he dead of night. At Green Bamboo upper-class area, Jin Hai City.
Shi Feng held a folder of documents as he sat silently on the leather sofa. Gazing at the pool outside through the French window, Shi Feng was filled with both frustration and unwillingness.
He was the captain of [Shadow], one of Jin Hai City's top four gaming Workshops. He had commanded a guild of tens of thousands of people. Even more, he was Jin Hai City's famous expert; he was the Sword Magician. However, now the only thing he could do was drink away his sorrows inside his home.
Ten years, he had spent in gaming.
Ten years, he had fought in blood-soaked battles.
He experienced countless trials and suffering. Under his leadership, Shadow had successfully established ten City States in <
Shi Feng never thought his ten years of effort would just go to waste. He sacrificed so much just for the game and yet, all he did was pave the way for others to the very end. All of this culminated because he had opposed the decision for Shadow to join the Super-Guild, [World Dominators]. It wasn't even the next day before Lan Hua Financial Group gave him their reply. He had to delete his Level 200 Sword King, the account he had spent ten years of blood and sweat on, and to collect his settlement check from the financial department.
All he received was 5,000,000 Credits and a single mansion. When compared to the established ten City States inside the money generating virtual kingdom, it couldn't even be considered a drop in the ocean.
Shi Feng thought about how much he had contributed to Shadow. He thought about how his efforts had turned Lan Hua Groups into a large financial group. Then, he thought about how they still threw him away, as if he was no different from garbage; Shi Feng swore he would take revenge for their actions.
"I won't just let this go. At worst, I'll just start over."
Shi Feng's eyes flashed with confidence and resolution; his hands tore the termination contract into little pieces. Grabbing the bottle of wine from the tabletop, he gulped down several mouthfuls.
Even if he no longer had his Sword King account, even if he no longer had his team's support, the skills and knowledge he obtained from the game would not betray him. As long as his skills remained, he could still rise once more within God's Domain; he could rebuild a virtual kingdom of his own.
Early morning. The sun had just risen.
Di! Di! Di!
The phone alarm continuously rang.
Shi Feng woke up resentfully. He helplessly reached for his phone by the bedside; the effects from yesterday's drinking still loomed over him.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Brother Feng, it's me, Blackie. You're still asking what's up? Didn't we agree to become professional gamers? Shadow Workshop is recruiting at our school today. Haven't you always wanted to become Shadow's core member?"
Shi Feng was slightly confused.
Lan Hua Financial Group just fired him, so why would he attend Shadow's examination?
"Brother Feng? Brother Feng? Can you hear me? They're testing at ten o'clock. If you don't hurry up, you're not gonna make it!"
"Blackie, stop joking around; I just got fired from Shadow."
"Fired? Brother Feng, how much did you drink yesterday? Even now, you're still not awake? How could you be fired if Shadow hasn't even recruited anybody until now? Alright, just come quickly."
Blackie had cut the call before Shi Feng could respond.
When Shi Feng looked at his phone in a daze, he discovered that this old and broken down iPhone 6 was not his phone. His phone was the latest iPhone 12.
Immediately, Shi Feng inspected his surroundings.
What met his eyes was a messy room, no larger than fifteen square meters. All around, there were books on gaming strategies. At a corner of the room, above the study table, there was an extremely outdated laptop. Within the wardrobe by the wall, there were clothes messily piled together. Inside the wardrobe, there was a mirror; a mirror that currently showed a familiar face.
Shi Feng jumped up in shock when he saw this extremely familiar face.
"How have I become young again?" Shi Feng immediately walked towards the mirror. Only after looking at the mirror, at the reflection shown on it, over and over, did Shi Feng confirm that he had indeed become young again.
He slept in his luxurious and spacious bedroom yesterday but now he was in this broken down place after waking up. Not only that, he also had become young again.
Shi Feng could still recall some memories regarding this place. He had lived here ten years ago. For over six months, Shi Feng rented this place in reluctance, all so that he could play God's Domain while also attending university. Only after he had earned some money in God's Domain had he rented a large condominium.
Shi Feng thought back to those arduous years. His family circumstances at that time weren't in good shape. For Shi Feng to attend university, his parents had racked up some debts. Even so, Shi Feng's parents still made sure to send him sufficient living expenses every month, taking on the suffering, themselves, in return.
Shi Feng wholeheartedly wanted to change his family circumstances. However, finding a well-paying job while the streets were filled with university graduates was tremendously hard; so he thought of the highly profitable Virtual Reality games. Setting professional gamer as his goal, he even bought a Virtual Gaming Helmet, training arduously within the game to improve his skills.
