Upon seeing Shi Feng agree to begin the handover procedures, the knight commander promptly produced a shimmering silver token and handed it to him.
The token itself was rather ordinary, but the instant it was brought out, the mana in the hall couldn't help but converge upon it, forming a magical barrier — a spell that prevented any unregistered player from touching it.
"Lord Mayor, this is your City Lord's Token. Once you inscribe the city's name on it and we complete the registration, the city can be officially opened to the public." Knight Commander Arad looked at the silver token in Shi Feng's hand with undisguised envy.
Possessing this token meant absolute control over the city — something not even an administrator could claim.
After all, a city's administrator was merely an agent, managing the city on behalf of the Kingdom. Owning one's own city and becoming a lord in the Star Moon Kingdom was an exceedingly rare distinction. The status it carried was so lofty that even the King himself would show a measure of respect.
Shi Feng was no stranger to City Lord's Tokens. After accepting it, he tapped the magic circle engraved on its surface.
Instantly, a system interface popped up from the token, allowing him to name the city.
"Since this is Zero Wing's first city, let's call it Zero Wing City." Shi Feng promptly named it.
Naming the city directly after the guild not only let the wider playerbase know who it belonged to, but as the city grew in power, more people would come to know Zero Wing. That was the advantage of building a city from scratch. If a small town was occupied and gradually upgraded into a city, its original name would persist throughout — it couldn't be renamed.
In his previous life, every first-rate guild and above had tried to build their own cities. It was both a testament to a guild's strength and the only way to truly call a city one's own. Most guilds were fortunate just to have a city under their control, let alone build one from scratch or raise a town from nothing into a full city. That was something they wouldn't even dare to dream of.
Once Shi Feng finished naming it, Knight Commander Arad began the registration process for Zero Wing City.
"Congratulations, my lord. From this moment on, you are the first Chosen in the Star Moon Kingdom to possess your own city. Additionally, this city will have a twenty-one-day protection period. You may hire city guards to defend it against unwanted disturbances. Going forward, you will also need to pay two hundred thousand gold per month. My lord, would you like to have the guards dispatched now?" Knight Commander Arad explained.
"I'd like to hire some guards. Do you have a roster?" Shi Feng asked.
City defense was different from town defense. Towns wouldn't have third-tier NPCs deployed — at most, second-tier ones. After all, a third-tier NPC in a small city could serve as an administrator.
However, the number of third-tier NPCs available for hire was very limited. Only five were permitted. Moreover, third-tier NPCs varied in strength and specialization, so it was worth picking carefully. That would make the city's future defenses considerably easier to manage.
"Very well. Here is the list of third-tier guards we can provide. As for first- and second-tier guards, there are too many for me to provide a detailed roster. If you'd like to choose personally, you can visit the Adventurer's Guild." Knight Commander Arad produced a detailed sheet and handed it to Shi Feng, speaking at a measured pace.
The list displayed each guard's price and the third-tier NPC guard roster.
Hiring ten elite guards at level 150 for twenty-one days cost 100 gold. Ten first-tier guards at level 150 for twenty-one days cost 300 gold. Ten second-tier guards at level 150 for the same period cost 700 gold. As for third-tier guards, prices varied entirely based on the individual guard's asking price — whether to hire them was up to the player.
There were thirty-seven third-tier guards in total, with prices ranging from 800 to 1,400 gold for twenty-one days. A single one of them was worth an entire squad or two of second-tier guards. The prices were, without question, staggering.
Even the current Zero Wing would feel the pinch, but hiring them was unavoidable.
A city built in the wild was vulnerable to monster attacks, especially at night. For Zero Wing City, which was far from fully developed, powerful guards were an absolute necessity.
Especially at a time like this.