Reincarnation of The Strongest Sword God

81-100

Chapter 81 - Equipment improvement 

Shi Feng was shocked after reading the System Notification.

Blackbeard's Favorability of him rose to 1000 points, reaching the level of Revered.

System: Congratulations! You are the first player to achieve Revered Favorability with an NPC. Rewarding 1 Mysterious-Iron Treasure Chest.

"Luck really can't be stopped once it comes. I wonder what items will come out?" Shi Feng impatiently opened the refined Mysterious-Iron Treasure Chest.

Inside the Treasure Chest, there was a piece of equipment and an Ornament.

[Dark Pursuer's Cape](Secret-Silver Rank)

Equipment Requirement: Agility 70

Defense +20

Strength +4, Agility +8, Endurance +4

Movement Speed +2

Evasion +6

Additional Ability: Silent Steps: Allows the user to arrive at the target's back silently. Maximum range of 40 yards.

Cooldown: 3 minutes.

[Interpreter's Pendant] (Mysterious-Iron Rank)

Level 7

Equipment Requirement: Intelligence 30

Intelligence +6, Endurance +2

Magic Damage increased by 5%.

In the current times, these two pieces of equipment could be considered extremely rare. It was especially true for the Dark Pursuer's Cape. The Cape was well suited for Weapons Specialists, and it would definitely increase their strength when equipped. Meanwhile, Silent Steps was an ability similar to the Instantaneous Movement of Mages and Shadow Steps of Assassins. It was Equipment meant for PK[1].

The Interpreter's Pendant was even more of a top-tier Ornament. Just based on the 5% increase in Magic Damage alone, Mages could continue wearing the pendant until Level 20 without falling behind in the slightest.

"Let's give this Ornament to Blackie." After some thought, Shi Feng deemed that Blackie was most reliable person right now, and he was also a Mage. As for the Cape, he was currently unable to equip it. Its requirement of 70 Agility was just too high. At the very least, Shi Feng needed to be Level 10 before he could equip it.

Looking at the equipment, Shi Feng suddenly recalled that he was already Level 5. Just by relying on the Abyssal Blade's Attributes, in addition to adding his 6 Free Attribute Points into Strength, he was now able to equip the Silvermoon Set Equipment.

Just at Level 5, Shi Feng was able to equip the best Set Equipment for Swordsman under Level 10. His overall Attributes were literally without rival, and the Quests he would do later on would become much easier.

Hence, Shi Feng added all his Free Attribute Points into Strength and equipped the five Silvermoon Set pieces. Also, now that Shi Feng was Level 5, the Swordsman's Dual-Wielding Talent had activated. Shi Feng was now able to wield two One-handed Swords. Shi Feng then took out the Secret-Silver ranked Crimson Blade, equipping it on his Sub-arm.

After completely equipping himself, Shi Feng was shocked when he took a look at his own Attributes. There were very, very few players with Attributes like his in all of God's Domain.

Not to mention the Set Effects on the Silvermoon Set Equipment...

Effect 1: Attack Power +15, Defense +30.

Effect 2: HP increased by 10%, Life Shield (Tier 2): After activating, creates a Life Shield that absorbs 60% of the damage received, with 500 maximum damage absorbed.

Effect 3: Damage received reduced by 10%, Attack Speed increased by 10%.

Shi Feng's HP was now close to 1,000 points. With these three Effects, he was even tankier than an MT. His damage output had received an even larger improvement.

Wearing a suit of silvery-white armor, the pitch black Abyssal Blade hanging on one side of his waist while the bloody red Crimson Blade hung on the other, Shi Feng was like a hero that traveling around the world.

There was still some time before the meeting with Gentle Snow, so Shi Feng received two Advanced Quests from Hammerstone Town. They were all Quests requiring him to kill Level 10 Twin-headed Snakes. The Quests required 20 Snake Galls and 30 Venomous Fangs. After completing the Quests, Shi Feng would be able to obtain rare Ore and Forging Materials. These materials were all needed to make the Mysterious-Iron Equipment and Weapon, and normally, they were extremely hard to find.

After jogging for over twenty minutes, Shi Feng finally arrived at an oasis in the White Sand Desert. There was a group of Twin-headed Snakes circling nearby.

[Twin-headed Snake](Common Rank)

Level 10

HP 950/950

Although the Twin-headed Snakes had low HP, an average Level 10 player would not be capable of going solo against them. Normally, they would need help to take these monsters on.

Monsters in God's Domain would have a qualitative change once they reach Level 10. Their attack patterns were extremely flexible, and they knew how to defend against attacks. These were traits you would not find in Common monsters below Level 10. Without plenty of battle experience, average players would find it very hard to block or evade their attacks. Apart from this, their attacks would carry an additional Special Skill, and a slight slip in attention would cost players their lives.

As for the Twin-headed Snake's attack pattern, it would usually attack with one of its heads, while defending with the other. Because of this, a solo player would find it hard to deal damage. In addition to the Fatal Fang skill it possessed, as long as it bit a player, they would be poisoned and lose 50 HP every second for 15 seconds. If they did not dispel the poison, an average player would practically lose their lives to it.

Shi Feng slowly closed in on the Twin-headed Snakes.

Before he even reached the 20-yard range, a Twin-headed Snake the height of an adult spat out its tongue, rushing towards Shi Feng.

Since he had been discovered, Shi Feng took the initiative to rush over as well.

Wind Blade!

The Abyssal Blade transformed into a black streak of light, piercing towards the vital point of the Twin-headed Snake. The snake reacted extremely quickly, one of its heads immediately bit down on the Abyssal Blade, preventing the Abyssal Blade from moving a single inch. Meanwhile, its other head opened its mouth widely, its sharp venomous fangs leaking a bluish-green poison as it bit at Shi Feng.

Shi Feng's other hand waved the Crimson Blade, the weapon transforming into a red streak as it slashed at the Twin-headed Snake.

_Peng!_

He stuck as the Twin-headed Snake was retreating, and a damage of over 60 points appeared above its head. On the other hand, Shi Feng only lost slightly more than 10 HP, and he did not retreat even a single step backward. Following which, the Abyssal Blade slashed towards the undefended belly of the Twin-headed Snake, immediately causing -96 damage. Incidentally, the Abyssal Blade's ability, Doom Curse, was triggered, greatly reducing the Twin-headed Snake's Attributes.

However, Shi Feng was not finished. He continued slashing the Crimson Blade, piercing the Twin-headed Snake's vital points and causing another -112 damage.

By the time the Twin-headed Snake started reacting, its HP had already been reduced by half.

When one of the snake-heads bit at Shi Feng, he dodged to a side, and his foot stomped on the ground, pushing him forward. His actions caught the other snake-head by surprise, rendering it unable attack or defend.

Double Chop!

The Abyssal Blade and Crimson Blade pierced deeply into the Twin-headed Snake's abdomen. Shi Feng then abruptly pulled on them, slashing apart the Twin-headed Snake's body and leaving two long gashes.

Two damages appeared above the Twin-headed Snake's head, -156 and -132. In addition, the snake also received a Bleeding Debuff.

The Twin-headed Snake still wished to retaliate. However, before it could reach Shi Feng, it bled itself to death.

System: Level 10 Twin-headed Snake killed. Level difference of 5. EXP obtained increased by 500%. Obtained 1,000 EXP.

The Twin-headed Snake contributed a Snake Gall to Shi Feng.

Shi Feng did not use many skills throughout the entire killing process, mainly only using normal attacks. He easily took care of a Level 10 monster. However, Shi Feng was still not satisfied. It was especially true for his first piercing attack. The Twin-headed Snake actually blocked the attack. Otherwise, he would have been able to kill the Twin-headed Snake with a series of continues strikes.

Shi Feng then started searching for his next target.

After an hour, Shi Feng had killed over forty Twin-headed Snakes. His experience rose to 81% of Level 5. His leveling speed was like a rocket, and his experience gain was even faster than that of forging equipment.

Shi Feng couldn't help but have mixed feelings about it. With the entire Silvermoon Set Equipment in addition to two top-tier Weapons, killing monsters that were of higher levels became extremely easy. If the situation continued as such, Shi Feng would reach Level 6 in less than an hour.

"I'm still missing 3 Snake Galls and 5 Venomous Fangs. However, all the Twin-headed Snakes in this area are already dead. It might take awhile for new monsters to respawn." Shi Feng observed his surroundings. There was actually not a single Twin-headed Snake present.

Shi Feng had no choice but to run to another spot to grind Twin-headed Snakes.

However, just after taking a few steps, three Twin-headed Snakes slithered out from the oasis. Amongst the three, one of them had larger heads than the other two, and there was also a horn on each of its heads. This was a Snake King patrolling its territory.

"En, a Rare Elite, is it?" Shi Feng licked his lips when he saw the Twin-headed Snake King, his lips revealing a faint smile. A Rare Elite was not something that a person could often meet. It would appear randomly, and its strength was slightly more than normal Elite monsters. Its drop rate was also extremely good. Being able to meet one depended all on luck.

* * *

TL Notes:

[1]PK: Player Killing.

Chapter 82 - headed snake king

The Twin-headed Snake King, along with its two subordinates, slowly slithered towards Shi Feng. However, it did not discover Shi Feng's existence. Its tail calmly swayed, and its head proudly raised as it overlooked its own territory.

Meanwhile, the two normal Twin-headed Snakes were closely following the Snake King. They did not act proudly like the Snake King, but more like bodyguards, their chilling gazes sweeping across their surroundings. As long as there were any signs of activity, they would immediately become their King's sharp swords, killing all enemies that were harmful to their King.

From when the Twin-headed Snake King approached his location to when it turned around and left, Shi Feng only watched it, silently. However, Shi Feng was in no hurry to make a move. Instead, he stealthily followed it, using Observing Eyes on it, and waiting for the best terrain to start his attack.

[Twin-headed Snake King] (Rare Elite)

Level 10

HP 4,000/4,000

The other two Twin-headed Snake Guards were both Common monsters. They were both Level 10, and they both had 1,400 HP.

Shi Feng was about to face three Level 10 monsters together. Moreover, there was even a Rare Elite amongst them. Even though Shi Feng equipped with the full Silvermoon Set Equipment, he still needed to plan properly before taking action. After all, the few can't fight the many. Also, the Snake race had extremely quick Movement Speeds and the Snake King even more so.

Shi Feng followed the Twin-headed Snake King to an area filled with sandstone. There were several stones taller than a person here that could be used to obstruct the Twin-headed Snake King's vision, so Shi Feng finally started taking action.

Shi Feng would be at a big disadvantage if he were to take on all three Twin-headed Snakes at the same time. So, he needed to split them up and kill them one at a time, with the Common monsters taking priority.

Shi Feng immediately used Phantom Kill, letting his doppelganger stay behind waiting while he took charge. Shi Feng used Wind Blade, his sword stabbing at the nearest Twin-headed Snake Guard.

With the ambush and the speed increase from Wind Blade, the Twin-headed Snake was not able to react to the attack at all. Shi Feng's two swords immediately stabbed it in the backs, causing damages of -76 and -61. Following which, Shi Feng used Double Chop, causing -103 and -89 damage, and leaving the Twin-headed Snake Guard with a Bleeding effect.

Shi Feng was fully equipped with top-tier equipment and high-leveled Skills. Even if the Twin-headed Snake Guard had a high Defense, the damage Shi Feng could cause was extremely high. If it were a Level 5 average player attacking the Twin-headed Snake Guard, with the level suppression and the monster's high Defense, they would at most cause -3 or -4 damage to it.

The Twin-headed Snake Guard wailed in pain. It immediately spun its heads around, attacking Shi Feng. The other Twin-headed Snake Guard also came over, biting at Shi Feng. Shi Feng now received attacks from two sides at the same time.

Shi Feng slightly smiled at this. He used Thundering Flash, sending three streaks of thunder at one of the Twin-headed Snake Guards. However, the Twin-headed Snake Guard reacted extremely quickly; one of its heads blocked, while the other bit at Shi Feng.

The three streaks of thunder were blocked, causing an insignificant amount of damage.

Just as the Snake's venomous fangs were about to bite down, Shi Feng used Parry and activated Windwalk. After blocking an attack, Shi Feng immediately turned around and ran.

The Twin-headed Snake Guards would naturally not let go of an enemy who angered them. Slithering at high speeds, they chased after Shi Feng. As for the unharmed Twin-headed Snake King, one could see boiling rage in its chilling eyes. It, too, slithered and chased after Shi Feng.

However, just after the Twin-headed Snake King moved several yards, Shi Feng's doppelganger used Windblade and rushed at the Twin-headed Snake King. The doppelganger slashed at the Twin-headed Snake King's neck, causing -24 damage. The Twin-headed Snake King was enraged by this attack. With the speed of a thunderbolt, the Twin-headed Snake King bit at the doppelganger.

As the doppelganger's goal had been achieved, it, too, activated Windwalk, turning around and leaving.

Now, the Twin-headed Snake Guards were separated from the Snake King. Although the two Twin-headed Snake Guards were tough, without the support of their King, they were unable to stand against Shi Feng's fierce attacks. One move after another, Shi Feng's blades would always strike at the vital points of the Twin-headed Snake Guards. After all, the Silvermoon Set Equipment was not just for show. Right now, Shi Feng's Agility exceeded 60 points. Even if the Twin-headed Snake Guards could defend against one of Shi Feng's attacks in time, they would still be struck by his other sword. Every sword that landed would take away 60 to 70 HP, while the occasional Critical Hit would cause over -150 damage.

Shi Feng's sword strikes were like a fierce gale passing by. The sword strikes constantly landed on the two Twin-headed Snake Guards, causing their HP to fall madly. Within a few moments, the two Twin-headed Snake Guards breathed their last breaths.

After looting the drops, Shi Feng rushed at the Twin-headed Snake King.

Currently, the doppelganger's HP had fallen below 30%. It was exhausting itself trying to pin down the Twin-headed Snake King. The Rare Elite's attacks were extremely quick. It would, from time to time, spit out a poisonous fog, enveloping a large area with it. The doppelganger only possessed 50% of the original body's Attributes, so it could only constantly defend and escape. Otherwise, it would have long since dropped dead.

However, now that the original body had arrived, the doppelganger did not need to pin down the Twin-headed Snake King any longer.

Shi Feng immediately used Nine Dragons Slash, shooting out nine phantoms of the Abyssal Blade. Shi Feng then used Defensive Blade, his attack range greatly increasing.

He could only attack from afar when facing the Twin-headed Snake King who was capable of spewing out poisonous fog. If he were to enter a melee with the Twin-headed Snake King, he would not last twenty seconds. Even if he were to activate all of his life-saving skills, he still would not survive.

The Twin-headed Snake King was very cunning. When facing Shi Feng, one of its heads defended against Shi Feng's attacks while its other head constantly attacked his doppelganger, paying no attention to Shi Feng himself.

After three to four hits, the doppelganger could no longer take it, vanishing.

Meanwhile, the Twin-headed Snake King's HP was still over 70%. Its other head now turned to stare at Shi Feng. It opened its mouth, spitting out a mouthful of poison. The poison was like an arrow as it shot towards Shi Feng.

Shi Feng's expression suddenly sank. His body dodged sideways, avoiding the poison.

When the poisonous fluid struck a sandstone, the fluid immediately passed through, leaving behind a large hole. This was the Twin-headed Snake King's Corroding Acid. If one were to block it, though a Secret-Silver Weapon might still be fine, a Common Weapon would immediately melt. As for a Bronze Weapon, its Durability would, at least, be reduced by half and taking two hits from the Corroding Acid would turn it into scrap.

In such a way, one man and one snake started maintaining their distance between each other, attacking and dodging. Shi Feng madly slashed his swords, streak after streak of sword light filling up the area. Meanwhile, the Twin-headed Snake King's two heads spat out poison without halt, leaving behind countless holes. From time to time, it would also fill a large area with a poisonous fog, leaving not even a blade of grass alive.

From time to time, Shi Feng would be poisoned during battle. After over ten minutes of constant battle, even though Shi Feng was constantly drinking Basic Regeneration Potions as soon as the Cooldown was finished, his remaining HP was only at 8%. Meanwhile, the Twin-headed Snake King still had 14% of its HP remaining.

Seeing as both their HPs were low, the Twin-headed Snake King revealed a sinister look. Its size faintly increased by a fold; then, suddenly, it leaped into the air. One of its heads widely opened its mouth, revealing its snow-white poisonous fangs, while its other head spewed out poisonous fog. The Twin-headed Snake King used an attack pattern that contained both attack and defense, and as long as Shi Feng closed in on it, he would be trapped in the harmful fog.

"Going all out now?" Currently, Shi Feng could withstand the poisonous fog for 3 seconds at best or take one strike from the Snake King itself. Hence, Shi Feng took out a bottle of Basic Regeneration Potion from his bag, gulping it down and recovering 180 HP. In his other hand, Shi Feng took out a Polymorph Scroll.

Just as the Twin-headed Snake King was about to land, it was immediately turned into a sheep.

Thundering Flash!

Chop!

Double Chop!

Earth Splitter!

After a series of attacks, the Twin-headed Snake King only had 5% of its HP remaining. However, it had transformed back into its original form, while its surroundings were filled with poisonous fog. The Twin-headed Snake King's recovery speed increased by a fold while inside the fog, while its enemies would madly lose their HP. Shi Feng immediately retreated, using Abyssal Bind on the Twin-headed Snake King. Shi Feng then took out the Tier 1 Magic Scroll, Continuous Flame Bombs, and started chanting.

Five large Fireballs smashed onto the Twin-headed Snake King's body, taking away the last of its HP. The Twin-headed Snake King dropped four items as it died.

System: Twin-headed Snake King killed. Level difference of 5. EXP obtained increased by 500%. Obtained 5,000 EXP.

Shi Feng finally loosened his breath. As expected, a Level 10 Rare Elite was extremely hard to deal with. If he did not possess the Silvermoon Set Equipment and the Tier 1 Magic Scroll, he would have been the one to die in this battle. Fortunately, Shi Feng killed it.

Amongst the four items dropped, there was the Level 8 Mysterious-Iron Staff, Song of Life, meant for Clerics. Its overall Attributes were quite good, and it also increased the levels of Recovery Skills by +1. It was absolutely a top-tier Staff. The next item was a Level 10 Bronze Cross Shield with average Attributes. However, Shields were considered rare items, so it was already pretty good that one dropped. The final two items were the Snake King's Gall and the Snake King's Skin. Both were rare materials in making Poison and Leather Armor.

The Quest Items had already been collected, so after some rest, Shi Feng returned to turn in the Quests. He obtained the rare forging materials, and his experience increased to 91% of Level 5, just a little more before reaching Level 6.

Looking at the time, it was not long before the arranged meeting time. So, Shi Feng started heading towards the Level 8 area, Physis Canyon.

Chapter 83 - second meeting

Physis Canyon, a paradise on earth, it was a place filled with lush green vegetation. Multiple streams of water flowed through the canyon, while flocks of birds flew in the sky above. The forest, as well, was filled with the sounds of hundreds of birds squabbling with each other.

Although this place was beautiful, right now, there was not a single player that came here to level up. After all, the highest leveled player right now was just Level 6. Normally, they would be safely leveling up in Level 6 or Level 7 areas. Physis Canyon was a Level 8 monster area, and Level 9 monsters could even be found in the inner areas. For a short period, there wouldn't be any players coming to disturb this place.

More importantly, Shi Feng was here for the Unique Quest "Steel Fortress Barrutia." This Quest was extremely important for him to establish his future Guild.

In Shi Feng's previous life, the player who completed this Unique Quest, just by relying on the Quest rewards alone, increased a second-rate Guild's standing to first-rate. However, now that Shi Feng had received this Unique Quest, he would use it to benefit the Guild he would establish.

After entering the canyon, Shi Feng used the Demon's Mask to alter his own appearance. He transformed the silvery-white Silvermoon Set Equipment into a suit of shining pitch black Set Equipment. It could be called the Blackmoon Set Equipment. Shi Feng also altered his face into one of an older gentleman, his age around 26 to 27. He then donned a black cloak, his face hidden within the cloak. At first glance, his appearance exuded a strong sense of mystery, allowing others to think he was a man with a story.

Shi Feng's get-up was somewhat similar to the Night Ranger[1], only he had two longswords hanging on his back rather than a simple black bow. Moreover, Shi Feng was not of the Night Elf race.

Now that Shi Feng had disguised himself, nobody would be able to recognize who he was. Even with Gentle Snow's discerning eyes, it was impossible for her to recognize him.

Arriving at the meeting location, Shi Feng discovered Gentle Snow and her group had yet to arrive.

Shi Feng called out the System Notifications, taking a look at the sales condition of the Forging Designs this time around.

"Sold out already?" Shi Feng looked at the series of notifications, his eyes almost shining.

There were over ten notifications from the Auction House, and every one of them notified him that he had an increase of around 3 Gold Coins.

