Green Monster Epic

“My Lord, please come in!”

Ten days later, Allen arrived early in the morning at the entrance of the dwarf Borrett's blacksmith shop and knocked on his heavy wooden door.

Seeing Allen was the one knocking, the dwarf was slightly surprised, but at the same time, he didn't forget to welcome Allen inside.

“Please wait a moment, I still have a bit of finishing work to do!”

It was clear that the dwarf hadn't slacked off at all in these ten days, which could be seen at a glance from his unkempt appearance and his smoke-filled hair and beard. His pair of originally shrewd eyes were now bloodshot, and he was so excited that he didn't even prepare a chair or water for Allen, leaving Allen to the side to continue his previous work.

The Bone Cleaver was being forged in a blazing pale blue flame, the sword body was orange-red, and the carvings were more delicate, with a few changes, such as being two inches wider and much thicker.

When the flames finally burned the Bone Cleaver's blade to a crimson red, Borrett, wearing a pair of leather gloves of unknown material, directly gripped the hot handle, and a burning smell immediately wafted out, accompanied by sizzling sounds.

The entire blade of the Bone Cleaver was completely exposed to Allen's eyes. With his familiarity with the Bone Cleaver, Allen could confirm that the blade had also been lengthened by about three inches. Now, if the heavy sword were placed on the ground, compared to Allen himself, the entire heavy sword would almost reach his chest.

A puff of golden powder of unknown material was grabbed by Borrett with his other empty hand, and then directly sprinkled on the red-hot blade. Instantly, golden-red light shone, turning into a burst of flames, which instantly converged back into the blade.

Borrett looked solemn, carefully observing the changes in the heavy sword. After a certain point in time, he suddenly took action and quickly inserted the Bone Cleaver into another huge stone trough next to him. At this time, Allen realized that this stone trough was filled with a silver liquid exuding an icy aura.

Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~~

From extreme heat to extreme cold, the Bone Cleaver cooled rapidly, and its true appearance was finally revealed to Allen. Just one glance made Allen feel that this was his exclusive weapon.

Although it had not been polished yet, the Bone Cleaver's original silver-gray blade now had other textures. Dark gold and silver-gray stripes overlapped each other, yet the patterns were clear. Upon closer inspection, it seemed as if they were naturally formed. The stripes formed mysterious patterns, and Borrett cleverly used the changes in materials to match the complex carvings, making it both grand and simple, yet not lacking in exquisiteness. It was clearly an excellent weapon.

“Huff!”

After several more complex forging processes, time flew by for half a day. Finally, Borrett, with a relieved and satisfied expression, handed the unsharpened heavy sword to Allen.

“The sharpening will be up to you, my Lord.”

“This is the most satisfying piece I've ever made in my 37 years of forging. To be honest, if you hadn't prepared all the materials, I wouldn't want to hand it over!”

Looking at Allen wielding the heavy sword with lingering affection, Borrett began to carefully introduce its mysteries to Allen.

“This sword has three basic attributes. Solidity is inherent in both cold iron and gold essence, so I won't mention it. The armor-piercing attribute is a characteristic of gold essence. The remaining heavy attribute is a product of the combination of gold essence and cold iron, which will make every swing of this sword very heavy.”

“Of course, this also makes this heavy sword not light. Without a burly figure, you may not be able to use it easily. In my estimation, this sword weighs at least 400 pounds. I believe that with your strength, my Lord, using it should not be a problem, right?”

In fact, Borrett was somewhat uneasy about this characteristic. Allen's body was much thinner than that of an ordinary hobgoblin. Based on Borrett's observation, he believed that Allen was taking the speed route, so the sudden increase of more than one hundred pounds in the weight of the heavy sword would naturally be a considerable burden.

Of course, with Allen's legendary strength, even if he took the speed route, it was not impossible to use this heavy sword for a short time, but it would be difficult to use it frequently.

These were all Borrett's guesses without knowing Allen's physical fitness. From this point, it could also be seen that Borrett might not be bad at forging, but he lacked some business acumen.

If he had roughly confirmed Allen's strength parameters beforehand, he might not have had these worries.

However, seeing Allen now holding the brand-new Bone Cleaver and wielding it with great power without showing any signs of difficulty, Borrett's expression gradually relaxed, and then he began to show off his most proud creation.

“In my opinion, a true warrior is one who displays the art of the body with real weapons. Those flashy magics look magical, but in reality, they deviate from the essence of a warrior. Therefore, I have not enchanted any spells on this heavy sword, but I have applied a rune unique to us dwarves—the Anti-Magic.”

