Red-Name players who wanted to clear their Infamy Points had to grind monsters. Generally, slaying a hundred common mobs cleared a single point of Infamy, while a hundred Elite monsters cleared ten. As for Bosses, a single Black Iron Boss could also wipe ten points, provided it was a solo kill.
Furthermore, the targets couldn't be lower than the player’s own level. In Twilight of the Gods, hunting low-level mobs yielded no rewards, which naturally meant they wouldn't reduce Red-Name Status.
One million points!
Even with Liam's current strength, clearing that debt would be a long, arduous journey. Worse yet, he couldn't afford to die. If he perished with that many Infamy Points, everything he carried—save for soulbound items—would drop. A single death would strip him clean.
That posed a massive problem. How was he supposed to leave the Novice Village?
Most of his gear was replaceable. Even the Gold Grade Ninefold Longbow wouldn't break his heart if lost. But the Bloodstained Necklace was different. To Liam, it was practically a Divine Artifact. If he lost that, there was no telling when—or if—he would ever find another piece of equipment with similar properties.
Could he stay in the Novice Village until the Red-Name Status was cleared? Unlikely. He could grind dungeons until he vomited and still wouldn't put a dent in a million points.
Finally, Liam turned his gaze toward the Blessing of the Gods. Whether he could defy fate depended entirely on this. In the world of Twilight of the Gods, the Blessing of the Gods was an item that truly transcended the Heavenly Grade.
"Use Blessing of the Gods."
Liam activated the item, his heart hammering with anticipation.
Ding! You have received the Blessing of the Gods...
Due to your excessive Infamy Points, the blessing has mutated.
Ding! You have received the blessing of Gaea the Earth Mother...
A pillar of dark crimson light erupted from the heavens, swallowing Liam where he stood.
Ding! You have acquired: Death Cycle.
Liam’s eyes widened. He immediately pulled up the skill description.
Death Cycle (1-Star Rank)
Effect: Your Basic Attacks have a 0.5% chance to instantly kill the target.
Cooldown: None.
Cost: None.
Mastery: 0/1,000 (Note: Mastery is gained by slaying monsters, NPCs, or Adventurers of a level equal to or higher than your own. Each kill grants 1 Mastery point.)
Liam’s lip twitched. As expected of a blessing from Gaea the Earth Mother. Even at 1-Star Rank, the effect was terrifyingly simple yet utterly broken.
A 0.5% proc rate seemed low, but what happened when the Star Rank increased? The potential was staggering. In the late game, when facing world-tier bosses, would he be able to delete them in a single strike? The mere thought sent a jolt of excitement through him.
He forced himself to calm down and began looting the field. Sixteen bosses were waiting for him to pick their pockets, most notably the Elder Mayor. As the super-boss of the Novice Village, the man had to be carrying something extraordinary.
Equipment, skill books, Gold Sovereigns, various crafting materials... Liam frowned as he sifted through the pile. Aside from the skill books, which he could use to fuel the Mastery of Verdant Rebirth, nothing else seemed helpful.
The reason was simple: with his current Infamy, the moment he stepped out of the Novice Village, he was a walking loot crate. He would lose it all.
Then, his eyes caught on a specific item.
"A Guild Creation Order!"
This was huge. In the early stages of the game, a Guild Creation Order was arguably more valuable than a Lord's Heart.
"Use Guild Creation Order."
Liam didn't hesitate. If he died now, it would just drop. Worse, he would respawn in the Capital City and have no way to return to the Novice Village to reclaim it.
Please name your guild.
"The Solitary Snow Guild."
Liam chose the name of the guild he had founded in his previous life.
Ding! You are the first player to establish a guild. A Server-Wide Broadcast is about to be issued. Would you like to hide your name?
"No."
[Server-Wide Broadcast]: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for being the first to establish a guild. Reward: Guild Special Item +1. This announcement is made to encourage all players to strive for excellence.
[Server-Wide Broadcast]: Congratulations to player Frost Monarch for being the first to establish a guild...
Establishing a guild carried far more weight than a World First boss kill. The players who had been obsessively discussing the destruction of the Novice Village were instantly silenced, their attention diverted to the news.
"Holy shit, Frost Monarch? He’s finally back on the map?"
"What does a guild actually do? Can some pro explain?"
"The game guide says it provides special buffs. Like a 1% boost to EXP, damage, or movement speed for all members."
"Only 1%? That’s not much."
"That’s just for a 1-Star guild. The higher the level, the crazier the buffs."
Every corner of Twilight of the Gods was abuzz with the news. Inside a Level 15 dungeon, Misty Snow’s brow furrowed as she heard the broadcast.
"So that’s why you haven't been leveling?" she mused.
It made sense now. He had likely abandoned the level race to focus on a hidden questline for the Guild Creation Order.
"But without a major organization backing you, what can a solo player do with a guild?"
While the world speculated, Liam opened his guild interface.
Guild Name: The Solitary Snow Guild
Level: 1-Star Rank
Guild Master: Frost Monarch
Vice Guild Master: None
Administrators: None
Members: None
Wealth: 0
Warehouse: Empty
Achievement: 0/1,000
Buffs: Damage +1%
Liam’s eyes lit up. He immediately dumped his Gold Sovereigns, equipment, materials, and items into the guild warehouse. Now, even if he died, the items stayed in the guild’s persistent storage.
"Talk about a lucky break."
The guild warehouse acted as a safety net. He could now bypass the risk of losing his hard-earned loot upon leaving the Novice Village. Along with the guild creation, he checked his new special item.
Guild Special Item: Bronze
Effect: Upon activation, all guild members gain a permanent 10% Critical Hit Chance bonus.
This was incredible. Early-game guild buffs were usually pathetic 1% increments, but this was a flat 10%.
"Use."
