Chapter 2314 – Tier 3 Powerhouse

When Shi Feng left the library, he made his way toward the Adventurer’s Association.

Although he was now officially a Tier 3 player, he still needed to register his achievement at the Adventurer’s Association to gain the appropriate certification.

Gaining Tier 3 certification at the Adventurer’s Association was very important. Not only would it allow players to accept high-ranked quests appropriate for their tier, but they would also be acknowledged as true powerhouses in God’s Domain. They would then qualify to raid the Monarch Bosses in neutral maps and become the area’s ruler.

This was also why the various powers had been so desperate to get their members to Tier 3 in the past.

The Tier 3 turning point didn’t simply differentiate experts from each other. It also determined whether or not one qualified to become a true overlord. After all, the various powers’ true battlefield for hegemony in God’s Domain was in Level 100-plus neutral maps.

Initially, Shi Feng had planned to establish a Guild Town in a Level 100 neutral map and slowly, steadily progressing towards lordship, but now that the Planar Passages had opened, and adventurer alliances had formed sooner than he had expected, he needed a more efficient plan.

The Planar Passages’ activation hadn’t just accelerated independent players’ leveling speed. It had done so for the various powers, as well. Now, he didn’t have as much time to conquer Level 100-plus neutral maps.

Zero Wing wasn’t like the various superpowers. It lacked the manpower and resources to secure a foundation in Level 100 neutral maps as quickly as superpowers could.

Moreover, Zero Wing wouldn’t be able to secure as much territory as the various superpowers. To establish a Guild Town in a Level 100 neutral map, the ruling power would need to station a large number of players in the map longterm.

Level 100 neutral maps were very far away from kingdoms and empires, considered free zones that were outside of any kingdom or empire’s protection. In addition, NPCs weren’t particularly interested in visiting these Guild Towns due to the neutral maps’ harsh environments. As a result, very few NPCs would apply as soldiers, and those that did would ask for exorbitant salaries. Hence, unlike in Guild Towns within kingdoms, empires, and low-level neutral maps, players had to handle the majority of their Guild Town’s defenses in Level 100 neutral maps.

This was also why Guilds that wanted to secure a foothold in Level 100-plus neutral maps needed to upgrade their towns into Guild Cities as quickly as possible. They’d only be able to solidify their rule over the map with a Guild City. After all, not only would Guilds have to face monster assaults, but they’d also have to deal with enemy powers.

Establishing rule in a Level 100-plus neutral map was already an intense challenge for Guilds, and it would be especially difficult for Zero Wing, which lacked certain foundational aspects.

The only solution Shi Feng could think of was to become a Lord!

As a Lord, players would have full authority over the territory they controlled, and they’d be able to recruit various neutral race NPCs. A Lord could also establish their own Knight Division.

The NPCs players could recruit for a Knight Division were different from the NPC soldiers one could hire to protect a Guild Town. They were more akin to Personal Guards, and players could recruit these Knights from various kingdoms and empires, nurturing them as they did Personal Guards.

Once a player became a Lord of a land, they could recruit up to 5,000 Knights. Although that didn’t seem like a lot, these Knights were bona fide NPCs and would be immensely helpful when defending a Guild’s territories.

While Shi Feng traveled toward the Adventurer’s Association, he called Blackie.

“Blackie, how are things coming along in the Northern Fortress?” Shi Feng asked.

He had spent quite a lot of time completing his Promotion Quest. Although he had told Blackie and the others not to contact him unless something important happened, and he hadn’t received any calls, he refused to believe that Dragonheart Island’s various superpowers were content to sit by and watch while Zero Wing earned a ton of profits from its newfound goldmine.

“The fortress’s player population has already reached 1,500,000, and we’re earning roughly 14,000 Ancient Gold per day. Dragonheart Island’s various powers are practically dying with envy, especially War Blood. Because of the Northern Fortress’s benefits, almost no one is visiting War Blood’s Rock Nest Fortress. Blood Oath is likely losing his mind right now,” Blackie said, chuckling. “Also, as per your instructions, I purchased a plot of Land near the World Tower a few days ago, and I bought a Guild Residence in Dragonheart City’s inner area, so our Guild has a temporary resting point in the city.”