“This rune will convert the energy injected by the wielder into a unique annihilation energy. If the energy is sufficient, it can directly eliminate any magic below the 5th tier. At the same time, it has an extremely weakening effect on magic above the 5th tier. Even legendary spells, as long as you inject enough energy, can eliminate some of its power.”

Dwarves are a race that is severely specialized in evocation magic. Their other types of casters have almost the same talents as most races in the Fayman world, except for evocation, where they have extremely strong differences.

For example, their casters have extremely strong talents in lightning, earth, and fire, but their talents in wind, water, and other evocation types are almost like idiots. It is basically difficult for evocation casters below the high level to independently cast a complete wind spell, but they have created unique professions such as lightning storm mages, earth shapers, and rune mages.

Also because of their specialization, the number of dwarves who learn casting abilities is not as high as in other civilizations. More dwarves who prefer to take the path of warriors, in order to gain an advantage over casters in battle, eventually developed an anti-magic rune through their unique rune magic.

It is a pity that the mysteries of this rune are generally taboo among dwarves and are never passed on to outsiders. Now that Allen can have this rune created on his Bone Cleaver, Allen doesn't know if he has gained or lost.

Hearing about the Bone Cleaver's new attributes, Allen was quite pleasantly surprised. The anti-magic attribute might not be that powerful, but for Allen, it was the most suitable effect for him. From the battle with Skull Crusher back then until now, Allen's least favorite opponents were thieves with magical life-saving skills and mages with various magical effects.

If the anti-magic attribute was as powerful as the dwarf Borrett said, then Allen would be in a strong position when fighting against casters with the Bone Cleaver in hand.

“In terms of weapon characteristics, this heavy sword may not be considered a legendary weapon, but in my opinion, it is no worse than any legendary weapon, as long as it meets a suitable owner, such as you, my Lord!”

Borrett flattered Allen a little, and it did make Allen feel somewhat happy when it reached his ears.

Rage surged into the Bone Cleaver's blade, and the familiar touch did not feel unfamiliar due to the addition of many other materials. As the runes on the blade began to take effect, an unknown transparent shield gradually rose on the gold and silver intertwined blade, visible only to Allen himself.

The heavy weapon was just right for Allen at this time and was not as heavy as he had imagined. After all, Allen's strength had increased a lot after being promoted to legendary, and he had also made a lot of progress under the tempering of these years.

The Bone Cleaver, which had generated a shield, easily cut through the air, adding a bit of agility to the heavy blade. Perhaps this was another hidden characteristic of the blade.

Clang!

With a clean and crisp sword-drawing motion, the hollow scabbard that had been empty on Allen's back once again welcomed its master.

With the weapon in hand, Allen naturally wouldn't stay in Borrett's blacksmith shop for long. After giving the other party a satisfied smile, he left slowly.

Before long, the alley where the Copperbeard Blacksmith Shop was located began to spread rumors that a legendary figure had come to the dwarf blacksmith to forge a weapon, and that the dwarf Borrett had custom-made a legendary-level weapon for this legendary powerhouse.

Almost completely renewed, Allen's overall strength has become more than one level stronger after improving his equipment in addition to his own strength, and he finally has the wealth of a true legendary powerhouse.

Just as Allen was familiarizing himself with the effects of his not-so-new equipment, a familiar person came to his door, making Allen's heart somewhat imaginative.

“I knew it, this Allen Noodle Restaurant must be related to you, it really is!”

The elf assassin Albion, still with his cynical and occasionally sinister face, appeared at Allen's Noodle Restaurant. He was led into the backyard by Roberta, and when he saw Allen slowly wielding basic sword skills, he said warmly to Allen.

“This beautiful goblin sister, please bring me 5 meat buns and a plate of dumplings, thank you!”

“Oh, right, this is a treat from your clan leader, don't charge me!”

“……”

Allen frowned slightly, staring at Albion's movements, feeling somewhat uncomfortable in his heart.

“Now I should call you 'My Lord.' I really envy you for advancing to legendary before us!”

Albion seemed to already know the news of Allen's promotion to legendary. However, when he was in front of Allen at this time, he did not have the respect and sense of distance that other people had when facing a legendary powerhouse, which made Allen feel familiar again.

