Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God - Chapter 216

Chapter 216: Surpassing Imagination

Beastman Munition Factory.

“Boss, we’ve already team-wiped four times now and have lost 20% of our experience. If we are to continue to die, at this rate, we might not even be a high enough level to enter the Dungeon’s entrance. Why don’t we give up?”

“Alright, then. Everyone, get some rest. Afterwards, we’ll head to a 10-man Dungeon to upgrade our equipment.”

Lone Tyrant currently wore a gloomy expression on his face. They had tried all sorts of methods to raid the High Chieftain ranked Boss, Karur, yet, ultimately, they still failed due to a lack of damage. Before, he had even made a solemn vow to kill Karur. Now that he thought about it, he felt that his decision had been slightly rash. Fortunately, the players from the Assassin’s Alliance had absolutely no chances of clearing the Dungeon. Otherwise, he would be utterly humiliated.

Just as the members of Dark Star were resting…

Suddenly, two system notifications relating to the Assassin’s Alliance rang out beside everyone’s ears.

In the beginning, the members of Dark Star thought that they had heard wrong. Hence, they quickly called up the announcement interface. The extraordinarily large and clear words proved them wrong. The Assassin’s Alliance had indeed obtained the First Clear of the Hard Mode Beastman Munition Factory.

Immediately, the atmosphere surrounding the members of Dark Star sunk.

Why was there such a large difference between their two teams? Weren’t they supposed to be stronger than the Assassin’s Alliance?

How could the Assassin’s Alliance have already obtained the First Clear, while they were still stuck at the first Boss?

Lone Tyrant felt like he had just been given two tight slaps to his face when he looked at these notifications; his cheeks felt as if they were on fire.

He felt even worse when he recalled Shi Feng’s words from before.

If the nobodies that you’ve looked down on suddenly obtain the First Clear of the Hard Mode Beast Munition Factory a step ahead of you, then what would you all amount to?

At this moment, those words were like sharp swords, continuously slashing at Lone Tyrant’s pride.

Lone Tyrant truly never imagined that such a situation would occur.

However, Lone Tyrant was no fool. He did not believe the Assassin’s Alliance had relied on only themselves to clear the Dungeon. The only possible way they could do so was with to Shi Feng’s help.

Just where did this mysterious person come from?

In reality, Dark Star wasn’t the only one to have been shocked by this piece of news. When the announcement spread throughout the entire White River City region, it had grabbed the attention of many other Guilds.

The Assassin’s Alliance’s position in White River City was self-evident from the fact that their development speed had surpassed even that of a first-rate Guild. However, Dark Star’s fame had recently suppressed Assassin’s Alliance, adding to the fact that they had not produced any significant results from the Team Dungeons, their status in White River City had become slightly awkward.

Now that they had obtained the First Clear of the Beastman Munition Factory, their fame instantly soared. This allowed the Assassin’s Alliance to regain their rightful reputation. From now on, their development speed would definitely be faster than before.

—

White River City’s Adventurer’s Association.

“Brother Zhang! Brother Zhang! The Assassin’s Alliance has obtained the First Clear of the Hard Mode Beastman Munition Factory!” Ling Feilong suddenly rushed into Shadow’s Guild Hall, announcing the news with a face filled with excitement.

In God’s Domain, as long as Guilds registered themselves at the Adventurer’s Association, they would be provided a free lounge for their own personal use in the various large cities. Guilds could carry out meetings and rest in this room, and they could also receive quests from the Adventurer’s Association.

“Why are you shouting? Who doesn’t know of this matter?” Zhou Yuhu, who was resting in the corner of the room, rolled his eyes at Ling Feilong.

“Of course, I know of this. However, there is another hidden truth to this matter.” Ling Feilong shot a glance at Zhou Yuhu, before shifting his gaze towards the person sitting in the Guild Leader’s seat, Zhang Luowei.

A hidden truth?

“Speak.” Ling Feilong’s words caused Zhang Luowei, who had previously been indifferent towards this matter, to grow interested.

Ling Feilong’s previous report about his efforts to recruit Ye Feng had nearly caused Zhang Luowei to lash out in anger.

Shi Feng had actually demanded to become the Guild Leader of Shadow. Did Ye Feng even place him in his eyes?

Moreover, he had asked for 60% of the Guild’s shares. What did he take them for?

Did he really think they were fools?

Meanwhile, the most shocking thing was that Ling Feilong had actually suggested that Zhang Luowei accept Shi Feng’s conditions.

Hence, Zhang Luowei now looked down on Ling Feilong, resulting in Ling Feilong receiving cold treatment within the Guild.

“Brother Zhang, look at the Assassin’s Alliance’s First Clear name list! Ye Feng is among the names!” Ling Feilong called out his system interface, pointing at the Assassin’s Alliance’s First Clear name list as he spoke excitedly.

“So?” Zhou Yuhu laughed disdainfully. If they really allowed Ye Feng to join Shadow, he would no longer need to remain in the Guild.

“The Assassin’s Alliance is a through and through second-rate Guild. They were clearly on an expedition to clear the Beastman Munition Factory, yet, why would they suddenly let an outsider join their team? Previously, for a long time, the Assassin’s Alliance could not even obtain a single First Clear of a Level 10 Team Dungeon. However, they are now the first ones to obtain the First Clear of a 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon. Why is that?

“This matter definitely has something to do with Ye Feng. Ye Feng’s relationship with the Assassin’s Alliance is anything but shallow. Originally, the Assassin’s Alliance was only a normal second-rate Guild. However, after entering White River City, their development speed suddenly soared like crazy. They have even surpassed many first-rate Guilds. Again, why?

“Ye Feng was the first person to enter White River City, and the White River City Guidebook is also selling like hotcakes now. There is a very high likelihood that Ye Feng sold the guidebook to the Assassin’s Alliance in advance, allowing them to make ample preparations beforehand. Hence, after they entered White River City, they developed with flying speeds.

“Right now, Ye Feng has even helped the Assassin’s Alliance obtain a First Clear. Regarding fame or background, the Assassin’s Alliance now stands at the very top of White River City; they have even surpassed many first-rate Guilds. This is a clear proof of Ye Feng’s capabilities. If Ye Feng joins Shadow, within a month, we can stand our own ground in White River City.”

Ling Feilong had made a thorough investigation of Ye Feng, and the more information he uncovered about Ye Feng, the more frightened he became. Ye Feng’s accomplishments far surpassed his imagination. This was also the reason Ling Feilong became even more determined to hug a golden leg like Shi Feng.

At that time, what would Zhang Luowei amount to?

What would Lan Hailong amount to?

“Don’t even think about it! In the future, if you ever dare to mention Ye Feng’s name to me again or tell Lan Hailong about this matter, you better be prepared for the consequences!” Zhang Luowei’s countenance suddenly turned livid. With a tone filled with killing intent, he said, “Ye Feng is just a clown, jumping about on the stage. The Assassin’s Alliance is an apex second-rate Guild with an immense background. Their Guild Leader, Cruel Sword, is even a long-established expert. He has personally nurtured the Assassin’s Alliance to its current status, so it is not unusual for him to produce such results. To begin with, what sort of impact could that Ye Feng even have?

“In my opinion, that Ye Feng would, at best, take on the role of a bystander.”

Being reprimanded by Zhang Luowei in such a way, Ling Feilong immediately revealed a fearful expression. Hurriedly nodding his head, he said, “Yes, I understand, Brother Zhang. I definitely won’t mention this again in the future.”

Inwardly, however, Ling Feilong smiled brightly.

He was even more assured of Ye Feng’s might now. After all, if Zhang Luowei did not feel greatly threatened by Ye Feng, why would he be so angry at the mention this expert?

In fact, Ling Feilong had long since told Lan Hailong about this matter, and Lan Hailong had instructed him to contact Shi Feng secretly once more.

Once he attained certain achievements in God’s Domain, would he still be afraid of not being able to earn money?

With wealth, would he still need to be afraid that Zhao Ruoxi wouldn’t welcome his embrace of her own volition? Her family might very well obediently hand her over to him.

—

Just as everyone discussed the Assassin’s Alliance’s First Clear, Shi Feng had already swapped out his old equipment for the four pieces of the Wind Extinguisher Set Equipment and had arrived at the Library of White River City.

Compared to the dilapidated house used as a Library in Red Leaf Town, the Library at White River City was a true library. Not only did it possess a majestic atmosphere, but its appearance was also splendid and magnificent. It was like a Babylonian shrine, and it was situated right in the heart of the city.

The people going through the entrance of the Library were mostly nobles of White River City and mage-class NPCs. There were even some who possessed Tier 2 classes. Hence, the Library was not a place where the common folk could simply visit.

Meanwhile, Sharlyn, the Tier 3 Divine Official whom Shi Feng searched for, currently recuperated within this wealth of knowledge.

Chapter 217: Thoughtful Rain

At the entrance of White River City’s majestic Library…

Aside from a large number of NPCs entering and leaving the premises, there were also plenty of players surrounding the Library’s entrance. However, no matter how hard they tried, they still could not enter the Library. Hence, a majority of these players were currently trying to befriend some of the NPCs here, increasing their intimacy in the hopes of these NPCs taking them along into the Library.

There were even some attractive female players that tried to seduce the NPC nobles.

Meanwhile, the players that attempted these actions were mostly mages such as Elementalists, Cursemancers, and Summoners.

As for why these players tried to get into the Library?

