Chapter 755 – Maniac Versus Maniac

Currently, more than twenty Level 210-plus NPC Guards equipped with standardized Legendary Equipment Sets stood along the sides of the main street. Although these NPC Guards were only at Tier 5, any one of them could easily suppress Tier 6 experts under Level 200.

Meanwhile, following the words of the Level 220, Tier 6 Guard Captain equipped in a luxurious suit of armor, all of the players present froze on the spot. Demon’s Gate’s members were especially dumbfounded by this situation.

“Why aren’t these NPC Guards taking action?”

“Count Shadowring?”

“Who is that guy?”

Questions popped up in everyone’s minds, one after another. The scene before them had completely overturned their knowledge of Luminous Sky City.

It was commonly known that any player who dared to cause a scene in Luminous Sky City would meet a swift death. This was an ironclad rule that nobody had managed to defy thus far.

Yet, now, not only had this rule been broken, but the Level 220, Tier 6 Guard Captain was even behaving very respectfully to Shi Feng…

Count? Am I dreaming? Astonishment filled Seven Melody as she looked at Shi Feng.

Luminous Sky City was a Neutral City in the Eternal Realm. Because of this, obtaining an aristocratic position in it was incredibly difficult. In fact, even becoming an ordinary noble was something the various powers could only dream of accomplishing right now.

Besides Seven Melody, Aqua Rose was similarly taken aback by this unexpected development. They had been operating in Luminous Sky City and striving to establish a foothold in the southern region, a land rich in Ancient Legacies, for a considerable period already. Consequently, they had invested significant effort into contributing to Luminous Sky City. However, despite their efforts, they still lacked a lot of Contribution Points to attain the status of ordinary nobles. Yet, she was now being told that Shi Feng had attained the rank of Count…

Unlike everyone else, though, Shi Feng himself was not surprised by the NPC Guards’ behavior.

As a 2-star Count of Holy Ring City, he would enjoy basic noble privileges in all Neutral Cities across the Eternal Realm. Although these were merely the privileges afforded to an ordinary noble, they still put him above the average player.

Although Demon’s Gate’s Assassin did not attack him, the other party used a Tracking Skill. If such an action was taken against the average player in a Neutral City, it wouldn’t be considered an offense. However, when done to players with noble status, it would be judged as aggressive behavior, and nearby NPC Guards would immediately arrest the person using the Tracking Skill.

As a side note, if a player possessed true Count privileges in a Neutral City, they wouldn’t even need to have their enemies use Tracking Skills on them to make them a target of the city. If their enemies lacked sufficient status in the city, they could simply have their enemies banished from the city. And even if these banished players could enter the city again, they would need to pay an exorbitant deposit before they could do so.

Had Demon’s Gate’s members initiated an attack on him, their fates would have been even worse. Even if none of their attacks managed to hit him, he could have the NPC Guards apprehend and imprison all of Demon’s Gate’s members.

Of course, if both parties had an aristocratic position, NPCs would judge the situation differently and apprehend only the first party to have caused actual damage.

However, as a Neutral City in the Eternal Realm, Luminous Sky City should have only been activated recently. It was unlikely that anyone would have an ordinary noble status, let alone an aristocratic position. This was also why Shi Feng was confident in helping Aqua Rose resist Demon’s Gate.

“These people used a Tracking Skill on me. With my status in Luminous Sky City, what’s the heaviest punishment I can impose on them?” Shi Feng asked the NPC Guard Captain as he pointed at White Ghost’s group.

“According to the city’s rules, since they intend to harm you, the principal offender will be detained for one month, while the offender’s companions can be detained for up to ten days,” the Guard Captain said as he looked at White Ghost’s group.

“Good. Lock them up for ten days, then,” Shi Feng said, nodding.

“Understood!”

At Shi Feng’s instructions, the Guard Captain promptly gestured at his subordinates to apprehend White Ghost’s group.

Meanwhile, when the bystanders on the street saw the NPC Guards moving to apprehend Demon’s Gate’s members, their mouths widened in shock.

It was clearly Shi Feng who had initiated an attack on Demon’s Gate and killed multiple of its members. Yet, Demon’s Gate’s members were the ones who were now being arrested. Moreover, they would be imprisoned for ten days. This was undoubtedly the biggest loss Demon’s Gate had ever suffered in Luminous Sky City.

Dammit! How does he have the rank of Count?! White Ghost’s expression darkened at this unexpected development.

White Ghost was more or less aware of the privileges granted to players holding aristocratic positions in the Eternal Realm’s Neutral Cities. However, he never thought Shi Feng would already attain the rank of Count so soon after Luminous Sky City’s activation. As for getting imprisoned for ten days, he’d rather die multiple times than suffer such a fate.

The Eternal Realm had only appeared not long ago, and the power structure within it remained fluctuating. It was especially chaotic in the southern region, a place where many powers operated. If he wished to maintain an advantage in the southern region, he would need to treat every day with utmost importance. If he became absent for ten days, he wouldn’t even be surprised if the southern region took on a completely new look.

