At present, Qi Ji possessed eighteen Inspiration Crystals.
In addition, he had two activation opportunities.
The key now was simple—
turn these materials into value.
---
Qi Ji planned to deploy the Tier 1 Sub-Core in Green Swamp City.
Although this Secret Realm wouldn't become the main realm of the territory, it was perfect for creating smaller-scale game modes.
For example—
King of Fighters.
---
Qi Ji carefully reviewed the attributes of the King of Fighters crystal.
Because it originated from an arcade fighting game, its design emphasized balance.
Aside from boss or hidden characters like Orochi, nearly all fighters were evenly matched.
All standard characters: Tier 2, One-Star
Balanced stats across the board
---
"This is perfect for a fighting game."
---
Even better—
The deployment cost was extremely low.
Each character required only about 10 Soul Crystals.
There was no need for:
Large world-building
Exploration maps
Complex environments
The entire gameplay could revolve around a single arena.
---
Resource Efficiency
With the Secret Realm Control Tower, Qi Ji could dynamically load characters.
Example:
Total characters: 200+
Active players: 50
Only those 50 characters would be loaded.
The rest wouldn't consume any resources.
---
This drastically reduced computational demand.
Even a Tier 1 Core (limit: 1000 processing units) could support:
200 characters
300 characters
Even 500 characters
---
In the future, Qi Ji could expand further by adding:
Samurai Shodown characters
Street Fighter fighters
Fatal Fury characters
Monsters from other Secret Realms
---
He could even create crossover challenges.
For example:
Fighting the T-103 Tyrant Zombie using King of Fighters characters
---
Qi Ji nodded.
"Small Secret Realms have their own advantages."
"They may lack scale—but they excel in gameplay."
---
Activation Plan
Qi Ji decided:
Use one activation on King of Fighters
Select dozens of classic characters
Build Miracle City's first fighting sub-realm
---
Monetization System
He would adopt a system similar to the Raging Tide competitive mode:
Charge based on time spent in combat
---
Gameplay Modes
Solo Mode
Team Mode (3v3)
PvP battles
Challenge Mode (PvE)
In Challenge Mode:
Players fight AI fighters and monsters
Progress through stages
Eventually face Orochi
---
Story Setting
Qi Ji chose to base the narrative on King of Fighters '97.
Every Adventurer would:
Play as a top fighter
Enter the tournament for different reasons
Money
Fame
Strength
Personal goals
---
But behind the scenes—
The tournament organizers had a hidden agenda:
To select three fighters as sacrifices to resurrect an ancient god—Orochi.
---
Players could:
Enjoy pure combat
Uncover the conspiracy
Defeat elite enemies
Face the final boss
---
Character System (Gacha-style)
To increase replayability:
Players receive 5–8 free rotating characters
Rotation refreshes every 3–5 days
No cost to use free characters
To unlock more:
Earn points through combat → buy fragments
Spend contribution points → unlock directly
---
Qi Ji smirked.
"Every new character… is another harvesting tool."
---
With hundreds of potential fighters—and more to come—
This system could generate long-term engagement and profit.
---
Execution
Qi Ji refined the core:
[Green Swamp City Core refined successfully]
[Obtained: Chaos Treasure Chest (White)]
---
Remaining Soul Crystals: < 4000
Since resources were still needed for the Blacklight Descends update, the fighting realm would be delayed slightly.
---
Loot
He opened the chest:
[+3000 Soul Crystals]
[Blueprint: Vitality Absorption Tower]
[Blueprint: Adventurer Tavern]
---
Two Tier 2 blueprints.
A great haul.
---
The Adventurer Tavern could:
Provide rest and recovery
Restore stamina
Slightly increase daily activity points
Even a small boost mattered.
---
Rewards Distribution
Qi Ji generously rewarded participants:
Average Adventurers: 80–100 points
Strong performers: 200–500 points
Even bystanders: 10–20 points
---
Reactions
"Damn! That's a huge profit!"
"We found a way to earn points!"
"Let's form an Adventure Guild!"
---
Morale skyrocketed.
---
Native Reactions
Even more shocked were the native races:
Iris (renamed: Iris Bloom) – Flower Fairy leader
Kimba (renamed: Kieran Stonebeard) – Dwarf
Rook (renamed: Rook Fang) – Kobold
---
Kieran sighed:
"Good thing we joined Miracle City."
Rook nodded:
"Best decision of my life."
---
Iris's eyes shone brightly:
"We must train more Fairy Adventurers."
---
Even the weakest race could now:
Become Tank Zombies
Gain power
Control their own fate
---
Strategic Impact
The victory:
Expanded territory
Increased population
Boosted morale
Enabled new Secret Realms
And most importantly—
Opened the path to Thunder City.
---
Next Day
Miracle City reopened.
Over 2,400 Adventurers gathered.
---
"Is this even a Tier 1 territory?"
"This is insane!"
"I don't want to leave this place!"
---
Even outsiders arrived from distant towns.
One girl stepped forward:
"My name is Black Kite. I'm from Sandwind Town."
---
Miracle City's fame was spreading fast.
---
Complaints
Some players grumbled:
"All we do is grind and spend points…"
"Feels like illegal labor!"
---
Others laughed:
"At least you're earning something!"
---
Despite complaints—
No one wanted to leave.
---
Secret Realm Lobby
Capacity: 1000 players
Overflow spectators watched battles live
---
Highlights
Derek Hammer (formerly Black Stone Hammer King) shouted:
"The Blacklight chapter updated!"
---
Players rushed in excitedly.
---
Meanwhile—
Another crowd gathered.
---
"Bianca (formerly Bihua), please!"
"We want to see the Source Palace!"
---
Though less popular than Blacklight—
Ashina Chapter had deeply loyal fans.
---
Bianca smiled confidently.
"Don't worry."
"I'll clear it today."
---
With determination in her eyes—
She activated the crystal.
---
And once again entered the Secret Realm—
Returning to the mysterious outskirts of the Source Palace.
---
The final chapter of Ashina… begins.
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