Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God Chapter 2 - Sherlock’s Request
Previously on Reincarnation Of The Strongest Sword God...
Chapter 2 - Sherlock’s Request
To ensure accessibility for the masses, God’s Domain was designed to be playable during sleep. Furthermore, time dilation existed between the virtual world and reality; two hours spent in-game were equivalent to only one hour in the real world.
A full cycle in the game lasted forty-eight hours, divided into thirty hours of daylight and eighteen hours of darkness.
To further accommodate the working class, the developers synchronized the game’s daytime with the real world’s nighttime, allowing players to enjoy the sun after their daily shifts.
Upon entering God’s Domain, Shi Feng traversed a shimmering, multicolored tunnel before manifesting within a grand, golden temple.
A tiny female angel, boasting four pairs of wings and roughly the size of a human palm, fluttered toward him.
"Greetings, Adventurer! Welcome to God’s Domain. I am Gabriel, your Navigation Angel. I am here to present the four primary categories and twelve main jobs. Please select the profession that suits you best."
With a flick of Gabriel’s tiny wrist, a holographic display showcasing the twelve main jobs materialized before Shi Feng.
These twelve jobs were split into four distinct classes.
Warrior: Shield Warrior, Guardian Knight, Berserker.
Weapons Specialist: Swordsman, Assassin, Ranger.
Healer: Cleric, Druid, Oracle.
Mage: Elementalist, Summoner, Cursemancer.
Warriors were the masters of monster mitigation; weapons specialists focused on delivering physical strikes; healers were responsible for recovery; and mages dealt massive magical damage. The unique combat styles of every job served as a primary draw for God’s Domain.
During his previous life, Shi Feng had chosen the Swordsman path under the Weapons Specialist category, eventually earning the title of Sword Magician.
Having dedicated so much effort to the Swordsman job in the past, he saw no reason to change. He selected the familiar Swordsman class without a second thought.
"Job selection confirmed. Please provide a name for your character."
"Ye Feng."
Shi Feng opted for the same alias he had used previously.
"Name accepted. Would you like to modify your appearance? The adjustment limit is set at 15%."
After a moment of consideration, Shi Feng decided to utilize the full 15% adjustment to blend into the crowd. While it made him less handsome than his real self, it ensured he wouldn't be easily recognized by others.
"Please pick a starting location within the Star-Moon Kingdom."
A map appeared, highlighting dozens of cities scattered across the Star-Moon Kingdom.
The launch of God’s Domain was a global event. To house hundreds of millions of players, the world was massive—two or three times the size of Earth—with countless kingdoms. However, a player's real-world location dictated their starting country, restricting their choices to domestic cities.
"White River City."
Shi Feng had no intention of starting anywhere else; he chose the city he knew better than any other.
Ranked fifth in the Star-Moon Kingdom, White River City was a vital northern hub. Many professional Workshops settled there to avoid the intense territorial wars of the major Guilds.
"City selected. You will be transported to Red Leaf Town within White River City in three seconds. We hope you enjoy your journey."
Shi Feng’s vision blurred immediately as the teleportation took effect.
Red Leaf Town featured a chaotic layout of medieval-style architecture. The streets were packed with bustling NPCs, creating an atmosphere so immersive it felt like an entirely different reality.
Appearing in front of a church, Shi Feng looked like a typical, broke Swordsman. He was outfitted in gray Novice Leather Armor with a basic Novice Sword strapped to his hip.
"I still ended up back in Red Leaf Town after all." A faint smile touched Shi Feng’s lips as he surveyed the familiar surroundings, a surge of confidence rising in his chest.
Nearby, a multitude of players were already scouring the town, pestering NPCs for Quest leads. Others rushed toward the outskirts, eager to hunt monsters in the wild. Everyone moved with desperate urgency, as if trying to squeeze every possible second out of their time.
Ignoring the crowd, Shi Feng summoned his Attribute Panel with a quick gesture.
Character: Ye Feng (Human)Affiliated Kingdom: Star-MoonTitle: NoneJob: SwordsmanLevel: 0HP: 100/100Physical Attack Power: 13Defense: 4Attack Speed: 3Movement Speed: 4Attributes: Strength 5, Agility 3, Endurance 4, Intelligence 2, Vitality 2.Free Attribute Points: 4
Weapon Mastery:One-handed Sword Mastery +5 (Apprentice Rank - Increases One-handed Sword Damage by 5%)Two-handed Sword Mastery + 5 (Apprentice Rank - Increases Two-handed Sword Damage by 5%)Free Mastery Points: 0
Job Talent:Swordsman Talent 1: Sword-related Mastery +5Swordsman Talent 2: Obtain 8 Free Mastery Points every 5 Levels.Swordsman Talent 3: Sword-related skills proficiency increased by 50%.
Skills:Chop. Active skill. Requirement: Sword. Additional 8 points of damage. Cooldown: 5 seconds. Skill Level: 1 (Proficiency 0/300)
Equipment:[Swordsman’s Leather Shirt] (Gray Trash)Level 0Defense +2Durability 10/10
[Novice Sword] (Gray Trash, One-handed Sword)Level 0Equipment Requirement: Strength 3Attack Power +3Durability 15/15
His inventory contained ten loaves of Bread and ten pouches of Water. Consuming Bread restored 10 HP per second, while Water restored 10 MP per second; both lasted for ten seconds.