Shi Feng auctioned a total of 20 pieces of Forging Designs, yet, they were sold at an average price of 3 Gold Coins. One could just imagine how desperate these Guilds were. However, compared to the price of 3 Gold Coins, these Guilds that bought the Forging Designs could also, very quickly, earn that money back. God's Domain had only officially started three days ago. Along with the increase in time, there would be more and more people joining God's Domain. The number of new players might even exceed that of the old players. These new players were the main consumers, and the supply Level 3 Glimmer Chestplates would be unable to meet the demand. In a short period, the value of the Glimmer Chestplate would not depreciate, and instead, its value might even increase.

However, Shi Feng's goal had already been met, so he no longer planned to make more Glimmer Chestplate Forging Designs to earn money. Right now, his bag was holding over 50 Gold Coins. These Coins were the entirety of the fluid funds of more than ten large Guilds. If Shi Feng were to use all of it to operate a Guild, how formidable would this be? Unfortunately, money was not the only thing needed to operate a Guild.

Shi Feng took out 20 Gold Coins and registered them on the Virtual Trade Center. After all, he couldn't just keep all those Gold Coins on hand. If he did that, he would be throwing money away. Based on the selling price right now, these 20 Gold Coins were worth 180,000 Credits.

Shi Feng did not imagine things would go so smoothly. He earned so many Credits in just three short days. However, if he wanted to start a good Workshop, such a small amount of money was still insufficient.

To start up Shadow Workshop, Lan Hailong invested five million Credits from the start. In the following month, he even invested over ten million Credits. One could just imagine how much money it took to start up a Workshop, not to mention a Guild with thousands or tens of thousands of members. However, after the Workshop and Guild were established, things would be greatly different.

To a Guild, hundreds of thousands of Credits was nothing.

Shi Feng still needed to earn a lot of money.

Hence why Shi Feng had chosen to work with Gentle Snow secretly.

"Are you Black Flame?" a voice as crisp as a jade falling to the ground came from behind Shi Feng.

Shi Feng turned around, discovering Gentle Snow's beautiful figure walking over while sizing him up. Although it was their second time meeting, he was still unaccustomed to Gentle Snow's attentive gaze. In a slightly deep tone, Shi Feng said, "Correct. I am."

Hearing Shi Feng's answer, moreover receiving the information proving Black Flame's identity, Gentle Snow's beautiful eyes focused. She secretly used an Observation skill.

Suddenly, Gentle Snow stared blankly. She was unable to discern Shi Feng's name. The information only showed him as an unknown Level 5.

Gentle Snow originally thought that Black Flame only had good forging skills, many lucky encounters, superior strategies, and relatively good gaming skills. She never imagined that Black Flame's gaming skills were not just the average kind of good. He was definitely a top-tier expert. Otherwise, he would not be able to obtain such a high-grade item.

Special Items that could hide a person's identity, even Ouroboros did not possess a single one of such an item. They had also never heard of any other first-rate Guilds obtaining one. Meanwhile, not only did the mysterious man in front of her possess such an item, but Gentle Snow could also feel a powerful strength emanating from the equipment he was wearing. Even though the equipment's special effects were hidden, a single glance at the equipment's delicate make and the magical markings circling it told Gentle Snow that it was a set. In fact, Black Flame's equipment might not be any worse than hers. Her equipment was obtained through the efforts of the Elite party behind her. How much time had they spent obtaining them? How did the man in front of her obtain such good equipment?

Gentle Snow attentively gazed at Shi Feng. She was even starting to suspect whether or not Black Flame was a player or the leader of a mysterious organization. Otherwise, how would he possess such financial and physical resources to carry out all those tasks? His title of Chief Forger was even publicly acknowledged by the players of Star-Moon Kingdom. Just carrying out tasks such as forging and organizing would take up most of his time, so how was it possible he obtained such a good set of equipment?

"Hello, I am called Gentle Snow, First Vice Leader of Ouroboros." Gentle Snow stretched out her jade-white hand in a very formal manner. It was different from the casual meeting when Shi Feng first met her, where she regarded Shi Feng with a superior attitude.

The party members behind Gentle Snow were all shocked. They never imagined their leader would actually take the initiative to shake hands with someone else.

Was this older gentleman in front of them that powerful to necessitate such formality?

Zhao Yueru, who stood behind Gentle Snow, was constantly sizing up Shi Feng with her beautiful eyes. Prior to this meeting, Shi Feng's series of performances had caused her to become very interested in him. Now that she was meeting him in person, she discovered that Shi Feng's entire body was exuding a mature and calm feeling, causing others to pay attention to him inadvertently. Now that even Gentle Snow had given her approval, Zhao Yueru had a faintly better impression of him.

"Hello, you can address me as Black Flame." Not wanting to act too aloof, Shi Feng shook hands with Gentle Snow. He discovered that her hand was very soft and smooth as expected. If Blackie were to know of this incident, he would most likely shake Shi Feng's hands, then not wash them for three days.

The reason why Shi Feng did not completely alter the Silvermoon Set Equipment's appearance was to awe and intimidate them. Seeing the satisfying results, Shi Feng got right to the point and said, "I have contacted you this time to cooperate with your Ouroboros. I wonder what your opinion of this is?"

"Of course, we welcome it very much. If you are willing to become the Chief Forger of our Ouroboros, just state your price," Gentle Snow said with confidence. She guessed that Shi Feng would demand an exorbitant price. However, as long as they could successfully poach Shi Feng, then everything would be worth it. Moreover, with her current influence, satisfying Shi Feng's appetite was no problem at all.

"Miss Snow, I think you are misunderstanding something here. I will not be joining your Guild. Instead, I will be using an equal status to cooperate with your Guild. If Miss Snow is unable to make this problem clear, we do not need to continue this discussion."

Finished speaking, Shi Feng turned to leave.

Chapter 84 - horizon alliance 

Seeing as Shi Feng was about to leave...

The members from Ouroboros were stupefied. There was actually a man who would treat Gentle Snow in such a way. He even discarded the chance to work with Ouroboros without hesitation.

Zhao Yueru panicked, her words caught in her mouth. She almost wanted to hold back Shi Feng and mediate between them. Even the wise Gentle Snow had yet to speak. If Zhao Yueru took action herself, her standing out might cause the situation to worsen. So, without a better choice, she just pulled on Gentle Snow's arm, secretly reminding her.

However, what Zhao Yueru did not know was that Gentle Snow was similarly stupefied.

She did not imagine that Shi Feng's goal from the start was not to join Ouroboros but to cooperate with them on equal standing. However, did Shi Feng have the qualifications to do so?

Ouroboros was not as simple as it looked. It was a colossus in the virtual gaming world. The resources in its possession were not something an average player could imagine. To be able to cooperate with Ouroboros with equal statuses, at the very least, they needed to be a first-rate Guild equally.

On the other hand, the man before Gentle Snow wanted to cooperate with Ouroboros on equal standings as if it were a matter of course.

For him to be so confident, did this man truly have some sort of hidden power standing behind him?

This was also not an impossibility. Being able to carry out this series of matters, in addition to obtaining such a set of equipment, was not something a person could do within such a short period. Black Flame definitely possessed the support of a great power. That's the only way he would be capable of causing the vicious competition that was happening right now. According to their Guild's statistics, the income Black Flame obtained from selling the Forging Designs exceeded 60 Gold Coins. Meanwhile, the fluid funds of a first-rate Guild right now did not exceed even 3 Gold Coins. If this money were utilized properly, it would allow a first-rate Guild to surpass the other first-rate Guilds instantly. Becoming a Super-Guild would not be a problem.

Suddenly, Gentle Snow felt chills crawl down her spine. As the Vice Leader of Ouroboros, she actually failed to notice such a great hidden power.

However, for a power to be unknown to her, one could just imagine how deep this power hid. Fortunately, she was able to discover it now. Whether they were a friend or a foe remained unknown.

"Please wait." Gentle Snow urged Shi Feng to stay, saying, "You, too, should know that our Ouroboros is a first-rate Guild. There are not many powers out there who possess the qualifications to work with us. If you can prove that you have the ability and capital and that your proposal would bring Ouroboros great benefits, then we can come to an agreement."

"Humph! Ouroboros sure does have a very big tone. You should know that the first-rate Guilds that I can choose to cooperate with aren't just limited to you." Shi Feng turned around and looked at Gentle Snow, acting as if he did not place Ouroboros in his eyes at all. Afterward, he took out one of the Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Equipment Forging Designs that he bought from Blackbeard, waving it in front of Gentle Snow's face. He then said with a sneer, "I wonder what thoughts you will have after seeing this? Do you think I have enough qualifications?"

"How could it be?!" Gentle Snow could not believe what her eyes were seeing. Her heart was filled with extreme shock, "How did you obtain a Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Forging Design?"

Right now, even the Level 3 Glimmer Chestplate Forging Design was being fought over insanely. The value of the Forging Design in Shi Feng's hands right now simply could not be imagined.

To the Elites of a Guild, the Level 3 Glimmer Chestplate Forging Design was not particularly useful. The main purpose of a Guild obtaining it was just to earn money and nurture their own Forgers, increasing the advantage that their Guild possessed over others. However, when compared to the Forging Design that Shi Feng was currently holding, the Glimmer Chestplate Forging Design was not even worth being mentioned.

Lead by one step, then lead to every other step. This was the natural law of the virtual gaming world. Every Guild knew of this law.

"Trade secret. Don't think too much about it." Shi Feng kept the Forging Design, "If there aren't any other matters, then I'll be leaving."

It was absolutely impossible for Gentle Snow to allow the person in front of her, who possesses a Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Equipment Forging Design, to leave. Moreover, to allow him to cooperate with another first-rate Guild. If she were to allow the other first-rate Guilds to obtain him and mass-produce these pieces of equipment, equipping every Elite member with it, then the competition for the Kingdom's Capital would no longer be necessary.

"Alright, I agree. State how we should cooperate then." Gentle Snow grit her teeth, yielding to Shi Feng in the end.

"Hehe, but I don't wish to cooperate with you anymore." Shi Feng said in a deep tone.

"You?!" Gentle Snow's expression suddenly turned cold. However, very quickly, she calmed back down. She no longer had her high and aloof attitude, her face revealing a calm smile as she said, "I apologize for my previous poor manners. I wonder if you can reconsider? Our Ouroboros is willing to pay double the price of the other Guilds."

Shi Feng nodded his head, saying with a smile, "Alright then, seeing as you are so sincere."

After this scene, everyone else thought that they had heard wrong. The incomparably proud Snow Goddess actually surrendered. Moreover, she even apologized for her previous behavior. How terrifying was this Black Flame?

Currently, Zhao Yueru's eyes were shining as they looked at Black Flame with admiration. She knew full well how proud and intelligent Gentle Snow was. Since meeting her, Zhao Yueru had never seen a person who could make Gentle Snow apologize.

"I wonder how you wish to cooperate?" Gentle Snow sent a glare towards the snickering Zhao Yueru behind her, then looked back at Shi Feng and asked.

"It's very simple. I am planning to establish a loose Lifestyle organization called Horizon Alliance and recruit all sorts of Lifestyle players. You just need to help me advertise it and spread its influence, and I'll give your Guild a discounted price. I'll even sell you equipment and tools that are unavailable to the public," Shi Feng unhurriedly said.

"You really want to establish such an organization?" Gentle Snow was slightly shocked. Although she did not think highly of Shi Feng, the terms he stated were very attractive.

Zhao Yueru's eyes widened in shock. She unbelievably looked at Shi Feng, feeling he was too insane.

After everyone else heard Shi Feng, they all thought that Shi Feng simply had too much money to waste. He was actually trying to establish such an organization.

Shi Feng's plan was truly outrageous. It was utterly impossible to unify all the Lifestyle players. The financial resources, physical resources, and manpower required to carry out such a feat were simply too great. Every Guild has been nurturing their own Lifestyle players. Moreover, they only recruited the Elites among them in order to avoid wasting resources. That meant that the leftover Lifestyle players were just mob characters, and there wouldn't be a big effect if all of them gathered together. The resources needed to nurture these Lifestyle players were even more needless. There was not a single Guild out there who was willing to bear such a price.

Of course, if it were to succeed, the profits would be truly unimaginable.

"You don't have to worry about this. When the time comes, I will naturally notify you to help me advertise the organization and spread its influence. In any case, you all don't have anything to lose. Of course, I will give you all some remuneration in advance. Ten Glimmer Chestplate Forging Designs should be enough for your Guild to nurture quite a few Forgers." If Shi Feng were to advertise the organization himself, not to mention how much time it would waste, the effects would not be that great. He would need a lot of time to increase the organization's influence. However, it was a different story if Ouroboros were the ones advertising the organization. They could practically cover the entire Star-Moon Kingdom, greatly shortening the process of gathering influence.

Gentle Snow gave Shi Feng's offer some thought. It was not much work for them to do the advertising. They could also obtain ten Glimmer Chestplate Forging Designs now, allowing them to widen the gap between Ouroboros and the other Guilds. They would also be able to nurture a large batch of Lifestyle players, earning even more Coins. As for the matter of establishing such a Lifestyle Alliance, nurturing Lifestyle players in large batches meant it was a process of constantly spending money. It wouldn't be long before such a plan would collapse. Nurturing Lifestyle players was an extremely tough task. If Shi Feng did not possess the resource and financial support from a large Guild, it would be very hard for him to obtain any achievements.

Following which, Gentle Snow signed a contract with Shi Feng, stating that she was willing to help Shi Feng spread his organization's influence throughout the entire Star-Moon Kingdom. After doing so, Shi Feng must repay her with a hundred pieces of Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Equipment. At the same time, Ouroboros will be able to purchase equipment and tools from Shi Feng at the discounted price.

Gentle Snow looked rather happy after receiving the ten Glimmer Chestplate Forging Designs. She passed the Forging Designs to an Assassin, letting him take the Forging Designs back to the Guild. Then, she looked towards Shi Feng, inviting him, "I see that the number of Humanoid Monsters is quite high here. Although their levels are slightly higher, it is a good place to level up. Why don't you level up with us? It would be much faster than leveling up by yourself."

Chapter 85 - Birdman

Gentle Snow's invite caused both Zhao Yueru and Xiao Yue'er to pay attention.

Shi Feng's strength must definitely be great. However, they have never specifically seen him in action, so they were extremely curious about his capabilities. They wanted to experience the strength of the rumored Chief Forger of Star-Moon Kingdom.

"Right! Join our party, Big Brother Black Flame! Our party members are all very skilled, so our leveling efficiency will be a lot higher," Xiao Yue'er said from the side.

Zhao Yueru sent a glare towards Xiao Yue'er. The girl actually made the statement before she could.

Xiao Yue'er hid behind Gentle Snow, cutely sticking her little tongue out at Zhao Yueru.

Zhao Yueru stamped her feet in anger, causing her chest to bounce indefinitely. If it were not for Black Flame being present, she would have taught this little girl a lesson right this instant.

Although the beauties were filled with interest in Shi Feng's strength, the remaining two male players had their fighting spirits raised instead. Just what did Shi Feng possess to earn the attention of the three beauties? Suddenly, a heart of competition grew within them. They looked at Shi Feng with a provocative expression, not believing that they were any worse than Shi Feng.

Regarding these provocative glances, Shi Feng paid no attention to them. He said in a low tone, "Thank you for your kind intentions, Miss Snow. However, I have a Quest that I need to do here, so I can't level up with everyone."

"A Quest, is it?" Gentle Snow was slightly shocked. This place was a Level 8 monster area, so she was extremely curious about this Quest Shi Feng possessed. However, trying to ask about someone else's secret would be impolite, so she formally said, "Then, we won't disturb you anymore. If you need help, just ask. Although we don't know how much help we could be, we will still try our best to assist you."

Shi Feng smiled faintly when he heard Gentle Snow's offer. It was naturally good news that there was someone willing to help him. It would not be an easy task entering the Steel Fortress Barrutia. There would definitely be monsters there, and it would take Shi Feng a long time to deal with them by himself. If there were such a powerful party helping him, then he would be able to save a lot of time.

"That's great! I need to go to a certain place. However, there are a lot of monsters there, so it won't be easy for me to enter by myself. Can you all help me clear the area?" Shi Feng implored.

Originally, Gentle Snow was still thinking of a way to deepen the relationship between them and Shi Feng. Never would she have thought that Shi Feng would actually take the initiative to ask them for help. Gentle Snow quickly said, "Okay, I'll invite you to the party. You lead the way."

Shi Feng accepted the invite, joining Gentle Snow's party.

Under Shi Feng's guidance, the party of players quickly arrived at the core region of Physis Canyon.

"We'll arrive after passing through this forest. However, the number of Birdmen here is very high. They are all living up in the trees and are hard to detect, so you all have to pay attention to the Birdmen descending at any time. If they catch you in their talons, they will carry you high up into the air, then throw you your death," Shi Feng informed as he walked.

"It's just a bunch of Birdmen. What's there to be afraid of? Watch how we'll take care of these Birdmen," the Shield Warrior of the party clapped his chest, speaking in a disdainful tone.

Shi Feng spoke no more, only silently pushed aside the tree leaves that hindered his path.

However, Gentle Snow was not careless. Instead, she commanded, "Everyone, pay attention to the air above. Protect the healer."

"Yes!"

The two male players immediately turned serious, not daring to be careless. They tightly guarded Xiao Yue'er's sides. As long as Xiao Yue'er survived, she would be able to revive them after leaving the battle. That way, the EXP and skill proficiency lost would be massively reduced.

As expected, not a moment later, four white-feathered Birdmen descended from the treetops. The sharp talons on both of their feet shot down with shocking speed, like an eagle hunting its prey, catching the male Ranger in an instant. The remaining party members reacted quickly, either using their weapons to block the talons or avoiding them completely.

"Get rid of them! Yueru, attack the Birdman that caught Little Song! Yue'er, stay in the back!" Gentle Snow shouted orders. She used Whirlwind Slash on two Birdmen; however, the two Birdmen reacted very quickly, avoiding the attack by flying up into the air. Following which, Gentle Snow used Charge, running to save the male Ranger named Little Song.

Although the twin daggers in Little Song's hands constantly retaliated, the talons of the Birdman were too hard. No matter what he did, he could not hack away the talons gripping his shoulders. Although he wanted to attack the Birdman directly, his position prevented him from landing a hit on the monster's body. He could only helplessly dangle, slowly rising into the air.

Zhao Yueru used a Flame Explosion on the Level 9 Birdman's wings, causing -53 damage. The flames burned away some of the Birdman's feathers, causing the Birdman to plummet from the sky instantly. Gentle Snow was already waiting down below by the time the Birdman landed. She directed a Cleave at the Birdman's neck, sending the Birdman and its prey flying with the attack and causing -61 damage.

Facing the Level 9 Birdman, Zhao Yueru and Gentle Snow dealing such a high amount of damage despite the level difference of 4 Levels was quite good.

The injured Birdman looked pitiful. However, Birdmen had a total of 1,000 HP. Just this amount of damage was nothing to it. It would be better again after rubbing some spit on its wounds.

Moreover, it was the first time Gentle Snow and the others dealt with the attack patterns of flying monsters. They did not know any effective attack patterns and battle techniques.

Although Gentle Snow's party managed to save the Ranger, they were still at a disadvantage against the four Birdmen hovering in the sky. Aside from Gentle Snow and Zhao Yueru, who managed to deal over 50 damage to the Birdmen, the damages dealt by the Ranger and the Shield Warrior did not exceed 20. However, it was not because they were weak, but because the Birdmen were wearing Leather Armor; their Defense was not low. In addition to the level suppression, the two male players would be unable to deal any significant damage.

"What is this brat trying to do? He still hasn't helped out after all this time. He is even watching from the side. Is he just a paper tiger!?" the Shield Warrior, unable to stand by idly and watch, ridiculed Shi Feng in a soft tone.

However, just as the Shield Warrior finished speaking, Shi Feng took action.

With an abrupt leap, Shi Feng jumped past the trees, arriving in the treetops. Now that Shi Feng's Agility had reached 40 points, in addition to activating the Hidden Skill, Flying Steps, he was able to leap around the treetops effortlessly like a martial arts expert. His swords then landed on the Birdmen flying in midair, one after another.

Every slash from Shi Feng's swords caused -160 damage, at least triple the amount of what Gentle Snow and the others dealt.

This caused the Shield Warrior and Ranger to shut their mouths immediately.

Xiao Yue'er watched Shi Feng leaping around the forest with a face filled with admiration, both her eyes glistening radiantly.

Zhao Yueru, as well, was slightly captivated. Black Flame was definitely not like some person who had dog-shit luck.

Only Gentle Snow remained very calm. However, Shi Feng's way of battle had truly given her some enlightenment. She felt that her previous ways of battling were inflexible, unable to accommodate different situations. However, she was not to blame for this. The previous virtual reality games that were available did not contain such a flexible battle styles. It would not be easy for her to change in such a short period.

A short moment later, four of the hovering Birdmen fell dead. Their bodies fell heavily to the ground, dropping several Copper Coins and some Light Feathers.

"Let's go." Shi Feng sheathed his pair of swords after landing on the ground. He then walked in the direction of his destination.

"Big Brother Black Flame, don't walk so quickly! Teach me how to battle as well, alright?" Xiao Yue'er excitedly chased after Shi Feng, hugging Shi Feng's arm and shaking it.

