The original population of 132 out of 10,000 instantly skyrocketed to 135,954 out of 135,954. A surge of over a hundred thousand people transformed a small, isolated area into a sprawling community. The channel formerly known as "Abandoned Forest" was now "Abandoned Land", while Sector 666 remained unchanged. Surely, this must be a standard region now, right?
Arya sighed in frustration.
"Hahaha, the sectors have finally merged!" a voice rang out in the communal chatter.
"Huh… isn't that Crawley? The guy whose entire family was killed for embezzling billions, only surviving by hiding in prison?"
"I remember that vaguely. That news was from a few years back."
"Good heavens. Another group of criminals?"
"No wonder it's called the Forgotten Land. Perhaps this area was specifically designed to hold Blue Star's criminals."
"Over a hundred thousand people? Seems a little small. The Federation should have hundreds of millions of free citizens."
"Who said there can only be one Evilman Valley like ours?"
"…Fair point."
"I'm from the middle section of Abandoned Beach in former Sector 668. Friends in the new merged sector, if anyone named Yasuda Naeko greets you, don't respond. That beast is a cross-dressing pervert who gains your trust, breaks into your home, kills you, and steals your supplies!"
"Everyone beware of that Sherlock Claude! When you buy something from him, a document is attached—don't sign it! That's a usurious loan contract! His Talent? Contract signing!"
"And if you trade with someone named Aditi Singh, double-check the item names. That guy loves to trick people by using goods with similar names to swindle them."
Arya, about to take a sip of water, nearly choked reading these new messages immediately after the sector merge.
"Holy crap! There are experts here too!?"
Meanwhile, those from original Sector 666, who had been preparing to expose Arya, Roy, and Tyrion, were outraged. They had hoped to broadcast the trio's misdeeds, but now… their sector wasn't unique in its chaos. Clearly, the other merged sectors were just as dangerous.
A strange competitive energy stirred among the complainers. Cross-dressers, loan sharks, and tricksters—no way! Even the villains of Abandoned Forest must be more cunning! So, they began promoting Arya, Roy, and Tyrion heavily.
At first, the posts were factual. Arya's potion profiteering, Roy's unscrupulous merchant behavior, Tyrion's shameless antics—accurate enough that Arya didn't even refute them. After all, she wasn't profiteering; she was charging a price proportional to her potions.
But soon, the complaints morphed into exaggeration, driven by a desire to outdo others. Rumors ballooned with each retelling.
"What's that supposed to be? Using seaweed flowers to imitate sea morning glory? That's only because you didn't look closely. Look at us: after the oil lamps went out for a week, Arya immediately produced Glowing Potions and sold them at high prices. Later, many had to burn firewood just for light."
"Wait, her shop sold 50 Healing Potions for just one book. That's generous."
"Generous? Do you know what one book was worth? Five basic units! I foolishly sold two books—I lost a fortune."
"What! Potions! Hurry, buy them!"
"Too late. They're sold out, and that unscrupulous merchant Roy has none left either."
"I envy you. Your starting point was actually Alchemist."
"Envy it? It cost lives. When the world said 'only over a hundred people remain in a certain region,' they meant our Sector 666. Still envious?"
"Not anymore. I regret being merged into Sector 666."
Indeed, one sector had ten thousand people, and 666 had barely over a hundred survivors—a survival rate of about one percent. Who wouldn't tremble at that?
"Yeah, the prices are high, but at least you can buy them. Look at Sherlock; at least a fifth of our sector fell into his traps because they carelessly signed a document."
"Did I kill too many protected animals in my past life? Why am I assigned to such a place?"
Some even doubted life itself. One percent survival here, one-fifth enslaved there—how could a poacher choose? Should they just perform spontaneous death?
"Roy is the real unscrupulous merchant. He can sell a single wooden board for the price of ten. Profit comes first, survival second."
"Hey, come out and talk about Tyrion. He's the sole survivor, right?"
"What is there to say? That person just said he found Tyrion's new Shelter. He's probably blocking the door now, so he can't respond."
"Alright. In any case, don't provoke the Tower Witch. Avoid direct dealings with the unscrupulous merchant."
"And definitely don't sign anything from Sherlock. Also, be wary of Yasuda Naeko. But the original Sector 666 folks probably won't be tricked by his 'honey trap' after their past tragedies."
"Hard to say."
"Unbearable."
Originally, these discussions were competitions over who faced the worst villainy. In the end, the victims bonded, comforting each other. Arya watched, astonished.
"Alright, alright! I've seen misery competitions before, but never one where people compete over who's more evil. Has Sector 666 evolved from Evilman Valley into a Sea of Villains?" Arya grumbled, indignant. She had only followed basic Alchemy principles—equivalent exchange. She wasn't to blame.
Arya sulked and turned her attention back to her rewards. Claiming them was far more exciting than watching social chaos. First priority: books. No need to hesitate.
Though called rewards, the books were mainly functional texts prefixed with "Basic" and some essays. Arya chose Basic Magic Doll Studies without delay. She already had a preliminary understanding of magic dolls, and the rest could be compiled slowly.
During the three days of the Mana Tide, she realized that if a similar emergency struck, she'd need assistance. Successfully developing a magic doll assistant would be a game-changer, automating repetitive tasks like chopping vegetables, grinding, and stirring—freeing her hands for research.
Arya finally understood: for her future, potions and magical concoctions offered the highest returns, albeit with the greatest uncertainty.
After redeeming the book, she resisted flipping through it immediately and continued selecting her magical rewards, fully aware that careful preparation would yield far greater benefits than impulsive curiosity.
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