A Different Side Of Melancholic Smile

Point out any errors I made in the chapters, as I'm very lazy and sometimes can't be bothered to reread them. Also give your opinions on something I should change or add.

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After the restored Zero Wing members who still had some Stamina remaining took down the surviving wolfmen, everyone sat down to rest. Feng landed and retracted his wings to take a rest as well as he observed the mountains of loot that have formed on the battlefield, along with the cracks running all across the hall after his usage of Shockwave, which seemed like it was about to collapse. 

Feng felt a bit mentally exhausted as well, since from the beginning of his battle with Anubis, he had to be in full focus while executing his movements at the Ascension Realm standard, while using Phantom Stride's potential to its fullest with extreme precise control of the created doppelgangers and their attacks consumed a huge amount of his Concentration. 

Along with his moves at the end of the fight and properly controlling the unparalleled strength provided by Blade Liberation on top of his own, Feng was left with only around a third of his Concentration. Though, his Stamina currently wasn't that bad, as he had negated much of his consumption thanks to the effects of Blood Soaked and him killing a large number of wolfmen just now. 

Blade Liberation's duration soon ended while Feng was inspecting the large piles of loot scattered as well as his guild members' conditions, his body shrinking in size like a deflated balloon while his attributes decreased by 80% for three hours; causing some of the unrestored members' eyes to turn at their Guild Leader's sudden change. 

Though, they weren't completely surprised by it, as they had witnessed a similar thing happen to Fire and Violet after their Twofold Berserk ended, and the auras around them dropping by a large margin. 

Something that Feng discovered after he saw the duration of the Weakened debuff, though, was that unlike in his previous life, his Weakened state would only seem to last for around two hours. Taking a moment to consider the cause of the debuff's differing duration, Feng wondered if it was because his current Physique was much more powerful than before. 

After all, Blade Liberation was currently only a Tier 1 skill, while after Feng equipped all of his Fragmented Legendary equipment, received Sharlyn's Full Blessing, and stuffed his face with around fifty Chocolate Sticks a day, his Physique had recently just barely reached the Tier 3 Basic standard. 

Thus the backlash of using Twofold Berserk at its current power which couldn't take full effect on Feng due to his already monstrous attributes for his tier must have been slightly decreased. 

A couple of minutes later once everyone had recovered a bit, Feng commanded a sweep of the battlefield while he went up the silver staircase to collect the loot dropped by the golden doggo and its lackeys. 

When he finished collecting all of the drops, even Feng couldn't help but become shocked despite him expecting good loot. Aside from the numerous rare materials and items dropped by Anubis's guards, just the multiple Epic rank items dropped per wolfman were of incredible value, especially the ones from the Royal Guards, thanks to them being powerful Humanoid Creatures with a very pure Primordial Beast bloodline in them. 

However, it was the items originating from Anubis and the Moon-howling Silver Wolf that truly shocked Feng. Ignoring the countless number of precious items, the Moon-howling Silver Wolf's best items that outvalued the rest of the wolf's drops were five Inferior Legendary materials, one Inferior Legendary ranked Primordial Beast Blood Consumable, a Tier 4 Summoning Scroll for summoning a Moon-howling Silver Wolf and a Fragmented Legendary ranked Helmet; which was universal similarly to Feng's Space Helmet and could be used by all classes. 

But the Wolfstein Emperor's loot was even more amazing, as although the number of precious items was similar to the Moon-howling Silver Wolf, and Anubis had only dropped two Inferior Legendary materials, the emperor had dropped his weapons, the Two-Sided Moon Sickles, which, as Feng had predicted, were currently at the Fragmented Legendary rank. 

At the current stage of the game, a Fragmented Legendary Weapon would make one invincible amongst God's Domain's players for a long time, let a lone a Top-tier Fragmented Legendary Weapon Set which could display power comparable to Legendary Weapons when used together like the Two-Sided Weapon Set. 

Only it was a shame that the weapons were sickles. 

In God's Domain, sickles were weapons which could be used by Swordsmen, Assassins and Rangers, but very rarely would players be seen wielding sickles even in the Greater God's Domain due to not only the rarity of such unorthodoxed weapons, but also the disinterest in them since there weren't many places players could turn to in order to seek guidance on how to properly fight with them, as well as the scarcity of Combat Techniques for those weapons. 

Although there were some weapons and equipment which came with built in Combat Techniques players could learn, with some even being Gold Combat Techniques, those were as rare as a phoenix feather. 

As for Zero Wing, as far as Feng knew, there were maybe only a few of players that used sickles as their main weapons, none of which were ones whose memories have been restored; or going to be for a long time. 

Of course, there was naturally no way Feng would let such weapons remain unused in Zero Wing's Warehouse until a player that likes sickles appeared. Either way, Zero Wing's top combatants were players with incredible combat standards in both the Realms of Refinement and Realms of Truth, so using any weapon as if it were a part of their body wouldn't be that difficult even if they had never used such a weapon before. 

With a bit of practice, those restored players would quickly form a basic mastery of the weapons' usage, while the incredible attributes would make up for the lack of dexterity and experience in wielding them. 

Anubis's remaining loot was of great quality as well, among them being a Skill Book for the Tier 4 aura skill, Emperor's Haki; which Feng had witnessed Anubis use during their fight. 

[Emperor's Haki] (Tier 4 Skill)

Induce the might of an Emperor on all targets within a 100-yard radius, placing mental suppression on them while increasing their Stamina and Concentration consumption by 300%, reducing their Attack Power by 60%, Attack Speed by 60%, and Movement Speed by 60% for 5 minutes. 

Cooldown: 25 minutes

Besides those, the only other interesting items were two keys, a Seven Luminaries Key that could unlock three Dark-Gold Treasure Chests, and a golden key meant to unlock the Wolfstein Empire's Treasure Room. 

After appraising all of the loot, Feng walked up to the golden throne, on which was a depiction of a silver wolf howling to the sky, and pushed the key into the wolf's eye. 

With a clank, the golden throne, along with the wall behind it, separated to the sides to reveal a passage. Moving through the short passage, Feng found himself looking at a huge Treasure Room that was actually relatively empty, with only a medium-sized mountain of Gold Coins and a few more things in it. 

At a glance, Feng could tell the Gold mountain was made of, give or take, one hundred thousand Gold Coins, which although was plenty especially at this stage of the game, you'd figure the Wolfstein Empire's treasury would possess a bit of a larger number of Coins. Though, what caught Feng's interest were the Treasure Chests on top of the Gold mountain. 

Four Dark-Gold Treasure Chests sat on the corners of the mountaintop, while an Epic ranked Treasure Chest claimed the peak. Considering their overall value to the man known as Shi Luck Feng, these five Treasure Chests would be plenty more useful than a couple hundred thousand Gold Coins. 

As he ransacked the Treasury Room, Feng also discovered a few more items, among which was a Fragmented Legendary Shield, the Wolfstein Protector, a Fragmented Legendary Ring, Moon's Grace, and a Fragmented Legendary Greatsword, the Wolfstein Conqueror. 

Aside from a few miscellaneous items in the Treasury that currently weren't of too much value, another thing that Feng found interesting was an Advanced Construction Design for an Emperor's Throne which, based off the design's description, apart from boosting the Mana in the environment and of the person sitting on the throne, also temporarily increased the sitter's Life Rating depending on how long one sits on it. 

Though, it would seem like the Emperor's Throne would be bound to a certain player once the player sits on it for long enough and overcomes some kind of trial. 

However, an item that almost slipped past Feng's looting was a small statue of a pitch-black wolf that radiated no aura tucked in the corner of the Treasure Room, but as Feng approached it, he could faintly feel the Mana around the statue stir. 

Upon using the Eyes of Truth on the statue, Feng's shock reached today's peak. 

[Sacred Beast Statue (Moon-devouring Beast)] (Dark-Gold Rank, Unique Item)

One of 12 stone sculptures of Sacred Beasts made by Cerecolo Barrestan. It holds incredible power. 

