Chapter 9 - Might Of A Thousand
Although the lies of those Assassins angered Shi Feng, he had to remain calm in facing this unknown situation.
Even members of a Workshop would have their own selfish motives. They would definitely hide some of their important discoveries, silently empowering themselves and making a fortune.
There were plenty of such people in a Workshop. Be they outer members or core members, after some time, there were always some exceptionally strong people who suddenly appeared, their social statuses abruptly rising. Shi Feng was one such example. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to turn from a core member into the Workshop's captain."They only told others about seeing a Secret-Silver Treasure Chest after coming to The Lost Lands and nothing else. There is definitely something more important that Secret-Silver Treasure Chest. Is it this Hidden Quest?" Shi Feng called out the System's Quest Panel.Hidden Quest of The Lost Lands - "Past Glory".
Aside from the name, there was no other information about the Quest. Shi Feng did not even know what he had to do.
"Is it a region-activated Quest?" With his ten years of experience in God's Domain, Shi Feng quickly discovered the essence of Hidden Quests.
There were some Quests with special characteristics in God's Domain. They were only triggered in certain areas. Not only that, these Quests did not provide any information. Players were required to search for it themselves. After the Quest was completed, it would no longer be triggered again, even if another player came to this place. It could be called as a special kind of Unique Quest.At the same time, it was a Quest filled with extreme danger.
Searching for the method to complete the Quest in an unknown region also meant dealing with the unknown monsters of the region. For such special Quests, the region's monsters were usually several levels higher compared to the surrounding areas. An average player had no chance in completing the Quest.There were 6 Assassins over Level 20 that came to this place last time. The Quest was also triggered in this region with Level 5 monsters, so the Assassins could complete the Quest."There's no point in bothering. Since I can't get out, I might as well look around. At worst I'll just die and be sent back to the town." Shi Feng advanced in large strides after thinking it through.A few moments after walking through the mists, Shi Feng spotted a few blurry figures up ahead.
It was a city. A city which had been abandoned ages ago. All around, there were ruined houses. Judging from the size of the city and the magnificence of the buildings, it seemed this city once flourished. It was even more prosperous and brilliant than White River City.However, this 'flourishing' city did not have even a shadow of a person now.Shi Feng silently entered the city. He observed the surroundings while looking for clues about his Quest.
Looking through a city that could fit millions was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Hours quickly went by. After searching through tens of streets and hundreds of houses, Shi Feng had yet to find a single clue for his Quest. God's Domain had just started. It was the best time to widen the gap with others, yet Shi Feng had wasted hours exploring this place. There were plenty of players who had already reached Level 1, but Shi Feng was still paused at 34% of Level 2.
Shi Feng hesitated. Should he continue looking for clues to the Quest, or should he just end himself here and revive back at the town?
"I'll look for another hour. If it's still no good, then I'll return to the town." Shi Feng laid down a timeframe for himself. Although Quests like these were precious, he did not have that much time to waste. He still had a ton of Quests he could do. There was no need to waste away in this place.
Time slowly passed by, bit by bit.
Shi Feng arrived at the central tower of the city. This place was once a sacred ground for mages. It was the best place to learn magic. Now, however, it was irreparably ruined. Even the Magic Crystal at the tower's peak had shattered.
Shi Feng went up the tower. He stood in the tower's observatory, filling his eyes with the city's scenery. Shi Feng would've slowly savored the sight were he not in a rush.
After taking a look around, he still did not find any special locations.
Just as Shi Feng was about to leave."Young adventurer, welcome to the City In The Sky."
A white-bearded, old man suddenly appeared. The old man's voice was filled with vicissitudes and wisdom. The sudden appearance of the old man shocked Shi Feng into a jump. He had even thought the old man was some monster that had appeared. However, he let loose a breath after noticing the yellow indicator above the old man.
City In The Sky?
Shi Feng became shocked when he thought of this well-known city of God's Domain.
