"With 21 magic crystals in hand, all that's left is getting instructions from three Tier 4 NPCs." Shi Feng collected the 21 magic crystals and the Philosopher's Stone from the table, racking his brain over where he could find such NPCs.
Tier 4 powerhouses numbered only three in all of White River City, and getting all of them together— It wasn't that Shi Feng was arrogant. Even if he were ten times stronger than he was now and had become a Baron of White River City, he still wouldn't have enough clout to summon all three and ask for their help.
"My only real option is to check the Star Moon capital," Shi Feng concluded after going over the possibilities. The Star Moon capital had the greatest chance—it held the most high-level NPCs and was the easiest place to track down Tier 4 NPCs willing to lend a hand.
After that, Shi Feng left Star Trace Trading Company and headed for the bank.
The Philosopher's Stone was safest stowed away in a personal bank vault. If he were killed by some accident, the Philosopher's Stone in his inventory would be a guaranteed drop—he had no intention of losing an alchemical holy relic to death.
As he walked down the central boulevard of White River City, even without trying to listen, Shi Feng could hear players everywhere discussing Graceful Smile.
"How is Graceful Smile so powerful? They actually secured the First Clear of the fifty-man team dungeon already. I heard they didn't have any big-name experts before."
"I'm puzzled too. I always figured Snake of the Body or Zero Wing would be the first to clear it. After all, Snake of the Body is led by the Ice Goddess Bai Qingxue. Sure, she hasn't made any jaw-dropping moves or made the rankings on the expert leaderboards, but her past record of accomplishments speaks for itself—her strength is probably on par with Black Flame's at the very least. And yet they lost to a second-rate guild like Graceful Smile. That guild is no joke."
"Exactly. That's a fifty-man dungeon we're talking about. I heard the drops on Hard difficulty are incredible—full sets with outstanding stats. No other dungeon even comes close. With that equipment, clearing the upcoming level-20 large-scale team dungeons is going to be a lot easier for Graceful Smile."
"I heard Graceful Smile has already become the dominant guild in Maple Leaf City and is recruiting heavily. Their benefits and welfare are supposed to be amazing. People online confirmed that someone recently injected a billion Credit Points into the guild for its development and expansion. Just thinking about it makes me drool. I've never heard of any guild getting that kind of funding before. Honestly, I'm half-tempted to head to Maple Leaf City and join Graceful Smile."
Players resting along both sides of the boulevard were all buzzing about Graceful Smile. The reputation that Zero Wing had painstakingly built up was now easily shattered in its wake.
Shi Feng could only smile bitterly at that.
He had to admit—Graceful Smile's First Clear of the large-scale team dungeon really had come at the perfect time.
It not only made Graceful Smile famous across the Star Moon Kingdom, but also instantly overshadowed Zero Wing's prestige, diverting everyone's attention.
There was nothing to be done about it, though.
When it came down to it, players cared far more about dungeons than individual strength. Dungeons were the primary source of equipment, after all—especially top-tier gear.
The moment Shi Feng deposited the Philosopher's Stone into his personal vault, a voice communication request popped up on his system interface. The caller was none other than Bai Qingxue.
"Miss Bai, hello." Shi Feng answered the call and offered a greeting.
Graceful Smile's First Clear of the large-scale dungeon, while it did deal some blow to Zero Wing, was most infuriating to Bai Qingxue above all else. She had gone to considerable lengths to secure that First Clear and held advantages no other guild could match. Yet the prize had been snatched right out of her hands by Graceful Smile.
"Guild Master Black Flame, I'd like to discuss something with you." Bai Qingxue's tone carried neither joy nor sorrow, making it impossible to read her current mood.
"Please, go ahead, Miss Bai," Shi Feng said with a smile.