Chapter 1885 – Basic Teleportation Device
Silverwing Town, airport
Due to the airport's appearance, the previously desolate sector of the town had become a hub for players and NPCs. Many players lingered outside of the airport, hawking their wares or recruiting team members.
"So, this is Silverwing Town? The players here are so high-leveled! The town's average level can already complete with Black Dragon City's players."
"Don't you know? Many expert players have come to develop in Silverwing Town since it has become easier to travel here from Star-Moon City and the town's transportation quests offer such bountiful rewards. I've heard that players can even purchase cheap Secret-Silver weapons and Equipment from Silverwing Town's Transportation Firm from time to time."
As players left the airport, some couldn't help their surprise when they saw how prosperous Silverwing Town had become. Practically every player roaming the street outside the airport was Level 53 or above, with the majority being Level 54 and 55. Tier 2 experts were also common. However, the players selling equipment and tools were the most shocking.
In Black Dragon City, the Black Dragon Empire's imperial capital, players rarely sold Level 50 Secret-Silver Equipment. However, on the street outside the airport, quite a few players did just that. Moreover, their prices were 20% lower than in Black Dragon City. Although, despite the 20% discount, the prices were still beyond ordinary players' budgets.
Meanwhile, after receiving a brief explanation on Silverwing Town, first-time visitors' eyes glowed with excitement.
Based on what they had heard thus far, developing in Silverwing Town would be far more successful than in Black Dragon City. Not only did the town offer many income sources for independent players like themselves, but acquiring Level 50 weapons and equipment was also easier here. It was even said that the Transportation Firm offered Level 50 Fine-Gold Weapons and Equipment. The only problem was the Transportation Firm Contribution Point requirement, and those would not be easy to collect.
The airport's benefits are really amazing. It's no wonder why Guild Towns with airports had quickly become Advanced Cities, Shi Feng thought as he gazed at the crowded street before him. He had never thought that the airport would become so prosperous after just a few days.
Although he had told Aqua Rose to increase Silverwing Town's player population limit, he didn't think it would be long before they reached the new limit.
If he wanted to resolve this issue, he'd have to upgrade Silverwing Town to an Advanced Town soon. Although an Advanced Town was still a town, it was significantly larger than an Intermediate Town, nearly half the size of a Basic City.
However, upgrading Silverwing Town to Advanced rank wouldn't be an easy task.
Aside from the required Popularity, neutraltowns needed sufficient security to qualify for a promotion.
Currently, gaining Popularity wasn't a problem for Silverwing Town. With how many players the airport and Transportation Firm attracted, Silverwing Town gained a large amount of Popularity each day. It wouldn't be long before Silverwing Town met the requirement for an Advanced Town. Unfortunately, doing the same for the town's security would be challenging.
In terms of defensive structures, Silverwing Town definitely passed as it had five Magic Towers and a large number of Defense Turrets. However, any additional Defense Turrets wouldn't provide much to the town's security.
A town or city's security was divided into two factors; defensive structures and NPC soldiers.
There were two methods of increasing NPC soldiers' strength. The first involved improving the soldiers' combat standards. The second required upgrading the NPC soldiers' weapons and equipment. Unfortunately, not even Shi Feng had a method of improving the NPCs' combat standards. It all depended on the NPCs the town recruited. All he could do right now to strengthen Silverwing Town's NPC soldiers was improve their weapons and equipment However, boosting the NPC soldiers to meet the strength requirement for a promotion would require a large number of Coins…
To reach the security standard for a promotion to Advanced rank, 600 of Silverwing Town's 2,000 NPC soldiers would need to wear full sets of Fine-Gold Equipment. Currently, only 120 NPC soldiers wielded Fine-Gold Equipment. Meanwhile, gearing the remaining 480 NPCs would cost close to 290,000 Gold in total…
The greatest difficulty other Guilds faced when trying to upgrade a neutral town was the town's Popularity. During his previous life, the Guild Towns had generally fulfilled their security requirements long before they fulfilled their Popularity requirements. However, Zero Wing was the exact opposite.
This was precisely the reason for Shi Feng's current headache.
Zero Wing simply didn't have enough money!
From an outsider's point of view, Zero Wing was quite wealthy. However, Shi Feng knew how truly broke his Guild was. Just taking care of Silverwing Town's development had drastically slowed Zero Wing City and the Lost Town's. Now, he also needed 290,000 Gold to upgrade Silverwing Town…
This predicament was the reason he had set his sights on the Sea of Trees.
In Unyielding Soul's opinion, he just wanted the Traveling Bard class to strengthen Zero Wing's teams so that the Guild could secure better weapons and equipment. In reality, however, the Traveling Bard class was nothing to him.
The Sea of Trees itself was his true target.
As players gradually unlocked the city's various features, the legendary Dream City would enjoy immense fame throughout the continent of God's Domain.
Thus far, the populace was still unaware that the Sea of Trees was actually a trade city for the various neutral races.
Of course, this feature would only become available after players had removed the city's second seal. At that time, neutral NPCs would swarm to the Sea of Trees, and after the third seal was removed, neutral players would join them. At that time, like Blackwing City's passes, the Sea of Trees' keys would become more common in neutral races' maps. The keys would no longer be limited to the Dark Night Empire. Unlocking this feature would also open trade between human players and neutral players.
Although there did not seem to be many neutral players in the game right now, when they gathered, they would easily outnumber an empire's player population. After all, many players desired a stronger body, and becoming a neutral race would satisfy this desire.
Since no one knew this secret yet, he had to prepare to secure a share of the profits, using this opportunity to make a fortune. It wouldn't be long before the Sea of Trees' second seal was removed, and if he didn't take action quickly, the Dark Night Empire's three main powers would claim the Dream City's benefits.
However, gaining these benefits had a prerequisite.
Coins!
Lots and lots of Coins!
Thinking up to this point, Shi Feng hurried towards a large, empty Shop not far from the airport. This was one of the many Shops Shi Feng had left empty specifically for the airport.
Immediately, Shi Feng took out the Basic Teleportation Device and a large number of materials from his bag. He then began to set up the device in the center of the Shop's main hall.
After working non-stop for eight hours, Shi Feng finally formed the necessary magic arrays and magic circuits, connecting them to the Basic Teleportation Device. As he finished his work, he released a sigh of relief.
The necessary magic arrays were not easy to form. Players needed a strong understanding of Advanced Magic Arrays to do so. Creating the necessary magic circuits was even more complex. These magic circuits had to be connected to God's Domain's leylines. Normally, the task required three Advanced Magicians, but since he was Zero Wing's only Advanced Magician right now, he had to complete the task slowly. Fortunately, he had grasped the production process for Advanced Magic Arrays. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to utilize the Basic Teleportation Device at all.
…
System: You have successfully connected the Leyline Magic Circuit. Do you wish to activate the Basic Teleportation Device?
…
"Activate!"
Chapter 1886 – Prosperous Silverwing
In the quiet hall, the Basic Teleportation Device activated, and magic arrays began to manifest on the ground. A short moment later, a silver, threefold magic array appeared above the Teleportation Device, glowing with a dazzling light.
The moment this threefold magic array appeared, the ambient Mana rapidly gathered to the Teleportation Device.
A pillar of silver light rose from the Teleportation Device, piercing through the ceiling and rising out of the Shop. Every player in Silverwing Town could see the commotion activating the Teleportation Device had caused.
