Legend of the Pinnacle of Online Games

Chapter 182 I am bearing humiliation and burden
"Old Lin, are you done with your work over there?"

Lin Hanchuan had just left the Magic Potions Guild and returned to the Weapon Factory when he received a message from Mo Lingyun.

"I just got the raw materials sorted out. I'm at the weapons factory now. Is there anything going on with the Chamber of Commerce?" Lin Hanchuan asked in a message on his personal panel.

Old Mo wasn't at the weapons factory; he should have already gone to the Chamber of Commerce with the Faceless Passerby as planned.

He usually doesn't send messages unless there's something important to say.

Mo Lingyun: "I'm fine here, but the president of the Chamber of Commerce wants to see you and talk to you about something."

"What is it?" — Lin Hanchuan
Mo Lingyun: "I asked him, but he didn't say. But it doesn't seem to be a very urgent matter. If you're very busy, you can come to him again in a while. We've already discussed the raw materials. The Wangyue City Chamber of Commerce will become one of our raw material suppliers."

"Tell him I'll be there right away!" — Lin Hanchuan had a rough idea that Kecha wanted to talk to him about demons. This couldn't wait, because Kecha could be killed by demons at any moment.

Furthermore, killing the Magic Potion Guild Master is not an easy task. If we unite with the upper-class human NPCs in Moon Gazing City and get their help, things will be much simpler.

Mo Lingyun – “Okay, I’ll tell him now if he wants me and the Faceless Passerby to wait for you here for a bit?”

"No need, you all go about your business." — Lin Hanchuan
Mo Lingyun and the Faceless Passerby are in charge of the development of the faction. Letting them know about this matter will not help them. On the contrary, it will distract them and affect the current development of the faction.

Mo Lingyun – “Okay!”

Close the panel.

Lin Hanchuan went to the warehouse.

The remaining resources needed for the second job advancement of the Berserker Archmage are available in the warehouse.

However, before obtaining the last piece of obsidian.

Lin Hanchuan specially placed a Black Shadow Grass in a spatial ring and put it on Xingchen's wrist, saying earnestly, "Xingchen, keep this Black Shadow Grass with you for now, and give it to me when I need it!"

Lin Hanchuan has already collected all the resources for the second tier. As long as he puts them into his personal storage space, he will be promoted to the second tier the moment the system takes them away.

But what follows is that the experience bar can't be suppressed, and then you level up as many times as you have experience.

This is a good thing; it will greatly enhance Lin Hanchuan's combat power.

But this is also a bad thing, because the monsters he's currently farming are all above level 30. Once Lin Hanchuan levels up, he won't be able to get the abundant experience points from monsters above his level.

Moreover, with Fireball in hand, it's really easy to farm monsters below level 40.

Lin Hanchuan now wants to use the card to upgrade and achieve the goal of suppressing his level, so as to gain experience beyond his level. When he is struggling in battle, as long as he gets the last Shadow Grass from Xingchen, he can immediately level up and his combat power will soar.

Of course, the idea of ​​using card conversion to suppress level wasn't just Lin Hanchuan's idea; many players whose combat power is sufficient to deal with monsters above their level would do the same.

This is the only way to maximize experience points!

“Okay, Brother Huang!” Xingchen nodded obediently.

Lin Hanchuan patted Xingchen's head with satisfaction.

How wonderful it would be if my little darling were this obedient in the future!

After taking the obsidian from the warehouse and throwing it into his storage space, Lin Hanchuan used the Realm Teleportation Token to take Xingchen directly to the Chamber of Commerce.

……

……

The Chamber of Commerce is actually only two streets away from the Mercenary Guild and the Auction House.

When Lin Hanchuan arrived, there weren't many players outside the guild, and most of them were merchant players. They were basically doing errands for the guild when they entered and exited, without a lot of funds.

For example, if the merchant guild needs a thousand White Jade Grasses, it will set a price and issue the task to merchant players.

After receiving the quest, the merchant player does not go to pick the White Glow Grass. Instead, based on the information they have gathered, they go to the place where the White Glow Grass appears, set up a stall to collect it from other players, and then hand it over to the merchant guild to earn the price difference.