It was mainly because of the amazing skills they could learn within the Library. Aside from obtaining these skills from monsters and Dungeons, the Library also possessed some of the more common, high-level mage skills. As for healers, they would have to visit the Light Temple to learn their respective skills. Meanwhile, all melee classes could learn new skills from their respective class instructors in the Apocalypse Temple.

These players had read about the Library in the White River City Guidebook by Shi Feng. Hence, they had all come here to obtain new skills. After all, compared to upgrading their weapons and equipment, it was much easier to upgrade their arsenal of skills.

As long as players could learn some of these high-level skills, their overall prowess would massively improve. However, learning a skill was very expensive. Players also needed to do a series of quests and waste precious time to obtain a skill. Hence, Shi Feng never thought of obtaining his skills through such means. After all, the skills he had learned so far were not any weaker than those high-level class-specific skills. So, he naturally would not waste time trying to obtain them.

Seeing Shi Feng walking towards the Library’s entrance, the spectating players by the sidelines revealed sneers on their faces.

“Look, another new guy is trying to enter.”

“How many players has that been already?”

“Let’s watch the guard kick him out.”

Most of these players had suffered a loss at the hands of the gatekeeper. As none of them possessed an entry pass, the guards had chased them all away. There were also some players who tried to cause a scene after being refused entry. However, these players were either jailed or sent flying away with a kick.

Just as Shi Feng was about to walk towards the tightly shut large steel doors, a female Elementalist pulled on Shi Feng, stopping him.

“The guards here will kick out any player without an entry pass. It is best if you do not try to approach them,” the female player warned Shi Feng.

Shi Feng already knew this. However, since the other party had approached him with kind intentions, Shi Feng turned his head and looked at the female player that had stopped him.

Immediately, Shi Feng discovered that the female player who stopped him was very beautiful. Amongst all the female Elementalists he knew, only the Flame Witch, Zhao Yueru, might trump this girl’s beauty. Moreover, the equipment on this girl fully comprised of Mysterious-Iron Equipment. Although her weapons and equipment were all below Level 10, they were still extremely valuable. As the girl before him was an independent player, it was much more difficult for her to obtain such equipment compared to a member of a Guild.

However, for some unknown reason, Shi Feng felt a sense of familiarity when he looked at this female player. Yet, he could not recall when he had met her before. He then used Observing Eyes and took a look at this girl’s name.

Thoughtful Rain.

Shi Feng had no recollection of this ID, and he was very sure that there was no female expert in his previous life with such a name. Since she was not a female expert, why did he feel a sense of familiarity with her?

Shi Feng shook his head. There was no point thinking about it if he couldn’t remember. It might just be a misconception due to his reincarnation.

“Thanks,” Shi Feng said.

Thoughtful Rain faintly smiled. She thought that, since Shi Feng had shown his appreciation, he must have a kind personality, unlike others who would reply to goodwill with malice. Hence, she pointed towards the group of players a short distance away that was currently surrounding a few NPC nobles, softly saying, “En, your attitude isn’t so bad after all. If you wish to enter the Library, it is best if you obtain an entry pass first. You can also try to befriend one of those NPC nobles. They possess some entry passes.”

“Miss Rain, are you trying to enter the Library as well?” Shi Feng asked.

“En, but those NPC nobles are simply too vile. So, I was just about to leave in search of an entry pass somewhere else.” Thoughtful Rain nodded her head. However, when she recalled those fat and oily NPC nobles, an expression of disgust appeared on her face.

“Since that is the case, why don’t you enter the Library with me?” Shi Feng asked. He had no ulterior motives in inviting her along. He was simply trying to repay Thoughtful Rain’s kind reminder.

“Enter?” Thoughtful Rain asked in confusion, “Do you have an entry pass?”

“No.” Shi Feng shook his head. He then smiled as he explained, “However, I have other methods.”

“It shouldn’t be possible, right? The guards here will only allow those with an entry pass or those related to the Library to enter,” Thoughtful Rain revealed an unconvinced expression as if saying, “You’re tricking me.”

Shi Feng merely smiled at her reaction, not bothering to explain. He then walked towards the large metal doors. Before Thoughtful Rain could stop Shi Feng, the guard on duty had already noticed him.

The spectating players in the distance all started snickering at the thought of the misfortunate about to befall on Shi Feng.

“This noob is trying too hard to impress the beauty he just met. I want to watch the guard put him in his place.”

“With his figure, I’m guessing that the guard will send him flying over 10 yards. If he continues making a ruckus, the guard might even capture him and hang him by the Library’s entrance for display.”

“That isn’t right. The guard kicked that last Berserker over 10 yards. I bet that he will fly 15 yards away!”

Just as everyone wore mocking smiles, the guard moved forward and blocked Shi Feng’s path.

“Halt!” the powerful and mighty guard at the entrance suddenly blocked Shi Feng with his spear. He then coldly said, “You will need to present your pass if you wish to enter the Library.”

“I’m a Demon Hunter. Will that do?” Shi Feng swapped out his Might of a Thousand title for the Demon Hunter title, asking.

“So, it is Lord Demon Hunter! Please pardon my rudeness!” The gatekeeper immediately retracted his spear, showing Shi Feng extreme respect.

This situation immediately stunned the spectating players standing at a side. Their mouths gaped as the scene left them speechless.

Even after they tried countless methods to obtain an entry pass from the NPC nobles, they still failed. Yet, the noob before them had actually made the gatekeeper kneel before him in respect just by uttering a single sentence.

Could this be the rumored secret signal? Or was it the entry password?

Shi Feng nodded towards the guard. He then pointed at Thoughtful Rain, saying, “She is a friend of mine. However, she does not possess an entry pass. I wonder if she can enter with me? I can be her guarantor.”

“Of course! Since she is a friend of the Lord Demon Hunter, she is naturally allowed to enter!” The guard took a look at Thoughtful Rain, immediately noticing that she was an exquisite beauty. He then returned his gaze to Shi Feng, an understanding look on his face as he hurriedly said, “In addition, here is a Library Member’s Emblem. This will allow Lord Demon Hunter’s friend to enter the Library freely in the future.”

Saying so, the guard respectfully passed the Library Member’s Emblem to Shi Feng.

Shi Feng was slightly stunned. God’s Domain had only undergone one evolution as of this moment. He never thought that these NPC guards would be so intelligent already.

Though he felt slightly shocked, he had no hesitation when accepting the Library Member’s Emblem from the guard. An entry pass could only provide a single entry into the Library for players. However, one could not complete the process of learning a new skill with a single trip. Meanwhile, there was no limit to the number of uses for the Library Member’s Emblem; players could enter the Library without any restrictions if they possessed this emblem. Originally, obtaining the Library Member’s Emblem for a friend was a special right reserved for nobles in White River City. Shi Feng did not think that even a Demon Hunter would have such rights.

“Miss Rain, please hold onto this Library member’s emblem properly. In the future, you simply need to wear it on your person, and none of these guards will bar you from the Library,” Shi Feng said, handing the emblem to Thoughtful Rain, who was currently still in a daze.

Following which, the two of them entered the Library under everyone’s stunned gazes.

Some of the players were immediately dumbfounded. A few female players also revealed their envy as they watched Thoughtful Rain.

At this moment, the players who had previously mocked Shi Feng ran up to the Library’s entrance.

“Halt!” The gatekeeper blocked all the players, coldly saying, “You will need to present your pass if you wish to enter the Library.”

“I’m a Demon Hunter. Will that do?” these players repeated Shi Feng’s words, inwardly praising themselves for their clever minds.

“How brave! You actually dare to impersonate the Lord Demon Hunter?!” When the guard swept a glance over these players, he failed to discover any of them in possession of the Demon Hunter title. Immediately, the guard flared with anger.

In the end, all these ‘smart people’ ended up in tragedy…

Chapter 218: Starstreak Trading Firm

After Shi Feng and Thoughtful Rain entered the Library…

Thoughtful Rain’s eyes flashed with a hint of shock when she saw the spectacular scene inside the Library.

The interior of the LIbrary was like something from a fantasy world. Countless documents and materials were displayed all around the Library, and a massive, transparent crystal globe occupied the center. This crystal globe was like a supercomputer; one could search for any information available pertaining to the Star-Moon Kingdom.

Meanwhile, numerous open-air meditation rooms made of Magic Crystals decorated the surroundings of the crystal globe. Inside these meditation rooms, players could either research new spells or practice using their current spells.

Normally, only Tier 3 and above mage classes would research new spells. The players at this stage of the game had yet to possess a deep understanding of magic, so researching new spells was out of the question for them. Moreover, the spells that players currently used were only entry-level spells. However, along with the increase in their levels, the spells they used would also grow more complex. If they did not possess a specific degree of understanding of magic, they could stop dreaming of casting any high-tier spells.

As a result, many mages in God’s Domain had given up on their adventuring career, switching to a Lifestyle class instead.

In fact, magic wasn’t the only thing that had stringent requirements for players. It was the same for battle techniques. The more powerful a battle technique was, the higher its requirement would be of a player’s control over their body. As a result, this requirement had created a gap in strength between the players of God’s Domain. It was one of the reasons that some players could advance to a Tier 5 class, while some failed even to reach Tier 3.

Although it would be of some help if players increased their Levels and Attributes, such factors would make little difference the further players advanced in God’s Domain.

This was also the reason why God Tier powerhouses were so rare.

