Chapter 11 - Black Steel Beer
After leaving Red Leaf Town...
Shi Feng brought Blackie along as they headed straight towards Dark Moon Valley.
"Brother Feng, we're on the path towards Dark Moon Valley. That's a Level 4 monster area. Can't we choose a safer place?" Seeing that Shi Feng's target was Level 4 monsters, Blackie couldn't help but ask nervously.
Challenging higher levels in God's Domain was extremely difficult. Usually, players would just challenge monsters that are one level higher than themselves. Challenging monsters two levels higher required at least a 6-man party for it to be possible. However, even 6-man parties wouldn't carry out such an action. Compared to exhausting themselves just to kill a single Level 3 monster, it was much more efficient to just kill a Level 2 monster.
Shi Feng and Blackie were only two people. Ignoring Shi Feng, who was a Level 2 Swordsman, Blackie himself was still a Level 0 Cursemancer. He was just free food to a Level 4 monster. Going against Level 4 monsters just with the two of them was utterly suicide……
Shi Feng only smiled regarding Blackie's worries. He securely said, "Relax, can't you see that I'm already Level 2? That friend of mine is an expert Beta Tester. If it weren't for our good relation, he wouldn't even tell me such a secret. You can just wait to get on the leveling rocket."
Shi Feng pushed all the problems that came with him being a reincarnated person onto his 'good friend'. Now all his actions in God's Domain could be easily answered, too. He also didn't have to explain much since Blackie would easily believe him.
This was because a Beta Tester was the best explanation.
"As expected of Brother Feng, you're still the greatest. No wonder you didn't join Shadow Workshop to earn money. With an expert Beta Tester giving you pointers, you could definitely earn a lot of money in God's Domain. The happiness of my body's lower half will depend on you now." Blackie laughingly said as he became relieved.
When joined the party before, he was very surprised to see Shi Feng already at Level 2.
Currently, there had yet to be any news of a Level 2 player in Red Leaf Town. Even elites of a Workshop were no exception. However, Shi Feng had reached it. His leveling speed was absolutely terrifying.
Blackie knew about Shi Feng's standards. Although his skills weren't bad, he definitely wasn't that good. Before, Blackie still had some suspicions about the news of the Beta Tester. However, all his worries disappeared after seeing Shi Feng's level, because only a Beta Tester could make something like this happen. Blackie had also started believing the possibility of Shi Feng earning 16,000 Credits in ten days.
"Scram! This brother's straight!" Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Blackie, slightly widening the distance between them. However, Blackie's gaze still carried some impurities, causing Shi Feng to panic slightly.
"What are you thinking, Brother Feng? My dream lover is the Snow Goddess, Gentle Snow." Blackie hurriedly explained.
The Snow Goddess?
Shi Feng had a very deep impression of this woman. She had performed extremely outstanding in other virtual games. Not only did she possess an absolutely beautiful face and devilish body, but she also had a proud attitude which was backed up by her excellent battle techniques. Because of these traits, she became even better received by the public.
After three years since God's Domain's opening, she had become a top-tier expert within the whole country. She was also the top ten Berserker within the country. She was dubbed as the Battle Goddess. She had starred in plenty of commercials. Her personal net worth at that time had exceeded tens of billions of Credits. Not only that, but she was also the Vice Guild Leader of 'Ouroboros'; millions of players would move with her single command. During those times, Shi Feng was only a minor character within God's Domain. He could only look up to Gentle Snow's shadow. Unfortunately, sometime later, Gentle Snow suddenly vanished from God's Domain. Her disappearance became a hot topic within God's Domain for some time.
"Brother Feng, look. That's an Elite monster." Blackie pointed towards a snow-white fox in the distant paddy field as he shouted.
Shi Feng looked over to the golden fields, discovering a white colored fox. There was even a little rabbit in the fox's mouth right now.
[Cunning Snow Fox] (Rare Elite)
Level 2
HP 450
"Blackie, your eyesight and luck are seriously too good. You even spotted a Rare Elite. We're going to earn a fortune this time." Shi Feng stealthily walked closer to the fox as he directed Blackie, "You just attack from a distance and leave the rest to me."
Rare Elites were a special type of Elite. They had the same capabilities as a normal Elite monster, but the rewards they give out were a lot greater. It would take a long time for it to respawn after being killed. Whether you could meet one depended on your luck.
"Brother Feng, you must be crazy. That's a Level 2 Elite. We can't go against it."
