The place was called "Plaza," and to Elysia's surprise, it actually was a plaza. When she opened her eyes, she found herself standing before a statue.
A pool of water encircled the statue, and she could even see coins glinting at the bottom, reminding her of the custom of tossing coins into fountains to make wishes.
Looking around, Elysia realized they were at the center of a four-way intersection. Broad avenues stretched out in all four cardinal directions, lined with a diverse array of shops.
What struck her most was the sight of numerous other pedestrians. Some strolled in groups, chatting idly, while others hurried past alone, their expressions suggesting urgent business.
To say the least, this was nothing like Elysia had imagined the Main God Space to be. She had assumed each team would have its own isolated dimension, but it seemed all teams were gathered in the same location.
Shi Jun was about to explain when a burly man approached and clapped him on the shoulder. "Yo, you made it back safe and sound? Not bad! You've even got more people than when you left. What gives? Was the Trial Mission a cakewalk?"
Since there were no team battles or conflicts between squads, the Trialists naturally weren't enemies. In fact, most were quite friendly towards each other.
It was like playing a massive cooperative PvE game, where the only enemies were the Trial Missions and the Hunters.
The burly man currently speaking to Shi Jun was a veteran of six Trial Missions—one more than Shi Jun himself. Shi Jun had learned much of his knowledge from this man.
"Um..." Shi Jun hesitated at the man's question. Was this Trial Mission difficult? Definitely much harder than the previous ones. Just the requirement to survive seven days without any conditions would be enough to shock the veteran.
But to say it was easy would also be true. After all, Shi Jun had done almost nothing throughout the entire mission, earning points simply by lying low the whole time.
Shi Jun glanced back furtively at Elysia and the Scholar, silently seeking their input. Though he tried to be subtle, the burly man, who was facing him and had his full attention, couldn't help but notice the brief gesture.
The Scholar remained expressionless, as if oblivious to Shi Jun's subtle cues, offering no reaction whatsoever. Elysia, on the other hand, tilted her head slightly, blinked her eyes, and let out a soft, adorable "Mmm?" as if she hadn't understood Shi Jun's hint at all.
Shi Jun fell silent, at a loss for words.
Seeing that neither of them seemed to care, he finally said, "Actually, we received assistance from two esteemed individuals. That's why this Trial Mission went so smoothly."
"Esteemed individuals...?" The burly man, Wen Qinghuo, turned to look at Elysia and the Scholar. He clasped his fists together in a traditional salute and boomed with a hearty laugh, "Then I must extend my sincere gratitude to these two lovely ladies! My name is Wen Qinghuo. If either of you ever need help in the future, don't hesitate to ask—I'll do everything in my power to assist!"
Though Wen Qinghuo had no idea of the specifics, he trusted his brother's word without question.
After a few more pleasantries, Wen Qinghuo excused himself to attend to other matters. Shi Jun then began introducing the Plaza to Elysia, the Scholar, and the other newcomers.
"The northern district is the residential area, where all Trialists live. Whenever a new Trialist arrives, a new house automatically appears in the north, so you don't need to worry about finding accommodation."
"The southern district is the trading area. Every Trialist can buy and sell goods there. While almost everything is available in the Plaza, buying from other Trialists is usually cheaper. Some skilled crafters even buy raw materials from the Plaza, turn them into finished products, and sell them back for a profit."
"The western district is the training area, and the eastern district is the entertainment area..."
Finally, the conversation led to the heart of the Plaza: the statue where they were standing. Shi Jun explained, "You accept Trial Missions, depart for and return from them, and make purchases here. Simply clasp your hands together in front of the statue, close your eyes, and the purchase interface will appear."
"After each mission, you have one moon to rest in the Plaza. You must begin your next mission within one moon, but you can also apply to start it earlier if you wish. However, few Trialists choose to do so."
Elysia nodded slightly at Shi Jun's words and turned to examine the statue. It depicted a man kneeling on one knee, one hand braced against the ground while the other reached behind him as if grasping for something. But the statue had no backpack or pockets, leaving Elysia baffled as to what he was trying to retrieve.
The statue's head was tilted upward, his gaze fixed on the upper left, his jaw clenched in a tense expression.
"Why is the statue posed like this?" Elysia asked. "Who is he?"
Shi Jun shook his head. "The statue was already here when the Plaza appeared. No one knows why."
Following Shi Jun's instructions, Elysia clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and assumed the posture of a devout nun. Instantly, a virtual interface materialized before her—the Plaza's 'Shop.' A dazzling array of weapons, equipment, bloodlines, and Super Abilities materialized before her.
Technological firearms and magical blades.
Elven bloodlines and Vampire bloodlines.
Psychokinesis, magnetism, invisibility, teleportation, and countless others—the sheer variety was overwhelming.
After browsing for a while, Elysia realized that none of the items held any practical value for her. For instance, she could exchange Points for a Psychokinesis Super Ability that would allow her to lift a car into the air with her mind. But then what? What use would that be?
As for bloodlines, they were even more pointless. She was a Herrscher, after all. Exchanging her power for an Elven or Vampire bloodline would be a downgrade, not an improvement. Besides, Elysia had no desire to contaminate her body with foreign substances.
Looking at it that way, the only category that might be useful was Weapons and Equipment. But even that was questionable. If Elysia needed a weapon, couldn't she simply ask Scholar directly? The all-powerful "Doraemon" would surely fulfill her request, right?
Ultimately, Elysia, needing to save 50,000 Points, had no intention of buying anything. But the next moment, an idea struck her. She opened her palm, and a pink crystal flower materialized there.
Could she sell items to this statue?