Thus, Shi Feng continuously trained his body day in and day out, in addition to spending a large number of Credits to purchase nutrient fluids to improve his body’s physique. It was all meant to improve his brain’s potential and performance. Only by developing his brain’s potential could he master his body in the game and obtain extraordinary battle prowess. He could then advance to a Tier 5 class and take the challenge to advance to the Tier 6 godhood, reaching the pinnacle of God’s Domain.

“Let’s part ways here; I still need to look for someone. If you want to learn high-level skills, the Tier 2 instructor over there can help you,” Shi Feng pointed towards a mage in white robes standing by the large crystal globe.

“Thank you,” Thoughtful Rain appeared slightly embarrassed as she expressed her gratitude. Originally, she had intended to help Shi Feng. Never would she have imagined that she would be the one who received help instead. She then said, “Seeing as you are so familiar with this place, are you perhaps a professional player?”

“I guess you can put it that way,” Shi Feng nodded.

“Let’s add each other as friends, then. I don’t normally play games, so I usually buy my game equipment from others. In the future, if I am looking to purchase equipment or do a quest, I can also look to you for some help.” Thoughtful Rain beamed a smile as she sent Shi Feng a friend request.

“That’s fine, but if you need help with a quest, it would be best if you contact me about it in advance,” Shi Feng accepted the friend request.

He did not think that, by coming here to do a quest, he would actually meet a potential female customer.

When his Workshop started its operations in the future, aside from raiding Dungeons to obtain equipment, they would also need to look for tycoons and various corporations for sponsorship. However, it was extremely difficult for an upstart Workshop to obtain sponsorship from a large corporation. Newly established Workshops usually depended on rich players who were willing to spend large sums of money. Only after becoming a large Guild would a Workshop attract the sponsorship of large Corporations.

Although Shi Feng’s Workshop had yet to start its operation officially, there was already one customer waiting at the front door. His luck was relatively good.

After Shi Feng left, Thoughtful Rain inspected Shi Feng’s ID.

“Oh? He is Ye Feng, White River City’s number one expert?”

As Shi Feng had kept his ID hidden, it was only revealed after Shi Feng accepted her friend request.

Although Thoughtful Rain was not a gaming expert, having a poor understanding of the gaming world, Shi Feng’s fame had long since shaken the White River City region. He had also received many titles such as White River City’s number one independent player, god-ranked expert, and so on.

Furthermore, Shi Feng had also personally penned the luxury version of the White River City Guidebook she had bought. So, how could she not know who Shi Feng was?

“No wonder why I thought he looked familiar. It turns out that he is Ye Feng. This looks interesting.” Thoughtful Rain’s bright red lips slightly lifted upwards as she lost herself in her own thoughts.

—

On the Library’s uppermost floor, Star-Moon Hall…

Several Level 180 Tier 1 Knights stood guard outside of Star-Moon Hall. These Knights wore rigid expressions. Under normal circumstances, even normal nobles were not allowed into the Star-Moon Hall. However, these Knights did not stop Shi Feng this time.

On the contrary, they immediately parted the crystal doors for Shi Feng upon his arrival.

“I’ve been bitterly waiting for you for so long; why have you only decided to come now?” Sharlyn asked, smiling sweetly from her seat next to a shiny, stone table. The woman currently wore a set of pure white, magical robes. The delicate and luxurious robes radiated a faint silvery glow, making Sharlyn appear as though she were a flawless noble saint. She crossed one thigh over the other, revealing fair, supple skin. It was almost as if Sharlyn was trying to toy with Shi Feng.

At this moment, Sharlyn was no longer a Level 20 Tier 3 Divine Official, but a Level 180 Tier 3 Divine Official. Aside from the few Tier 4 tyrants, Sharlyn could very well be considered the most powerful person in White River City.

“Why are you standing there, daydreaming? Come over here and sit! We have plenty of time to have a lengthy chat.” Sharlyn smiled faintly as she pointed towards the empty seat beside her.

Shi Feng instinctively shuddered when he faced a golddigger like Sharlyn. He felt as if he were being stared at by a nine-tailed fox, his wallet no longer safe.

However, to obtain the clue for the Epic Quest, Shi Feng had no choice but to advance, taking a seat beside Sharlyn.

Shi Feng took out 10 Gold Coins, placing them on the table. He then asked in a soft tone, “Esteemed Lady Sharlyn, I’ve brought the 10 Gold Coins you requested. I wonder if you can tell me the location of the Bible of Darkness now?”

Sharlyn made a slight waving motion and the Gold Coins on the stone table immediately flew to her lily-white hand. Giggling, she played with the shiny Coins in her hand.

“I didn’t think that your moneymaking speed would be so fast. This big sister has truly underestimated you.” After storing the Gold Coins, Sharlyn unhurriedly said, “However, I now have a new piece of information. I wonder if you would be interested in hearing it? Moreover, this information is extremely accurate. It will definitely help you in locating the Bible of Darkness.”

Shi Feng’s lips involuntarily twitched at Sharlyn’s words.

She was going ask for more money!

“Say it. How much do you want?” Shi Feng truly felt regretful now. Due to the successful sales of Hard Stones, Shi Feng now had over 70 Gold Coins on his person. If he had known something like this would happen, he would have stored all his money in the Bank before coming to the Library.

However, there was also another possibility. Only when players possessed a certain amount of money could they trigger the revelation of new information. If so, without a doubt, Shi Feng had reached this goal.

“Not much; an additional 40 Gold Coins would be enough. Of course, you can choose not to listen to this new information. I’m not trying to belittle you, but with your current strength, it is impossible for you to locate the Bible of Darkness by relying on the old clue. Are you sure you don’t want to know this new clue?” Sharlyn blinked her eyes at Shi Feng, her body radiating a holy aura. Those affected by this aura would find it hard to refuse Sharlyn’s request.

A total of 50 Gold Coins.

At this moment, Shi Feng wanted to shout, “Why don’t you just rob me and be done with it?!”

However, Shi Feng endured it. As long as he could obtain the reward for the Epic Quest, spending 50 Gold Coins was nothing in comparison.

“Here is 40 Gold Coins.” Shi Feng ground his teeth as he placed another 40 Gold Coins on the stone table, forming a small, gold mountain.

Sharlyn’s eyes shone as she saw the small mountain of gold. After snagging the Gold Coins, she unhurriedly took out a letter and handed it to Shi Feng. She then said, “This is a contract for White River City’s Starstreak Trading Firm. As long as you bring this contract to President Henry, he will tell you how to reach the Dark Den.”

Chapter 219: Background

Starstreak Trading Firm? Shi Feng was slightly confused by Sharlyn’s words.

After all, this was the second phase of an Epic Quest. Yet, Sharlyn did not send him on a dangerous mission, but simply to find a person instead? The difficulty of this task was simply inconceivable.

Could money really make the Devil turn millstones for you? Can spending money reduce the difficulty of a quest?Shi Feng wondered.

Giving the situation some thought, it wasn’t exactly impossible.

Right now, a first-rate Guild’s daily liquid funds only amounted to six to seven Gold Coins at best. Even if Fantasy Extinguisher had the full support of the first-rate Guild, the Fantasy Shrine, it would have been impossible for him to gather 50 Gold Coins. Even if the Fantasy Shrine possessed 50 Gold Coins, they would not simply allow Fantasy Extinguisher to spend it. After all, a large Guild could make major improvements to itself with 50 Gold Coins.

If Shi Feng had not received a daily income of over 100 Gold Coins from selling the Hard Stones, he would not pay 50 Gold Coins, even if it killed him.

According to the Main God System’s principle of equal value exchange, there was a very high possibility that he could reduce the difficulty of the Epic Quest by paying 50 Gold Coins.

In any case, Shi Feng did not lack money right now. After all, he had a daily income of over 100 Gold. His earnings could rival the total sum of all the famous Guilds’ liquid funds in White River City. It was not an exaggeration to say that his personal wealth could rival an entire city’s.

If he could reduce the difficulty of an Epic Quest by paying some money, he would definitely do so.

If he had known about this earlier, he would’ve waited a few more days before coming to meet Sharlyn. If he gathered 500 or 600 Gold Coins, he might be able to go to the Dark Den immediately to complete the quest. He would save plenty of time and trouble.

“Thank you, Lady Sharlyn.” Shi Feng respectfully received the contract.

“I have faith in you. Don’t make me wait too long. As more time passes, the strength of the great demon will also increase. At that time, even I might not be able to challenge it. As for you, you’ll just have to live the remainder of your life as a walking corpse,” Sharlyn warned.

System: Second phase of the Epic Quest ‘Darkness Descends,’ ‘Gospel Project’, accepted.

Quest content: Go to Starstreak Trading Firm and look for President Henry for more information about the Dark Den. Rewards unknown.

Although Shi Feng did not know the exact contents of the quest, he felt that it should not be as easy as he had previously imagined. After all, he was only meeting Henry to learn more information and not heading directly to the Dark Den.

Starstreak Trading Firm was very famous throughout White River City.

The range of operation of the Starstreak Trading Firm was not limited to White River City alone. It also operated in the seven cities surrounding White River City. It was a massive trading firm.

With such a wide reach, the amount of information they possessed would be immense as well.

It was no wonder Sharlyn sent him to meet President Henry.

Soon after, Shi Feng bade farewell to Sharlyn. If he remained here, the remaining 20 Gold Coins in his pockets might very well end up in Sharlyn’s pockets instead.

After leaving the Library, Shi Feng hailed a horse carriage and hurried over to Starstreak Trading Firm.