One shouldn't underestimate the beast statue just because it was a Dark-Gold item.

For Tier 4 players and above, this beast statue was easily a thousand times more valuable than Legendary items.

An Ancient God in God's Domain, Cerecolo Barrestan was known as the God of Elements by everyone. Legend had it that he could control all magic elements, and he was incredibly strong even among the Ancient Gods.

In God's Domain, any item belonging to a God would already be an amazing item, let alone an Ancient God's possession. The 12 Sacred Beast Statues were one of Cerecolo Barrestan's earliest creations. To both Gods and Ancient Gods, these statues were trash. However, to Tier 4 players, these statues were priceless treasures.

On the surface, the 12 Sacred Beast Statues were only intended as room decor. However, if one placed these statues in areas with incredibly dense Mana, the statues would generate a special signal. This signal allowed players inside the room to perceive the operating principles of a particular magic element.

Although the granted perception was vague, it was still much better than blindly trying to feel and deduce the operating principles of the magic elements.

Moreover, the effect stacked. With more beast statues collected, not only would one get to perceive more magic elements, but the intensity of the granted perception would also increase.

In Feng's first life, a Super Guild had discovered an Ancient God's treasury. And after working together with several superpowers and incurring countless casualties, the Super Guild had successfully raided the treasury.

They had discovered three of the 12 Sacred Beast Statues inside the treasury, one of them a medium-sized statue at the Fragmented Legendary rank.

Due to these three beast statues, the Super Guild that found the treasury had ended up one of the Twelve Great Guilds within a short period.

And in his previous life, Feng had managed to obtain an Epic rank Sacred Beast Statue from the Ruined Mountain Range during the still early stages of the game when he had been the only Tier 4 player in his God's Domain; which had greatly helped Zero Wing's members in unlocking their Mana Bodies and later on in promoting to Tier 5. 

After cleaning out the Treasure Room of all its contents, Feng scanned the now empty remains of the Wolfstein Empire, finding that there was only one more thing of interest here. 

At the wall opposite of the Treasure Room's entrance, there seemed to be another locked golden gate, which not only possessed a keyhole for the Treasury's key, but also a slot to the side of the keyhole which was in the shape of a tablet. 

Feng had attempted to unlock the gate with the Treasure Room's key, but it remained firmly shut. Though, he wasn't discouraged by the failure, as Feng was fairly certain of knowing what was necessary to open the gate and how to get it. 

Marking the Treasure Room's coordinates with the Space Helmet, Feng left and regrouped with the Zero Wing members who were still busy collecting all of the drops on the battlefield. When everything was looted and appraised, Feng distributed the gained items, which was mostly replacing Dark-Gold equipment and weapons with better ones for most of the members except the dozen or so restored members who obtained Epic items. 

The Fragmented Legendary items Feng acquired were also distributed, with Cola getting the Wolfstein Protector, and him passing his Epic rank Shield to Turtledove since he and Wumian already had ones, Shadow Sword replacing his current weapon with the Wolfstein Conqueror, Violet equipping Moon's Grace due to the Ring being more suitable for mage classes, the furry Helmet of a silver wolf with its tongue sticking out being put on by Fire and Flying Shadow getting to experience wielding Sickles for the first time. 

Aside from Fire, Flying was the player most suited for the Weapon Set due to his class and the one with the highest combat standards among Zero Wing's restored members, thus Feng had decided to let him use the Two-Sided Moon Sickles until Flying either finds weapons more suitable for himself or someone who could make better use of the Sickles appeared. 

When everything in the palace was done, Feng left for White River City to store the obtained goodies while everyone else backtracked out to the Final Cave. 

They then continued with the original plan to operate in White Fog Canyon, even though their levels were currently too high to grind even in the White Fog Canyon's deepest parts, since after the final battle with the Wolfstein Army and killing so many high ranked monsters, even the lowest level member of Zero Wing's group of five hundred players was close to Level 35, with most of the others having reached Level 35 and Level 36. 

Though, Feng's level outstripped all of them, as after killing the ten Great Lord ranked Anubis's Guard and four Grand Lord ranked Anubis's Royal Guards, each of which was two levels higher than him, along with Anubis and the Moon-howling Silver Wolf which were both three levels higher than him, as well as the many wolfmen with Shockwave, he had jumped by six levels and reached Level 39. 

As for why they would still stay in a map they were overleveled for? 

Firstly, it was to mine Starfire Ore which could still be of use to the Candlelight Trading Frim;

Secondly, in order to obtain Level 25 equipment and weapons for the regular Zero Wing members whose levels were still in the twenties and needed such equipment, along with grinding for some other rare materials that could drop in the White Fog Canyon as well as the Warfire Set;

And thirdly, they still needed to wait for Overwhelming Smile to take the bait so that Feng could accomplish his plans. 

Of course, the unrestored members didn't know the entire story, and they were only following orders to mine some valuable ores in the White Fog Canyon. 

Feng didn't immediately return to White Fog Canyon after storing his gains in Zero Wing's Warehouse, but instead went to the Starstreak Trading Firm. 

Currently, the once prosperous shop with plenty of players going in and out to purchase items was now completely deserted. This was the situation for the rest of Starstreak's branches across the Star-Moon Kingdom as well, since Feng had order all sales to stop while the workers continued to produce items as normal. 

Naturally, this led to the Starstreak Trading Firm suffering great loses due to continuously spending money but making none, and although Anna, and even Henry at one point, had voiced their concerns over this matter, Feng had merely written them off and said he knew what he was doing. 

After all, Feng was planning to sell items across multiple Empires, thus he needed to prepare plenty of the basic necessities for when he opened up all of the shops, but as the amount was quite large, while Feng couldn't have the players currently recruited in the Horizon Alliance make a sufficient amount of them in time, he had decided to make full use of his authority over Starstreak to have it prepare enough items to last him for a few days when he fully started his plans until he manages to recruit enough players to be able to sustain the large-scale operation. 

Although Feng would have to use his own money to compensate for the necessary materials needed for the items' production as well as the workers' payments, he didn't have any problems with it since he'll be making it all back eventually. 

Walking up to a certain Forging Room in the Trading Firm, Feng knocked lightly before letting himself in. Cocoa, who was in the process of making a Basic Strengthened Armor Kit, stopped what she was doing when she saw Feng walk into her Forging Room, before approaching him. 

"Guild Leader, what can I help you with?" Cocoa asked, as Feng normally wouldn't come to visit her without a reason, and would simply call her if he needed anything. 

"How's the production of Dragonclaw Sets coming along?" 

"After using up all of the materials Big Sis Melancholic gathered over the past few days, these are all I managed to forge," Cocoa said as she made a trade request with around one thousand Dragonclaw Sets to Feng, before taking out two purplish-gold armor sets "Also, only two managed to accomplish our main goal." 

[Dragonwarrior Set Equipment] (Epic Rank)

Level 20 - Level 70

Can be equipped by plate armor classes.

Set consists of six parts: head, chest, hands, wrist, legs, and feet.

Feng inspected the two Dragonwarrior Sets, finding it both joyous and disappointing that two had managed to be upgraded to Epic rank through the Book of Creation. With Cocoa forging around a thousand Dragonclaw Sets, and Chance Upgrade only triggering twice, instead of a 1% chance to upgrade an item, it was more like a 0.2% chance. 

Though, at the same time, it could have also not triggered at all; so Feng decided to be grateful to the Main God's System for letting two exist. 

In either case, attempting to get Epic rank Set Equipment had merely been a passing thought to Feng as he wanted to make full use of the things he had, while the Dragonclaw Sets would be of great importance to him. 

Currently, God's Domain players did not have very high levels, with a majority only recently reaching around Level 20. Hence, Level 20 equipment had already become a bit more common. This was apparent from the number of independent teams raiding Level 20, 20-man Team Dungeons.

Even raiding Normal Mode, 20-man Team Dungeons would drop plenty of Mysterious-Iron Equipment at the very minimum. There was even a certain probability that a Mysterious-Iron Set Equipment would drop.