As the silver light pillar rose beyond the clouds, it exploded. A silver light then rippled through the sky. In the blink of an eye, the ripple had enveloped all of Silverwing Town. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, the silver ripple vanished.
"What just happened?"
"Was that some kind of magical attack?"
"Isn't the airport in that sector? Did someone just attack the airport?"
As the light pillar and ripple disappeared, questions overwhelmed the town's players. Some curious players started to make their way towards the airport to investigate.
Meanwhile, inside the large Shop…
Shi Feng grinned as he looked at the operational Teleportation Device.
If an airport could attract players to a town, boosting its development, then a Teleportation Device would bring abundant wealth. This was especially true for Silverwing Town, a town in a dangerous place like the Ore Empire.
Hopefully, this thing's teleportation range is a little longer. Shi Feng immediately inspected the Teleportation Device.
In God's Domain, Teleportation Devices' range wasn't fixed, even for devices of the same rank. The Teleportation Devices' range varied based on its environment Basic Teleportation Devices' teleportation range could cover anywhere between 500,000 yards and 1,000,000. The range was vast enough to teleport players across a small leveling map.
Meanwhile, the further the Basic Teleportation Device could reach, the larger Silverwing Town's safe zone would be. After all, if enemy players attacked Zero Wing's within the teleportation range, the Guild could send reinforcements instantly.
This was also the reason that other powers rarely attacked towns with Teleportation Devices. A single mistake could easily lead to utter annihilation.
As Shi Feng called up the Basic Teleportation Device's Attribute Panel, the system revealed the device's statistics.
Maximum teleportation distance: 710,000 yards Maximum users at one time: 100 people
Teleportation cost: Every 150,000 yards per person requires 1 unit of Mana
One unit of Mana for every 150,000 yards with a maximum of 710,000 yards? Not bad. Shi Feng was relatively satisfied with the Teleportation Device's statistics.
One Magic Crystal yielded between 100 to 130 units of Mana. In other words, one Magic Crystal would be enough to teleport between 100 to 130 people across 150,000 yards. This cost was much lower than an ordinary Teleportation Magic Array. For example, the teleportation house in White River City cost one-fifth of a Magic Crystal to teleport one player from White River City to the Twin Towers Kingdom, which was 20 units of Mana or more.
After inspecting the statistics, Shi Feng transferred 20 NPC managers from the Battle Arena to the Basic Teleportation Device. He also set this Shop up as Silverwing Town's teleportation point.
As for the usage fees, he had set it at 80 Copper per 150,000 yards per person. Although the profits wouldn't be astronomical with this price, even ordinary players would find it acceptable. This would no doubt attract many players to the teleportation service, which would, in turn, generate massive income. At the very least, Silverwing Town's Teleportation Device would earn him more than the Secret Stone Fortress's teleportation service. Although the teleportation array in the fortress consumed far less Mana than this Teleportation Device, the fortress's managers only received a portion of the profits after deducting the operation costs.
Once Shi Feng finished with the Shop, he instructed his NPCs to open it to the public.
Many players had already gathered on the street outside of the Shop due to the airport, and after seeing the silver light pillar, even more players had joined the crowd.
The moment the Shop opened, a flood of players surged in out of curiosity.
"What's going on? Silverwing Town even offers teleportation services to nearby areas?"
"I thought only fortresses have this kind of teleportation function?"
"This is wonderful! Traveling into the Ore Empire's inner region to quest is such a pain. Now that I can just teleport there, I'll save so much time!"
When the crowd of independent players discovered the Teleportation Shop's function, their eyes glistened with excitement. Although the teleportation price was slightly higher than that in the Ore Empire's fortresses, it was still within ordinary players' budgets.
Moreover, Silverwing Town's living standards were far better than that of teleportation fortresses. Not only was the town's Mana density incredibly high, but it also had a Battle Arena, in which players could train. Silverwing Town even had the Transportation Firm, which offered high-ranked weapons and equipment The services Silverwing Town offered were no match for teleportation fortresses.
As news of the Teleportation Shop spread, thousands of players fought to use it. In the few minutes since the Shop had opened, it had generated 10 Gold in profit The Teleportation Shop's money-making speed was simply frightening. At this rate, as long as there were enough Magic Crystals available to continue operation, generating 10,000 Gold in profit would be child's play for the Teleportation Shop. Silverwing Town's Teleportation Device was even more lucrative than Zero Wing City's Four Towers of Elements.
Of course, Shi Feng had expected this.
There were already more players using Silverwing Town's teleportation service than those in Zero Wing City, which had decreased since the players who wanted to travel to the Ore Empire had long since done so. Moreover, most players visiting the empire were here to develop themselves. They'd likely remain in the Ore Empire for some time.
Furthermore, due to the airport's recent construction, many players had opted to travel to the Ore Empire via airship. This further reduced the number of players who used Zero Wing City's teleportation services.
In addition, Silverwing Town's teleportation service allowed players to teleport directly to the Secret Stone Fortress. Players could then use the Secret Stone Fortress's teleportation service to travel to the Ore Empire's inner region. Players who wanted to enjoy both Silverwing Town's benefits and grind in the empire's inner region would frequently use the town's teleportation services. Including the players trying to enter the town each day, far more players would utilize the town's teleportation services than those in Zero Wing City.
News of Silverwing Town's teleportation service quickly spread throughout the Ore Empire. It was enough motivation for players that quested and grinded in the empire to shift their base of operations to Silverwing Town.
Previously, not many players had settled down in Silverwing Town since it was so far from the Ore Empire's inner region, making travel to and from inconvenient, but since Shi Feng had resolved this issue, these players would naturally set up their base in the town. Although the cost would be slightly higher, the town's benefits would make it worthwhile. The players operating in the Ore Empire's inner region were at least elites, as well, so spending a few extra Silver Coins each day wouldn't be a problem.
For a time, the number of players trying to enter Silverwing Town skyrocketed. Meanwhile, Blackwater's upper echelons and Beast Emperor learned about this recent development, they wore gloomy expressions.
They had hoped that the various superpowers would gang up on Zero Wing, but not only hadn't that happened, but Silverwing Town also had a teleportation function now. With this, Zero Wing's control over the Ore Empire's southeastern region would grow even stronger.
"Dust, the item you've mentioned is incomparably precious. It will definitely be difficult to acquire. If you have it, how confident are you of gaining full control of the Evil Dragonification Magic Array?" Beast Emperor asked the man beside him, Dust Edge, from his seat in the Evil God's Branch Temple in Ancient Rock City.
He had planned to use the Dark Players and bounty hunters to whittle Zero Wing's combat power and financial strength down, but now, this plan would likely fail. He also lacked the forces to launch a direct assault on Silverwing Town.
Although Blackwater was powerful, it had recently acquired the Crimson Flame Fortress. It was still in the process of reinforcing its strength and also lacked the power to destroy Zero Wing's town.
Currently, Dust Edge's Evil Dragonification Legacy was his only hope. Unlike nurturing Evil Beasts and Evil Demons, producing Evil Dragons only required rare materials and players.
"I can't guarantee success, but I'm 80% confident I can gain full control over the magic array. Once I do, I'll be able to create even stronger Evil Dragons. Including the Evil God's Temple's current forces, destroying Silverwing Town should be a breeze!" Dust Edge proclaimed, confidence shining in his eyes. "We'll wipe all of Zero Wing from the face of God's Domain, not to mention removing the Guild from the Ore Empire."