City In The Sky, the name of this city had once shaken the entire continent of God's Domain. There were countless legendary Jobs in this city. There was even the famous Demigod ranked Sword Saint, Ultear. It was a city which was even feared by Gods themselves. Unfortunately, the city had fallen during the Third God's War, becoming a regret of God's Domain.
"Respectful Elder, is there anything I can help you with?" Shi Feng smiled and asked in a formal tone.
"Help?" The white-bearded elder shook his head, smiling as he said: "No, I don't need any help. I imagine you wish to become stronger. I can help you with that, but are you willing to accept a test of mine?"
"Of course, I'm willing to receive your test." Shi Feng felt relieved. The trail to the Quest, Past Glory was here. He didn't have to die back to town, losing both levels and SP.The elder nodded his head in satisfaction, gravely saying, "I'll give you three choices. The first one is the Normal difficulty. After you pass it you'll get a Mysterious-Iron Treasure Chest. The second one is the Hard difficulty, where you'll get a Secret-Silver Treasure Chest. In addition, you can get additional rewards depending on your rate of completion. The third option is the Hell difficulty, where you'll be rewarded a Fine-Gold Treasure Chest. You'll also receive additional rewards depending on your rate of completion."
"Young adventurer, which do you choose?"
Three choices. Each harder than the other, and each more attractive than the other. The 6 Assassins who were over Level 20 had chosen the Hard difficulty. They returned with the Secret-Silver Treasure Chest but chose to hide the additional reward. This meant that the additional reward was even better than the Secret-Silver Treasure Chest.After some thought about it, Shi Feng decided to bravely challenge it. A person who had been reincarnated should have courage.
"Respected Elder, I choose the Hell difficulty." Shi Feng was confident he could manage this difficulty. If he could complete it, then it would have a great effect on his future developments."Hahaha! Young people sure are full of energy! I truly admire you, but be sure not to regret your choice." The elder disappeared after his hearty laughter.System: Quest "Past Glory" accepted. Face off against 1000 monsters of the same level. Considered Passed after killing 500 monsters. Time limit of 4 hours. Quest failure penalty - all Attributes permanently reduced by 10 points.
Attributes are the essence of a Job. If Shi Feng's Attributes were all reduced by 10 points, then he was as good as crippled.
"This penalty sure is ruthless." Shi Feng's scalp started itching as he looked at the countless Specter Warriors appearing below the tower.
The countdown started. There were five seconds remaining before the monsters attacked.[Specter Warrior] (Common Monster)
Level 2
HP 230Fighting against one of them would be easy. Against an ocean of them, however, even Shi Feng would start to panic.Rushing in was just plain suicide; Shi Feng would quickly become surrounded and killed. The only choice was to fight the monsters one by one.Shi Feng had a wealth of experience in battling. He quickly ran down the tower and stood at the staircase.The stairs only allowed two monsters to pass through at a time, so it was the best place to attack from. Shi Feng would be able to clear this Quest so long as he guarded the staircase.Once the five seconds were up, every single Specter Warrior rushed the tower with wild abandon. However, the staircase was too narrow. As a result, they were blocking each other; Shi Feng only had to face 2 Specter Warriors at a time. With regards to the warriors' attacks, Shi Feng could dodge them with relative ease.Thundering Flash!Chop!Three streaks of light flashed across, instantly causing a high damage of 60 to all Specter Warriors within a two- by ten-yard area. The Chop that followed dealt 33 damage.
Within an instant, the first Specter Warrior had only half of its HP remaining, whereas the tens of others behind had lost a quarter of their HP.Previously, Shi Feng faced off against high-leveled monsters with very high defense; the effects of Thundering Flash and Chop were both greatly reduced. Now that Shi Feng was facing monsters of the same level, Thundering Flash could vividly display its prowess as a powerful AOE damaging skill.With Thundering Flash's damage amplification effect, Shi Feng only needed 5 strikes from his sword to finish off the first Specter Warrior.
