Ch. 631..640

Chapter 631

"So you do wield water magic!"

"WHAT?!" Kylon shouted again, aiming her shock toward Perchet. "What is he talking about?! What magic types can you wield?"

Answering calmly, Perchet smiled, "Apart from dark and sound magic types, I can also wield water and earth magic types. I’m the one Nocturnal Dragon with four affinities but many of my people can wield three magic types at least."

"Four types... That’s only second to Halmut..." sighed Kylon.

"No. You’re forgetting Skaryn and the young man standing before us, who can outshine both Halmut and Skaryn in terms of magical affinity," stated Perchet, causing Kylon to lift her eyebrows in wonder. "Also, Kylon, know that I fully trust Skaryn, far more than I trust Halmut."

"Then why did you join us?" questioned the Storm Goddess.

"At the time, I also trusted Halmut. War hadn’t yet broken out between the factions and as a draconic race my people wished to side with the other dragons, so we did. But as decades, centuries, and millennia passed, it’s become clear that Halmut is no longer trustworthy. Though he was in the past, he can no longer compare to the respect that Skaryn has earned from me."

"And why’s that?" Jack asked. "Why do you respect Skaryn so much if he’s been your enemy?"

Perchet shook his head. "I’ve never seen Skaryn as an enemy, nor has he seen me in such a way. I’m merely acting according to the restrictions of my contract and in fear of my people being harmed. I greatly regret not forcing my people to join Skaryn’s side... But it took them a few thousand more years to look past Skaryn’s past offense."

"Offense? I thought you said Skaryn never abused anyone?" Kylon eyed Perchet, wanting a clear answer.

"Apart from you two, only one other person has managed to find this hidden mausoleum and that would be Skaryn..." Sighing, Perchet continued, "As you both know, Skaryn was obsessed with dragons and always saw them as the greatest of all beasts. We knew this but we never would’ve expected what Skaryn attempted.

"Skaryn managed to reach this place via the underwater route with extreme precision and speed. He then robbed one of the mausoleum’s dragon corpses and fled without a word. None of my people were fast enough to stop him, let alone fight him, as this was just before Skaryn and Halmut had ascended when I was still a few hundred years old."

"Then Skaryn--"

"What Skaryn wanted was a means to demonize himself," continued Perchet, not letting Kylon interrupt. "This was something he apologized for immediately after his ascension, gifting me and my people a great deal of wealth and items, another thing that Halmut knows nothing of. Skaryn was the one who, by transforming into a hybrid Dusk Dragon form, taught us to recreate and reinforce the obscure black mist that protects Shadow Gorge from espionage."

"Then why didn’t he simply ask for your blood and not the remains of your ancestors?" Kylon questioned, searching for something to grasp to.

But Jack answered instead while scratching his head, "Because Skaryn was more compatible with Dusk Dragons than he was Nocturnal Dragons... Right?"

"Correct..." Perchet nodded. "Dusk Dragons rarely wielded sound magic, as it was a mutation more prominent in our surviving descendant bloodline. They wielded dark, earth, water, lightning, and illusion magic types."

"The same as Skaryn..."

"Correct, Jack. And that’s why Skaryn was set on taking a single corpse, though he gave my people more means to protect myself than Halmut ever has. Only after Skaryn was defeated and Halmut showed more of his true self did my people begin to see Skaryn in a new light," added Perchet. "Now, they understand that Skaryn’s desire for the Dusk Dragon abilities wasn’t only for its power but also because Skaryn greatly respected the legacy of the Dusk Dragons. In a way, my people long for Skaryn’s return as they relate more to Skaryn’s bloodline than Halmut’s, something they took too long to notice..."

"So that’s what that was..." mumbled Jack. He couldn’t help but remember the intimidating, draconic form that Skaryn had taken against Halmut.

"Though I think Skaryn could’ve handled the matter better, I also believe that he was facing a time crunch for something and was forced to retrieve the corpse by force," Perchet mentioned. "So, Kylon, now that you understand the threat that my people are facing at all moments and my history with Skaryn, can you see why I wish to leave the legendary gods?"

"I..." Kylon struggled to reply by she did nod hesitantly.

"That is the only time I remember hearing anything bad about Skaryn, and he made sure to pay us back many times over for his selfishness."

"Oh, is that what Auntie is wondering?" Jack asked, catching onto a piece of Perchet’s intentions.

"I said don’t call me that."

"Is that what you’re wondering? Whether Skaryn was a bad person?"

"..." She opened her mouth but failed to respond immediately. It took Kylon a moment to say, "Maybe... That’s part of it..."

"Is it because your memory is all messed up?" Jack asked, knowing that he hit the nail on the head. "If you want, I can tell you what really happened that day between Halmut and Skaryn. In fact, I can show you what happened that day. Would you like that?"

"You can do that?" asked Kylon, startled to hear such a thing. "But you weren’t there..."

"Daruun was. Daruun saw everything and he showed me too, Auntie. If you want, I can show you the entire battle, from the moment that Halmut attacked the island to anger Skaryn to the moment where Halmut cheated to trap Skaryn while pillars of light eradicated all of Kustram."

"You’re lying!"

"I’m not," Jack shrugged. "Do you want me to show you or not?"

"YOU’RE LYING!!"

"That’s what happened?" Perchet stared at Jack in startlement.

Nodding, Jack asked again, "Auntie Kylon, I can show you the truth. I can help unravel your tangled thoughts and make things clear again, like they were before Halmut forced you into your contract."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?!" Kylon shouted, dropping to her knees. Having Jack pinpoint her exact feelings alongside such restricted information made it hard for her to deny anything, though her warped mind tried its best.

"What..." Perchet’s blindfolded gaze softened and fell onto Kylon. "That’s what happened?"

"N... I..."

"Auntie Kylon..." Jack dropped to one knee and hugged the crying, mentally confused woman. Though Perchet would still hear it, Jack softly whispered, "Would you rather your child be raised by Skaryn or eaten by Halmut?"

Both Perchet’s and Kylon’s faces instantly paled. Perchet clenched his fists tightly but refrained from saying anything more. Kylon’s lip and stare quivered as Jack looked directly into her eyes.

"Do you want to know the truth?"

 

Chapter 632

"What did you say?!"

Rolling his eyes, Alcahain lowered his fists. "Jin’s better at sparring! There, was that loud enough for you to hear?!"

Lightning crackled around Tyres as he increased his outage and streaked toward Alcahain for another attack. Few could match his raw speed, namely Torian and Rikko as the helmed swordsman had yet to ascend. And being belittled juxtaposed to Jin was the ultimate dishonor to the swordsman.

As the swords struck forward, Alcahain readied his gauntlets once more. In a foot race, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Tyres. But in close combat, Jin was the only one that could edge him out. Alcahain stood at the bottom of the legendary god’s hierarchy but many regarded as the most technically skilled as the old sparring partner of Jin and long-time friend of the samurai. This was evident as his reflexes allowed Alcahain to match each strike of Tyres’s blades with a countering punch, neutralizing the attacks.

