A Sensation in Death

The roar of Mayor Cross's fury echoed throughout the entire town hall.

Cross moved with incredible speed, reaching Shi Feng in an instant and throwing a punch toward him.

At this moment, all the players cast gloating looks at Shi Feng, eager to see the power of Mayor Cross.

Cross was a Level 15 elite; a single slap could kill any current player. Yet, Shi Feng had been foolish enough to provoke the mayor. No one in Red Leaf Town could save him now; he would surely be locked away until he died or be driven out of Red Leaf Town entirely.

However, Shi Feng remained surprisingly calm, which left the crowd of players puzzled. Had he already prepared himself for death?

Just as Cross was about to strike, Shi Feng, who had been motionless until now, moved. Like a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait, he drew his Novice Sword in an instant and blocked in front of him with lightning-fast reflexes.

Bang!

Cross's fist slammed into the Novice Sword. Shi Feng was sent flying, but just as he was about to hit the ground, he moved like a nimble cat, flipping and landing steadily on his feet. Still, his HP dropped by 84 points instantly, and his Novice Sword trembled violently, its durability decreasing by 1 point. If the durability hit zero, the weapon would become unusable.

Hiss.

All the players gasped in unison.

They had assumed he was just a noob looking for trouble, but anyone with a discerning eye could see from Shi Feng's performance that he was highly skilled. Even though Cross was a magic-type class with little physical output, he was still a Level 15 elite; any one of his attacks could have killed a current player. Yet, Shi Feng hadn't died; he had used his weapon to parry, reducing the damage to the absolute minimum.

Even for a magic-type class, this strength and speed are astonishing. Shi Feng looked at the Novice Sword, which was emitting a mournful sound, and marveled inwardly. It was fortunate he had put all his points into Agility, bringing his attack speed to 4, or he would have been dead for sure, and the quest would have had to be restarted.

"Die, you vermin!"

His first strike failing, Cross became even more enraged. Suddenly, his clothes shredded, and dark fur erupted across his body, transforming him into a werewolf with sharp fangs and claws.

The players were stunned; they never expected the mayor to be an evil werewolf in disguise.

Cross flashed behind Shi Feng and raised his gleaming, sharp claws, swiping at Shi Feng's heart.

With only 16 HP remaining, Shi Feng revealed a cold smirk.

Cross's claws stopped abruptly, just centimeters away from finishing Shi Feng, but he was struck by a charge from a Level 25 guard, stunning him for 1 second.

In that window, Shi Feng quickly retreated.

As soon as Cross recovered, he chased after Shi Feng again, only to be interrupted by another guard.

Both Level 25 guards were Warriors. Although they weren't elites, their damage was extremely high. One charge and a basic attack took over 300 HP from Cross; the two guards together dealt over 600 damage, instantly dropping Cross's HP to around 1700.

"As expected of guards, their attack power is truly fierce," Shi Feng teased from the sidelines, watching the disheveled Cross.

Guards were the protectors of the town, tasked with shielding the common folk and fending off evil. Now that the mayor had revealed himself as a werewolf, it proved he wasn't human but a spy for an evil faction. The guards naturally wouldn't let him go, treating him entirely as a monster to be slain.

Shylock's quest seemed harsh, but in reality, as long as one could bait the mayor into attacking and survive the initial blow, the quest was effectively completed. The mayor would then reveal his true nature, and the rest could be left to the guards.

In his previous life, this unique quest had caused a sensation in White River City precisely because the mayor was a spy for an evil faction. It gave many players a new perspective on God's Domain: NPCs weren't always reliable and might even be disguised agents of evil.

At the same time, people were shocked by the player's technique in baiting the mayor. However, the player who had actually pulled it off had racked their brain and struggled immensely to finish the quest. Once done, they naturally wanted to show off and posted a guide, which now benefited Shi Feng.

And so, Mayor Cross was attacked by the two guards. Although the guards dealt high damage, Cross's target remained Shi Feng. He chased Shi Feng relentlessly, but was constantly entangled by the guards. One guard used Hamstring and the other used Thunderclap, drastically reducing Cross's movement speed. Fortunately, Shi Feng had 5 points in movement speed, allowing him to escape death time and again.

In this manner, Shi Feng whittled away over 2000 of Cross's HP, and it was clear the mayor was about to fall.

Seeing that Cross was dying, many players grew restless, wanting to land the final blow. Although they didn't understand why the guards were attacking Cross instead of Shi Feng, a mayor—and a Level 15 elite at that—would surely drop good loot if killed.

Shi Feng, hiding in the distance, gave a disdainful smile.