Hearing how much Blackie had purchased over the last few days, Shi Feng sighed ruefully.

He had considered several thousand Ancient Gold an astronomical sum in his past life, yet now, he earned 14,000 Ancient Gold each day from the Northern Fortress alone...

It was no wonder why the various superpowers had fought so hard to capture the Gravity Mountain Range’s fortresses in the past.

“However, Dragonheart Island’s powers have been developing rapidly due to the Planar Passages opening. Quite a few superpowers now have their own Small Fortresses, and based on the reports I’ve received, War Blood, Starlink, and Thirteen Thrones are marching toward the Southern Tower Medium Fortress,” Blackie said worriedly. “If they’re successful, we’ll likely see a significant decrease to the Northern Fortress’s income. It certainly won’t benefit our development in Dragonheart City. Why don’t we capture a few more fortresses, Guild Leader?”

Zero Wing now had quite a bit of manpower in the Gravity Mountain Range. With Phoenix Rain’s subordinates protecting the Northern Fortress, they had enough strength to capture the other fortresses.

The Gravity Mountain Range only had so many fortresses. If they captured a few more, they should be able to maintain 70% to 80% of their profits, even if the Northern Fortress’s income decreased.

“Let the other powers fight for the fortresses. We only need the Northern Fortress,” Shi Feng said, chuckling. “Also, notify all of the main force members to gather in White River City. We’ll be heading to a Level 100 neutral map. That’s where we really need to be right now.”

The Gravity Mountain Range was an excellent place for players to grind for levels and resources right now, but it couldn’t help players rise to prominence.

“A Level 100 neutral map?” Blackie’s eyes glowed when he heard Shi Feng’s plan. “Alright! I’ll notify them right away!”

The Gravity Mountain Range had bountiful resources, but it paled in comparison to unexplored Level 100 neutral maps. Moreover, Zero Wing’s main force members would benefit more from grinding in Level 100 neutral maps at their levels than they would from grinding in the Gravity Mountain Range.

After disconnecting the call, Blackie began to gather Zero Wing’s main force members and head toward White River City. Meanwhile, Shi Feng arrived at the Adventurer’s Association.

The Adventurer’s Association was quite lively at the moment, with just as many visiting players as the city’s Auction House.

The Auction House wasn’t the only construction that transformed after White River City’s promotion. The Adventurer’s Association had similarly undergone a metamorphosis and now contained a lot more NPCs who visited to consign quests. Some of these quests included those in high-level neutral maps and escort quests to the kingdom’s borders. If one were lucky, they might even find Crusade quests to slay monsters in neutral maps. With the opportunity to earn both equipment and money available, the Adventurer’s Association had become a hub for many independent players.

As Shi Feng entered the first-floor hall, he was greeted by the sight of a ton of Level 90-plus players. Now, not even the Adventurer’s Associations in imperial capitals could compare to the prosperity the Association in White River City enjoyed.

Pushing his way through the crowd, Shi Feng quickly made his way to the second-floor hall and applied for his certification as a Tier 3 adventurer. After completing the process in a VIP reception room, the Adventurer’s Association officially recognized Shi Feng as a Tier 3 powerhouse.

“Lord Bronze Legatee, is there anything else I can help you with today?” the Elven woman who had received him asked, smiling.

“I wish to see the Monarch Crusade Quests for Cold Spring Forest,” Shi Feng declared.

Cold Spring Forest was the closest Level 100 neutral map to Star-Moon Kingdom, and it was one of the few Level 100 maps with a relatively comfortable environment.

Many Tier 2 players had grinded in the Cold Spring Forest after reaching Level 100 in the past, including Shi Feng himself. However, the various superpowers had taken control of the map’s six regions by the time he had reached Tier 3.

Now that he was the first Tier 3 player in the game, he couldn’t miss this opportunity.