Chapter 1486 Resource Black Hole
If everyone could strictly implement Dragon City’s strategic resource management method for how much to consume and how much to purchase, then the bonus from the Monster War could at least support three to five years of cultivation for all superhumans. It would help the people of Earth get through the most difficult period before the development of the world.
However, humans knew nothing about the situation outside Monster Mountain Range.
They only knew that the h.e.l.l Beasts and Apocalyptic Beasts were on the verge of extinction.
Before they developed the technology to allow flesh cells to absorb spirit energy from crystal ores without the use of monster materials, or the technology to artificially breed h.e.l.l Beasts and Apocalyptic Beasts, these scarce resources would lessen with each use.
Plus, many superhumans had tasted the stimulation of high-voltage electric current, moving back and forth between their blood vessels and nerves. They had enjoyed the pleasure of galloping freely and laughing proudly.
They had also what it was like to be legendary G.o.ds, breaking away from gravity and standing above the clouds.
Having such an experience, they could not accept it no matter what. Since they lacked cultivation resources, they fell from heaven to the human world and were beaten back to their original form, becoming ordinary and pitiful worms.
Therefore, all the superhumans began to cross the sea and display their supernatural powers.
When they won the Monster War, Dragon City clearly harvested a large number of hearts, livers, lungs, and kidneys from the h.e.l.l Beasts and Apocalyptic Beasts. They piled up hundreds of temporarily built warehouses.
However, these warehouses seemed to have hundreds of black holes appearing at the same time. They were devouring non-renewable strategic resources at an alarming rate.
No one could say clearly where the precious strategic resources had gone with time.
Such h.o.a.rding aggravated the anxiety and even panic in the market. It resulted in the Supernatural Tower’s direct stores not being able to purchase mid- to high-tier cultivation resources at the official retail price.
On the black market, the prices of all kinds of mid-to high-tier raw materials and gene reagents, including the Tyrant Mammoth’s spinal fluid, skyrocketed.
Of course, it was not a secret.
Everyone knew that most of the strategic resources would definitely go into the pockets of the nine mega corporations.
It was because those “poorly managed warehouses were mostly owned by the aforementioned nine mega corporations.
In theory, there should be a large number of h.e.l.l Beasts and even Apocalyptic Beasts living there. In reality, however, the development zones where you could not even catch two or three kittens were all developed by the nine mega corporations.
Nevertheless, Dragon City was a place where the law was enforced. There had to be evidence for everything.
Even if they did not want to talk about the law and evidence, it was plain to see that the nine mega corporations had warriors as numerous as the clouds, generals as numerous as the rain, and Deity Realm warriors that had reached double digits.
In the later stage of the Monster War, how many h.e.l.l Beasts and Apocalyptic Beasts had humans killed? How many strategic resources had they harvested and consumed from these mid-level and high-level monsters? It was a complete mess.
That was the simplest example.
Everyone knew that there was an Apocalyptic Beast hidden in Universe Corporation’s development zone.
Moreover, everyone had seen and heard with their own eyes that Universe Corporation had sent out its elite troops to engage in a fierce battle deep within the forest in the development zone. The battle shook the earth and mountains, and the sun and moon lost their light.
In the end, the Apocalyptic Beast let out a heart-wrenching shriek as it gradually lost its breath.
Logically speaking, Universe Corporation should have killed that Apocalyptic Beast. They should have reported all the strategic resources they harvested to the Supernatural Tower and paid a high resource tax. They should have also taken out a portion of the procurement quota for the Apocalyptic Beast’s heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, allowing the entire circle of superhumans to benefit from it, right?
However, Universe Corporation’s spokesperson lied through his teeth. He claimed that the fierce battle had come to an end, and the Apocalyptic Beast had returned to its senses. It then went berserk and escaped the encirclement, fleeing to the depths of Monster Mountain Range.
How could others verify the spokesperson’s words?
Who had the qualifications, courage, and ability to run to Universe Corporation’s territory and investigate the whereabouts of this Apocalyptic Beast?
Meanwhile, the nine mega corporations had the most reasonable excuse that no one could refute, allowing them to openly consume a large amount of non-renewable strategic resources.
They had to treat the injuries of their Deity Realm experts.
A year and a half ago, in order to destroy the monster mastermind, almost all the Deity Realm warriors of Dragon City stepped forth.
Although the monster mastermind was destroyed after a b.l.o.o.d.y battle, many of the Deity Realm warriors were also seriously injured, and their cultivations plummeted.
These older generation warriors were Dragon City’s mainstay. They had defended Dragon City for decades and personally crushed the monster civilization’s ambitions and threats.
No matter how many resources were used to treat their injuries, it was reasonable, right?
Moreover, humans had no clue about what was beyond Monster Mountain Range.
It was unknown if there were enemies more terrifying than the monsters. From a practical point of view, if the older generation of Deity Realm warriors could recover at least 70 to 80% of their strength, it would be the best outcome. They could help the younger generation, who had yet to reach their peak, and protect them.
The problem was, the cells of a Deity Realm warrior were comparable to a rocket engine. Their daily consumption was astronomical.
If they wanted to heal their injuries and recover their strength, the rate of their consumption would increase up to several dozen times.