Ding! You have used a special item. Guild members now have +10% Critical Hit Chance. Guild Achievement +200.
Guild progression relied on Achievement Points. Once the gauge was full, the guild leveled up automatically. However, these points were notoriously difficult to obtain; they were only awarded for major contributions, such as members awakening an Innate Talent, obtaining a Hidden Class, securing dungeon first-clears, or killing World Bosses.
A ping interrupted his thoughts. Bulwark Pagoda had sent a string of messages—first expressing concern and worry, then asking if he needed help.
In his previous life, Bulwark Pagoda had died too early for Liam to know him well. But the fact that he reached out even after Liam’s level had repeatedly plummeted suggested he was a man of character.
Suddenly, a voice call request popped up. It wasn't Bulwark Pagoda, but another person on his friend list.
"Our captain wants to know if you're willing to sell the guild," Shadow-Slayer’s voice came through. "We’re prepared to offer one hundred million."
Liam raised an eyebrow. One hundred million? That was a staggering sum, even for someone like Shadow-Slayer. Under normal circumstances, he might have taken it. But not now.
He needed power. Being strong as an individual wasn't enough; he needed a core of elite subordinates and the resources to attract world-class talent. The guild was the foundation of that power. Imagine a guild that provided a 100% boost to damage, crit, EXP, and attack speed. Experts would crawl over broken glass just for an invitation.
"Sorry, the guild isn't for sale."
"The price is negotiable," Shadow-Slayer pressed.
"It’s not about the money..." Liam paused. "I don't need cash. If you have any Special Grade equipment, I might consider a trade for other things, but not the guild."
Shadow-Slayer went silent for a moment. "Wait, let me check."
Special equipment was vital. The Purifying Jade Amulet had been the only reason Liam survived the encounter with the Elder Mayor.
"We don't have any special equipment right now," Shadow-Slayer admitted. "Can we talk about the price again?"
"No."
Liam cut him off. The sooner a guild was established, the faster it could level. His personal level could afford to lag behind as long as his stats remained high, but the guild’s growth was non-negotiable.
He ended the call, only for Bulwark Pagoda to call immediately after.
"Are you okay?" Bulwark Pagoda asked, his voice thick with genuine concern.
"I’m fine. Thanks for checking in," Liam replied.
Bulwark Pagoda hesitated before speaking again. "My father just contacted me. He wanted me to ask if you’d sell the guild. He said the price is open for discussion."
"I’m not selling."
Bulwark Pagoda didn't push it. "Fair enough. Once you get to the Capital City, remember to carry me through some quests. I’ll pay well."
"Deal."
Liam hung up and turned his attention to his second quest.
Quest: In ancient times, the Scion of the Golden Emperor died and became Hanba the Drought-Bringer. He fought for the Golden Emperor against Chiyou the Primordial, only to be sealed beneath the Novice Village by Chiyou.
Objective: Release the sealed Scion of the Golden Emperor.
Penalty: All fire-element damage taken will be doubled permanently.
Reward: Unknown.
Based on the first quest scroll, he suspected the reward would be another Blessing of the Gods. It was a shame his prediction about a third quest—killing the Hanba—hadn't triggered yet.
Regardless, the task seemed manageable. He had the Frost-Flame Ore in his possession; he just needed to break the seal at the bottom of The Desolate Precipice.
He made his way to the edge of the cliff and looked down, a headache forming. He had no idea how to get down safely. Every player who had tried to jump before had died. Now that the Altar of Rebirth in the Novice Village was destroyed, a death would mean an immediate forced respawn in the Capital City.
Liam circled the edge of the precipice twice but found nothing.
"A single arrow to call the clouds, a thousand troops shall meet!"
Liam shouted nonsense and fired an arrow into the abyss. There was no response. Next, he threw a homemade firebomb. He watched the flickering light grow smaller and smaller until it vanished into the darkness.
The drop was massive. Jumping was suicide.
"There has to be a hidden mechanic," he muttered.
If only he had squeezed the information out of Old Grog before the chaos. He began probing the edge with arrows, searching for anything out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, his eyes caught a glint in the mist. Through the enhanced vision of The Immaculate Eye, he saw them: steel wires snaking through the fog.
"There it is."
Liam took a breath and leaped, landing with perfect balance on a wire. Then he hopped to the next, and the next. Only a player with his mechanical skill could stay upright on such a narrow, swaying surface.
Half an hour later, he finally touched the ground at the bottom of The Desolate Precipice. Before him lay a massive Yin-Yang Array.
Liam approached the center. Two indentations sat atop the black and white Yin-Yang Millstones. One was the exact shape of the Frost-Flame Ore. As for the other... he already had the key. He pulled out the Mysterious Key he had looted from the Raging Mustelid. He had wondered what it was for; now he knew.
"Who’s there?"
Just as he prepared to insert the items, his head snapped toward the end of the canyon. A figure was walking toward him at a leisurely pace. The man’s stride was steady, his frame powerful.
The thick mist at the bottom of the precipice obscured the stranger's features, but as he drew closer, the details became clear. When Liam finally saw the man’s face, his heart skipped a beat. He actually recoiled, nearly losing his footing.
"How is this possible?!"
"How are you here?!"
Liam couldn't believe his eyes. When a Novice Village NPC died, it was a permanent death. There was no mechanic for them to respawn.
"You... you’re supposed to be dead!"
The man offered a mocking smile, his voice calm and cold.
"And who told you I was dead? The person you killed was merely my brother. We’ve planned this for so long... and his sacrifice was necessary for the plan to succeed."
The man looked up at the sky with a hint of feigned regret. "Brother, your death was worth it. Our vision is finally coming to fruition!"
"Miller the Smith was your brother?" Liam’s grip tightened on his bow. "Who the hell are you? There was no one like you in the village!"