As the horse carriage galloped through the wide streets, Shi Feng could see players who had just arrived at White River City all around. Through the passing of time, the atmosphere in White River City had grown livelier. There was a high possibility that, in just another few days, the streets of White River City would be packed with people.

Ten minutes or so later, the horse carriage halted in front of the storefront of Starstreak Trading Firm.

The Starstreak Trading Firm’s store appeared luxurious. The building had a total of six floors. This store was definitely one of the tallest buildings in White River City, making it extremely eye-catching. Moreover, it was situated in a very good location; right in the heart of the Trade Area. The Bank of White River City was also just next door, while the Auction House was only a short distance away.

There were only eight shops in total situated within this golden district. Among them, three shops occupied the largest areas; each occupied two to three times more land than the other shops. Naturally, Starstreak Trading Firm was one of these shops. Moreover, Starstreak Trading Firm similarly occupied such a golden district in the other seven cities. It was obvious just how powerful the background of Starstreak Trading Firm was.

During the initial stages of God’s Domain, countless first-rate Guilds had tried to form connections with the Starstreak Trading Firm to conduct business. Unfortunately, these Guilds failed to meet even the shadow of President Henry. Yet, right now, Shi Feng could get in touch with President Henry through his quest.

Shi Feng couldn’t help but admit that an Epic Quest was truly awe-inspiring. Although the price of failure was similarly horrifying, as long as he could complete it, the benefits he could obtain were unimaginable.

The best example for this was the Demon Hunter title and Demon Mask Shi Feng had received from completing the first phase of the Darkness Descends quest. These two items had been of great help to him.

I wonder what sort of rewards I could obtain from completing this phase of the quest? Shi Feng inwardly felt anticipation.

As of this moment, Shi Feng had finally realized why the Fantasy Shrine would hold nothing back in helping Fantasy Extinguisher complete his Epic Quest. After all, the profits they could reap from this quest was just astonishing. If a mere independent player like him could receive such profits, what could a Guild accomplish?

Hence, this was the reason the Fantasy Shrine had risen to the top of Black Dragon Empire during the early periods of the game in the past, suppressing all the other first-rate Guilds. Unfortunately, Fantasy Shrine was doomed to normality in this life. Unless Fantasy Extinguisher managed to find another Epic Quest, Fantasy Shrine would not have any chances of achieving prominence. However, such a discovery was extremely unlikely.

In the past, Shi Feng had only accepted one Epic Quest throughout the decade he had spent in God’s Domain. Moreover, he had only received it by chance when he was around Level 150. One could imagine just how rare an Epic Quest was.

At this moment, Shi Feng suddenly received a system announcement.

White River City Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Ouroboros for becoming the first team to conquer the Hard Mode Crystal Ruins. All players within the team will be rewarded with 50,000 EXP and 1 Silver Coin.

White River City Region System Announcement: Congratulations to Ouroboros for becoming the fastest team to conquer the Hard Mode Crystal Ruins. All players within the team will be rewarded with 50,000 EXP and one Tier 1 Gemstone of random Attribute.

This system announcement undeniably caused a sensation among the players in White River City.

Right now, the independent players who had arrived in White River City all had impressive techniques. Meanwhile, a large majority of them were unwilling to join a small Guild; they all wished to join a large, top-tier Guild.

However, these independent players would not determine a Guild’s strength solely through the fame of the Guild. After all, every time a Guild started out in a new virtual reality game, they had to start from the very bottom. Moreover, there would always be some nameless Guild suddenly rising in the ranks, becoming the tyrant of this new virtual reality game. Similarly, there was also plenty of well-known Guilds that had vanished without a trace. Hence, players would usually determine a Guild’s strength through their Dungeon raiding capabilities.

This situation also caused the system announcements to be extraordinarily important to Guilds, as this was the basis of reference for independent players.

In fact, the players who had previously intended to join the Assassin’s Alliance had all changed their minds to join Ouroboros instead. After all, not only was Ouroboros a first-rate Guild, but they had also obtained the First Clear of a Hell Mode Dungeon. Regarding wealth, influence, or strength, Ouroboros was far more powerful than the Assassin’s Alliance. Even an idiot knew which Guild to choose.

This was the difference in backgrounds…

As expected of Gentle Snow; her speed is astonishing. I’ve only just recently helped the Assassin’s Alliance obtain the First Clear of a 20-man Hard Mode Team Dungeon, yet, in the blink of an eye, she too has obtained one already. If she had not suddenly stopped playing God’s Domain, she might have turned Ouroboros into a Super Guild in the past. Shi Feng inwardly exclaimed.

How great would it be if he could recruit Gentle Snow into his own Guild? If Shi Feng incorporated the Cleric God, Violet Cloud, the Tyrant Bear, Cola, the skillful Fire Dance, and his own past experiences into his own Guild, they would have no trouble becoming a first-rate Guild, or even a Super Guild, in the future.

Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng suddenly felt that he really needed to upgrade his team’s strength. After all, a Guild couldn’t rely on a handful of apex experts for support. They needed a stronger backbone. The best case scenario for Shi Feng right now was to recruit some of the future powerhouses who were still obscure existences right now.

However, the Guild he established by himself did not possess a deep background or great fame. These experts were no fools. If Shi Feng tried to recruit them, they might not even consider the option before rejecting him.

Hence, the foremost thing Shi Feng needed to do was to establish a Guild with a strong background and limitless potential. Only by doing so could he attract those nameless experts.

Chapter 220: Tier 4 Magic Scroll

First-floor reception hall of Starstreak Trading Firm.

The Starstreak Trading Firm’s store was different from normal stores. As it specialized in big businesses across cities, it had its own specialized reception room set up in the building. At the same time, there was also a sales area located on the first floor of the building. The sales area sold various merchandise such as clothing, weapons, equipment, potions, alchemy products, magic scrolls, and much more. This place was just like a supermarket in reality.

A trading firm was different from the Auction House. As the Auction House charged players exorbitant processing fees, the items sold there were far more expensive than the items sold in normal stores. Earning money in God’s Domain was no simple task. Hence, rather selling their wares at the Auction Houses, losing 15% of their profits in the process, a large majority of the players in God’s Domain would prefer to spend more time, selling their wares at trading companies or stores.

“Esteemed Sir, how may I assist you?” The beautiful and dignified young lady at the receptionist counter smiled at Shi Feng.

“I wish to meet President Henry. Please tell President Henry that Lady Sharlyn sent me to speak with him,” Shi Feng said.

“Please wait for a moment. I will notify the president immediately.”

The receptionist immediately took out a Multicolored Communication Crystal, transferring Shi Feng’s information through the crystal.

After several minutes…

“Mister Ye Feng, the President is waiting for you in the President’s Office on the third floor.”

“Thank you.”

Immediately, Shi Feng walked towards the spiral staircase in the distance.

When he arrived before the President’s Office on the third floor, he met two Level 150 guards who stood by the office’s door. Average players were absolutely not allowed to enter the President’s Office.

In the past, countless Guild executives had queued up in front of this office. They had wished to meet with President Henry to discuss matters of renting out the first floor of Starstreak Trading Firm’s store for business. Unfortunately, they did not manage to catch even the shadow of President Henry.

However, when Shi Feng walked up to the office, the two ferocious-looking guards immediately parted the sturdy, mahogany doors for him.

Inside the luxurious and spacious office, a man in his fifties sat on a sofa in the middle of the room. The man had an elegant and dignified appearance. This person was indeed President Henry of Starstreak Trading Firm, and he was a well-known financial magnate in White River City.

“Your Excellency, Ye Feng, please, sit,” President Henry said when his eyes met Shi Feng’s, his finger pointing to the beastskin sofa before him.

“President Henry, this is the contract that Miss Sharlyn wanted me to bring to you.” Shi Feng sat down. He retrieved the contract from his bag, handing it over for Henry’s inspection.

“No need. Before you arrived, Her Highness Sharlyn had already notified me of your coming here. I’ve also learned some information about you from Her Highness Sharlyn. The young truly are promising,” Henry praised. He then said, “Since you are here now, I feel reassured.”

“Reassured? What are you reassured about?” Shi Feng had a bewildered look on his face. Just what was President Henry saying?

Also, just what did Sharlyn tell Henry?

“Oh? Did Her Highness Sharlyn not tell Your Excellency about it?” Confused, Henry said, “This contract was set between me and Her Highness Sharlyn. As long as Her Highness can save the Starstreak Trading Firm from its current predicament, she will obtain 20% of Starstreak Trading Firm’s shares and the Tier 4 Magic Scroll that was obtained from the ancient ruins.”

“You say 20% of the company’s shares and a Tier 4 Magic Scroll?” Shi Feng’s expression froze.

Sharlyn was simply ruthless. Sharlyn had sent him to deal with the predicament, yet, she would receive a Tier 4 Magic Scroll in addition to 20% of the company’s shares?

“That’s right. I’ve already mentioned this to Her Highness. As long as Your Excellency can save us from this predicament, that Tier 4 Magic Scroll will belong to Your Excellency,” Henry said, nodding his head.

“May I know what kind of magic scroll it is?” Shi Feng was incredibly curious about the Tier 4 Magic Scroll.

In the past, the most powerful magic scroll Shi Feng had seen was only a Tier 4. If he sold the scroll, the minimum price for it would be 500 Gold Coins. If it were an amazing Tier 4 Magic Scroll, he could even sell it for over 1,000 Gold Coins. However, players who obtained a Tier 4 Magic Scroll were not usually willing to sell it.