This behavior is also known as "running a trade route".

It is one of the main ways for most business players with insufficient capital to acquire initial funds.

Lin Hanchuan's appearance with Xingchen attracted the attention of many merchant players.

"Arakawa White Owl? What's he doing at the Merchant Guild? Could it be that he's going to steal quests from us merchant players?"

"He must have some things to take care of here. What kind of status does Arakawa Shiro have? Even if the Chamber of Commerce gave him an S-level mission, he wouldn't necessarily accept it."

"The server launch event is about to begin, and players who are currently focused on leveling up are frantically grinding in the wild. As the top player in this city, Arakawa Shiro should be immersed in the map or dungeons right now, but it's really strange that he still has time to come to the Merchant Guild."

"What's so strange about that? Those Water Bear Monster sets that are currently being sold at exorbitant prices are from the weapon factory under the name of Arakawa White Owl. Each set costs a thousand gold coins, and the cost price is estimated to be at most a hundred gold coins. They're making a killing! He's currently the biggest merchant player in Moon Gazing City. It's not unusual for him to get closer to the merchant guild!"

"The price of the Silver-tier Water Bear Monster Set is ridiculously expensive. Those who bought it in the first batch have already driven the price up to 10,000 gold coins per set, and there are still some stupid whales buying it."

"There are now eight million players in Wangyue City, and it's perfectly normal for a large number of them to be big spenders."

"The Water Bear Set is nothing compared to what he's got. Arakawa White Owl is now the biggest real estate developer in Moonlit City. He's bought up all the land. From now on, whether it's building villas or guild headquarters, everyone will have to get his approval. This time, Moonlit City reaching the registration threshold might have been a conspiracy between him and the authorities."

"I don't think so!"

"Tch, believe it or not!"

"..."

Their hushed conversation was fixed on Lin Hanchuan.

Merchant guilds are generally considered "mercenary guilds" for merchant players, as the missions they receive are all related to commerce. Non-merchant players basically don't come here.

The appearance of Lin Hanchuan.

This left them with many guesses.

Lin Hanchuan entered the Chamber of Commerce with a calm expression.

The overall architectural style of the Chamber of Commerce is similar to that of the Mercenary Guild, with a spacious internal plaza where merchants and players can be seen everywhere.

On the magic projection screen directly in front.

The quests currently being offered by the Chamber of Commerce to merchant players are being announced.

F-level mission: Acquire 100 jin of black iron ore.

Rank F quest: Acquire 10 complete animal hides from level 10 or higher wild monsters.

……

Lin Hanchuan was looking at the mission when...

Inside the Chamber of Commerce, on the second-floor corridor where players cannot go, a person appeared: it was Kocha.

He saw Lin Hanchuan arrive through the observation crystal at the entrance of the Chamber of Commerce, and after discussing it with a few friends, he came out himself.

Ke Cha saw Lin Hanchuan.

Lin Hanchuan did not see Kecha.

"Mr. Arakawa White Owl, please come up!" Kocha called out, holding onto the handrail of the second-floor corridor.

His voice was loud and clear, without any attempt to conceal it.

In an instant, the bustling inner square of the Chamber of Commerce became a still, quiet scene. The merchants and players who were just busy glanced at Lin Hanchuan, and then at Kecha.

They both knew each other.

Arakawa Shiro is a night owl, the strongest player on the Moonlit City combat power ranking.

Kocha is the president of the Chamber of Commerce and a business leader in Moon Gazing City. In principle, even the Magic Potion Guild should obey his orders.

When did these two unrelated people get together?
The city lord had invited Arakawa Shiro to a banquet, and now the guild president was inviting Arakawa Shiro to the second floor.

Is Arakawa White Owl really that popular in Mochizuki Castle?

Lin Hanchuan looked up at Ke Cha.

Kecha snapped his fingers, and emerald ripples spread across the golden marble floor in front of Lin Hanchuan. Pale blue light, like vines, burst forth from the earth, outlining the framework of a spiral staircase in mid-air. Crystal-like steps solidified one after another, each layer floating with dark gold inscriptions.