"Good. I'll notify Blackwater and Dark Soul now and have them secure the item for you as soon as possible." Seeing the confidence in Dust Edge's eyes, Beast Emperor couldn't wait to see the completed Evil Dragon.
Meanwhile, in Silverwing Town's Candlelight Trading Firm, Shi Feng had begun to rent out the Shops around the airport. He had set the rent at 3,000 Gold per month for small Shops and 5,000 Gold per month for large Shops. Naturally, there were a limited number of Shops available, so they would be rented out on a first-come, first-served basis.
The moment the Guild revealed the rental prices, the town's interested merchant players were stunned.
"This is insane! Has Zero Wing gone mad for money?!"
Chapter 1887: Foundations Solidifying
Translator:Exodus Tales
Editor:Exodus Tales
Once the Candlelight Trading Firm had published the Shops' rental prices, the town's merchant players and nearby bystanders gaped in shock.
"Crap! Three thousand Gold to rent a Shop for one month?! I can buy a Shop in an NPC city with that kind of money!"
"Silverwing Town can't even compare to an NPC city, yet Zero Wing dares set the rent so high. Who could possibly afford such a price?"
"If I had 3,000 Gold, I could fully equip myself in top-tier equipment. With that kind of equipment, I'd be able to earn back the Gold in a month if I'm lucky. It'd be far more profitable than renting a Shop in Silverwing Town."
For a time, Silverwing Town's players heatedly discussed the astronomical rent.
…
"Guild Leader, I'm afraid that very few merchant players will be able to afford this price. Many capable trading firms have offered to rent the Shops long-term if we lower the price by 30%, as well. Why don't we drop it just a little?" Aqua Rose suggested from her seat in the second-floor hall.
Truthfully, even she thought that Shi Feng's price was a little too high. It might be acceptable for the Shops in Zero Wing City since the city had over 5,000,000 player residents. The city's merchant players would accept such a high rent. Even the players that purchased permanent Shops in NPC cities still had to pay a 15% monthly property tax, after all. Moreover, this property tax would change based on the Shop's monthly evaluation. The tax wasn't fixed based on the initial purchase price.
However, Silverwing Town wasn't Zero Wing City. Although it had already become an Intermediate Town, it could only accommodate a limited number of players at a time. Right now, its player population was nowhere near that of a major NPC city, not to mention Zero Wing City.
"Tell them that my price isn't that high considering Silverwing Town's current prosperity. If they refuse, we won't push the matter. However, I can't guarantee that the prices won't increase after another fortnight," Shi Feng said nonchalantly.
Silverwing Town was home to the treasure trove known as the Transportation Firm, which allowed players to purchase rare items. If players purchased these rare items before reselling them in other countries, they could make quite a profit. In addition, the Shops themselves could be used as warehouses to store items.
If his plans for the Sea of Trees hadn't required so many Coins, he wouldn't have chosen to rent out Silverwing Town's Shops yet.
"Guild Leader, I've also received a report regarding the Orc Capital City. It seems that Blackwater has removed the seal on the Orc Capital City's armory. The various large Guilds have already dispatched expert teams to explore the armory. Although we are attempting to do the same, Blackwater's surveillance around the Regional Dungeon is quite tight. If we approach, Blackwater's members will intercept us. We can't get anywhere near the city," Aqua Rose said worriedly. "However, the Orc Capital City's armory is guaranteed to contain a plethora of war weapons. If we let Blackwater claim them, it'll be detrimental for our Guild's development in the empire."
"They've opened the Orc Capital City's armory?" Shi Feng frowned. "Blackwater is certainly impressive."
The Orc Capital City was an Asura Mode Regional Dungeon, which doubtlessly had bountiful resources. Needless to say, plenty of war weapons were stored within Regional Dungeons' armories. It was a perfect location to secure war weapons for the large Guilds that lacked such things.
However, since Blackwater controlled the Crimson Flame Fortress, it essentially controlled the path to the Orc Capital City. Moreover, Blackwater would have a much easier time eliminating Zero Wing's members once they entered the city since the Guild had the home ground advantage.
If Blackwater truly acquired a large number of war weapons, it would become a detriment to Zero Wing.
Zero Wing had solidified its position in the Orc Empire because it had far more and stronger war weapons than other Guilds. If it lost this advantage, Blackwater would have a much easier time capturing Silverwing Town. The various superpowers might even take advantage of the situation to strike at Zero Wing while it was down.
"Based on our reports, the various superpowers have begun to prepare for the armory's exploration. If we fall behind…" Aqua Rose felt utterly helpless about the situation.
While Zero Wing could sneak some of its experts into the Orc Capital City, they could only send in so many before attracting Blackwater's attention. If they didn't send in enough, however, the participating superpowers could easily chase them away.
"We'll give up on the Orc Capital City," Shi Feng decided after considering the matter.
"Give up? But…" Shi Feng's response surprised Aqua Rose.
If they gave up on the Orc Capital City, Zero Wing's situation would become quite awkward once the various superpowers had explored the armory and acquired a stock of war weapons.
"I'm not done. Although we'll give up on the Orc Capital City, we can still explore other locations. The Orc Capital City isn't the only Regional Dungeon in God's Domain," Shi Feng said, chuckling. "How many Tier 2 players do we currently have?"
"Thanks to the Primordial Souls, our members have had an easier time with their Tier 2 promotions than other Guilds' members. We now have more than 400 Tier 2 players, and quite a few players are still attempting to complete their Promotion Quests. I don't think it will be long before we have 1,000 Tier 2 players," Aqua Rose said, a little excited.
Zero Wing already had enough Tier 2 players to rival superpowers, and as time passed, the Guild might even surpass the various major powers in God's Domain.
She had to admit that monopolizing a large fraction of Primordial City's resources gave Zero Wing a massive advantage. Zero Wing had far fewer experts than the various superpowers, but after acquiring the Primordial Souls, Zero Wing's members had a much easier time with their Tier 2 Promotion Quests. The Guild also had an advantage in the equipment its members wore.
"We have so many already?" Shi Feng was a little surprised by this revelation. It was far more than he had expected. Currently, the various first-rate Guilds were lucky if they even had 40 Tier 2 experts. "Excellent. In that case, take Icarus's Heart and organize a 300-man team to raid the Salock Mountains. Grind the Giant Rock Beasts there. Kill as many as you can for their loot. It'll also be a good opportunity to level up. However, be careful as you explore the map. Although it isn't an Asura Mode Regional Dungeon, it is still one of the rare Hell Mode Regional Dungeons."
The Salock Mountains occupied a Level 60 to Level 90 neutral map near the Storm Empire. Meanwhile, the Regional Dungeon was well-known for its production of Fine Titan Ore.
Fine Titan Ore was far more valuable than Titan Ore. Although it could be acquired from 100-man Team Dungeons, the drop-rate was painfully low. Although the Fine Titan Ore's drop-rate in the Salock Mountains was also relatively low, less than 3% for Great Lord ranked Giant Rock Beasts, the Regional Dungeon was home to plenty of these monsters.
However, grinding in the Regional Dungeon had a condition—players had to reach Tier 2 first.
