Chapter 62: The Lottery Event

Chapter 62: The Lottery Event

Primordial Altar.

Qi Sheng stood surrounded by multiple glowing tracks swirling around him, each pulsing with countless complex characters. He leaned forward, studying the connection nodes where the characters interfaced with the tracks and tracing the shifting pathways of energy flowing through them.

These energy channels and symbols were the physical manifestation of the "Celestial Rune Combat Technique" Duan Xing had gifted to players.

Qi Sheng, who controlled the transformative power of Sacrificial Energy, could perfectly replicate the technique's operational pathways and sell it to players through the Challenger System.

But there was a problem—the Celestial Rune Combat Technique’s cultivation system wasn’t compatible with human physiology.

Human anatomy, including meridian networks and organ arrangements, differed fundamentally from that of the Celestial Rune Kin. When Qi Sheng simulated the technique’s energy flows within a test human model, the results were disastrous.

External energy surged uncontrollably through the test subject’s meridians, causing excruciating pain. Left unchecked, it could rupture blood vessels, endangering the subject’s life.

Zhou Xiao, however, had used the technique safely because his body had absorbed a special energy stored in the Memory Shard. This energy helped him digest external energy, converting and recycling it to nourish his body, enhancing his physical resilience.

Essentially, Zhou Xiao’s body housed a simplified energy absorption organ mimicking the Celestial Rune Kin’s physiology.

This discovery piqued Qi Sheng’s interest.

Recreating this organ seemed straightforward—he could replicate any structure once fully analyzed. By consuming Sacrificial Energy, he could recreate anything, even embedding the process into the Challenger System as an automated program.

The Spirit Stones sold in the Mall were crafted this way: after analyzing their internal structure, he’d automated the conversion of Sacrificial Energy into Spirit Stones. Now, when players purchased them, the system activated, and spatial transfer delivered the goods instantly.

Creating the simplified organ or replicating the Celestial Rune Combat Technique wasn’t difficult with Guide’s analytical support. What intrigued him most was designing a universal absorption organ.

The Celestial Rune Kin were just one of countless races in Monster World, far from elite. Their cultivation techniques held little value to Qi Sheng. But Monster World teemed with powerful physical cultivation methods from other races.

These techniques harnessed ambient energy, refining it internally to strengthen the body—some with extraordinary efficiency. Qi Sheng’s goal was to design a "universal cultivation organ" for players, compatible with any technique. This organ would automatically adapt to any racial cultivation method, activating instantly when a player learned a new technique.

It would also log energy pathways, allowing players to maintain constant cultivation—whether hunting or mining—gaining experience points continuously.

Naturally, this feature wouldn’t be free. Powering the organ would cost more Sacrificial Energy than mere production costs.

In essence, it was a premium "time-based subscription" model within the Shangcheng.

But without physical samples to analyze, Qi Sheng couldn’t proceed using only the Celestial Rune Combat Technique Duan Xing provided.

As he pondered solutions, the Guidewater Orb materialized beside him.

[Chief, Hyperdimension calling.]

Qi Sheng dismissed his thoughts and summoned a holographic screen. Hyperdimension appeared, seated amidst lush greenery, eyes vacant yet harmonized with nature.

"Chief, I hit a snag developing the Morphing Arsenal System."

"Sacrificial Energy shortage?"

Hyperdimension scratched their head sheepishly. "Building the system requires integrating new energy conversion frameworks into the existing system. The last recruitment wave drained 2 million Sacrificial Energy, and after recent expenses, you’ve only got 390,000 left. At my current consumption rate, you won’t have enough for rewards."

Qi Sheng’s brow furrowed briefly before nodding. "Keep developing. I’ll handle the shortage."

After disconnecting, Qi Sheng already knew how to replenish the deficit.

While only 390,000 units remained in his personal reserves, the total Sacrificial Energy reservoir held 2.48 million—2.09 million owned by players. He avoided touching their shares, but critical situations demanded flexibility.

Directly seizing player resources was unwise. If players suddenly needed to spend large amounts, it would ruin their experience.

The solution? Create incentives for players to voluntarily contribute their own Sacrificial Energy—avoiding potential "bank runs."

Qi Sheng had planned for this during the Challenger System’s development.

The answer was simple: a lottery system.

Before coming to Monster World, Qi Sheng had played countless Earth games. The Challenger System borrowed heavily from gaming mechanics.

He knew all games used monetization models—blind boxes, gacha pulls, spinners, loot crates, board game mechanics—to entice spending.

These systems thrived on three psychological principles:

First, humans naturally craved gambling’s thrill, drawn to the mystery of unknown outcomes. Pay-to-play lotteries capitalized on this, letting players chase "big wins" for small costs.

Second, obtaining rare items triggered intense satisfaction, creating positive feedback loops that kept players engaged.

Third, varied reward tiers—from common to legendary—ensured all players found incentives, catering to diverse preferences.

The three advantages explained why game companies favored gacha mechanics as the mainstream method to extract cash from players.