"This is a technique for Melee Jobs. You don't need to learn it as a Cleric." Shi Feng did not think that Xiao Yue'er would be so easy-going and unrestrained. She was completely different from the distinguished person she would be several years later.

"You little girl! Just a moment and you're already making trouble! Didn't Big Brother Black Flame already say it? You're not suited for it!" Zhao Yueru pulled Xiao Yue'er away, panting in rage. Unconsciously, the way she referred to Shi Feng had changed as well, suddenly becoming much more intimate.

Chapter 86 - mechanical army

Watching Shi Feng's back, Gentle Snow grit her teeth. When she thought about the horrifying amount of damage Shi Feng previously dealt and his extraordinary battle methods, she suddenly felt Shi Feng was even more opaque to her than before.

She knew all of the top-tier experts in the virtual gaming world. However, she had never heard of a top-tier expert such as Black Flame.

The equipment she was currently wearing could be considered the pinnacle amongst the current players. Both she and Shi Feng were Level 5, as well. However, the difference in their damage was actually so large. Just how excellent was Shi Feng's equipment? Could it be that he was wearing a full set of Level 5 Mysterious-Iron Set Equipment?

What Gentle Snow did not know was that the Silvermoon Set Equipment Shi Feng wore was the best Set Equipment for Swordsmen below Level 10. Its Attributes were much better than Level 5 Mysterious-Iron Set Equipment. In addition, Shi Feng possessed a Magic Weapon and a Secret-Silver Weapon. Also, because of the effects of the Abyssal Blade, Shi Feng could deal damage to the Birdmen while ignoring the level suppression. So, his damage would naturally be extremely high.

On their way through the forest, the number of Birdmen they met constantly grew. However, even if they were to face more than ten Birdmen at a time, these Birdmen would still be killed off very quickly. Such a result was because of Shi Feng's horrifying damage in addition to the Shield Warrior holding off the monsters and Gentle Snow and the others becoming more familiar with the battles.

The leveling efficiency of Gentle Snow's party right now was much higher than before Shi Feng joined them.

Half an hour later, Shi Feng and the others finally arrived at the Ruined Lands.

Although it was called the Ruined Lands, in reality, it was just a gigantic crater. Cave systems of various depths and sizes could be found inside the crater. If one entered deep into a cave, they would easily become lost within it.

"Big Brother Black Flame, is this the place where you have to do your Quest?" Zhao Yueru moved closer to Shi Feng's side, flipping her fine black hair and asking in a soft tone.

After being in such a close range with the Witch, Zhao Yueru, and seeing deep cleavage revealed by her red robes, it was impossible for Shi Feng not to have thoughts about it. Even if he did not possess any evil intentions, it became much harder for him to pretend to be profound now.

"En. We'll reach it once we go down this path. However, there are too many Birdmen circling in the sky, so won't be easy to get over there." Shi Feng deliberately shifted his gaze to a side, watching the sky above the canyon that led towards the large crater.

The Shield Warrior and Ranger no longer belittled Shi Feng's reminder this time. Instead, they held a hint of reverence towards Shi Feng now. Taking precautions, they looked towards the Birdmen in the sky. On the way to this place, it was only thanks to Shi Feng that the two of them did not end up dead.

Watching Shi Feng take the first step, entering the narrow canyon, a faint smile appeared on Zhao Yueru's face. She kept on having a familiar feeling when she looked at Shi Feng. This was the first time she felt this sort of sensation. Soon after, Zhao Yueru followed Shi Feng tightly into the canyon.

Gentle Snow only smiled sweetly at this scene. How could she not know Zhao Yueru's thoughts? There were extremely few situations where Zhao Yueru was interested in a man in such a way. Of course, if Zhao Yueru could enchant Shi Feng, pulling him into Ouroboros, that, too, would be advantageous.

Although there were a lot of Birdmen in the canyon, Gentle Snow's party had become increasingly familiar with dealing with these monsters.

It was especially true for Gentle Snow. She was a genius. She had already learned Shi Feng's battle methods after only seeing them a few times. She used the cliff walls to jump back and forth, and every time she brandished her blade, she would strike a Birdman from the air, sending it to the ground. Moreover, she was able to dodge and avoid the talons and fierce attacks of the Birdmen in midair. Even without Shi Feng's help, Gentle Snow's party could get rid of all theses Birdmen.

After continuously killing several hundred Birdmen, a flash of golden light appeared around Shi Feng's body. He had finally reached Level 6, catching up to those leveling madmen.

In order to equip the Dark Pursuer's Cape a little earlier, Shi Feng placed all of his Attribute Points into Agility. If he were to level up the Abyssal Blade to Level 5, he might even be able to equip the Dark Pursuer's Cape at Level 8.

"He's Level 6 already?" Gentle Snow looked over at Shi Feng. She did not imagine that his leveling speed would be so swift. She had been killing monsters to level up without stop, yet, she was currently still 23% away from reaching Level 6. Meanwhile, Shi Feng clearly busied himself with a variety of things, yet, he could still reach Level 6 before her.

However, when she thought about how Shi Feng could kill monsters of a higher level with such ease, it was no wonder he could level up so quickly.

"You want to go to that place? The number of monsters there is just too high. Amongst them, there are even quite a lot of Level 9 Elites and Level 10 Special Elites. Are you sure you want to enter?" After arriving at the deeper regions of the large crater, Gentle Snow suddenly discovered that the place was filled with wandering Mechanical Golems. She could not figure out just what kind of Quest Shi Feng had received that actually had such a high difficulty. Even if Shi Feng were even more powerful than he was now, it was absolutely impossible for him to enter that place.

The Mechanical Golems were around a person's height.

[Mechanical Golem] (Common Monster)

Level 9

HP 1,500/1,500

The Mechanical Warriors were double the size of the Mechanical Golems, and their hands were holding a blade and shield.

[Mechanical Warrior] (Elite Monster)

Level 9

HP 3,000/3,000

The Mechanical Knights were the most terrifying of them all. They rode Mechanical Horses, and they held long pikes. They were over 6 meters tall, just like a two-storied building.

[Mechanical Knight] (Special Elite)

Level 10

HP 7,000/7,000

In the deepest parts of this horde of Mechanical monsters, there was a pair of tightly shut steel gates. However, the number of Mechanical Puppets and Mechanical Warriors was just too ridiculous. Just from a simple glance, Gentle Snow estimated over 800 of them. Moreover, in the deepest parts, there were over a hundred Mechanical Knights tightly guarding the front of the steel gates. Clearing all of those Mechanical Knights without a thousand-man Elite army was only a pipe dream.

The amount of these Mechanical monsters simply caused one despair. Even being more than a hundred yards away from these Mechanical monsters frightened Zhao Yueru and the others.

The Mechanical army would be unparalleled if they were to rush over altogether. The army would be able to annihilate Zhao Yueru and the others instantly.

"Big Brother Black Flame, are you really going to go? You will definitely die." Even though Zhao Yueru was confident in her party's strength, just based on the standards of their Level 5 party, clearing the surrounding Mechanical Golems and Mechanical Warriors was already a huge problem, not to mention the Mechanical Knights. A single Mechanical Knight might be enough to get rid of them all, let alone facing a hundred of them.

"Eh, I must go there. However, we need to clear these Golems and Warriors, which are just hindrances, first," Shi Feng nodded his head.

"Then, let's slowly lure them over and kill them, clearing the way bit by bit." Gentle Snow had already promised Shi Feng that they would spare no effort in helping him. Naturally, she would not shrink back now. Moreover, this place was quite good for leveling up. After killing so many Birdmen on the way here, they gained quite a lot of Common Equipment and materials. If they were to clear all these Mechanical Warriors, their gains should be even greater. It was just that the strength of the Mechanical Warriors was still an unknown to them.

"Then, I'll lure them over one by one," Zhao Yueru volunteered. It was easiest for a ranged player to lure monsters. Moreover, based on her skills, even if the monsters were tightly packed together, she would still be able to lure only two to three of them over. Their party would also be able to dispose of the monsters easily.

"Hold on," Shi Feng suddenly pulled Zhao Yueru back.

"Is there something wrong?" Zhao Yueru asked.

The others looked towards Shi Feng, puzzled. Could it be that Shi Feng did not believe in Zhao Yueru's skills?

Shi Feng was very clear with the difficulty of this place. However, Zhao Yueru and the others did not know that these Mechanical monsters were all weapons of war made by the Dwarven civilization. If Zhao Yueru were to go and lure the monsters without knowing this, it would only lead to a party-wipe.

"The Mechanical monsters are extremely troublesome to deal with. Their agro range is extremely wide. There is no need to mention their Defense and Attack Power. If you were to try and lure one, at least ten more would follow. With the level suppression, we will definitely be unable to take on that many of them at once. I have another idea. Which one of you here has a Movement Speed of over 14 points?"

"My Movement Speed is 17. Little Song has also reached 14 points," Gentle Snow answered even though she did not understand why Shi Feng asked such a question.

"You and Little Song both use a Speed Scroll. In a moment, lure all of the surrounding Mechanical monsters and gather them in a single location. Then, leave the rest to me." Shi Feng took out two Speed Scrolls. With these items, based on the Mechanical monsters' speed, the Mechanical monsters would definitely be unable to catch up to the two of them.

After associating with Shi Feng for some time, Gentle Snow knew that Shi Feng was not one to spout nonsense. He definitely must have his own reasonings. Hence, she and Little Song both used the Speed Scrolls, the two of them starting to lure the monsters from both sides.

Chapter 87 - flame blade dance

Gentle Snow and Little Song started luring monsters from two sides. Before they even came close to the 30-yard range, the monsters discovered the two of them. The monsters' eyes flashed a red glow, all of them turning their heads and staring at the intruders.

"Alert! Alert! Intruders detected!"

After the alarm rang out, all of the Mechanical Golems and Mechanical Warriors within a 40-yard radius were alerted. The surrounding Mechanical monsters locked onto the two players, and within a moment, the two were being chased by hundreds of Mechanical Golems and Mechanical Warriors.Zhao Yueru was secretly shocked at seeing this. Fortunately, she did not rashly act and lure the monsters. Otherwise, they would definitely party-wipe."Big Brother Black Flame, there won't be a problem luring the monsters in such a way, right?" Zhao Yueru saw that Gentle Snow and Little Song were both being chased closely after by the Mechanical army. If they had not run away in time, they might have already been dead by now.

"Relax. With the Speed Scroll in effect, these Mechanical monsters won't be able to catch up to them," Shi Feng said confidently.

After some time, as expected, not a single one of the Mechanical monsters caught up to the two. Everything happened just as Shi Feng predicted. After luring all the surrounding Mechanical monsters, the two of them circled the large, empty crater, while the Mechanical Golems and Mechanical Warriors chased them without stop.

The two of them were very adept at luring monsters. Within a short moment, they had merged the two waves of Mechanical monsters into a single wave.

Inwardly, Zhao Yueru was speechless. She, too, had a Speed Scroll. However, this item was just too expensive. Even if it was her party members, each of them only possessed one Speed Scroll for the purpose of saving their own lives. She never imagined that Shi Feng could easily take out two of them. Moreover, he was only using it to lure monsters. It was truly an extravagant use.However, it was true that, with this added Speed Scroll, the two of them were able to lure all of the monsters safely.

Now, though, the real problem had arrived. After luring so many monsters, how were they going to deal with them?

They did not possess any AOE magic, and even if they did, they would not dare to use it. Doing so would cause disorder to the control of Hatred, as their MT did not learn an advanced skill such as Crowd Mock. At that time, everyone would just die.

Shi Feng naturally knew the question everyone was thinking. However, he only revealed a mysterious smile as he walked forward.

"In ten seconds, both of you lure all the monsters to the center," Shi Feng said in the party chat.

"Understood," Gentle Snow answered.Finished speaking, Shi Feng took out a delicate, dark red scroll, then spreading it open in one go. Incantations were written throughout the inside of the scroll. Just the light coming from the incantations was enough to cause the fire mana in the surroundings to surge.

After seeing this, even an amateur would know that the item Shi Feng took out was not simple.

As an Elementalist, Zhao Yueru's face was filled with shock. Just what kind of Magic Scroll was this? The Magic Scrolls sold by the Magic Shops were definitely unable to create such a feat. Just the incantations alone were enough to cause the fire mana of the surrounding area to gather quickly, becoming incomparably violent.

Such a gathering of fire mana was even stronger than the Fire Dragon's Roar she used by several times. If Shi Feng were to release it, who knew how strong it would be?At this moment, Shi Feng activated the Magic Scroll and pulled out the Abyssal Blade.

Suddenly, the fire mana collected above the Magic Scroll poured down like mercury, and streak after streak of flames over ten meters in length penetrated the Abyssal Blade. Magnificent flames then burst out of the Abyssal Blade's form, suddenly transforming into a sword of flame. It faintly released the cry of a phoenix, resounding throughout the surroundings.

Naturally, everyone noticed such a vast and mighty power.

Nobody thought Shi Feng would actually still have such a hidden ace in the hole.

In fact, Shi Feng did not wish to use this Tier 2 Magic Scroll. He would have one less after every use. Moreover, Shi Feng had only harvested four such items from all of Moonlight Forest. Now that he had used one, he only had three remaining.

At this time, Gentle Snow and Little Song had already lured all of the Mechanical monsters to the central region of the crater. They then ran towards Shi Feng.

The Mechanical monsters were coming in closer and closer, 40 yards... 30 yards... 20 yards... 10 yards... However, Shi Feng had still not taken any action. He was only standing there, silently, with his hand holding the dazzling and burning-hot sword.

Just as Gentle Snow and Little Song ran past Shi Feng, Shi Feng abruptly took action, slashing out his burning blade.Tier 2 Magic, Flame Blade Dance!In the blink of an eye, Shi Feng's slash released countless crimson flames. The scorching flames were like an ocean, instantly swallowing the entire Mechanical army. The cone-shaped flames burned everything in a 60-yard distance to ash.

Even if the Mechanical Warriors had 3,000 HP, they were still unable to withstand the damage from this move as they all turned into a pile of scrap metal.Meanwhile, Shi Feng's experience abruptly increased by a large chunk, rising to 37% of Level 6. The other party members had also broken through from Level 5, one after another, all of them reaching Level 6. Their leveling speed was just too awesome.Everyone's gazes then went towards the loot littering the ground, joy immediately rushing up to their heads. Shi Feng was just too awesome! He used a single move to kill Level 9 Elite monsters instantly. Although he depended on an external item to do so, being able to obtain such an item was still proof of his ability.

If they were to go through this process again several more times, they would be able to reach Level 10 at any minute!

At this moment, Gentle Snow, as well, was rejoicing at her choice to aid Shi Feng in his Quest. Just the EXP they obtained alone profited them big time."Big Brother Black Flame, what kind of Scroll did you use? It was actually so powerful," Zhao Yueru blinked her eyes at Shi Feng, asking curiously.

"A Tier 2 Magic Scroll," Shi Feng casually said."Big Brother Black Flame, where can I buy it?" Zhao Yueru was captivated by the this Magic Scroll after seeing its destructive capabilities. It would be worth it even if she had to spend 10 Silver Coins to buy one.

Shi Feng shook his head, saying with a smile, "This item can't be bought. It will only appear by chance when opening a high-grade Treasure Chest."

"Oh..." Zhao Yueru was slightly disappointed.Shi Feng might have spat out blood if he knew Zhao Yueru thought of buying the Tier 2 Magic Scroll for only 10 Silver Coins.

Nobody would sell a Tier 2 Magic Scroll. That was because this item was just too valuable. If used at a crucial point, it was possible to create a comeback situation. In Shi Feng's previous life, there were many large Guilds who offered two to three Gold Coins for Tier 2 Magic Scrolls but still failed to purchase any.

If it were not due to the importance of this Quest, Shi Feng would not have been willing to use this Scroll.

Gentle Snow originally wished to find out more about the Magic Scroll, as this item was truly too useful. However, after hearing Shi Feng's tone, it was clear that he was feeling heartache over having used the item. Even the rich and overbearing Chief Forger was feeling heartache. One could just imagine how rare this item was.

However, when Gentle Snow heard that she could obtain such an item from a high-grade Treasure Chest, she thought to herself that she would let the players from her Guild make a note of it.

Following which, everyone else started cleaning up the loot. There were plenty of Elite monsters amongst the over eight hundred Mechanical monsters, so there were many items dropped. Amongst them, there was no lack of Level 7 to Level 8 Common Equipment. There were even over thirty pieces of Bronze Equipment and several skill books.

"You killed all these monsters, and we were not of much help. So, we won't be taking any of the equipment or skill books." Gentle Snow traded all the items to Shi Feng after she finished arranging the loot.

However, the Shield Warrior started drooling when he looked at all the equipment for MTs. He was extremely reluctant to part with them. However, he also did not dare have any objections to give everything to Shi Feng."You all helped out quite a lot. Let's split according to Job requirements. As for these skill books, I'll be taking them." Shi Feng only kept all of the skill books because he discovered a special skill, Precision Throw, amongst them. This skill was extremely useful to him. As for the Bronze Equipment, they were worth but a few Gold Coins, so they were not as valuable to him. The equipment he was currently wearing was the Silvermoon Set Equipment. Shi Feng did not plan on changing equipment while he was below Level 10. As for Blackie and the others, he would obtain equipment that would better suit them.

Although the equipment did not serve much purpose to Shi Feng, they were very useful to Gentle Snow.

"I would feel embarrassed if I were to accept them vainly. How about I purchase all of them? I currently don't have enough game Coins on hand. Could I pay using Credits?" Gentle Snow, not wishing to owe Shi Feng a favor, softly asked.

"Paying with Credits is fine as well," Shi Feng was naturally very willing.

In a short moment, Gentle Snow had transferred 50,000 Credits to Shi Feng, enriching Shi Feng quite a lot once more."What about the remaining Mechanical Knights? Are you going to use a Magic Scroll again?" Gentle Snow looked towards the over a hundred Mechanical Knights guarding the large gate, asking in anticipation."A Tier 2 Magic Scroll can't get rid of them. Moreover, I don't need to kill them to enter into that place. I just need to lure them away." When Shi Feng heard Gentle Snow saying so, his forehead couldn't help but sweat. Tier 2 Magic Scrolls weren't just some kind of cabbage he could waste."Leave it to me, then." Gentle Snow looked at the terrain and entered into deep thought. She felt that there should be no problem in accomplishing the task.

"Here are some Speed Scrolls and Return Scrolls. As long as you run out of the crater, they will not continue chasing. After leaving the battle, you all can use the Return Scrolls to leave this place," Shi Feng explained and took out several Scrolls.

Seeing that they were about to part from each other, Zhao Yueru felt unwillingness in her heart. She did not know why, but she could feel a sense of ease and security when she was with Shi Feng."Big Brother Black Flame, let's add each other as friends! We're going to enter a Level 5 Dungeon tomorrow, so how about you come and join us?" Zhao Yueru suddenly said.Gentle Snow was faintly astonished. She looked at Zhao Yueru with a helpless smile. However, she felt that this was not really a bad choice. With Shi Feng around, their chances of clearing the Level 5 Dungeon would be even greater.

"Er..." Shi Feng did not think that this Witch would actually want to add him as a friend. Moreover, she even invited him to dive into a Dungeon. This behavior of hers right now was just way too different from before.

"We can add each other as friends, but I have some things to do tomorrow. We'll dive into a Dungeon together when I have time in the future," Shi Feng tactically rejected the invitation. After all, he couldn't suddenly multiply himself into two people. As for the matter of adding each other as friends, Shi Feng possessed another independent circle of friends after donning the Demon Mask. So, others would not be able to discover any issues.

"Let us add each other as friends then," Zhao Yueru softly bit her lips. She was slightly disappointed that she would not be able to dive into a Dungeon with Shi Feng immediately. However, it was still good that she could add him as a friend. She would be able to contact him more easily in the future.

System: Do you wish to accept Flaming Moon's friend request?

Shi Feng hit accept, and the name Flaming Moon entered Black Flame's Friend Window.

Afterward, Shi Feng headed towards the left side of the gate.

At this moment, Gentle Snow had already arrived at the gate's right side, prepared to lure the Mechanical Knights."Elder Sister Yueru, let us leave first. We can just leave the rest to Elder Sister Snow," Xiao Yue'er softly said when she noticed that Zhao Yueru remained motionless."I got it." Zhao Yueru, after taking another glance at Shi Feng's back, turned around and left.

Seeing that Shi Feng was ready, Gentle Snow activated the Speed Scroll and rushed at the Level 10 Mechanical Knights.

Halfway there, the eyes of Mechanical Knights in front of the large gate shone brightly. Their enormous bodies started moving, and all of them had their eyes focused on Gentle Snow. Gentle Snow immediately halted her steps. She then turned around and escaped.The Mechanical Knights bellowed in rage as they moved their large figures, chasing after Gentle Snow.

Only when all of the Mechanical Knights left did Shi Feng hastily run towards the large steel gates.

Although Gentle Snow had lured the Mechanical Knights away, the amount of time they could be lured was limited. Moreover, they would not fall for the same trick the next time, so Shi Feng had to seize the opportunity.

