Inside Safe Zone No. 2240, there were still very few people who possessed Sanctum Coins, since the first batch of level 10 Dragonfang Soldiers had only just begun to appear.
This safe zone contained several buildings that existed before the Cataclysm — a large courier company's sorting center, a residential apartment building, and a large clothing factory.
Although there wasn't a Magic Merchant here, at least the people inside didn't have to worry about housing and clothing.
In fact, their situation was, to some extent, better than that of Safe Zone No. 2233, where Bai Qiu was located.
The apartments and the courier sorting center had metal-roofed sheds built inside, large enough to shelter over a thousand people from wind and rain.
It just so happened that there hadn't been much rain lately — but if a downpour came in the fall, those camping in the open plaza of Zone 2233 would quickly realize how lucky the people here were.
The residents had also begun forming small groups, usually made up of acquaintances camping close to each other, which helped keep the area relatively peaceful.
"It seems that the living conditions in each safe zone differ depending on the available buildings and resources," Bai Qiu thought as he withdrew his gaze and walked toward the black tower's teleportation device.
Through the lens of his Fivefold Arcane Crystallization Eyes, the entire layout of the safe zone came into view.
The courier sorting center's machinery had all been dismantled — every inch of floor space was now used for sleeping mats.
The same went for the clothing factory and the apartment building.
As a result, those who managed to live in the apartments were either original residents or the stronger players.
Bai Qiu also noticed some tents scattered around.
In an instant, he realized that those were Magic Merchant products — probably purchased by contacting people in Zone 2233 through the Cross-Zone Channel.
After all, the Magic Merchant only needed Dragonfangs dropped by monsters as currency, so making a profit through trading posts and reselling goods between zones was a viable way to gain resources.
However, since it was still early in the game, most people didn't have many Dragonfangs.
As a result, they mainly exchanged them for tents or food.
Even those trying to profit off price differences couldn't earn much for now — because, simply put, everyone was still poor.
After browsing the Trading Post, Bai Qiu confirmed the system's rules:
The tax rate was 10%.
The seller listed the item, the buyer purchased it, and the system handled the exchange.
The seller's income was automatically reduced by the 10% tax.
For example: if a loaf of bread was sold for 10 ordinary Dragonfangs, the seller would only receive 9 after the transaction.
These functions didn't all appear at once.
For instance, the Trading Post had only been added after 7 p.m. tonight.
Similarly, other functions like Regional Channel, Cross-Zone Channel, Photo, Screenshot, and Video features were gradually being introduced over time.
Still, the appearance of the Trading Post didn't surprise Bai Qiu.
Starting tomorrow, most Dragonfang Soldiers would reach level 10, at which point they would begin guaranteeing drops of Sanctum Coins.
The Trading Post's arrival was clearly a preparatory update, meant to support the new economy where Sanctum Coins would become the unified currency.
Furthermore, each safe zone's Sanctuary Black Tower had different support specialists.
For example, the Alchemist Guinelia, a rabbitkin, specialized in making healing potions — her healing effects were at least twice as strong as those in Zone 2240.
Meanwhile, the Alchemist in Zone 2240 was a cat-eared girl, and Bai Qiu discovered that her specialty lay in restorative potions.
Her Stamina Recovery and Mana Recovery potions were both stronger than Guinelia's, which would inevitably give rise to a new kind of profession — the middleman.
These middlemen would buy unique products from one safe zone and resell them at higher prices through the Trading Post, earning profits across regions.
The players who realized this first would undoubtedly make their first fortune quickly, while also building up reputation and trust.
"Weird… why am I thinking about all this?" Bai Qiu muttered in confusion as he lay on the comfortable bed in his rented room.
Normally, even if he stumbled upon a way to make money, others would've already been exploiting it for three months before he caught on — walking straight into a version trap.
Could it be that the boost to his Spirit attribute had made his thinking sharper?
"Should I take this chance to make some quick profit?"
That thought lingered in Bai Qiu's mind for only a few seconds before he dismissed it.
Sure, he could easily travel between various safe zones, buy potions, and resell them for both wealth and fame — that was true enough.
But to him, money was merely a resource to strengthen himself, not the goal itself.
If he started spending time making money instead of improving his power, wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?
Once he figured that out, he sent a message to Zhang Shiyao and listed the Stamina Recovery Potions and Mana Recovery Potions he had just purchased on the Trading Post, pricing them at 10 Sanctum Coins each.
(Since the system takes a service fee, the minimum sale price for a single transaction is set at the equivalent of ten trade items — whether Sanctum Coins, Ordinary Dragonfangs, or even ten stalks of grass — a rule that will no doubt lead to people exploiting loopholes.)
Looking at their chat history, Zhang Shiyao's mind suddenly exploded with an idea!
She already knew the Trading Post was open and had been experimenting with reselling materials to earn Dragonfangs — and it had gone pretty well.
Unfortunately, the competition was fierce, and most of her Dragonfangs had been spent on her Mithril Shortbow, leaving her without capital to scale up.
Bai Qiu: "The Energy and Mana Recovery Potions sold in the Pharmacy of Safe Zone 2240 are about 50% more effective than those in Zone 2233. Conversely, their Health Recovery Potions are 85% weaker, but the prices are the same — likely due to the personal talent of the alchemist who makes them."
"As information spreads, many people will start listing different high-grade potions on the Trading Post for high prices."
"I've put up ten bottles of each for you. Here's my trade ID."
"If you ever need potions but find the prices too high, just contact me directly. For now, the Trading Post only connects Zones 2200–2250 — that's fifty zones total — so I can handle it."
Zhang Shiyao: "Got it! ✧(≖ ◡ ≖✿)"
Suddenly, she sprang up from her bed, checked her gear, and ran straight out of the safe zone.
At this point, Dragonfang Soldiers had already reached level 10, and Sanctum Coins would soon become accessible to the public.
So, if she wanted to harvest a large amount of Dragonfangs in a short time — now was the moment!
As for how to sell them later, she already had a plan.
Cross-Zone Chat Channel Items:
Item Type: Announcements
Options: Standard Loudspeaker, Pinned Loudspeaker
Standard Loudspeaker
Price: 10 Sanctum Coins
Effect: Displays a single scrolling message on the Cross-Zone Chat Channel for 10 seconds.
Pinned Loudspeaker
Price: 100 Sanctum Coins
Effect: Creates a pinned icon at the top of the Cross-Zone Channel; other players can click it to view your message.
(Note: A maximum of 10 pinned messages can exist at once. When new ones are added, the oldest disappear in order of posting.)