But he differed from typical developers. He didn't require real-world money—only the Sacrificial Power already in players' hands.

Implementing probability-based gacha would solve this perfectly. By adjusting the odds strategically, he could guarantee steady profits. Once activated, the system would steadily convert players' stored Sacrificial Power into his personal gains.

Compared to traditional pay-to-win games, Monster World's gacha system held an innate advantage. Players wouldn't suspect the randomness, nor accuse the developers of predatory monetization tactics. After all, this currency came purely from in-game activities, not cash payments.

With his plan solidified, Qi Sheng contacted Guide to develop a virtual gacha event.

By afternoon, the Challenger Prompt echoed in every player's mind as official forums simultaneously updated:

【Random Event Activated: "Lucky Spin" now available! Activate via Function Panel. Feature disappears post-event.】

Poster: Guide (Verified Official Account)

Event Details: Randomly timed activation. Spend 20 Sacrificial Power to spin for random rewards. No guaranteed payout.

Time Remaining: 23 Hours 59 Minutes 57 Seconds

Reward Tiers:
Six tiers distinguished by colored slots - White, Green, Blue, Red, Purple, Gold (ascending value).

Gold Tier Rewards:
1. Body Forge Rank+2 (Limited to Rank 10 and below. Rank 10+ receives 20,000 Sacrificial Power)
2. Sacrificial Power Mega Pack (18,000 SP immediately)
3. Stellar Vein Growth Pack (Stellar Vein Level+4)
4. Power of Growth (Hunting Monster Evolution Points & SP gains +15% for 30 days. Note: Applies only to hunting gains. Does not affect resource/item rewards.)

Purple Tier Prizes:
1. Infinite Pick (Market Price: 5000 SP - Infinite durability, self-repairs when damaged)
2. Rations Mega Pack (Market Price: 3000 SP - Contains 3000 assorted flavor Offering Ration Cans)
3. Earth Splitter (Market Price: 3500 SP - Quality: 39)
...

This sudden announcement sparked massive player attention.

Forums exploded with discussion.

Nightfallapproach: Huh. Smells like cash grab... Wait, this is Darklands. No real money involved here.

Cherrylittlecalf: No pity system? So technically you could get all white slots forever? Was about to rage, then remembered - Lunar Eclipse Clan can't steal real money. Guess they can't scam me here. (Sheepish head scratch.jpg)

Sleepafteronedeath:
Hear me out - This event deserves participation. Three reasons:

1. Gacha in other games exists to extract cash, but Darklands' system removes that concern. Odds should be fair.
2. Gacha also controls currency inflation in other titles, but Darklands' SP output is laughably low. No hyperinflation issues here - we need more supply actually.
3. Lunar Eclipse Clan's previous game had similar events. Probability felt legit compared to industry standards. Of course, some unlucky folks exist - but that's on Rng, not foul play.

Mostannoyingusername: Stop overthinking! Spin first, then debate results on forums! (rolleyes.jpg)
...

Players debated fiercely.

While most agreed the system posed no issues, cautious players hesitated. They didn't distrust the developers, but feared losing hard-earned Sacrificial Power. Though virtual, this resource represented hours of gameplay investment and had real-world cashout potential.

Spending 20 SP per spin felt prohibitively expensive for many.

Suddenly, a global announcement ignited voice channels:

【Lucky Spin Alert】Congratulations to player "Don't Tell Mom Your Problems"! Gold Tier reward obtained: Sacrificial Power Mega Pack.

Voice channels erupted.

"Wait... Bro you spun within five minutes? Just got 18,000 SP? Are you burning through your lifespan?!"

"Made me clench my fists! If this had real money, I'd rage at the pay-to-win. Now my day's ruined. Time to spend my life savings on spins!"

"Can't cure red eyes! Why does luck never find me? Admins please disable global alerts! Or at least show someone losing resources too!"

"Was saving for Tauntweaver Life Soul, but gambling bug's taking over! Give me that gold tier!"

Freaking out, I spun twice immediately! Spent 40 SP to get two 1-SP-value Rations... Lunar Eclipse Clan This IS Ripping ME Off! Refund 38 SP! (tantrum.jpg)

"Luck's on my side! Hit blue tier first try! Got Frostblade worth 120 SP!"

Qi Sheng had programmed one key setting - any purple-tier or higher win would trigger a three-second global voice channel alert.

This deliberate design targeted hesitant players. As expected, participation skyrocketed. While some won big, the calibrated probabilities ensured Qi Sheng's profitability. The total SP pool never diminished - it merely transferred from player ownership to his control through mathematically guaranteed mechanisms.

Absolute control over the Sacrificial Power Reservoir let him manipulate these transfers freely. Even if payouts exceeded reserves temporarily, he could fabricate explanations. But such deceptive tactics struck him as foolish.

Even if players accepted excuses, he'd still need to cover deficits eventually while damaging user experience. When deception could work cleanly, why resort to theft?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end