“It is a Tier 4 Position Teleportation Scroll. With it, one can teleport to anywhere they wished within an instant. However, this scroll was made using the technology of an ancient civilization. In our current era, we have no way of replicating such technology. Hence, this scroll is the only one that currently exists in Star-Moon Kingdom. It is priceless,” Henry said pridefully. This scroll was his most precious treasure; he had always been reluctant to part with it. If it were not for the trading firm facing a great predicament, he would never willingly offer this Tier 4 Magic Scroll as a remuneration.

Hearing Henry saying so, Shi Feng came to a realization.

If he had the Tier 4 Position Teleportation Scroll, he could teleport directly to the Dark Den. He would not even have to waste time searching for its exact location. It was no wonder Sharlyn was so confident in her information.

“President Henry, I wonder what sort of predicament your trading firm wishes me to solve?” Shi Feng asked.

“To be honest, bandits have snatched one of our shipments carrying precious merchandise, costing the trading firm massively. To make up for the loss, our trading firm had to pay a large sum of money as compensation, which in turn, resulted in our trading firm facing its current crisis. So, I hope that Your Excellency can help us resolve this predicament. Otherwise, if this problem drags on for another month, our trading firm will have to declare bankruptcy,” Henry unhurriedly explained.

“Then, President Henry, are you telling me to get rid of those bandits and retrieve your stolen merchandise?”

“It would be best if that is possible.”

“Then, which band of bandits stole your merchandise?”

“The Black Scorpion Corps of Black Cloud Ridge, led by Black Scorpion himself. He is a Level 180 Tier 3 Shadow Warrior. If you can get rid of him and retrieve our merchandise, I would greatly appreciate it.”

Hearing the words “Tier 3 Shadow Warrior,” Shi Feng nearly fell off of his seat.

Was President Henry telling him to deal with a Tier 3 NPC? Only players who did not know how to write the word “death” would accept this request! Not to mention a month, Shi Feng would still fail this task even if he had two years to complete it!

This had to be a joke!

Shi Feng had originally thought that the Epic Quest’s difficulty had been reduced. Rather, wasn’t this the exact opposite?!

Noticing Shi Feng’s troubled expression, Henry once more unhurriedly said, “If Your Excellency feels that this request is too difficult, there is a second option. It is also for this reason that Her Highness Sharlyn sent Your Excellency here.”

Shi Feng slightly recovered from his shock as he heard that there was a second option.

“In reality, our trading firm also feels that it is impossible to retrieve the merchandise. The only possibility for Starstreak Trading Firm to get through this predicament is for us to collect 30,000 Gold Coins within a month.

“Her Highness Sharlyn has always praised Your Excellency as a business prodigy. If Your Excellency manages our Starstreak Trading Firm, I believe that we can achieve that goal.”

Seeing Henry’s anticipating gaze, Shi Feng only wanted to curse.

Just because he managed to earn a few Coins, he was suddenly a business prodigy…

What kind of sick joke was this?

Earning 30,000 Gold in a month! Moreover, he didn’t actually have 30 days at all! Considering the time when the great demon would appear, Shi Feng would, at most, have 20 days to earn 30,000 Gold Coins. Even if he currently earned 100 Gold or so per day, ten days would only net him 1,000 Gold, while 30 days would only net him at 3,000 Gold. That was only one-tenth of the required amount!

Players were still stuck in the initial stages of God’s Domain right now, so it was impossible for anyone to make that much money.

If one added a week’s earnings of every player in the White River City region together, it might equal 30,000 Gold. How was he supposed to earn that sort of money?

He might as well become a bandit and snatch the money from someone else.

No, that’s not right! Even if he tried to steal it, there was no way he could get that much money!

Before Shi Feng could reject the quest, a system notification popped up before him.

System: Epic Quest Phase 2 ‘Gospel Project’ accepted.

Quest content: You have become the manager of Starstreak Trading Firm! Earn 30,000 Gold Coins within a month and resolve Starstreak Trading Firm’s predicament! Rewards Unknown.

Chapter 221: Astonishing Decision

“It’s not even going to give me a choice?” Shi Feng laughed bitterly as he looked at the system notification.

Shi Feng did not even have the right to reject an Epic Quest.

Shi Feng was truly confused as to how Fantasy Extinguisher had actually managed to complete this Epic Quest. In theory, he shouldn’t be able to complete the quest even if he sacrificed the entire Fantasy Shrine.

When converted to Credits, 30,000 Gold Coins was the equivalent of 300 million Credits. One could even buy a large company with that kind of money.

Moreover, compared to the difficulty of earning 300 million Credits, in reality, it was much harder to earn 30,000 Gold in God’s Domain.

Naturally, it was impossible for Shi Feng to earn 300 million Credits in reality right now. To speak frankly, if he were capable of such a thing, he would have long since done so. Why bother playing God’s Domain at all?

However, it would still be better for him to develop himself in God’s Domain, as God’s Domain had more prospects. Earning Credits in God’s Domain would be much faster than earning Credits in reality.

“Your Excellency Ye Feng, from now on, the entire Starstreak Trading Firm will be under your command. We will carry out any orders you give. Also, I would like to introduce you to someone. If Your Excellency needs anything, simply let her know,” Henry said, clapping his hands once.

At this moment, the large doors of the office suddenly opened, and a beautiful girl with golden-blonde hair stepped into the office. The girl with blue eyes wore a beautiful purple dress; the edges of her dress brushed against the red-carpeted floor. The girl had a fair and pretty face, and her long wavy hair, which reached her buttocks, fluttered in the wind as she moved. Her bangs covered her sea-blue left eye, while her uncovered right eye looked just like a shiny, blue gemstone. As she walked closer to Shi Feng and President Henry, her thin red lips formed a tranquil, yet attractive, smile.

“Anna, from today onwards, His Excellency Ye Feng will be the acting president of Starstreak Trading Firm, while you will be His Excellency’s assistant. You must properly assist His Excellency, understood?” Henry asked.

“Yes, President. I will not disappoint His Excellency Ye Feng.”

Following which, Henry sent a beaming smile at Shi Feng as he said, “Your Excellency Ye Feng, from today onwards, the Starstreak Trading Firm’s fate will be in your hands. Anna is very familiar with the Starstreak Trading Firm, and she is also very intelligent and capable. If you have any commands, please don’t hesitate to let her carry them out.”

System: Player has activated the NPC Administration System. Please call out the NPC Administration Interface to manage your subordinated NPCs.

Seeing Henry’s smile, in addition to Anna’s attractive appearance, Shi Feng was slightly stunned. He could almost feel cold sweat dripping down his forehead.

Henry obviously worried that Shi Feng would not give it his all in helping them. Thus, Henry had given Shi Feng this “benefit.”

“Fine. Leave the matter of Starstreak Trading Firm to me, then.” Shi Feng laughed bitterly. He never imagined that he could obtain a beautiful assistant in God’s Domain. Not even a Guild Leader would enjoy such treatment.

Also, Shi Feng felt relieved at the fact that he was not required to give 30,000 Gold to Starstreak Trading Firm. Instead, he only needed to help the trading firm make 30,000 Gold. Without a doubt, the difficulty of the quest had greatly reduced.

Immediately, Shi Feng called out the system interface, investigating the NPC administration interface.

[Ana] (Ye Feng’s Assistant)

Gender: Female

Age: 20

Loyalty: 50

Charm: 86

Physique: 60

Wisdom: 91

Level: 50

HP: 10,000

Her Wisdom is so high! Shi Feng was shocked when he saw the information displayed.

In God’s Domain, Wisdom determined an NPC’s potential.

Normally, NPCs would not have Wisdom exceeding 50 points. If an NPC’s Wisdom reached 60 points, they would possess extraordinary statuses in God’s Domain. Meanwhile, those with 70 points in Wisdom were usually Tier 2 mages. As for NPCs who had 90 points in Wisdom, they were usually characters such as Sharlyn, a Tier 3 Divine Official. However, Anna was far more amazing than Sharlyn. Sharlyn had a Tier 3 Class, so her Attributes would have been increased, resulting in her Wisdom reaching 90 points. However, Anna did not possess any class right now.

If Anna obtained a Tier 3 class, her Wisdom would exceed 100 points.

Although it was only a difference of 10 points, Wisdom increased slower as it reached higher numbers. Similarly, the difference between a single point in Wisdom would also become greater. An NPC with 100 points in Wisdom was the equivalent to Magistrate Weissman of White River City, an apex Tier 4 Wizard.

With such a powerful subordinate, Shi Feng’s mood improved greatly.

Although 30,000 Gold was a huge sum of money, if Shi Feng earned it through the Starstreak Trading Firm, he would still have a thread of hope of succeeding.

Since he was already capable of earning 100 Gold per day by himself, if he utilized Starstreak Trading Firm’s influence, he had a very high possibility of earning the 30,000 Gold Coins.

After all, Starstreak Trading Firm had shops based in eight cities, and every one of them was in the heart of the Trade Areas of each respective city. Meanwhile, the total population of these eight cities exceeded five million players. With such a large player base, it would be very easy for Shi Feng to make money.

Thinking up to this point, a flash of inspiration struck Shi Feng.

