Show Me the Money

When Death Transformation wore off, Fatty immediately used a Recall Scroll.

The competition in the four main cities had ended. Those who qualified for the next ranking competition received special permission to be teleported to the Imperial Capital to begin the most intense top 100 decider.

The top 100 decider was single-elimination. One's opponent would be decided by drawing lots for two-person match-ups.

In the first round, the one hundred players were divided into four groups. The top 4 of each group would qualify as the top 32, while the rest fought to decide from rank 33rd on.

In the second round, the top 32 would go through two-person match-ups to decide the top 16. And then the top 8, the top 4, the semi-finals and the finals.

After the top 100 decider was over, the challenge round would take place. Any of the top 100 players unwilling to accept their ranks could challenge those of higher rank than them. In addition, anyone who met a certain qualification could challenge one player in the top 100, and the one being challenged had the right to accept or refuse. Those who successfully won the challenge or defended their rank would be generously rewarded.

There were rumors that when the tournament ended, Star Fantasia would have a competition amongst the four main cities to put a rank to them. The rules and the rewards for this competition had yet to be announced.

The first round had fifty matches in total. Ten matches would be hosted per day, so it would last five days.

The number of players teleporting to the Imperial Capital to watch the tournament wasn't small. Currently, the majority of players didn't have enough Reputation, and the few who barely qualified didn't feel it was worth it to spend 1,000 Reputation points just to observe the tournament. However, the system announced a temporarily cost of 100,000 gold coins for each teleportation to the Imperial Capital, and after the tournament ended the players would be automatically teleported back to their main cities. Therefore, tens of thousands of people streamed into the Imperial Capital, turning it into a bustling place.

When Fatty arrived at the Imperial Capital, the third match of the day was taking place. One of the fighters was someone he was familiar with - the guild master of the Golden Scale Guild, Golden Scale TheMighty.

The location was a drill ground inside the Imperial Capital, with circles of seats around like in a stadium. The participants of each main city all sat in their own participant zone.

"Fatty, you're finally out of secluded cultivation!" HeadofGod greeted when Fatty arrived at the Black Tortoise participant zone.

"Ughh, don't talk about it. The mission isn't even completed yet," replied Fatty with a pained smile.

"Little Fatty, long time no see." A person in the front row turned around. It was Dragon Rider Libya.

"Ah, it's you, General Libya! That's right, long time no see, General Libya! Have you been well lately?" Seeing Libya, Fatty came up with an idea. He immediately approached the general with a cute smile.

"Fatty is so close with an NPC general?" The surrounding Black Tortoise players were startled. They were all aware of Dragon Rider Libya. Back in the grand fight with the Undead Marshal, the general had been the fiercest fighter even though he was nearly killed by Lei Ting.

Dragon Rider! Level 80 expert! The captain leading the Black Tortoise Team! When they had just arrived here, he even exchanged blows with a formidable-looking beauty NPC from Vermilion Bird City. While the players couldn't see the details because the two NPCs had carried out their duel high up in the sky, Libya's gloating expression and the beauty's ashen face when they landed had told everyone the result.

"I have been well… until I saw you." Libya scanned Fatty from top to toe several times over. "Why didn't you partake in the tournament? Or did you get eliminated?"

"How could I get eliminated?" Fatty walked to Libya's side. "General, do you have some free time? If you do, how about doing me a little favor? The payment will definitely be to your satisfaction."

"I believe that your payment will be to my satisfaction, but you see, this is the Imperial Capital. I have a lot to tend to as the captain in charge of leading the team, so I can't leave until the tournament ends. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait until the competition is over."

"Ahh? Forget it then," said Fatty, disheartened. The mission will soon have been outdated when the tournament ends.

"Oh, right! General, can you lend me something?" Fatty wanted to go but hurriedly turned back with a cute smile when he suddenly thought of something.

"Lend you what?" Libya looked at Fatty with humored eyes.

"How about lending me the pterosaur?"

"The pterosaur? That's not possible right now." Libya gestured Fatty to look in the direction of the Vermilion Bird City participation zone. "Sophia is a badass, her strength is about the same as I. When I just arrived at the capital, we had a duel. I was lucky to have a close win because my pterosaur is higher-ranked than her Fire Bird. If I lend you the pterosaur, she'll definitely take this chance to provoke me again, and then the fact that I can't even win against a woman will not only throw away my face but also the reputation of the entire Black Tortoise City will go down with me as well."

"Then, I don't need the whole pterosaur, you can just lend me a pterosaur tendon." Fatty kept pestering.

Libya couldn't help but laugh. "You think pterosaur tendons are bird feathers that you can just pluck or something?"

Fatty already knew that this would be impossible. His face was plastered with disappointment. Do I really have to go to Lin Xi?

"But…" Seeing Fatty's disappointment, Libya suddenly said, "You must need Dragon Tendons to craft equipment? I know of a place where Earth Dragons live. They can be a decent replacement."

……

Coming back from Libya's place, Fatty glossed it over when his friends inquired about his talk with Libya. It wasn't that Fatty didn't want to tell them, this mission was simply too special. On a one in a million chance that someone wanted to ruin his mission, they'd only need to send some people to create trouble.

"Guys, I want to mass purchase Mystical Gold Ores. Anyone has them?" Fatty asked.

"Mystical Gold Ores? How many do you need? If not too many, I can just give you some for free," East Gate BlowingWind immediately said.