No one could come up with a foolproof treatment plan for a Deity Realm warrior.
No doctor dared to guarantee that a Deity Realm warrior would be able to recover as soon as he or she consumed a lot of strategic resources. Therefore, the nine mega corporations listed the large number of strategic resources they consumed under the category of “treating the Deity Realm warriors’ injuries.”
Even the most professional and authoritative auditing organizations had no way to verify the authenticity of these expenditures.
As the saying went, “The higher the level, the lower the effect.”
Deity Realm warriors naturally needed to treat their injuries.
Then, in the Monster War, would the Heaven Realm warriors, who had worked hard and made great contributions, require treatment when they were covered in injuries?
Although their strength was not great, there were still those who had put in the work and done their part. Would they need treatment?
After decades of fighting in the Monster War, who did not have dozens of crisscrossing scars on their bodies? Whose heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys did not bleed thirty to fifty times?
One could not make generalizations about the const.i.tution of a person.
Some people could recover to their original state after three to five courses of treatment, while some people would remain sick. Could they not be reborn from the fire and continue to shine for Dragon City?
Everyone thought so.
The consumption rate of various non-renewable resources was three to five times, seven to eight times, and more than ten times faster than the normal consumption rate.
In theory, cultivation resources that were supposed to be consumed in two to three years were almost used up in just half a year.
As a result, even the dragon elephant bone-strengthening injection, which was not considered an incredibly high-level genetic medicine, required peopled to wait in line overnight. They also needed to have a certain amount of luck if they wanted to buy it at a low price.
“Now, you probably understand why I’m so persistent in earning money even if I have to risk my life, right?”
Ai Lei helplessly said, “It’s really easy to live as an ordinary person in Dragon City today. As long as you have arms and legs… No, even if you lack arms and legs, you won’t starve to death.
“However, if you are a low-level superhuman who comes from a humble family and has no background or backing, but you’re ambitious and want to improve your realm, you need to consume non-renewable resources. The pressure and difficulty you face will be far more than three to five times higher than during the Monster War!
“I’ve seen through it a long time ago.
“Nowadays, if I’m not from one of the nine great cultivation families and I don’t have any rare fortuitous encounters, it will be more difficult for me to make a name for myself than for a camel to crawl through the eye of a needle.
“I’m not greedy. I can barely make it, but it would be good enough if I could just maintain my current realm!
“However, who asked me to be bitten by the Mindless Spider? Its venom has seeped into my spirit meridian, leaving behind very troublesome effects.
“Even if I don’t want to break through to the Heaven Realm, just to sleep more comfortably every night and not wake up in the middle of the night in pain from the venom flowing deep in my veins, I have to regularly take several kinds of medical potions that contain non-renewable resources.
“The official retail prices of such medical potions aren’t high.
“After all, I have to repay the middle- and low-level superhumans for their outstanding contributions to Dragon City’s civilization during the Monster War!
“There’s just one small problem—there’s no way to buy daily supplies in the factory direct stores and the Supernatural Tower’s flagship store.
“It’s not easy. With the tiny amount of supplies, it’s like squeezing toothpaste out. Every time, they’re sold out in half a second.
“G.o.d knows how those b*stards manage to do it. Their hands are so fast!
“The stores and flagship stores don’t have any stock. If I really want to buy them, I can only go to the black market and buy them for seven to eight times or even ten times the retail price. That’s why I’m so familiar with the black market!
“Sigh, forget it. How could a Deity Realm warrior like you understand the troubles of superhumans of the lowest level like me, Senior?”
Ai Lei started to court death again.
She was testing Meng Chao’s strength.
Meng Chao did not comment.
He only glanced at the crowd that got increasingly anxious as they waited. Their anger was visible to the naked eye.
“If this continues, I’m afraid that something bad will happen.”
Meng Chao frowned and said, “The Supernatural Tower doesn’t care about such a situation?”
“How?”
Ai Lei shrugged. “Be it the Supernatural Tower or the Research Department, and the Survival Committee, there are two main types of people: the children of the rich and the children of the poor.
“It goes without saying that the scions of the nine great cultivation families are scions of the wealthy families. Even if they don’t h.o.a.rd strategic resources to earn excess profits, with the support of their families and businesses, they definitely don’t lack daily cultivation resources. Why bother with the rest?
“Furthermore, if this matter is investigated further, it might be traced back to their parents. How do you want them to investigate and manage it?
“As for the disciples of the humble families, we want to get to the bottom of this matter!
“However, humble families have only risen to prominence not long ago. Our foundation and knowledge are shallow. Without the support of disciples from wealthy families, we’re in a mess. We don’t know where to start.
“Alright. We could catch the key clues and still investigate things thoroughly. But, what if we find out that the mastermind behind the h.o.a.rding is actually a Deity Realm warrior? What should we do then? Should we have no fear of power and bring this Deity Realm expert to justice?
“Or, do you think that a Deity Realm warrior is highly respected and would never do such a thing? Did some evil Heaven Realm warrior manipulate the price of cultivation resources in the entire city? As long as we get rid of this sc.u.m, we’ll be able to withdraw our troops and everyone will be happy?”