During that time, bread and instant noodles became his daily meals. To save money, he had also avoided participating in social gatherings held by his classmates, causing him to become an invisible existence in his class. The boys would look at him with disdain, while the girls would distance themselves from him. Everytime Shi Feng went shopping for cup noodles, his wallet would have no more than 10 Credits. He did not even dare buy a ham sausage that only cost a single Credit. In pity, the female salesperson there had offered him the ham sausage at a discounted price. However, the feeling of his empty wallet made Shi Feng refuse with great reluctance.
"Is someone playing a prank on me?"
Shi Feng stared at his younger self through the mirror and at the familiar surroundings. Shi Feng couldn't help but shake his head, denying such a conclusion.
Even America, as the world's most developed country, didn't have such rejuvenating technology. Besides, who would play such a joke with a poor old uncle like him?
Shi Feng looked at the time on his phone.
19th-April-2129.
"Don't tell me I have been reincarnated?" Shi Feng's face revealed a bitter smile.
He remembered today was the 5th of August, in the year 2139. It couldn't possibly be April of 2129, the year he was still attending university.
Shi Feng shook his head, trying to wake himself up. Yet, deep down, he still held onto a thread of hope, wishing that he could be reincarnated, returning to the time ten years ago. He walked towards the desk, powering up the laptop.
Even if the time on his phone could be faked, the information on the internet definitely couldn't.
After surfing the web for several minutes...
Shi Feng was utterly devastated. All the information he found on the internet showed that today was 19th of April, 2129. Even the highly anticipated official release date of God's Domain was clearly displayed on its official site, counting down to six days from now, the 25th of April.
"I really have been reincarnated! Did I really come back to ten years ago?" Shi Feng firmly stared at the news report of God's Domain, emotional tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.
Shi Feng's feelings were hard to describe at that moment. He felt both regret, sadness, and joy.
It was as if everything before him was just a dream.
Nonetheless, the chirping of insects and the cold wind blown from the air conditioner told him otherwise, that everything was real.
Looking at his phone, at the family photo he took when he entered university, Shi Feng never realized that his parents had white hair. The corners of his mother's eyes even had wrinkles. They were no longer as lively as before; they were truly old now.
A year and a half had already passed since God's Domain's release when Shi Feng noticed how aged his parents were. The large amounts of debt, excessive laboring, and stress had caused both his parents to fall ill, gravely ill. Curing them required millions of Credits but, during that time, Shi Feng was merely a squad captain in Shadow. The money he earned was far from enough to foot such expensive costs.
Shi Feng tried everything to collect enough money, yet it was still not enough. Even with trying his all, Shi Feng's parents still left him a few months later.
In his previous life, he failed to care for his parents properly. How could he have known of the pain and suffering?
After Shi Feng earned millions of Credits, this pain remained within Shi Feng's heart for forever more.
Never would he have thought fate would play such a joke on him. He unexpectedly returned to the starting point, starting back up from zero.
"Great! This is just too great! Hahaha! Since I have been reincarnated, I have to change everything. I will earn enough money to cure mom and dad and I will let them live a life without worries." Shi Feng silently swore to himself as he wiped away the tears.
Just when Shi Feng was planning for his future, Blackie's call came ringing again, continuously urging Shi Feng to go quickly to the university for the test.
Yet, Shi Feng did not rush. He dressed at a relaxed pace, tidying himself up before heading to Jin Hai University.
He could not be more familiar with Shadow.
Shi Feng still remembered. It was while he was still attending university, Lan Hua Group’s prized son, Lan Hailong, started up Shadow Workshop to enter God's Domain. Lan Hailong also invested considerable funding into the recruitment of the student experts of Jin Hai University. Shi Feng participated in Shadow's examination at the time, successfully becoming a core member of the Workshop; whereas Blackie became an outer member. Shi Feng had been happy for quite some time after that incident.
After three years of being under the leadership of Shi Feng, Shadow Workshop allowed Lan Hua Group to greatly profit from God's Domain, quickly becoming a large financial group. However, Shi Feng would never have thought that Lan Hailong would be the one to fire him, personally.
Since he had been reincarnated, he had an absolute advantage within God's Domain that others did not. Naturally, he would not be joining Shadow to become a tool that profited others. He wanted to walk a different path; a path where he fought not for others, but for himself. He wanted to remove the need for his parents to send him living expenses. He wanted to pay back all the debt they had collected. To do that, he wanted to venture, to start his own Workshop, to start his own company, and to build his own virtual kingdom... all to live a better life.
As soon as Shi Feng arrived at Teaching Block 1, he caught sight of a thin and tall figure in front of the building. The tanned youth was pacing around the hallway in a panic; this person was Blackie.