Blackie wanted to stop Shi Feng. Only a small party of the same level could deal with an Elite. Fighting one alone, without any healing, would definitely lead to death.
However, Blackie was too late. Shi Feng had quickly circled to the Snow Fox's back, launching a sudden attack.
Chop!
A sword strike flew.
The Snow Fox's actions were very nimble. It immediately avoided a vital hit to its abdomen, taking only 32 damage.
"Such nimble actions. Its Defense isn't low either." Shi Feng made a quick judgment after observing how the Snow Fox dodged and took damage.
He had the Might Of A Thousand title, so all his attributes were increased by 10%. There was also an additional 5 points to both Strength and Endurance, increasing his Strength to 13 and Endurance to 10. His Agility was also increased to 17 points. Now his Attack Power was 29, and he had 260 HP.
With great speeds, the enraged Snow Fox bit towards Shi Feng's neck. It activated the skill [Fatal Blow].
However, with 17 Agility, Shi Feng's speed was not any slower than the Snow Fox. By the time the Snow Fox had rushed over, Shi Feng's Novice Sword had already struck down towards the fox's head.
Peng!
Shi Feng only had 13 points of Strength; it was still not enough to block the Snow Fox's attack. Forty-nine damage appeared above Shi Feng's head, and his Novice Sword's durability decreased by 1 point, as well.
On the other hand, the Snow Fox only received 5 damage. The gap between the two of them was as clear as day.
"We're dead! We're dead! We're so dead this time." Sweat started appearing on Blackie's forehead. He had seen damage from Common monsters, but he never imagined that there was such a great difference from an Elite monster. Shi Feng was lucky he had blocked the attack with his sword, only taking close to 50 damage. If the attack landed on his body, wouldn't it be over a hundred? Shi Feng had reached Level 2 with great difficulty. If he died this time, he would return to Level 1; his great advantage over others would be gone.
"Move, Blackie!" Shi Feng shouted.
"He really must've gone mad. Fine! Fine, at worst I'll just die once. I'm still Level 0, anyway. Blackie clenched his teeth and started chanting a curse, his hands making gestures.
A [Dark Arrow] shot out, dealing 5 damage to the Snow Fox.
Blackie sucked in a deep breath when he saw the damage. He had added all his points into Intelligence, yet 5 damage was all he could do. An Elite monster's Defense was just terrifying.
Shi Feng who was facing the Snow Fox was under even more pressure. The Snow Fox had very high Agility. It was able to dodge whenever Shi Feng wanted to use Chop. In the end, Shi Feng could only use normal slashes, dealing 18 damage each time. However, each successful bite from the Snow Fox would deal over a hundred damage; it was greatly disproportionate.
Tens seconds later, Shi Feng's HP fell to 31, while the Snow Fox still had 244.
"I guess there's still no way to directly face off against an Agility-type Elite with such a small amount of Skills." Shi Feng looked at the Snow Fox's half-remaining HP. If he continued to drag on this fight, he would be the one to die. He had to start bursting.
Shi Feng took out a bottle of Black Steel Beer from his bag. After taking two mouthfuls, he became slightly drunk, and his vision started becoming blurry. He then activated Gravity Liberation, his speed increasing by a huge leap. He arrived at the Snow Fox's side with lightning speed.
When Shi Feng looked at the Snow Fox's level again, it displayed Level 0, whereas he was Level 2. Suddenly, the suppression due to level difference was removed, letting Shi Feng's damage rise. Similarly, however, his body became difficult to control.
"Die!" Shi Feng's eyes were icy cold, his grip around the Novice Sword tightened.
Thundering Flash!
Hua! Hua! Hua!
Three lightning quick slashes struck past the Snow Fox's waist, causing it to let out a tragic cry. Damages of -30, -36, -42 appeared on top of its head, instantly taking away a quarter of its HP.
Afterward, another Chop dealt 43 damage to it.
The Snow Fox desperately resisted, but Shi Feng's speed after activating Gravity Liberation was very fast. Even if he was in a drunken state, with his many years of battle experiences, Shi Feng could still easily maneuver his body. This had placed the Snow Fox at an absolute disadvantage.
"Damn, what did you drink, Brother Feng? You're suddenly so fierce!" Blackie's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he saw Shi Feng's cheat-like performance. At this moment, the fierce Snow Fox had become Shi Feng's plaything. It had zero chance at resisting.
When the Snow Fox had 42 HP remaining, Shi Feng was about to give the last strike.