However, the lesson of Kaya was only a little over a year ago, and Allen himself had never really let go of this matter, so he inevitably felt a little sensitive in his heart. Even if Albion intended to get closer, he didn't say a word.

“...What, my old friend, are you going to break with us just because of that bitch Kaya?”

Albion's intelligence network is truly powerful. He even knows such private matters.

This made Allen, who was beginning to relax his guard, tighten it once more.

"Is there something you need from me?"

Allen's tone was somewhat cold.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems I've come at the wrong time.

I originally wanted to ask you how the slave-catching group I introduced to you is doing.

See if you have any other needs?"

"Forget it, just consider this a free meal!"

Albion was somewhat disappointed, and his tone became a little desolate.

Since giving Yarigon and those figures who walk in the gray area to Allen, the relationship between Albion and Allen is actually closer than that of ordinary friends.

This time he came with a certain purpose.

However, the purpose he brought was not detrimental to Allen and his tribe, but rather very beneficial.

"Sorry, I was rude!"

Allen finally adjusted his mentality, and his face gradually became gentle.

"Since you've come to my place, just eating a few buns makes me seem inhospitable.

Why don't I cook a few dishes myself, and we can have a couple of drinks together?"

It was a friendly inquiry, but in reality, Allen put away the Bone Splitter into his dimensional bag and walked directly into the backyard kitchen, starting to busy himself skillfully.

As he advanced to Legend, Allen gradually revealed some of the might of a strong person.

For example, when facing people who are not so close, he wouldn't pay too much attention to their attitude, but rather let them accommodate his choices.

"By the way, are you interested in trying dishes made from the flesh of the Reincarnation Demon Blood?"

"Forget it, you should keep it for yourself!"

Soon, Allen came out carrying a few wooden plates and took Albion to his temporary residence.

"How have you been recently?

Have you had any major gains?"

Allen poured a glass of fruit wine for Albion, while filling one for himself, casually asking about Albion's situation in recent years.

"I'm still the same, how can I compare with you?

Now any task you take on is enough for me to be busy for many years..."

The two chatted casually for a while, also talking about Alba and Kaya's affairs.

When he heard that Alba had re-entered the City Guard, Allen's eyes showed some discomfort, but he quickly let it go.

"You asked me just now if I was interested in contacting more channels like Yarigon.

Are you saying you have other slave-catching group contacts?"

After chatting for a while, Allen brought the topic back, looking at Albion with a serious expression again.

"Recently, the situation is not right.

Many slave-catching groups have temporarily stopped.

Even if I help you contact a slave-catching group, it will take a long time before transactions can begin."

Only when Allen personally inquired did Albion truly get to the main topic of finding Allen today, which could be regarded as his last insistence in facing Allen.

"You probably don't know, the Elven Kingdom has declared war on the Dwarven Kingdom, just ten days ago."

"Now both the northern and southern continents have fallen into a period of turmoil.

The big shots in the wilderness have begun to restrict the activities of foreigners like us in order to cope with the possible impact of war."

"So it's not just me, Yarigon's dwarven slave-catching group doesn't dare to act rashly now, fearing it will attract the encirclement and suppression of the wilderness tribes."

"..."

Allen's expression suddenly became solemn.

He didn't expect that he was not as well-informed as Albion about such important matters, which made him even more curious about the forces behind Albion.

"Is your news channel accurate?"

Of course, more importantly, was the matter of the Elven Kingdom launching a war.

For the Green Field Tribe, which was not too far from the border of the Elven Kingdom, they had been worried about the actions of the Elven Kingdom and where they would eventually lead.

Now that the dust had settled, Allen felt relieved.

As long as the Elven Kingdom did not send troops to the wilderness, it meant that Allen and his tribe would not have to worry too much about the shadow of war in the short term.

As for the final war between the four major civilizations, the ultimate competition for the hegemony of the continent, it was no longer something Allen would pay attention to, because he knew very well that even if he and his tribe managed it for thousands of years, they would not be qualified to participate, unless the entire Mansa Wilderness was unified.

"Of course, don't forget, I am an elf myself, and the news there is much better than yours!"

Albion smiled proudly, saying confidently.

"Of course, I certainly don't know exactly how many troops the Elven Kingdom has sent or what the attack plan is.

But what I want to tell you is that the wilderness now looks very calm, but in reality, there are also undercurrents surging underneath, so you have to be careful!"

"Well, thank you for your reminder, I will pay attention."

Allen nodded gratefully.