"Brother Feng, you've finally decided to show up. Fortunately, registration hasn't closed yet, so let's hurry in and sign up." Blackie said anxiously after seeing Shi Feng.
Shi Feng shook his head, seriously saying, "Blackie, I'm not joining Shadow; I'll be opening my own Workshop. Will you join me?"
Blackie was someone Shi Feng met in another Virtual Reality game and the former had pretty good skills. The two of them had faced many challenges together and they were no different than true brothers at this point. During their time together working in Shadow, Blackie showed great talent in administration, even though he lacked the talent for gaming. He managed the hundred thousand Guild members clearly and orderly. If Shi Feng had Blackie's help this time, his plans would be one step further. Yet, he would respect Blackie's decision regardless. It was because Shi Feng had nothing right now, and Blackie's family circumstances were not that well, either. Blackie had only chosen to become a professional gamer and join Shadow to earn some Credits for living expenses.
Blackie blanked at Shi Feng's words, lowering his head in silence. It was just too sudden. Not only that, the Shi Feng that he saw today felt different. Unlike his usual impatient attitude, Shi Feng currently gave off an unshakable and confident aura.
After a full minute, Blackie raised his head to look at Shi Feng.
"Brother Feng, stop speaking nonsense. Do you know how much a Virtual Gaming Helmet costs? That's 8,000 Credits. You also need at least six people to start up a Workshop. What about the workplace, salary, and everything else? Just the initial startup funds would require seventy to eighty thousand. There are also the follow-up investments. That's a lot of Credits. Do you have that many Credits right now?" Blackie was very aware of Shi Feng's circumstances. He knew Shi Feng's household wasn't well off, so he wanted to persuade Shi Feng away from this sort of crazy thinking.
"You're right. Right now, I don't even have the Credits for a God's Domain Virtual Gaming Helmet." Shi Feng nodded his head in admittance. It was like Blackie said. Even just seventy to eighty thousand was considered a small amount. Shi Feng recalled Lan Hailong had spent over 5,000,000 Credits for the hundred man Workshop he had recruited. He had also spent more in the later stages to upgrade the Workshop's quality and strength.
"Since this is so, rather than take the risk, wouldn't it be safer to join Shadow? At the very least, Shadow can provide us with Virtual Gaming Helmets. Otherwise, forget becoming professional players; we wouldn't even be able to play the game." Seeing that Shi Feng understood the core of the problem, Blackie sighed in relief as he pulled Shi Feng into the teaching block.
Shi Feng shook away Blackie's hand, sternly staring at Blackie before saying in a grave tone, "I still plan on starting my own Workshop. I don't want to be controlled by others. So, Blackie, will you join me?"
Shi Feng would not insist to Blackie since he did not have any guarantees. He also couldn't reveal the secret that he had been reincarnated. He could only hope that Blackie would believe in him.
Seeing Shi Feng's serious expression, Blackie felt Shi Feng was acting weird today. This was madness. Everyone knew you couldn't earn money during the initial periods of virtual games. Did Shi Feng have some way to make money in God's Domain? Even if they did make money, it would be after a few months. They did not have that much time to waste.
After hesitating for quite some time, Blackie reluctantly answered, "I get it. You're the boss. I'll start a Workshop together with you but what about the Virtual Gaming Helmets? We can't play the game without them, right?"
Shi Feng's tightened brows immediately relaxed as he happily clapped Blackie's shoulders, saying, "Now this is my good brother! Don't worry about the gaming helmets. I recall that God's Domain had a trial period available for university students. Every university has a distribution point and, as long as you show them your student identification, then, for ten days, you can obtain a gaming helmet for free. Let's go and take a look."
"What do we do after ten days?" Blackie's tanned face turned ashen, suddenly feeling his future was pitch black. Why did he have to believe Shi Feng? Could it be Shi Feng's confidence and steadiness? There wouldn’t be a problem venturing together with Shi Feng, right?
What could you do with ten days in God's Domain?
They would definitely miss out on the recruitment period of Workshops after ten days. In the end, they still had to buy the gaming helmet but where would the money come from?
Not even a professional gamer with a group would be able to earn 16,000 Credits within ten days of God's Domain's opening.
"Leave the money problem to me."
Shi Feng revealed a confident smile as he clapped Blackie's shoulders.
Earning 16,000 Credits in ten days was indeed a pure fantasy. However, he had his spirit as a reincarnated person. No matter what the challenges were, he would break through them all and the release of God's Domain was the starting point of his rise.
Afterward, Shi Feng brought Blackie to retrieve the virtual gaming helmets. He then used all his money to buy two large boxes of instant noodles, placing them under his desk in his rented house. They were enough to last him for over ten days. After briefing Blackie on some things in God's Domain, Shi Feng quietly waited for God's Domain's opening.