Arriving at the large gate, Shi Feng found a moss-covered keyhole. He then inserted the broken obsidian crystal given to him by Blackbeard. The fortress' key had already been stored away for almost a millennium. Blackbeard also mentioned that the key might not be able to open the gates. However, it was still worth a try.

Chapter 88 - advancing to intermediate rank

After inserting the obsidian key, there was no reaction from the steel gate. It was still as unmoving as ever.

At this moment, a message arrived from Gentle Snow. She told Shi Feng that the Mechanical Knights had suddenly stopped chasing her and were quickly returning.

"Crap, it can't be, right? The key really doesn't work?" In a fit of rage, Shi Feng abruptly sent a punch towards the keyhole.

Since he could not use the simplest way to enter, then he could only use the more dangerous method to enter.

Di... Di... Di...

Suddenly, a dazzling golden light radiated out from the keyhole. Countless energy runes flashed on the pair of three-storied gates. After which, the gates slowly opened, letting out ear-piercing creaking sounds.

Seeing that the Mechanical Knights had already hurried over, while a gap fit for a person had opened between the pair of gates...

Without hesitation, Shi Feng pulled out the obsidian key, and the gates stopped moving instantly. Following which, Shi Feng squeezed himself through the gap between the gates.

System: You have discovered the Steel Fortress Barrutia.

The two-storied tall Mechanical Knights tried to rush in through the gates. However, the gap between the gates was just too narrow for them to pass through. In addition to the gate's immense weight, the Mechanical Knights could only bombard attacks at the gate outside. Unfortunately, their actions were not one bit useful.

"I'm inside." After Shi Feng sent a message to Gentle Snow, he carefully headed forward along the gigantic steel pathway.

On the other side of the Ruined Lands...

"Snow, how is he?" waiting by the side, Zhao Yueru asked when she saw Gentle Snow running in her direction.

"No problems. He's already inside.

"However, this Quest is truly dangerous. I've roughly estimated the Mechanical Knight's strength just now, and I've discovered that these Mechanical Knights are completely different than other Special Elites. They can swiftly block my attacks, in addition to instantly returning with a counter attack. If it wasn't for my quick reaction, I might have died just now."

"If we do not possess a skill that could continuously deal large amounts of damage, even if we could kite them around, we would still be helpless against these Mechanical Knights. Instead, we would just be piling up our own corpses." Gentle Snow sat down and took out some refreshments, eating and drinking to recover. Currently, her mind filled with the battle scenes from before. It was truly a thrilling situation. Just by receiving the shockwave, which resulted from the Mechanical Knight's pike striking the ground, she lost over 200 HP. If the weapon hit her directly, the consequences would be inconceivable.

After listening to Gentle Snow's words, for reasons unknown, Zhao Yueru released a relieved breath.

"Alright, stop dreaming. We'll be grinding Birdmen in the canyon. The loot and experience here are quite good, so we should be able to quickly surpass those top-tier experts," After recovering, Gentle Snow stood up and commanded.

Meanwhile, inside the Steel Fortress, Shi Feng was advancing carefully. Signs of rust and corrosion covered every inch inside the fortress. There were only flashing fragments of light inside, barely allowing Shi Feng to see the path clearly.

After walking for quite some distance, Shi Feng did not discover any danger. There was only the occasional sound of dripping water and the rumbling sounds of machines operating. Even though more than a millennium had passed, a majority of the machinery here still functioned normally. One could clearly see just how advanced the techniques the Dwarven civilization possessed were.

After passing through the large hallway, Shi Feng arrived at an area with a humongous smelting furnace. The surrounding steel walls around the furnace were linked together with steel stairs, and at the bottom of the furnace was an endlessly deep pool of water.

However, Shi Feng did not head along the stairs towards the next exit. Instead, he leaped and jumped towards the pool.

Halfway down, Shi Feng activated Gravity Liberation. His falling speed sharply reduced, his body slowly descending like a feather.

During his descent, Shi Feng suddenly noticed a passage on the walls. The passage could barely allow a person to enter. However, the information Shi Feng had collected in his previous life did not mention such a passage. Hence, Shi Feng slowly floated over, accurately landing in the hidden passageway.

"There is actually a Treasure Chest here! Did none of those people notice it last time?" Shi Feng discovered that, in the deepest part of the passageway, there was a large pitch black steel chest. Many runes were carved onto the chest, and a glance was enough to tell it was not just a simple chest.

After observing it in detail, Shi Feng determined that the chest was a Mysterious-Iron Treasure Chest. However, Shi Feng did not rush to open the Treasure Chest. Instead, he used Phantom Kill, allowing his doppelganger to go over and take a look.

Just as the doppelganger started activating the Treasure Chest, the surrounding steel walls shot out countless flying arrows. The doppelganger was killed in an instant, giving Shi Feng a scare. Fortunately, Shi Feng had made it a habit to be cautious and prudent when in God's Domain. Otherwise, he would have really died.

Such types of traps were normally one-time uses. However, Shi Feng did not rush. In any case, the chest wouldn't run away, so he might as well wait until Phantom Kill's Cooldown finished, then use his doppelganger to open the Treasure Chest.

This time, the doppelganger had managed to open the Treasure Chest safely. With no more dangers present, Shi Feng walked over to the Chest and took out its contents.

Inside, there was a Mysterious-Iron ranked Blackstone Shield. It was absolutely a top-tier Level 10 Shield.

[Blackstone Shield] (Mysterious-Iron Rank)

Level 10

Equipment Requirement: Strength 25

Defense +69

Defend Rate 29%

Strength +7, Endurance +10

HP +200

After equipping, all damage received from the front will be reduced by 10%.

There was also a Mysterious-Iron Mastery Book. When used, players would randomly receive 10 to 50 Free Mastery Points. This item was several times rarer than the Blackstone Shield. That was because Mastery Points could last a player forever, while the Blackstone Shield could not.

"Hopefully my luck won't be too bad," Shi Feng slightly prayed before selecting to use the Mastery Book.

Following which, the System started displaying a pile of random numbers ranging from 10 to 50. As long as Shi Feng yelled 'Stop,' the final number to appear would be the number of Mastery Points he would obtain. It was something similar to Russian Roulette.

In Shi Feng's previous life, many experts collected various kinds of Mastery Books to increase their Weapon Mastery. However, Mastery Books were just too rare, and even with money, one may not necessarily be able to buy it. Most players that obtained a Mastery Book would use it instead of selling it. After all, it was extremely hard to obtain a single Free Mastery Point.

Shi Feng had once seen a person who was fortunate enough to obtain a Fine-Gold Mastery Book. Many players looked at that person with immense envy, and some were even willing to spend a million Credits to buy the Mastery Book from that person. However, that person refused to sell and instead, used the Mastery Book for himself. The range of Free Mastery Points provided by the Fine-Gold Mastery Book was between 30 to 200. Originally, everyone thought this fellow had very good luck. However, that person only obtained 31 Free Mastery Points, in the end, becoming a laughing stock to everyone. The points he obtained was no better than a Mysterious-Iron Mastery Book.

Looking at the numbers constantly spinning, Shi Feng's heart madly thumped, not knowing what number would come out.

"Stop!" Shi Feng shouted.

The wheel of numbers abruptly halted, and Shi Feng peered open his eyes and took a look.

32 points.

A relatively good number. Shi Feng had just effortlessly obtained 32 Free Mastery Points, which was the equivalent of the Free Mastery Points he would obtain by leveling up to Level 20.

Shi Feng opened his One-handed Sword Mastery Window.

Currently, his One-handed Sword Mastery was still at 20 points, placing him at the level of Basic Apprentice Swordsman and increasing his Base Damage by 10%.

If including the 8 Free Mastery Points he obtained for leveling up to Level 5, and the 5 points he had remaining from before, he now had a total of 45 Free Mastery Points.

Shi Feng immediately added 30 Mastery Points to his One-handed Sword Mastery. Instantly, his One-handed Sword Mastery rose to the level of an Intermediate Apprentice Swordsman, increasing his Base Damage by 15%. As for becoming an Advanced Apprentice Swordsman, he was still 50 points away from doing so.

Although it was just a 5% increase in Base Damage, it should not be taken lightly. This Base Damage would be magnified many times after factoring in the bonuses from Skills. Often, the gap present between a top-tier expert and a normal expert was due to the difference in Base Damages. At this stage of the game, there might only be a fragment of experts who have reached Basic Mastery. Shi Feng had already reached Intermediate Mastery, leading them by a lot.

Just as Shi Feng was about to continue advancing deeper into the Steel Fortress, the fortress' alarm rang out.

Chapter 89 - Barrutia's core area

"Alert! Alert! There is an intruder in Area F! Activating self-defense system!"

Before Shi Feng could celebrate his gains, a bucket of cold water dumped over his head by this loud voice. He did not think that there would be such a trap after opening the Treasure Chest.

Just after arriving at the passage's exit, Shi Feng discovered that the passages leading to the other areas of the Steel Fortress were all sealed off, preventing him from entering. Meanwhile, the water level of the pool below started rising, and according to its speed, it would not be long before the passage flooded.

Without hesitation, Shi Feng took out a bottle of Underwater Breathing Potion, drinking it. The potion allowed players to breathe underwater for 20 minutes. Following which, Shi Feng immediately leaped into the pool, diving towards the deepest region.

After swimming down for over ten minutes, Shi Feng finally saw a dark passage. However, the water currents from there flowed rapidly, and it would not be easy for Shi Feng to approach the passage. After spending a long period, and drinking a second bottle of Underwater Breathing Potion, Shi Feng managed to crawl his way towards the passage entrance with much difficulty.

Following which, he was washed away by the rapidly flowing water, his body unable to move as the current continuously pushed him along the passageway. After flowing along the water currents for several minutes, Shi Feng was thrown out of the passage and landed in another large pool.

Near a wall of the large pool, some stairs spiraled upward. As long as he went up these stairs, he would arrive at the core of the fortress.

Shi Feng swam towards the stairway. He then looked at the time. It was almost 8 o'clock in the morning now, and since locating the Titan's Heart was not accomplishable in a short amount of time, Shi Feng immediately called out the System Interface and chose to log out.

Upon waking up early in the morning, the first thing Shi Feng did was train his body. This action had long since deeply ingrained in his bones.

However, he could clearly feel that his body was different from yesterday. His body no longer felt stiff, and instead, it felt extremely refreshed. The positive effects of the C-rank Nutrient Fluids he drank were evident. The fluid was slowly altering his body's condition.

Strike the iron while it's hot.

Shi Feng then started working out, doing sit-ups, pushups and other muscle-strengthening actions. After working out for over an hour, Shi Feng still did not feel tired. On the contrary, his body felt comfortably warm, as if there were an inexhaustible amount of energy within him.

However, he did not continue training his body. Instead, he went downstairs to have a meal. Desperately working out was not necessarily a good thing. It needed to be done in moderation, as overworking his body would only yield opposite effects.

After going through a night's struggle, the Gold Coins he sold and the Credits he obtained from Gentle Snow filled his current bank account with over 200,000 Credits. A night of his efforts was worth two months of salary of an executive from a big company. This was the power of God's Domain that had turned around the virtual economy. After a year, becoming rich overnight in God's Domain was not a strange affair whatsoever.

Unfortunately, not many enterprises had discovered this fact yet. By the time they did discover it, they would have lagged far behind those companies that invested in God's Domain in the beginning.

After eating, Shi Feng made a trip to the bank. He specifically retrieved 30,000 Credits, intending to buy the virtual reality helmets he rented. Otherwise, if he were to leave it and forget about it, he would eventually be forced out of the game. At that time, he would have to wait until the next working day before handling the necessary procedures and only after could he continue playing. Currently, the game was in a sprinting stage. If Shi Feng were to fall behind by a day, it would be extremely difficult for him to catch back up.

It was also a good chance for Shi Feng to invite Blackie out for a stroll. If Blackie always hid inside his dormitory, his body was bound to have problems.

There were very few people on the streets of the university early in the morning. There were only some sports societies doing their morning exercises, warming up for their work out later on. Watching these university students that radiated youth, Shi Feng felt an unreal feeling. It was as if the ten years he spent battling in God's Domain were just an illusion, an illusion that would vanish with just a touch.

Walking along the roadside, Shi Feng admired the university campus as he headed towards Blackie's dormitory. He was experiencing the sceneries on the campus that he paid no attention to in his previous life.

As he was about to enter into Blackie's dormitory, Shi Feng heard sounds of laughter coming from within.

"Blackie, weren't you extremely confident in getting into Shadow Workshop before? I've been waiting for you for several days now, so why haven't I seen you there yet?"

"Wu Yi, haven't I already said it before? I joined another Workshop, so I didn't participate in Shadow's test."

"Blackie, don't try to trick me. Where in the entire Jin Hai University is there another Workshop? What is it called? How many members does it have? Who established it? Can you tell me that? If they treat players well, I might even decide to join!"

Being asked in such a way, Blackie suddenly realized that Shi Feng did not actually tell him the name of their Workshop. As for the number of members... taking everything into account, there were exactly 6 people. Not to mention having a Workshop to play God's Domain, they possessed absolutely nothing right now and were even riddled with debt.

"Blackie, stop being obstinate. I know that you didn't pass Shadow's test. If it really is no good, then let Brother Wu plead for you. In any case, Brother Wu is currently an official member. Who knows; you might be able to become an outer member of Shadow. At the very least, you could continue playing God's Domain, and earning two thousand Credits a month should not be a problem. Don't forget, the trial period for the virtual gaming helmet is only ten days. After this period, you will not be able to continue playing the game," Blackie's fellow dorm mate sneered.

"It can't be, right? What kind of Workshop can't even afford an official virtual gaming helmet? Isn't that just too pitiful?" Wu Yi pretended to be shocked. He then clapped Blackie's shoulders, saying with a sigh, "Even the outer members of Shadow are given an official helmet. Official members even receive an advanced helmet that's worth 20,000 Credits. Your Workshop is just ripping you off. Who started the thing? I'll demand justice for you.

"Why don't you mingle with me from now on? I can guarantee that you'll obtain an official helmet. By the time I become a core member of Shadow, I guarantee that you'll be able to live in luxury. You should know that Young Master Lan has already invested five million Credits in Shadow. I heard that he has invested another two million now. If you enter Shadow, your future will be limitless."

"Wu Yi, I've already said it. I won't be joining. I'm currently getting by very well," Blackie quickly rejected.

"Blackie, you should know that there aren't many such chances. Shadow Workshop is the best Workshop in Jin Hai University. If it weren't for the fact that you're already Level 5 and we're classmates, I wouldn't even be looking for you." Wu Yi patiently persuaded, "You keep saying that you've joined some other Workshop, but you have to tell me at least the name, right? Must you keep lying to a classmate in such a way?

"What? Don't tell me that this Workshop doesn't even have a name?

"Even if it doesn't have a name, you must know which person established it, right? Nowadays, even nobodies dare to make Workshops, so you musn't be tricked. Shadow Workshop has an upright business sponsoring it, and there is also a contract to ensure that you won't starve to death at the very least."

Wu Yi was all praises about Shadow. It was as if one would become an elite in society just for entering Shadow Workshop, becoming the envy of others.

However, Blackie had long since seen through Shadow. He did not have even the slightest favorable opinion towards Shadow. He only blamed himself for having a big mouth, showing off to others that he had already risen to Level 5. As a result, the information was found out by Shadow Workshop, and they had sent Wu Yi, his classmate, to recruit him.

However, how could he so easily betray Shi Feng and join Shadow? He was only able to obtain all of his current achievements by relying on Shi Feng. Even if he had to suffer hardships right now, he still believed that Shi Feng would lead him towards the path of success.

At this stage of the game, all the Level 5 players were experts. To Shadow Workshop, which was currently lacking experts, Blackie was an alluring beauty. So, naturally, they were itching to try and recruit him, turning him into one of the their belongings.

At this moment, Shi Feng opened the door, taking a step into the room.

"I am the nobody that established the Workshop. I wonder what kind of opinion you have?" Shi Feng looked towards the robust Wu Yi, speaking coldly.

Chapter 90 - starting from zero

As Shi Feng entered and spoke...

"Who are you?"

Wu Yi was slightly startled, his eyes evaluating Shi Feng. Shi Feng wore a cheap-looking white-blue sporting wear. Although his imposing manner gave Wu Yi chills down his back, after seeing that Shi Feng was not even wearing a quantum watch on his wrist, a hint of disdain entered Wu Yi's eyes. In this day and age, even the slightly wealthier students all possessed quantum watches. Wu Yi determined that Shi Feng was not one of the wealthy children and that he was in a similar situation as Blackie.

"Brother Feng, why are you here?" Blackie's expression was slightly panicked. He was worried Shi Feng would misunderstand and think he was trying to job-hop, "Brother Feng, I really didn't seek out Shadow. I've also rejected them, but Wu Yi won't stop annoying me about it."

When Blackie's classmates saw him panicking and explaining, they were all puzzled at the identity of this new arrival.

Blackie had already risen to Level 5 in God's Domain, so he was definitely an expert. Many Workshops would fight over for him, treating him as an important guest. Even Shadow sent someone over to recruit Blackie. If the upper-echelons of Shadow met Blackie, they might also act very cordially and treat him with respect.

However, Blackie had respectfully addressed the stranger in front of them as Brother Feng, confusing them. Could the person in front of them be some famous person in their school? However, no matter how they wracked their brains, they could not think of such a person present in their university.

"I know," Shi Feng sent Blackie an expression that told him to be at ease. Shi Feng then looked towards the man named Wu Yi and laughingly said, "I'm called Shi Feng, and I am the nobody who established the Workshop you just mentioned. Didn't you wish to know the name of my Workshop?"

"I can tell it to you. The Workshop's name is Zero Wing. It means that everything has to start out from zero and to spread your wings and soar. If you don't have any other matters, please return and tell your boss not to try poaching the members of other Workshops. He is better off taking care of his own lands, lest they fall apart without him even knowing what happened."

Hearing Shi Feng saying so, Wu Yu couldn't help but reveal a sneer as he laughed.

"As expected, even a nobody knows how to start a Workshop. Why don't you take a look at yourself? Do you think you can start a Workshop just by announcing it?" Wu Yi narrowed his eyes, mocking, "Do you know how large our Shadow Workshop is? Do you know how many members our Shadow Workshop has? Do you know who is backing our Shadow Workshop? Do you know how much our Workshop has invested? Do you still think that we need to poach members from worthless Workshops like yours?

"Just based on the fact that you guys are still using the trial helmet to play the game shows how dirt poor you are. Did you think that, just by being full of zeal, you could establish yourselves in God's Domain and earn money? All the Workshops that have tried to establish themselves in God's Domain have at least invested several millions of Credits. Meanwhile, you have no money, no members, no facilities, and not even the most basic of assurance. So, what right do you have to compare to us, Shadow?

"If you kneel down and beg me right now, I might even put in a few good words to Brother Lan. If you pay up some ten or twenty thousand Credits, you might be able to join the Workshop. How about it? Think about it; this is a rare chance for you." Wu Yi smiled savagely. He then shifted his gaze to Blackie, coldly saying, "Shadow is already giving you a lot of respect by sending me here to recruit you. As long as you join, you'll immediately receive the treatment of being a core member, and your monthly salary will be at least 5,000 Credits. It is hundreds of times better than staying in a Workshop that is barely surviving."

When Blackie's several dorm mates heard of this treatment, all of them had expressions of shock on their faces. They did not think that playing God's Domain would be so rewarding. Compared to those city white-collar workers, Blackie's salary was much higher. Suddenly, the gazes they used to look at Blackie changed. They no longer looked down on him; rather, their gazes now filled with envy and admiration.

They were only several months away from graduating from the university. Right now, they were still having headaches over finding jobs. Meanwhile, Blackie had someone personally coming to his door to recruit him, and the other party had even offered a minimum monthly salary of 5,000. As the saying went, 'comparisons are odious.'

If they had known about this earlier, they would have properly played games and gave God's Domain a try. They might have even become experts. They would not have had to chase after girls for their four years in universities and been looked down upon by those girls. If they managed to earn money, beauties would be lined up for their choosing.

However, after listening to Wu Yi, Blackie, instead, started laughing. Wu Yi actually dared to make fun of the Workshop Shi Feng had started, calling it worthless, and even wanted to make Shi Feng kneel before him in order to join Shadow. He was retarded. _The Snow Goddess is even paying attention to Brother Feng, and she even wanted to recruit Shi Feng!_

Who was the Snow Goddess?

She was the Vice Captain of the first-rate Guild, Ouroboros. She was the publicly acknowledged Goddess of the virtual gaming world. Compared to Ouroboros, Shadow Workshop was not even worth a dime.

Seeing Wu Yi's mood sour, Blackie sneered at him and said, "Wu Yi, even if you exaggerate it to no end, my decision will remain unchanged. Although Zero Wing Workshop has just started, I believe that our future achievements will definitely be greater than Shadow's. I advise you to leave Shadow a little earlier and join our Zero Wing Workshop. I'll ask Brother Feng for a favor. If you kneel and apologize to him, who knows, you might even be able to become a member of Zero Wing!"

Blackie's dorm mates were shocked upon hearing him. His declaration confused them greatly. In the end, which Workshop was truly the awesome one?