Although ordinary players didn't have much of Level 20 Bronze Equipment, veteran and elite players would usually possess a few pieces. 

The equipment that Guilds' elite members wore was a bit more impressive. Unlike independent players, Guilds would often form teams to raid Dungeons. Hence, the equipment available to Guild's elites was far superior to what independent players had access to, and a majority of such elite members would have full sets of Bronze Equipment.

Guilds' core teams would wear a few pieces of Level 20 Mysterious-Iron rank, while the lowest quality equipment top experts in a Guild had was Mysterious-Iron, along with the chance to equip Level 20 Secret-Silver Equipment. To ordinary players, Fine-Gold Equipment was something they could only obtain in their dreams. Such items were out of their reach, and they could only fantasize about owning one; let alone Level 20 Dark-Gold equipment. 

As for Level 20 Secret-Silver Set Equipment, only the upper-management of Super Guilds possessed such items in completion. Level 20 Fine-Gold Set Equipment would only drop from Level 20 large-scale Team Dungeons. Not a single Guild was ready to set foot in a Level 20 large-scale Team Dungeon at this stage of the game.

This was why everyone had shifted their focus to the Warfire Set Equipment, which dropped in the White Fog Canyon.

Meanwhile, the Level 20 Dragonclaw Set Equipment was definitely the best Level 20 set available, and not something that should exist yet in the market. If one equipped the entire set, they would far surpass the requirements to raid a Level 20, 100-man Team Dungeon. The set would be of immense help to raiding large-scale Team Dungeons.

At this stage of the game, where no one had Level 20 Dark-Gold Equipment while Level 20 Secret-Silver Sets were incredibly rare, a Level 20 Dark-Gold Set Equipment would be of extreme value; and Feng could sell them at high prices to the players across God's Domain who were too noob to reincarnate and know the future. 

With around one thousand of the Dark-Gold Sets, Feng could earn enough money to ready much of his preparations. Though, after forging so many of the Sets, Cocoa had burnt through pretty much all of the available materials needed to forge more, not only in Star-Moon Kingdom and surrounding Kingdoms and Empires, but all of God's Domain. 

In order to maximize his profits, Feng had Melancholic go all out and purchase as many materials as she could physically get her hands on, which ended up drying the market of the materials due to the required parts needed to forge the Dragonclaw Set being very rare and demanding, while a lot of them were also being stored by the various Guild, who were the prime sellers of the materials since very few Independent Players and Adventurer Teams could acquire them. 

Using such a method to obtain the materials had drained most of Zero Wing's funds, since they had to spent over a thousand Gold Coins just for the players' teleportation fees all over God's Domain, not to mention actually buying the materials necessary for the Dragonclaw Sets as well as the other materials Feng had ordered Melancholic to purchase. 

As a result, not only had they bought out all of the available materials on the market, inflating their prices by many times, but they had also nearly ran out of their Gold Coin reserves, barely having enough to sustain Zero Wing's and Starstreak's operation for a day or two. 

Of course, Feng wasn't concerned about any of this, since he could easily make back all of the spent money, and then some. 

Thanking Cocoa for her hard work, Feng left her to do her own thing while he went to pay Melancholic a visit. 

The sight of a busy Melancholic Smile was revealed as soon as Feng entered the woman's office, and one could tell she was being swamped with work at just a glance. As Feng arrived, though, Melancholic took her focus off the information she had been looking at and looked towards her Guild Leader. 

"What's the progress on the work I've assigned to you?" Feng asked as he thought of everything else that needed to get done, and selected what he could dump onto Melancholic. 

"The current status on it is mostly complete, with some things still needing to be finished, but managing the Alliance and Trading Firm is becoming a handful. Our Gold Coins being close to running out is also a problem." Explaining as she passed a report on the current situation to Feng, Melancholic immediately went back to reviewing the information that had been sent to her and responding to them accordingly.

With having to manage the Horizon Alliance's matters along with finding and recruiting other members who were of some importance, as well as keeping an eye out for and completing the other things Feng had told her about, Melancholic found herself completely preoccupied.

Although the tasks by themselves weren't that difficult to accomplish, lots of Melancholic's time was lost on doing some simple parts that she'd normally delegate to her subordinates; but due to Feng prioritizing combat players to restore the memories of, while the restored ones who could accomplish those things had other matters to attend to, and Melancholic not being able to entrust the work to players without memories of the future, she was forced to do these miscellaneous tasks and waste time on them. 

"Good, you're not too busy, then. There's some other stuff I need you to take care of." Although Feng could see that Melancholic had plenty of stuff she had to do, by his professional assessment, things have yet to reach an unmanageable level, so there was no problem with assigning more work to her. 

'Yay, more work. As if I wasn't already overwhelmed with tasks as is.' As she inwardly complained, Melancholic kept her expression unchanged and listened attentively to what new tasks Feng was giving her. 

In reality, she was already used to this, as Feng would always leave her with ginormous work loads while he fucked off somewhere doing his own thing. This was simply the way he operated and had the rest of the Vice-Guild Leaders and managers take care of things since he was constantly busy trying to keep them all alive. 

Melancholic also had no problem taking on the tasks Feng gave her no matter how difficult they were or how overworked she was, as this was how she had managed to survive so far. 

Although a person could survive in God's Domain by being a manager and the like if they had no talent in fighting but were good at handling those type of matters, this wasn't the case in the Greater World. 

There, unless you had strength or exceptional talent in things like Lifestyle Professions, you wouldn't even have the chance to be fodder. You didn't really have a choice in whether you were a fighter or a manager, since you needed to be good at both if you wished to be important. 

However, Melancholic had practically zero talent when it came to doing battles, and the only reason she had managed to survive up until now was that she had been a founding member of Zero Wing and Candlelight, while always doing her absolute best in the various tasks Feng assigned to her and remaining loyal, as well as her bit of potential when it came to Forging. 

Otherwise, there was no way she would have had the chance to stay off battlefields and be protected. 

After all, the more people the fighters in the Greater World had to protect during battles and wars for survival, the more difficult it became and the more resources were needed. Since even though Melancholic did have some talent for Forging, it was still much inferior to people like Cocoa and plenty of others in Candlelight, she wouldn't have normally had the chance to live the way she had. 

In contrast, many other people who had similar or even better potential and talents than her from both Zero Wing and all other powers from their world had been forced to either learn how to fight regardless of their capabilities, give up on having any power or say over their lives and attempt to get by in towns and city's through doing grunt work and some hard labor no one else wanted, or die. 

Of course, if a person could cozy up to someone with enough power to protect them and somehow make themselves useful, the person would also have a shot in survival. Though since those types of people with enough power would usually have plenty of capable personnel, getting such an opportunity to rely on them was very difficult for powerless people, and it was a tactic most often used by beautiful women in order to survive by using their bodies and becoming the playthings of powerful men...

Or powerful women who were into that sort of thing; which actually wasn't all that rare in the Greater World due to women with that type of power not wanting romantic relationships with men who weren't at least stronger than themselves. 

However, Melancholic had never needed to pick one of those options or lower herself to using such means in order to survive due to Feng choosing to protect her without having any designs on her and simply giving her tasks to accomplish. 

Melancholic didn't understand why Feng would do such a thing for her, especially since she had seen how very merciless and decisive he could be, and Melancholic had even wondered if he had some ulterior motives she had never discovered before, but after a certain amount of time passed, she had realized that Feng had simply wanted her to continue doing the same thing as always due to him trusting her enough and not being bothered to find someone else. 

Thus, Melancholic was extremely grateful to Feng, and naturally had no problem with doing whatever jobs he had for her. 

"Sell these at Blackwing City for as much as you can, but be careful not to reveal your identity. Also, use this money to purchase as much as possible of the necessary materials needed for the Dragonclaw Sets as well as these materials so long as the price isn't too much higher than the market price." Feng traded the Dragonclaw Sets forged by Cocoa to Melancholic while also giving her the Gold Coins he got from the Wolfstein Empire's Treasury and a list of items. 

