The island, suffused with a radiant aura of holy light, finally came to a halt and merged seamlessly with Essim's island.
As the city gates swung open, five figures stepped out and made their way toward Essim's territory. From their appearance, it was clear they were a family—two adults and three children. The leader of the group was a woman clad in a white headscarf. Her complexion was fair and smooth, accented by a prominent nose and calm, relaxed eyes. Strands of black hair peeked slightly from beneath her white scarf.
This woman appeared to be the eldest daughter of the family. Beside her stood a slightly younger girl, likely around Aisha's age, along with a boy who looked to be about twelve years old.
With measured steps, the family approached Essim and the other Sovereigns who had arrived earlier. It didn't take long for them to meet and introduce themselves.
The presence of this family imbued the gathering with a serious yet friendly atmosphere. Essim could sense the sincerity in their every movement. Friendly smiles and meaningful glances exchanged during the introductions signaled the onset of a harmonious cooperation under the World Market Alliance.
As they arrived, Essim felt a surge of mixed emotions—happiness, enthusiasm, and hope. He recognized that this alliance would usher in many positive changes for his territory.
"Hello, Brother Essim, I am Laras," the woman greeted warmly. Essim felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if they had known each other for a long time.
"Hello, I'm Essim. It's a pleasure to meet you," Essim replied, returning her greeting and shaking her hand.
Upon hearing the woman's name, Laras, Essim's mind flickered with recognition. Yes, this was the sovereign who ranked sixth on the event leaderboard.
"It seems I have gained a strong ally this time," Essim thought to himself. He had suspected as much during a previous discussion in the group led by Princess Aisha, but seeing her in person solidified his conviction.
Turning to the gathered crowd of over 150 people, Essim addressed them. "Since everyone is here, how about we discuss matters inside the city?"
With that invitation, Essim led the way into Life City. As the gates opened, the grandeur of the well-organized cityscape unfolded before them.
"It seems this man wasn't lying..." said the woman with the aura of light, her eyes wide with admiration for the splendor of Essim's city.
"Brother Essim appears to harbor quite a few secrets," remarked a young man wielding a black and red sword, his tone serious and impressed.
Other members of the group were equally taken aback by the state of Essim's city. How could they not be? Essim had invested hundreds of millions, if not over a billion, energy crystals to enhance and fortify his island. Which Sovereign could amass such wealth in mere days after moving to the Divine Sky Realm?
Their admiration stemmed not only from the city's physical beauty but also from Essim's intelligence and vision in cultivating a strong and harmonious community. This marked the dawn of a new era, filled with opportunities and challenges for all involved.
Currently, in the main hall's meeting room, twelve individuals were seated around a round table, preparing to discuss various matters concerning the World Market Alliance.
Essim, as the leader of the meeting, spoke first. After a few words of greeting, he laid out the primary topic for discussion.
"Once again, I thank you all for joining and becoming part of the World Market Alliance," Essim said, gazing respectfully at everyone gathered.
He continued, "The first topic we will discuss is the compensation I promised earlier." With that, Essim pulled out 50 Blessing Potions from his Spatial Bag.
Instantly, 50 transparent bottles appeared before everyone. Essim began distributing five bottles to each participant.
"Hahaha... Brother Essim is indeed trustworthy," exclaimed the elderly man Takulani from one corner of the table, his voice brimming with appreciation.
"What?! Isn't this potion equivalent to raising a whole level?" cried a young man with striking blue hair. The young man, named Dion, was the Sovereign who had sold the teleportation blueprint to Aisha.
"A very pure and powerful potion," added the woman with the aura of light, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm as she stared at the potion. Had others seen her status panel, or even Essim's, they would undoubtedly feel envious to their core.
(Blessing Potion)
Attribute: +100 (random)
Note: Can only be taken 5 times.
Laras maintained a calm exterior, concealing her excitement as she took the potion and placed it neatly into her bag.
"Next, I will provide you all with a full set of level 20 elite equipment," Essim declared, producing ten packages of equipment wrapped in a shimmering green light.
"Wuohhhh... level 20? Elite tier?" several individuals gasped in awe.
"How many crystals did Brother Essim spend to forge all this?" asked a female Sovereign with intricately braided black hair.
Essim turned to Hana and replied, "Not much... not much at all. Sister Hana, don't worry about it; this is simply my generosity."
He spoke truthfully; forging elite-tier equipment was not particularly challenging for him. With access to higher-quality stones, crafting them would be well within his capabilities.
Essim distributed ten sets of equipment to the ten people seated around the table. From her position at one end of the table, Laras observed the gear Essim had provided.
First, she examined the weapon, but after only a brief glance at its status, she placed it in her bag without further ado. However, when she looked at the other pieces of equipment—robes, shoes, headgear, and gloves—a small smile graced her lips.
(Heavenly Light Robe)
Level: 20
Attributes: Str +84, Int +132, Agi +92, Res +108
(Body of Light): Increases light damage by 10%, restores health by 0.2% per second for 30 seconds, reduces dark damage by 25%. Cooldown: 10 minutes.
Had Essim seen the attributes on Laras' panel at that moment, he might have felt a twinge of inadequacy. The attributes of the Heavenly Light Robe in front of him were twice what was typical. After all, all the equipment given by Essim had been tailored to Laras' request for light attributes.
As everyone temporarily assessed the equipment they had received, Essim and Aisha sat quietly, observing closely. After a while, they finally settled back comfortably in their chairs.
"Hahaha... my apologies, Brother Essim. The equipment you provided has far exceeded our expectations," said the elderly man Haikal, his tone filled with gratitude.
"Yes, indeed, Brother Essim," Efan agreed, nodding vigorously.
"Alright, let's not exaggerate. Next, we will discuss the operational activities of the World Market Alliance," Essim said calmly, pulling out some notes to guide the discussion.
-----
3 chaps a day !
I hope you will like this as much as I love working on it !
If you do, please don't forget to support this re-writing ! Vote and Review helps me a lot :)