Suddenly, Shi Feng felt a shiver going down the back of his neck. It was as if he had a dagger pointed at his neck; it was a terrible feeling. Shi Feng instinctively leaped forward. In the next moment, a bright snowy dagger had slashed across his original position. Shi Feng had surprisingly avoided that strike.
Behind Shi Feng, a figure with an extremely surprised expression revealed himself. He had already kept his presence hidden incredibly well; he did not even let out a single sound. Not only that, after he had raised to Level 1, his Agility had reached 10 points. However, his sneak attack had actually been dodged. What sort of intuition did Shi Feng have?
"Friend, we have no hatred or enmity between us. It isn't good doing something like this." Shi Feng focused his gaze on the newly appeared Assassin as he coldly said so.
"If you wish to place blame, then blame yourself for angering us Shadow. It is too late even if you regret it now." Quiet Wolf said excitedly. He held his dagger in reverse grip, paying attention to Shi Feng's every movement.
Quiet Wolf had been following Shi Feng while also reporting his location. He never imagined that they would meet an Elite monster. The Snow Fox's current target was Shi Feng. Although Shi Feng had good skills, with the Snow Fox holding him back Quiet Wolf could definitely find a chance to kill of Shi Feng's remaining strand of life, then he could kill the Snow Fox. There were only benefits for him. As for the Cursemancer on the side, he was just garbage that was not even worth mentioning.
Naturally, the Snow Fox wouldn't care about any of this. It just knew that it had to kill Shi Feng.
The Snow Fox suddenly bellowed, its snow-white skin turning into a flaming red. Its body also increased in size and its HP rose by 20%. Then, the Snow Fox activated its final skill [Tearing Bite]. The skill amplified its damage by 50%, also causing a bleeding damage of 30, lasting for 5 seconds.
"You can go and regret, now! I'll take care of this Snow Fox in your stead." Quiet Wolf rushed at Shi Feng. He was prepared to kill off Shi Feng the moment he dodged the Snow Fox.
Chapter 12 - A Timeful Parry
System: Player Quiet Wolf has attacked you and entered a Yellow Name state. Duration of one hour. Any players who attack Yellow Name players will not receive any penalty.
Shi Feng only had 31 HP remaining. Being attacked from both sides by the Snow Fox and Quiet Wolf, put Shi Feng in a very dangerous position.
"Despicable!"Standing at a distance, Blackie scolded Quiet Wolf for sneaking an attack at such a moment. However, he couldn't change a thing about it. The two of them were too far apart. It was too hard for him to land a hit on Quiet Wolf. He could only aim his attack on the Snow Fox, hoping to kill it off a second earlier and not letting Quiet Wolf profit off of them.
Although mages had high output, compared to hitting monsters, it was far harder to land a hit on players unless they stood still without moving.This was because the moment the Dark Arrow shot out, there would be a prediction line appearing. In a situation where the distance was great, players with good standards could usually dodge it. If it was an expert, then dodging it would be a piece of cake.
Just as the Snow Fox and Quiet Wolf were about to rush up...The corners of Shi Feng's mouth revealed a cold smile. He had been interacting with Quiet Wolf in Shadow for years now, so he was extremely familiar with Quiet Wolf's strengths and habits. Shi Feng took two steps back, forming a perfect triangle between the Snow Fox and Quiet Wolf. Shi Feng gripped the Novice Sword tightly in front of his chest. He stood there without moving as he awaited the arrival of their attacks.
"Did he give up?"Quiet Wolf started looking down on Shi Feng when he saw Shi Feng preparing to block with his sword. Although players could reduce the damage received by defending the attack, the Snow Fox was an Elite. Even if Shi Feng could defend it, the attack would still cause around 50 damage. With just 31 HP remaining, Shi Feng couldn't even take a hit.
The Snow Fox was a step ahead, biting towards Shi Feng.
Tearing Bite!"Just in time." Instead of retreating, Shi Feng advanced. He rushed towards the Snow Fox.
The Novice Sword blocked the Snow Fox in its mouth. Using the lifesaving skill Parry, Shi Feng could block a frontal attack once. Shi Feng then continued by lifting the Snow Fox. The Snow Fox had low power, so Shi Feng had easily tossed it towards Quiet Wolf.Everything happened too quickly.Quiet Wolf who was rushing towards Shi Feng could not react in time. In an instant, his shoulder was bitten by the Snow Fox.
A damage of -164 appeared on Quiet Wolf's head. His HP was instantly cleared down to zero.
