Sterl waited patiently.
First, he saw Daphne approaching with a smug look, showing off the green-quality skill she had obtained.
"How about this? I got lucky, didn't I? This skill is actually pretty good."
"Of course, I have to thank Lord David for giving me this opportunity."
However, the other players looked at her with strange expressions.
Daphne started to feel uneasy, "What? What's going on?"
Soon, a kind-hearted player filled her in on what had happened earlier.
"What??"
"Are you kidding me? Everyone got a golden-grade second-class piece of equipment and a blue-quality skill book?"
Daphne's face fell, "No way! Did I miss out on all those rewards??"
If it weren't for Lord David standing nearby, Daphne felt she might just throw a tantrum at her good friend Teresa. Her mood was completely shattered!!
All that effort in negotiations, and the stuff she got was pure trash compared to what Lord David had given out.
Daphne could only report the negotiation results with a pitiful look.
Several major families would integrate their intelligence networks and resources and open up their gene warehouses to serve Sterl.
In the future, Sterl could mobilize the families' forces to do anything for him and freely use their stockpiled equipment and skill books.
"But they also hope to get some benefits in return..." Daphne said cautiously. It wasn't that she didn't negotiate well. The combined power of several families was substantial, with probably a thousand or two players. The families kept them together with promises of gains far beyond what regular human players on Earth could get.
Sterl just nodded nonchalantly, "Alright then."
"Teresa, you can hand these resources over to the family members for processing. Let them take a small cut."
"But remember, they are not considered part of our core. They must labor to earn the equipment I bring back."
Sterl figured he would continue to accumulate resources like this in the future. If those families managed the distribution, they could probably make a decent profit.
While musing, Sterl transferred the Moon Law Power from Daphne to Teresa.
"I won't be involved in the upcoming negotiations."
"Make sure to deliver the level 60 equipment to me later."
After saying that, Sterl activated his teleportation ability and vanished from their sight.
Only Teresa and the others remained, filled with excitement!
"We must do this right for Lord David!!"
...
Countless individuals survived thanks to these devices.
If it were any other race, they would never waste game pods on those who couldn't become players.
"In a way, those from families like Teresa's have it even worse."
Sterl couldn't help but sigh, reflecting on the fact that even ordinary people, if they couldn't become players, could live out their remaining days in the game pods.
In contrast, those "people" produced by the family would be destroyed if they failed to pass the assessment. After all, these families couldn't hijack the entire family for their own benefit and waste a large number of gaming pods.
Using the reflection in the pod's glass, Sterl tidied up his appearance, restoring himself to his in-game look. Satisfied, he nodded. Instinctively, he reached for a drink, only to realize that outside of Transcendence, he no longer had access to an inventory or interface.
Accustomed to life in Transcendence, the lack of such conveniences in reality left Sterl feeling uneasy. However, with a slight hesitation, a bottle of Thorn Juice, a specialty drink from the Divine Mountain Empire in the game, appeared in his hand.
"It works." Sterl smiled, downing the drink in one go.
Before logging out, he had performed a simple operation: using his combined [Nature] divine authority and [Human Race] divine authority, he created a small world to store some equipment, skill books, and various supplies.
Now, his hypothesis was confirmed. This unique world of his could transfer items between reality and the game!
This was the power of divine authority!
Something that even ordinary gods couldn't grasp!
Feeling slightly smug, Sterl conducted a few more experiments. He discovered that while he couldn't view the attributes of equipment and skill books transferred from the small world, he could equip and use the items directly, gaining their benefits and effects. However, skill books couldn't be used directly.
When he tried to forcibly destroy a green-quality skill book, it transformed into green essence.
Holding the strange crystal ball, Sterl sensed that by placing it against his forehead, he could instantly learn a new skill.
"Transcendence... it's definitely more than just a game world."
Sterl was convinced. Because he needed to use As a Creator's Act to convert virtual items into reality. However, transferring items from Transcendence to the real world through the small world required no such effort.
This indicated that these items were inherently real!
This was something that only Sterl, with his faith power and As a Creator's Act, could verify.
"So, those NPCs aren't virtual AI. They're real people?" he murmured to himself.
Sterl had suspected this before and now had his suspicions confirmed.
He couldn't help but recall the numerous NPCs he'd killed. However, after a moment of contemplation, he felt no remorse.
Sterl had never maliciously slaughtered NPCs. It was all for his own benefit.
Having completed his experiments, Sterl casually opened another game pod and gifted a green-quality skill to the lucky person inside.
Then, he suddenly furrowed his brows as a rustling sound came from ahead.
A grotesque creature with a hideous face covered in pimples and pustules, wearing a yellow-green robe, abruptly appeared!
As soon as this monster emerged, it brought with it a wave of foul stench, causing Sterl to feel a surge of discomfort.