The staircase is flanked by openwork railings, which are actually formed by countless laurel branches intertwining on their own, with newly sprouted leaves still covered with a crystal membrane like morning dew.

As soon as Lin Hanchuan stepped onto the steps, ice-blue three-dimensional water lilies bloomed on the surface of the steps beneath his feet. The flower shadows unfolded one after another along the rotating arc, and the entire building resonated with a clear sound like the plucking of a harp.

This scene was practically an execution ground for socially anxious people, Lin Hanchuan thought to himself, "Holy crap."

It's just going up to the second floor, does it have to be so extravagant?

I can just go up the marble staircase next to me. At this moment, another person came out from the second floor. It was the vice president of the chamber of commerce, a woman. When she saw Lin Hanchuan, who had already stepped onto the stairs, she waved to the sky.

The chamber of commerce was instantly plunged into darkness, followed by the appearance of tiny stars on the ceiling, which gradually increased in number and density, eventually weaving together into a galaxy.

Countless stars in the Milky Way fell toward Lin Hanchuan, landing on him and transforming into thousands of golden shimmering lights, enveloping him in a faint golden glow.

Such dazzling special effects made him the most eye-catching one in the entire internal plaza of the Chamber of Commerce.

Lin Hanchuan exclaimed that he had seen a ghost!

Are all the NPCs in District 9 this elaborate?

It's just going up to the second floor, is it really that big of a deal?

Fearing they might cause more trouble, Lin Hanchuan didn't dare linger and quickened his pace, pulling Xingchen along with him.

As soon as Lin Hanchuan stepped onto the second floor, Ke Cha greeted him warmly, "Arakawa White Owl, we meet again!"

The steps below disappeared, and the starry sky vanished.

Everything is back to normal.

But the scene remained silent.

Everyone was looking up at Lin Hanchuan.

Some female business players are already excited.

They really wanted to experience what they just witnessed.

Lin Hanchuan didn't linger in the corridor. Once inside the room, he asked, "President Kecha, is there something you need this time?"

"It's very important!" The voice didn't come from Ke Cha, who was next to Lin Hanchuan, but from the sofa in front of him.

The voice sounded familiar, and Lin Hanchuan looked up.

The other person stood up from the sofa and turned around.

It was somewhat unexpected, but also somewhat reasonable.

It's Gan Luo, the guild leader of the Mercenary Guild!

"President, did you come to see me, or did Mr. Kecha come to see me?" Lin Hanchuan asked in confusion.

"It's us!" This time it was Kocha who answered. The two vice presidents who came in last with him had already turned around and closed the door, while setting up a magical barrier.

Layers of transparent light curtains enveloped the room where Lin Hanchuan was currently located.

Although Lin Hanchuan had already guessed what was going on, he pretended not to know and asked, "Is there something you need?"

"Are you sure you want to cooperate with Chers?" Gan Luo asked, looking directly at Lin Hanchuan.

Lin Hanchuan answered affirmatively, "Yes! Wasn't this matter already settled at the banquet? In fact, we have already reached a preliminary cooperation agreement."

Lin Hanchuan was referring to the three types of medicine that Chers had brought out and were about to be mass-produced.

A total of 30 million bottles.

This will guarantee Lin Hanchuan a minimum of tens of millions of gold coins, completely resolving his current money shortage.

Lin Hanchuan was quite satisfied with this collaboration.

"Phew!" Ke Cha let out a heavy breath and said weakly, "Some people are like that, you can know their faces but not their hearts. If you cooperate with them, you may end up getting yourself killed."

“Arakawa White Owl!” Gan Luo stepped out from behind the sofa and stood opposite Lin Hanchuan, saying earnestly, “Your teacher, Morris, must have told you some things, and you are not a foolish foreigner. You must have already sensed the true situation of some people in this city.”

Seeing that Gan Luo seemed about to make his intentions clear, Lin Hanchuan bluntly stated, "President, are you saying that some of them are actually demons in disguise? Is that right?"

"Including the president of that magic potion guild, Chels, who appears to be a human, but is actually a real demon."

Lin Hanchuan's two sentences landed in the room like a silent cannonball.

