This 'friendly meeting' news came with a screenshot from the game, and this particular screenshot was anything but ordinary—it was clearly an intentional 'group photo.' Combined with the racial traits of the Dandi Civilization, other civilizations viewing this screenshot could easily imagine how this photo was taken.
Though the setting was dimly lit, the background ambiguous, and the Dandi Civilization player separated from Ye Bai by iron bars… you couldn’t deny it was a meeting, right? A group photo, wasn’t it?
In the past, Ye Bai had only ever been captured in third-person shots, with no recorded interactions between her and any other civilization in the game. This time, the Dandi Civilization took the lead, instantly causing a stir within the Stellar Alliance and skyrocketing to the top of the hottest cosmic news.
The ensuing speculation allowed the Dandi Civilization to bask in Ye Bai’s reflected glory, gaining significant political attention within the Stellar Alliance and even boosting their entire civilization’s currency exchange rate.
If it had been any other civilization, the effect might not have been so exaggerated. But at this moment, Nightfall Town had just completed its upgrade, with Ye Bai demonstrating formidable personal prowess. The mass production of rare blue-tier [Nightwalker Cloaks] and [Marching Boots] showcased Nightfall Town’s technological superiority over all other player territories.
Not to mention the energy crossbow, a veritable strategic weapon. Numerous civilizations attempted to replicate it, both in reality and within the game. Yet all attempts ended in failure. The forging and crafting techniques in the game were too primitive for interstellar players, making it difficult to find skilled replicators. Even with such talent, success was impossible without the proper blueprints.
After countless failed experiments, interstellar scholars concluded that only equipment produced via blueprints in designated production buildings could possess attributes—anything else was just a decorative item with no stats.
Thus, the Dandi Civilization’s ambiguous 'group photo' sparked widespread speculation. Was Ye Bai considering a partnership with an interstellar civilization in the game? If so, securing exclusive or priority access to Nightfall Town’s high-quality equipment would be a game-changer…
In no time, diplomatic departments across the Stellar Alliance sprang into action.
Meanwhile, Ye Bai, the central figure behind this upheaval, set up an automatic sell order—the moment the rising trend of Luo Yuan’s exchange rate stalled, she would offload her over five million Luo Yuan.
This approach obviously wouldn’t maximize profits—there was always a chance the rate would surge again after a pause. But Ye Bai didn’t have time to monitor the cosmic currency market’s fluctuations. Her focus and time belonged to the game.
Ye Bai understood clearly that her progress in the game was the root cause of real-world changes. This unexpected windfall of star credits was merely a side benefit of her in-game identity, 'Nightfall.'
And such opportunities couldn’t be replicated easily. The shockwaves from the first player-owned town and the mastery of energy weapons were the real reasons for this massive impact.
Of course, Ye Bai didn’t forget her friends in this windfall. She immediately sent an urgent message to Aurora: "Hurry! I just saw the news after logging off—bought Luo Yuan, and it’s skyrocketing!"
Urgent messages were the kind that alerted players even in-game, though they couldn’t force a logoff—players had to decide for themselves.
When Aurora received the message, she had just found an excuse to log off, initially worried something had happened to Ye Bai. But seeing the news, she was thrilled and promptly bought a hefty amount herself.
At this point, Luo Yuan was still climbing steadily. While not as profitable as Ye Bai’s early bargain purchase, there was still plenty to gain.
"Ye Bai, you’ve got insane luck! This is going to be a huge payday!"
Aurora checked the news timestamp—less than ten minutes old—and marveled at Ye Bai’s perfect timing. A few hours later, and Luo Yuan’s price would’ve been unpredictable, with far slimmer profits.
Unless you were a professional trader, most people didn’t keep constant tabs on financial news. And this kind of unexpected event was beyond even professional predictions—a true stroke of fortune.
Ye Bai replied, "Haha… At this rate, I might not even need to sell in-game gold to your lab anymore."
"Absolutely!" Aurora shot back, eyes glued to the Luo Yuan surge. "If you’ve got enough cash, don’t sell the gold. Investing it in your own progress is way more valuable."
"That’s what I was thinking too."