"Not too many, a thousand."

"A thousand?!" Everyone was speechless. While the current average mastery of the Blacksmiths' Digging skill had been greatly increased, an Advanced ore like Mystical Gold Ore was still rarely seen. This brat just opened his mouth and asked for a thousand? Is he joking?

"Don't look at me like that. I want to craft a piece of equipment that requires at least a thousand Mystical Gold Ores. Don't just stand there. Hurry and rally everything from your storage, I'm in urgent need for them," Fatty instantly yelped and explained when he noticed everyone's queer gazes.

"What the heck? What kind of equipment requires that many materials?" Jiangdong's LittleOverlord didn't know what else to say. He told his members to check the guild storage, then announced, "I have around two hundred here."

"I have over a hundred."

"Ahh, I have quite a lot of this one, three hundred."

"Mmm, only over six hundred. We need over three hundred more," Fatty estimated and concluded.

"I have just over three hundred here." After a little 'reminder' from Purple Bell, Wind God's World finally reported his stock.

"OK, that should be enough. How much for one according to the market price? Fatty snapped his fingers. "By the way, anyone has Dragon Tendons? I don't need too many, several dozen is enough."

"Dragon Tendons…" Everybody was speechless again. What kind of equipment is that? Every material is more precious than the last.

"Forget it, you guys don't look like you have it anyway. Just gather the ores for me, I'm pressed for time." Since they were all close acquaintances, Fatty didn't act courteously.

Aside from the Ice Rose Alliance who stored their ores in their base storage, the other guilds all placed their ores in the bank. After giving Fatty the ores, Jiangdong's LittleOverlord said, "Fatty, just what are you making? When it's ready, don't forget to let us play with it."

"Hehe, rest assured! It'll definitely leave y'all gobsmacked."

Stowing the ores in his storage, Fatty calculated the gold coins according to the market price. Each Mystical Gold Ores cost 5,000 gold coins, so that'd be five million for a thousand. Ignorance was bliss, but when he had to calculate it, Fatty nearly fainted in fright. It's a mere ballista!! But one material alone is already eating that much money!!

"Your mother!! If this ballista doesn't work out, Lord Fatty shall report Fantasia!!" wailed Fatty. This thing isn't made from ores, it's made of gold coins!

Fatty couldn't take out that much gold coins at the moment, so he could only… credit it. At the same time, he also emptied the several guilds' Cold Iron Ore stocks, which would be another payout.

1000 Mystical Gold Ores, 80 Cold Iron Ores, plus 100,000 gold coins shipping fee for the Ice Rose players; Fatty had to pay 5,900,000 gold coins in total. He paid 900,000 and wrote 5,000,000 in his debt.

"Very formidable!" East Gate BlowingWind praised. "I don't know if you're the richest in the game, but I'm pretty sure the number one debtor is you."

"Don't look down on Lord Fatty, this is only an investment. Wait until Lord Fatty gets my equipment, I'll come back and crush you lot to death with gold coins," roared Fatty. Then, he replenished his supplies and rushed out of the Imperial Capital with a stomach full of bitterness. Setting the coordinates he got from Libya as his destination, Fatty went to seek trouble with the Earth Dragons.

Hundreds of miles to the south of the Imperial Capital, there was a valley where the Earth Dragon clan inhabited.

The Earth Dragon was the lowest ranked of the Dragon Clan. The Dragon Blood running in their vessels were so minuscule that they weren't even considered members of the Dragon Clan. However, the 'dragon' in its name indicated how powerful they were. Nearly every member of the Earth Dragon clan was a high-rank monster. Rumors were that the Earth Dragon Chief was also a Celestial boss that was already one step into the God realm.

"This is an Earth Dragon?" Gawking at the ugly huge creature in front of him, Fatty could hear the sound of the image of dragons in his heart shattering.

You're an Earth Dragon. No matter how diluted your blood is, you can't just let yourself go and give up on your body like this!

The creature was roughly eight meters tall, with a tail longer than ten meters. Its skin was dirt-yellow, and it looked thick and fat. The body was massive with four strong limbs supporting it. Overall, the Earth Dragon looked quite mighty despite its seemingly dirty appearance.

"Come 'ere, let Doctor Fatty give you a check." Fatty quickly constructed several traps and ordered Wheat to pull the monster.

BOOM! The Earth Dragon's steps were simply quaking. With only a nudge from the massive creature, Wheat's huge body was flung up in the air, then violently dropped.

Whew whew! Inky quickly healed Wheat. The two pets had developed a pretty tight cooperation.

Whoosh. A trap was activated. An ivy tendril the size of an adult's arm climbed up the Earth Dragon's body. However, when the tendril coiled, the Earth Dragon instantly snapped it and rendered the trap completely ineffective.

Creak… The second trap successfully proc'd and temporarily ice-froze the monster.

"Raaaarrgh! The Earth Dragon roared thunderously. With a series of creaking, ruptures started to emerge on the ice covering its body. The ice was on the verge of shattering.

Ambush!

Fatty had Stealthed toward the monster. With a lash of his sword, Ambush struck its target. The Earth Dragon's roaring abruptly stopped as a dizzy mark appeared above its head.

Successfully stunning the monster, Fatty took out the Brutal Saddle without hesitation. Then, he leaped onto its back.

"Great! Just when I'm lacking a mount. Life's been unbearable without one."