One SSS Affix per Level: My Novice Club Can Slay Gods!

After entering Sunset City, John did not immediately begin exploring.

He opened the map and headed straight for the registration office in the southern district.

Back in Blackstone, he had nearly been mistaken for a vagrant and sold to the Blackfang Gang as a sacrifice because he had failed to register his identity in time.

He was not going to make the same mistake twice.

Before John left Blackstone, Irina had specifically warned him that all outsiders entering Sunset City for the first time were required to register at a City Guard office under the City Lord’s Mansion.

Otherwise, they could easily be detained as unregistered individuals during a routine inspection.

The City Guard badge she had given John would also save him a great deal of trouble here.

A little over ten minutes later—

John arrived before a gray-white building.

A line of several hundred people stretched out from the entrance.

Merchants, mercenaries, and refugees were mixed together, and the end of the line was nowhere in sight.

John took out the City Guard badge.

The soldier responsible for maintaining order glanced at it, and his expression immediately became serious.

"Commander Frostsilver’s personal badge?"

He instantly straightened his back and pressed his right fist against his chest.

"Please follow me."

John bypassed the waiting crowd and entered the registration office directly.

Quite a few people immediately began complaining when they saw him cut the line.

Inside the registration room, a black-haired knight in his thirties was organizing a stack of records.

The moment he saw the badge, he stood up.

"I am Lorne, Captain of the Registration Office Guard."

"Has Commander Irina been well?"

"She’s doing fine."

John placed the badge on the table.

Lorne carefully picked it up, obvious respect in his eyes.

"I trained under Commander Irina when I was younger."

"Many members of Sunset City’s City Guard have also received her instruction."

"Since you were introduced by her, we can simplify the procedure."

Lorne took out a pale blue crystal.

"Place your hand on it."

John pressed his palm against the crystal.

[Registering identity...]

[Player Identity Confirmed: Endbringer.]

[Region of Origin: Blackstone.]

[Identity Status: Normal.]

[Basic Sunset City Access Unlocked.]

[You have obtained Temporary Resident Status in Sunset City.]

Lorne handed John a copper identity token.

"With this token, you can secure accommodation, conduct transactions, and enter the Class Associations and Quest Hall."

"If you have no record of criminal activity within seven days, your status will automatically be upgraded to that of a permanent resident."

John had only just accepted the token when—

Bang!

The registration office doors were suddenly thrown open.

More than a dozen people dressed in white-and-gold robes strode inside.

They wore emblems depicting a sun intersected by a cross upon their chests. Each carried a staff, and their expressions were filled with arrogance.

The tall, thin man leading them had a slightly hooked nose and a silver Holy See medal hanging from his chest.

The smile on Lorne’s face disappeared instantly.

Even so, he suppressed his emotions and stepped forward to salute.

"Deacon Marco."

"May I ask what business brings the Holy See Inspection Corps here today?"

Marco did not even look at him.

"A routine inspection."

"Bring out all registration accounts and expenditure records for this month."

"The Holy See will requisition thirty percent of your funds for the Holy Light Frontline outside the city."

The expressions of the City Guards behind Lorne immediately darkened.

A so-called inspection was nothing more than an excuse to take their money.

The Holy See had already taken twenty percent of their operating funds last month.

Now it wanted another thirty percent.

Furthermore, everyone in the City Guard knew the truth about this so-called Holy Light Frontline.

Only a tiny portion of the money actually reached the front line.

Most of it was intercepted at one level after another before eventually flowing into the Holy See itself.

The City Guards stationed on the front lines had to carefully ration every coin merely to maintain their most basic equipment.

Meanwhile, the Holy See’s people wore gold-trimmed robes, carried expensive staffs, and spoke endlessly about doing everything "for humanity."

Even more infuriatingly, anyone who questioned them would be accused of blaspheming the Holy Light at best.

At worst, they would be taken away for judgment and never heard from again.

This was hardly the first time it had happened.

This time, however, the Holy See Inspection Corps could not even be bothered to disguise what it was doing.

Yet when faced with the Holy See, the City Guards had always been forced to endure.

Lorne spoke in a deep voice.

"The registration office’s funding must be approved by the City Lord’s Mansion."

"I will submit the request."

Marco sneered.

"The Dark Realm has already declared war on humanity."

"Do you intend to make the Holy Light Frontline wait while you slowly work through your approval process?"

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly fell upon the Fire Crystal Staff in John’s hand.

The staff had belonged to Irene.

Even after being purified, a faint trace of dark magic still remained deep within the Fire Crystal.

Marco narrowed his eyes.

"Wait."

"Hand over your staff."

John glanced at him.

"On what grounds?"

"It carries a dense aura of dark magic."

Marco raised his staff and pointed it at John.

"This man may be a spy planted in Sunset City by the Dark Realm."

"Seize him immediately and escort him to the Holy See for judgment."

Lorne stepped forward and placed himself directly between John and Marco.

"That does not follow proper procedure."

"Even in a case involving dark magic, the City Guard must first confiscate the evidence and verify the suspect’s identity."

"The Holy See may only take someone into custody after a bishop-level official personally signs the necessary order."

Marco’s expression darkened.

"At a time like this, you still want to talk to me about procedure?"

"The Dark Realm is slaughtering humanity on the front lines."

"Now someone carrying a black magic weapon has appeared behind our defenses. If he turns out to be a spy, can you bear the responsibility?"

The veins on the back of Lorne’s sword hand bulged.

"This is a City Guard registration office."

"You do not have the authority to arrest people here as you please."

His voice was extremely low, but it carried anger that had been suppressed for far too long.

"Do you people from the Holy See truly think this entire city is your private estate?"

The City Guards behind him drew their swords simultaneously.

Clang!

More than a dozen longswords left their sheaths at once.

"You come here every month, and all you ever talk about is funding!"

"The Holy Light Frontline? Sounds more like your tavern bill to me!"

"Try arresting another innocent person, and I’ll make sure you leave here lying down!"

The resentment they had suppressed for so long finally erupted.

The Holy See’s people clearly had not expected the City Guard to truly resist them.

"Outrageous!"

"Do you intend to betray the Holy Light?"

One staff after another began glowing.

John also tightened his grip on the Fire Crystal Staff.

If the other side attacked, he would not mind adding a few more achievements to the second-ranked weapon on the Equipment Rankings.

Just as the two sides were on the verge of battle, a City Guard suddenly rushed into the hall.

"Captain!"

"Something happened in the southern district!"

Lorne turned around.

"Report."

The soldier struggled to catch his breath.

"The City Lord’s Mansion Investigation Team encountered members of the Dark Magic Society south of the city. A battle broke out between them."

"Nearby villagers discovered the bodies of several Investigation Team members and Dark Magic Society operatives along the road."

"But every surviving member of the Investigation Team has disappeared."

"I’m afraid their chances of survival are extremely low."

Among the Holy See’s group, a gray-haired priest’s expression changed slightly.

He quickly walked over to Marco and whispered several words into his ear.

Marco’s eyes flickered.

A moment later, the anger on his face abruptly disappeared.

A cold smile appeared at the corners of his mouth instead.

"In that case, the matter is simple."

He looked at John.

"Did you not claim that you have nothing to do with black magic?"

"Now you have the perfect opportunity to prove your innocence."

A system prompt immediately appeared.

[You have triggered the B-Rank Quest: The Missing Investigation Team!]

[Quest Objective: Travel to the battle site south of the city and locate the missing members of the Investigation Team.]

[Quest Rewards: EXP, Gold Coins, and Sunset City Reputation.]

[Accept Quest?]