Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"""

[Skill - Gun Fighting Skill (Requirement: Mastery of Light Firearms Specialization Level 4), Price - Basic Instruction: 100 points of Faction Contribution.]

[Skill - Absolute Defense (Requirement: Mastery of Combat Specialization Level 4), Price - Basic Instruction: 100 points of Faction Contribution.]

[Skill - Powerful Shot (Requirement: Mastery of Ranged Weapon Specialization Level 4), Price - Basic Instruction: 100 points of Faction Contribution.]

[Feat - Overlimit Drive (Requirement: Advanced Physical Training 3.0), Price - Basic Instruction: 200 points of Faction Contribution.]

[Feat - Blind Fighting, Price - Basic Instruction: 80 points of Faction Contribution.]

Bai E also nearly threw in everything he had mastered... except for a few that looked overly advanced or had a special use.

For instance, skills like Weapon Master, Instant Kill of a Hundred Beasts, Ultra-effective Pain Relief, and Raging Waves of Anger... What to place after the third layer is filled with the fourth?

The only truly advanced item in the third layer was Overlimit Drive; there had to be one genuine treasure to tantalize the players with a touch of the dawn's excitement.

While contributing items to the Faction Shop through the panel, Bai E could figure out quite a bit about the players' characteristics.

After all, the interaction between "player" and "NPC" always had to pass through an unseen rule for determination, allowing passage. Some of his tricky ideas had already been rejected many times.

Rejection or acceptance, invisibly, already represented the answer.

For example, most traits were inherently "natural" and couldn't be taught, so they weren't allowed to be added to the Faction Shop.

Only skills and feats that could be mastered through later training were allowed to be added.

Another example: players couldn't awaken their skill trees on their own and could only master them through learning from NPCs. Isn't this the biggest difference between them and myself?

The moment he saw what the third layer of the Faction Shop offered for exchange, Kuang Xin's eyes turned red.

His blood was boiling!

Skills, skills, skills!

Specializations are the foundation, but skills are the core of creating miracles.

Not to mention the feat sold for 200 points of Faction Contribution... With its standout price, the value must be extraordinary. If he could master this feat, he'd definitely soar high!

"Sir, we still need to discuss it among ourselves," Kuang Xin said.

"Sure, go ahead," Bai E indifferently let the players discuss.

The main approach was to be indulgent and inclusive.

Players couldn't be controlled too tightly. As long as benefits were provided, and it suited their temperament, these adorable little things were actually very easy to control. Discover exclusive tales on empire

The more Bai E did this, the more the players valued it.

Without comparison, there's no harm done.

Compared to the grandeur of their own leader Bai E, what were those so-called gang bosses outside but dead fish and rotten shrimp? Perhaps it was just as E himself said, he could accept the consequences of everyone's choices, and that's why he could accept everything and tolerate everything.

This was the symbol of strength and magnanimity.

The three of them bowed slightly, subconsciously lowering their stance out of respect under the influence of this leader-like aura, and quietly retreated to the side to discuss softly.

"...So these are the items offered for exchange in the third-level shop," Kuang Xin said.

Kuang Xin repeated verbatim the list of all items available for exchange in the third-level shop, along with their exchange prices.

The Faction Shop was bound to the individual; each person's unlocked shop layers differed based on the items they had exchanged, and Gong Yan and Dai Lian, who had not reached that layer, were unable to view the content of the higher-level shops.

They could only exchange the game content information through the trust between players.

"Wow! There really are skills!" Dai Lian's eyes lit up immediately.

He had also guessed that their organization had profound resources, and what couldn't be obtained outside could definitely be obtained from their own. Recalling a previous player who, after advancing their specialization to level 4, ran all over the place searching for a "mentor" to learn skills, only to be shot dead, an intense feeling of superiority thrilled them to their scalp.

Learning skills? Is it really that difficult?

The skill trees under Combat Specialization, Ranged Weapon Specialization, Light Firearms Specialization...

Ah, too many choices, which one to learn?

Dai Lian looked at his current configuration - Light Firearms Specialization Level 3, Ranged Weapon Specialization Level 3, Combat... Level 0.

Even if both specializations were level 3, the experience needed for Ranged Weapon Specialization was slightly ahead of Light Firearms Specialization.

But "Gun Fighting Skill" sounded really cool.

However, with Kuang Xin, the melee powerhouse, leading the front line, there was no denying that this guy's boldness was reassuring. Having him at the front during the occasional combat mission truly gave a sense of security.

Thus, a choice had to be made between possessing shooting skills capable of melee combat and the violent output of a lethal long-range shot...

Rationality triumphed over the desire to show off.

"I'll learn the Ranged Weapon's master instruction and regular vehicle driving, as well as the Powerful Shot later on..." Dai Lian whispered to Gong Yan and Kuang Xin, laying out his plan.

He hadn't learned anything from the second layer of the shop, so he needed to learn at least two to unlock the third layer.

The most needed skill from the second layer shop at the moment was definitely "Regular Vehicle Driving"; they had already decided to rent a car as a boost for their upcoming bounty mission, so being proficient in driving was essential.

Next was to increase his specialization in Ranged Weapons; having already learned from the previous master instruction, to learn from the grandmaster instruction he only needed to cover the 50-point contribution difference. This setting was quite user-friendly and also meant capitalizing on his strong points.