All this time, he thought of opening a shop in White River City. Only, he did not possess the sufficient reputation or money to do so. After all, not to mention purchasing a shop located within the Trade Area, even the cheapest shop in White River City required players to have 500 White River City Reputation Points in addition to 1,000 to 5,000 Gold Coins.

Although the price looked high, in reality, it was not as expensive as one would imagine. After all, the hardest part of purchasing a shop was the required 500 reputation points. By the time players obtained 500 White River City Reputation Points, a lot of time would have passed, and they would have long since collected the necessary Coins to purchase a shop. Moreover, the Coins at that time would not be as valuable as right now. At that time, 1 Gold Coin would at most be worth around 200 Credits, unlike the current situation where 1 Silver Coin could sell for more than 100 Credits.

By becoming the acting president of the Starstreak Trading Company, Shi Feng had essentially obtained the most valuable shops in eight different cities.

What did this situation hint at?

Nobody had a better understanding of this situation than Shi Feng.

Shortly after, under Anna’s lead, Shi Feng left the President’s Office to tour the Starstreak Trading Firm.

In truth, however, even without exploring the place, Shi Feng already had a thorough understanding of the Starstreak Trading Firm.

NPCs were different from players in that they could only sell common goods. Even the equipment they sold was Common rank and very rarely would there be a Bronze ranked item for sale. However, it would be a different story altogether if the store were run by a player.

On top of everything else, Shi Feng was also the officially acknowledged Chief Forger of Star-Moon Kingdom.

Just as Anna guided Shi Feng around the Starstreak Trading Firm, a few players who came to purchase some necessities such as food, water, scrolls, and potions were immediately dumbstruck when they noticed the duo.

“That NPC is beautiful!”

“Just who is that player? Isn’t he too good at getting the ladies? He has even managed to land an NPC sister. This won’t do; I need to convince him to teach me!”

The scene of Shi Feng and Anna walking together immediately attracted the attention of plenty of players. In reality, such attention wasn’t just due to Anna’s beauty. It was also due to the fact that Shi Feng had managed to get together with a female NPC. Such a feat was far more stunning than just getting together with a beautiful female player. Countless male players glowered at Shi Feng in envy. Meanwhile, this information spread throughout the forums like a storm, especially the footage of Shi Feng and Anna strolling through the sales area.

This footage became a sensation among players, and it allowed them to gain a new perspective on God’s Domain.

Fortunately, Shi Feng had not used his true appearance at that time. Instead, he wore the identity of Black Flame.

“This should be enough,” Shi Feng looked at the surrounding onlookers as he revealed a faint smile. The reason he had asked Anna to come out for a stroll was precisely to attract attention. He then spoke to Anna, “I’ve decided to change the Starstreak Trading Firm’s business model. I wonder if that would be alright?”

Anna’s eyes suddenly widened in surprise. She looked at Shi Feng with a confused expression as she thought, He has just taken the position as the acting president, yet, he is already taking such a bold and decisive action? Is this person really a business prodigy?

However, Shi Feng was her boss. Moreover, President Henry had already instructed her to listen to Shi Feng. Hence, she nodded her head, saying, “If Your Excellency wishes to change the business models, I wonder what Your Excellency needs me to do?”

“Very simple. I wish to hire adventurers to craft items for me, then sell the items they have crafted. So, I need you to get someone to refurbish the eight shops we own. The first and second floors of the building will be used to sell our wares, while the fourth to sixth floors will be rebuilt as a workspace. Also, get the news out that we are hiring Lifestyle players. Whether they are just normal people or adventurers, as long as they reach our standards, we will offer them 30% more than what others are offering.”

Listening up to this point, Anna grew shocked.

This wasn’t just a change in the business models; this was practically a change of occupation…

Chapter 222: Trump Card

Immediately after Shi Feng gave his command, Anna started making the necessary preparations.

Compared to a normal NPC, Anna was simply too smart. In just a short amount of time, she had already finished carrying out Shi Feng’s request.

During the time Shi Feng brainstormed on how he was going to utilize the Starstreak Trading Firm to earn 30,000 Gold, the entire Starstreak Trading Firm had also started its renovation. Following Shi Feng’s request, the first and second floors were outfitted with sales counters. The first floor sold only the commonly used items, while the second floor would sell exquisite and precious items. Meanwhile, the fourth to sixth floors were refurbished into workshops for Lifestyle players.

Out of those three floors, the fourth floor consisted of solely Forging Rooms, while the fifth floor consisted of Potionmaking Rooms. The sixth floor consisted of workshops for the remaining classes and a warehouse meant for the use of both NPCs and players.

Meanwhile, the Starstreak Trading Firm’s renovation had attracted the attention of many players.

Due to the footage of Shi Feng and Anna from before, plenty of players had arrived the trading firm to take a look out of curiosity. Yet, by the time they arrived, they discovered that the Starstreak Trading Firm was actually undergoing renovations.

This situation made all the players grow even more curious. Just what was going on here?

“Your Excellency Ye Feng, the matter you requested has been completed. Does Your Excellency have any other instructions?” Anna spoke gently as she walked up to Shi Feng, a tranquil smile on her face.

“Good. How many people did you manage to recruit?” Shi Feng asked.

“From the eight cities, we’ve recruited 245 Potionmakers. Among them, 209 are Basic Potionmakers, 29 are Intermediate Potionmakers, and 7 are Advanced Potionmakers. In addition, we also recruited 228 Forgers. Among them, 188 are Basic Forgers, 31 are Intermediate Forgers, and 9 are Advanced Forgers.”Anna took out a name list and place it on the table.

“That’s quite a lot,” Shi Feng was very satisfied as he looked at the number of NPCs on the list.

If a first-rate Guild’s upper management saw such numbers, they would surely be shocked beyond recovery.

After all, these were all genuine Potionmakers and Forgers; they were not apprentices. With such a frightening force, one could instantly turn a third-rate Guild into a Super Guild.

This was the amazing aspect the Starstreak Trading Firm. If it were a player-established store, they could not recruit nearly this many high-level NPCs. The best NPCs they could recruit would only be apprentices. On the other hand, the Starstreak Trading Firm had easily recruited this many Potionmakers and Forgers.

These NPCs were far more capable than player apprentices. The only downside was their slightly lower efficiency, slow improvements, and much lower growth potential.

“Your Excellency, I feel that it isn’t very appropriate to offer such a high salary. Since we are hiring so many people, we will also have to provide an equally large number of materials. We will take a huge loss through this transaction. If we continue down such a path, not to mention a month, the Starstreak Trading Firm will go bankrupt within ten days,” Anna said worriedly.

In order to hire all these people, the Starstreak Trading Firm had offered 30% more than the market price. The trading firm also had to bear the failures of these crafters. This was simply madness.

Moreover, whether it was potions or equipment, neither could earn them a lot of money. The sales of these items were similarly average.

Only those Master-level characters would earn a lot of money from their craft. Right now, they were simply taking a loss by recruiting so many people.

Anna truly could not understand why Shi Feng would invite all these people to work here. Wouldn’t it be better to purchase the finished products from these crafters? That way, their trading firm would not have to suffer any losses.

Unfortunately, Anna had no idea just how important these Potionmakers and Forgers were to the current players of God’s Domain.

“You don’t need to bother with this. The remaining thing we need is to convince the Basic Potionmakers to continuously make the Basic Recovery Potions and Basic Mana Regeneration Potions that they are adept at making. As for the Intermediate and Advanced Potionmakers, get them to make Intermediate Recovery Potions and Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potions. For the Forgers, get all of them to make only Whetstones,” Shi Feng said with a smile.

There were plenty of NPC Potionmakers and Forgers in God’s Domain. Meanwhile, only players with their own shops had the right to hire these NPCs. Otherwise, even when players provided the materials, these NPCs would refuse to make anything for these players.

However, there was a downside to getting these NPCs to make items. Simply put, they were slow. The number of items they could craft within a day was fixed. As for the advantage, NPCs had a much higher success rate, so they did not waste as many materials as players did.

Meanwhile, during the later stages of God’s Domain, as player-made items grew in abundance, the usefulness of these NPCs would similarly start to wane. Right now, however, these Forgers and Potionmakers were of great use to Shi Feng.

It was especially true for the Intermediate Recovery Potion and Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potion. These two items were very useful to players, as they could save their lives during a crucial moment.

Although these two items were common products, and their respective recipes were also available for sale at the Potionmaking Association, the players at this stage of the game were simply incapable of crafting them. Meanwhile, these two potions were only available for purchase from hidden NPCs, and only a limited amount was sold each day. They were items that a majority of the players in God’s Domain had no chance of enjoying.

If these NPC Potionmakers crafted these two potions, their success rate would be more than 70%. The materials needed to make an Intermediate Potion were only around 30 to 40 Copper, yet, each completed bottle could sell for 5 to 6 Silver Coins. If Shi Feng deducted the cost of hiring, he would still make a profit of 4 to 5 Silver Coins. So, why wouldn’t he carry out this transaction?

Players needed these items the most right now. If the Starstreak Trading Firm sold these items, they would make a killing.

There were also the Whetstones. This was an item that all players lacked. Currently, each stack of Hard Stones sold for 13 Silver Coins, while a stack of Whetstones sold for 40 Silver Coins. When comparing the success rate of Forging Apprentices and an official Forger, how could the former even hope to win over the latter?

The only problem was materials. As the Starstreak Trading Firm had previously only purchased finished products from Forgers and Potionmakers, they did not have any materials of their own stored up. Now, they needed to provide the materials for these crafters.