"Wow... You bit off Jin more than you could chew, didn’t you?"

"SHUT UP!!"

Tyres surrounded his entire being with electricity and wind, holding nothing back against the god two levels weaker.

"Come on, then! Prove me wrong!" laughed Alcahain, pounding his fists together. "Your technique is sloppy at best and you’re too focused on sheer power. Without finesse, your strikes are easy to neutralize."

"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"

Bolting toward the Brawler God, Tyres zipped across the open-aired pavilion. Killing intent dripped from his eyes.

Alacahain continued his laughter while charging also. Earth energy covered his body as lightning heightened his reflexes to the max. He wanted more than everyone to collide and knock the arrogant swordsman down a peg.

"THAT’S ENOUGH!!!"

Two small cyclones appeared out of thin air, ripping the two rushing combatants away from their imminent collision. Both were thrown back without mercy, crashing and sliding across the pavilion floor.

"HE--"

"WHO STARTED A FIGHT WITHOUT ME!!!"

Tyres shut his mouth without another moment to waste as the pavilion floor shook. Barreling through the conference room entrance came Grixor with heavy feet and a monstrous grin. "Who wants some?! Share the fun, won’t you?!"

"That’s enough playing around..." Torian’s hand slapped the back of Grixor’s head as the Thundering God sighed and joined the quarrel outside. "Sparring is one thing, destroying the property is another. Tyres, calm down or fight us. Got it?"

The Sword God rolled his eyes and nodded, but the temperature of Torian’s tone dropped as he repeated, "Got it?"

"Yes... I understand." Tyres finally stored his swords and glared back at Alcahain in despise.

The Brawler God was still lying on the ground, chuckling lightly. "Tralbok... Why’d you have to go and do that?"

"You let him get out of hand," replied Tralbok. "It’s your fault it, not mine. That’s enough for today."

Just when the situation was de-escalated, a pillar of light fell upon the pavilion. As a figure appeared within the light, everyone immediately took notice. Then, Torian and Grixor rushed to their aid.

As the light faded, Kylon fell to the ground, barely holding up her chest with one arm. Blood dripped from her left ear and left nostril. She was panting and shaking heavily. Her vision was beginning to fail her as she blinked in search of sight. Ultimately, Kylon passed out the moment after she fit the ground. All she could mumble before that were three words.

"Perchet... betrayed us..."

"KYLON! What happened?!" Torian managed to get his hand under her falling head as her last words were uttered.

Grixor and Alcahain were the next to reach her. The Earthen God quickly felt her pulse and heaved a sigh of relief. "She’s stable..."

"MOVE!!!"

Tralbok pushed his way past Grixor and Alcahain, immediately grabbing Kylon’s hand. Placing his hand over her bracelet, Tralbok finally heaved his own sigh of relief. "The key is fine..."

Suddenly, Tralbok was sent flying, nearly throwing him off the pavilion’s edge. The God of Time groaned and placed a hand over his right cheek. "What was that for?!"

Grixor spoke slowly and filled each word with threatening venom, "Because I felt like it..."

No one else said a thing to Tralbok, not caring about him at the moment. Torian immediately stood up with Kylon carefully supported in his arms. "We need to get her to Halmut right away."

Both Grixor and Alcahain followed Torian, wanting to make sure their fellow god was alright, unlike Tyres who wasn’t bothered by the situation and Tralbok who was left caressing his swelling face.

*****

"Please, make the vow of blood."

Jack lifted the brush from Dragas’s forehead, letting Moranti press his hand into her forehead.

The seals on Dragas’s forehead and Moranti’s hand lit up as they began to sink into their skin. Since Moranti was already under a mutual seal, he was given the parent half of the seal to not infringe on his child half of Skaryn’s seal. It was a workaround that Jack thought up since there had never been such a situation before, but Dragas was more than willing to accept the more painful child seal to make it official. And since the sharing-EXP effect would be null and void beyond Kartonia, Moranti would get shortchanged of all his future training and grinding.

Once the seals rescinded and faded, Jack smiled. "You may--"

Without waiting, Moranti leaned in and planted a kiss on Dragas’s lips, pulling her in close and lifting her in the air.

"Beat me to it..."

Jack chuckled lightly as the room broke out in cheers and applause. Corks flew as bottles of wine were opened for all to share. Due to the ceremony being impromptu they lacked a feast, but wine was all Dragas and Moranti would want anyway.

The couple eventually broke their kiss and strolled toward the only refreshment available, a large, pre-made cake that was ordered at the guild bakery.

As they cut the cake and promptly shoved cake into each other’s faces, Jack turned toward the closed door on the far side of the room. It then opened and two figures walked in, one wearing a roxite helmet and the other wearing a black blindfold.

 

Chapter 633

The moment Perchet entered the room, all shouts or celebration ceased. The entire room stared at the unexpected duo. Then Jack spoke, throwing everyone further out the loop.

"How did it go?"

The helmed swordsman shook his head as Perchet sighed, "We failed..."

"Why is Perchet here?" Eedaj asked, completely baffled for a moment. But before an answer came, his eyes widened even further beyond what he thought possible. The Mind God then closed his mouth and said nothing more as his strong mental fortitude was on the brink of collapsing.

"What is it?!" shouted Dragas, covered in cake. "It had better be good!"

Perchet spoke up, "We failed to help Kylon and were forced to change plans... I’ve now officially defected from the legendary gods."

"Seriously... Then--"

"I must humbly ask for your help to temporarily relocate my people," stated Perchet, finishing Moranti’s immediate thought. "I’m sorry for ruining the festivities. We had no other choice."

"Is that true?" Jack turned to the swordsman, who nodded regretfully. "Then... Mother, would you mind if we--"

"Of course we can postpone drinking for this?!" Dragas made an immediate one-eighty in terms of attitude. "Karronteel will help too. Bring back as many flora and fauna samples as you can and I’ll do my best to create a temporary home for you all."

"We greatly appreciate this." Perchet showed the couple a full bow. "Make sure there’s enough room for two hundred and thirty-four Nocturnal Dragons, please."

"THAT MANY?!" Moranti shouted in amazement.

Nodding, Perchet replied, "Yes, that many. Despite common belief and what we’ve shown the world, my people have always been quite proliferous, just like our ancestors."

"What’s this about Kylon?" asked Lunara, not forgetting about the woman who raised her.

Perchet took a deep breath before admitting, "We failed to correct her synthetic memories. It resulted in a clash where she fled and I received this."

The God of Sound opened the left side flap of his black robe, revealing his bare chest. Everyone was further shocked to see an electrically charged icicle jabbed to the side of Perchet’s heart. "I’ve yet to remove it as that would cause scaring without proper healing. Dragas, would you mind?"

"You should’ve led with that! Are you insane?" Dragas hurried forward and immediately started examining the wound.

"Eedaj, would you mind sharing the location of my people with Moranti and, it was Karronteel, correct?"