Previously, Zero Wing had only nurtured several dozen Tier 2 players, not nearly enough to grind in the Regional Dungeon effectively. Hence, he had set the endeavor aside. However, now that the Guild had so many Tier 2 players, he could use this opportunity to collect Fine Titan Ore, which was the main material needed to produce the Guardian Puppet. Once he had the Fine Titan Ore, he would only have to wait until Melancholic Smile had nurtured the necessary Master Lifestyle players.
Shi Feng's ordered left Aqua Rose a little confused. She didn't understand why he wanted to grind monsters so far from their territories, but since he had given the order, she had no choice but to accept Icarus's Heart and do as he had told her.
Meanwhile, all 20 of the Shops Shi Feng had offered had been filled after only a day. Of the 15 small Shops and five large Shops he had prepared, none were vacant. In the blink of an eye, Shi Feng had earned 70,000 Gold. This dumbfounded many merchant and independent players. They all wondered if the Shop's tenants were crazy to spend so many Coins on these Shops.
By the time the appointed date to set off for the Sea of Trees arrived, Shi Feng had earned a total of 120,000 Gold from Zero Wing's territories and selling the materials he had acquired from the Ice Crystal World.
Following which, Shi Feng took his money and nine Tier 1 experts to the Dark Night Empire's Dark Night City.
Chapter 1888 – Undead Knight Dark Night Empire, Dark Night City
When Shi Feng and the nine experts Aqua Rose had carefully selected left the Teleportation Hall, they were greeted by a crowded street. Many of the players among the crowd were independent experts.
Many of these independent players were at Level 55 or above and very weH-equipped, with quite a few pieces of Level 50 Secret-Silver Equipment. As if they were on a pilgrimage, these independent players ventured towards Dark Night City's business district. At a glance, there were easily more than 5,000 of these players.
Why are so many experts here? Shi Feng was surprised by the number of experts on the street.
While it was true that a large number of experts tended to gather in empire's capitals, he had never seen so many independent experts in an imperial capital before. Not even the Four Major Empires' capitals were this popular.
As Shi Feng wondered about the reason for this gathering, he heard shouting from a short distance away.
"Players wishing to class-change to a Tier 2 Traveling Bard, head to Starlink's Residence to apply as soon as possible! The Guild will only accept applications for another 30 minutes!"
Upon hearing the announcement, the independent experts began to charge down the street.
"Starlink is so stingy. Despite controlling the path to the Sea of Trees, it's only recruiting 200 non-Guild players."
"I know, right? How could 200 slots be enough for so many people? I've heard that players had begun to line up outside of Starlink's Residence ten hours ago. There are already more than 100,000 players in line right now. The most infuriating part of it all is that instead of recruiting based on individual strength, Starlink is recruiting based on one's skill with magic arrays. I'm a Berserker; I almost never have to deal with magic arrays. Even magical class players rarely learn that stuff. That subclass can't help improve one's combat power, and you have to waste a lot of time researching arrays."
"However, I've also heard that if you become a Traveling Bard, you instantly get access to the same treatment as Starlink's core members."
"If you don't want to compete in Starlink, you can do so over at Unyielding Soul. Shortly after Starlink began its recruitment, Unyielding Soul did the same for the Traveling Bard class-change. However, it only has 100 slots available. Though, like Starlink, you'll receive core-member treatment if you complete the class-change."
"I really didn't expect a Tier 2 class-change to require knowledge on controlling magic arrays. If I had known about it earlier, I would've studied magic arrays a while ago."
The players on the streets chatted as they watched the swarm of players rush towards Starlink and Unyielding Soul's Guild Residences, discussing the two Guild's recruitment standards. They also expressed their regrets about not learning to control magic arrays earlier.
Starlink is recruiting players with knowledge on magic arrays? Shi Feng frowned a little when he overheard the nearby players' conversations. Does Unyielding Soul have a leak?
Aside from himself and Aqua Rose, only Unyielding Soul's members knew about the method of increasing players' success rate during the Traveling Bard's Class-change Quest at this stage of the game.
Unless Starlink had discovered it as well, its recruitment conditions wouldn't have been so specific. Magic arrays were usually only useful to Lifestyle players; the benefits of manipulating magic arrays would be minuscule at best to combat players. Moreover, that was limited to magical classes. Knowledge regarding magic arrays was basically useless to physical classes.
While Shi Feng and his group traveled toward the Purple Night Plaza, the agreed meeting place, players crowded every inch of the plaza. Tens of thousands of players from Unyielding Soul, Starlink, and Crimson Emperor surrounded the area, and every one of these players wore full sets of Level 50 Secret-Silver Equipment at minimum. Some of these Guild players even carried Level 50 Dark-Gold Weapons. The scene made the lingering independent players envious.
Meanwhile, only these three Guilds' members were allowed to enter the Purple Night Plaza right now. Outsiders could only watch from a distance.
As Shi Feng and his group approached, Mu Lingsha, who had been waiting for them for quite some time, led them to an area Unyielding Soul's members had cordoned off, instantly attracting many players' attention.
"Who are those people? Didn't they say that the three Guilds have reserved the entire plaza?"
"Based on their Guild Emblems, they don't seem to be from Unyielding Soul."
"I think I've seen that Guild Emblem before… Right! That's the Guild Emblem for the Guild that has garrisoned in the Ore Empire's Secret Stone Fortress! That's Zero Wing's Emblem!"
"But why are Zero Wing's members here? Didn't they say that the three main Guilds weren't even giving the Sea of Trees' slots to players from first-rate Guilds?"
"Zero Wing is pretty impressive. It actually gained Unyielding Soul's favor and earned some slots for itself."
"Tch. So what if Zero Wing got some slots? It's not like they're guaranteed to complete the class-change."
As Shi Feng led his team into the Purple Night Plaza, his nine guildmates grew nervous. This was the first time they had encountered such a large group of experts.
Of the tens of thousands of players in the plaza, all would be rare experts in a kingdom. With so many in one place, they radiated an immense pressure. Experiencing such a phenomenon would likely be rare for first-rate Guilds' upper echelons.
Moreover, Unyielding Soul and Starlink's members stared each other down in the center of the plaza. A chilling atmosphere lingered between the two Guilds. As for Crimson Emperor, their players seemed slightly more relaxed, but although the Guild was acting like a spectator, it would take action if given the opportunity…
"Bright Dawn, I had truly never thought that you would betray the Guild to join Starlink. Just what benefits did they offer you?" Unyielding Heart hissed, rage flashing in his gaze as he glared at the indifferent man beside Lu Xingluo. The indifferent man carried a bone greatsword across his back.
When Shi Feng saw the indifferent man, he was stunned.
This man was none other than Bright Dawn, Unyielding Soul's Third Vice Guild Leader. Bright Dawn was also a Tier 2 Undead Knight, given the title 'Undead Swordsman' by the Secret Pavilion.
In terms of strength, Bright Dawn was on par with Unyielding Heart. He had been one of Unyielding Soul's three main pillars.
As far as Shi Feng knew, Bright Dawn hadn't betrayed Unyielding Soul in the past, yet he had done so now. This wasn't the history he remembered…
In response to Unyielding Heart's question, the indifferent man revealed a calm smile and responded, "You should be fully aware of Unyielding Soul's situation. Rather than fall with the ailing Unyielding Soul, isn't it better to join the rising Starlink? Moreover, the Starline Corporation has offered me far more than Unyielding Soul. Why don't you join me? With your fame and strength, the Starlink Corporation won't offer you any less than it has me. As for breaching your contract, the corporation will handle everything."