Could it be that, nowadays, choosing the Workshop that couldn't even afford an official gaming helmet was the right choice?

"You... You are simply unreasonable!" Wu Yi was almost speechless with anger. Blackie actually used his own words to make fun of him. If it weren't for Brother Zhang instructing him that he definitely must invite Blackie, he would have long since left. It was against his expectations that Blackie would have a brain defect, throwing away a good future and insisting on mingling in a gutter-like place. "Blackie, I am only reminding you because I value talent. Our Shadow is currently trying to annex the 45th ranked Workshop in Jin Hai City, Hungry Wolves Workshop. When Shadow succeeds in doing so, we will rank at the top of all of Jin Hai City. If you were to miss this chance now, there would be no more chances for you in the future."

Wu Yi shot a glance at Shi Feng, coldly saying, "Meanwhile, your Workshop can't even afford the official gaming helmet. How do you plan to play God's Domain in the future? It would be better if you joined Shadow. A great future is awaiting you here."

Faced with such a brazen way of poaching people, even if Shi Feng's temper were much cooler, he would still get slightly angry.

Since they were fated to battle each other, then battle it was!

"Who said that our Workshop couldn't afford the official gaming helmet?" Shi Feng took out the 20,000 Credits from his pocket, casually throwing it on the table, saying, "I previously decided that starting a Workshop would be too sudden, and I was never able to decide which type of official gaming helmet I would buy. So, I was only using the trial helmet as a temporary replacement. However, today, I'm here to give Blackie the money to buy an advanced gaming helmet.

"But really, it's not that I'm trying to criticize Shadow, but aren't you guys being too cheap in poaching for people? The salary I'm giving Blackie is 20,000 Credits minimum. Your Shadow is so rich, and has invested so much, yet, the salary you're offering is only a minimum of 5,000 Credits?"

When Blackie saw the shining-white Credits on the table, he turned to look at Shi Feng astonished eyes. Nobody was more knowledgeable of Shi Feng's financial condition than he was, so how was he able to suddenly throw down 20,000 Credits? Could it be that... Shi Feng robbed a bank?

The others in the dormitory swallowed their saliva when they saw the Credits scattered across the table.

Usually, Blackie remained hidden and did not seem like anything special. They did not think that his monthly salary would be 20,000 Credits. It was no wonder why he refused to join Shadow Workshop. After all, Shadow was only offering him 5,000 Credits, four times less than his current earnings. Even an idiot would know which side to choose.

What was even more unthinkable was that Shi Feng, who was wearing a suit of cheaply-looking sportswear, was actually a Brother Tycoon.

Chapter 91 - going through thick and thin together

Looking at the Credits on the table, Wu Yi's complexion alternated between green and red. His face was gloomy to the degree of being able to squeeze water out.

How was this possible?!

Ignoring the credibility of the monthly salary of 20,000 Credits, just being able to toss down 20,000 Credits casually was not normal.

Wu Yi had seen many wealthy tycoons before, and his eyesight had never failed him before. The clothing that Shi Feng was currently wearing was not even worth 300 Credits, so how could Shi Feng possibly have that much money? Moreover, when he took it out, it was just so simple. He even casually threw it onto the table. This series of actions were not habits of an average person, and they were impossible fake. Only those tycoons that paid no heed to Credits would carry the action out in such a relaxed and comfortable manner.

What Wu Yi did not know was that Shi Feng was once the Guild Leader of Shadow. Throwing money away like dirt was just a small matter to him. He even spent tens of millions of Credits to poach a few Master-level Lifestyle players. During those times, he had thrown stack after stack of Credits onto the table, causing those Lifestyle players to worship him immediately.

Throwing out just 20,000 Credits was not even a warm-up for him.

"Humph! Just this amount of money is nothing. As long as you have the strength to join the upper-echelons of Shadow, a monthly salary of 50,000 to 60,000 Credits is just a small matter. Moreover, we have the support of Young Master Lan, so our funds are extremely abundant. Furthermore, the celebrities of our school have also joined Shadow. The 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th ranked students in the university's most recent fighting competition have all joined Shadow. These people are the true experts, and they could easily rise to fame in God's Domain. Meanwhile, what kind of true experts does your Workshop have?" Wu Yi pretended to be calm as he coldly snorted. However, he still could not help himself to steal a glance at the 20,000 Credits thrown on the table.

The basic wage for an official member of Shadow was just 3,000 to 5,000 Credits. Although it was slightly better than the salary of many university fresh graduates, there was still a limit. Such an amount was not enough for one to act carelessly.

"Wu Yi, we will deal with the matters of Zero Wing by ourselves. It is still not up to you to comment on our problems. If your boss wishes to annex our Workshop, first offer up a monthly salary of 100,000 or above, let me be Shadow's Vice Leader, and Brother Feng the Guild Leader. Otherwise, please return." Blackie was extremely irritated after hearing Wu Yi speak. He abruptly stood up and pointed towards the dormitory's entrance as he looked at Wu Yi with a disdainful smile. Blackie's performance was extremely arrogant and incomparably rampant. He held no regard for Shadow at all.

Was it amazing to have many members? Did being an expert in a fighting competition mean they could play well in God's Domain? If one had the ability, then they could hitch up a relationship with those first-rate Guilds. See if they pay any attention!

"Blackie, you better not regret this in the future. Shadow is fated to become a giant in Jin Hai City. When that time comes, don't even think about joining Shadow," Wu Yi left after speaking. He was determined to tell Brother Zhang and Young Master Lan about everything that had happened here, letting them take care of the ignorant Shi Feng and Blackie.

"Thanks for your worries, but I never eat the medicine of regret when I do something. Although Shadow is amazing, unfortunately, it isn't enough to enter my eyes." Blackie loudly declared, and almost everyone in the entire building could hear him speak.

Blackie's dorm mates were all stunned. When did Blackie become so awesome? He actually dared to let out such bombastic words, publicly rejecting the invitation of Shadow Workshop that's famous throughout the whole university. How many people dreamed of the job he rejected?

After Wu Yi left, Blackie instantly lost his previous heroism. His bum immediately landed in a chair, his heart silently lamenting that it was all over. Because of his momentary rampant emotions, he became hot-headed and made enemies out of Shadow. Wasn't this just making trouble for Zero Wing?

On the other hand, Shi Feng was extremely touched. As expected, Blackie was still the same in both his previous and current lives. In Shi Feng's previous life, Blackie had immediately resigned from his position without hesitation and followed Shi Feng. Now, this was a true brother. In Shi Feng's previous life, the countless people around him could only share the gains but not the pains. Shi Feng also knew what Blackie was currently worried about, so he clapped his hands and said in agreement, "Well said! In the struggles of the virtual gaming world, winning or losing can be changed in the blink of an eye. There are no such things as eternal winners. As long as we work hard enough, sooner or later, we will definitely surpass Shadow."

As long as Zero Wing Workshop developed, they were bound to come into conflict with Shadow. If Shadow wished to spare no expense to deal with them, then they could just use Shadow's reputation to spread Zero Wing's fame throughout the university campus. That way, Shi Feng would not have to waste efforts to publicize his Guild.

"Let's go. We'll go out and take a walk and buy an advanced helmet on the way. Always staying in your dormitory won't be good for your body." Shi Feng left the room, letting Blackie tidy himself up. Blackie was constantly holed up in his dorm room these days. He was even playing God's Domain during the daytime, not doing any other activities. Although it wouldn't be a problem in the short-term, after awhile, the damage to his body would become very significant.

"Brother Feng, wait for a moment. I'll come immediately."

Blackie immediately collected all the Credits on the table, then tidied himself before leaving the dormitory with Shi Feng. Only his dumbfounded dorm mates remained in the room. They all looked at each other, their faces revealing bitter smiles. Normally, they had, many times, made fun of Blackie. Never would they have thought that Blackie was hiding his true appearance. He even managed to gain the favor of a tycoon.

"This won't do. I will also apply for a trial gaming helmet."

"I've decided. I'll become a professional gamer in God's Domain."

When Shi Feng had walked out of the dormitory, Blackie quietly stuffed the 20,000 Credits into Shi Feng's pocket.

"Brother Feng, you really gave me a shock today. However, the way you threw out the money was just too cool! I felt awesome just seeing Wu Yi's expression. But, you better keep this money properly. Don't simply throw it around next time," Blackie said excitedly.

"What are you trying to do?" Shi Feng slightly wrinkled his brows. He then gave the money back to Blackie. He had never been putting up an act; from the beginning, he intended to give Blackie the money. He knew that Blackie's family situation was not that good either. With this money, he would be able to alleviate a lot of his family's burden. "I've already said that your basic salary every month would be 20,000 Credits. Did you think I was just joking with Wu Yi? Just take this money as your salary in advance."

Looking at the 20,000 Credits in his hands, Blackie's mouth widened, staring blankly at the money.

Originally, even if Shi Feng's previous words were but a joke, they were enough to make him feel happy. However, looking at Shi Feng's expression, he knew that Shi Feng was not joking. Shi Feng had truly intended to give him a monthly salary of 20,000 Credits. Moreover, Shi Feng intended to give him the money that he was currently holding.

However, where did all this money come from?

Blackie was extremely clear about Shi Feng's condition. Being able to borrow 20,000 Credits was already a difficult feat. Now, Shi Feng was even giving all of it to him. This was just insane.

"Brother Feng, if you give away this money, what will you do about the Workshop? Moreover, the deadline for the trial gaming helmets is almost up. You are bound to have to buy the official gaming helmet, right? Won't this money be just the right amount to buy it? In any case, I'm currently not in need of money." Blackie pushed the Credits back to Shi Feng again. It would be a lie if he were to say that the 20,000 Credits didn't attract him. However, he couldn't just ignore his brother's situation just because of some money.

Shi Feng could naturally discern Blackie's worries. He clapped Blackie's shoulders and couldn't help but reveal a smile. His bank account currently held over 100,000 Credits, and most likely, during this period, it had risen to over 200,000 Credits. In another ten days or so, he would earn even more money. "You don't have to worry about this. You also don't have to worry about the matter of the gaming helmets. Haven't I said it already? Leave the matters regarding money to me."

Shi Feng possessed the memories of his previous life. He was also the Guild Leader of Shadow. All beginnings had with hardships. Although earning the initial fundings was extremely difficult, as long as he obtained them, the following matters would become much easier to deal with. If he did not even possess the method of making money with money, then how would he have been able to turn Shadow into a second-rate Guild?

"Brother Feng, you couldn't have possibly..." Seeing that Shi Feng was so confident, Blackie's first feelings were not excitement or happiness. Instead, he was trembling. He worried that Shi Feng might have done something bad, such as being ** by a rich woman to obtain this money. Compared to borrowing the money, this was a much more horrifying scenario.

"What are you blindly thinking about? Don't forget about the matter of cooperation we have with Gentle Snow. This is just the compensation she has given. Now, we no longer have to stay poor and blank. We already have some funds, so relax." Shi Feng rolled his eyes at Blackie. This fellow's thinking was just too slanted.

Shi Feng did not reveal the real truth. Otherwise, it would be extremely hard for him to explain. So, he simply pushed everything onto Gentle Snow. In any case, Gentle Snow was the Great Goddess that everybody knew.

When Blackie heard Shi Feng, sudden realization struck him. He sent Shi Feng a gaze filled with worship. Being able to gain the favor of the Snow Goddess was the dream of every man!

It was as expected of Brother Feng! His methods were just too awesome!

Chapter 92 - virtual reality

Inside a finely decorated office, a robust man with thick eyebrows sat in an office chair as his fingers tapped on the desk. In his other hand, he was flipping through a thick stack of resumes.

"Dang! Dang! Dang!"

"Enter," the man with the thick eyebrows said in a deep tone.

"Brother Zhang, I've done the thing that you asked of me." Wu Yi gently opened the door and carefully entered. He then stood, panicked, in front of the desk.

Although it was not his first time meeting Shadow's person-in-power, Zhang Luowei, he still felt an intense pressure every time they met. He was always scared and on edge whenever he spoke with this person.

In Shadow Workshop, aside from Lan Hailong, Zhang Luowei's authority was the highest. Moreover, Zhang Luowei was the champion of Jin Hai University's fighting competition. He was also one of the hot contenders for becoming the champion of Jin Hai City's fighting competition. Even Lan Hailong was respectful before this person, as one of the main reasons why Shadow became so popular within the university was due to Zhang Luowei's personal fame.

"Sit. Tell me about it." Zhang Luowei placed the resumes to a side, his finger pointing towards the leathered sofa in front of his desk.

Although Zhang Luowei looked like an amiable person, Wu Yi knew that, below that appearance, there was an abyss-like horror. Zhang Luowei's personality was both vicious and merciless. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to suppress fighting experts like Zhou Yuhu and others.

After some thought, Wu Yi slightly organized his words before saying, "Brother Zhang, the others have already agreed. It is only that Blackie that is a stone inside a latrine pit, both smelly and hard. He wouldn't agree, no matter what, and he had joined a newly established Workshop called Zero Wing. He even said that it was beneath him to join a trash Workshop like Shadow."

"Not willing to join, is it? He's even joined Zero Wing Workshop?" Zhang Luowei displayed contemplation as he smiled. However, inside his eyes, a cold glint flashed, "What is the origin of this Zero Wing Workshop? Why haven't I heard of it before?"

"Brother Zhang, Zero Wing Workshop was established by a Year Four student named Shi Feng. I heard that this Workshop has nothing at all. They are also buying their gaming facilities only today. However, that person is quite rich. He offered Blackie a basic monthly salary of 20,000 Credits. He even wanted me to bring back word to Brother Zhang, telling you to stop trying to poach members of other Workshops and take care of your own land." Wu Yi was very angry while he spoke, "When I heard this, even I couldn't bear to stomach it. They are just a greenhorn Workshop, yet they dare to challenge Shadow. Brother Zhang, how about I take some men to extinguish their overwhelming attitude?"

"Shi Feng, is it? I seem to have heard this name before." Zhang Luowei wrinkled his brows slightly, trying to figure out where he heard this name. However, after thinking for some time, he still could not recall. He shook his head, saying, "Don't bother with them. In a few days, the school will be holding the annual Fellowship Party. This is a great chance for Shadow to have a meteoric rise, so we don't have the time to waste on these little Workshops."

"Right, you organize the newly recruited members and have them quickly level up. The Guilds in White River City will be starting the competition over the honor of getting the First Clear for the twenty-man Dungeon very soon. We also have to fight for the fame obtaining the First Clear of a Level 5 Dungeon."

"Yes! You can rest assured, Brother Zhang. I will help them quickly rise to Level 5," Wu Yi clapped his chest, assuring.

Elsewhere, Shi Feng brought Blackie along to purchase two advanced virtual gaming helmets.

Although the current virtual reality technology was very advanced, the basic helmet was a cheaply made in consideration of the general masses. Its degree of synchronization was just 80%. However, the advanced version of the helmet could reach up to 90% synchronization, and the user's five senses would become much more sensitive. Although the difference did not seem too great, during a battle between equal strengths, this small difference would be the determining factor of victory or defeat.

The battles in God's Domain were always life or death battles. Moreover, the penalty of a single death was a great amount of EXP and Skill Proficiency. Hence, most large-scale Workshops would allocate an advanced virtual gaming helmet to all their official members .

Previously, Shi Feng did not have the money to purchase even a basic gaming helmet. Now that he had the money, however, he naturally would not fall behind in this aspect.

After purchasing the advanced gaming helmets, Shi Feng found a good restaurant and ordered some high-class nutrition meals. He ate with Blackie as they talked about the future development of their Workshop.

Such a situation made Blackie feel like he was in a dream.

God's Domain had only been running for slightly more than three days. Not only had Shi Feng solved the problem of the gaming helmets, but Shi Feng also brought him to a high-class restaurant for a meal and discussion of the matters of developing their Workshop.

The more unbelievable thing was that Shi Feng unhesitatingly gave him a salary of 20,000 Credits. Just how many university students' dream was it to have a monthly salary of 20,000 Credits? On the other hand, he hadn't even helped Shi Feng out much, yet, he was able to obtain such a salary. Although Blackie did not voice it, inwardly, he was extremely moved. He felt extremely apologetic to Shi Feng, so he silently swore that he would work hard to be of help to Shi Feng.

Shi Feng and Blackie conversed for a long time. They properly discussed the matters regarding the future development of their Workshop. They also prepared to officially recruit Lonely Snow and the others, establishing a real Workshop. The remaining matters were to find a location to set up their Workshop, purchasing facilities for the Workshop, and the Workshop's administration.

"Brother Feng, leave these to me since I'm usually doing nothing during the day. It is already hard on you just to level up and earn money. Anyway, I am an Economy and Management major, so it is a great chance for me to display my specialty. I guarantee that you will be satisfied," Blackie assured. He couldn't help but want to start his work immediately.

"Good, then I'll leave it to you," Shi Feng smiled. He felt extremely relieved with Blackie managing things.

After the two parted, Shi Feng sent a message to his parents. He then sent them 3,000 Credits, telling them not to send him living expenses any longer. He told them that he had already found a good job, and that he was able to support himself financially.

Shi Feng was still not ready to tell his parents about everything. If he were to tell them that he had earned over 200,000 Credits in just a few days, they would most likely not accept it. So, he might as well take it slow, gradually increasing the money he sent them. That way, his old folks would be able to gradually accept it, thinking it reasonable and fair.

At 7 o'clock in the evening, after having his meal, Shi Feng drank a bottle of C-rank Nutrient Fluid. He put on the newly-bought advanced virtual gaming helmet, starting his conquest in God's Domain.

Upon entering God's Domain this time, the sensation Shi Feng felt when he stood beside the large pool was completely different.

The cool breeze blowing... The sounds water flowing into the pool... The scratches and rust that were clearly visible on the steel walls... The faint smell of machine oil... Even the feeling of manipulating his own body had become much more relaxed.

Shi Feng flexed his body on the stairway. He then pulled out his swords, slashing out streak after streak of beautiful sword images. The sword images kept flickering in and out of existence, giving an unpredictable feeling.

"Eh. The feeling I had while playing God's Domain in the previous life is finally back," Shi Feng stopped waving his swords, extremely pleased with his current condition.

In his previous life, Shi Feng was used to using the virtual reality cabin. The virtual reality cabin's synchronizing rate could reach up to 97%. In God's Domain, if the System Interface, Status indicators and other such things weren't present, players would be practically unable to differentiate between the real world and the virtual world.

After getting used to his body, Shi Feng felt that he should start searching for the Titan's Heart.

Chapter 93 - dark clown

The spiral staircase led directly to the core control area on the highest floor.

After climbing an unknown number of steps, Shi Feng arrived at a winding corridor that led towards the core area. Ancient magical runes were carved into the walls on both sides of the corridor, and even though almost a millennium had passed, this corridor was still gleaming with light. Only some parts of the corridor had decayed, damaging the magical circuits etched in it and plunging those particular areas into darkness. Fortunately, not many parts of the corridor were badly decayed, so Shi Feng was still able to clearly see the entirety of the long, narrow, and maze-like corridor.

Just after Shi Feng set foot into the corridor, the alarm once again rang out.

"Alert! Alert! The intruder has already invaded Area A of the fortress, the Magic Corridor. Activating Guardian Statues on duty!"

Shi Feng then heard loud booming noises coming from the corridor, as if some gigantic machine had started moving.

Shi Feng no longer dared advance slowly. He immediately used a Speed Scroll, dashing through the Magic Corridor at flying speed.

After taking several turns in the Magic Corridor, Shi Feng discovered a machine that had a flashing red light. Although this machine was just the size of a football, it was constantly producing alarms, as if it were a tool meant for guiding the Guardian Statues.

[Sentinel Guard] (Common Monster)

Level 10

HP 200/200

Shi Feng immediately understood how he was so easily discovered. This Sentinel Guard was just like a radar. It could detect enemies within a range of 500 yards, and after discovering them, it would set off an alarm. The distance between the entrance of the corridor and this location was roughly around 500 yards, so the Sentinel Guard was able to immediately discover Shi Feng. As long as Shi Feng could get rid of it, then he would be able to rid himself of the alarms of this area.

However, this thing had very sensitive reactions. It would not let any enemies get within 30 yards. Also, if it were attacked even once, it would try to retreat with all its might. Simultaneously, it would increase its speed of calling for its allies, and it would absolutely not give the enemy a second chance to attack. It was extremely hard to deal with.

"I guess I've no choice left. I can only give it a try." Shi Feng unsheathed both of his swords. He could already hear the angry roars of the Guardian Statues coming from behind him. Based on his strength, fighting in this narrow area would only lead to his own death. His only chance of throwing off those Guardian Statues was to get rid of this Sentinel Guard.

When Shi Feng was nearing the 30-yard range, just as the Sentinel Guard was about to break into a run...

Shi Feng's eyes locked onto the Sentinel Guard, the muscles in both of his arms bulged, and with the strength of his entire body, he cast out both swords.

"Xiu!"  Both swords flew towards the Sentinel Guard.

Precision Throw!

The throwing distance of the skill was just at 30 yards, and it caused 150% of his weapon's damage.