As the young god nodded, Eedaj dropped his bewilderment and shared Perchet’s thoughts with the two Spectral Dragon gods. Moranti then asked Jack, "Mind if we use the storehouse?"

"Go ahead... Use the third floor. It’s low-lit and should be great for them as a temporary home..." Jack answered but was still focused on something else. Turning back to Perchet, Jack asked, "So... Do you think we can try something else?"

"Not that I can imagine, sadly," Perchet answered. "But I’m not the creative type, so I’ll leave the distorting of possibility to the specialist."

Jack chuckled and sighed at the same time. "Everyone... We still can’t kill Kylon, but we may have to fight her. If at all possible, knock her out or force her surrender."

"Thank you, Son."

"Of course, Mom," Jack smiled back to Lunara, trying to imagine what to do next. "For now... Let’s continue the rest of the plan. We’ll make everyone demigods and prepare for Earthen Keep immediately. Mother... You’ll head out the day after tomorrow. You’ll be able to heal Perchet and help us finish our medicine baths before you go."

Dragas nodded in response, fully focused on the serious wound in Perchet’s chest.

"Go ahead. I’ll handle the resurrection."

On Jack’s order, Eedaj and Rikko both stepped forward. The fun-loving atmosphere was washed away and drowned out without fail. Both took a turn to step and stood unguarded before the swordsman, letting him swiftly run their hearts through for a quick, clean death. While Jack instantly revived them both, roaring energies of all colors exploded out of the swordsman to shock the entire room.

For the next couple of minutes, everyone watched as every color of the rainbow was absorbed into the mysterious swordsman. It was so distracting that Lunara had forgotten to make the others her demigods in the meantime.

Once the light show subsided, Jack reminded Lunara and five lv. 89 men stood before her.

Then, mid-operation, Perchet finally began to groan through his teeth. The Nocturnal Dragon clenched his convulsing muscles tightly as a bright mass of holy light exited Perchet’s body. After the light left, Perchet was left with steady, slow breathing and a much lower level.

"You’ll help him too, Mom."

"But--"

"Just because you can’t immediately jump past lv. 99 doesn’t mean helping more people would be a bad thing," reasoned Jack. "Plus, I’m curious what will happen. I wonder if it will put you closer to passing lv. 99 or if it does nothing at all. Either way, someone has to help him for now."

"Jack... What about--"

"Don’t worry, Perchet. After all of this is over, I’ll redo everyone’s pledge. Okay?"

"Okay..." The former God of Sound sighed, letting his head drop and his eyes close.

One by one, Lunara made Kori, Choron, Guuro, Rikko, and Eedaj into demigods. Thanks to Kori’s last ascension, Lunara was able to create more than one demigod without worry. Then, Lunara crouched beside Perchet and planted a morsel of divine energy in him as well. While Lunara helped thaw the wound and remove the icicle from Perchet’s chest, Eedaj took out the remnants of a Storm Dragon god corpse for everyone’s use. Even Perchet reached out and touched the dragon’s tail to siphon some of the latent energy. Their week-long timer had officially begun.

"Dragov," Jack spoke up again. "Go to the third floor of the storehouse and help them create a gorge across the floor. Lunara will be there soon to create the river and waterfall."

"Of course!" The towering Centipede God took off and exited without looking back. He understood his duty and that this was the best thing he could offer at the moment.

Jack, on the other hand, was left with a lot to think about and a hand dragging down across his face.

 

 

Chapter 634

"Come on, Jack. Tell us more!" begged Eliza, hugging him from behind.

"I can’t Eliza... It’s for the best of everyone. Trust me..." Jack sighed, a lot on his mind.

"Hmmm..." Maura set down a platter of ribs and a heaping bowl of mashed potatoes. "You’re acting unusual..."

"Can you blame me?"

"No... But you’re not acting that shocked either. I guess your double already knew so it wasn’t a surprise, but I sense that you’re up to something," reasoned Maura, sitting down beside Jack.

Eliza moved and sat on the other side as Daliea entered the courtyard and sat across from Jack.

"Daliea, don’t do it. You could ruin everything."

Sighing, Daliea teetered her head back and forth. "I know... Palpo already warned me and forbid it..."

"Ah, come on! How else can we get it out of him?" Eliza jokingly whined.

Jack began to fill his plate with haste, beating his wives to the best cuts of meat. Between bits, Jack mentioned, "I’ll need to visit your dad, Eliza... I want to know about weaponsmithing..."

"Oh? Want me to show you a thing or two?"

"Eliza... really?" Jack paused for a moment, struggling to believe whether she was completely joking or entirely serious.

"Nah! You’re not ready for my level of work. Come beg for lessons after talking to Dad," teased Eliza, stealing a plump piece of rib from Jack’s plate.

Maura mentioned, "Try the tavern. That’s where they always meet up in the evenings."

"Thanks, Maura." Jack hurriedly scarfed down the rest and stood up. "And Daliea, I know you just want to help, but trust me this one time. Soon, I’ll have to share my ideas but not before they’re ready. Okay?"

"Okay... Then I look forward to then."

"I’ll be back soon!"

With a wave of his hand, Jack blinked away in a flash of purple light. He reappeared just outside of the Leisure Tavern and took in a breath of fresh air. Confidently, Jack waltzed through the front doors and up to the bar. "Where’s the oaf and his buddies at?"

"Booth forty-six," giggled Marisha. "Just knock on the door and tell them you’ve got this."

Without a second thought, Marisha reached below the counter and placed a barrel on the bar. The intricate label branded into the aromatic wood proved just how costly the keg of liquor was.

"This? Since when were you giving this stuff away?" asked Jack.

"It’s to help Zariff. He’s been depressed ever since Maura passed him in level and it’s only been getting worse."

"And he won’t admit it, right?" Jack sighed, shaking his head.

At the same time, the helmed swordsman walked in and joined Jack at the car without a word.

"Anything to drink?" asked Marisha.

"Don’t mind him. I asked him to come so we’ll be joining everyone in booth forty-six," Jack answered, picking up the barrel. "I’m sure we can cheer him up with this!"

Marisha smiled and attended to the next guest, letting Jack and the swordsman make their way toward the private booths. With one whistling and the other practically marching, they made an unusual pair. No one would ever believe they were the same person under the helmet.

Spotting the sign "46", Jack pounded on the door. "Open up, or the brundy’s mine!"

Faster than Jack could start laughing, the door opened wide and Zariff pulled Jack into the room. Only when Zariff rushed to close the door did he notice the helmed swordsman stick his foot in the way. "Oh? Get inside already!"

Once the helmed man stepped in, the door was slammed shut and the barrel of brundy was christened with a round for the room. Argyle, Kaldor, Hurmot, Vixus, Tridon, and Tomas all held out their mugs for a fill. Of course, Zariff didn’t fail to pass a mug to the mysterious man. "Come on! Don’t be a pestro!"