25th of April, 9 pm. Within the dark and silent room, a few glimmers of light flickered alive.
Shi Feng laid on his bed, gently pushing the start button as he closed his eyes.
"God's Domain, here I come."
To accommodate the majority of players, God's Domain could be played while sleeping. Also, the time within the game was different than in reality, where two hours within the game was equal to one hour in reality.
Each day within the game was made up of forty-eight hours, consisting of thirty hours daytime and eighteen hours of night.
Not only that, to allow the bulk of working class people to enjoy the game, nighttime, in reality, was daytime in the game.
Shi Feng passed through a multicolored tunnel as soon as he arrived in God's Domain, arriving at a solemn. golden temple.
A female angel with four pairs of wings flew towards Shi Feng. She was only about palm sized.
"Hello Adventurer, welcome to God's Domain. I am the Navigation Angel, Gabriel. I will be introducing to you the four main categories and twelve main jobs. Please choose the job that you like most."
With a wave of Gabriel's small hand, an illustration introducing the twelve main jobs appeared in front of Shi Feng.
These twelve jobs were categorized into four main classes.
Warrior: Shield Warrior, Guardian Knight, Berserker.
Weapons Specialist: Swordsman, Assassin, Ranger.
Healer: Cleric, Druid, Oracle.
Mage: Elementalist, Summoner, Cursemancer.
Warriors specialized in defending against monsters; weapons specialists focused on physical damage output; healers focused on healing; mages focused on magical damage output. Every job had their own style of battle, which was one of the main selling points of God's Domain.
In his previous life, Shi Feng picked the Swordsman under Weapon Specialists and he was even known as the Sword Magician.
Shi Feng had already invested too much in the Swordsman job, so naturally, he would not choose any other job. He chose the Swordsman class he was familiar with without hesitation.
"Job selection complete. Please designate a name for your character."
"Ye Feng."
Shi Feng chose the same name he had in his previous life.
"Naming successful. Do you wish to adjust your appearance? Adjustment rate limited to 15%."
Thinking about it for awhile, Shi Feng chose to adjust his character's appearance by 15% as to not stand out. With this, nobody could recognize Shi Feng if they saw his character, though it wasn't as handsome as the original.
"Please select a birthplace in the Star-Moon Kingdom."
A map that displayed tens of cities belonging to the Star-Moon Kingdom appeared in front of Shi Feng.
The opening of God's Domain was globally synchronized. To accommodate for the hundreds of millions of players, the lands of God's Domain were incredibly vast, measuring up to two or three times of Earth, and the kingdoms within were even more plentiful. However, a player's living area and city, in reality, determined the country they would start in, so players could only choose the cities within the country.
"White River City."
Shi Feng did not plan to choose any other cities, so he chose the White River City that he was most familiar with.
White River City was Star-Moon Kingdom's fifth ranked city. It was an important city in the north of Star-Moon Kingdom There were quite a few Workshops that chose to develop there to avoid the struggles between large Guilds.
"City confirmed. Player will arrive in Red Leaf Town of White River City in three seconds. We wish you happy gaming."
The sight before Shi Feng immediately blurred as he was sent away.
Red Leaf Town, the buildings that were chaotically arranged there had a similar style to the medieval ages. NPCs filled the bustling streets, making them feel as if it was another world.
Shi Feng arrived at the front of a church, his new appearance resembling a penniless Swordsman. He currently wore a gray Novice Leather Armor and on his waist hung a Novice Sword.
"I still ended up in Red Leaf Town, in the end." Shi Feng smiled faintly as he looked at the familiar sight of the small town, confidence welling up within him.
At that moment, many players had started wandering around the town, speaking to NPCs in hopes of obtaining a trail for a Quest. There were also quite a few players that went out of the village, going out to the wilderness to kill monsters. Every one of them was carrying out their tasks as if their lives depended on it and they couldn't help but wish they could split their time in two.
Shi Feng didn't pay attention to the other players. With a slight wave and touch of his finger, a player's Attribute Panel appeared before him.
Character: Ye Feng (Human)
Affiliated Kingdom: Star-Moon
Title: None
Job: Swordsman
Level: 0
HP: 100/100
Physical Attack Power: 13
Defense: 4
Attack Speed: 3
Movement Speed: 4
Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 3, Endurance 4, Intelligence 2, Vitality 2.
Free Attribute Points: 4
Weapon Mastery:
One-handed Sword Mastery +5 (Apprentice Rank - Increases One-handed Sword Damage by 5%)
Two-handed Sword Mastery + 5 (Apprentice Rank - Increases Two-handed Sword Damage by 5%)
Free Mastery Points: 0
Job Talent:
Swordsman Talent 1: Sword-related Mastery +5
Swordsman Talent 2: Obtain 8 Free Mastery Points every 5 Levels.