The Sentinel Guard was extremely vigilant. It rapidly moved its body, immediately dodging the Crimson Blade that flew at it. However, the Sentinel Guard's dodge had, in turn, placed it in the flight path of Shi Feng's second sword, the Abyssal Blade.

"Peng!"

The Abyssal Blade pierced through the Sentinel Guard, causing -211 damage and instantly killing it.

System: Level 10 Sentinel Guard killed. Level difference of 4. EXP obtained increased by 400%. Obtained 800 EXP.

Shi Feng activated Windwalk, his speed once again increasing by a notch as he rushed to pull out his swords that pierced into the ground. He then rushed towards the Magic Corridor's exit. Without the guidance of the Sentinel Guard, the Guardian Statues were like flies that lost their eyes. They ran around all over the place, completely unable to find Shi Feng.

More than a dozen minutes later, after getting rid of another three Sentinel Guards, Shi Feng finally escaped the Magic Corridor, arriving at the control room.

There was a barrier in the central region of the control room. A dark grey colored sphere of iron was placed inside the barrier. This sphere of iron was the heart of the Steel Fortress, and it was the fortress' source of energy. It was the Titan's Heart.

"I never thought that, after so many years have passed, there would still be somebody who would come to this place."

Before Shi Feng could examine the entire control room in detail, he heard a deep sneer coming from the entrance of the barrier. This sound was bone-chilling, and no human was capable of producing such a sound. Only a puppet or a corpse would be capable of sounding so emotionless.

"Welcome to my Steel Fortress Barrutia! In order to celebrate your arrival, I've decided to use your fiery flesh and blood to feed my baby! Come out, Hellhound!"

Shi Feng could faintly see the outline of a humanoid lifeform inside the barrier. However, the figure seemed to be currently absorbing the energy of the Titan's Heart, so it did not have surplus powers to deal with Shi Feng, sending out its pet in its stead.

"Ao! Ao! Ao!" A large black dog, its entire body covered in flames, rushed out from the barrier.

[Hellhound] (Elite-rank)

Level 15

HP 6,000/6,000

"Crap, did I come at a bad time?" Shi Feng's brows slightly wrinkled as he observed the Hellhound. According to the information in his previous life, there were definitely no lifeforms or monsters in this place. The person that did the Quest was able to safely take the Titan's Heart away. So, why was it that, when it was his turn to do the Quest, a mysterious character appeared here, trying to steal the Titan's Heart's energy.

However, Shi Feng also thought of another possibility.

This mysterious character stole all the energy of the Titan's Heart first. Meanwhile, the player who came here had merely taken away the Titan's Heart that was empty of any energy. On the other hand, Shi Feng had coincidentally run into this energy thief. However, unfortunately for Shi Feng, he wasn't even capable of defeating the pet of this mysterious character, not to mention the person, itself.

"Since you want to battle, then come!" Shi Feng pulled out his swords, his attention affixed on the slowly approaching Hellhound.

As the Hellhound's distance from him continuously shortened, Shi Feng could feel his surroundings become exceptionally hot, causing his mouth to feel parched. Shi Feng thought of taking out a Cold Beverage to enjoy, but he currently couldn't carelessly move about. He would immediately reveal a weak point as soon as he moved. As a Level 15 Elite monster, the Hellhound's intelligence was already extremely high. It was the reason why it leisurely walked towards Shi Feng.

That was because the Hellhound knew the best time for it to launch an attack. As long as Shi Feng revealed a gap, it would immediately bite at him with all its might, not letting go of Shi Feng until he was completely dead.

In the confrontation between the two, after all was said and done, the Hellhound was still the more powerful. So, naturally, it would not simply wait. Its legs immediately pushed against the ground, leaping high into the air and transforming into a ball of fire. It then opened its flaming maw.

Shi Feng rolled to a side, dodging the Hellhound's pouncing attack.

However, immediately after the Hellhound landed, its flaming claws slashed horizontally.

Shi Feng had long since prepared for this, so he used both of his swords to Parry.

"Peng!" Although Shi Feng did not receive any damage, his entire body was thrown.

The Hellhound immediately opened its large mouth, spewing scorching-hot flames. The flames wrapped around Shi Feng completely, preventing him from escaping.

Shi Feng clenched his teeth. He used Phantom Kill, and at the moment of imminent peril, he swapped positions with his doppelganger in mid-air.

Shi Feng's doppelganger was immediately swallowed by the flames, instantly turning into a pile of ash. Meanwhile, the System Notification showed a damage of up to -3,000. Even if Shi Feng were to take the hit with his HP full and all of his Life Shield[1] activated, he still wouldn't be able to shoulder this attack.

Shi Feng clearly felt how powerful the Hellhound was. Such damage was definitely not something a Level 15 Elite monster could dish out. Its strength was greatly increased because of the Quest's Story Line. According to his experience, Shi Feng estimated the Hellhound's actual level to be over Level 30, and it should be a Lord-rank Boss.

If the pet were already this powerful, then what about its owner?

Seeing that the Hellhound's flaming claws were about to slap down at him, Shi Feng used Abyssal Bind. Even if the Hellhound were any stronger, it would still be restricted for 3 seconds. Following which, Shi Feng rushed into the barrier at the center of the room. Currently, the best option Shi Feng possessed was to snatch the Titan's Heart and swiftly depart.

However, just after entering the barrier, Shi Feng immediately became shocked upon seeing this mysterious person's true identity.

"Dark Clown!" Shi Feng immediately recognized the identity of this mysterious character. His heart could not help but be surprised, "Why is such a bastard here?"

Chapter 94 - titan heart

Although Shi Feng was shocked, his feet never stopped moving. His figure turned into an after image as he rushed towards the Titan's Heart, located at the center of the barrier. He then used Observing Eyes on the Dark Clown.

"Unknown?" Shi Feng was shocked.

Aside from the information showing that the figure was indeed a Dark Clown, there was nothing else displayed. All of it was just question marks.

There were only two possibilities for such a situation to occur. The first was that the Dark Clown was equipping an advanced camouflage item. The other was that its strength was simply too overwhelming, preventing the basic Observing Eyes from identifying it.

It was very clearly the latter situation taking place in this case.

According to Shi Feng's memories, Dark Clowns were a group of mysterious lifeforms. They always wore clown clothing with many bells as decorations. They looked human, but were not human. However, neither were they living spirits. Each one of them was extremely powerful. They could simply appear at any location, and they could come and go without leaving behind a single trace. Even if it was the Palace of Star-Moon Kingdom, they could still easily enter it.

However, this was but a small matter. Shi Feng had previously seen a Tier 3 Great Druid NPC die at the hands of the Dark Clowns. Their methods of attacking were simply unforgettable. The attacks were impossible to avoid.

"Despicable human, you actually dare barge into this place?!" The Dark Clown had its face wrapped in a black cloth, revealing only its two glowing red eyes. Although its enraged expression could not be seen, its tone was extremely agitated.

Streak after streak of green colored energy was currently being absorbed by the Dark Clown. Clearly it was a crucial moment, so it was unable to take action against Shi Feng.

This situation gave Shi Feng a chance to prevent this assimilation ceremony, and deal heavy damage to the Dark Clown. Otherwise, when this critical period passed, the Dark Clown, which was capable of killing even a Tier 3 Great Druid, would instantly kill Shi Feng with just a wave of its hand.

"Cyber, get rid of him for me!" the Dark Clown urged.

Shi Feng revealed a faint smile. Seeing the Dark Clown's anxious appearance, Shi Feng tried even harder to deal some damage against it. As for the Hellhound behind him, it was still restricted by chains. It was too late, even if it tried to rush over to Shi Feng.

Chop!

Shi Feng used all of his strength. With the flick of his wrist, a large explosion sounded out. The Abyssal Blade turned into a streak of black light, piercing directly towards the Magic Circle that was absorbing energy from the Titan's Heart.

"Dang!"

"Dang!"

_

The Magic Weapon Abyssal Blade, which had been successful in every previous endeavor, was blocked outside of the Magic Array. It created brilliant white sparks as it collided with the Magic Array, dealing no damage at all to the Absorption Magic Array.

"Pitiful human. Did you think a weak little Swordsman like you could destroy my Magic Array? Just give up and become Cyber's food! Who knows, I might even let your soul go. Otherwise, prepare for endless pain after you die!" the Dark Clown threatened.

At this moment, the Hellhound rushed over.

"You're just a clown, yet you dare spout nonsense! Did you think I have no ways to deal with you?" Shi Feng sneered. He took out a dark, gray-colored Magic Scroll from his bag.

"No!"

"You're literally insane! Do you know what you are trying to do!?"

The Dark Clown abruptly yelled out in shock after seeing this piece of dark, gray-colored Magic Scroll.

"It seems you know your stuff. At worst, we'll both die together." Shi Feng did not wish to use this item either, however, he was going to die anyway, so why should he still care? He then unfolded the Magic Scroll, and his mouth started chanting the activation incantation.

This was one of the only three Tier 2 Magic Scrolls that Shi Feng possessed: Obliterating Torrent. It possessed the ability to devour all magic elements, turning them into nothingness. This Magic Scroll belonged to the peak of Tier 2 Magic Scrolls.

Suddenly, the magic elements in the center of the barrier surged, becoming incomparably violent, following which, it started collapsing without any signs of stopping.

The Absorption Magic Array was made up of magic elements, so, naturally, it could not escape its fate as it collapsed and exploded.

The entire Magic Array was similar to frying beans, producing crackling sounds. The Magic Array loudly exploded, dispersing streak after streak of dazzling shockwaves.

Shi Feng immediately activated Defensive Blade, becoming immune to the damage of six ranged attacks. He then rushed towards the Titan's Heart.

However, it was not easy to collect the Titan's Heart. Shi Feng either had to deplete all the energy the Titan's Heart possessed, or he would need to have the key to remove the barrier. Fortunately, Shi Feng had the key. In the midst of the explosions, Shi Feng unlocked the barrier protecting the Titan's Heart, then stored it in his bag.

The shockwaves created by the Obliterating Torrent sent the Hellhound flying away, violently slamming it into a wall. The wall then split apart like a spiderweb. Following which, the Hellhound heavily landed on the ground, and didn't stand back up.

However, the shockwaves of the explosion did no harm to the Dark Clown, as if they had just passed through its body. The Dark Clown's body seemed as though it did not exist in this plane of existence. However, the backlash from the magic ceremony failing had caused great damage to it. The Dark Clown silently glared at Shi Feng, faintly having the intention to take action.

"Humph! Come if you have the ability!" Shi Feng smiled in disdain as he took out another deep-blue colored Tier 2 Magic Scroll.

Shi Feng had already obtained the Titan's Heart. Even if he died, a Quest Item could not be dropped. The Dark Clown was already extremely weakened as well, and at most, it would only be slightly stronger than him. Shi Feng still had two pieces of Tier 2 Magic Scrolls. At worst, he would perish together with the Dark Clown.

He could still revive after dying, but if the Dark Clown died, then it would truly be dead.

"Let's see who's afraid of who!"

"Despicable human, I'll let you off this time! We will meet again sooner or later. It will be your death when that time comes!" The Dark Clown gave up the notion of getting rid of Shi Feng after seeing the Magic Scroll. It only left behind a ruthless remark as it disappeared from the control room, together with the Hellhound.

Shi Feng silently waited for a moment. After confirming no movements from his surroundings, he let loose a breath of relief. However, he did not store away the Tier 2 Magic Scroll.

He truly did not wish to use the Tier 2 Magic Scroll and perish together with the Dark Clown. However, based on the Dark Clown's intelligence, it too would make the right choice.

Shi Feng had already obtained the Titan's Heart. He took out a Return Scroll and started chanting.

Thirty seconds later Shi Feng turned into a white glow, disappearing from the control room as well.

After Shi Feng disappeared, the Dark Clown appeared once more. The red glow let out from its eyes became even more brilliant now. It clearly did not expect Shi Feng to be so cautious. From beginning to end, Shi Feng had never put away the Tier 2 Magic Scroll. Otherwise, it would have had a chance to kill Shi Feng.

"Wretched human! The method I've spent more than ten years researching to absorb the energy from the Titan's Heart...! When I recover, I will definitely make you wish for death!" the Dark Clown bellowed. It abruptly waved its hand, and tens of flying blades destroyed the pedestal, which lost the protection of the barrier.

On the other side, Shi Feng had already returned to Red Leaf Town.

Currently, the amount of players in Red Leaf Town grew even greater. The streets were filled with players selling Level 0 to Level 2 Common Equipment and basic skill books.

Shi Feng took a look at his bag. It had been some time since Gold Coins stopped entering his account. He thus decided to go sell some items before going to hand in his Quest.

The previous Forging Designs were already sold out. Shi Feng took out another twenty pieces of Glimmer Chestplate Forging Designs and placed them at the Auction House to be sold in batches.

At this time, a communication request came from Gentle Snow.

"Three hours from now, meet up in front of Dark Moon Graveyard's entrance. Get your team prepared for it and bring the necessary potions. Our Ouroboros must definitely snatch the First Clear of this Dungeon this time, so we'll be looking forward to your performance," Gentle Snow's tone was very indifferent, as if she was giving out a command. It was completely different from their meeting just now.

"Will do. I'll definitely arrive three hours from now." However, Shi Feng did not particularly mind it, as that was the Snow Goddess's regular attitude. He estimated the time, thinking that he should be able to make it.

Neither of them traded unnecessary words, immediately disconnecting the call.

After that, Shi Feng purchased Card Sets and Hard Stones at the Auction House. He also bought some materials required to make Bronze Equipment and Mysterious-Iron Equipment. After storing the materials inside the bank, Shi Feng went on to buy some Magic Scrolls and necessary potions. He then ran towards the White Sand Ruins to turn in his Quest.

Chapter 95 - abyssal devour

"Blackie, how are things at your place at the moment? What level are you guys at right now?" Shi Feng asked.

"Leveling up in this hidden area is just too awesome! There is still no one coming over here to steal monsters, and everyone is at Level 5 right now. Moreover, we obtained a lot of Wolf Meat and Wolf Skin, and our bags have long since been filled to the brim. Right now, we're preparing to return to town and clear out our bags a bit," Blackie excitedly said. In this short period of time, they had obtained four pieces of Level 5 Bronze Equipment from grinding on Forest Wolf Dens. Amongst them, there was a Level 5 Bronze Staff that allowed Blackie's damage to increase by a lot.

"Full already? You guys sure are efficient." Shi Feng was slightly shocked. A stack of Wolf Meat had 100 pieces in it. Previously, Blackie and the others had purchased plenty of Big Bags. Shi Feng never thought that they would be filled so quickly. _How many Wolf Meat was this?_ If all of them were to be given to Violet Cloud to be made into advanced cookings, then it would become a huge profit.

"That's right, you guys pass all of your Wolf Meat to a female Cleric called Violet Cloud. Just give out my name when you meet her. Afterward, you guys rest up a little and buy some HP and MP recovery potions, then wait for me at the Trade Area."

"Brother Feng, are we going to go Dungeon-diving with the Snow Goddess?" Blackie excitedly asked, after recalling some things.

"En, so properly rest up. You'll have to tense up your nerves after entering the Dungeon." Shi Feng nodded his head, disconnecting the call.

On the other hand, Blackie had nearly jumped up in excitement. Originally, he had thought Shi Feng would not be bringing them along to the Dungeon. After all, their techniques were not that great. They would only be making fools of themselves if they were to go. However, since Shi Feng did not forsake them, what else did they have to say?

Anticipation grew within Blackie. He was fortunate enough to dive a Dungeon together with the Snow Goddess. So what if he would shame himself? It would still be an honor when mentioned to others. Regardless of what others may say, they would be players who had gone Dungeon-diving with the Snow Goddess in the same party.

White Sand Ruins, Stonehammer Town.

When the Town Mayor Blackbeard saw Shi Feng entering, he went forward and greeted Shi Feng in a very welcoming manner.

"Brother Ye Feng, you've come. The Fruit Juice you sold to me the last time was just too good! It captivated everyone in our little town. Now, we can't sleep properly if we don't drink a cup before bed every day," Blackbeard joked.

"Lord Mayor Blackbeard, is this the Titan's Heart that you wanted?" Shi Feng smiled, taking out the Titan's Heart as he asked.

When Blackbeard saw the gray-colored, metallic sphere, his mouth suddenly opened wide in shock.

This shape, this color, this texture... It was exactly the same as the Titan's Heart mentioned in the legends.

"Correct, this is the Titan's Heart. It is exactly the same as the one recorded in the ancient records. I never thought that I would be able to personally see it in my lifetime. Brother Ye Feng, I truly did not think that you were such a powerful Adventurer. For bringing back our Blacksteel Dwarves' glory, I represent all Blacksteel Dwarves in thanking you sincerely," Blackbeard excitedly received the Titan's Heart, continuously thanking Shi Feng.

System: Unique Quest "Steel Fortress Barrutia" completed. Rewarding 1 Blacksteel Insignia. Obtained Blackbeard's Recommendation Letter. Obtained Advanced Book of Magic. Rewarding 10,000 EXP. Reputation at Blacksteel Town has reached Worship.

The large amount of rewards dazzled Shi Feng's eyes. His level had also risen to 73% of Level 6. Such a leveling speed had even exceeded that of those leveling madmen.

Shi Feng did not care much about the amount of EXP. Instead, the other items were the most important ones.

The rewards this time far exceeded Shi Feng's expectations. A Titan's Heart that possessed no energy in it could transform a third-rate Guild into a second-rate Guild. However, right now the Titan's Heart in Shi Feng's hands still possessed a quarter of its energy. Shi Feng never imagined the rewards to be so good.

In his previous life, the player that completed this Unique Quest did not obtain such a bountiful reward. The player had only obtained a Recommendation Letter, an Intermediate Book of Magic, and reputation reaching the level of Worship. There was absolutely no Blacksteel's Insignia.

[Blacksteel Insignia] (Fine-Gold rank)

Unique Equipment

User restriction: Ye Feng

The[e] Blacksteel Insignia is the highest medal of honor amongst the Blacksteel Dwarves. After equipping it:

Forging success rate increased by 5%.

Proficiency has a 10% chance to increase by 1 extra point.

When forging, there is a 1% chance to increase the forged item's Attributes.

Shi Feng was shocked after looking at the introduction. This Blacksteel Insignia was literally a godly tool for forging. It was several degrees stronger than the Forging Talent. It was especially true with the 1% chance for an Attribute increase. That meant that, out of a hundred items forged, there would be one piece that would have its Attributes increased. If Shi Feng forged items everyday without stop, he would have no problem making three to four hundred pieces of equipment. In turn, he would have three to four pieces of equipment with their Attributes raised.

The thing players compared most when playing games was the quality of their equipment. Even if the Attributes on a piece of equipment was only slightly higher, when the Attributes of all the other pieces of equipment were accumulated together, the total amount would allow a player to exceed the others by quite a lot. Regardless of whether it was PK or Dungeon-diving, the player would have a great advantage in both situations.

Although Shi Feng did not know how much of an equipment's Attributes would be increased, even an increase of a single point would cause an equipment's price to increase by multiple percentages. If it was a big increase, then the price would increase by several folds; the price of a single piece of equipment could even rival the price of ten or more pieces.

The Blacksteel Insignia was an unexpected profit. Shi Feng's main purpose for doing this Quest was to obtain the Book of Magic and Recommendation Letter, as both of these items were capable of allowing a Guild to rise up. It was especially true for the Book of Magic. Moreover, the one Shi Feng obtained was even an Advanced Book of Magic.

Aside from forging equipment, Shi Feng could also forge other items, such as Armor Kits, Gemstone Buckles, Alchemy Wands, and much more. Amongst them, Armor Kits were the most popular and also had the largest demand.

Generally, Armor Kits were capable of increasing either a Chestplate's Defense or Attributes. These all depended on the Armor Kit's quality and level. Meanwhile, the Book of Magic Shi Feng obtained from Blackbeard was for making the strengthened version of the Armor Kit: the Mana Armor Kit. The Book of Magic was a unique item, and there was only one of it in the entire God's Domain.

In Shi Feng's previous life, it was exactly this item that had allowed a Guild to earn a large sum of money, turning it from a third-rate Guild into a second-rate Guild.

As for Blackbeard's Recommendation Letter, it would only be useful in White River City, so Shi Feng was still unable to use it right now.

however, now that Shi Feng's Reputation in Stonehammer Town had reached the level of Worship, he could purchase a few Bronze Equipment, and even Mysterious-Iron Equipment, that would bind to the player's character upon purchase. Moreover, the prices of these equipment items were very cheap, to the degree that even an average player at Level 10 could afford them. Stonehammer Town could be called the best location for players to obtain Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Hence, many players loved coming to this place to grind for Reputation. After their Reputation reached Worship, they would be able to gear themselves fully with Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Equipment.

Unfortunately, it was not easy to grind for Reputation. It was almost impossible for anybody to fully equip themselves with Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Reputation Equipment.

Moreover, a complete set of Mysterious-Iron Reputation Equipment was still somewhat weaker than the Bronze ranked Silvermoon Set Equipment. So, top-tier players all felt that it was below their dignity to equip it.