To everyone’s shock, the man began to laugh heartily, letting them all hear his voice for the first time. It was deeper than they had expected. But they also noticed a hint of faint white energy pass over the man.

"No illusions here!" barked Zariff, feeling his buzz after more than an hour of drinking.

"Sorry, it’s either this or I leave," remarked the man. Defending his use of illusion magic, the man gripped his helmet and stored it away. Everyone was a bit surprised but their excitement fizzled out due to it being an illusion.

The man had dark brown skin and matching eyes. All sides of his head were shaved but the top of his head had tight, black dreads that ended in a decently long ponytail. At least the false voice matched the face.

"I only take it off when I drink because I can let loose!" laughed the man.

"And do you always use that face?" joked Zariff, unafraid of the deity while hammered.

"Naaah... I thought about using yours, but then I might break the glass when I look at it!"

The entire room burst into raging laughter, especially Zariff. They quickly ignored the illusory energy that constantly poured out of the man, which only made Jack laugh harder. When Zariff played around with the new guest and tried to put him in a headlock, the well-built, former branch head was amazed to find the roles reversed. Though the mystery man was well-sized in stature, his agility left everyone startled and laughing harder. After giving Zariff an electrified noogie, the man released Zariff with a roaring laugh.

"The name’s Rynheart, but any drinking buddy can call me Ryn!"

"Then the next round’s on you, Ryn!" chuckled Zariff, searching for a way to beat the man.

"Alright, then will this do?" While laughing as well, Ryn took out another barrel but the branding was in a completely foreign language that baffled the drunks in the room. "This is from my time as an ancient hero. I wonder if that counts as aging?"

"Only one way to find out!" Zariff helped himself, making sure to give his approval before passing it to the rest. When his eyes glittered in surprise, he almost spat out the liquor it was so good. "WHAT IS THIS!!!"

Ryn smiled while Jack took a whiff of the drink and laughed again. "It’s a rare, custom flavor popular among ancient heroes. It’s called, ’colada’."

"COLADA FOR EVERYONE!!!"

Zariff’s roar kicked off the next round of drinks, which was mainly Zariff matching everyone’s drink with his own.

Chapter 635

While everyone else was cheering, Jack made his way around the room and sat between Argyle and Kaldor. "Hey, can I ask you something?"

"Ask away!" Kaldor beamed, finishing off his first round of colada in bliss.

"You two know how to make weapons, right?"

"Yeah, but what’s that to you?" Argyle teased his son-in-law.

Jack shrugged, mentioning, "Well, I recently opened my old tomb and recovered countless items and treasures, including some weapon schematics..." Pausing to somewhat sober up the two men from interest, Jack slyly smiled. "I wanted to upgrade Ryn’s weapons and make my own, so--"

"If Golden Haven were still here, we’d make whatever you wished!" shouted Kaldor, proudly pounding his fist against his chest.

Nodding, Argyle sighed, "Yeah... Kaldor’s got me beat this time."

"Then Golden Haven had the best weaponsmiths?" asked Jack.

Kaldor wagged his finger and replied, "We had the best weaponsmith contracts. We partnered with weaponsmiths and paid top dollar for their services. Rather than incorporate better than average weaponsmiths into our fold, like some people here, we frequently worked had in hand with the best smiths in Kartonia!"

"Then... they’re still around and able to help?"

"Even better! Some are already here!"

"Seriously?! Why haven’t I heard of this?" Jack questioned loudly, making sure the nearby Vixus could hear him as well.

But Kaldor threw his arm around Jack’s shoulders and answered, "Because you’re off playing god! Visit the boarding district and ask for Gasnon."

"You convinced Gasnon?!" Argyle laughed in surprise. "How’d you swing that?"

"Because we offered guaranteed work, pay, and the greatest protection!" Kaldor stated with a thumbs up.

"Then don’t mind my leave..."

As Jack stood up and said his goodbyes to the room, Zariff shouted, "Come on, brat! Live a little!"

"I am. I need to finish business so me and your daughter can live a little..." Jack chuckled, making the drunk furious while the rest of the room enjoyed the laugh.

Zariff wanted to punch Jack square in the face but a hand reached out to pull Zariff to his seat. Ryn then sighed in satisfaction and waved goodbye to Jack. With Zariff sitting beside him, Ryn shouted, "Why waste breath on him? Enjoy yourself like there’s no tomorrow! Our victory across Kartonia is inevitable, so just let loose!"

The room lifted mugs for a cheer and took another swig. At the same time, Ryn sighed and whispered for only Zariff to hear, "Don’t worry. Jack told me about your curse. Alongside Jack, I promise that you’ll be fine from now on. Our victory is inevitable, right?"

"Right... then I’ll try my best!" Zariff replied, chugging his mug and preparing for a long night of drinking.

Outside of the tavern, Jack blinked away to instantly arrive outside of the boarding district of the Leisure Guild property. It was accessible to all guild members and was a place that offered cheaper housing for proven members of the guild. From above, it would look like a medieval suburb with nothing but similar-looking homes lined up for efficiency’s sake.

Jack entered the area and found the boarding office. There, Jack found some handling paperwork behind the reception desk.

"Excuse me, I need to find someone."

"Name... Oh, Guild Master?!" The young man was in awe to find Jack at his desk, of all people. "What can I do for you, Guild Master, sir?"

"Where will I find Gasnon?"

"Oh! He’s in the upper lots! Number 23!"

"Thank you..."

As Jack turned and left with a friendly wave, the young man committed that short exchange to his memory. Never would he have imagined having met the most popular man in Trodar thanks to his new, lowly job as an overnight receptionist. It was a story for his family to remember.

Completely forgetting the young man’s face, Jack hurried through the narrow paths of the boarding district. Without a need for wagons, vehicles, or anything large, the streets were more like glorified sidewalks that followed a grid system to maximize housing space. This made it easy for Jack to find the upper lots at the northernmost end of the boarding district.

When Jack found himself among homes with their own small courtyards and gates, he started searching for the property numbers.

"21... 22... 23!"

Spotting his destination, Jack neared the gate and cordially used the gate knocker to announce his presence. But when no one came to greet him, Jack scoffed. Jack gripped the metal ring of the gate knocker and pounded it into the hallow, concaved back of the gate knocker, letting all neighboring lots hear him.

"ENOUGH!" an old voice hollered. "Come in! I ain’t got time to waste!"

Letting go of the gate knocker, Jack promptly hopped over the locked gate and entered the open courtyard. The front door was unlocked so Jack let himself in without another word.

"What is it you want?!" That voice was now louder as an aging man hobbled through the hallway.

"Sorry to interrupt you..." Jack sighed.

"You’d better be?! I’m busy! Now, what do you need so badly?!" spat the elderly man.

Jack blinked, examining the man’s bald spot and poorly crafted glasses, along with his thick and tattered leather apron. "Kaldor told me--"

"That pestro!" barked the old man. "You can’t trust children anymore!"

"I’m Jack, the Guild Master here."