The list was filled with materials necessary for some of the Designs and Recipes Feng and his group acquired that could be made and used by the current players, among which were also materials needed for forging Light Stones. 

"Start focusing on finding more of the Lifestyle Players you can get as long as they are decent enough to restore, while also recruiting others that we can make use of for creating some basic items. As for their pay, for now, use Credits, then offer the better ones a chance to join later on if they prove themselves." 

Since a large number of players was needed for creating the basic and easy to make items they'll be selling at Candlelight, as well the more advanced items, Feng needed to start recruiting on masse; but since capable players were necessary for the powerful items due to the creation process being difficult and pricy, while those players also needed to be guaranteed not to betray them, Feng decided to pause his restoration of Zero Wing's fighters unless they're important and instead focus on some Lifestyle Players first. 

Though as that would still be a limited number, while the regular items needed to be mass-produced as well, Feng instructed Melancholic to recruit expendable players as well by using Credits. 

After giving Melancholic Smile some other tasks that needed to be done in the mean time as well but weren't of the highest priority and settling some of the details, Feng contacted a majority of the restored players in White Fog Canyon as well as others who weren't busy at the moment and instructed them to go grind for Light Stone Forging Designs, along with a few other things, before having Aqua return to White River City and some other regular members of Zero Wing replace those who had left the White Fog canyon. 

Five hundred players were still needed there, but since the unrestored members who had participated in the Wolfstein Palace raid had not only massively improved but also had high enough levels, the missions in the Canyon could be accomplished without the restored players. 

So Feng had those players handle some other duties while also using the chance to help more of Zero Wing's unrestored members improve by participating with the group in the White Fog Canyon. 

Feng then returned to the White Fog Canyon to mine Meteorite Ore while waiting for Overwhelming Smile to make a move. 

---

Teleporting to Blackwing City, Melancholic put on some Dark-Gold ranked Cloth Armor before using a Disguise Tool, which had been acquired by Fire during her hunt for Peak Legacies, in order to change her appearance into a beautiful female Swordsman wearing the Dragonclaw Set, as well as slightly altering the appearance of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, making it look more imposing. 

At present, Blackwing City had become a gathering place for players from kingdoms and empires all over God's Domain, the player population having grown significantly. Moreover, there was an important difference between the players in Blackwing City and the players in other cities.

Wealth!

The players in Blackwing City were extremely wealthy. Moreover, the money these players possessed did not only involve Credits, but also included Gold Coins.

A majority of the players in Blackwing City were the upper-management personnel of various large Guilds, and they had come to Blackwing City specifically to do business. Hence, the amount of Credits and Coins they had on hand far surpassed anything that an ordinary player possessed. Blackwing City was truly the gathering place for tycoons.

This was also why Melancholic had come to this place today.

Currently, in order to use their advantage of an early start to its fullest potential, Zero Wing needed a lot of Gold Coins. As for how much? No amount would truly suffice, so they can only settle for as much as they can get. 

Which was the goal of creating so many Dragonclaw Sets, however, if they sold the Dragoclaw Set Equipment in Star-Moon Kingdom's Auction Houses or at the Starstreak Trading Firm, they would not get a good price. In addition, unlike the players in Blackwing City who would spend several Gold Coins without even blinking, players who could afford such large expenditures were few and far between in Star-Moon Kingdom.

When Melancholic reached the streets, the Dark-Gold rank glowing effect that enveloped her body nearly blinded other players.

"Damn! My eyes aren't playing tricks on me, right? That's a Dark-Gold Set Equipment!"

"Impossible!"

"It looks awesome!"

"Our Guild doesn't even possess a set of Secret-Silver Set Equipment! Just who is she?"

Melancholic dominated the attention of the players wandering the streets, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as they stared at her in a daze.

They were all upper-managers of various large Guilds, so their knowledge of the game was extensive. Even if they saw a player wearing Secret-Silver Set Equipment, they would not reveal such exaggerated reactions. At most, they would briefly admire that player's equipment. A Dark-Gold Set Equipment, however, shattered their understanding of the game.

In just a short moment, news about Melancholic's sudden appearance had spread throughout Blackwing City.

"Have you heard? There's a player wearing a full Dark-Gold Set Equipment."

"Heard about it? I saw that player with my own eyes! You don't know just how imposing she looked! She was like a ferocious tigress! That beauty had only glanced at me, and my entire body trembled!"

"Ah, a Dark-Gold Set Equipment. It would be awesome to wear one."

"Don't even think about it. The various Guilds throughout God's Domain can't even obtain a Fine-Gold Set Equipment, let alone Dark-Gold. With a Dark-Gold Set Equipment, PvP and Dungeon raiding would be child's play. If an expert wears the set, they will become practically invincible."

"Do you think that person will sell her Dark-Gold Set Equipment?"

"Sell? Are you insane? Do you even know the significance of a Dark-Gold Set Equipment? A Dark-Gold Set Equipment is the best equipment currently available in God's Domain by far. This set could even become the symbol of a Guild, attracting countless players to join. On top of that, the rise in combat power the set provides would make grinding and Dungeon raiding far easier. It would play a huge role in one's future development. If it were up to me, I would rather sell my house than sell my Dark-Gold Set Equipment."

"I guess you're right. If purchased with Credits, a Dark-Gold Set Equipment should be worth at least two million. Including its ability to increase a Guild's influence, it is worth more than a single house located in the city center."

The players occupying the streets and alleys of Blackwing City discussed Melancholic. They envied and admired the Dark-Gold Set Equipment she pretended to wear. Before, many of them had dreamed of equipping a Fine-Gold Set Equipment themselves. Yet, now, someone actually wore a Dark-Gold Set Equipment. No, to be precise, someone ran around Blackwing City while wearing a house...

While players talked about Melancholic, the various Guild representatives in Blackwing City overworked themselves as they followed her while reporting back to their respective Guilds. Currently, they no longer had the serenity befitting an upper-manager of a Guild as their anxiety was on full display.

After taking a glance at the crowd behind her, Melancholic found a high-class restaurant and rested for a moment.

Although she was in Blackwing City, it would not be so easy to sell out of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment quickly.

Before Melancholic could get comfortable, a few players abruptly sat across from her. These players were all Level 25 and above, and their equipment was at least Iron rank, with a couple of Secret-Silver pieces. One could easily tell that these were not ordinary players. They would be the center of attention on the streets of any other city. However, they could not compete with Melancholic's Dark-Gold Set Equipment that was as dazzling as the sun. 

"Can I help you with something?" Melancholic spoke softly as she glanced up at these players. 

These players felt their chests tighten under Melancholic's pinning gaze, and their opinions of the player before them rose.

"Friend, please don't misunderstand us. This humble one is called Swallow Nine. We noticed your extraordinary bearing, and that you wear a full Dark-Gold Set Equipment, so there is certainly no need to discuss your strength. We have also noticed that you are an independent player. We few are the representatives of major Guilds, and we want to extend invitations to our Guilds."

The one who spoke was an elegant middle-aged man with a thin figure. On his chest, the man wore the Guild Emblem of a Super Guild, the Ninth Heaven Pavilion. Compared to the other representatives before Melancholic, it was obvious that the power supporting Swallow Nine was far more extensive. 

"Not interested. If you don't have anything else to say, then leave." Melancholic expressed her impatience, going so far as to reveal a trace of killing intent.

Although Melancholic wasn't a fighter, after spending years watching so many high-level battles as well as having access to Zero Wing's training and resources due to her authority, Melancholic's combat standards were far superior to ordinary players, and she had managed to reach the Refinement Realm and Truth Realm during the previous timeline.

Not to mention, as a manager of Zero Wing who was constantly having to meet with powerful individuals, along with her spending a lot of time serving Feng when he was interacting with powerhouses, Melancholic had seen all kinds of people and been under immense pressure more times than she could count.

She had even experienced the mental pressure of a Mental Strength Great Grandmaster once, so the pressure and killing intent she was capable of radiating far surpassed that of even the apex experts in their current God's Domain. 