Although Shi Feng would not be equipping these items, he still had other uses for them. For example, using them to level up the Abyssal Blade. The Abyssal Blade needed to devour Weapons in order to level up. According to his understanding, the better the quality of the Weapon devoured, the higher the increase in Attributes of the Abyssal Blade. The Abyssal Blade was like a cultivating weapon, hence the reason it was so much more powerful than those Epic ranked Weapons. They were even capable of rivaling Legendary Weapons.

If Shi Feng nurtured it properly, the Abyssal Blade's Attributes could definitely surpass a Legendary Weapon. Sadly, too many items were required to carry out such a feat. Even if it was the Guild Leader of a second-rate Guild, they would not be able to support such a heavy cost. There was also the risk of facing a huge backlash. It was why many players both loved and hated Magic Weapons.

In consideration for the Abyssal Blade's Attributes, instead of feeding it the original one piece of Level 5 Mysterious-Iron Weapon, and ten pieces of Level 5 Bronze Weapon, Shi Feng decided to buy eleven pieces of Level 5 Mysterious-Iron Weapon from the Weapon Shop. It was unknown how much of an increase in Attributes such an action would yield.

Following which, Shi Feng called out the leveling interface for the Abyssal Blade. He then fed all these Weapons to the Abyssal Blade.

Chapter 96 - magic weapon transformation

After choosing the weapons to devour and clicking Level Up for the Abyssal Blade...

The Abyssal Blade suddenly let out a dragon's roar. Countless black flames started emerging from the blade of the sword. The black flames then transformed into a dragon's head, immediately biting at the weapons that had been chosen. The dragon devoured the weapons, bite by bite.

In the blink of an eye, the black flame devoured all eleven Mysterious-Iron Weapons, and all of their essences flowed into the Abyssal Blade. The Abyssal Blade no longer looked like a fire poker, and it now gave off a faint cold feeling of sharpness. The blade's color and luster had also become more rustic, similar to a blade covered in dust for many years.

When Shi Feng held the Abyssal Blade once again, the weapon felt slightly heavier than before. He felt a refreshing feeling when his hand wrapped around the sword's hilt. Shi Feng then waved the sword a few times.

"Hua... Hua... Hua..."

The air was like paper, creating tearing sounds as he sliced it apart.

The boss of the Weapon Shop was also a forging expert. When he saw this, his mouth opened wide in shock. He even nearly pulled out his goatee.

The ordinary-looking weapon was actually so sharp that it could easily surpass a Fine-Gold Weapon. If it were utilized properly, it might even be able to break apart a Bronze Weapon with a single slash.

"Good sword!" Shi Feng waved the Abyssal Blade a few more times. After leveling up the sword, Shi Feng felt that it had become much more suitable for him. He then checked the Abyssal Blade's Attributes.

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[Abyssal Blade] (Magic Weapon, One-handed Sword)

Attack Power 39

All Attributes +14

Attack Speed +5

Ignore monster's level by 5 Levels. Attacks have a 15% chance to cause 2 times damage, 10% chance to induce Doom Curse, reducing all stats by 40%, lasting 30 seconds.

If wielder belongs to any Swordsman Job, all Skill Levels +2. Increase Free Ability Points received by 2 points for every increase in Level.

Equipment Level 5. Can be leveled up. (Devour ten Level 10 Bronze Equipment and one Level 10 Mysterious-Iron Equipment to level up to Level 10). Can be evolved (Unknown).

Additional Skill 1: Phantom Kill. Instantly creates a doppelganger. You can control this doppelganger. Doppelganger will have 50% of original body's Attributes and all Skills. At the same time, doppelganger and the original body can be swapped. Duration of 35 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 minutes

Additional Skill 2: Abyssal Bind. Binds enemies and prevent movement, reducing Defense by 100%. Duration of 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 1 minute

Additional Skill 3: Nine Dragons Slash. Instantly create nine phantoms of the Abyssal Blade for the wielder to use, each phantom sword is capable of dealing up to 30% damage. Duration of 24 seconds.

Cooldown: 5 minutes.

The Abyssal Blade was personally created by master smith Olysses using the Black Dragon King's fangs as material. It is one of thirty-six famed swords, and it is ranked 31st. However, this sword has been cursed by the Black Dragon King. Aside from being able to provide the wielder with immense strength, there will be a Backlash every period. However, after being remodeled by Jack using a Star Crystal, the strength of the Backlash has been greatly reduced. If the wielder is unable to suppress the Backlash, the wielder will receive the curse of the Black Dragon King, permanently reducing All Attributes by 50%.

Unable to be dropped.

Unable to be traded.

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The Abyssal Blade's Attributes increased by quite a lot. Just its Attack Power alone could rival a Level 5 Mysterious Iron Two-handed Weapon. With the Basic Attributes included, it would far exceed even a Level 5 Secret-Silver Two-handed Weapon.

It was a One-handed Weapon that had the destructive power of a Two-handed Weapon. Moreover, a One-handed Sword was much lighter, and its speed was much faster. That meant the Abyssal Blade possessed both the destructive power of a Two-handed Weapon and at the same time, the lightness and speed of a One-handed Weapon. This was the terrifying part of Magic Weapons, and only master smiths were capable of forging such weapons.

With such a result, Shi Feng was looking forward to the Abyssal Blade's rise to Level 10.

Originally, Shi Feng intended to sell off the Level 10 Fine-Gold Greatsword he had obtained from the Sun Temple. However, he dismissed that notion. If he were to let the Abyssal Blade devour this weapon, he wondered just how much of an increase the Abyssal Blade would have.

However, it was but a thought of Shi Feng's. To obtain an overall positive increase, it would not be possible just depending on a single weapon. Shi Feng would, at the very least, need to pair it up with ten Level 10 Secret-Silver Weapons. Currently, even Mysterious-Iron Weapons were as rare as a phoenix's feather, not to mention priceless Secret-Silver Weapons.

After sheathing the Abyssal Blade, Shi Feng took out a Return Scroll and started chanting, returning to Red Leaf Town. If he were to run back instead, he would, with a 100% chance, be late. If he were to make the Snow Goddess wait for him, he dared not to think of the consequences...

Red Leaf Town, Trade Area.

After Shi Feng transformed back to his original appearance, he made some minor adjustments to the appearance of the Silvermoon Set Equipment. It now looked more like an assembled set of Bronze Equipment. If Shi Feng were to appear in front of Gentle Snow with his original appearance, she would definitely find something fishy about it. At that time, Shi Feng would not find it easy to explain himself.

"Brother Feng, we're over here." Blackie stood up and shouted as he saw Shi Feng walking over.

The others, as well, stood up to welcome Shi Feng when they saw him approaching, sending gazes of appreciation at him. If Shi Feng had not let Blackie carry them, they most likely would not have been able to reach Level 5 so quickly, and very likely, they would still be struggling at the bottom of the ranks.

Currently, most of the veteran players in God's Domain were Level 4, and a minority had reached Level 5. However, there was nothing great about the equipment they were using. If veteran players were lucky, they might possess one or two pieces of Bronze Equipment that had good Attributes. Only those expert players would possess six or seven pieces of Bronze Equipment. On the other hand, every one of them now possessed seven or eight pieces of Bronze Equipment.

Originally, this reason alone already caused them to be extremely grateful towards Shi Feng. They all decided to continue following Shi Feng. They never thought that Blackie would actually be willing to sign a contract with them, allowing them to join Zero Wing Workshop and become one of its official members. They could also enjoy a monthly salary of 4,000 Credits.

They were not just fools playing a game. They knew the treatment an official member received in other Workshops. The treatment for official members of top-ranking Workshops in the city only received a monthly salary of 3,000 Credits. Even so, many veteran players would still try to worm themselves into these Workshops in whichever way they could. Meanwhile, they were just a bunch of fresh noobs, yet, they actually had a monthly salary of 4,000 Credits. This situation was just like a dream to them.

Although they requested to lower the treatment they received, Blackie had firmly rejected all of them. He had said that Shi Feng had personally declared it as such, and no changes were permitted.

Helpless, they could only sign the contract, becoming official members of Zero Wing Workshop.

Although they looked well-off now, deep in their hearts, they were very clear about their own strengths. It was practically impossible for them to get invited to a Workshop. It would be a good thing if they could even become outer members, not to mention official members.

Shi Feng swept a glance at everyone's equipment. Based on his many years of experience, he could roughly estimate an equipment's Attributes. The Basic Attributes of the equipment his party members were wearing had definitely exceeded the elite members of many small Guilds. However, it was still not enough, "Let's make a trip to the Warehouse first."

Everyone was confused. What were they going to do at the Warehouse?

However, they did not question Shi Feng's decision, only following him.

Arriving at the Bank, Shi Feng retrieved all the equipment that could be used by his party members. He obtained all of the equipment from the Treasure Chests he opened in the Moonlight Forest. Every piece of the equipment had extremely good Attributes.

Everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the equipment. They had ceaselessly grinded monsters and had even killed quite a few Elites. Yet, all of their gains combined could not even rival the equipment Shi Feng had obtained by himself. The quality was, of course, much higher. It was all Level 5 Bronze Equipment, surpassing the Level 2 or Level 3 equipment they obtained by leaps and bounds.

"Brother Feng, how many Elite monsters did you actually kill?!" Blackie's heart was filled with shock. However, he did not remain courteous as he swapped all his equipment that could be swapped. After doing so, the set of equipment on his person was just slightly weaker than a Level 5 Bronze Set Equipment. However, the Level 5 Mysterious-Iron Staff he wielded easily made up for this gap.

The other party members also fully swapped out their equipment. Their Basic Attributes right now far surpassed those of the elite members of large Guilds.

Every one of them had exchanged their shotguns for cannons. Even if they were to enter a twenty-man Dungeon right now, they would still be full of confidence.

Shi Feng examined through everyone's Attributes once, nodding his head in satisfaction as he said, "Let's go."

Chapter 97 - gathering of heroes

Dark Moon Valley, Dark Moon Graveyard.

Countless tombstones stood around a dilapidated chapel. In the midst of night, one could hear wails of agony coming out from the tombstones. Meanwhile, Kobold Assassins roamed the dark and hidden locations around the broken down chapel.

This place was the most famous location of Dark Moon Valley.

Due to this place being the closest and the first twenty-man Team Dungeon activated near Red Leaf Town, it held high importance to the many Guilds stationed in Red Leaf Town. Compared to the previous six-man Party Dungeon, the various Guilds were paying the most attention to this Team Dungeon.

That was because Team Dungeons and Party Dungeons were different. Not only was the difficulty for Team Dungeons higher, but the equipment that dropped from them was also better. Moreover, only by clearing a Team Dungeon would a Guild be able to prove their strength. Aside from that, there was a gigantic Glory List beside the Teleportation Gate of every Team Dungeon. On it, the names of the Team and players who obtained the First Clear for the Dungeon would be listed for latecomers to admire.

Of course, aside from the First Clear, the record for the fastest to clear the Dungeon would also be recorded, with the reserved record set at three hours. As long as a team surpassed the record time, their names would be recorded. However, this record was not permanent, but only temporary. As long as another team could obtain an even shorter record time, they would replace the current holders of the record.

Currently, players filled all of the Dark Moon Graveyard. Aside from the various large Guilds from Red Leaf town, there were plenty of temporary groups attempting to challenge this Team Dungeon.

"Wow! It's just as expected of the competition for the First Clear of the Team Dungeon. The equipment on these guys is just too gorgeous! Our temporary group has no chance of competing against them at all."

"That's only natural. Why don't you look at just how many times these Guilds have cleared the Level 3 to Level 4 Party Dungeons? Even the team belonging to the weakest Guild here would have seven to eight pieces of Bronze Equipment on each party member. Look at Martial Union over there; all of their members are wearing Bronze Equipment. Their leader, Ironsword Lion, is wearing the Wolf Fang Set Equipment that can only be obtained from the Level 4 Dungeon, Black Wolf's Den."

"Ironsword Lion's equipment could be considered quite good amongst the unrated Guilds. However, look over there at the third-rate Guild, Heaven's Crowns. The equipment on their elite team's vice-leader, Passenger of Wind, is the Spirit Wind Set Equipment obtained from the Level 4 Advanced Dungeon, Ghost Fortress."

The players of temporary teams gazed at the equipment of the Guild teams in envy. They spoke about the items as if enumerating their own family's valuables, and the more they spoke, the more drool leaked out from the corner of their mouths.

Only the Elite parties of Guilds could clear those high difficulty Party Dungeons. Unaffiliated individuals like themselves could only look on with envy.

Just as everyone was sighing in admiration at the equipment of these elite teams, Stabbing Heart of Assassin's Alliance led a group of players over. The equipment of the group was extremely unified. All twenty players wore the same Level 4 Bronze Equipment. Amongst them, the two silver daggers hung around Stabbing Heart's waist looked extraordinarily radiant.

"Crap, it can't be, right? Those are Gemini's Thorns that only drop from the final Boss of the Hard Mode of Ghost Fortress," an Assassin who was a dagger-fanatic cried out in shock.

Suddenly, the team leaders and upper echelons of the other Guilds all cast sidelong glances over to Stabbing Heart.

This design and color were exactly the same as the information displayed on the official announcement.

"As expected of a second-rate Guild; the Assassin's Alliance's strength cannot be taken lightly. They managed to clear the Hard Mode of Ghost Fortress without anyone noticing. Meanwhile, until now, we have merely killed off the first Boss of Hard Mode," Passenger of Wind sighed with regret.

"Humph! So what if they managed to clear the Hard Mode? We will still start from the same starting point from now on. The difficulty of a Team Dungeon is not something a Party Dungeon can compare to. Clearing it depends more on the commands given," Ironsword Lion wrinkled his brows, snorting in disdain. He believed that his own techniques were no weaker than Stabbing Heart's. If he had not been ambushed by that Ye Feng, causing him to lose a level, the party he led might have been able to clear the Hard Mode of Ghost Fortress.

"Interesting," when Shadow's leader, Zhang Luowei, heard the discussions of the other Guilds, a faint smile appeared on his face. He was immensely arrogant, as if he did not place importance on any of these players.

The various Guilds present were unwilling to comply with each other. After all, God's Domain had only recently begun; nobody would know what the future would bring. The Assassin's Alliance was only this powerful due to their strong initial foundation. However, the First Clear for the Dark Moon Graveyard could not be obtained just by relying on a strong foundation. At best, the Assassin's Alliance would only have a minor advantage over the other Guilds.

The First Clear of this Team Dungeon this time around was considered a shuffling of power in Red Leaf Town. Whoever obtained the First Clear would increase their prestige in Red Leaf Town, improving their Guild's development. It would have a great effect on attracting new players to join their Guilds.

Everyone looked at the time. There was still over twenty minutes before the opening of Dark Moon Graveyard. They all stood by a side, patiently waiting.

"Sister Snow, this place is really lively!" Xiao Yue'er giggled, pulling on Gentle Snow's delicate arm as she took a look at her surroundings.

Gentle Snow nodded. She looked around with an indifferent face, her expression as cold as ice. She did not pay any attention to the Guilds present. Instead, she was looking for a certain someone.

Although Gentle Snow and her group kept a low profile when they arrived at the Dark Moon Graveyard, everyone's sights still unconsciously turned towards the group; including the upper echelons of the various Guilds.

They still possessed the chance to compete in the case of second-rate Guilds. However, it was but a fleeting dream for them to compete against a first-rate Guild. The main reason being the gap between a first-rate Guild and a second-rate Guild was just too wide. Not only was there a difference in the number of players in the Guild, but there was also the difference of the quality of players and fundings.

Just by standing in this place, Gentle Snow caused a great pressure to loom over the upper echelons of the many Guilds present. As for the cause for this pressure, aside from the disparity between their Guilds, the disparity between personal strength was also one of the causes. As long as one played virtual reality games, they would certainly know of the Snow Goddess. However, this name was not praise for Gentle Snow's stunning complexion, but for her frightening strength.

"As expected of the Snow Goddess. The equipment on her body is likely the most top-notch equipment available to players at this stage of the game," Stabbing Heart inwardly admired the silver-red battle armor that Gentle Snow wore.

This was the Flame Light Set Equipment that could only be obtained from the Level 5 Advanced Dungeon, Lava Cavern. The Assassin's Alliance was never able to clear this Dungeon. Moreover, this Flame Light Set was a Mysterious-Iron Set Equipment that would only drop from the Hard Mode of the Dungeon.

The Set Equipment was much better than any other equipment, not to mention the crimson-colored Flame Spirit Greatsword in Gentle Snow's hands. That was a Level 5 Secret-Silver Two-handed Sword. The weapon itself could easily overwhelm his pair of Mysterious-Iron ranked Gemini's Thorns.

The pressure this set of equipment gave off to the other experts present was enormous. In addition to Zhao Yueru and Xiao Yue'er's Mysterious-Iron Equipment, Gentle Snow's group practically flattened everyone else at the Dark Moon Graveyard. How were these experts supposed to compete against Gentle Snow's group now?

"Why isn't he here yet?" after taking a look around, a faint layer of frost appeared on Gentle Snow's face as she was unable to discover Shi Feng's figure anywhere.

"Hahaha! Snow, that guy must've known that he would just humiliate himself, so he didn't dare show up. Why don't we just call a few more members over?" Zhao Yueru stuck out her impressive twin peaks, laughing delightfully.

Gentle Snow gave Zhao Yueru's words some thought. The First Clear for the Dark Moon Graveyard was extremely important. If Shi Feng really was not coming, then she should be making some preparations ahead of time.

Just as Gentle Snow was prepared to contact her subordinates, Shi Feng and his party ran over.

"Sorry, I've made you all wait," Shi Feng scratched his head, apologizing.

Although he hurried over, the distance was just too far. Moreover, they had met a Level 5 Extremely Rare Elite on the way here, so they had wasted some time...

Chapter 98 - whetstone recipe 

After not meeting for just more than a day, Shi Feng discovered that Gentle Snow and the others of her group had changed their equipment. All of them were wearing gorgeous equipment. The Level 5 Flame Light Set Equipment all of them were wearing was the best team equipment currently available.

With this equipment, as long as the team leader commanded properly, they would definitely conquer the Normal Mode of Dark Moon Valley after familiarizing themselves with the Dungeon.

Regarding the Dark Moon Graveyard...

Even if Shi Feng now possessed a full suit of Silvermoon Set Equipment, he still had quite a lot of requirements. For instance, the Advanced Whetstone Recipe. This was the strengthened version of the Whetstone. The Recipe for this item could only be obtained from Team Dungeons. Moreover, only Bosses of the Dungeon would have a chance of dropping it.

"You still remembered to come...

"That's enough. Since you're already here, leave your party, and we'll reform the group."

Zhao Yueru originally wanted to taunt Shi Feng, but Gentle Snow stopped her a step earlier.

Gentle Snow was still slightly angry from before, but after sweeping a glance at Shi Feng, she shockingly discovered that Shi Feng had reached Level 6.

Currently, the Level 6 players in all of Red Leaf Town were top-tier players.

Previously, when she met Shi Feng, his level was nothing special. It was just below average. Now that he was able to catch up to such a degree, one could see that Shi Feng's leveling speed was extremely fast. As for Blackie and the others standing behind Shi Feng, all of them were Level 5. They were also fully geared with Bronze Equipment, and such a standard was relatively good amongst temporary teams.

Shi Feng's party then disbanded, all of them joining Gentle Snow's team.

All of the surrounding Guilds and players saw Shi Feng join Gentle Snow's team. Judging from the equipment of Shi Feng's party, it was obvious that Shi Feng and the others were not members of Ouroboros. However, it was extremely odd that they were still able to join Gentle Snow's team and enter the Dungeon together.

The equipment worn by Shi Feng's party did not seem very high-leveled. They wore only scattered pieces of Bronze Equipment, not that different from the equipment of a temporary team.

This was the important struggle for the First Clear of a Team Dungeon. Was Gentle Snow so confident in being able to easily obtain it that she'd invite a group of people like this?

Only Stabbing Heart knew of Shi Feng's strength. Now that both powerhouses had joined, the competition for the First Clear of the Dark Moon Graveyard had just become much harder.

"Brother Zhang, that's the brat that set up our men," Flaming Tiger hatefully commented when he saw Shi Feng.

"So, it is him?" Zhang Luowei raised his brows. He could not help but pay more attention to Shi Feng. He then said in a deep tone, "Since he has some connection with the Snow Goddess, try not to stir up trouble with them in the future. I don't wish for us to go against a first-rate Guild right now."

Being able to wipe out Flaming Tiger's group, and having a connection with the Snow Goddess, this person was not that simple. He still needed to do some investigations of this person. If this person had just joined the Snow Goddess by chance, he would definitely make this person pay for his actions.

"Yes, I understand, Brother Zhang." Flaming Tiger glared at Shi Feng, only gritting his teeth as he answered.

However, it was a different situation on the side of Martial Union.

Every member of Martial Union could not help but wish they could get rid of Shi Feng right that instant. It was especially true for Ironsword Lion.

Previously, he put out the word that he would kill Shi Feng back to Level 0. Now that he saw Shi Feng had already reached Level 6, one level higher than Ironsword Lion, himself, he felt extremely humiliated.

