Since ancient times, spending money has always been like pouring water.
The golden legendary four-piece equipment now boasted two additional features, which inevitably increased the cost of forging slightly.
Thankfully, the cost of forging weapons and armor wasn't excessively high.
Lucian estimated the costs and decided to spend a significant portion upfront.
Void Crystals: -50,000!
In the queue of the [Refining Workshop], weapon and armor fragments began appearing.
A humanoid statue hovered above the workshop's cauldron, glowing with radiant light.
The territory's infrastructure was well-designed—it was a fully automated workshop requiring no manual intervention from Lucian or anyone else.
"Well, now I'm broke."
Lucian glanced at his dwindling reserves and rubbed his forehead.
After some thought, he looked at the miscellaneous items in his [Miniature World] that he no longer needed.
"It looks like I could sell some of these for more Void Crystals. Maybe tomorrow, I'll head out to trade. I also need to buy a job transfer token!"
Job transfer tokens for the Wanderer profession were relatively common across the myriad worlds. Obtaining one wouldn't be a challenge.
Lucian's [Miniature World] had no shortage of materials he could sell—just not the ones he wanted to hoard.
The territory was encapsulated within Lucian's body, and standing in the heart of it, one could see the boundless starry sky above.
Rumor had it that every lord's heart, along with the derived miniature territory, was the embryonic form of a future world.
In the end, these territories could evolve into complete worlds.
This is why breaking through levels required World Essence. A territory could only expand and level up with enough essence to support its growth.
From a certain perspective, lords were the masters of worlds. However, their territories were still distinct, existing as obvious constructs.
Even so, their territories mimicked the Earth-like environments familiar to Lucian—complete with a night sky, stars, sun, and moon.
Standing outside the [Refining Workshop], Lucian inspected the list of queued items.
Around him stood numerous beautiful women, each unique in temperament—some cold and commanding, others adorable and lively. They waited silently for the workshop to produce their weapons and armor.
The moment they arrived in this world, they had been shocked and curious. Over time, they calmed down and accepted their new reality.
The Immortal Qin Warriors stood stoically in their black uniforms, their stunning faces cold and resolute, exuding an aura that discouraged approach.
Among them, Zhaoxuan Yue, with her single ponytail and small black bird ornament, occasionally glanced at Lucian and then at the [Refining Workshop].
The Fairies of the Lunar Moon Palace, on the other hand, were less restrained, their large eyes darting around curiously, observing everything.
"This world is fascinating. Is this king someone worth following?"
"Will he bully me?"
"Can we avoid the destruction of the world we faced before?"
The women's thoughts varied, their beauty like a garden in full bloom, each flower unique in its splendor.
Lucian glanced at them briefly, appreciating their different temperaments. He chuckled to himself, his thoughts briefly wandering.
He remembered the moment he had learned that his [Lord's Heart] was just an ordinary white-tier heart.
The disappointment and frustration had been overwhelming. As the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.
But instead of crumbling under the weight of reality, Lucian had dusted himself off and pushed forward with renewed determination.
"I must remain calm no matter what. The world is vast, filled with gods and geniuses."
"In this age of gods and immortals, I cannot be complacent. I must balance confidence with caution and forge ahead."
"This is the essence of..."
"A heart with the ferocity of a tiger, yet capable of savoring the scent of roses."
As this thought crossed his mind, Lucian found clarity. He saw a vision of the divine river he had visualized, with a celestial maiden walking barefoot upon its surface.
This realization was a result of the [Divine River Visualization].
It allowed Lucian to understand himself, gain insight, and glimpse the future.
In that moment, he felt immense gratitude for his efforts to gain admission to Silvermoon High School. Its background and resources far exceeded those of any other school in Silvermoon City.
"It seems the Cloud Dream Fairy didn't emphasize the full extent of this secret art's benefits. The [Divine River Visualization] is more than just an escape tool—it's an invaluable guide."
Lucian thought back to the proud yet secretly nurturing principal, whose strict words concealed her true kindness.
Satisfied with his introspection, Lucian clapped his hands.
"I have some free time now. Let's test out the Marriage Tree and see if I can enhance this skill further!"
He shared his plans with the waiting women, then headed toward the Marriage Tree.
As Lucian left, the women let out sighs of relief and began whispering among themselves.
"The new king seems decent. His gaze isn't filthy—he might be trustworthy."
"The aura he emits is terrifying. I don't think we could win against him even if we joined forces."
"Don't underestimate us. The Immortal Qin Army has brought even gods to their knees."
At the base of the Marriage Tree, Lin Daiyu leaned against it, her face tinged with frustration.
Seeing her expression, Lucian approached with a smile.
"What's wrong? Did an epiphany turn out to be a bad thing?"
"Not exactly." Lin Daiyu looked up at him, surprise flickering across her face.
"Lucian, you feel... different. What happened?"
Lucian grinned and extended his palm, conjuring a swirl of innate energy.
"I borrowed your strength."
Lin Daiyu's eyes sparkled with realization, and she clapped her hands together, laughing.
"Ah, I see! You've inherited my power, haven't you?"
"Smart as always." Lucian nodded.
But noticing her sly smile, he narrowed his eyes.
"You're not planning to push me to the brink like yesterday, are you?"