Swordsman Talent 3: Sword-related skills proficiency increased by 50%.
Skills:
Chop. Active skill. Requirement: Sword. Additional 8 points of damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Skill Level: 1 (Proficiency 0/300)
Equipment:
[Swordsman's Leather Shirt] (Gray Trash)
Level 0
Defense +2
Durability 10/10
[Novice Sword] (Gray Trash, One-handed Sword)
Level 0
Equipment Requirement: Strength 3
Attack Power +3
Durability 15/15
Inside his bag, there were ten pieces of Bread and ten pouches of Water. Eating the Bread would recover 10 HP per second while drinking Water will recover 10 MP per second, and both effects lasted ten seconds.
Every Swordsman started with the same Attributes, the only difference being the allocation of the Free Attribute Points.
Each player could obtain 4 Free Attribute Points with each increase in Level. With each rise in Level, the different ways players used these points would result in their own unique style.
Strength increases Physical Attack Power and the weight behind each attack. Agility increases Attack Speed and Movement Speed. Endurance increases maximum HP and stamina. Intelligence increases Magical Attack Power and maximum MP and Vitality increases the recovery rate of MP and HP. Every Job places emphasis on different Attributes.
As Swordsmen belonged to the physical damage Jobs, most people would prioritize Strength. In his previous life, Shi Feng also made such a choice, adding 2 points to Strength, one point to Endurance, and one point to Agility for every Level. It was a very ordinary and commonplace choice.
However, Shi Feng did not plan to do so in this life.
Without hesitation, Shi Feng clicked on the plus sign (+) for Agility, placing all 4 Free Attribute Points into it. Shi Feng's Agility increased to 7 points; his Attack Speed changing to 4 and Movement Speed to 4.
This method of point allocation was something not even Assassins, who were widely known for their high Agility, would do. They would prioritize Strength first, as more damage meant an easier time leveling up.
Unfortunately, Shi Feng didn't think that way.
For melee Jobs, Agility was the best choice at the early stages of God's Domain. This was kept a secret, only being discovered several weeks after God's Domain's opening. When it was finally made known, countless melee players couldn't help but hammer their chests in regret.
After adding the Attribute Points, Shi Feng took a look at his surroundings.
Only a while had passed before another large group of players were sent here. Green rhombus-like symbols belonging to players filled the air of the central plaza, blocking out the yellow symbols belonging to NPCs. Such a situation made looking for an NPC an even greater challenge.
Di! Di! Di!
Shi Feng's voice communication rang, the caller's name showing Black Cloud. It was Blackie calling.
"Brother Feng, I chose Cursemancer and was sent to Falling Moon Town. Where are you?" Now that he had entered God's Domain, Blackie was extremely excited, itching to start his journey quickly.
"I'm in Red Leaf Town, not that far from Falling Moon Town. I'll help you level up, so come to Red Leaf Town." Shi Feng said.
"Brother Feng, you must be crazy. Do you know how far Falling Moon Town is from Red Leaf Village? The Map says that it'll take me seven hours to get there. I'll fall behind all the other players by a lot if I go there. We should just level up on our own and meet up at White River City after reaching Level 10." Blackie nearly coughed out blood in anger. Earning 16,000 Credits in ten days was already madness. Instead of frantically leveling up after entering God's Domain, he was asked to waste seven hours? He wasn't going to do that, even if he was beaten to death.
"Don't worry. You should just come over. You'll get back the time you waste very quickly." Shi Feng said dully.
When Blackie heard Shi Feng's confident tone, he asked excitedly, "Brother Feng, could it be that you have a Beta Tester's information?"
God's Domain had invited quite a few people to test the game before it opened and these people were called Beta Testers. These Beta Testers could get ahold of first-hand information for God's Domain and, although changes would be made to the game, the Beta Testers would most definitely know more than regular players.
"What do you think? Just hurry over here." Shi Feng answered in a mysterious tone, laughing.
Hearing Shi Feng's words, Blackie knew Shi Feng had reliable information, and he couldn't help but get excited, saying, "Ok, wait for me Brother Feng; I'll go there right this instant."
Ending Blackie's call, Shi Feng walked towards a small dark alley of the town.
There were hundreds of NPCs in Red Leaf Town. However, NPCs that gave Quests only numbered in the tens, while Hidden Quests numbered five, and Unique Quests numbered only one. A unique Quest would no longer be available once completed by a player.