After living in God's Domain for a time, players' intuitions had improved somewhat. Even ordinary players could vaguely sense things such as killing intent, let alone elites and expert players. If Melancholic casually released a little killing intent, she could inflict a suffocating fear onto an ordinary player; the feeling was more intense for elites and experts who could sense killing intent with more clarity.

'So strong!' Swallow Nine was inwardly shocked.

Although Melancholic had not taken any action, he could feel how powerful she was. The female Swordsman before him was definitely not an ordinary expert, and she was someone who could rival even the top powerhouses in the Ninth Heaven Pavilion. If factoring in her equipment, the top powerhouses of the Ninth Heaven Pavilion might not even be a match for Melancholic in a one-on-one fight.

However, this revelation had only served to excite Swallow Nine further.

"Friend, if you are not willing to join, why don't we become friends?" Swallow Nine did not mind Melancholic's killing intent at all. Smiling, he said, "With such strength, I believe that you must have a lot of weapons and equipment that you do not need. I am willing to purchase your items 20% higher than market value. How about it?"

The other representatives nodded in agreement, though they were not as calm and carefree as Swallow Nine.

They had never thought, even for a second, that Melancholic would join their Guilds. Experts of this level normally had quirky personalities and would never submit. 

However, seeing that Melancholic was an expert capable of possessing a Dark-Gold Set Equipment, she should have many other top-tier weapons and equipment. Even if Melancholic did not possess an extra Dark-Gold Set Equipment, at the very least, she should have a stock of Dark-Gold or Fine-Gold ranked items.

Such items were impossible to purchase.

It was common knowledge that top-tier equipment could not be bought from the market. Even top-tier Workshops would keep such equipment for themselves; they definitely would not sell it. If one wished to obtain such equipment, they could only rely on themselves. However, it was easier said than done.

Now that they had encountered such a rare opportunity, naturally, they could not let it get away.

"You wish to buy my items?" Melancholic looked at Swallow Nine as if the man was joking. With disdain, she then said, "Do you think you can afford them?"

"If you have something to sell, regardless of how many items there are, I, Swallow Nine, guarantee that I will purchase all of them at 20% above market value. If you have top-tier equipment, I will purchase it at 50% above market value." Swallow Nine confidently declared.

"Right! Our Guilds have no issues doing the same." The other representatives promptly voiced their agreement. Although their Guilds could not compare to the Ninth Heaven Pavilion, they were still major Guilds. They had more than enough money to purchase a single expert's extra equipment.

"Heh, interesting." Melancholic suddenly released a giggle; however her actions only made Swallow Nine and the others turn to look at each other.

"One thousand Gold. If you have 1,000 Gold on your persons right now, I will consider letting you look at the equipment I no longer need. Otherwise, scram! Find someone else to disturb!"

Melancholic was very loud, and every player on the second floor of the restaurant had heard her words loud and clear.

"One thousand Gold!"

Many of the Guild representatives in the restaurant with similar ideas as Swallow Nine immediately sucked in a cold breath.

To any Guild in God's Domain, 1,000 Gold was not a small sum. Super Guilds were no exception.

Guilds supported a majority of the players in Blackwing City. Although they were all very rich, their maximum trade volumes would not exceed 100 Gold. Meanwhile, Melancholic casually demanded a price of 1,000 Gold. Moreover, this was only the bottom line. If they did not have 1,000 Gold in their bags, she wouldn't even consider a trade.

How arrogant!

She was simply too arrogant!

However, despite Melancholic's arrogance, not a single person present had chosen to turn around and leave. On the contrary, they promptly contacted their respective Guilds, ordering the preparation of 1,000 Gold.

"One thousand Gold?"

"You're insane! Do you know the significance of 1,000 Gold at this stage of the game?"

"What? That expert in the Dark-Gold Set Equipment stated that she would only consider a trade with someone possessing 1,000 Gold?"

The various Guilds were shocked upon receiving this news. However, that shock soon turned into rage, as these Guilds felt that Melancholic was only toying with them.

One thousand Gold!

Currently, Gold Coins were still scarce. Although the prices of Coins had decreased significantly, even 10 million Credits was not enough to purchase 1,000 Gold. Moreover, not even a Dark-Gold Set Equipment was worth 1,000 Gold.

"What? Don't have it?" Melancholic smirked at Swallow Nine and the others. Impatiently, she said, "Since you don't have it, please leave. Stop disturbing my peace."

"No, please wait a moment. It is true that I do not have that much money on me right now. However, someone will send the money over quickly." Swallow Nine said as he calmed his pounding heart. He had to admit that Melancholic had given him a fright. However, the more arrogantly Melancholic behaved, the more Swallow Nine believed that the Swordswoman had something valuable to offer.

Experts of this level had very high self-esteem, and an arrogant attitude was normal. However, one thing was certain: such experts would not fabricate false rumors.

If Melancholic dared to make such ridiculous statements, then she definitely had the capital to do so.

Although Swallow Nine did not know what that capital was, he knew that it would not be insignificant.

"Tch, whatever."

Melancholic frowned at Swallow Nine's words. Paying no more attention to the middle-aged man, Melancholic called up the official forums and began to browse.

Everything was going according to plan.

Moreover, shortly after she had stated her price of 1,000 Gold, a post about her had set the official forums of God's Domain on fire.

There was even a post mentioning the 1,000 Gold trade qualification she had demanded. Many people had begun to discuss the situation. They all felt that Melancholic was a lunatic and was too arrogant. Some had even begun to doubt her equipment, and they'd actually be right. Quickly, this news had attracted the attention of even more Guilds.

After a dozen minutes or so, the restaurant Melancholic occupied exploded with activity. Players filled the restaurant, and every one of them represented a Guild. The majority of the Guilds present were first-rate Guilds, with the lowest being second-rate Guilds. Two additional Super Guilds had even arrived.

One of the new Super Guilds to arrive was Sanctuary, while the other was King's Return. These two Super Guilds were powerhouses similar to the Ninth Heaven Pavilion.

Currently, the representatives of so many famous Guilds, including three Super Guilds, had gathered in this one high-class restaurant. This was something that had never happened in the past.

And all of this was due to the sudden appearance of a mysterious expert...

Of the three Super Guild representatives, two were men, and the last was a woman. Among them, Swallow Nine represented the Ninth Heaven Pavilion, a polished woman named Flourishing Colors represented Sanctuary, and King's Return was represented by a crude and brawny-looking man named Thunder Tiger. Flourishing Colors was a Level 25 Summoner, whereas Thunder Tiger was a Level 26 Berserker.

It was clear that the three Super Guild representatives knew each other, as the moment the three met, they began to chat as if they were old friends.

Melancholic glanced at the second floor, discovering that the high-class restaurant seemed to represent God's Domain's current power.

As Swallow Nine, Flourishing Colors, and Thunder Tiger were representatives of Super Guilds, the three sat opposite of Melancholic. As for the representatives of first-rate Guilds, they hovered nearby. As for the few second-rate Guilds, they sat near the staircase. The hierarchy had been clearly established.

The three belonging to Super Guilds paid no attention to those belonging to first-rate Guilds, and those belonging to first-rate Guilds paid no attention to the second-rate Guilds. The representatives present only spoke to those on the same level as themselves. 

After half an hour, Swallow Nine finally spoke.

"I've put together my 1,000 Gold. Please take a look," Swallow Nine said as he smiled at Melancholic. He then placed his coin pouch on the table.

Although the coin pouch was only the size of a fist, this was only an illusion. Regardless of how much money it contained, the coin pouch would retain the same size. Moreover, a player's coin pouch was bound to them, and nobody could steal it. However, others could still check the amount inside with the owner's permission.

"Sister Expert said that one would qualify to trade with you so long as they have 1,000 Gold. I happen to have 1,000 Gold with me. Please check it for yourself, Sister Expert." Thunder Tiger similarly placed a coin pouch on the table.

"I have the same." Flourishing Colors smiled faintly as she, too, revealed her coin pouch.

