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Chapter 434 - Vol-3: 141. Pathway Management

141. Pathway Management

Out of caution and a desire not to overlook even a single suspected fake, Li Aozi decided to arrive at the meeting location a day early to scout it out.

He dressed in a plaid shirt and jeans, wore a hat, and wrapped a scarf around his neck, looking every bit like a Red Arrow farm worker. To avoid being recognized, Li Aozi even put on makeup, giving his face the unremarkable appearance of a sallow middle-aged man.

Driving a tractor to the location, he was immediately struck by the bustling crowds.

"I didn't expect it to be here."

The towering White Obelisk loomed ahead. Despite it being the off-season for tourism, the area was packed with visitors. The local farms and homes had been converted into inns and hotels.

With the influx of outsiders, Erga City had to deploy its police force to maintain order, ensuring visitors could tour and sightsee smoothly. Although Li Aozi could check data directly by switching to his main body, nothing compared to observing the scene firsthand.

Parking his tractor, Li Aozi mingled with the crowd. Besides scouting the location, this was an opportunity to closely examine the pathway structure.

After six months of development, the site now featured some basic recreational facilities. A viewing platform had been set up on a nearby hillside, while the original farmland had been cleared to make way for a sunken plaza encircling the White Obelisk, capable of hosting up to 3,000 spectators.

The Obelisk's height made it visible from afar. To enhance its sacred and miraculous aura, the site manager kept several cages of doves, releasing and retrieving them on schedule.

Waterworks had also been well-designed. Villagers diverted a river to beautify the area, creating an artificial lake where visitors could rent boats for sightseeing.

But after observing for a while, Li Aozi noticed a problem.

He had assumed the main tourists here would be mostly transcendents or ordinary people eager to become transcendents. Yet, after walking around, he realized that families with children were the majority.

Curious, Li Aozi approached a family man taking photos and asked, "Hey, brother, what brings you here?"

"What else? Bringing the kids to bask in divine blessings, of course."

The man spoke matter-of-factly, occasionally lifting his DSLR to capture photos of his family.

"You mean bringing them here to awaken Omega Energy?" Li Aozi probed further.

"Awaken Omega Energy? Haven't thought about that. But such an obvious miracle must be divinely ordained," the man replied, naturally.

"Omega Energy is secondary. People are more inclined to believe this is a divine blessing for Red Arrow citizens, symbolizing that we will overcome hardships. The merciful Father God protects everyone, and this White Obelisk is proof of His manifestation."

Li Aozi suddenly understood.

[I was too abrupt. I forgot that Red Arrow is different from other nations; it's a religious country.]

Visitors were drawn to the White Obelisk not just for its stunning and miraculous appearance but also because of the Red Arrow people's reverence and faith.

From the way tourists spoke, Li Aozi could deduce why the Obelisk attracted so many. Even the Red Arrow government likely endorsed the notion that the White Obelisk was a divine gift.

Attributing everything to Red Arrow's religious beliefs helped boost national cohesion and confidence while stimulating local tourism. Why not?

Plenty of people were willing to spend money for blessings and good fortune, let alone live near the White Obelisk, which genuinely increased the likelihood of becoming a [Mutant].

Initially, Li Aozi felt somewhat dissatisfied, as it seemed Red Arrow had silently claimed ownership and naming rights.

However, upon reflection, he realized this might not be a bad thing.

If the government led the way, [Domination] system Omega Energy users could gain the same transcendent status as [Martial Artists]. Still, this meant that some of Li Aozi's initial investment would effectively be handed over to the Empire.

[They can't freeload off my hard work..." Li Aozi mused.

Wandering around, he found nothing suspicious. Perhaps the players had simply chosen the location at random.

Since he was already here, Li Aozi approached the White Obelisk and touched it.

The structure was a permanent building, and the staff didn't mind people touching it, though each visitor's time was limited due to the long line.

Closing his eyes, Li Aozi switched to his main body, quickly granting himself [Pathway Guardian] privileges. This allowed him to temporarily borrow Omega Energy his main body once possessed.

Although Li Aozi had crushed those Omega Energies, they still resided within the pathway. All those on Azure Star pursuing the [Mutant] pathway would ultimately be influenced by Li Aozi, awakening Omega Energies he had once wielded.

The earlier [Eye of Truth] had come about this way. But constantly switching to his main body to operate the pathway system was cumbersome; better to streamline the process.

As Azure Star's pathway leader, while Li Aozi's main body couldn't currently use those Omega Energies, his players could wield them freely.

This was an opportunity to closely interact with the pathway structure and check its recent management status. With his new privileges, he could now make certain adjustments without switching bodies.

The good news was that just the rental income from [Eye of Truth] brought Li Aozi at least 4 million experience points monthly.

Other simpler Omega Energies like [Blood of Immortality] and [Natural Ignition] were easier to rent out, while [Gravity] barely managed four or five rentals monthly, making its sales dismal.