"What is that group of Assassins doing? They actually allowed him to wash away his Red Name, and even rise to Level 6." Just the fact that Shi Feng was standing in this place, unscathed, caused the light on Ironsword Lion's face to fade. His face turned crimson from anger, saying, "Immediately contact the party of Assassins. What exactly is going on here?"

"Boss, what's up?" one of the Assassins standing guard in front of the Hotel asked.

"What's up?" Ironsword Lion nearly suffocated from anger when he heard those words. He bellowed, "I told you all to pay attention to Ye Feng, yet, what have you all been doing?"

"Boss, we've constantly been keeping an eye out for him. However, Ye Feng has not set foot outside the Hotel. I'm guessing that he must be afraid," the Assassin said, puzzled.

"You've constantly been keeping an eye out for him? Then you tell me; who is this person that I am looking at?" Ironsword Lion sent a screenshot, asking coldly.

"Impossible! We've really been constantly keeping an eye out for Ye Feng, and he never came out!" The Assassin, immediately dumbfounded, looked at the screenshot.

"You're a bunch of rubbish that can't even keep watch over a single person! Get out of Martial Union immediately! I don't wish to see you any longer!" rage completely flooded Ironsword Lion's mind. Shortly after, he turned to glare at Shi Feng, saying to his subordinate, "Call some men over, as many as you can. After they're done with the Dungeon, I want him dead immediately."

"Boss Ironsword, this wouldn't be a good move, right? No matter how you put it, he still has some connection with the Snow Goddess. If we create a bad relationship with Ouroboros, it would be detrimental to the development of our Guild," a Druid said.

"Out in the streets, we live by depending on our reputation. Now that someone has stomped our reputation to the ground, who cares about anything else?" Ironsword Lion said in disdain, "So what if she's the Snow Goddess? She still hasn't met this daddy right here. I don't believe that a stupid skank like her could do much to me. If she knows how to be tactful, I can still give her some face. If not, then I'll kill her back to Level 0 as well."

"Boss is right! God's Domain just has slightly more players. How prestigious was it during those years that we swept across Martial World? Now, we can also sweep across God's Domain just like before. What should we be afraid of?"

The players that had constantly followed Ironsword Lion all voiced out their agreements, all of them releasing the aura of a mad dog from their bodies.

In their opinion, one had to be fierce when playing virtual reality games. Compared to Wuxia games, God's Domain merely had more players. Moreover, they had to take into consideration so many problems every single day. What good was worrying about each and every little thing? Won't everything be solved if they just killed these first-rate Guilds into submission? They had only depended on being fierce to succeed in the previous Wuxia game they played, and it would be the same in God's Domain.

Only the Druid, who had only recently joined, helplessly shook his head.

These people were insane!

Shi Feng did not notice the movements of Martial Union. He only discussed the matter of cooperation with Gentle Snow.

"The items dropped from the Dungeon will be distributed according to Job requirements. If both sides require the same equipment, then there should be no problem if we just Roll for it, right?"

"We don't have any problems with the distribution of equipment. However, I want priority over the recipes and materials for Lifestyle Jobs." Shi Feng's goal in coming here was the Advanced Whetstone Recipe, while equipment didn't really matter to him.

"You! Don't forget that we are the ones who will be carrying you through the Dungeon! Moreover, do you know how valuable the recipes for Lifestyle Jobs are?" After hearing Shi Feng's words, Zhao Yueru stamped her feet in anger, bellowing like a fierce tigress.

The other members of Gentle Snow's team were also feeling aggrieved. Shi Feng and his party were just a group of wild players[1]. They were already extremely benevolent by Rolling to distribute the equipment. Despite that fact, Shi Feng was still trying to take advantage of them.

"Brother Feng, your request is going slightly overboard. In any case, our equipment is slightly weaker than theirs, and even just clearing the Dungeon would be a problem for us. So why don't you change your requirements?" Blackie advised.

Although their equipment was very good, compared to the Set Equipment of these people, they were clearly still a step behind. Being able to Roll for equipment was already a good condition. Going further to compete over recipes for Lifestyle Jobs... Nobody would be willing to concede to such a request.

To put it bluntly, even without them joining, Gentle Snow's team could similarly clear the Dark Moon Graveyard.

Shi Feng shook his head. He would not mind if it were any other recipes. However, he would not concede even a single step for the Advanced Whetstone Recipe. He also could not reveal any specifics to avoid attracting the suspicion of others. After all, before a Team Dungeon was conquered, the Official Website would not reveal any information about its drops.

Twenty-man Dungeons would only refresh once every three days. There were only that many Team Dungeons nearby, and every one of them was extremely precious. The earlier Shi Feng obtained the Advanced Whetstone Recipe, the earlier he would obtain an advantage over the other players. To a Workshop like theirs that lived on the edge, they had even more reasons not to concede.

Gentle Snow, who had an ice-cold expression, also opened up her mouth this time around, saying, "Recipes for Lifestyle Jobs are extremely important to our Guild. Your request, I cannot agree to it."

* * *

TL Notes:

[1] wild players: players that are unaffiliated to any Guilds.

Chapter 99 - dark moon graveyard

Gentle Snow's single sentence determined the final verdict, not allowing anybody to refuse.

After having worked with Black Flame, Gentle Snow discovered the importance of Lifestyle Jobs. Although their influence towards God's Domain was small right now, who could guarantee that it would remain so in the future?

Hence, she would not let even a single recipe that dropped from the Dungeon slip by.

With Gentle Snow's approval, the confidence of the members of Ouroboros grew. Every one of them looked towards the foolish-looking Shi Feng.

_Now that our leader has refused, let's see how you are going to continue acting arrogant! If you have the ability, then form your own team to enter the Dark Moon Graveyard. We will have an easier time that way as well._

Shi Feng slightly wrinkled his brows. He did not think that Gentle Snow would be so resolute. He wondered what had happened to Gentle Snow to trigger a nerve in her. She was completely different from when they first met. At that time, there was still room for discussion.

However, Shi Feng did not have a clue that the person who triggered Gentle Snow was exactly himself...

"How about this, then? We'll hold a party auction for the Lifestyle recipes that drop," Shi Feng said. Without having any better options, he could only take a step back and make some compromises.

Hearing Shi Feng, Zhao Yueru covered her delicate mouth as she revealed a shallow smile.

"Ye Feng, stop dreaming. Team Dungeons only reset once every three days. The recipes obtained from inside are extremely important to a Guild's development. How could we auction them amongst the party? If you insist on doing so, then we will just call in a few more of our elite members. That way, those enter the Dark Moon Graveyard will all be our members, and we won't need to share anything with you," Zhao Yueru's tone turned chilling.

Zhao Yueru had already made her words extremely clear: If you are going to stay, then forget about the recipes. Otherwise, pack up and leave. We won't be obstructing you on your way.

Meanwhile, Gentle Snow showed no signs of hindering Zhao Yueru. Her actions meant that she, too, agreed with Zhao Yueru's viewpoint.

"Miss Zhao, please don't get angry. Brother Feng doesn't know how important the recipes are to you all. I apologize." Blackie could no longer stand to watch this scene continue to unfold. Any more of this, and the final result would definitely be a separation. They managed to obtain the favor of the Snow goddess after much difficulty. Hence, they could not simply just let go of this chance to further advance their Workshop.

Blackie continuously hinted Shi Feng not to act rashly and to properly grab ahold of this chance.

Shi Feng could feel Gentle Snow's resolute behavior. Such an attitude gave him a headache. However, it would not be easy for him to find another team to enter the Dark Moon Graveyard with. It was a Team Dungeon, after all. A certain standard of equipment, trust, and cooperation was required to successfully clear it. Moreover, players that were abruptly recruited might not necessarily be reliable. They might even bring adverse effects to the team.

"Alright then, let's go with your arrangements." It was clearly not wise for him to enter a deadlock with Gentle Snow right now. Shi Feng had no choice but to just give up this chance. His only choice was to look for new, reliable members after he finished the Dungeon. He would then bring them to dive into other Team Dungeons.

Seeing Shi Feng agree, Blackie let loose a breath of relief. On the other hand, Zhao Yueru was slightly pouting. She inwardly felt unfortunate that she was not able to chase Shi Feng away.

Gentle Snow did not pay attention to Zhao Yueru's irritation. The time for the Dungeon's opening already arrived. The other Guild teams were all entering the Dungeon, one after another. Hence, Gentle Snow said in the team chat, "Let's go in then."

Before entering the Dungeon, Gentle Snow had set the Dungeon's difficulty at Normal. That way, after entering the Teleportation Gate, everyone would be sent to the Normal Mode of the Dark Moon Graveyard.

Team Dungeons were similar to Party Dungeons, in which they had three different difficulties: Normal, Hard, and Hell. However, Guilds that were not familiar with the Dungeon would usually start off by obtaining and understanding information from the Normal Mode of the Dungeon. They would then use the information obtained to prepare for Hard Mode and Hell Mode.

Right now, every Guild was competing for the First Clear of the Dark Moon Graveyard. They wanted to use this chance to increase their influence towards the players in Red Leaf Town. So, naturally, they would not start off by challenging a higher difficulty.

The team entered the Teleportation Gate, one after another. They all turned into a streak of white light as they entered the Dark Moon Graveyard.

Team Dungeons were unlike Party Dungeons. The map inside a Team Dungeon was extremely large. They were practically the same size as a small Town, with some being the same size as a city with a population in the millions.

The Dark Moon Graveyard was the first Team Dungeon available near Red Leaf Town, so the map of the Dungeon was relatively small.

Unlike the Team Dungeons in other virtual reality games, the main goal when entering any Team Dungeons in God's Domain was to find the exit. As long as players could find the exit and leave the Dungeon, then they would have cleared the Dungeon. After leaving the Dungeon, they would also receive the corresponding Dungeon rewards.

Dark Moon Graveyard was different precisely because of this reason. Taking into consideration that this was the first time players of God's Domain came into contact with Team Dungeons, the Dark Moon Graveyard's difficulty was lower than other Team Dungeons. Players only needed to consider one key point when inside the Dungeon.

Survive!

As long as they could survive and leave through the exit, they would clear the Dungeon.

Immediately after everyone entered the Dark Moon Graveyard, a chilling wind ambushed them, causing their entire bodies to shiver.

It was past dusk in this place, and a red moon hung above the sky, shining down on the earth. Gravestones littered the wasteland, and the gigantic stones formed one gigantic maze. A strange atmosphere filled the place, coupled with countless wails of anguish.

"I'll divide up our responsibilities first, so when the time comes, just make sure you do your own part." Gentle Snow was not even the slightest bit shocked by the strange atmosphere. Instead, the corners of her lips curved upwards, forming an excited smile.

Although they wasted several minutes, they properly determined each team member's responsibilities. That way, whenever anything unexpected occurred, everyone could react with the quickest time possible.

The team had a total of four healers, with two being Clerics, one Oracle, and one Druid.

There were two MTs in the team. One of them was a Shield Warrior; the other, a Guardian Knight.

Meanwhile, Shi Feng was arranged into the Dagger Party. The party's main goal was to combat at the frontlines. On the other hand, Lonely Snow was arranged into the Protection Party. Their main goal was to protect the team's lifeline, the healers.

"Alright, Scout Party, search for a path. We will follow behind at a slower pace." Once Gentle Snow was satisfied with the team's formation, she arranged for two Assassins to scout ahead.

After entering the wasteland maze, the two Assassins immediately reported the situation they discovered. Gentle Snow responded immediately, allowing her team to advance towards the best possible route and easily avoid the traps set up by the Kobold Assassins and Kobold Warriors.

[Kobold Assassin] (Common rank)

Level 5

HP 1,600/1,600

[Kobold Warrior] (Elite rank)

Level 5

HP 3,500/3,500

If they triggered the trap here, they would have to go up against more than thirty Kobold Assassins and seven or eight Elite Kobold Warriors. Such a situation would definitely cause major losses to the team.

Thanks to Gentle Snow's quick decisions, the team inched closer and closer towards the maze's exit. On the way, they only needed to kill a small amount of Kobolds. Even Shi Feng was slightly shocked by Gentle Snow's leadership. It was as if all matters within the Dark Moon Graveyard were within the palms of her hands.

Zhao Yueru walked up to Shi Feng's side, proudly saying, "What do you think? You should see how far apart your strengths are now, right?"

Shi Feng remained silent. He did not pay much heed to Zhao Yueru, his hand only tightening its grip on his treasured sword hanging on his waist.

"Humph! Speechless now, are you?" Zhao Yueru thought Shi Feng was tacitly agreeing, her heart feeling a wave of pleasure.

However, not long after Zhao Yueru felt pleased with herself, two blood-curling screams came through the team's chat.

"Scout Party, what happened?" Gentle Snow hurriedly asked.

System: Player White Cry has died.

System: Player Wind Shadow has died.

"What happened?" When Zhao Yueru saw that the two players who died were both from the Scout Party, her heart filled with questions.

However, nobody answered Zhao Yueru.

Due the settings of God's Domain, players were unable to initiate communication after death.

Everyone immediately tensed up. They watched their surroundings vigilantly.

The mysterious deaths of the two players informed the members of Ouroboros of one thing.

Both players who died had very good techniques. Otherwise, they wouldn't have become elite members of Ouroboros. Their sudden deaths and the lack of even the slightest information could only mean one thing... this place had become extremely dangerous.

Chapter 100 - go ahead, if you can

"Everyone, pay attention to your surroundings! Healers, stand in the middle! Protection Party, guard the healers! MTs, prepare to activate your lifesaving skills at any time! Dagger Party, prepare for battle!" Gentle Snow was not frightened by the situation. She immediately gave out commands, staying combat ready.

Haughtiness invites disaster; humility receives benefit.

This sentence just happened to be applicable to the members of Ouroboros. It was especially true for the arrogant Zhao Yueru.

Problems were bound to occur when one became complacent.

Only, the problems, this time, arrived somewhat too quickly.

Zhao Yueru, who was still relaxed, suddenly tightened her grip on her Crystal Staff. She was no longer acting cheerful or witty; her expression now turned solemn. She observed her surroundings for every little detail, revealing the unquestionable quality of an expert.

The other members of Ouroboros also no longer dared be careless. Although they were confident in their equipment, even possessing the confidence to overcome the Dark Moon Graveyard, this confidence still gradually faded after the two players were instantly killed. They could not help but become cautious and timid.

As for Shi Feng's party, they were even more nervous. Inside their hearts, they were still considering themselves to be a bunch of noobs. Meanwhile, the elite members of Ouroboros before them were experts. Their techniques surpassed them by leaps and bounds.

However, such experts that wore top-tier Set Equipment still died an unfathomable death.

This Dark Moon Graveyard was just too horrifying!

Seeing everyone in such a panic, Shi Feng remained incomparably calm. As for what actually happened, nobody had a better understanding of it than him, or rather, he long since predicted such a situation.

Since Dark Moon Graveyard had a lower difficulty, depending on equipment and some experts, it was easy enough that it could be relaxingly cleared. However, in Shi Feng's previous life, an unknown number of Guilds fell to the dungeon over and over, to the degree of cursing someone's mother. Based on the strength of Gentle Snow's team, they would still be able to clear the Dungeon, even after being team-wiped over a dozen times. Only, the price to pay for such an action was very high.

"Something's coming. MTs, pay attention," Shi Feng warned. He squinted his eyes, looking towards the fog that floated nearer.

Everyone abruptly tensed, looking over.

"What's that?" The Shield Warrior discovered a blurry figure inside the mist.

The figure was hidden inside the murky fog, preventing anybody from getting a clear look at it. The team only knew that the thing was gradually wobbling closer, step after step, crawling as slow as a snail. As the distance between the two sides shortened, the wails of anguish became louder, causing all those present to have goosebumps.

Just when the figure was about to leave the fog...

"MTs activate your lifesaving skills!" Shi Feng yelled.

However, the Shield Warrior paid no attention to Shi Feng's words.

He had always looked down upon Shi Feng in his heart. The last time they met, Shi Feng was just a noob who got lucky. Shi Feng was only able to attract their leader's attention because he familiarized himself with God's Domain ahead of time. Although Shi Feng was currently reached Level 6, he had definitely depended on his familiarity with the Quests and monsters in order to level up so quickly. He did not truly possess strength.

Even if Shi Feng's skills were good, the number of experts Ouroboros had recruited over the years from other virtual reality games exceeded five thousand. They were not lacking people such as Shi Feng at all. In other words, within Ouroboros, there were plenty of players that were much better than Shi Feng.

Although the Shield Warrior did not pay attention to Shi Feng's words, the Guardian Knight, Cola, had always trusted in Shi Feng. He had, at the first instance, activated Protection Blessing on himself.

Just as the figure within the fog was about to reveal itself, two black rays of light shot out from the fog, reaching the MTs on the frontlines in the blink of an eye.

These two rays of light were as swift as bullets. The bulky MTs had no way of dodging them.

At that moment, Gentle Snow only shouted, "MTs, use your lifesaving skills!"

Unfortunately, Gentle Snow was still one step behind.

One of the black rays immediately pierced the Shield Warrior's body, a damage of -1,600 appearing above his head. He was killed instantly.

The Shield Warrior's eyes affixed to his chest where the black ray penetrated, unwillingly passing on.

Meanwhile, after activating Protection Blessing, the damage Cola received reduced by 50%. In addition to the Secret-Silver ranked Sky Armor that he received from Shi Feng, Cola only received slightly more than -500 damage, losing slightly more than half of his HP.

Everyone was dumbfounded after seeing this. A Level 5 MT wearing Bronze Set Equipment died, just like that.

Meanwhile, more figures started appearing out of the fog.

When Gentle Snow recalled the terrifying black rays from before, she immediately commanded, "Healers, heal! Everyone retreat. Guardian Knight, cover everyone else's retreat. Anybody with a Defense Skill, pay attention and protect the Guardian Knight."

Hearing Gentle Snow's commands, Cola hesitated slightly. He turned to look at Shi Feng, intending to wait for Shi Feng's command.

"Retreat then. Pay attention to your positioning and maintain a straight line with the people behind," Shi Feng nodded his head.

After receiving Shi Feng's orders, Cola immediately took action.

Seeing such a scene, Gentle Snow felt slightly upset in her heart. However, she did not voice it.

On the other hand, Zhao Yueru was not as willing. _A noob like you, instead of listening to Snow's commands, you actually listened to that_ _lucky dog shit's_ _words?_ Was he trying to imply that the Snow Goddess' strength and commands weren't as reliable as Shi Feng's?

However, just as Zhao Yueru was about to open her mouth, she immediately snapped it closed.

That was because, while Cola was retreating, he was actually able to simultaneously use his shield to block the black rays that fired towards the other players. He was even able to dodge the attacks of the black rays while, at the same time, retreating in an orderly manner. Such a feat was absolutely impossible for a fresh noob to accomplish. His skills were even better than their own Shield Warrior's by a thread.

With four healers healing him, Cola was able to maintain his HP above the safety line. During the occasional desperate moments, Shi Feng would use Parry to help Cola block the black rays, allowing Cola to retain his life.

Such scenes caused the members of Ouroboros, who had been previously dissatisfied with Shi Feng, to have a change of heart. They questioned whether they were able to carry out such actions. Moreover, Shi Feng rescued Cola multiple times now, proving that it was not just a coincidence, but skill.

As long as Cola did not die, the remaining team members would remain safe. It could be said that Shi Feng was holding onto the lives of the entire team.

"It would seem...that I have still been underestimating him." Gentle Snow started viewing Shi Feng in a different light. Although she, too, helped Cola block some attacks, her actions were not as natural and pleasant as Shi Feng's. He was capable of blocking the attacks while not hindering Cola's movements.

After everyone retreated some distance, they were finally able to clearly see the figures within the fog.

They had gigantic bodies with the height of two people. Their arms were both equipped with black, metallic claws. When they attacked, their claws were like swords shooting forth and sheathing quickly after, all within a blink of an eye.

[Kobold Zombie] (Special Elite)

Level 6

HP 5,000/5,000

Just a single Kobold Zombie was headache to them. However, there were a total of six Kobold Zombies that appeared from the fog. Such numbers practically demanded their lives. To make matters worse, a group of Kobold Warriors also appeared in their path of retreat.

Everyone finally understood the difficulty of a Team Dungeon. Its difficulty was practically over ten times that of a Party Dungeon.

"We're finished," Zhao Yueru felt despair in her heart when she saw the number of Elites and Special Elites, "How are we supposed to fight this many Elites and Special Elites? Moreover, they have both ranged and melee to cooperate with each other."

The other team members similarly agreed with Zhao Yueru's opinion.

"Is there no way for us to pass through?" Gentle Snow creased her brows. She was unwilling to just leave the Dungeon like this.

At that moment, Shi Feng opened his mouth, saying, "If we utilise the terrain properly and cooperate well with each other, it is not entirely impossible."

The members of Ouroboros felt displeasure in their hearts when they heard Shi Feng. He was wholly mocking the inability of Gentle Snow's commands.

"Easier said than done. Who would know how to deal with this many Elites and Special Elites? Go ahead, if you can," Zhao Yueru sneered, looking at Shi Feng with disdain.