For a time, the various Guild representatives on the second floor promptly presented their coin pouches to Melancholic, allowing her to inspect them.

As the crowd waited for Melancholic's inspection, instead of actually doing so, Melancholic smiled and said, "That won't be necessary. I believe that the Guilds present should not be so poor as to not even possess 1,000 Gold. Since all of you have 1,000 Gold on your persons now, you all qualify to trade with me.

"However, the items I wish to sell are limited. Since there are so many people here, I'm sure none of you will oppose an auction, right?"

Suddenly, the crowd understood Melancholic's intentions. This was a public auction. If so, the items would definitely be sold far above market value. Realizing the truth of the matter, everyone's expressions darkened.

"Of course, you can also choose not to buy my items. I won't force those who are unwilling." Melancholic yawned. Slowly, she said, "If anyone is not interested, you are welcome to leave."

Yet, even after Melancholic's declaration, not a single representative turned to leave. They all wanted to see the reason behind the Swordswoman's confidence.

"Since everyone agrees, I'll begin with the first item, then," Melancholic said as she swept a glance over the crowd in the hall, nodding with satisfaction. Everything was going according to plan. What happened next would depend on how these people would compete.

Hearing Melancholic begin the auction, the crowd grew tense.

In the next moment, Melancholic took out a piece of equipment from her bag. Looking at the glow of the equipment, its Dark-Gold rank was obvious, causing everyone to grow excited. 

As this auction was taking place around a week earlier than when Feng held it in the previous timeline, currently, only some of the various Super Guilds possessed a few pieces of Level 20 Fine-Gold Equipment, but none of them had any Dark-Gold rank items. 

Initially, everyone had thought Melancholic would state the starting bid for the equipment, signaling the representatives to begin. However, the Swordswoman proceeded by revealing another piece of equipment. Moreover, this item was also Dark-Gold ranked.

One piece... Two pieces... Three pieces...

Melancholic displayed a total of six pieces of equipment. Moreover, although these six pieces were all different, they possessed a single style.

[Dragonclaw Set Equipment] (Dark-Gold Rank)

Level 20

Can be equipped by plate armor classes.

Set consists of six parts: head, chest, hands, wrist, legs, and feet.

Set effect

Two-piece effect: Ignore Levels +15. Has a chance to trigger Fury effect when attacking, increasing damage by 40% for 6 seconds.

Four-piece effect: Strength and Endurance Attribute increased by 15%. Defense increased by 30%.

Six-piece effect: All Skill Cooldowns decreased by 30%. When attacking with a Skill, there is a chance to trigger Effect Multiplier, increasing the Skill's effects by 100%.

"That... is... a Dark-Gold Set Equipment!"

The crowd was stupefied when they saw the Dragonclaw Set Equipment on the table. They even wondered if their eyes played tricks on them.

Through out God's Domain, large Guilds currently didn't even have any pieces of Dark-Gold Equipment, and not even the Super Guilds possessed a Fine-Gold Set Equipment. Yet, an unknown expert like this woman had two Dark-Gold Set Equipment...

Both the appearance and Attributes of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment were far more powerful than any other equipment available at this stage of the game. Furthermore, one had to consider the set effects.

When Melancholic placed the Dragonclaw Set Equipment on the table, she did not hide the set's Attributes, allowing everyone to examine the set.

"These are the set effects of a Dark-Gold Set Equipment?"

"The effects of this Dragonclaw Set are insane! It even surpasses the effects of that rumored Warfire Set!"

"I've seen the effects of the Warfire Set before. Warfire is more suited for PvP, while this Dragonclaw is suited for Dungeon raiding. It is what Guilds need most right now."

The crowd was dumbfounded after reading the Dragonclaw Set Equipment's information.

Aside from how important the Ignore Levels effect was to players right now, the Fury effect alone could raise their damage to a whole new level. There were also the Strength and Endurance Attribute increases, both of which were the most important Attributes to MTs.

Overall, every set effect of the Dragonclaw Set was very useful to a physical class. If equipped, a player's combat power would instantly rise by four or five levels. It was frightening...

"You've seen the equipment for yourselves. The bidding will start at 500 Gold, with a minimum bid increment of 1 Gold." Melancholic chuckled. She then announced, "You may begin!"

Before the crowd could recover from their shock, Melancholic's opening price stunned them once more.

The market offer for the Warfire Set Equipment was also 100 Gold, and the set could be upgraded to Fine-Gold rank. Moreover, the set's level would increase with the player's, and it could become a Level 30 Fine-Gold Set Equipment.

Although the Dragonclaw Set Equipment was Dark-Gold ranked, it was still only a Level 20 set, which was the equivalent of Level 30 Secret-Silver Set Equipment. The opening bid was simply too expensive.

"What? Nobody's bidding?" Melancholic watched the silent crowd. Leisurely, she said, "Since nobody wants to buy it, then our trade comes to an end. We don't have anything to talk about, so let's dismiss this issue."

Even after Melancholic said this, the various Guild representatives stood as still as stone, showing no intentions of leaving. Right now, they were like a pack of hungry wolves that had meat placed before them. How could they leave without a bite?

"Sister Expert, your price is somewhat high. I would be willing to pay at half the price."

"That's right! I'm willing to buy the Dragonclaw Set Equipment at 300 Gold!"

The Guild representatives voiced their opinions, expressing their refusal of the high price of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment and imploring Melancholic to lower the price. After all, Gold Coins were not easy to come by. Now that every Guild purchased Coins in bulk, it had resulted in an abnormal shortage of Coins. Currently, most of the Guilds in God's Domain relied on their money-farming teams to supply them with Coins.

"Don't buy it if you think it is too expensive. I don't need to sell my equipment to you specifically." Melancholic said disdainfully.

At this moment, however, a crisp voice echoed throughout the restaurant's second floor.

"Five hundred Gold. I want it."

Immediately, everyone's attention shifted towards the person who placed the bid, discovering a bright and attractive beauty. Moreover, all of the equipment this beauty wore, along with the staff strapped to her back emitted the glow unique to Dark-Gold items.

"Isn't she Aqua Rose of Twilight Echo?"

"I seem to recall Aqua Rose having left Twilight Echo. I believe she joined a small unknown Guild. Her actions had caused quite the commotion."

"That's right; I remember it as well. Many Guilds had tried to recruit her. Unfortunately, she rejected all of the offers, insisting on joining a small Guild instead. At that time, many had sighed at her choice. How could she possibly achieve anything in a small Guild? Twilight Echo even expressed that, as long as Aqua Rose acknowledged her mistakes, they would gladly welcome her back. Unfortunately, she refused. After not hearing anything about her for so long, I thought she had quit God's Domain."

"It is somewhat unfortunate. However, based on her current appearance, it seems that she is getting by very well. She even has a full suit of Dark-Gold Equipment and wields a Dark-Gold Weapon."

"No matter what was said or done, Aqua Rose is very talented and powerful. With the nurturing of a small Guild and some luck, it isn't completely impossible to obtain Level 15 Dark-Gold Equipment. However, she probably won't grow beyond that. After all, a small Guild is still a small Guild."

The crowd instantly fell into a discussion about Aqua Rose, who had been called here beforehand by Feng and instructed to help Melancholic raise the price. She was quite famous in the virtual gaming world, and like the Snow Goddess, she had been nicknamed the Rose Goddess. Naturally, the Guild representatives recognized her. 

Although Aqua was fully equipped with Dark-Gold ranked items, since not even Super-Guilds currently possessed Level 20 Dark-Gold Equipment, while the Level of Aqua's equipment was unknown, the representatives simply assumed it was either Level 10 or Level 15 Dark-Gold Equipment. 

Though, this was still incredible for a small Guild, as it was the same as being outfitted in nothing but Level 20 Secret-Silver and Level 20 Fine-Gold equipment. 

However, even if they entertained the thought of Aqua having Level 20 Dark-Gold Equipment, they'd still be wrong, since the only equipment Aqua currently had was Level 30 Dark-Gold rank. 

The crowd's attention turned from Aqua Rose, shifting towards Twilight Echo's representative.