Chapter 1889: Change in Trajectory
Translator:Exodus Tales
Editor:Exodus Tales
At Bright Dawn's invitation, Unyielding Soul's members gasped. They finally realized why a Vice Guild Leader like Bright Dawn would dare to betray Unyielding Soul.
Tight restrictions tied every upper echelon to their Guild. If an upper echelon wished to withdraw from the Guild and retain their game accounts, they only had two choices. The first required automatic expulsion from the Guild, while the second option required the upper echelon to pay a high compensation fee for breaching their contract. For a Vice Guild Leader that had spent more than a decade with Unyielding Soul, the required compensation wouldn't be trivial. It wouldn't have been odd if Bright Dawn had even gone bankrupt after paying the compensation fee.
Yet, not only had Starline Corporation foot the compensation fee, but it had even offered Bright Dawn a high salary. Including Starlink's limitless potential due to the Starline Corporation's backing, it was only natural that the Guild had lured over Bright Dawn.
"Of course, I'm sure that you have no interest in these factors. In that case, I'll tell you about something that will definitely catch your attention. A Fantasy Star! Unyielding Soul will never get its hands on something like it. Why don't you give the option some consideration?" Bright Dawn smiled at Unyielding Heart, who had aged past his vibrant youth.
Everyone's eyes glowed as they listened to Bright Dawn's offer.
Fantasy Stars were a special ore that humanity had discovered during the interstellar era, and they only had one purpose. When worn, these stars would recover and retain a human's youth for a long time. Although Fantasy Stars couldn't extend one's lifespan, if one consumed the Green God Company's products while wearing a Fantasy Star, they could extend their youthful glow for another decade or two even without physical training. In other words, a middle-aged individual, around forty-years-old, that didn't maintain their physical fitness could look like an early-twenty-year-old with the Fantasy Star's help.
The Fantasy Star was an absolute treasure to professional gamers who relied on their youth to make their living. Although one's physical body in the real world wouldn't affect the performance of their virtual body in God's Domain, their mental performance would. People past their prime generally had slower reactions than younger individuals. Even if one trained diligently to maintain their physical form, their age would, more or less, affect their mind. Needless to say, improving one's mental fortitude past one's prime was a daunting challenge.
However, the Fantasy Star couldn't just restore one's youth; it could also maintain mental function, allowing humans to operate at their peak.
Hence, the Fantasy Stars were extremely valuable. Not even the wealthiest individuals could afford one. Moreover, Fantasy Stars were incredibly rare. To purchase one, one needed sufficient status as well as funds.
Meanwhile, the Starline Corporation just so happened to be one of the few Fantasy Star suppliers in the world, which meant that Bright Dawn had likely told the truth.
A Fantasy Star? No wonder why he betrayed his old Guild.After hearing about the Fantasy Star, Shi Feng understood why Bright Dawn had turned traitor. Bright Dawn currently looked to be in his forties, and Vice Guild Leaders from super-first-rate Guilds had no need for money. However, everyone craved youth. Once he acquired a Fantasy Star, Bright Dawn could recover to his peak. With his abundance of combat experience and combat techniques, he could improve himself further with his recovered youth.
When Mu Lingsha heard what Bright Dawn had been offered, she glanced at Unyielding Heart nervously. Not only was Unyielding Heart one of Unyielding Soul's three main pillars, but he was also the Guild's First Vice Guild Leader. If Starlink poached him, it would deal a devastating blow to Unyielding Soul.
"So, you betrayed your brothers in arms for a stupid Fantasy Star?! I was blind to think of you as a friend! From now on, I will have nothing to do with you!" Unyielding Heart growled. He then glared at Lu Xingluo, who had maintained his smile, and said, "Just you wait! Sooner or later, Unyielding Soul will chase you out of the Dark Night Empire and regain its former glory!"
Unyielding Heart's words restored his dispirited Guild members with fighting spirit. They all cheered their First Vice Guild Leader while ridiculing Bright Dawn.
"Regain your former glory?" Bright Dawn could not help but laugh at Unyielding Heart and the other members of Unyielding Soul. "And how will Unyielding Soul do that, exactly? Will it rely on an old fellow like you, Heart? Or the ignorant Miss Mu? Or are you going to rely on Zero Wing, your pitiful partner?
"Open your eyes and take a good look! Unyielding Soul is finished! The only thing holding it together is a group of useless, old bastards! We've already gathered over 50 experts who are capable of manipulating Intermediate Magic Arrays! Unyielding Soul should give up the hope of nurturing a single Traveling Bard!
"No, to be precise, you won't even get into the Sea of Trees!"
After saying so, Bright Dawn raised his hand. In response, some of Starlink's members in the Purple Night Plaza began to make their move, each holding a silver crystal ball.
As these Starlink members completed an incantation, silver magic arrays began to manifest before them, releasing a bright light. A massive barrier then enveloped both Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor's members in the plaza.
"Have fun inside this barrier. It isolates everything within in a different dimension. Although this barrier requires 288 Level 50-plus players to sacrifice five of their levels permanently, the barrier will hold every one of you for eight hours. With that said, we'll be taking our leave now," Bright Dawn said, laughing at Unyielding Heart. He then took a key from his bag and opened a teleportation gate to the Sea of Trees.
Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor's members could only watch as Starlink's members entered the teleportation gate and disappeared from the plaza. No matter how much they attacked the magic barrier, they couldn't damage it in the slightest. To make matters worse, the surrounding NPC soldiers were ignoring the magic barrier.
"Damn it! To think they had planned such a trap!" Unyielding Heart cursed as he attacked the illusory magic barrier with his greatsword. However, it felt as if he attacked nothing but air. The barrier didn't react as his greatsword sliced through it.
Currently, the magic array in the center of Dark Night City's Purple Night Plaza was the only path to the Sea of Trees. Unfortunately, since they were now trapped in this magic barrier, they could open a teleportation gate even if they had the keys to enter the Sea of Trees.
If they were truly stuck in this barrier for eight hours, Unyielding Soul would fall behind Starlink. Starlink's players would likely complete at least one-third of their Class-change Quests by the time they were freed. How were they supposed to catch up in that case?
Meanwhile, Mu Lingsha glared at the barrier before her, clearly livid. Unyielding Soul had gone to great lengths to obtain the First Clear of a Level 50 large-scale Team Dungeon in the Dark Night Empire, allowing the Guild to catch a breather. However, if Starlink monopolized all 20 of the initial Traveling Bard slots, Unyielding Soul would suffer unimaginable consequences.
After attacking for more than two minutes, Unyielding Soul's members gave up. They had no other choice but to wait until the barrier faded. Shi Feng, however, approached the barrier, step by step, his nonchalant expression seeming as if he were admiring the Purple Night Plaza's view. At the same time, he pulled a Magic Scroll from his bag.
"Huh? What is he trying to do? Does he plan to test the barrier as well?"
"It's pointless. Both our Guild's experts and those from Crimson Emperor have tried everything we can think of. What could one person from Zero Wing possibly do?"
The plaza's occupants watched Shi Feng approached the barrier in confusion, including Unyielding Soul and Mu Lingsha. They had already expended a precious Tier 4 Matic Scroll to attack the barrier, but they had accomplished nothing.
Even if Shi Feng did the same, nothing would change.
When Shi Feng arrived before the barrier, he activated the Summon Guard Scroll in his hands.
