuangbanna," "Hoh Xil," and the "Northwest Populus Euphratica Forest"—recreating them at the peak of their beauty. The creatures within are non-aggressive, allowing players to observe and appreciate them freely. In these places, you can stroll and play with terrifying Tyrannosaurus Rex, ride mountain-like Diplodocus, and witness "living fossils" of plants that have survived for millennia.

The ranking system has also been updated. The "Fantasy Power Ranking," "Fantasy Equipment Ranking," and "Fantasy Celebrity Ranking" have replaced the previous ones. The Power Ranking is based on a player's overall strength, calculated from a combination of character stats (level, attributes, skills), pet index, and equipment index. The Equipment Ranking has seen minor changes with the addition of an equipment evaluation index. The Celebrity Ranking is determined by a player's reputation, charisma, and general fame. The system nominates candidates, and players vote on the forums to elect their favorite celebrities. To protect player privacy, the original Wealth Ranking has been completely removed.

In the world of competition, there is no place for the second best. "Fantasy" will launch grand competitive events, with an "Elite Challenge" held every six months to stir the blood of battle-hungry players. The Elite Challenge includes individual and team matches, where personal strength is the key; pets are prohibited. The entry requirements for individual matches are simple: players over level 30 can enter by paying a fee. After elimination rounds in major cities, 500 players will advance to the imperial capital for the finals. Team matches consist of 5-player squads, with 200 teams advancing to the imperial capital. The prizes are generous, and the glory is far-reaching, with top-tier duels broadcast live. The first "Elite Challenge" is scheduled for October 1st to October 5th.

What interests me most is that the official "Fantasy" team has abolished third-party intermediaries and directly enabled the exchange between virtual and real currency, at a rate of 1 gold coin to 2 RMB, with a 3% transaction fee. Major global banks have signed contracts with "Fantasy," allowing players to deposit cash without worry. This exchange can be done directly through the virtual banks in the game, and game currency can be used to pay for "Fantasy" subscription fees: 100 RMB for a weekly card and 350 RMB for a monthly card.

A new "Fantasy," a new expectation. The path I have chosen is becoming increasingly clear. Everyone, just wait and see!

Fantasy Online Game