The Unique Quest in Red Leaf Town was only discovered two months after God's Domain's opening and it had caused a sensation throughout the entire White River City the last time. As the Quest was unique, the lucky player revealed the method to obtain it, earning the envy of many players. Unfortunately for them, the Quest was no longer available, even if they wanted to do it.
Of course, Shi Feng wouldn't let this Unique Quest go in this life.
Shi Feng arrived at the dark alley filled with beggars in tattered clothing. The beggars were like wolves discovering fresh meat when they saw Shi Feng walking over, quickly surrounding him as they begged for food.
There was once a player who had given these beggars a lot of food. These beggars would ask for items after having their fill and they would ask for more expensive items after each time. The player had agreed to all their requests, consecutively fulfilling more than ten of their wishes. Unfortunately, the beggars gave absolutely nothing in return, causing the player to nearly pop a vein, becoming a joke for others.
"Get lost!"
Shi Feng yelled as he pulled out his Novice Sword, causing the powerless beggars to quickly hide away.
Shi Feng walked to a corner after the beggars dispersed; a vagrant middle-aged man was lying there. There wasn't much of a difference between the man and the other beggars but if there were one, it would be the man's unyielding integrity, as he was the only one not begging for food.
"Do you need any help, Sir?" Shi Feng formally asked the man.
"Can you give me some food? It's been five days since I've last eaten," the male beggar responded.
Shi Feng smiled faintly, seriously saying: "Unfortunately Sir, I cannot agree to your wish."
A normal person would probably spew blood out in anger if they heard such a reply. However, this beggar merely let out a sigh, no longer saying a word.
"However, if you are willing to pay an appropriate price, I can give you the food you need." Shi Feng said.
The beggar lifted his head and looked at Shi Feng, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation as he said, "If I had the money, I would definitely be willing to pay this cost, but right now I have nothing. Although, if you are willing to help me, I will pay you a sufficient price. Are you willing to help me?"
"May I ask what you want me to do?" Shi Feng questioned.
The beggar said seriously, "Please help me kill the Mayor of Red Leaf Town, Cross."
Even though Red Leaf Town was just a small town, the Town Mayor was still a Level 15 Elite. There were also Level 25 Guards by his side. Aside from that, killing an NPC would result in being arrested. Killing the Mayor was, without a doubt, a crazy action and no player would believe this was a Quest, as this was no different than telling players to commit suicide. Nobody would agree to such a damnable request.
"Alright, I promise you." Shi Feng unhesitatingly agreed with a smile.
System: Unique Quest "Sherlock's Request" accepted.
Quest Details: Kill Cross, the Mayor of Red Leaf Town and bring the [Mayor's Insignia] back to Sherlock. Players must not exceed Level 10.
Shi Feng turned around and headed towards the Town Hall, the place where the Mayor was staying, at after receiving the Quest.
i Feng walked on the path towards the town hall, crowded with people.
The less than spacious road was filled with players. They were conversing with the NPCs, taking the chance to obtain a Quest. Such a scene gave one a feeling of arriving at a market.
Unfortunately, it was not an easy task obtaining a Quest in God’s Domain. The main reason being, the NPCs had high intelligence, giving them the capability to hold one-to-one conversations. Also, players must watch what they say or risk being given the cold shoulder by the NPCs. And there was a tide of players as competition; obtaining an easily found Normal Quest was truly difficult.
After more than ten minutes since God’s Domain started, there had yet to be a single player within Red Leaf Town to receive a Normal Quest.
In comparison, Shi Feng’s advantage as a reincarnated person was truly great. Not only has he received a Quest, but it was a Unique Quest; albeit a slightly damnable one. However, a Unique Quest’s reward was incredibly generous. Even top-tier players who had played God’s Domain for a month would drool at the reward of this Unique Quest.
As a person who had been reincarnated, Shi Feng had the experience of leading thousands of people while he was in Shadow Workshop. They had even built ten City States. The amount of information on God’s Domain that was within his grasp far surpassed what the average player knew. It was especially true when it came to strategies on leveling up and earning money. These were the must-have essentials for a Workshop with thousands of players to grow in strength.
Now that he had been reincarnated and was playing God’s Domain again, Shi Feng wanted to use this information to accumulate a significant amount of advantages. It was all to build a better foundation for his future development. So naturally, he would not be imitating the average player, wasting hours on the streets just to fight over a single Normal Quest. Even more so, he would not be emulating those skilled players, using their refined techniques to kill monsters in the wild, because, at this moment, there were probably more players than monsters in the wild.
What Shi Feng wanted to do was to avoid these piles of players; hence why he chose the Unique Quest which had an absurd difficulty.
However, completing this Quest required money, something Shi Feng did not have right now.