"How?" Quiet Wolf was unbelievably shocked. His heart was filled with unwillingness as he stared at Shi Feng's ridiculing smile. He never imagined that players could do such a thing. If he had known about it, he definitely wouldn't rush forward, just to get himself killed.
At this point, regardless of how unwilling Quiet Wolf was, his HP had turned to 0. His body could only fall and turn into starlight. He had even dropped a piece of equipment.In the distance, Blackie became dumbfounded. He had even forgotten to attack the Snow Fox."Blackie, stop daydreaming! Hurry up and attack the Snow Fox!" Shi Feng yelled and rushed at the Snow Fox again.
After Blackie started reacting again, he chanted a curse, madly attacking the Snow Fox.
Without Quiet Wolf's disturbance, the near-death Snow Fox was just a decoration. Within 10 seconds, the Snow Fox released a wail before falling down.
System: [Rare Elite] Cunning Snow Fox killed. Obtained 130 EXP.Shi Feng was Level 2 now, so this amount of EXP was nothing to him. What Shi Feng was concerned about was the loot. Rare Elites were the love of all God's Domain players because of their shocking drop rates. Furthermore, this was the First Kill of the Snow Fox, so the loot must be even better.
"It can't be. It actually dropped a weapon." Shi Feng obtained a Staff an Armguard.
[Blackwood Staff] (Bronze Rank)
Level 1
Equipment Requirements: Strength 5
Attack Power +8
Intelligence +3, Wisdom +1, Mana +30
Durability 20/20This equipment would greatly strengthen a mage. Not only was its Attack Power high, it even gave an additional 3 Intelligence. If a mage equipped it, then their damage might increase up to two levels.
[Fox Skin Gloves] (Common Rank, Leather Armor)
Level 1
Equipment Requirements: Strength 3
Defense +4
Durability 20/20
On the other hand, Quiet Wolf had contributed a pair of Level 0 Common Leathered Shoes with +3 Defense.
"And here I thought it was some Gray Trash Equipment. It seems Quiet Wolf's luck isn't that bad, being able to obtain a piece of Common Equipment." Shi Feng had a different view of Quiet Wolf now. Obtaining a piece of Common Equipment at the starting period of the game definitely depended on luck. However, Quiet Wolf's luck now benefited Shi Feng instead. Swordsmen could wear both Plate Armor and Cloth Armor. Now that Shi Feng had two of these new items, his Defense had increased by a lot.
"Blackie, your equipment." Shi Feng passed the Blackwood Staff to Blackie.
However, Blackie did not receive the equipment. He had a hesitant look on his face. Killing the Snow Fox depended entirely on Shi Feng. Blackie wasn't of much help, yet he had received the best equipment; a piece of Bronze Equipment no less. At this stage of the game, there weren't many players capable of owning such an item. It was extremely valuable.
"What's happened to you; aren't we good brothers? Why are you being courteous with me? Besides, you're a Cursemancer. Once you've reached Level 1, you can fully exert the staff's greatest capabilities. With that, we can level even faster." Shi Feng said in a serious tone as if he knew what Blackie was thinking.
After some thought, Blackie was able to make sense of it. He no longer refused it, saying, "Thanks. I'll definitely use it properly."
"Now. that's much better." Shi Feng laughed, "Let's go. We're going to Dark-Moon Valley."
Red Leaf Town."Quiet Wolf, what were you even doing? Not only did you die, you've even dropped a piece of expensive Equipment. Do you know how precious that Equipment is?" Flaming Tiger snapped as he cursed.
Quiet Wolf's expression was as gloomy as dark water. That pair of shoes was something he had obtained after grinding for 7 hours, and now he had actually lost it. Even his heart was bleeding right now. Although he had wanted to explain, he did not know how to. Should he say how he was toyed with by Shi Feng? That wasn't something he was willing to admit. However, even if he wanted to snatch the equipment back, he wasn't an opponent for Shi Feng."Brother Tiger, I discovered a Rare Elite in the wild. I didn't think I would be discovered by that kid when I was about to kill off the Elite. That kid had even brought along another person. In a one versus three situation, I wasn't their opponent at all." Quiet Wolf pretended to be enraged as he turned black into white. He continuously tempted Flaming Tiger. "That brat should have killed the Rare Elite by now. He must've obtained some good equipment. They were on the path towards Dark Moon Valley. We could still catch up to them if we chase after them. We might even be able to get back the equipment."