"WHAT?!" In the blink of an eye, the old man dropped to one knee and bowed. "Guild Master Jack... Please excuse my choice of words."

"You’re fine. Kaldor sent me to learn about weaponsmithing."

"Then you’ve come to the right place! That brat failed to learn a thing, but I’m sure you’ll be a master given your experience!" the old man laughed and flexed one bicep while placing his other hand over it. "The name’s Gasnon, the man unlucky enough to call that brat Kaldor his son. If you want to learn about weapons, I’m your man!"

"So that’s where he gets it from..." Jack mumbled and chuckled. "Can you show me your workshop? There are plenty of questions I have for you."

Chapter 636

"Right this way!" Gasnon shouted, leading Jack toward the back of the property. "I’m still not fully setup, but I’ve got most everything up and running. What do you think?"

The strong old man pushed open a giant door, leading to an enclosed courtyard turned into a workshop. A large forge was built into one wall with coals and different levels of flames throughout the space. Near that was a workbench and anvil, alongside an array of hammers, tongs, and various tools to intricately carve or etch things into materials. There was a small above-ground font of water ready to instantly cool anything when needed and many different racks or hangers along the other walls, as well as more tables littered with diagrams, small tools, and half-made trinkets. There were other tools and things littered across the room as well.

"It ain’t much to look at, but she’s just what I like!"

Spotting a half-heated block of metal on the anvil, Jack pointed. "What’s that?"

"Oh! Mind if I work and chat all at once?" The smith wasted no time scurrying back and placing the block back into the flames. It was reheated and ready within seconds, letting Gasnon bring it back to the anvil. As he picked up the hammer beside the anvil, Gasnon asked, "So, what do you need?"

Ignoring the clanging of heated metal, Jack replied, "I need to upgrade some things and create some others."

"Upgrade, huh? That can be harder than making something from scratch... You sure about that?"

"Mhmm. Wouldn’t that save time?" reasoned Jack.

"Only if you’re successful!" Gasnon laughed as he finished pounding the block. He placed it back into the forge, readying it for folding and shaping.

"True... But I don’t want to do anything too crazy. I just want to increase the general strength of the weapon and add another elemental affinity."

"Nothing crazy?! If that’s not crazy, then call me Halmut!"

Jack laughed loudly, sitting on an old stool in front of some hand-drawn blueprints. "Then tell me, would that be faster than making a new weapon?"

"Depends on the weapon, I guess... You got it on you?" asked Gasnon.

With a nod, Jack placed a sleek rapier on the table. "This is it."

No time was needed for Gasnon to recognize the incredible craftsmanship of the weapon. "This... lv. 85?! With three affinities for speed?!"

"I need to add dark energy to it for increased stealth and I’ll be upgrading it to lv. 90," stated Jack, leaving Gasnon with a gaping mouth. "I know you can’t do it with your level, but I wanted to revisit the fundamentals of crafting after not entering a smithy for a thousand years."

"Well... I guess if anyone could do it, it would be you..." Gasnon shook his head with a smile. "Only the legend..."

"Then, if you were capable and had a high enough level, how would you tackle such a job?"

"Hmm..."

Gasnon didn’t immediately reply. He stepped forward and picked up the sword to get a feel for it and experience the weapon first-hand, finding its balance point and wanting to understand how it was meant to be wielded. Twirling around and eyeing the design carefully, Gasnon eventually placed the weapon back on the table and resumed to extract his current work from the forge.

While staring at the heated sheet of metal and pounding it flatter, Gasnon clicked his tongue. "I don’t know what I’d do... It’s a fine sword and would be hard to get anything else out of it. It’s already a legendary weapon with its current design, so why not focus on upgrading its general strength instead of adding more and breaking the weapon?"

"Because I want it to be better than a legendary weapon."

"Better... Like a god’s personal weapon?!" Gasnon was floored to imagine attempting such a thing. "You want to upgrade a legendary weapon... into a personal weapon?"

"Why not?"

"It ain’t possible!"

"Since when!"

"Since--"

"It’s never been done because it’s never been attempted!" stated Jack, leaving the blacksmith without a rebuttal. "If you want to become the Smith God then you’ll have to think bigger!"

"THE WHAT?!"

"The Smith God! You seem like the kind of person that would like that sort of thing, would you?" questioned Jack, swaying the old man.

"I... I’m not against the thought..."

"Then make it happen. At lv. 76, you’re not far behind your son, who will soon start grinding to ascend to godhood. Wouldn’t you love to beat him to it?"

"That’s possible?!"

"Of course! You’re in Trodar now, where we can make anything possible," reasoned Jack. "And that includes upgrading a legendary weapon to a personal weapon. So, what’s the best way to make it happen?"

"... Normally I’d add an alloy to bond with the blades and increase structural integrity..." Gasnon replied. "Being a rapier... you may be able to implant something new into the blade’s base. There’s not much to work with but if you could add something to the guard for dark energy affinity... But the blade..."

What if I could hallow it out and fill it with a stronger material?" asked Jack.

"Hallow out a rapier?! And how will you do that?" Gasnon burst into laughter, almost ruining the chest plate he was making.

"Then what would you do?"

"Make a new one!" shouted Gasnon, unafraid to share his opinion.

"But it needs to happen! I’ve got no other choice!" Jack calmed himself for a moment and asked, "I wouldn’t be able to drill out a small hole through the blade’s center?"

"And why would you do that?"

"To run hardened roxite through it till it made up the very most tip."

"ROXITE!!! You have spare roxite?!"

"Sure, why wouldn’t I?" asked Jack.

"I need some!"

After you become a god, you can have all the roxite you want. I’ll even put you in charge of handling the orders of the other new gods," Jack stated. "But would my idea work or not?"

"Maybe... But only if you could make a custom tool for such a thing. Then, you’d have to get it hotter than humanly possible."

"But it would work?"

Chapter 637

"But it would work?"

Gasnon nodded and sighed, "Yeah... but the moment the rapier blocks or parries an attack, it will have a better chance of breaking."

"That’s fine..." Jack also sighed, relieved to hear that. "Mind if I try?"

"Try what?"

Stepping forward, Jack held out his hand and eyed the heated metal plate. "I just want to take one swing. That’s it."

"Just one? What do you--"

"Please, just one swing?"

"I... guess... but lightly..." Not fully understanding what Jack was intending, he flipped the hammer around and let Jack take hold of it. The smith pointed carefully at one end of the plate. "Right there, nice and light. But if you ruin this, I’ll kill you."

"If I ruin it, then I’ll pay for it a hundred times over."

"Then go ahead, with all the force you’ve got!"

Jack rolled his eyes and smiled. Timidly, Jack lightly tapped the piece of metal sighed, "There... perfect!"

"What do you mean perfect? You didn’t do nothing!" complained Gasnon, feeling let down. "At least break something so I can charge you..."