Immediately, a golden-haired beauty in sacred robes appeared beside Shi Feng.
"Destroy this magic array!"
Chapter 1890 – Breaking the Barrier in One Hit
When the watching crowd saw the Level 85 Personal Guard, Anna, they were dumbfounded.
"Destroy it?"
Unyielding Heart and the other Unyielding Soul members felt their anticipation melt away when they saw that Shi Feng had merely summoned his Personal Guard. Meanwhile, Crimson Emperor's upper echelons couldn't help but laugh at the Swordsman.
"Is that kid stupid? What is a Tier 2 NPC going to do in this situation?" a woman in white robes among Crimson Emperor's members said as she shook her head. She had a tall, slender figure and radiated a mature charm.
While Anna was no doubt the highest-leveled Personal Guard she had ever seen, Anna was still only Tier 2. She wasn't much different than the players trapped in the plaza.
Magic arrays couldn't be destroyed simply by someone with a high-level. Otherwise, a Level 200, Tier 1 NPC should be just as capable of destroying a town's defensive magic array as a Level 80, Tier 4 NPC. Unfortunately, that was not the case. In reality, a Level 200, Tier 1 NPC would struggle to damage a defensive magic array, whereas a Level 80, Tier 4 NPC would have no trouble doing so.
This was the power of tiers!
Not only did higher tiers provide quantitative transformations, but they also qualitatively improved one's power.
This was the case for magic arrays as well. The higher-ranked a magic array was, the purer its Mana would be. Depending on the purity of the Mana powering the magic array, the barrier could be as weak as paper or as tough as iron.
Hence, Anna was only superior to Tier 2 players on a quantitative level; there was no difference in the quality of their strength. Since none of the players in the barrier had managed to deal any damage to it, Anna wouldn't be able to, either.
"Vice Guild Leader, Starlink's trap is simply vicious. We have no choice but to sacrifice one of our players. We can have them pass the key to the Guild Leader to prepare another team," a Level 57, Tier 2 Guardian Knight quietly suggested to the white-clad woman.
The white-clad woman was none other than Illusory Words, Crimson Emperor's Second Vice Guild Leader. Illusory Words had also been recognized as one of the Ten Great Clerics by the Secret Pavilion.
"Alright, get it done." Illusory Words nodded.
There was a method to escape the magic barrier before its duration ended, although players wouldn't use this method unless absolutely necessary. That method was death. When players died, they'd automatically resurrect in the nearest graveyards half an hour after their death. While doing so would allow players to escape the barrier, it would cost a level.
However, the current situation did not allow for such concerns. It was better to have one player die and get the key to their Guild Leader within 30 minutes than waste eight hours in the plaza. Their Guild Leader could organize another team to enter the Sea of Trees while the player waited for resurrection.
If they got lucky, they might claim two or three Traveling Bard spots. At the very least, it'd be better than nothing at all.
As Crimson Emperor's members prepared to enact their plan, Anna finished chanting her incantation and writing the series of divine runes. Immediately, a golden magic array formed above the plaza, and a Level 85 Valkyrie with pure-white wings descended before the trapped players.
The Tier 4 Valkyrie's aura was so intense that it felt stifling to the players in the plaza.
"A Tier 4 Valkyrie?" When Illusory Words saw the white-winged Valkyrie hovering in the air, she could not help but turn to Shi Feng's cloaked figure. "Could he be Black Flame?"
A lot happened in God's Domain each day, and a new power or rising expert practically emerged with each sunrise. Not even she, one of Crimson Emperor's Vice Guild Leaders could remember each of these powers and experts, but she had a clear impression of the Tier 4 Valkyrie. After all, the Tier 4 Valkyrie was a considerable threat to any superpower.
With a slight flap of her wings, a storm brewed, and the Valkyrie vanished. By the time she reappeared, she hovered before the illusory barrier. The Valkyrie then thrust her Sacred Thunder Spear at the semi-translucent wall.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, countless arcs of lightning crashed into the magic barrier.
The barrier began to tremble. Despite the assault of so many players earlier, the barrier hadn't reacted in the slightest, yet just one of the Valkyrie's attacks was enough to shake it.
What power! Illusory Words watched with slight surprise.
The barrier hadn't even reacted when Unyielding Heart had attacked with a Tier 4 Magic Scroll, but now, the Valkyrie's attack had deformed the barrier. One could easily imagine how powerful the Valkyrie's attack was.
However, as the lightning began to fade, the magic barrier stilled. A second later, the barrier recovered to its original state as if it hadn't been attacked at all.
"Even that wasn't enough?" Unyielding Heart's expression soured as the magic barrier recovered.
While it was true that the Valkyrie's attack had been effective, it was clear that the strike had only depleted a small portion of the magic barrier's energy reserves. It would take a considerable amount of time for the Valkyrie to destroy the barrier. Unfortunately, he was somewhat familiar with Shi Feng's Valkyrie; he knew that it could only remain for a short time. Most likely, the Valkyrie would not be able to deplete the magic barrier's energy reserves before her duration ran out.
This left them with only the option of escaping by death. Although he knew it would be meaningless.
Players that could manipulate Intermediate Magic Arrays would have a 20% higher chance of completing their class-change. Even if Unyielding Soul formed another team, locating Tier 1, Intermediate Magician experts would be impossible. Intermediate Magician experts were extremely rare, and he had already gathered every one his Guild had here.
Even if the Guild organized another team to enter the Sea of Trees, if Unyielding Soul's members were 30 minutes late and had a lower success rate, how could they compete with Starlink?
Of course, they could sacrifice the Intermediate Magician experts with him. It would give them a better chance of competing, but that plan left another issue.
Would players resurrect inside the magic barrier after they died?
If players resurrected inside the barrier instead of the nearest graveyard after the 30-minute wait had passed, they'd sacrifice a level for nothing.
Is there no choice but to risk it? Unyielding Heart gritted his teeth as he considered the option.
As Unyielding Heart contemplated, the Valkyrie readied to throw her Sacred Thunder Spear at the magic barrier.
However, the surrounding crowd had already given up hope. Since the previous attack had failed, this one shouldn't fare any better.
However, Shi Feng, who had remained still earlier, suddenly activated Heavenly Dragon's Power, his aura's intensity instantly skyrocketing. He then slashed at the barrier with Killing Ray.
Lightning Slash!
The Valkyrie threw her Sacred Thunder Spear at the same moment.
Two streaks of light, one blue and one gold, collided at a single point on the magic barrier as one.
Boom!
With another explosion, the two streaks of light shot through the barrier. Following which, the crowd heard the sound of cracking glass.
Cracks then began to web themselves across the illusory barrier.
Peng!
A moment later, the blue sky returned above the players' heads.
"How is this possible?"
"The barrier shattered?"
"What did he do?"
Both Unyielding Soul's Unyielding Heart and Crimson Emperor's Illusory Words gave Shi Feng incredulous looks.
Chapter 1891 – Another Method Dark Night City, Purple Night Plaza
As the barrier disappeared, silence filled the entire plaza, and every player that had been trapped behind the barrier turned to stare at Shi Feng.
"So strong!"
"Didn't the barrier just shake a little after the Valkyrie's attack? How did he straight-up destroy the barrier?"
Whether it was the spectating players outside of the plaza or the two super-first-rate Guilds' members within, all looked at Shi Feng with incredulous expressions. The expert players Starlink had stationed to observe the situation from outside of the plaza stared at the scene with bulging eyes.
