Chapter 661 - 370: Services on a Public Planet

It was rather ironic. The Pope, a bona fide member of the Nian Race, now had to disguise himself as one because he had possessed a human body.

The flesh and blood on their bodies shifted, and in the blink of an eye, they transformed into purple-skinned members of the Nian Race.

Su Ze asked curiously, "Where does the Nian Race rank among the races in the universe?"

"We’re generally considered second-rate." The Pope sounded a little sheepish as he said it.

Su Ze teased, "And if you don’t count the Witch Race?"

"Third-rate, probably," the Pope replied, his tone uncertain.

The Nian Race’s overall strength wasn’t weak, and they had many powerful individuals. However, that was only because they had been under the protection of the Witch Race. For countless years, they had suffered no major losses, allowing them to develop steadily and accumulate their current power.

If they had been constantly at war like other races, it was hard to say what the Nian Race’s situation would be now. They might have even been wiped out.

After all, the Nian Race’s Racial Talent wasn’t particularly strong—perhaps not even as practical as the Bag Race’s. If they had developed normally without the Witch Race’s protection, they would be a third or fourth-rate race by now, assuming they hadn’t been annihilated.

So, sometimes, being a dog had its perks.

But as the saying goes: once the crafty rabbit is dead, the hunting dog gets cooked.

If the day ever came when the Witch Race wiped out the other major races in the universe, they would probably turn on the Nian Race next.

After all, in their quest to become more like the original Supreme Creator God, the Origin Gene of the Nian Race was an indispensable component.

...

「Three days passed in the blink of an eye.」

The journey was dull, so Su Ze had spent the past few days playing Fight the Landlord with the Pope and Mr. Ya on the spaceship.

Just then, they finally spotted a planet striped with yellow and green in the distance.

That was Thousand Illusion Star, a planet of solid land with no oceans.

Like Zexing, Thousand Illusion Star was an artificial planet. It had been constructed as a solid landmass to maximize its usable surface area.

As Su Ze’s ship approached, humanoid creatures covered in rainbow-striped tattoos flew toward them. They were powerful members of the Illusion Race.

Su Ze halted the ship and, at the Pope’s prompting, opened the main hatch.

To land on a Public Planet, you had to register and verify your identity first.

The two Illusion Race members didn’t enter the Magic Cube directly, waiting outside the hatch instead.

This was both a sign of courtesy and a prudent move. Boarding another’s ship without permission was extremely dangerous.

Su Ze and the Pope stepped out of the ship to register their identities, which simply involved verifying their race and power level.

After confirming that they weren’t from an enemy race and lacked the power to threaten Thousand Illusion Star, the two Illusion Race members quickly granted them clearance.

"Please park your ship in the designated area," one of the Illusion Race members advised.

They didn’t inspect the ship’s interior or care if more people were hidden inside. However, since Su Ze had registered two individuals, only those two were permitted to move about freely on Thousand Illusion Star.

Anyone else would have to remain on board; if they came out, they would be expelled by force.

Su Ze followed the instructions, landed on Thousand Illusion Star, and parked the ship in a dedicated "parking lot."

All sorts of ships were parked in the vicinity. Su Ze scanned the area and noted that his Magic Cube was practically a luxury vehicle by comparison.

Mr. Ya had to wait on the ship for their return. Su Ze led the Pope off the vessel, where an attendant was already waiting to guide them out of the parking area.

As soon as they left the parking area, Su Ze looked up. He saw buildings scattered about in a tasteful arrangement, but there were no skyscrapers.

"Welcome to Thousand Illusion Star. You are required to pay a service fee, charged per person. The fee is one drop of Evolutionary Liquid or the equivalent in universal currency. You may also pay with other resources."

’What a fucking rip-off,’ Su Ze cursed internally. He had barely set foot on the planet, and they were already demanding money.

’And it wasn’t a small amount, either—one drop of Evolutionary Liquid per person. Who knew how many people passed through here daily? That alone must be a hefty source of income.’

’And this was just one insignificant part of the Public Planet’s countless money-making schemes.’

’Once I’m powerful enough, I should get my own Public Planet. This is a much faster way to make money than robbery...’ Su Ze recalled the road-blocking Bag Race. They were amateurs compared to the Illusion Race.

The attendant was still rattling on. "This fee includes your ship’s parking fee, the cost of an electronic map, and a guarantee of your personal safety..."

"Alright, that’s enough. We’ll pay," Su Ze cut in.

He had Evolutionary Liquid but was unwilling to waste it here. Since he didn’t have any universal currency issued by the Dominator Races, his only option was to pay with resources.

The large stash of low-tier resources he had brought from Zexing finally came in handy.

After they paid the entrance fee, the attendant gave them an electronic map. With a sweep of his Spiritual Power, Su Ze could view information about every region on Thousand Illusion Star.

He could even search by keyword.

Su Ze had come here for two main reasons: to do some business and to craft a Rank-8 Wondrous Item.

He glanced at the map and discovered that Thousand Illusion Star truly offered every service imaginable.

There were dedicated recreational and resort districts for leisure and entertainment.

There were also relatively inexpensive residential districts where housing was only for rent, not for sale. People who worked on Thousand Illusion Star long-term usually chose to live there.

Some refugees, and those hiding from their enemies, might also choose to take shelter on a Public Planet.

There was a commerce department responsible for renting out shops and stalls.

The most outrageous part was a district marked on the map in a suggestive shade of pink. The district’s name was "Exotic Alien Charm."

Su Ze was stunned. He asked the Pope, "Even if the... uh... plumbing doesn’t match, they can still... interact?"

The Pope gave a sly chuckle. "A lot of people are just in it for the novelty. You have to understand, with hundreds of races in the universe, there’s always a new flavor to try. Besides, there’s reproductive isolation between different species, which is actually a good thing."

"If there’s no chance of rain, you don’t need to wear a raincoat."