In order to increase his killing speed, Shi Feng activated Gravity Liberation to increase his Attack Speed.
Coupled with the damage amplification, each warrior only needed three seconds to be dealt with.
Unfortunately, the Specter Warriors did not give any experience. Instead, Skill Proficiency had a 100% chance to increase by 1 point.
With every death of a Specter Warrior, Shi Feng's SP continuously increased. Shi Feng became very happy after seeing such a sight.
The elderly NPC probably had not imagined that a Level 2 Swordsman would possess such a powerful AOE skill. With such a skill, Shi Feng feared crowd-tactics the least. Shi Feng could also easily dodge attacks in a one versus two scenario.Other players would have most likely failed the Quest, yet Shi Feng was able to complete it with perfection.
After two hours had gone by, Thundering Flash had reached Level 2 after its SP increased to 300 points. The skill's damage increased from 130% to 135%, and its cooldown reduced from 30 seconds to 28 seconds.
Chop's SP had also increased to 426/600. It would reach Level 3 with just a little more.Shi Feng's monster grinding speed increased once more after Thundering Flash reached Level 2. The Specter Warriors fell in batches. When there were only 20 over warriors remaining, there was still an hour and a half remaining for the Quest.With another use of Thundering Flash, the last remaining 20 Specter Warriors fell as well.
"Not bad. Here's your reward, youngster." The elder appeared once more with a chuckle. Looking at Shi Feng, the elder took out a Fine-Gold Treasure Chest and a pitch black longsword.
System: Quest "Past Glory" completed. Rewarding 1 Fine-Gold Treasure Chest, 1 Magic Weapon (Job-related). Obtained title "Might Of A Thousand". [Might Of A Thousand] (Title)
When this title is in use, allies in a 30-yard radius will receive an attribute increase of 10%. Simultaneously, title user will obtain an additional effect of Strength +5 and Endurance +5."I've given you your reward. You can go now." The old man waved his hand after finishing his piece.
Shi Feng's vision blurred. When he opened his eyes once more, he was back in the plaza of Red Leaf Town.
Di! Di! Di!Shi Feng's system communication continuously rang. Blackie was contacting him.
"Brother Feng, you've finally picked up. How come I couldn't contact you before? What should I do now? I'm already behind others by a level." Blackie was extremely panicked. However, he still patiently asked because he believed in Shi Feng.
He had wasted seven hours just to run to Red Leaf Town. While he was still at Level 0, the players that filled the streets were already Level 1. How was he to make up for this gap? Nobody would want him in a party now; their minimum requirement was Level 1. A Level 0 noob like him would just be pushed aside.
"My bad, I was doing a Quest. Come to the central plaza, I'll take you with me to level." Shi Feng apologized.
It had already been over 8 hours since God's Domain started, and Shi Feng had spent over 5 hours doing his Quest. At this stage of the game, most players had already risen to Level 1, while some professional players were already close to Level 2.
As a person who had been reincarnated, helping Blackie level up was an easy task. It wouldn't take long before Blackie would catch up to the professional players.
Chapter 10 - Abyssal Blade
Shi Feng observed his surroundings after hanging up on Blackie. Seeing that nobody paid attention to his sudden arrival, he quickly entered an empty alley.
Opening a Fine-Gold Treasure Chest would definitely cause a commotion.
Opening and showing off a Fine-Gold Treasure Chest at the crowded plaza was a bold action. It was something only noobs would do.Compared to the real world, there were no constraints within the game world. It went without saying, the great powers in the game hungered for great treasures. If a player did not have the capability, one of the best case scenarios was one being killed back to Level 0 for the treasure. However, if the treasure did not drop out…… Then congratulations, you can only live in the city for the rest of your life. While other players were out in the wild leveling up, the only thing you could do was to hang around in the city. After a few months, you could proudly be promoted to 'City Guide'.Shi Feng was not an Assassin who was capable of stealth, hiding, and assassination. Currently, he did not have the sufficient strength to protect himself, so keeping a low profile was necessary.