"Rare Elite!?" Flaming Tiger's eyes started to shine. He no longer questioned Quiet Wolf. Instead, he was extremely interested in the loot of the Rare Elite. He said excitedly. "Let's go. We'll immediately chase after them. They actually dare to steal my equipment. I will make them regret even playing God's Domain."Within a short moment, Flaming Tiger gathered all the members of Shadow Workshop present in Red Leaf Town. He brought along 11 Workshop members and rushed towards Dark Moon Valley. No matter what, he wanted to kill off Shi Feng and obtain his equipment.
At this moment, Shi Feng and Blackie had already arrived at Dark Moon Valley.There was a smithy beside the flowing creek. Shi Feng and Blackie quietly stood in front of it. They were looking at a barechested, middle-aged uncle. In his hand, the man wielded a steel hammer. Ding! Dang! He kept hammering on the crimson red ore.
Time slowly flowed by, bit by bit.
"Brother Feng, are we still going to wait? It's already been half an hour now." Blackie said.
"We have to wait. Without patience, he won't give us the Quest." Shi Feng affirmed.
In his previous life, Hammer Trading had passed by this place on accident. He had discovered a smithy here. However, the blacksmith here didn't pay any attention to him regardless of how Hammer Trading talked to him. This had enraged Hammer Trading, so he decided to drag it on with the blacksmith. He kept standing to the side, sending death glares to the blacksmith. He had never imagined that after some time, the blacksmith would actively speak up. Not only that, the blacksmith even gave out a Hidden Quest. This had allowed Hammer Trading to learn the Forging Talent, becoming the Forging Master of the era.
When Shi Feng thought about obtaining the Forging Talent, coupling it with the Book Of Forging, advancing into an Advanced Forging Apprentice became a very easy task. When that time came, Gold Coins would rain into his pockets.
After waiting for more than ten minutes…"Do you two have an interested in Forging?" The middle-aged blacksmith suddenly asked.
"Yes, sir. We've loved Forging since we were young." Shi Feng immediately said.
The middle-aged blacksmith nodded his head, saying in a satisfied tone, "Then since you love Forging, I can teach it to you. But first, could you help me retrieve 100 pieces of Meteorite Ore? They can be found on the West side of Crimson Star Mine."
"Of course. We would gladly be at your service." Shi Feng respectfully answered.
System: Hidden Quest 'Road Of Forging' accepted. Player is requested by Forging Master Jack to obtain 100 pieces of Meteorite Ore from Crimson Star Mine.
Crimson Star Mine was the nest of Level 4 Kobolds. These monsters loved ore the most. They would spend everyday mining within the mines. As such, Kobolds were born with great strength. However, they had short limbs. Because they stayed underground for long periods of time, their range of vision was short. They could only detect enemies within a 35-yard distance. This distance was also the maximum range of attack for a mage.
At the mine's entrance, there were many Kobolds walking around. An entire group of them would be attracted even if only one of them was attacked.
[Kobold]
Level 4
HP 420
"Here. First, some food and drink to fill ourselves. We'll start work after that." Shi Feng brought out a Black Steel Beer and an Apple Pie.
Blackie didn't understand what Shi Feng was trying to do, but since it was Shi Feng's request, he must have his own reasons. Blackie sat down and started eating.
Ten seconds after eating the Apple Pie, all of Blackie's attributes were suddenly increased by +1 points, the effect lasting 30 minutes.
After drinking the Black Steel Beer, Blackie's vision started becoming hazy. When he looked at the distant Level 4 Kobolds, their Levels were suddenly reduced by 2; becoming Level 2."Alright, let's start then. A bottle of Black Steel Beer's drunken effect only lasts 30 minutes." Shi Feng stood up. He took out a Smoke Bomb and walked closer to the mine's entrance. Then, he threw it at the group of Level 4 Kobolds; there were currently over ten of them there.
[Smoke Bomb]
Able to reduce the visibility in a radius of 10 by 10 yards. Duration of one hour.
The Smoke Bomb was able to reduce a monster's vision by 10 yards. It wasn't particularly useful against other monsters. However, it was great when facing Kobolds. Their vision was now reduced to 25 yards. As long as a mage attacked from a 30-yard distance, the Kobolds would not be able to spot them at all. They could only stand there and wait for their deaths."Attack." Shi Feng pointed to the Kobolds within the smoke.
Blackie was half-doubting Shi Feng's actions, but he still chose to believe in Shi Feng. His mouth started chanting a curse. A moment later, a Dark Arrow shot out, landing directly on the foremost Kobold.