They had only formed the Illusory Spatial Barrier after sacrificing 288 players to the magic array, yet Shi Feng had shattered it without much effort
The Illusory Spatial Barrier had been formed with a set of special magic tools the Guild had found in ancient ruins. Starlink had exhausted a lot of time and resources to explore the various ruins, and by the time the Guild had completed the required set to form the magic array, the Guild had suffered over 5,000 casualties, all of which had been elite or expert players.
Once the Illusory Spatial Barrier had been activated, not even a Tier 4 monster should be able to escape. The Tier 4 monster would have no choice but to wait through the barrier's eight-hour duration. Moreover, even if players died inside the barrier, they would resurrect within it instead of in the nearest graveyard.
Yet, Shi Feng had shattered the barrier in one hit…
While everyone was still shocked, Shi Feng sheathed Killing Ray and turned to Unyielding Heart and his companions.
"The magic array has been dealt with. Let's hurry to the Sea of Trees," Shi Feng said as he gestured to the magic array in the heart of the Purple Night Plaza. Calmly, he continued, "It hasn't been long since Starlink's members left. We should be able to catch up if we hurry."
Hearing Shi Feng's reminder, Unyielding Heart and Mu Lingsha quickly snapped out of their daze and gave the swordsman grateful looks. If Shi Feng hadn't shattered the magic barrier, they wouldn't have been able to compete with Starlink. Immediately, Unyielding Heart took a key from his bag and activated the teleportation gate to the Sea of Trees. Mu Lingsha then directed their experts to enter the teleportation gate.
Meanwhile, Illusory Words couldn't pull her gaze from Shi Feng, astonishment filling her eyes.
Strength Combination? When Illusory Words recalled the attack Shi Feng had executed with the Valkyrie, a playful smile graced her lips. It seems that Black Flame is far more capable than I thought. It's no wonder why the Secret Pavilion has such a high evaluation of him.
The Valkyrie's Strength hadn't been quite high enough to shatter the Illusory Spatial Barrier alone. Shi Feng had actually combined his Strength with the Valkyrie's to compensate. Executing the Strength Combination technique with another individual was many times more difficult than using it alone. One's grasp of timing and positioning had to be extremely accurate. It wasn't a casual feat to accomplish.
Yet, Shi Feng had smoothy executed the technique, which even Domain Realm experts found challenging…
Although Shi Feng hadn't combined his full Strength with the Valkyrie's, it had been enough to exceed the magic barrier's limit Thus, the magic barrier had shattered.
"Vice Guild Leader, the magic barrier is gone. Let's hurry as well," a tall, muscular Berserker said.
"Alright. Activate the teleportation gate." Illusory Words nodded. She then directed her selected players into the teleportation gate.
Following which, white light enveloped Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor's members, one after another, as the players teleported to the Sea of Trees.
While Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor's members left for the Sea of Trees, the observing Starlink members hurriedly reported to Lu Xingluo and Bright Dawn.
"What did you say?! Unyielding Soul broke through the Illusory Spatial Barrier?!" When Bright Dawn heard his subordinate's report, his mind instinctively wanted to reject the notion. "That's impossible! Not even Tier 4 monsters can break out of the barrier! I know full well what Unyielding Soul is capable of! They definitely don't have the power to destroy the Illusory Spatial Barrier!"
As Unyielding Soul's ex-Vice Guild Leader, he was fully aware of the Guild's current prowess. He even knew the Guild's trump cards. At best, the Guild could expend five Tier 4 Offensive Magic Scrolls, which wouldn't be enough to destroy the Illusory Spatial Barrier.
"The Illusory Spatial Barrier really shattered, but Unyielding Soul's members didn't do it," the reporting Assassin said.
"Not Unyielding Soul's members? Was it Crimson Emperor?" Bright Dawn's expression darkened. "It seems that I've underestimated Illusory Words…to think that she had such card hidden…."
While the Illusory Spatial Barrier could be broken, doing so required immense power. One would need enough power to destroy a town's defensive magic array in one hit, and players had no chances of encountering such power at this stage of the game.
However, God's Domain had countless opportunities to offer. With how widespread a superpower's influence was, it wasn't impossible to acquire a tool with enough destructive power.
"No…it wasn't Crimson Emperor's members either. Based on our information, one of Zero Wing's members destroyed the barrier," the Assassin said as he sent an image of Shi Feng to Bright Dawn.
"Zero Wing?" Bright Dawn blinked in surprise as he looked at Shi Feng's cloaked figure and the Sacred Sword in the Swordsman's hand.
When Lu Xingluo heard the report, he was surprised as well. He had never thought that Zero Wing actually had a means to destroy the Illusory Spatial Barrier.
"It seems that Zero Wing isn't all talk after all. It's no wonder why Unyielding Soul agreed to share some of its profits with the Guild," Lu Xingluo said, chuckling. "Unfortunately, even if they get into the Sea of Trees, it's too late! Starlink will claim the first 20 slots!"
Not long ago, they had learned that not only could a limited number of players class-change to the Traveling Bard class, but the quest only accepted a limited number of applicants as well. Only 300 slots would be available once every two hours. Each application also cost 60 Gold. Although the price was high, it wasn't much to Starlink.
In the end, they had spent 18,000 Gold to purchase all 300 slots, sending 50-plus Intermediate Magician experts to attempt the quest The Guild then gave the remaining 240 or so slots to weH-equipped Tier 1 experts.
As Lu Xingluo and his companions, who didn't plan on challenging the Class-change Quest, were about to leave to explore the Sea of Trees' city, Unyielding Soul and Crimson Emperor's members finally made their appearance, arriving in the temple that served as the venue for the Traveling Bard Class-change Quest.
"Damn it! Why does the quest have this restriction, too?!" Unyielding Heart's gave the female Elf clerk a grim expression after receiving her reply.
They had just broken through the barrier with great difficulty, yet they had been told that there were no applicant slots remaining; they'd have to wait another two hours before they could attempt the quest. Unyielding Heart felt as if the system were playing some cruel joke.
Illusory Words wore a similarly ugly expression. She hadn't expected the restriction, either.
Sure enough, there are no more slots available. Shi Feng could not help but sigh as he looked toward Lu Xingluo and his group, who stood a short distance away. Well, I didn't plan for them to take the normal class-change quest, anyway.
Following which, Shi Feng switched his title to Demon Hunter and approached the exchange counter beside the registration counter.
There was more than one way to obtain the Traveling Bard class. The first was the normal method, but the second required purchasing a Trial Emblem and taking part in the original class-change trial the Primordial Elf Kings had left behind.
However, the Trial Emblem wasn't easy to purchase. One needed to be a noble of the Sea of Trees to gain access.
Other players would have to complete a long string of quests to become a noble in this city, but Shi Feng, who had the Demon Hunter title, didn't. Players with the Demon Hunter title were considered World Nobles, so Shi Feng would be viewed as a noble in an NPC city like the Sea of Trees.
"Lord Demon Hunter, how may I be of service?" the NPC Elf asked, smiling brightly. "Here, we can provide a Trial Emblem that will allow you to take part in the trial the Primordial Elf Kings had left behind for us. If you pass this trial, you'll become a valiant Traveling Bard!"
"Mhm. I wish to purchase nine Trial Emblems," Shi Feng answered.