"I’ll pay for your watchful eye, how about that?" Jack asked, surprising the smith. "I’ll come here tomorrow to upgrade the rapier. Then, I’ll start working on some new gear. I’d like your help in making sure I don’t miss any steps of the process."

"If you’re good enough to upgrade that thing, then what do you need me for?!"

"I thought you wanted to get paid? All I need is you reminding me of the steps before I do them. I’ll handle everything and make sure it’s given enough energy to reach lv. 90. The roxite should help with that."

"... And how much is the pay?"

"I’ll give you this in advance and another one after three days of work. I’ll need to finish all this in three days anyway..."

A heavy-duty leather bag dropped onto the table, making Gasnon’s eyes twinkle with greed. "Platinum?"

"What else would it be?"

"I’m in!" Gasnon shouted heartily. "We’ll work here if that’s okay."

"Then I’ll see you then." Jack lifted his hand and started for the door.

"Thanks for your patronage!"

Exiting the plot, Jack could still hear Gasnon’s laughter beyond the gate. Once outside, Jack let loose a sigh of relief and teleported away.

*****

"That blasted Perchet!"

"Your excellency, please calm down," Alcahain stated. "We need to reevaluate our plan and begin preparations for entering Glacier Keep. With Perchet out, we’ll need to rethink our teams."

"Silence!" roared Halmut, getting Alcahain and the others to stop trying to sway his temper.

Halmut briefly turned his gaze to the unconscious Kylon lying on a futon. Then, he focused on the enchantment key sitting on the side table. Seeing it safe had a calming effect on the Sun Dragon, making it easier to think clearly.

"Given the new circumstances, we’ll need to change some things... We’ll only have six new gods with the Flood Dragons, so order the immediate recruitment of the candidates."

"But--"

"Tralbok, you do it. Get Sillo to help you bring them here if necessary!" Halmut ordered, finding the most compliant person in the room.

"Of course, your excellency!" Tralbok bowed and left with a smile on his still-swollen face.

Torian sighed and asked, "Your excellency, what will we do about Kylon?"

"I’ve already healed her but healing damage from sound magic is tricky. All she needs now is a bit of rest. In a day or two, she’ll wake up, claim some demigods, and leave for Glacier Keep," explained Halmut. "We’ll send five teams, with one containing three people. You’ll lead that team, Torian, guiding Tyres and Alcahain as the fast striking team. You’ll decide to either attack or run, both being viable options with such a team. As for dividing the demigods, Kylon will take two, Tralbok one, Alcahain two, and Tyres one. Understood?"

"And the key?"

"I’ll hold onto it. Given the situation, I think it’s best with me and not inside Glacier Keep."

"Understood..." Torian nodded in agreement, thinking the same thing. But noticing the Halmut was still pondering something, Torian asked, "What else?"

"Oh... Nothing. You’re all dismissed. I’ll watch after her till she awakes."

Torian bowed and led Grixor and Alcahain out of the room. The moment it shut closed, an echoing roar spread through Halmut’s soundproof room.

"I should skin you all as my trophies! You’re lucky I’m leaving you all alive!"

Halmut took out more stimulants and immediately began to absorb their sweet energy. The rush of power entering his body was ecstasy and the sight of the pristine enchantment key could put Halmut over the edge.

With his anger momentarily quelled, Halmut sighed, "Too bad he never agreed... We could’ve done so much had he not been so foolish..."

Thinking aloud, the dragon began to feel more and more confident with himself and his plans. Eventually, Halmut looked back to Kylon and licked his lips.

"Soon... Not tonight, but soon... You’re definitely coming with me. One may not be enough, after all," Halmut chuckled, reaching out and running his finger along Kylon’s slim belly. "It’s still early... Soon..."

Changing his focus, Halmut sauntered to a table and took a seat with the enchantment key. The great Sun God had replaced his furniture a few times already, just taking out more from his vast collection in storage. Such was the wealth of the god that had always received the most donations until modern history.

"You chose not to join me... Instead, you chose to destroy me’’ Now, I’ve taken your people... I’ve taken your subordinates... And I’ve proudly taken your women... You brought this on yourself!"

Halmut carefully ran his fingers along the enchantment key, taunting and mocking the item. The passionate hatred in his eyes was proof of Halmut’s repressed hatred for Skaryn, or better put, his envy for Skaryn. Whether he would admit it or not, Halmut was extremely envious of the Dark God, far more than anyone would ever think possible.

 

Chapter 638

That night was an interesting one. Of all people, Halmut slept the best, having newfound confidence in his plans. Next, would be Zariff, who drank the entire night away with his pals and his new drinking buddy with incredible drinks. Jack slept fine as well, feeling calm alongside his wives.

But most others felt nervous in one way or another. The worst was Eedaj, whose mind was too turbulent to even attempt sleeping.

When the sun began to rise, Jack and Eliza were already knocking on Dragas’s door. They quickly entered to find the couple sharing Moranti’s small tub. Dragas sighed and climbed out while adorning herself in a new robe. "You’re early..."

"Because we have stuff to talk about," Jack replied with an awkward smile.

"Then let’s get the bath over with first. You wanted to see the new plants, right?"

Jack nodded and began disrobing. Dragas and Eliza were faster than ever together, having already prepared the bath a few times and knowing exactly where to find each ingredient within the jungle of flora and fauna. As usual, Jack took all twenty minutes to absorb the minerals within the bath thanks to the increased dosage but Jack felt much more soothed after his fifth time experiencing it.

While he and Moranti were getting dressed, Jack asked out loud, "So, where are they?"

"Follow us," Dragas answered, showing her daughter toward one of the outer corners of the giant courtyard. Moranti and Jack found them as Dragas held up her hand. "You all need to stay back. Get too close and you may die."

"That’s reassuring..." Jack joked, watching Dragas carefully.

The Dryad Goddess continued going forward, approaching half a dozen new plants that Jack and Eliza had never seen before. Those six plants were a variety of colors but were quite similar in appearance. Each was a different shade of green, some lighter and some darker. They had a few flowers beginning to bloom but each plant’s flower was very vibrant in color, spanning the entire rainbow. Hanging from those blooming flowers were slightly opened seed pods, all of which contained black seeds.

"They’ve already grown this much?"

"Jack, never question your mother’s ability as a caretaker," Dragas stated. "Each plant, when shown the optimal care and given the right amount of energy, can flourish beyond your imagination. These are still saplings, though, so don’t think they’ve matured so soon."

"Saplings... I guess that makes sense..." Jack sighed, scratching his head. "Which one shows the most promise?"

"All will survive but three of them won’t develop any poison at all."

"None?!"

Shaking her head, Dragas explained, "There are many ways to create new poisons, but his way is the most practical. Creating poison via bio-genetic cultivation is the only way to create what you want."

Raising an eyebrow, Eliza asked, "But would that also create a species of plant that can kill a god?"

"And what’s wrong with that? Wouldn’t that be a perfect deterrent against Halmut?" reasoned Dragas. "Then we’ll guarantee victory much sooner."