Afterward, they would learn the Powerful Shot as their trump card for this mission! Perfect!

He went on to plan for Kuang Xin as well.

"Then Kuang Xin, you should save your contribution points for now. I think Overlimit Drive would suit you best, but you don't have enough points for it yet..."

"Hmm... I think so too," Kuang Xin nodded, then the two looked towards Gong Yan.

"What about you, Yanzi?"

"""

"I..." Gong Yan flicked her hair and smiled gently, "I'll learn self-restraint, and use the rest... for renting a car. After all, we don't know how many days this trip will take."

There's no need for three people on a mission to rent three cars; it means someone will have to use their own resources to accommodate everyone else, so why shouldn't it be me...

"..."

Kuang Xin and Dai Lian didn't say anything for a while.

She's so understanding...

Having made up their minds, the three of them turned back to Bai E, "Sir, we've also made up our minds."

"Mm..." Bai E looked at them with an encouraging smile.

"I want to learn how to use ranged weapons and the skills for driving conventional vehicles."

You have to eat one bite at a time, and if Dai Lian went straight for the third-floor shop without finishing the second floor's offerings, he didn't know if that would fry the NPC's CPU right there.

"I want to learn the trick of self-restraint." As a Spiritual Energy talent, learning to protect oneself is paramount before stepping into the realm of Spiritual Energy.

"All right," Bai E agreed without hesitation.

Experience! Experience!

The somewhat free Bai E had plenty of time and the patience to individually teach the players the skills they needed...

[The "teaching" session has ended. With feedback from the "teaching," you've gained a total of 520 combat experience points and 1380 general experience points.]

The teaching session for Gong Yan and Dai Lian ended perfectly.

...

[You have acquired "Ranged Weapon Specialization Level 4" and received one latent learning point.]

[Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 4): Shooting accuracy +14%, firing rate +9%, range +400 meters, arc strike (special) +8%, scatter level (special) +2.]

[Detection: You currently have Ranged Weapon Specialization (Level 4), the skill tree slot for further learning is now unlocked, current skill tree slots 0/1. (Hereafter, each time you level up a specialization by one level, you will simultaneously receive an additional empty slot.)]

[Reminder: You cannot self-learn combat techniques' proficiency on your own. Only after successfully learning from a character with the related ability and paying 2 latent learning points can you unlock the corresponding skill.]

So difficult...

It's so hard to learn master-level special attributes...

I simply can't learn it!

Even though I've leveled my specialization up to level 4, my chances of learning that special attribute are still extremely small.

Have I become a ghost without realizing it?

Dai Lian felt a bit disheartened, but there was nothing he could do.

The prerequisite for learning skills was having at least a level 4 specialization; without leveling ranged weapons to 4, I couldn't learn the skills. Knowing this now, I would have been better off adding points directly...

But on the other hand, the contribution points paid won't disappear; what I can't learn now, I might have a chance to learn in the future. Besides, if I want to unlock the third-floor shop, I must choose two things to learn from the second floor. If not this, then what?

That's the only way to console myself...

Although consoling myself, complaining is necessary too. After all, our Sir looks like an easy person to talk to. "Sir... The skill you taught us is quite difficult."

Dai Lian held his cheek while Bai E explained with a chuckle, "I just looked, and it's really difficult for you to learn that skill with your current physical abilities. But it's not entirely impossible; skills can compensate for a lack of physical strength to some extent."

"..."

'Do you think we're all like you?' Dai Lian mused helplessly.

Some NPCs' talents are simply unreasonable; players struggle and strive, while NPCs have sudden epiphanies—there's no comparison.

"Sigh~" Nevertheless, it was still from Sir where I got the direction I needed to strive for—physical strength.

Archers need physical strength too; do I need to exchange for Advanced Physical Training 3.0 as well?

Collecting his thoughts, Dai Lian proceeded with reason leading his actions, "Sir, I'd also like to learn more advanced bow skills."

"More advanced bow skills?" Bai E mused a bit.

If the player wants to role-play, he doesn't mind joining in a bit of live-action gaming.

"I have an extraordinary archery technique called 'Powerful Strike'. How about that?"

'That's exactly what I need!'

Dai Lian nodded emphatically, "Thank you, Sir!"

[The "teaching" session has ended. Through feedback from the "teaching," you've gained a total of 780 general experience points.]

"Also, Sir... We need to rent a car for our regular activities."

"You can talk to Gilder about the warehouse stuff." Trusting without doubting, Bai E left the entire responsibility in the capable hands of the elder Gilder.

In fact, it was through their mutual under-the-table dealings that they managed to siphon off several small cars from the orcs as spoils of war.

The shoddy military junk the orcs cobbled together was nothing to behold; when nearing a city, any minor excuse was enough for the car to break down and other soldiers naturally couldn't be bothered with it.

With a large number of refugees, it was not difficult to find one or two people skilled in car repair and other related techniques.

Once the soldiers moved on, the refugees who falsely reported numbers and separated from the main body covertly fixed the cars and drove off. Now, those cars had become assets of "Li Ming".

"Oh~" Hearing Bai E's response, Dai Lian nodded in acknowledgment.

And, catching the reminder in Gong Yan's eyes, Kuang Xin, who had been waiting to the side, stepped forward and asked, "By the way, Sir, is our organization still recruiting?"