While every Swordsman began with identical base Attributes, the distribution of Free Attribute Points allowed for customization.
Players received 4 Free Attribute Points per Level. How these points were spent would eventually define a player's specific combat style.
Strength enhanced Physical Attack Power and impact. Agility boosted Attack and Movement Speed. Endurance increased maximum HP and stamina. Intelligence raised Magical Attack Power and MP, while Vitality governed the regeneration rates of HP and MP. Different Jobs naturally prioritized different stats.
Since the Swordsman was a physical damage class, most players dumped points into Strength. In his past life, Shi Feng followed the trend, assigning 2 points to Strength, 1 to Endurance, and 1 to Agility at every Level—a standard, unremarkable build.
This time, however, Shi Feng had a different strategy.
He immediately dumped all 4 Free Attribute Points into Agility. His Agility stat rose to 7, bringing both his Attack Speed and Movement Speed to 4.
This distribution was unheard of; even Assassins, who thrived on Agility, usually prioritized Strength early on to make leveling easier through higher raw damage.
But Shi Feng knew something they didn't.
For melee classes, Agility was actually the superior choice during the early phase of God’s Domain. This secret wouldn't be uncovered for several weeks. Once the truth came out, many melee players would lament their early-game choices in bitter regret.
After finalizing his stats, Shi Feng surveyed the area.
In the short time he’d been there, waves of new players had arrived. The central plaza was a sea of green player icons, completely obscuring the yellow NPC markers and making it nearly impossible to find anyone.
Di! Di! Di!
A notification for a voice call appeared. The caller ID read "Black Cloud." It was Blackie.
"Brother Feng, I picked Cursemancer and spawned in Falling Moon Town. Where did you end up?" Blackie sounded incredibly hyped, clearly ready to jump into the action.
"I’m in Red Leaf Town, it's fairly close to you. Come over here and I'll help you level up," Shi Feng replied.
"Brother Feng, are you kidding? Do you have any idea how far that is? The map says it's a seven-hour walk! I'll be way behind everyone else if I spend that much time traveling. Let's just grind separately and meet in White River City once we hit Level 10." Blackie was nearly fuming. The pressure of earning 16,000 Credits in ten days was already immense. Wasting seven hours of prime leveling time seemed like suicide.
"Relax. Just get over here. You'll make up that lost time faster than you think," Shi Feng said calmly.
Noticing the confidence in Shi Feng’s voice, Blackie’s tone shifted to excitement. "Brother Feng, don't tell me... do you have info from a Beta Tester?"
Before the official launch, God’s Domain had invited a select group for testing. These Beta Testers possessed invaluable early-game knowledge. Even if the developers tweaked things, their insights were far superior to those of the average player.
"What do you think? Just get moving," Shi Feng teased with a laugh.
Convinced that Shi Feng had an inside edge, Blackie replied, "Alright, wait for me, Brother Feng! I'm heading your way right now."
After hanging up, Shi Feng navigated toward a secluded, dingy alleyway.
Red Leaf Town was home to hundreds of NPCs, yet only a handful offered Quests. Among them were five Hidden Quests and exactly one Unique Quest. Once a Unique Quest was finished, it vanished forever.
The Unique Quest in Red Leaf Town hadn't been found until two months after the game launched, causing a massive stir in White River City. The player who completed it eventually shared the details, making everyone else green with envy. By then, of course, the opportunity was gone.
Shi Feng had no intention of letting it slip through his fingers this time.
He entered an alley filled with beggars wearing rags. Like predators spotting prey, they swarmed Shi Feng the moment he appeared, pleading for scraps of food.
In the past, a player had tried to be charitable here. The beggars’ demands only grew more expensive with every gift. After fulfilling over ten requests, the player received nothing in return, becoming the laughingstock of the community.
"Back off!"
Shi Feng barked, drawing his Novice Sword. The intimidated beggars immediately scrambled away.
Shi Feng approached a corner where a middle-aged vagrant lay. He looked much like the others, save for one detail: he possessed a quiet dignity and hadn't joined the others in begging.
"Do you require assistance, Sir?" Shi Feng asked with formal politeness.
"Could you spare some food? I haven't eaten in five days," the beggar replied.
Most people would have been outraged by such a blunt refusal, but the man simply sighed and fell silent.
"However, if you can provide a fair trade, I can give you the food you need," Shi Feng added.
The man looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "If I had coin, I would gladly pay. But I have nothing. If you are willing to aid me, though, I will see you rewarded well. Will you help me?"
"What is it you need me to do?" Shi Feng inquired.
The beggar’s expression turned grim. "Kill the Mayor of Red Leaf Town, Cross."
Despite being a starter town, the Mayor was a Level 15 Elite, flanked by Level 25 Guards. Furthermore, attacking an NPC usually led to immediate imprisonment. Asking a player to kill the Mayor was essentially asking them to commit suicide. No sane player would ever accept such a ridiculous Quest.
"Very well, I accept," Shi Feng agreed instantly, a smile on his face.
System: Unique Quest "Sherlock’s Request" accepted.Quest Details: Slay Cross, the Mayor of Red Leaf Town, and return the [Mayor’s Insignia] to Sherlock. Player must be Level 10 or below.
With the Quest logged, Shi Feng turned and began walking toward the Town Hall where the Mayor resided.