Chapter 650: Chapter 360: I’m Not The Last Squad?_1
With the last roar of the Thunder, several thick bolts of lightning shot from its body, striking the four corners of the venue. They exploded into intense, dazzling sparks. Simultaneously, the giant Simulated Magic Formation was activated.
No wonder they had Thunder host and control the field. With these bolts of lightning, if it wasn’t controlling them, if one hit the stands, it would cause quite a spectacle.
The lightning not only controlled the field but also served as the means to activate the giant Simulated Magic Formation. The entire venue lit up as layer upon layer of illusions were displayed, and Thunder faded away with the illumination of the Array, quietly leaving the stage.
Despite this, its voice still echoed in the venue, “Some of you here are veterans of the Spring Breeze Cup Grain Seed Competition, but many of you are new friends. Allow me to explain the rules of the Grain Seed Competition, as per tradition.”
“In front of you now are the teams that have been strictly selected to compete in the Grain Seed Competition. Through the data recorded by recording devices, and using this data, we can simulate the cultivation to harvest process in the Simulated Magic Formation.”
“Currently presented is the Southern Porcupine Man Team, a brand-new team hailing from the Southern Swamp. The crop they grow is swamp rice, a special type of rice that can grow in harsh environments. It matures once a year, yielding 450 kilograms per acre.”
The effects presented by the large Simulated Magic Formation resembled the Dwarf’s War God’s Chessboard. Everyone looked towards the middle of the field, which displayed a proportional swamp environment. Even weather conditions and day and night changes were replicated identically but sped up several hundred times.
The audience could witness at least half a month’s growth process of the crop in a short amount of time: watching the crop germinate and grow, flowering and bearing fruit, all without enduring the hardships of farming. The joy of harvest was, therefore, even more profound and intense.
Some people could spend half a day watching others pick ears of corn, let alone such a visually impacting spectacle.
Throughout the process, Thunder’s voice would occasionally ring out, timely explaining changes that laypersons might not understand – such as elongation and grain filling, the effect of top-dressing, and what frost might cause.
If there weren’t professionals providing commentary, some changes would leave people baffled.
In the end, the crops within the Simulated Magic Formation bore lush fruits, and simultaneously, a beam of light ascended, eventually displaying ‘450 kilograms’ at the top.
Everyone understood at this point that this was a yield bar graph.
“That’s a bit less, isn’t it? Only 450 kilograms, and they’ve advanced to the semifinals?” Whispers and murmurs of discussion emanated from the competitor’s section.
“Didn’t you listen to the introduction? It can adapt to the harsh environment of the swamp. 450 kilograms isn’t too shabby. In the swamp, at best, you could only grow grass.”
“Furthermore, did you notice the planting date? From July to October, that’s four months. Considering the South’s climate, two crops could be grown in four months. There’s room for improving the yield. Two crops a year, a yield of 900 kilograms, is quite impressive.”
“If you’ve thought about that, so have others. There must be some limitations.”
In the corner of the contestant’s area, a few old farmer-like men were fidgeting, sweating bullets, listening to their peers’ comments.
Kvada, these are the old farmer-like men, so are those, all the contestants look like clumsy old farmers, sunburned, and similar in demeanor, it’s hard to narrate any more.”
Ange’s group was the most unique among all.
Ange walked up to several of the contestants and took out a bag of Demon Crystals. “Buying, grain seeds.”
The restless contestants raised their heads, seemingly at a loss, as they looked at Ange. What did he mean?
The contestants’ eyes fell on the bag in Ange’s hand. Upon seeing what was inside, their breathing involuntarily quickened.
There were about 100 Demon Crystals in the bag.
Don’t be deceived by the constant transactions of tens of thousands of Demon Crystals in the Goddess of Beauty City; in reality, the value of Demon Crystals is exceptionally high.
A hundred Demon Crystals equate to a thousand Gold Coins, which under normal grain prices could buy 100 tons of grain.
This year, food scarcity has caused an abnormal rise in grain prices. A few years ago, Ice City had bought 100 tons of grain at the price of one Demon Crystal for a ton.
The population in this world wasn’t dense. Even a small manor outside the city would cost around 200 Demon Crystals. A stack of Demon Crystals that could buy half a small manor was sitting right in front of the contestants.
Don’t be fooled by them being contestants; from their clothes and jewelry, it was evident they weren’t wealthy. Which farmer had money? The landlords were the ones with money.
Moreover, their village is located in the Southern Swamps, where arable land is scarce. If they hadn’t cultivated swamp rice, even securing food would’ve become a problem for the village.
They only came to participate in this competition because they were invited by Stellaris. Both their travel expenses and accommodations were paid for by the Stellaris Academy. They had never seen so many Demon Crystals in their lives, and they were immediately startled.
Ange wasn’t sure how much he should pay for the grain seeds either. Seeing them stunned, he retracted his hand.
The contestants’ eyes were hooked on the Demon Crystals as they were retracted from their sight. Confusion, loss, regret, and frustration flashed across their faces.
A hundred Demon Crystals could buy a lot of clothes, medicinal supplies, needles, and farming tools for the village. The village children could stop running around bare-bottomed without realizing that locusts had stuck to their privates.
However, these Demon Crystals had just floated away from their grasp…
Ange flipped the hand he had just withdrawn, revealing another bag. He handed over two bags of Demon Crystals and repeated, “Buying, grain seeds.”