CHAPTER 1346: NO WAY AROUND IT

“There is no way around getting a shitty geass?” the blacksmith as surprised that not even a god was all-knowing.

~Most attempts will just make it worse; you might even end up with several bad ones. If you really don't want it, you should hurry and become a legend or a god. Only then will you have the choice whether you accept it or not.~ The god told him nonchalantly.

Well, it made sense, but who knew how quickly the realm was going to awaken? It wasn't easy to become a legend. The cost to level up rose exponentially the higher he climbed, and he already didn't have an easy path. Unlike the others, he could not go around aura farming with adventures and heroic deeds.

Since the great tournament, he didn't really do any publicity stunts to get his name out to the system worlds. Of course, they won their battle with Spatia, but he didn't gain that much from this news. It was less about individuals and more about Minas Mar as a whole doing a great deed.

Maybe his plan to flood the auction house with high-quality gear had to be implemented sooner rather than later. And that when he just thought he could relax a little and just craft for as long as he felt like.

The god and the blacksmith talked for a while longer, but it was mostly inconsequential stuff until they got to the important part, which was ...

~150 Gold!~ Nas'Korn tried to haggle.

“You can't haggle AFTER the deal! We agreed on 250G and the information, nothing less!” the blacksmith argued against the voice nobody but him heard. He saw no reason for using himself. It was the god's dignity that was falling, by trying to haggle with him.

~Tsk, fine. Taurio, go get 250 gold from the treasury and give it to the Tower Master. ~

Hearing his god's revelation, the chosen hurried away to fulfill god's commandments. They waited for about 15 minutes in silence before the young man returned, his fine suit now all wrinkly and drenched with sweat.

“I-I brought the money. What is it for?” Taurio asked, huffing after sprinting up and down the mountain. Instead of answering, Seth brought out the egg of the Mountain King, holding it right in front of his eyes.

“I made a deal with Nas'Korn to give you your new pet. This is the Mountain Kind, a kind of troll that can grow terrifyingly strong in the vicinity of the mountain he chose as his home. It's a highest-grade pet with the potential to become a legend, and that chance only rises if it gains Nas'Korn's blessing,” the bard reiterated the speech he held the god.

Taurio stared at the massive egg, the size and appearance of a watermelon carved from marble, which the blacksmith was holding up. His eyes were already twinkling with desire after he listened to Seth's short introduction.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“My arm is getting tired. What are you waiting for? Take it,” Seth prompted him, when the chosen was simply staring at the egg in his hand. Belatedly, Taurio carefully took the egg with both his hands from the Tower Master.

“And you will need this. The egg is enchanted with a preservation spell. It will only hatch when you dispel it using this scroll,” the blacksmith repeated the words of Edgar, the clerk of “Eggcelent Beasts” where Seth had bought the pets.

“Th-thank you,” Taurio mumbled, taking the roll with his free hand, while he cradled the big egg like a child in his other arm.

“No need to thank me, you paid for it, after all,” Seth said jokingly. With the egg having transferred owner, Seth didn't intend to stay and watch it get hatched. He and Nas'korn talked a little longer about the current events in Agra, but the city was calm.

Despite its close vicinity to Spring City and Thres, there was little influx of cultivators and no sightings of cybernetic beasts, yet. Leaving some cautionary tales with the god and its chosen, the blacksmith and Tatzel finally left the holy mountain

“Are you ready to return now?” Seth asked Tatzel, walking beside him, they were both munching on candied fruits they saw at a store when walking by. It was already getting late, and the sun was slowly setting at the edge of the sacred mountain.

~Yes, today was fun. I'm feeling a lot better.~ the little dragon said happily. Although Seth felt a little regretful that he didn't get to start on Fin's accessories today, seeing Tatzel in a better mood was worth it.

They returned to the system church in Agra and moved straight back home to Minas Mar, appearing in the entrance hall. While Tatzel waddled off to the room where he built his own little hoard of stuff he looted on his adventures with the Beasts of Calamity, Seth returned to his quarters, where two ladies were already waiting for an explanation for why he came so late.

...

The next day, the blacksmith hurried to the workshop after breakfast. Having managed to defend his secret against Mina and Fin during their questioning, Seth finally got to lock himself in the workshop. With all the materials he needed for his surprise, there was nothing in his way to finish them before anyone had the chance to spoil it.

Going over it again, he had the legendary that Hubert had brought in after a long time of searching. The legendary bronze bead would give him the base material for two rings and a necklace.

Following Sivri's advice, he had also gotten three pearls that would create an additional effect. They were the Pearl of Sai, the Pearl of Gin, and the Pearl of Hada. He had paid quite a lot for these epic monster cores, but their effects were worth the price.

Lastly, he had attained the Soul of Pithra, the former chief of Dragonnewts in the Holy Land of the Adventurer Guild. Not only was the soul rated Ex in size and had an ego, but Pithra was on the path of becoming a legendary Monk.

The blacksmith had no way to get his hands on the Soul of Beashaz, which would have been the most perfect fit for the item, but he was convinced that the bead would synergize with the , taking their similarities into account.

The blacksmith assembled all of them in front of him on a workbench. These were probably the best assortment of materials he would be able to get. Not just in this moment, but at all. There was only a slight doubt, because the possibility that there existed other unique or legendary materials that could substitute for any of these was not zero.

Whatever, these were the best for what he wanted to do now.

Seth studied the blueprints one last time to get ready for the process. Then picked up the prayer bead. Weighing it in his hand, he stepped to the furnace burning with its pale blue, almost white spirit flame.

It was time to craft and see whether the legendary effect would survive the reforging of its item.