Shi Feng quietly observed the empty alley for some time. After he made sure nobody followed him, he took out the black longsword.
Shi Feng's brows wrinkled when he looked at the black longsword.
[Abyssal Blade] (Magic Weapon)
Job Requirement: Swordsman
Do you wish to bind the equipment?
"Should I equip it or not?" Shi Feng became frustrated when he looked at the Abyssal Blade.
Shi Feng was very familiar with Magic Weapons. Magic Weapons were different from normal equipment. They did not have any rankings to differentiate them, and they were even rarer than Legendary Equipment. Its power was without question. However, a Magic Weapon was a double-edged sword. This was because the weapon had a side effect called Backlash. If the player using the Magic Weapon was not cautious, a single mistake could cripple their account.
In his previous life, there were a few experts in Star-Moon Kingdom that became top-tier experts because of Magic Weapons. Even during his peak, Shi Feng could only look up to them. However, after a period of time, two of those experts crippled their accounts because they did not deal with the Backlash properly; their only choice was to start a new account."Forget it, let's just set it aside for now. I can't take the risk right now." Shi Feng shook his head as he kept the Abyssal Blade. He had to earn 16,000 Credits in ten days. The pressure on him was huge. If any mistakes were to happen, then all his efforts before would become wasted.Shi Feng took out the Fine-Gold Treasure Chest.
Shi Feng looked at the gold-plated treasure chest, unable to suppress the excitement in his heart, "The Secret-Silver Treasure Chest they brought out the last time already contained a pharmaceutical recipe and blacksmithing design. I wonder what a Fine-Gold Treasure Chest would give?"
Shi Feng had been playing God's Domain for ten years now, and the number of Fine-Gold Treasure Chests he had seen did not exceed twenty.
Wars were fought over for every Fine-Gold Treasure Chest. Shi Feng would not even dare to dream that he could be in possession of one.Shi Feng slowly opened the treasure chest. Suddenly, golden rays of light leaked out from the chest, illuminating the small alley. It would definitely be a dazzling beacon of light if it was night time; it would attract everyone's attention.
Not daring to take any risks, Shi Feng quickly retrieved all the items from the chest. The dazzling lights slowly faded away after the chest was emptied.
Fortunately, it was an empty alley, so nobody would notice the short period of radiance.
"The settings for treasure chests in God's Domain really are damned. Luckily it's daytime here." Shi Feng glanced at the treasure chest by his side, then shifted his gaze towards the three treasures in his hands.
There were two ancient books and a battle armor.The battle armor was a Secret-Silver Equipment. It was much worse than Shi Feng had imagined it to be.
[Sky Armor] (Secret-Silver Rank)
Plate Armor
Equipment Requirement: Strength 20
Equipment Level: 5
Defense +25, Strength +6, Endurance +3, Agility +3
Durability 30/30
Additional Attribute: Power Weakening. Reduce physical damage received by 15% after equipping.Shi Feng became shocked after looking at the battle armor's attributes. Although the level of the equipment was a lot lower than the one in his previous life, its attributes were top-tier. If it was worn by a Warrior-class, the high Defense coupled with Power Weakening would make tanking physical Bosses no longer a problem. If this armor was sold now, its price would definitely be astronomical."This is too great. Now I have armor for Level 5." Shi Feng happily stored the Sky Armor. Swordsman wore plate armor as well. When Shi Feng wore it at Level 5, he could definitely become a Shield Warrior.
Shi Feng shifted his gaze to the two ancient books, becoming shocked once more when he saw their names.
[Book Of Forging] and [Records Of Potions]. These two were both extremely rare treasured books.
Everyone knew that Forging and Potion-making were extremely hard to learn. Every Forging Master and Potion Master were the symbols of strength of a Guild. Even Shadow, a Guild that possessed ten City States, only had two Forging Masters and five Potion Masters. Every one of them was treated like princes.