"Allen, to be honest, with your current status, your news is still so closed off, which is completely inconsistent with your identity!"

After gladly accepting Allen's gratitude, Albion said with a look of regret in his eyes.

Allen's face was also a little uncomfortable.

How could he not know the importance of intelligence information?

Unfortunately, the tribe's operations have been difficult in recent years.

It was not easy to establish a stable intelligence collection system in Thornsburg, which could quickly obtain many market news, but with the blockade of Thornsburg, everything was returned to its original state.

As for Mansa City, Roberta and their stores are still in a period of rapid development, and they don't have much energy to manage the intelligence system.

In the end, Allen's intelligence still had to be collected by spending money in taverns and adventurer guilds.

"Are you interested in joining our organization?"

Finally, after chatting and narrowing the relationship, Albion began to talk about the real reason he came to find Allen this time.

"What do you mean?"

Allen knew that in addition to his surface identity as an adventurer, Albion should also have other identities.

Although it should not have much to do with the Elven Kingdom, the energy of the forces behind him was by no means small.

Over the years, in several cooperations, Albion's intelligence channels were beyond the reach of Allen and the others.

Only Richard's intelligence system could be slightly better.

Allen had also inquired about the organizations behind Albion and Richard, seeing if there was a chance to join them.

Unfortunately, Allen at that time had not shown enough talent, and by the time Allen entered the other party's inspection period, he had grown extremely rapidly, not giving the other party enough reaction time.

"You should have seen that, in addition to having the identity of an adventurer, I have also joined another organization behind the scenes.

When you asked me about it before, I reported your intention to the organization, but because you didn't stay in Mansa City for a long time, and the organization I belong to has relatively strict requirements, that's why it wasn't until now that I was allowed to officially extend an invitation to you."

The assessment of Allen actually started when Allen came to Mansa City for the second time, and Albion had accepted the organization's task to carefully observe Allen's talent and potential.

After all, the organization behind Albion was itself in the gray area of this world.

Although the layout of the forces on the two continents was not small, because many of their industrial chains could not be exposed to the light, they had always been rarely known to ordinary people, and at the same time, the members among them needed to be carefully identified and reviewed.

"If you don't mind, can you tell me about the organization behind you?"

Before Allen advanced to Legend, he might have been overjoyed by Albion's invitation.

For a small tribe in a remote wilderness, having one more path meant one more strength.

But after Allen advanced to Legend, he was not so excited.

Although he had not advanced to Legend for long, there was a constant stream of people who took the initiative to win him over, which also made Allen understand his value.

"There's no problem with that, but I also hope that Allen, you can keep what I'm going to say next a secret."

Albion nodded slightly, agreeing, but at the same time solemnly instructed Allen.

"Of course."

"In this world, there are too many gray industries, and among them, the most valuable are assassination, slavery, prostitution, and gambling."

"The main business of the organization I belong to is to help customers in need assassinate their enemies and targets."

"..."

No wonder Albion always made Allen feel a little gloomy, and his methods were also very cruel.

It turned out that what he was secretly doing was such a thing.

"After joining our organization, there will be a mandatory mission every ten years, and at the same time, you can have three chances to refuse, and there will be no other restrictions."

"You can freely choose whether to accept other tasks or not, and at the same time, you can take the initiative to offer rewards without anyone knowing your identity."

"There are also people in the guild who are specifically responsible for intelligence gathering.

You can pay a certain price, or exchange information, to obtain the corresponding intelligence."

"If you want to obtain more accurate intelligence every month, then you need to complete a mission every three years, and the guild will send the collected intelligence directly to your hands as a reward."

"..."

In short, Allen finally knew that the force Albion belonged to was a powerful guild with deep roots in the Hillen and Taren continents, as well as the Mansa Wilderness -- the Assassin's Guild.

As the name suggests, the main industry of the Assassin's Guild is to help employers who can contact the guild complete various incredible tasks.

As long as you can afford the price, even the task of assassinating a demigod strongman can be completed.

According to Albion's introduction, behind the Assassin's Guild sits one of the world's top powerhouses -- a Saint-level existence.

"Can you let me consider it?"

Allen was a little tempted.

The restrictions of the Assassin's Guild were not many, especially for a strongman like Allen, the rights and obligations were not proportional.

It seemed that the benefits gained from joining far outweighed the disadvantages.

However, out of caution, Allen decided to calm down again.

"Okay, no problem."

Albion's eyes were clear, and he didn't mean to force it.