Ye Bai revealed a satisfied smile. This way, she had also resolved her "living expenses issue" in Aurora's eyes, letting her know that she had enough money to sustain her life on Fantasy Star without having to consider the loss-making business of spending teleportation gold coins to cross servers just to sell a few dozen silver coins.
Having settled the real-world matters, Ye Bai returned to the mayor's office in the game.
Everything in the territory was developing steadily according to Ye Bai's plans, and she herself was about to set off for an alchemy capital to complete her second-class advancement quest.
Before leaving, however, Ye Bai first visited Dilina's high-end tailor shop.
When the door opened and Dilina saw it was Ye Bai, she perked up from her chair, her bored expression replaced with a glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Ah, if it isn’t our esteemed lord. What an honor for you to grace my humble shop."
"Oh, Master Dilina, you’re too kind!" Ye Bai laughed, glancing around at the now much more spacious and luxurious high-end tailor shop. "Are you satisfied with the upgraded environment?"
"It’s passable," Dilina replied with a dignified nod before adding, as if remembering something, "I saw the Blackgold Sheep in the pastures. Blackgold Wool is a premium material, perfect for crafting high-end clothing to sell to nobles."
"I know, that’s exactly what I had in mind," Ye Bai agreed with a nod. In truth, NPCs with high favorability would often drop subtle "hints" during casual conversations—it all depended on how attentive the player was.
Dilina raised an eyebrow. "So, what brings the lord here today?"
Ye Bai smiled sheepishly. "You know why."
Dilina shook her head in amusement before turning around and retrieving an exquisite square wooden box from a nearby cabinet. She opened the lid. "Here, it’s done."
Inside the box lay a soft, shimmering piece of fabric in a pale hue, radiant and iridescent—so much so that it was hard to pin down its exact color. It bore a striking resemblance to the "rainbow-like black" of the Loomkin fabric, sharing a similar enchanting quality.
"Thank you so much!" Ye Bai’s eyes lit up as she immediately picked up the garment.
[Thousand Illusion Gown]
Rank: Legendary
Type: Apparel
Style: 1500
Special Effect - Imprint: Can imprint the appearance of other garments. Current imprints: (10).
Special Effect - Everchanging: Can transform into the appearance of any garment below its rank via "Imprint."
Description: Crafted using rare spider silk and incorporating techniques from the Loomkin, this garment can alter its form—elegant, refined, and eternally fashionable.
At a glance, Ye Bai’s lips curled into a smile. Truly a masterpiece from a master tailor! Even a purely cosmetic piece came with special effects, and incredibly practical ones at that. It was well worth the eight bundles of premium spider silk looted from the Spider King boss.
Aside from faction-specific attire, clothing in general didn’t provide any stats—it was purely for appearance. Rare-grade or higher garments might have special effects, but those were usually limited to visual enhancements. The only attribute clothing had was [Style], or in simpler terms, "fashion points."
In Infinite Realms, dressing stylishly might only earn a player some bragging rights among others, but in the eyes of NPCs, it conveyed an impression of wealth. A high Style value could sometimes yield unexpected benefits, making NPCs view you in a new light—especially during business dealings.
Even the rare high-end clothing sold to nobles in upscale shops usually maxed out at around 500-600 Style points. This legendary piece, unsurprisingly, tripled that, standing toe-to-toe with other formal regalia representing honor and prestige.
With a master tailor in her territory, Ye Bai naturally wouldn’t let such an advantage go to waste.
This was the perk of being a lord. Unlike regular players who had to grind quests or buy gear, as long as her territory housed skilled individuals, their abilities effectively became hers.
Previously, Ye Bai had handed over all the high-tier materials she’d obtained from boss fights to Dilina. With the 100 Loyalty boost from completing personal quests, she didn’t even need to pay extra—just supply the materials, and Dilina would craft it for her.
Of course, this privilege only extended to gear Ye Bai needed for herself. Mass production was an entirely different matter.
Dilina added, "I’ve already imprinted some outfits I remember onto it. Go ahead and try it out."
"Great!"