With these two books, Shi Feng could create a Forging Master and a Potion Master.
"I remember there being a Hidden Quest in Dark Moon Valley. Not only would it teach Forging for free, it would also reward a Forging Talent. If I have both the Forging Talent and Book Of Forging, I could quickly become an Advanced Forging Apprentice. Then I could make Bronze Equipment and earn a lot of money." Shi Feng recalled a member of Shadow called Hammer Trading. The person had become a Forging Master because he completed that Hidden Quest. Dark Moon Valley was a Level 4 monster area. The Quest as well was a difficult one and would take up a lot of time.
"It seems I have to buy some items and make proper preparations." Shi Feng stored the two books and sent a mail to Blackie, telling him to meet up at the Trade Area. Shi Feng then headed to the Trade Area, himself.
At this time, there were quite a lot of players at the Trade Area. Players who were tired of killing monsters would come to the Trade Area to rest, having a drink and chatting. There were also players selling their loot from grinding.
Shi Feng searched for an empty spot, covering the ground with a piece of white cloth. He placed down the equipment and herbs he picked, starting his stall.The Level 4 Common Cloth Armor was priced at 1 Silver 20 Coppers, while the Bronze Shield was priced at 21 Silvers. It was a fair and cheap price at this stage of the game.
"Rare herbs, high-level equipment, those interested come and take a look." Shi Feng shouted.
There were quite a number of players in the Trade Area. However, most of them were selling materials such as herbs, ore, etc. Until now, there had not been a single player selling equipment. Shi Feng's shout immediately became everyone's focus.
"It can't be. There really is equipment! A Bronze Shield even!"
"What unbelievable luck. I don't even have Common Equipment yet he's already got a piece of Bronze Equipment?"
"This is Level 5 Equipment. Is this a joke? I'm not seeing things, right?"
"What's so great about it? Don't forget, there was an expert that killed the Town Mayor. That was a Level 15 Elite. Now nobody can receive a Quest from the Town Mayor. Some players that received the Town Mayor's Quest are also fuming with rage; all of them want to eat that expert alive." "Twenty-one Silvers, this price is too high. I don't even have 1% of that money."The surrounding players were all in shock. God's Domain hadn't been open for ten hours till now, yet someone could obtain such top-tier equipment. The most unbelievable part was that it was even being sold.It should be known that most Guilds and Workshops would wear the equipment they obtained, increasing their advantage as much as possible. They would definitely not sell them. Right now, players were, on average, Level 1. Level 5 equipment was something impossible to imagine, not to mention a Level 5 Bronze Shield. However, 21 Silvers was too high of a price. The income of the average player did not exceed 20 Coppers, and 21 Silvers equaled 2100 Coppers. It was an impossible price for them to shoulder.Shi Feng silently smiled as he looked at the increasing number of spectating players.
He never hoped for these average players to buy it. What he wanted was the advertising effect.
It was only a moment before a party of players rushed over. Leading them was a Shield Warrior.
"Give way, give way. Now that we, Shadow, are here, we are buying everything on the stall. Everybody else can just leave."The party members of Shadow created a path for the Shield Warrior to walk through.Shi Feng sent them a glance, discovering that the Shield Warrior was someone he knew. The man was called Flaming Tiger; he was the Team Leader for Shadow in Red Leaf Town. In his previous life, Shi Feng was constantly used as cannon fodder, preventing him from rapidly rising. Flaming Tiger was responsible for three-tenths of that 'effort'. Shi Feng never thought he would meet up with this man so quickly.
"You the stall owner?" Flaming Tiger became excited as he looked at the blue cross-shaped shield. He then looked at Shi Feng. He did not have the [Observing Eyes] skill, so he could not tell Shi Feng's level. However, Shi Feng was only clad in novice equipment, and he did not have any Guild's insignia on him. He was definitely just an average player. Obtaining such equipment should be due to good luck.