Twilight Echo's representative, Brilliant Wargod, had also noticed Aqua Rose's appearance. He was visibly delighted. It was especially true when he heard everyone's evaluation of the woman.

Ever since he had suffered defeat at Black Flame's hands, due to the punishment from the system, his leveling speed had slowed to a crawl. Even when he accompanied others, he could not level any faster. Having no other choice, he chose to act as the Guild's representative and mingled in Blackwing City. He hated Black Flame fiercely for placing him in his current situation.

Previously, he had allowed Aqua Rose to leave Twilight Echo with ulterior motives. He wanted to teach Aqua Rose that she was nothing without Twilight Echo, and in the end, she would beg to return to the Guild.

However, upon seeing Aqua Rose's equipment and, disguised, level, Brilliant Wargod's expression sank, disappointed.

"Alright, 500 Gold going once!"

"500 Gold going twice!"

...

Melancholic did not care whether the crowd paid attention to Twilight Echo's representative or not. She just smiled faintly as she confirmed the bid. Immediately, Melancholic's words shook everyone back to their senses, and the representatives promptly started shouting their own bids.

"501 Gold!"

"503 Gold!"

"508 Gold!"

...

The Dragonclaw Set Equipment that nobody wanted had suddenly risen to a price of 538 Gold. What had happened to "500 Gold is too expensive?" Their complaints had been nothing more than nonsense. After all, this was a Level 20 Dark-Gold Set Equipment that none of the Guilds in God's Domain possessed. Moreover the set was even a bit suitable for MTs, not to mention it still had effects many times than the individual equipment pieces that their MTs currently wore. How could they possibly give up on it?

When Thunder Tiger placed a bid of 597 Gold, the crowd began to hesitate.

"600 Gold!" Aqua Rose calmly rose the bid.

The crowd turned to look at each other, shocked.

Even to a large Guild, 600 Gold was a lot at this stage of the game. A small Guild shouldn't even have that much. Yet, Aqua Rose seemed not to care about the price at all. The representatives began to wonder what kind of Guild supported Aqua Rose.

"605 Gold!" Swallow Nine stated.

"608 Gold!" Flourishing Colors began to bid as well.

Six hundred Gold was almost the limit a first-rate Guild would willingly bid; any more would be too expensive. However, the three Super Guilds did not care about this price.

Just as the three Super Guilds began to compete with each other...

"650 Gold!"

Although Aqua Rose's voice was not particularly loud, her bid swept through the crowd like a chilling wave...

Six hundred and fifty Gold Coins!

The crowd immediately fell silent. Everyone turned to Aqua Rose, the Rose Goddess who had left the first-rate Guild Twilight Echo.

"She's insane!"

"Spending 650 Gold Coins just to garner some fame is foolish!"

"Does the Guild behind her really possess so much money that they can disregard 650 Gold?"

Every representative had their own speculation. Some believed that Aqua Rose was trying to use the money to buy fame, while some believed that the Guild supporting her possessed an extraordinary background. However, regardless of the reasons behind her actions, everyone's admiration for Aqua Rose grew.

Every Guild here could afford to spend 650 Gold. After all, before Melancholic had started her auction, she had required that anyone who wanted to trade with her must first carry 1,000 Gold on them. If not for the 1,000 Gold in their bags, they would not be so shameless as to participate in the auction. Every Guild in this restaurant was a reputable major power. If others discovered that they did not have 1,000 Gold in their bags, it would tarnish their Guild's reputation.

However, although they had the money, they would not spend it on useless items. They would only buy that which had value to their Guilds. After all, their members had struggled to earn every Gold Coin. Nobody wanted to be played for a fool.

The three Super Guild representatives were also silent. They looked at Aqua Rose with curiosity, confused as to what the Rose Goddess was attempting to do.

"Six hundred fifty Gold going once!" Melancholic watched the calm and composed Aqua Rose, thinking it was as expected of Big Sis Aqua. 

"Six hundred fifty Gold going twice!"

Just as Melancholic shouted the second time, Brilliant Wargod suddenly shouted, "651 Gold. This young master wants it."

"Six hundred sixty Gold," Aqua Rose said as she glared at Brilliant Wargod, disgust and hatred filling her eyes.

"Six hundred sixty one Gold," Brilliant Wargod sneered.

Although so much Gold was a bit too much for the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, he could not stomach letting Aqua Rose garner fame in front of this crowd. If that happened, it would wound his reputation. Hence, he could not allow Aqua Rose to have the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, allowing her to enjoy the limelight.

"Seven hundred Gold."

Done wasting time, Aqua Rose significantly raised the bid. The other Guild representatives were stunned. The three Super Guild representatives shook their heads helplessly.

The price was simply too high.

Previously, everyone had believed that Aqua Rose would never rise without the help of Twilight Echo. Yet, Aqua Rose's current performance was more domineering than during her time in Twilight Echo.

They could not understand why Twilight Echo had discarded Aqua Rose.

Brilliant Wargod's heart trembled upon hearing this bid. Gritting his teeth, he shouted, "701 Gold."

It had not been easy for the Guild to raise the 1,000 Gold he had on him right now, and part of the money had been taken from the funds set aside for Twilight Echo's Guild Residence. If he spent 700 Gold here, it would undoubtedly delay the purchase of the Guild Residence by five or more days.

"Eight hundred Gold!" Aqua Rose shouted without flinching. She then shot Brilliant Wargod a disdainful look.

None of these representatives were fools. They could tell that, rather than purchasing an item, Brilliant Wargod and Aqua Rose currently competed via wealth. However, when they saw Aqua Rose's resolve as she called out a bid of 800 Gold, they could not help but admire the Rose Goddess.

Just what kind of financial power did she possess to ignore 800 Gold?

"You!" Seeing Aqua Rose's contemptuous glance, Brilliant Wargod had never felt such humiliation. Suddenly, he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Aqua Rose! Don't even think of taking what's mine! So what if you've bid 800 Gold? I bid 1,000 Gold!"

"One thousand Gold going once!"

"One thousand Gold going twice!"

...

As Melancholic announced the price, Brilliant Wargod's anxiety grew. He was deeply afraid that Aqua Rose would place an even higher bid. At that time, he'd be screwed, as Brilliant Wargod had already bet all of the Gold he had brought with him. 

Only when Melancholic shouted the third time did Brilliant Wargod reveal a victorious smile. He then shifted his gaze towards Aqua Rose, smirking at the woman with pride.

"One thousand Gold." Melancholic said as she walked up to Brilliant Wargod, placing the Dragonclaw Set Equipment in front of the man. She did not care about whatever thoughts occupied Brilliant Wargod's mind.

When the crowd watched Brilliant Wargod hand over 1,000 Gold in exchange for the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, envy, admiration, and disdain filled their hearts. However, they admitted that the Dragoclaw Set Equipment was currently the only Level 20 Dark-Gold Set Equipment available in God's Domain. Although it was somewhat foolish to spend 1,000 Gold, once they had the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, the profits they could reap with it might exceed 1,000 Gold.

Thinking up to this point, the various Guild representatives felt somewhat regretful. Why had they not competed over the set? What if they could gain far more than 1,000 Gold with the use of this set?

After obtaining the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, a sense of indescribable joy filled Brilliant Wargod's heart as he watched the silent Aqua Rose. However, before he could ridicule the woman, Melancholic suddenly spoke again.

"Let's begin the auction for the second item, then. The auctioned item is another Dragonclaw Set Equipment. Like before, the starting bid is 500 Gold with minimum increments of 1 Gold." Saying so, Melancholic placed another Dragonclaw Set Equipment on the table.

"You... How... Why do you have a second!?" Brilliant Wargod felt his heart shatter when he saw an exact copy of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment he had just purchased.

"Who said I only had one set?" Melancholic rolled her eyes at Brilliant Wargod before proceeding with the auction.

Brilliant Wargod's elation deflated. When he saw Aqua Rose's laughing expression, he even had the thought of killing himself...