"So, what about the other three?" asked Jack.

"All have developed a new type of poison that I’ve never seen before. One is starting to stand out but all three may end up creating a toxin strong enough for our objectives."

"Good... then how long until they’re ready?"

"One week."

"That long? But I thought your care was too good to doubt?" complained Jack.

"That’s just how nature works," refuted Dragas. "Would you rather try your luck without me? It would take you months to a year to do what I’m doing."

"I... I’m very grateful for your help, Mother."

"Thank you, Son!" Dragas finished petting her newest creations and walked back to the others. "Is there anything else you need?"

"Yes... Moranti, can you help me with making personal weapons?" Jack smiled to the God of Space.

"You want to do that now? Will you have time?" questioned Moranti.

"I’ve already hired the best mortal blacksmith as my assistant and now I just need someone to help me with how to properly add divine energy to the weapon," Jack explained. "I thought you’d be the perfect person to ask, considering your scythe."

"Ohhh... but what about the design process? That alone can take months or years."

Jack nodded, taking out a small stack of papers. "First, I’m upgrading a legendary weapon into a pseudo-personal weapon. After that, I’ll just update these schematics from legendary to divine. That should be possible, right?"

"But--"

"My newest skill should make up for some time and help make things go smoothly, too."

Moranti and the others blinked. The God of Space showed a slight smile and asked, "What skill?"

"Weaponsmithing."

"You mean--"

"Last night I paid a visit to Kaldor’s father, Gasnon. He’s a world-renowned weaponsmith among mortals. He let me try smithing and I gained the new skill. After upgrading it, I think everyone with a pact or pledge should be more than capable of making their own weapons," stated Jack, surprising them all.

Squinting and smiling at the same time, Moranti asked, "How good is the skill?"

"Out of ten levels, it’s already lv. 8," Jack proudly announced. "So I’m sure I’m good enough to at least make something as good as yours, right?"

Laughing, Moranti agreed, "So long as you’ve got the materials and a blueprint, I think you might actually pull it off!"

Dragas added, "Most of us are average at best with making our weapons. We rely on how compatible they are to us and how they amplify our strengths by design. But your skill is practically cheating. Then again, what else is new?"

As everyone chuckled, Jack looked back to Moranti. "Mind tagging along? That’s where I’m heading now."

"Sure. Dragas will be busy teaching Eliza anyway, so I’ve got nothing more to do."

The two men vanished in a flurry of spatial energy, leaving Dragas and Eliza to continue Eliza’s herbology education.

When both Jack and Moranti reappeared inside Gasnon’s personal smithy, the weaponsmith almost had a heart attack and dropped a hammer on his foot. Gasnon growled, "If you can do that, then warn me next time!"

"Sorry, just had to bring some more help," replied Jack. "With him, I’ll be able to properly make the weapons."

 

Chapter 639

"Okay... Then I hope he’s got some worthy credentials!" barked Gasnon, eyeing Moranti.

The God of Space smiled and took out his scythe. "Is this good enough?"

"THAT?!" The weaponsmith almost lost his eyes as they nearly popped out of their sockets. "This... You made this?! What level?!"

"Lv. 95... It’s the only weapon I’ll ever use, no matter how hard it becomes to upgrade."

"Why would you need anything stronger?!" questioned Gasnon.

Leaving that question unanswered, Jack chimed in again, "Moranti is here to help me during the powering process. He understands making a personal weapon, so I thought his insight might help."

"MORANTI?!" Gasnon immediately bowed and altered his tone of voice to show more respect. "Please forgive me for questioning your credentials."

"Think nothing of it, now let’s get started."

While those two were talking, Jack was already at the only cleared table in the room. Guessing that Gasnon had cleared it for Jack’s use, the hero retrieved the rapier and laid it across the table. This caught their attention again but Jack ignored them as he found some scratch paper to scribble on. Spotting some leather rulers, Jack grabbed one and measured the rapier from end to end.

"Jack... are you really going to hallow that out?" asked Gasnon.

"Of course... How else will I get it to upgrade?"

After noting down the appropriate length and width, Jack retrieved a long, thin rod of lustrous, black steel.

"That... What is that?!"

"Refined roxite... I thought you would’ve known that much," joked Jack. The hero then eyed the rod carefully as it wasn’t going to be the easiest thing to work with. "Moranti, how confident are you in cutting this to size?"

"If I can cut through Halmut’s defenses, then I can cut your little stick," Moranti chuckled.

Showing him the paper with scribbles on it, Jack handed the rod to Moranti. "I don’t want it a millimeter off, so get it right the first time. Any smaller or larger and it won’t fit after annealing."

"Simple enough."

Gasnon was in awe as the God of Space lobbed the rod straight into the air, throwing it perfectly so that it wouldn’t teeter or spin around. Gracefully, Moranti swung his scythe twice. Then, Moranti teleported to stand ninety degrees to the left of where he was, letting him cut twice more to have the rod cleanly cut on all four sides.

Moranti caught the long piece of metal and smiled. "How’s that?"

Jack immediately measured the piece of roxite. "It’s perfect. Nothing less from the best..." After returning the thin strip of roxite to the table, Jack sighed and took out a stack of schematics. Once he found what he wanted, Jack sighed, "Now... to anneal it... Gasnon, mind if I make a sandpit?"

"I’ve already got one," replied the weaponsmith, pointing to the corner of the room where sand replaced the concrete ground.

"That sand may not last against the heat... I’ll use just use this." Jack took out an out-of-ground tub and plopped it down in the nearby corner. Then, the tub began to fill with sand that occasionally glittered like jewels.

"You’ve got sand from the Desert Labyrinth?" Moranti asked in surprise.

"To be more specific, it’s from the labyrinth’s throne room. It’s a staple item for any hero making weapons over lv. 80. Without it, using refined roxite is impossible." Acting like it was no big deal, Jack finished filling the tub and went back to the table. "Now the fire..."

Picking up the rod and stepping away from anything flammable, Jack doused the rod in a thin layer of black and white flames. He made sure to not let pure black flames out in case it harmed the room or accidentally overheated the rod before Jack could stop the heating process. With the flame being mostly white, Jack felt quite comfortable controlling it, despite Gasnon fear after spotting the unique flame.

Glancing back to the schematic of choice, Jack rescinded the fire and buried the heated rod into the precious sand bath.

The annealing process was a gradual but necessary process of slowed cooling, something that would likely take all day. With that in mind, Jack thumbed through his schematics and found the other items he was intent on creating.

Moranti looked over Jack’s shoulder and immediately dropped his jaw to the floor. "Jack, what are you--"

"Calm down, I know exactly what I’m doing and what I’ll be getting into," Jack stated, already knowing exactly why Moranti was worried. "Do you trust me?"

"Yeah, but that’s just--"

"If you trust me, then you won’t tell anyone else about what I’m making. This is a surprise and will only be used on special occasions. Is my secret safe with you?"