Although the trading firm could purchase the more common materials at low prices, Shi Feng needed to be the one to gather the materials required to make Intermediate Recovery Potions, Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potions, and Whetstones.

However, Shi Feng was not afraid of this. The herbs needed to make the Intermediate Recovery Potion and Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potion were not very expensive.

After all, these herbs were utterly useless to players right now.

The players in God’s Domain at the moment were still Apprentice Potionmakers. Crafting Basic Recovery Potions was already impressive. Why would they bother wasting materials to make unrewarding potions? As a result, the herbs required to craft Intermediate Recovery Potions and Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potions were very cheap.

As for Hard Stones, Shi Feng wasn’t worried. After all, he still had a humongous stock in his warehouse. He had enough for these NPC Forgers for a long time. Moreover, he could also continue purchasing them from Aqua Rose. He would not lack Hard Stones at all.

He would also sell these items in eight different cities. With all of these advantages, it would be challenging not to make a profit. Moreover, Shi Feng also revealed one of his trump cards.

Advanced Whetstones!

Advanced Whetstones were much stronger than a normal Whetstones. Not only did they recover twice the amount of a weapon’s durability, but they could also increase the weapon’s damage.

Shi Feng had already intended to sell each for 7 Silver Coins, and one stack would sell for 1 Gold, 40 Silvers. As long as he placed the Advanced Whetstones on the second floor, a majority of the players would fight over it, especially the large Guilds.

Oftentimes, just a 1% difference in damage could decide the victory or defeat of a Boss raid. Meanwhile, the Advanced Whetstone provided a 3% increase to a weapon’s damage. So, how could the various Guilds, who were currently in a rush to raid Dungeons, miss out on this item? They would definitely be in a mad rush to purchase them.

Previously, Shi Feng had kept all the Advanced Whetstones for his personal use. Later on, he passed some of them to his teammates, leaving him with 800 or so for himself. With this amount, the Starstreak Trading Firm should be able to last a relatively long time.

However, Shi Feng’s plans were not limited to this.

Now that he had such a large market available to him, he should fully utilize it as he would not have a similar chance like this in the future.

Hence, Shi Feng thought up this plan. He intended to fully manipulate the Starstreak Trading Firm to help him set up his own shop in the future.

Afterwards, Shi Feng left the follow-up work to Anna, while he departed the Starstreak Trading Firm alone.

Chapter 223: Popular Starstreak

Inside a hotel in White River City.

Along with God’s Domain’s evolution, players understood the importance of rest. If they grinded monsters without rest, not only would their Stamina decrease, but their Concentration would also fall. Hence, after a day of battle, players would now rest at the hotel, having a drink and chatting with each other.

Players discovered that places like restaurants, hotels, and bars allowed them to recover Stamina and Concentration more quickly. After relaxing for two or three hours, they would feel refreshed and filled with energy.

“Did you hear? The Starstreak Trading Firm seems to be undergoing renovations. I heard that they are going to release new products for sale.”

“Who doesn’t know about this? After I made some inquiries, I found out that the Starstreak Trading Firm has also recruited tons of Potionmakers and Forgers. The trading firm is even hiring Lifestyle players right now. However, no players have dared apply for a position yet, thinking that it wouldn’t be a reliable job. I wonder what sort of new items they are going to sell?”

“Aside from the common usage items, what else could an NPC-owned store sell? They can’t possibly offer Bronze Equipment or rare potions, right?”

“That sounds about right.”

While the players in the hotel conversed, a male player suddenly pushed open the saloon doors, panting.

“Big news…! Starstreak Trading Firm has finished its renovations and has officially opened for business!” the panting Ranger exclaimed to his companions loudly.

“Why are you making a fuss? Aren’t they just reopening their business? We don’t lack Basic Potions or Common Equipment right now, so we don’t need to replenish our stock.” As the leader of the party, the Shield Warrior rolled his eyes as he watched this embarrassing companion of his. Others would make fun of them for the Ranger’s unsightly appearance.

Indeed, just like the Shield Warrior had feared, the other players in the hotel sent belittling glances, mocking smiles on their faces.

“Leader… listen… to me…” That Ranger excitedly said, “I saw Whetstones inside the shop! There are also Intermediate Recovery Potions and Intermediate Mana Regeneration Potions! Moreover, the Basic Potions are cheaper than anywhere else!”

“What did you say? There are Whetstones?” The Shield Warrior froze, stunned.

The entire hotel fell silent.

“Let’s go. Take us there immediately! We have to buy all of them, now!” The Shield Warrior abruptly stood up, casting Charge and arriving at the Ranger’s side. Grabbing the Ranger by the arm, he immediately rushed out of the hotel, running towards the Starstreak Trading Firm.

The other players inside the hotel were dumbfounded by this scene.

What?

“Crap, they’re going to buy out the Whetstones! We need to hurry as well!”

After entering White River City, players’ need for Whetstones had not decreased in the slightest. On the contrary, their need had grown. It was especially true when they faced high-level monsters, as the durability of their weapons reduced at a much faster rate.

As a result, the popularity of Whetstones had exploded. The available supply was far from meeting the demand.

By the time everyone had arrived at the Starstreak Trading Firm, a sea of people had already obliterated the shop’s doors.

Aside from Whetstones, the players present also fought to purchase the Intermediate Recovery and Mana Regeneration Potions like madmen.

—

Meanwhile, this information had quickly spread to the ears of the various Guilds.

“Guild Leader, I’ve already collected a large sum from all our members, and we’ve managed to purchase 30 stacks of Hard Stones. This amount should be enough to last us a long time,” Stabbing Heart spoke through the system communicator.

“Good. The moment the money-making team sends over the latest batch of Gold Coins, immediately return all the money we borrowed from our members,” Cruel Sword excitedly said.

—

Aside from the Assassin’s Alliance, other Guilds also frantically gathered funds.

“Snow, just what is happening at that Starstreak Trading Firm? Why would they suddenly start selling these items?” Zhao Yueru wrinkled her crescent brows when she looked at the latest news that she had just received. She then said helplessly, “We’ve already spent a lot of money to purchase our previous stock of Hard Stones. We don’t have any money to purchase any more right now.”

“I’ve heard that the Starstreak Trading Firm is also selling limited edition Advanced Whetstones right now. Rumor has it the Advanced Whetstone’s effects are at least double that of normal Whetstones. In addition, it also provides a 3% Damage Buff! Although it is slightly more expensive, costing 7 Silver Coins per piece, we would have a much easier time raiding the Dungeon Bosses with them!”

Gentle Snow shook her head, a helpless expression appearing on her beautiful face as she said, “Under normal circumstances, NPCs would never sell these items. However, there is something strange going on. A player has created a connection with the Starstreak Trading Firm. I’m just wondering who could possibly achieve such a feat. Also, who would possess enough funding to supply so many Whetstones and Intermediate Potions. This is simply unbelievable. Send someone to investigate this matter immediately.”

Recently, she had managed to raise 20 Gold Coins and had purchased Hard Stones with that money. Yet, the Starstreak Trading Firm now sold Whetstones. She had not received any information before this incident, causing her to suffer disaster.

Currently, the issue of weapon durability had caused a roadblock in their Dungeon raiding progress. Everything would be too late by the time their Guild’s forgers managed to turn those Hard Stones into Whetstones. Other Guilds would have long since surpassed them.

They needed to obtain the Whetstones right this instant, especially the Advanced Whetstones.

—

Meanwhile, inside an Intermediate Forging room in the Forging Association, Shi Feng currently crafted Advanced Whetstones. He did so to increase his Forging Proficiency and earn money.

The present market was not the same as before. With the Starstreak Trading Firm around, he could now sell the Advanced Whetstones he made in eight cities. Although the Advanced Whetstones were somewhat expensive, players from the eight cities would still buy them. Even if Shi Feng forged Advanced Whetstones 24 hours a day, he still wouldn’t meet the demand of the eight cities.

Currently, Gold Coins poured into the Starstreak Trading Firm’s accounts with every passing moment. Shi Feng did not even dare open the money system notification. Only one short hour had passed since Starstreak Trading Firm reopened, yet, already, it had earned over 300 Gold Coins. However, this was only the beginning. Things would become more exciting later on.

Aside from making money, Shi Feng’s goal in making Advanced Whetstones was to upgrade himself to an Advanced Forging Apprentice.

If he became an Advanced Forging Apprentice, he could learn the Advanced Book of Magic he had obtained from Stonehammer Town.

Previously, he only had White River City as the sole market for his wares. Now, however, he had eight markets. He also did not need to foot any of the high processing fees, so he could not waste this chance. Shi Feng intended to gain an impressive reputation and prestige among the eight cities. However, the Advanced Whetstones alone were not enough to achieve this result. Moreover, Advanced Whetstones could not increase his reputation, as these things did not carry his personal mark. Only the Starstreak Trading Firm would gain reputation from these Advanced Whetstones.

Most importantly, after everyone had a taste of the benefits of the Advanced Whetstones, they would fervently investigate how they could obtain the recipe. After all, the recipe for the Advanced Whetstone was not unique; players could obtain them from multiple Team Dungeons.

By the time Shi Feng opened his own shop, he would no longer possess the advantage he had right now.

Thus, he needed to become an Advanced Forging Apprentice and learn the Advanced Book of Magic, creating the one and only Mana Armor Kit. Once he thoroughly spread the Black Flame Forger’s reputation with the Mana Armor Kits that only he could create, tons of players would search him out.