When the crowd saw the second Dragonclaw Set Equipment on the table, they all glanced at their fellow representatives. Nobody had expected Melancholic to have a second set. The regret that they had felt immediately vanished.

They had somewhat admired Brilliant Wargod for spending 1,000 Gold to purchase the first Level 20 Dark-Gold Set Equipment in God's Domain. Now, however, that admiration turned into ridicule.

"550 Gold!"

"I bid 555 Gold!"

Previously, everyone had felt that 500 Gold was too expensive. Now, however, multiple Guilds simultaneously began the bid with 550 Gold.

However, just like before, Aqua Rose immediately dashed everyone's hopes by bidding 600 Gold. This time, the three Super Guild representatives did not hesitate as they shouted higher bids.

Items of rarity were expensive. It was especially true during the early stages of God's Domain. Just a single piece of equipment could significantly affect the future development of a Guild, not to mention a Dark-Gold Set Equipment.

In the end, Aqua Rose purchased the second Dragonclaw Set Equipment at 765 Gold. The many Guild representatives envied and admired her. Simultaneously, they also could not help but acknowledge that Aqua Rose was really amazing. Even after leaving Twilight Echo, she was still so well-off. One could just imagine how capable she was. On the other hand, Twilight Echo had been so blind as to chase Aqua Rose out of the Guild.

As everyone admired Aqua Rose, interest in her Guild also began to grow.

It was difficult to breed a true dragon in shallow waters. Aqua Rose was undoubtedly a true dragon. No ordinary Guild would be good enough to catch her eye.

Soon, Melancholic took out the third Dragonclaw Set Equipment, rendering the crowd utterly speechless. They had even started to suspect that the Dragonclaw Set Equipment was some kind of common good that could be purchased anywhere.

However, nobody complained. On the contrary, they all were elated because they had another chance to compete. Melancholic had never mentioned how many sets she had on hand. What if this one was the last?

Hence, everyone gritted their teeth and placed their bids. In the end, Swallow Nine won the third set for 797 Gold.

Following which, Melancholic revealed the fourth set, which Sanctuary's Flourishing Colors won for 803 Gold. Thunder Tiger of King's Return won the fifth set for 822 Gold, whereas a first-rate Guild purchased the sixth set for 837 Gold. Initially, everyone had believed that Melancholic would reveal the seventh set. In the end, however, Melancholic announced that the sixth was the last she had on her. This revelation had caused the crowd to regret not bidding higher.

None of the Guilds had cared much for obtaining a Dark-Gold Set Equipment when no one else had owned one. However, now that some Guilds had obtained one, things had changed. It was highly possible that due to the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, these Guilds would take the lead in conquering Level 20 large-scale Team Dungeons. At that time, these Guilds would gain a massive advantage over the others.

Rare items were expensive.

Although Melancholic had over a thousand copies of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, if she wished to sell them at a good price, she could not sell too many at once; she needed to regulate the number of sets she sold.

Currently, the six sets she had actioned would not sate these Guilds' thirst. Even if she tripled or quadrupled that number, the price they were willing to pay would not decrease.

However, Melancholic would not do so. Six sets were the limit. If she sold any more, it would lead to everyone to believe that the Dragonclaw Set Equipment was easily obtainable. If she tried to sell it later, it would become impossible to get a good price.

Although Cocoa had produced over a thousand sets of Dragonclaw Set Equipment, they were not cheap to forge. Moreover, since the goal was to earn as much Gold from the Dragonclaw Sets as possible, Melancholic naturally had to optimize the prices. 

Despite Melancholic stating that she did not have another Dragonclaw Set Equipment on her, none of the various Guild representatives believed her.

Melancholic had been able to reveal six sets in a row. No matter how one looked at it, Melancholic must have found a special channel to obtain the Dragonclaw Set Equipment. 

However, they could do nothing if Melancholic insisted that she had run out of stock. Many of the representatives who had failed to purchase a set for themselves struggled with their reluctance to accept the situation.

On the other hand, Aqua Rose's appearance had incited a heated discussion. The crowd was quite curious about the Guild behind Aqua Rose. Even first-rate Guilds like theirs had to hesitate before finally deciding to bid for the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, their hearts aching at the expense. The Guild behind Aqua Rose, on the other hand, was actually willing to spend so much Gold just to purchase a Dragonclaw Set Equipment. It was really surprising.

After the auction concluded, Melancholic did not linger in the restaurant. Instead, she left and searched for a hotel to rest and change her appearance using the Disguise Tool once again, returning to being a Cleric.

Melancholic glanced at the players inside the hotel's lobby, before leaving. The moment she had came downstairs, these players had promptly turned to look at her.

No matter what was said or done, the Dragonclaw Set Equipment was a Level 20 Dark-Gold Set Equipment. The various Guilds' desire for the Dragonclaw Set Equipment was self-evident.

Even if she did not sell the set in bulk, it's difficult to avoid attracting attention. 

From the moment she entered the lobby to the moment she left, none of the trackers paid her any mind.

After leaving the hotel, Melancholic immediately hailed a horse carriage and rode it to the Blackwing Auction House.

Other than holding the weekly large-scale auctions, the Blackwing Auction House was also a hub for players to sell their items. However, the items sold here were only available through the Blackwing Auction House; these items would not be available elsewhere.

Although the sales scope was very narrow, Blackwing City's main role was to act as a trade hub. Guilds and players from various kingdoms and empires preferred to sell their items in the Blackwing Auction House, as it was far more lucrative to sell them here than it was to use their respective Auction Houses.

Upon her arrival at the Blackwing Auction House, Melancholic placed nearly all of her remaining sets of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment up for sale without hesitation. She sold the sets in batches, with different random intervals in order to make the sets' appearance random. Sometimes a couple would appear within an hour, and sometimes none would appear within two to three hours. Meanwhile, the starting bid she set was 700 Gold. 

Aside from placing the Dragonclaw Set Equipment up for sale, Melancholic also placed the various Level 20 Fine-Gold and Dark-Gold Weapons and Equipment from Zero Wing's Warehouse to be sold in separate batches as well. Since Zero Wing's top combatants no longer had any use for them, while their value would quickly drop, Feng had decided it was best to sell them during this time. 

Though, Melancholic naturally didn't place all of the items to be quickly sold, and instead separated them across multiple days in order to get the best prices. 

After Melancholic finished this task, she didn't waste any time and immediately left Blackwing City, as she had plenty of other stuff to do. 

However, shortly after Melancholic's departure...

The Blackwing Auction House exploded.

"It's actually the Dragonclaw Set Equipment!"

"It can't be, right? Someone is actually selling the Dragonclaw Set Equipment on the Auction House!"

"The price is high! That person set the starting price at 700 Gold!"

Players who frequented the Blackwing Auction House drooled when they saw the Dragonclaw Set Equipment. Who knew how many items they had to sell to afford the price-tag of this set equipment.

News of the situation swiftly spread throughout Blackwing City.

Previously, due to Melancholic auctioning the Dragonclaw Set Equipment, information regarding the set had long since flowed between the various large Guilds. Moreover, the fact that the three Super Guilds had each purchased a Dragonclaw Set Equipment had placed a significant amount of pressure on the first-rate Guilds, increasing their desire to own one for themselves. However, since Melancholic no longer sold the sets, they could only dream of owning one. Now that they had received news of more sets being available, they had to compete for them.

For a time, the Dragonclaw Set Equipment's price increased rapidly.

In a short moment, the bids had risen from 700 Gold to 779 Gold.

In the end, the first three sets of Dragonclaw Set Equipment in the Blackwing Auction House had sold for 805 Gold, 818 Gold, and 823 Gold. In an instant, a massive profit was made. 

However, this was only the beginning. The competition between the various large Guilds was intense. It was of utmost importance to have a strong MT. This alone was enough to drive the large Guilds crazy over the set. Hence, the price of the Dragonclaw Set Equipment would only increase from this point forward.

Meanwhile, all of these Gold Coins secretly flowed into Feng's pockets with none the wiser. 

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