“What should we do, Your Highness?” a Demon’s Gate member asked anxiously when he saw the approaching NPC Guards.

Ten days!

If they were to fall behind by ten days, becoming second-rate players would be the least of their concerns. Most importantly, they’d lag behind other players in accumulating Contribution Points in Luminous Sky City, and other powers would have long snatched all of the important real estate in the city.

“Retreat! Do everything you can to retreat!” White Ghost shouted. “So long as we leave the city, these NPCs will stop chasing us! We can take our time dealing with these bastards afterward!”

Their only option right now was to escape out of Luminous Sky City. For them, a ten-day jail sentence was no different than a death sentence. It should be known that the internal competition within Demon’s Gate was vastly more intense compared to other powers. If they allowed their competitors to surpass them, it would be incredibly difficult for them to recover later.

At White Ghost’s command, the remaining Demon’s Gate members hastily activated their lifesaving tools to escape. Not even for a moment did any of them think of fighting the NPC Guards. At their current levels, these Level 210-plus, Tier 5 NPC Guards could send them flying or injure them heavily with even a casual attack.

Not to mention, if they tried to fight these NPC Guards, not only would they die, but they would still have to spend ten days in jail.

“They’re finally leaving.” Seven Melody sighed in relief when she saw Demon’s Gate’s members retreating.

So long as their group of three could successfully avoid a confrontation with Demon’s Gate today, it would become much easier for them to shake Demon’s Gate off their tail in the future. This was because they would finally have enough money to rent a transport ship after today’s sales and start taking on Delivery Quests to accumulate Contribution Points rapidly. Then, once they became nobles of Luminous Sky City, they would no longer have to fear Demon’s Gate in the city.

While Demon’s Gate’s members were treating, White Ghost suddenly took out a scroll from his bag and activated it. Immediately afterward, the sky above the main street darkened, and a powerful aura of death enveloped the entire street. Subsequently, dark threads descended upon Shi Feng and Aqua Rose’s group at an astonishing speed. Even Shi Feng got hit by these threads, failing to react in time.

However, the dark threads did not cause any damage. Instead, they penetrated deep into the souls of Shi Feng and the others before quickly forming a mark.

A Demon Mark? Shi Feng immediately recognized the mark that had formed in the depths of his soul.

There was a special scroll exclusively available to Demon’s Gate that, when used, could place a Demon Mark on players’ souls. Each Demon Mark lasted for six days, and it allowed all Demon’s Gate members to know the marked player’s location throughout this period. If Demon’s Gate members were within a certain distance of a marked player, the Demon Mark would even actively inform them of the marked player’s presence. Meanwhile, so long as a Demon’s Gate member managed to kill a marked player while the Demon Mark was still in effect, they could earn an astronomical amount of Guild Contribution Points.

Essentially, the Demon Mark was a bounty order used internally by Demon’s Gate, and it was something that only a very small number of individuals in Demon’s Gate could use. Moreover, it was a privilege that they could only use once in their lifetime.

“So what if you are a Count? Since you dare to make an enemy out of Demon’s Gate in the southern region, only death awaits you!” White Ghost said, sneering when he saw Shi Feng and the others getting hit by the Demon Mark. “Although I don’t know who you are, I want to see how long you’ll survive being hunted by Demon’s Gate!”

Originally, White Ghost had intended to kill Shi Feng to establish his authority over the other players and powers operating in Luminous Sky City. However, he never expected to be played by Shi Feng, causing Demon’s Gate’s reputation to be damaged. Now, he was resolved to kill Shi Feng at all costs. As for Aqua Rose’s group, he naturally wouldn’t spare them, either.

With the Demon Mark now in effect, if Shi Feng, Aqua Rose, Seven Melody, and Frost Raven were to take even a step out of Luminous Sky City during the next six days, they would immediately face an endless pursuit by Demon’s Gate’s members.

“It’s over! He actually used the Demon Mark! None of them can escape now!”

“I knew it would turn out like this! It’s simply suicide to go against Demon’s Gate in the southern region!”

The bystanders couldn’t help but lament when they looked at Shi Feng’s group. They could already tell how seriously White Ghost took this matter. He absolutely wouldn’t let them off easily.

Meanwhile, Aqua Rose, Seven Melody, and Frost Raven also revealed grim looks at this turn of events. They never thought White Ghost would be so ruthless as to use his once-in-a-lifetime privilege on them.

“Is that so? I’ll be waiting, then!”

When Shi Feng saw White Ghost trying to escape using a Tier 5 Random Teleportation Scroll, he executed Flowing Space to arrive before the other party instantly and brandished the Winter of Eternal Night.

Holy Annihilation!

Holy Annihilation!

Holy Annihilation!

Pillars of flame rose into the sky one after another. Shi Feng’s attacks were so swift that White Ghost had no time to defend himself with a combat technique. He could only instinctively swing his scythe to parry each fiery strike. As a result, his HP plummeted with each attack blocked. In a mere second, four exchanges took place, and White Ghost was reduced to ashes on the fourth exchange. From the beginning to the end, White Ghost never got to use his Random Teleportation Scroll…

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