Ye Bai happily stored the garment in her inventory. After equipping it in the [Apparel] slot, her appearance instantly transformed—now adorned in a fitted, flowing silver-white robe with a cinched waist and a long hem. Upon closer inspection, the sleeves and back bore a translucent, shimmering texture.
Originating from the magic capital of Melo City, this outfit crafted by Dilina leaned toward a mage’s aesthetic—elegant, intellectual, and dreamlike.
"Hmm, looks good on you," Dilina remarked with an approving nod as she observed the result.
"It's absolutely stunning!" Ye Bai admired it for a moment before putting it away and bidding farewell to Dilina. She then headed to a regular tailor shop to replicate a few common outfits before quietly leaving the territory.
Once she swapped out her signature gear, the plain-looking "Ye Bai" became nearly unrecognizable. Moreover, the [Illusionary Garb] conveniently eliminated the need to carry multiple outfits—one piece could mimic countless styles. The only downside was that when transformed into another appearance, its fashion value would adjust accordingly, making it impossible to maintain an air of "understated luxury."
After shifting the Illusionary Garb into the common [Windproof Cloak] style favored by both players and NPCs, Ye Bai reached Melo City after just a day of travel.
At her higher level, her movement speed had increased significantly, and her stamina pool far surpassed that of other players, making her journey incomparable to the past.
For her level 40 class advancement quest, Ye Bai needed to travel to an alchemy-focused city. Rather than trekking through the wilderness, teleporting from the nearest city with a transfer array was the faster option.
Within the same "Blue Star Server," teleportation fees were much cheaper.
However, upon arriving in Melo City, Ye Bai didn’t head straight for the teleportation array. Instead, she made her way to the inner-city library. After her trip to the divine realm, she had accumulated a wealth of historical knowledge—more than enough to level up her [Historian] subclass.
The Melo City Library was as quiet as ever, with only the occasional rustle of turning pages breaking the silence.
Unlike her first visit, the library now had a handful of players scattered about. Everyone maintained a respectful hush, moving carefully to avoid drawing attention. Any disruption risked not only the guards’ intervention but also the wrath of a nearby archmage who might "silence" them with magic.
Ye Bai wandered through the library floor by floor, searching for her subclass mentor, Anita.
In "Infinite Worlds," NPCs weren’t static—they had their own routines. Even class trainers only appeared within certain areas rather than standing rigidly at fixed coordinates. There was even a slim chance Anita might be off-duty when Ye Bai arrived.
Luckily, her luck held. After some searching, she found her mentor tucked away in a corner.
Sensing someone approach, Anita lifted her head from the papers she’d been buried in.
Spotting Ye Bai, she adjusted her glasses, her green eyes narrowing slightly in recognition.
"Oh, if it isn’t my history student?"
"Yes, Mentor Anita," Ye Bai replied promptly before adding, "I’ve come to advance my Historian level."
Anita’s face brightened with pride. "Excellent. I always knew you were a gifted one."
[You have completed the quest "Mentor’s Expectations."]
A flash of light followed, accompanied by a system notification:
[Your subclass "Historian I" has been upgraded to "Historian II."]
Anita then pulled out an item and handed it to Ye Bai. "You’ll soon delve deeper into field research. This [Archaeologist’s Magnifying Glass] served me well in my time. Now, it’s yours."
"Thank you, Mentor," Ye Bai said, accepting the reward for reaching Historian II.
[Archaeologist’s Magnifying Glass]
Rarity: Rare
Type: Archaeological Tool
Effect: Increases the chance of uncovering additional historical clues from ruins or artifacts by 30%.
Description: Archaeology demands three virtues: meticulousness, patience, and perseverance.
Anita nodded, offering her customary encouragement. "May you go far on this path."
Simultaneously, a new subclass quest appeared.
[New Quest: "Mentor’s Expectations"]
Objective: Your mentor expects you to make strides in historical study. Raise your "Historian II" proficiency to 100%.
Reward: Upgrade to Historian III; Unknown.
Yet, instead of leaving, Ye Bai remained in place and spoke again.
"Mentor, I’d like to advance my Historian level further."
Anita, who had already lowered her head to resume reading, froze momentarily before looking up sharply.
"…Huh??"