"But this... If the others knew you were--"

"That’s why we won’t tell them. Now, can I trust you or not?"

"... Fine... But I don’t get why you want to make that. I thought you wanted to make a personal weapon?" questioned Moranti.

"What’s wrong with making personal armor first?" argued Jack. "If my armor is better, then I’ll be able to last longer in fights."

"But that armor is--"

"Unique and happens to be my favorite. And now, I’ve got a way to use it properly. I’ll be making the entire thing out of refined roxite and not just in portions. That should allow it to store enough energy to make it at least lv. 90, right?"

"Yeah... That’s one way to do it... It’s either roxite or the bones of a high-level beast..." mentioned Moranti.

"But bones will take too long. I’ve got three days to make this armor and finish the rapier. So we’ll have to cut some corners..." Jack started to chuckle ominously.

When Jack retrieved a mound of refined roxite ingots, Gasnon fell in love. He picked one up and caressed it, feeling it’s weight and admiring its natural sheen after refinement, a stark contrast to the dull matte surface of regular roxite. But Jack snatched the ingot from Gasnon’s hands and heated it in the same fashion he did the roxite rod. At the same time, Jack retrieved and placed a roxite anvil with a platform in front of him. He was practically a traveling forge.

With haste, Jack retrieved a diamond-crusted roxite hammer and went to town on the hot ingot. However, Gasnon’s delight was instantly shredded as Jack smashed away with little to no care for the ingot.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Pausing, Jack blinked and smiled, "What’s it look like? I’m smithing!"

Chapter 640

"What’s it look like? I’m smithing!"

"That’s not craftsmanship, it’s a hack job!" shouted Gasnor, reaching out to grab the priceless hammer from Jack’s hand.

"Uh, uh, uh..." Jack nudged the large man aside with ease, not letting him dare to get close. "Don’t interrupt my work. I’ve got a lot of pieces to make so I need to hurry."

"But what’s the point of the schematic if you’re not following it?" asked Moranti.

Jack replied, "It shows me how to joint them together and where to put the inscriptions for the empowering stage. Appearance doesn’t matter if I can’t have it ready in time."

"But... but... what about mobility?! If you aren’t careful, you’ll find yourself unable to wield a weapon while wearing such... crude, mistreated armor?!" Gasnon refuted.

"Why does that matter?" Jack asked, flooring the weaponsmith again. "So long as the armor’s main functions work, that’s all that matters to me."

"But--"

"No butts!" shouted Jack. "This will become the backplate but my butt will remain exposed. I thought you were reading the schematic?"

"You... That..."

Gasnon was under the pressure of turbulent emotions. His awe and respect for Jack’s unbelievable resources were beyond anything he had ever felt as a weaponsmith. Yet that was paired with Jack’s complete disregard for the integrity and beauty of those same resources. And all Gasnor could do was watch as Jack unevenly pounded away at what now looked like scrap metal, not a priceless and legendary ingot of refined roxite. The material of Gasnon’s dreams was being cruelly punished by Jack’s uncaring hands instead of being lovingly molded into a global treasure, the greatest of pains that Gasnor could feel.

"Done! On to the chestplate!" Jack walked toward the table and placed the slightly rounded, uneven backplate down. He grabbed another ingot and was immediately heating it up.

"That’s what you call done?" Moranti picked up the scrap and blinked in bafflement. "This won’t protect you at all!"

"So? What’s your point?"

"Jack, what’s the point of armor if it can’t protect you?"

"Do I really need to answer that after you’ve already read the schematic? Remember, this armor is our secret. And what better way to hide the armor’s special functions than making it look like trash!"

"But--"

"And it saves me time too! This is the perfect plan!" Jack then cut off the flames and began pounding away at the ingot, crudely shaping it to match the backplate but not caring enough to make both sides symmetrical.

This continued all day long. It was the perfect storm of Gasnor’s wildest dreams and darkest nightmares. Moranti spent most of his time consoling Gasnon or cutting the various plates of roxite to somewhat fit together. Jack kept a smile plaster on his face the entire time, jubilant to get closer and closer to having his own personal armor.

They worked through breakfast and took a small break for lunch but as dinner neared, Jack received a telepathic message, ’Jack, hurry back for dinner.’

’But right now I--’

’Jack, our mom and sister are here to join us and I think you’re the best one to comfort her right now.’

Sighing, Jack placed his hammer down on the roxite anvil, ’Alright... But I’m coming back the moment we’re down eating and talking. I’ve almost finished making my armor plates.’

’Thanks, Jack.’

’Love you, Maura.’

Finished with his mental conversation, Jack turned to the crying Gasnon. "I’ll be leaving for dinner. We’ve got guests that I can’t say no to. While I’m gone, you’re allowed to use my roxite setup, but no roxite ingots and no tampering with my masterpiece. Got it?"

"... Got it," sniffled Gasnon. The weaponsmith immediately picked up the hammer and began to feel better.

Waving to Moranti, Jack asked, "Keep an eye on things, will you? I’ll bring you back some food."

"Will do." Moranti gave Jack a thumbs up and walked towards the now giddy Gasnon.

Jack teleported and instantly found himself in his courtyard. He spotted two familiar faces at the nearby table but was quickly tackled to the ground before he could greet them. "Lina... Aren’t you a little too big to act like a child?"

"But you’re my Big Bro. Now, you’re the only person I can treat like this..." pouted Lina, showing her baby hydra eyes.

"Fine... But keep it under control. Don’t be tackling me when we’re out in public, okay?"

"Okay!" Lina helped Jack up and they sat on opposite sides of Lunara. "Cheer up, Mom! Dad will be fine."

Lunara sighed and showed a weak smile, "I know... It’s just... It’s been a while and I thought he had the perfect chance to strike during that battle..."

"According to Perchet, Halmut had torched all of Olympic Chateau during our giant battle," commented Jack. "I guess Halmut had caught on to Dad’s plan to target him and wanted to protect himself."

"Then--"

"But don’t worry, Mom," Jack continued. "Dad knows exactly what he’s doing. Trust me. If you don’t trust my word for it, then trust Daruun’s. He said that Sterfen will be fine and that in the worst-case scenario Sterfen would just escape."

"I guess you’re right..." Lunara remarked, showing a slightly brighter smile.

"Good, we can eat now." Maura’s voice caught the attention of the table, getting them to see all three of Jack’s wives carrying several platters of food. Maura led the way, adding, "Since we knew you were coming, we made sure to have plenty of portions. There are even more in the fridge, so don’t worry about going home hungry!"

"Finally!" Lina shouted, already stabbing a pork roast and pulling it toward her mouth.

"Lina! You have to--"

"Mom, it’s fine. Let’s all just dig in!" Jack replied as the three women found their seats and started filling their plates.

All manner of foods were present on the table, from pork to beef, from chicken to duck, from Giant Spider to Briar Wolf, and more. A tower of plates had been set down in front of Lina and Lunara, making sure they wouldn’t need to go to the kitchen anytime soon.