The mayor wasn't something they could just target. Even though he had turned into an evil entity, this was a story quest; to other players, the mayor still appeared as a friendly NPC and could not be attacked.

Just as Cross had less than 100 HP left, all the players acted, rushing toward him in unison, hoping to steal the final hit and the loot.

Seeing that Cross was one hit away from death, Shi Feng also dashed forward.

Unfortunately, Cross died under the swords of the guards. Not a single player was able to attack him. Shi Feng could have, but he wouldn't take the risk. Once the mayor died, he simply snatched the Mayor's Badge and vanished into the crowd.

NPCs within cities didn't grant experience or drop items when killed; if not for the quest, Shi Feng wouldn't even have been able to take the Mayor's Badge.

"Damn, system bug! Why couldn't I attack the mayor?"

"I want to file a complaint! Why was there no loot when the mayor died?"

Some noob players complained incessantly, filled with resentment. They couldn't accept that a Level 15 elite had died right in front of them, yet they hadn't gained a single benefit.

"Idiots, don't you know you have a friendly relationship with NPCs? Players can't attack friendly NPCs. If you don't even know that basic common sense, why are you even playing God's Domain?"

Some knowledgeable players mocked them, then began searching for Shi Feng. Anyone capable of killing the mayor like that must be an expert worth befriending. However, after searching for a long time, they couldn't find him, nor did they even know his name, leaving them secretly disappointed.

The news of Mayor Cross's death spread throughout Red Leaf Town, causing a sensation among all the players.

While most players were still struggling to kill monsters to level up, the mayor of a town had been toyed to death. It was simply too incredible.

Less than thirty minutes after God's Domain opened, a post appeared on the official forum.

"Mysterious Swordsman kills Level 15 Red Leaf Town elite mayor; the mayor was actually a werewolf in disguise. What kind of game is God's Domain, really?"

This news instantly shocked all players in God's Domain. The click count exceeded ten million in no time. Everyone was interested in this mysterious swordsman, but unfortunately, no one knew his name or had any way to contact him.

By this time, Shi Feng had already arrived at the dark alley.

"Mr. Shylock, here is the Mayor's Badge you requested." Shi Feng handed the silver Mayor's Badge to the beggar, Shylock.

The completion of this quest was a tragedy for those who had already accepted the mayor's quest or wanted to accept it, because Cross would no longer respawn. Even if the quest was technically finished, there would be nowhere to turn it in, and Red Leaf Town would no longer have a mayor. But Shi Feng didn't care about that.

"Thank you, thank you so much. Now I have finally avenged my dear friend. I hope these items will be of help to you."

Shylock handed Shi Feng an exquisite small box, then took the Mayor's Badge and left the dark alley.

System: Unique quest "Shylock's Request" completed. Rewards: 2,000 EXP, 20 Free Mastery points, Luxury Accessory Box.

With a swoosh, Shi Feng leveled up to Level 1, still 1,000 EXP away from Level 2. God's Domain had only been open for thirty minutes, yet Shi Feng had already become the first player in Red Leaf Town to reach this level. One had to realize that for an ordinary player, the 1,000 EXP required to reach Level 1 would take six or seven hours of grinding. After all, a Level 0 monster only granted 3 EXP, and one had to account for the time spent searching for monsters and recovering health. Plus, with players swarming the starting areas and competing for kills, it was normal for it to take over ten hours to reach Level 1.

How could the rewards for a unique quest be so generous? Could it be because I completed the quest while still at Level 0? Shi Feng felt a bit puzzled, though he was extremely satisfied with the rewards.

The rewards posted by others in his previous life had not been this bountiful. While the EXP was the same, the Free Mastery points differed; that person had only received 10 points and an Exquisite Accessory Box, whereas Shi Feng had received 20 points and, even better, a Luxury Accessory Box.

In God's Domain, Free Mastery points were precious. Only a very small number of quests rewarded 3 to 5 points, yet this unique quest had granted 20 in one go.

"I hope you don't disappoint me. Even though it's not an Exquisite Accessory Box, it's a superior Luxury Accessory Box, so it should drop." Shi Feng cradled the accessory box carefully, his throat bobbing with a hint of nervousness as he slowly opened it.

Regardless of the EXP or the Free Mastery points, what Shi Feng truly desired was the item inside the accessory box. It was a crucial component for his series of leveling and money-making plans, and a top-tier item that had made many experts in his previous life drool with envy. If something went wrong, he would be devastated.

For readers interested in character side stories or the world of God's Domain, you can follow the WeChat official account "Tianyun Old Cat" to see content that cannot be presented within the book.