Every player would receive 10 Copper Coins at the start of the game. Although it was not enough to buy a Weapon or Equipment, purchasing HP or MP replenishing refreshments was not a problem.
When Shi Feng arrived at the front of the two-storied Town Hall, he was met with a scene of hundreds of people, queuing up into a long line.
Regardless of which game it was, the Village Head or Town Mayor was unquestionably a target to receive Quests from. Naturally, no player would let this chance go.
“Hey newcomer, queue up if you don’t wanna cause a public outrage,” from within the queue, a simple and honest looking male Warrior looked at Shi Feng. The Warrior held up his hand, pointing towards the back of the line of people.
“I’m not here to receive a Quest.” Shi Feng said indifferently as he looked at the long line in front of the Town Hall.
Compared to the other locations, this place had great order and efficiency. Although it would take more time to receive a Quest, it was much better than some who could not receive one at all.
The male Warrior cautiously looked at Shi Feng. Everybody was frantically trying to receive a Quest right now... but there was someone who actually said that he wasn’t interested towards it? Not even a ghost would believe that!
“I’m honestly not here to receive a Quest,” Shi Feng looked at the male warrior. Seeing the person’s hostile eyes and how he thought Shi Feng had wanted to jump queue, Shi Feng said with a smile, “However, I advise you to receive a Quest somewhere else. You’ll just be pointlessly waiting here.”
“Why would it be pointless? There were already a few people who came out after receiving a Quest.” After determining that Shi Feng had no intention to jump queue, the male Warrior let out a sigh of relief. He had already been in the queue for over ten minutes now and he definitely would not want someone to cut in line. However, hearing Shi Feng’s firm tone made him curious as to why he would be waiting for nothing.
Shi Feng smiled but did not elaborate. Instead, he changed the topic saying, “Seeing as you’re not a bad person, I’ll point you towards a brighter path. Kill mobs in the fields. You’ll have a better future than remaining here.”
“I’m not going. There are too many monsters in the wild and I can’t compete with those other people. This place is still better” the male Warrior shook his head. He was not an idiot. At this moment, there were definitely tides of people out in the Field Area. With just his skills, he probably couldn’t even snatch a monster, so he was better off just waiting here.
“That’s because you went to the wrong place. If you go somewhere with few monsters, naturally, there wouldn’t be anybody to compete with you. Compared to the areas packed with both players and monsters, the leveling efficiency there is several times better. Not only that, the respawn rate of the monsters there is slow, so a single person could easily handle themselves,” Shi Feng said with a smile.
“Is there really such a place?”
The male Warrior was excited after listening to Shi Feng. He was extremely interested in such a location. He still needed to wait for more than an hour to receive a Quest and the rewards he could obtain would only be EXP and some meager amount of money. If he could grind on monsters for an hour unhindered, the EXP he could obtain would far surpass that from the Quest.
“Of course there is. I’ll give you a preferential price of 20 Coppers if you want to go to such a treasured location. Don’t mention EXP; after grinding for a day, the materials you could obtain would earn you more than 40 Coppers. If you’re lucky, you could make a ton more if a piece of equipment drops,” Shi Feng walked closer to the male Warrior, whispering into his ears.
“You’re not tricking me, right?” the male Warrior looked at Shi Feng with hesitation in his eyes. If there was such a treasured location, he could definitely surpass the other players by a lot; but 20 Coppers was not a small amount. The monsters in God’s Domain rarely drop money or equipment, so Copper Coins were incredibly precious.
“If you don’t believe me, you can pay 10 Coppers up front first. You’ll know just from trying after you arrive at the spot. If it’s true, you can then pay me the other 10 Coppers. I’m only telling you this because I see that you’re a good person. Just forget it, if you don’t believe me.” Shi Feng turned and left after saying his piece.
Shi Feng wouldn’t be doing this if he didn't lack money. At worst, he’ll just use some other method to earn money.
Just after walking a few steps away, Shi Feng was stopped by the male Warrior.
“Expert, hold on a moment. Let’s talk about it, alright? Isn’t it just a deposit of 10 Coppers? Here, take it. I trust that an expert like you won’t trick me.” The male Warrior revealed an honest smile, resolutely trading 10 Coppers to Shi Feng.
“Seeing your performance, I’ll give you a good location. Although this place is slightly far-off, there is only a single mage-type Level 0 Green Gnome. It has low defense and a quick respawn rate. Chances are also greater of money dropping. A Berserker would be great at killing there.” Shi Feng gave the Warrior a good grinding location after happily receiving the ten Coppers.
The male Warrior was relieved when he noticed how familiar Shi Feng was with the wild monsters, even to the degree of knowing the amount of money dropped. He never imagined he would be so fortunate as to meet an expert of God’s Domain and not just any expert; Shi Feng might even be a Beta Tester. The male Warrior became even more excited as he thought of this possibility.