Chapter 1892 – Complete Legacy "Trial Emblem?"
"How did he just trade with that NPC? Didn't she refuse to trade with us a moment ago?"
When Lu Xingluo and the others heard the female Elf's words, they were stunned.
When they had visited the elven temple, they had spoken with its NPCs. After asking around, they had verified that only 300 players could attempt the class-change quest every two hours.
They had tried to speak with the female Elf at the exchange counter as well, but she had ignored their questions, stating that she'd only deal with people of noble status or higher, yet she treated Shi Feng with such respect. Moreover, she had taken the initiative to introduce Shi Feng to the products she offered…
There's still such a method? Unyielding Heart and his companions watched Shi Feng purchase Trial Emblems with glowing eyes. They had never expected Shi Feng to have such access to the class-change quest.
So, this is Zero Wing's Sword King? Shi Feng's display greatly surprised Illusory Words.
The only Guilds with a Sea of Trees Teleportation Key were Starlink, Unyielding Soul, and Crimson Emperor. Hence, one could say that their Guilds were the most familiar with the Sea of Trees. However, based on Shi Feng's performance thus far, it was obvious that he knew even more about the Sea of Trees than they did. In fact, he even possessed a special status in the Sea of Trees.
As the crowd watched, Shi Feng spent 450 Gold to purchase nine Trial Emblems. He then handed the emblems to the nine Zero Wing members he had brought with him.
Purchasing a Trial Emblem was the same as applying for the Class-change Quest. Only, this method was 10 Gold cheaper. Using the Trial Emblems when attempting the quest also granted two difficulty modes to choose from: Normal Mode and Hard Mode. Normal Mode was no different than the Class-change Quest without the emblem, but if players chose Hard Mode, they'd be sent to a different trial. However, if players chose to challenge Hard Mode, they would be sent to a different trial.
Furthermore, unlike the Normal Mode Quest, which only 20 players could complete each week, Hard Mode didn't have such a limit. As long as one had access to the Trial Emblems and could afford them, they could enable as many players to become Traveling Bards as they wanted. The Hard Mode Quest had been Shi Feng's goal since the very beginning.
Players could only acquire the complete Traveling Bard Legacy the Primordial Elf Kings had left behind, becoming true Traveling Bards, by completing the Hard Mode Class-change Quest. If players only completed the Normal Mode Quest, they would only acquire a portion of the Legacy, becoming a pseudo-Tier 2 player.
However, the Hard Mode Quest was incredibly difficult to clear, even more challenging than normal Tier 2 Promotion Quests. The Hard Mode Quest was the equivalent of the Tier 2 Hell Mode Promotion Quest. Unless one's combat and equipment standards had reached a certain level, challenging the Class-change Quest would only lead to failure. If a player failed the quest, they'd have to wait a while before they could challenge it again.
Hence, every player Aqua Rose had selected for this class-change was an expert capable of reaching the Trial Tower-s seventh floor. In addition, all nine were Intermediate Magicians, and among these nine players, five had been well-known Tier 4 experts in the past. However, since they had merely been independent players, their access to resources had been limited. Even though they had been members of wel卜known adventurer teams, they had lacked the resources to reach Tier 5.
The remaining four had been experts in first-rate Guilds. Even the weakest among them had reached Tier 4 in the past, and the strongest, Happy Wind, had been a Tier 5 Traveling Bard. Naturally, things had changed in this life, and all nine of these players had joined Zero Wing.
With these nine players' combat standards, their chances of completing the Hard Mode Quest should've been quite low, but Aqua Rose had given each of them a Primordial Soul before they had come to the Sea of Trees. With the increased physique the Primordial Soul granted, these nine should have a much higher chance of completing the Hard Mode Quest.
As Shi Feng distributed the Trial Emblems to his players, Unyielding Soul's group approached him.
"Guild Leader Black Flame, can I trouble you to help us purchase some Trial Emblems as well? I will buy them at a 50% markup. Of course, if that is not enough, I can increase the price," Unyielding Heart offered, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Originally, Zero Wing had tried to purchase class-change slots from Unyielding Soul, which, in turn, had increased the competition Unyielding Soul faced. Now, however, Unyielding Soul approached Zero Wing for the same, increasing Zero Wing's competition. This put Unyielding Heart in a bind.
Long Soul and Hunting Blade, who stood beside Unyielding Heart, felt ashamed as they considered their earlier attitude towards Zero Wing.
They had assumed that Zero Wing had taken advantage of their Guild, but now, it seemed that Zero Wing would become Unyielding Soul's benefactor. It was only thanks to Zero Wing that their Guild had overcome the incident in the Purple Night Plaza. Now, they had to rely on Zero Wing once more to gain access to the class-change quest. If not for Zero Wing, they would've had no hope of competing with Starlink…
"Sure enough, you really are Guild Leader Black Flame. Hello, I am Illusory Words of Crimson Emperor. On behalf of Crimson Emperor, I wish to seek your help in purchasing Trial Emblems. I am willing to offer double the original price. May I know if you are willing to lend me your aid?" Illusory Words asked gently as she approached Shi Feng.
Everyone was stunned as they watched the Vice Guild Leaders of two super-first-rate Guilds approach Shi Feng for help. If the public found out about this, they'd be shocked.
"Our Guild Leader is so amazing! Even superpowers are asking him for help!"
"That's only natural! That's Zero Wing's Guild Leader we're talking about!"
"Quick, look at the stupid faces Starlink's members are making!"
The nine Zero Wing members that had obtained the Trial Emblem chatted about their Guild Leader, reverence flashing in their eyes as they looked at Shi Feng.
Before they had joined Zero Wing, even first-rate Guilds had been colossal existences in their eyes, let alone super-first-rate Guilds. Super-first-rate Guilds were the virtual gaming world's overlords, yet two such Guilds wanted their Guild's help. This was simply unbelievable.
"That won't be a problem. Let's forget about the price markup. Instead, I hope that your two Guilds can help with a problem of mine," Shi Feng said, chuckling as he looked at Unyielding Heart and Illusory Words.
"Help?" Both Vice Guild Leaders gave Shi Feng confused looks.
They had brought with them a lot of players to attempt the class-change quest. In total, both had a little over 1,000 players. Even with a 50% price markup, Shi Feng could earn over 25,000 Gold instantly, a huge sum for a first-rate Guild. If Shi Feng charged a slightly higher price, he would even have enough money to build a town.
Yet, Shi Feng only wanted their assistance.
"That's right I need your two Guilds to help me with something. In return, I'll help you buy as many Trial Emblems as you want" Shi Feng nodded. There was no limit on the number of Trial Emblems one could purchase. It was a privilege for the Sea of Trees' nobles, allowing them to skip the queue and granting a small discount when applying for the Class-change Quest. There was nothing special about it.
Moreover, even with the Trial Emblems, neither of these Guilds would become a competitor for Zero Wing. After all, the Hard Mode Quest was Zero Wing's target; it didn't have to worry about any competition.
"May I know what kind of help Guild Leader Black Flame requires?" Illusory Words asked.
Although the Traveling Bard class was valuable, if Shi Feng's request threatened her Guild's foundations, she had to refuse.
"Right, you can't consider your decision properly if I don't tell you the details. To put it simply, I'd like to borrow 200 Tier 2 experts from each of your Guilds. What are your thoughts on this?" Shi Feng explained.