Shi Feng nodded his head saying, "That's right."
"Good, I want everything here for 1 Silver." Flaming Tiger proudly stated.
He said it as if everything on the stall was just unworthy garbage, and that giving 1 Silver for them was looking up to one.
"I don't negotiate prices. Please don't hinder my business by acting like a lord." Shi Feng did not get angry, choosing to ignore Flaming Tiger. At this moment, Flaming Tiger's face became livid. He glared at Shi Feng, coldly saying, "Are you sure you want to oppose us, Shadow? I'll give you one more chance, think carefully before you speak."
Suddenly, all five other members of Shadow surrounded Shi Feng.Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Flaming Tiger, saying in a straightforward manner, "Fools."
He actually dared to threaten Shi Feng inside Red Leaf Town. Did he not know it was prohibited to take action inside a town?
"You're courting death!" Flaming Tiger raged, both his eyes turning blood red. He couldn't help but want to kill Shi Feng right this instant.
"Hahaha, truly interesting. A Level 5 Bronze Shield. How could us Assassin's Alliance be left out."
Another group of over ten players came at this moment. Every player wore the Assassin's Alliance's insignia. The person who spoke up was Stabbing Heart. He became shocked when he saw the stall owner.He did not expect to see Shi Feng, the expert who had cleared the Bronze Prize Challenge in a single try. Shi Feng had even obtained a Level 5 Bronze Shield now, so he had definitely killed a high leveled Elite monster. Stabbing Heart became even more respectful of Shi Feng.
"Here's 24 Silver, I want everything here. Let's become friends. The next time you have any good equipment, you must consider us, Assassin's Alliance." Stabbing Heart handed over the 24 Silvers without hesitation. Although it was not easy for the Guild to collect these 24 Silvers, it was definitely worth it if he could become friends with an expert like Shi Feng."Alright. Since you're so straightforward, I won't ask for the 50 Coppers anymore. I'll contact you in the future." Shi Feng understood Stabbing Heart's intention. It wasn't a bad deal if he could cooperate with such a large Guild.
Meanwhile, the surrounding players were shocked by Assassin Alliance's overwhelming aire, handing over 24 Silvers without batting an eye. Now, this was a large Guild. Such an action had made a lot of players wanting to sign up for the Guild. Compared to the Assassin's Alliance, there was no future in joining a Guild like Shadow. Everybody sent looks of contempt over to them.
After being looked down upon by Shi Feng, then being given a slap by the Assassin's Alliance, Flaming Tiger's face became beet red. His eyes nearly crackled from anger. He called over an Assassin, coldly saying, "Quiet Wolf, you keep an eye on that kid. I'll let him know what happens when he opposes Shadow."On the other side, Shi Feng had long since left the scene. He was currently purchasing items around the Trade Area.
He now held 24 Silvers on his person. It was an amount even greater than the total wealth of an average guild. Now that Shi Feng was an absolute tycoon, he started buying things without a single care.He bought 20 bottles of Black Steel Beer, each costing 25 Coppers.
He bought 30 Smoke Bombs, each costing 20 Coppers.He bought 100 Apple Pies, each costing 5 Coppers. Eating it recovered 30 HP every second, lasting 10 seconds.
He bought 100 Magic Water, each costing 5 Coppers. Drinking it recovered 30 MP every second, lasting 10 seconds.
Shi Feng spent a lot of his wealth within an instant, leaving him with only 3 Silvers.
"Brother Feng, you've finally decided to show up. What are we going to do now?" Blackie had been waiting in the Trade Area for some time now. He wore a dark expression on his face, and his eyes were filled with resentment. God's Domain had already been open for over 9 hours now. Aside from obtaining an [Explorer] title, Blackie did not obtain anything else. He was nearing the point of dying from depression.
"Let's go grind some monsters then." Shi Feng smiled, sending Blackie a party request.