Chapter 224: Runic Gold

In the quiet and steamy Forging Room, a deep blue flame burned brilliantly as it refined one Hard Stone after the next.

Originally, forging Advanced Whetstones had a low success rate. Yet, when Shi Feng made them, the process was as smooth as flowing water. Whether regarding production speed or quality, both were equally amazing, and one couldn’t help but give praise when witnessing this scene.

Although the repetitive task was slightly cumbersome, when Shi Feng’s thoughts wandered to the fact that each Advanced Whetstone could sell for 7 Silver Coins, endless motivation flowed into him.

After three hours had passed since Shi Feng started this laborious work, he had made 180 Advanced Whetstones. His speed could practically rival the efficiency of three or four Forgers combined.

Also, without noticing it, Shi Feng had also recovered his previously lost level, returning from Level 14 to Level 15. His current leveling speed was far more efficient than grinding normal monsters.

Having decided to take a short rest, Shi Feng examined his current Forging Proficiency. It was already at 1,253 points right now.

He needed 3,000 Proficiency Points to be promoted from an Intermediate Forging Apprentice to an Advanced Forging Apprentice.

As long as he continued to work hard for two or three more days, he could become an Advanced Forging Apprentice.

If other players knew of Shi Feng’s promotion speed, they might become stupefied. After all, throughout the entire White River City region, aside from Shi Feng, there was not a single Intermediate Forging Apprentice to be found.

Shi Feng’s forging promotion speed was monstrously fast.

Based on this speed, if I focus solely on forging, I can become an Advanced Forging Apprentice in two days , just intime for the next transaction with Aqua Rose. I can rake in another large sum of money from Aqua Rose. Shi Feng made a rough estimation, growing excited.

He greatly profited every time he met with Aqua Rose. If he could make another large sum this time, he would have mostly dealt with the matter of setting up his Workshop. Later on, he only needed to think of a way to recruit a large number of players that could serve as the backbone of the Guild in the future.

If he wished to establish a Guild with tens of thousands of members, he needed at least several hundred players to serve as the backbone of the Guild. Otherwise, he could not manage so many players properly. Hence, Shi Feng had decisively bought the office building to establish his Workshop. It would save him the trouble of having to move to a new Workshop in the future, limiting such issues related to the Guild’s development.

Di… Di… Di…

“Hm? Gentle Snow?” When Shi Feng heard the ringtone for his communicator, he discovered the caller was Gentle Snow. However, she was not looking for Ye Feng, but Black Flame instead. It just so happened that Shi Feng had reasons to look for Gentle Snow as well.

Previously, he had intended to use the ID of Black Flame to establish the Lifestyle Guild, the Horizon Alliance. However, he never found the chance to do so.

Now, a chance had arrived.

Currently, he was temporarily in charge of the Starstreak Trading Firm, which possessed shops in eight different cities. Moreover, these shops were all located in the heart of each city. Regarding materials, workplace, or a place to sell items, Shi Feng now had everything a Lifestyle player would need in his possession. If he factored in Gentle Snow’s advertising, establishing the Horizon Alliance was practically a done deal.

If Horizon Alliance successfully developed, it would be worth a gold mine. He could obtain both funding and materials through this Lifestyle Guild.

At that time, Shi Feng would not have to worry about Zero Wing’s development.

“Black Flame, are you interested in making a deal?” Gentle Snow immediately asked without any greeting.

“A deal? I wonder what sort of deal Miss Snow wishes to make?” Shi Feng asked, curious.

“I know that you are related to the matter of the Starstreak Trading Firm, so I wish to purchase some Whetstones from you, especially the Advanced Whetstones. I’ll pay Credits, and I’ll buy as many as you have right now,” Gentle Snow said.

“So, you desire the Whetstones. This should be simple. However, I need Gold Coins far more than Credits right now. If Miss Snow has a lot of them, I can definitely sell you my entire stock.” Shi Feng did not refute Gentle Snow’s claim. After all, it was not strange that she had discovered his relation to the Starstreak Trading Firm.

Previously, he had used the appearance of Black Flame to stroll through the trading firm with Anna openly. Moreover, many players had recorded a video of that scene. Since Gentle Snow had seen Black Flame before, she could easily figure out the relationship between him and the Starstreak Trading Firm as long as she saw one of those videos.

“I’ll pay you three times of the market price via Credits.” Gentle Snow did not want the other Guilds to catch up to them. Hence, she did not mind spending some extra Credits.

“Miss Snow, there is no need to continue. You and I both know how important Gold Coins are right now. If you do not have the sincerity to conduct this trade, let us just forget it altogether.”

“I am sincere about this deal. However, I’ve recently purchased a large batch of Hard Stones, so I don’t have any excess Gold Coins at the moment. How about five times the market price?”

Gentle Snow felt helpless right now. Black Flame certainly had a powerful backer supporting him, so he might not value Credits as much as Gold Coins. However, she truly had nothing she could use to trade. She only had Credits.

“Let’s just forget about the Credits. Don’t you have a lot of Hard Stones right now?” Shi Feng revealed a faint, bitter smile. If he were not required to earn 30,000 Gold Coins within 20 days, he would have definitely agreed to five times the market price. However, Gold Coins were much more important to him right now. This matter affected his own future development, so he could not compromise. Hence, he suggested, “Let’s exchange using Hard Stones, then.”

“Exchange?” Gentle Snow’s beautiful face froze. Stunned, she asked, “What will the ratio of exchange be?”

“That will depend on you. For the normal Whetstones, it will be a 1-to-4 ratio. As for the Advanced Whetstones, I require a 1-to-9 ratio,” Shi Feng stated calmly.

“Fine. However, I want only Advanced Whetstones. Moreover, I want to conduct the trade immediately.” After giving the matter some thought, Gentle Snow felt that this exchange seemed reasonable. However, Gentle Snow inwardly cursed at Shi Feng for being too hateful. It is a s expected of the Chief Forger of Star-Moon Kingdom.

If she allowed the forgers in her Guild to make Whetstones right now, they could produce one Whetstone with every four or five Hard Stones. Meanwhile, Shi Feng had accurately suggested trading one Whetstone for four Hard Stones. The result of this exchange was just slightly better than the result the forgers in her Guild could produce. So, Gentle Snow agreed to trade the majority of their stock of Hard Stones for Advanced Whetstones, leaving the remainder for the forgers in her Guild to increase their Forging Proficiency.

“Alright, then. Look for an NPC named Anna once you arrive at the Starstreak Trading Firm. She will conduct the exchange immediately,” Shi Feng instructed, chuckling. Soon after, Shi Feng disconnected the call, resuming his production of Advanced Whetstones.

Shi Feng’s trade with Gentle Snow was only a small interlude. After Gentle Snow had exchanged four stacks of Advanced Whetstones with Anna, under Shi Feng’s instructions, Anna made the exchange mechanism open to the public. The exchange ratio was the same as he previously mentioned to Gentle Snow. As a result, many players who lacked the money to purchase Whetstones started frantically exchanging their Hard Stones. They no longer needed Forging Apprentices to rip them off.

With this, not only could the Starstreak Trading Firm deal with its material supply issue, but it could also make a profit from this exchange. This scene caused many Lifestyle players to have second thoughts about applying to work at the trading firm.

—

Two days later…

System: Congratulations! You are the first player to be promoted to an Advanced Forging Apprentice! Obtained 200,000 EXP. Rewarding 5 Runic Gold.

“Finally! Still, the system is really generous this time, to think it would even give me a rare item like Runic Gold.” Shi Feng involuntarily smiled when he saw the system rewards.

Runic Gold could increase the forging success rate of an item by 10%. Simultaneously, it would have a chance to upgrade the rank of the forged item by one. Unlike Runic Steel, which could only upgrade an item’s quality to a maximum of Fine-Gold rank, Runic Gold could increase an item’s quality up to Dark-Gold rank.

However, Shi Feng’s joy focused on the promotion to an Advanced Forging Apprentice.

Ever since his Forging Proficiency had reached 2,000 points, the Advance Whetstones no longer rewarded 1 Proficiency Point 100% of the time. They only had a 70% chance to reward a Proficiency Point. Meanwhile, after he reached 2,500 points, there was only a 40% chance of obtaining 1 Proficiency Point, while at 2,800 points, that chance further decreased to 20%. After spending two days forging away, he finally managed to earn the promotion to an Advanced Forging Apprentice.

After becoming an Advanced Forging Apprentice, Shi Feng immediately retrieved the Advanced Book of Magic from his bag, choosing to learn it without hesitation. Suddenly, a golden glow surrounded Shi Feng’s body, and within Shi Feng’s mind, the knowledge of producing the Magic Armor Kit appeared.

During these two days, aside from continuously producing Advanced Whetstones and raising his Forging Proficiency, Shi Feng had also made sure to train his body during the day. Incidentally, he also bought that office building in the city center for his Workshop.

Shi Feng had to pay a total of 60 million Credits in installments. He first paid 20 million Credits, while he would pay the remaining 40 million in full within 3 months.

Shi Feng had also earned over 10 million Credits from selling the White River City Guidebooks. He used 5 million or so to purchase various gaming facilities and other items to complete his Workshop. That way, when it was time to attend the university’s Fellowship Party, he would have 5 million Credits and a luxurious Workshop to back him up. He was no weaker than Shadow right now.

Comparing Workshop facilities and environments, Shi Feng’s Workshop utterly destroyed Shadow’s.