Except for Lin Hanchuan, everyone's expression froze slightly.

After a long while, Gan Luo finally spoke, "Maurice told you?"

After the banquet, he kept wanting to meet with Lin Hanchuan to tell him some things, in order to prevent him from being completely devoured by the demons.

Unexpectedly, Lin Hanchuan already knew.

Gan Luo's first thought was Maurice.

From the moment the demons invaded Wangyue City, this guy had been on the front line of the battle against the demons, and knew far more than they did.

It's perfectly reasonable to tell Lin Hanchuan, their only student.

"Professor Morris said a few things," Lin Hanchuan replied confidently. "As for who exactly is the demon, I figured it out through my own means. At that banquet, only the City Lord and President Gan Luo's table were human; everyone else was a demon!"

This statement truly and completely makes things clear!

Arakawa Haku has actually figured out who the demon is!
hiss! !

Kocha gasped.

"So, since you know that Cheers, the president of the Magic Potion Guild, is a demon, why did you cooperate with him?" A vice president next to Kocha asked curiously.

"For the sake of profit, from the day I entered Wangyue City, I did indeed want to develop this city into one of the top human metropolises in the entire Tianqi Continent!"

Lin Hanchuan replied calmly.

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. When I first arrived, I had nothing but money. I had no connections and no resources. I could only build connections and resources by constantly spending money."

"Even if I know they are demons, as long as it allows me to gain a foothold in Wangyue City in the early stages, I will choose to cooperate with them."

Lin Hanchuan changed the subject.

"But these are just reasons for me to force myself to cooperate with them. Only in this way can I deceive myself, pretend to be genuinely cooperating, gain the trust of the cunning demons, infiltrate their camp, and then slowly kill those demons who are pretending to be humans, one by one, so that this city can escape from its dire straits."

"This is my plan!"

"There's nothing we can do about it. As you all know, President Gan Luo, with my current strength, in a direct battle, let alone killing demons, I would struggle to even make them lose a single hair."

"Therefore, in order to achieve my goal, I have no choice but to resort to some unconventional means."

Lin Hanchuan spoke with heartfelt sincerity.

To highlight his image as someone who endures humiliation and bears heavy burdens.

"So, your first target is Chels, the president of the Magic Potion Guild?" Kocha couldn't help but ask.

Lin Hanchuan nodded in reply, "Yes!"

Gan Luo looked at Lin Hanchuan and asked, "Why choose him? Among the demons, his strength is not weak!"

Lin Hanchuan replied, "There are three reasons."

“First of all, Chers is the president of the Magic Potion Guild in Moongazing City, controlling more than 90% of the city’s potion production. Potions are an essential consumable for us outsiders in the process of improving our strength. I must take the Magic Potion Guild from him so that he can no longer easily hinder us outsiders at crucial moments!”

"Secondly, although Chers is very strong, far surpassing me, from my observation at the banquet, he is not popular among the demons, or rather, he is very unpopular. He is destined not to have any powerful demons as friends. If I kill him, I only need to focus on dealing with him alone, and there won't be too many unexpected events."

"Thirdly, he really annoyed me! He put the potions in my pharmacy to sell, and he even wanted to take 70% of my profits. He was really treating me like a sucker. If I don't kill him to establish my authority, how can I gain a foothold among the foreigners in the future?"

Gan Luo nodded and said solemnly, "Very good! You have the same personality as Maurice, but you are much smarter than him. You know how to think things through and choose the most suitable one from among many difficult targets."

"If it were Maurice, he would have already gone straight in and started fighting without a second thought!"

Speaking of Maurice.

It's not just Gan Luo.

Even Kecha and the others shook their heads in regret.

what a shame.

If only Maurice hadn't been so rigid and had known how to be patient.

"So, you didn't just call me here to tell me that some humans in Wangyue City are actually demons in disguise, did you?" Lin Hanchuan pressed.

"As Professor Morris's student, I am carrying out his ideals in my own way! As his best friends, you can't just stand by and watch his only student, the most talented Berserker Archmage in history, destined to become a god, lead the charge in this battle against demons, fight alone, and perish in the sand, can you?"

(End of this chapter)