However, this didn't mean there were few [Gravity] users among players.

"I could create an official early-game guide for players."

The randomness of [Mutants] was too high, but pathway structures could partially influence the [Domination] system pathway.

The White Obelisk had already attracted 1,567 followers, a respectable number. After a minor upgrade, it could now grant an additional two postnatal Omega Energies to [Domination] system followers on Azure Star.

This was a fantastic ability. Not all early-game players had access to mutation pods, nor were they as outrageous as Li Aozi, who could directly seize others' Omega Energies. Most players slowly awakened through potions, mutations, or task rewards.

Now, [Mutants] under Li Aozi's banner could gain two Omega Energies upon reaching levels 5 and 15.

Additionally, Li Aozi adjusted the core Omega Energies' attributes slightly to boost the overall number of [Domination] system players.

For new players, the initial Omega Energy options were reduced to two: [Gravity] or [Eye of Truth]. Early-game players found [Eye of Truth] far more practical. With low starting Charisma, most could only apply one to two times gravity, making even basic crowd control weak.

But [Eye of Truth] was useful for navigating, exploring dungeons, investigating cases, or firefights, making it the obvious choice.

Players who didn't choose [Gravity] at the start could still awaken it for free after spending some time in Li Aozi's domain.

Naturally, nothing was truly free.

Living here meant needing accommodations, and Red Arrow farmers offered affordable, well-furnished inns.

Staying wasn't enough; players needed food. Most were transcendents with massive appetites, so they had to spend money. Local farm-to-table cuisine guaranteed satisfaction.

After some time, players might run low on funds. To spend, they needed income, which meant work. With over 1,500 resident NPCs already here, Li Aozi planned to introduce a dungeon soon, ensuring a surge in player traffic.

"Strange, why does it feel like I'm not recruiting talent but doing poverty alleviation?"

Li Aozi muttered to himself.

He hadn't earned much yet, but Erga City was undoubtedly raking it in.

After some thought, Li Aozi set the two postnatal Omega Energies for players:

[Super Gene Sequence Modified]

[[Domination] System Pathway Followers Will Receive the Following Bonuses:]

A. Upon reaching level 5, awaken Omega Energy—[Body Reinforcement: Kappa].

B. Upon reaching level 15, awaken Omega Energy—[Natural Ignition: Mystic Dragon].

"This should do it."

The Kappa-level [Body Reinforcement] was the most cost-effective option, boosting [Strength] and HP without much potential for further development, making it perfect for early-game transitions.

[Natural Ignition] marked the start of player transformation, brimming with destructive power, ideal for farming and leveling up.

Li Aozi glanced at the funding pool—not bad. Thanks to the villagers' honesty and reverence for the miracle, the local corruption index was only 13, peaking at 26 during its worst times.

This meant only 13 out of every 100,000 people could be considered corrupt.

Businesses and institutions operated with integrity, embodying fairness and transparency.

With a funding pool of 2.1 million Jaluns, combining religion and transcendent power had generated impressive tourism revenue.

Li Aozi used these funds to build a large-scale agritourism complex.

He also expanded a sub-structure called the 'Sanctuary,' which would continually increase immigration appeal over the next 50 years.

This was to retain as much incoming population as possible.

The site's manager quickly received instructions from the White Obelisk and began planning immediately. The low corruption index translated to high efficiency. Construction would be completed in just nine days.

However, having such a low corruption index wasn't entirely perfect. Activating the [Rapid Development] state required a corruption index above 55 for a year, offering significant growth rate bonuses. Li Aozi was tempted.

Considering that corruption reduced happiness and birth rates, Li Aozi ultimately decided against it.

Population was too important to him. Even at a financial loss, he needed to boost the birth rate.

With one generation every 10 years and a version lasting 20 to 40 years, Li Aozi estimated he would have at least 2.5 generations of [Domination] system followers before the Calamity Crisis erupted in version 2.5.

By then, the first-generation followers would already be of fighting age.

Once players advanced to Gamma level, Li Aozi could consider introducing advanced Omega Energies like [Bloodline] and [Calamity].

Immigration numbers continued to grow, though slowly. Li Aozi charted the trend: under normal circumstances, Erga City—home to the White Obelisk—would reach a population of 4 million in 20 years.

At least 500,000 would live within the White Obelisk's influence.

500,000 suitable warriors and transcendents.

Among them, 30,000 to 40,000 would reach Alpha level. About 3,000 would attain Beta level. Gamma level was uncertain; it might appear or might not.

These numbers were comparable to the Frost-Plated Federation's transcendent population.

At this point, Li Aozi finally grasped the sheer immensity of narrative-level civilizations.

A single obelisk could wield such immense influence.

Narrative-level civilizations averaged six pathways each, impacting populations on a galactic scale.

Regardless, Li Aozi had now entered their realm. Azure Star was gaining the potential to become a narrative civilization.

"Give me 20 years, and I'll give Azure Star a prosperous and powerful Domination system!"

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