“Brother Expert, do you know a location that drops skill books for Berserkers? It’s really hard to fight against mobs with only a single skill.” The male Warrior was more fond of Shi Feng now, even treating Shi Feng as his superior.
“It’s fine if you want to know., but it’ll cost you 2 Silvers,” Shi Feng smiled. Who would give out such valuable information after only a short conversation? Shi Feng would not unless there was money involved, of course.
The male Warrior paled when he heard the price. Two Silvers equaled 200 Coppers. Not even the average Guild would have that much money.
“Expert, let’s add each other as friends. I’m Lonely Snow. I’ll contact you again once I’ve saved up enough money.” The male Warrior sent Shi Feng a friend request.
“Alright.” Shi Feng accepted Lonely Snow’s request.
“Then I’m off to fight mobs, Brother Expert. I’ll mail you the 10 Copper immediately after I’ve saved up enough.” Lonely Snow happily parted with Shi Feng, leaving the long queue and dashing towards the grinding location.
Now that Shi Feng had money, he walked towards the fruit stall by the Town Hall.
“Boss, how much for this Tomato?” Shi Feng asked as he held up a ripe, red Tomato.
Both Fruits and Vegetables could aid in recovering a player’s HP and MP. Their tastes were also quite delicious. The only downside was the bad recovery rate. In normal circumstances, players wouldn’t buy them at all, especially during such a period where money was a big problem. Spending money on Fruits and Vegetables was just wasteful behavior.
“2 Coppers each.”
“Give me ten of them.”
Shi Feng paid the 20 Coppers. He walked into the Town Hall after receiving the 10 Tomatoes.
“Hey newcomer, queue up. Can’t you see others are queuing up as well?”
“Swordsman over there, what do you think you’re trying to do? Do you know how many people are queuing up behind?”
The players in the queue became enraged and started criticizing when they saw Shi Feng cutting the line, walking directly towards the Town Mayor. They would’ve long since murdered Shi Feng, were it not for the fact that they could be jailed for attacking another player inside the town.
“Sorry, but I’m really not here to receive a Quest. I’m just here to take a look.” Shi Feng smiled at the players; he turned to look at the fat Town Mayor, Cross.
[Cross] (Elite, Friendly)
Level 15
HP 2400/2400
MP 1500/1500
There was not a single player who could beat him at this stage. It was not possible, even with a team.
Subsequently, Shi Feng took out a ripe and red Tomato, taking a bite out of it.
“What is this person doing?”
“Hell! He’s actually eating a Tomato! Each of those costs 2 Coppers! Such luxury!”
The other players could not understand what Shi Feng was trying to do. By coming to the Town Hall to eat Tomatoes... was he trying to show off how rich he was?
Halfway through his Tomato, Shi Feng suddenly threw it towards Town Mayor Cross’ face.
The Tomato accurately landed on Cross’ face, spreading bright red liquid all over.
System: Cross’ favorability towards you has been decreased by 100 points.
Unsatisfied, Shi Feng took out another Tomato from his bag, throwing it at Cross.
“Hypocrite! Fatty! Bloodsucker! You’re not fit to be the Town Mayor!”
Shi Feng kept cursing as he threw Tomatoes, whereas Cross’ favorability kept decreasing. Cross’ body turned bright red as tomato juice kept flowing down his body. Adding to his enraged expression, it created an incomparably funny sight.
However, nobody within the Town Hall was laughing; it was exceptionally quiet. All of the players became slack-jawed and dumbfounded at Shi Feng’s actions.
Just after twenty minutes since God’s Domain’s opening, there was a player that dared to actually attack an NPC and not just any NPC; he was attacking the leader of a town, the Boss of the Beginner’s Area!
This person was insane! Wasn’t he afraid of being jailed until his death?
Did he no longer want to stay in Red Leaf Town?
Even taking your revenge on society shouldn’t be done in such a way!
Just when the other players were expecting the Guards to detain Shi Feng or for the Town Mayor to kill off Shi Feng in a rage, none of these things actually occurred.
None of the players knew that insulting an NPC was not considered an attack. Hence why neither the Guards nor Cross attacked Shi Feng. Shi Feng’s actions would only lead to the NPC hating him to the bones and he could forget receiving Quests from the NPC in this lifetime.
As Shi Feng’s last Tomato landed on Cross’ face, Cross’ favorability fell towards Hostile. Cross’ Level became question marks and the yellow marker above him quickly turned a crimson red.
“Damnable insect! I’ll send you down to hell!”
The bright red Cross roared loudly as he rushed at Shi Feng.
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