Realm of Myths and Legends

As Izroth examined the Sword of the Storm, the first thing he noticed was that its rank had jumped from Epic to Unique--bypassing the Legendary rank altogether!

Next, was something he never witnessed before in RML. The level of his weapon dropped from level 40 down to level 0, yet its power remained entirely unaffected. This part still puzzled Izroth.

Another shocking fact was that the weapon's attack nearly tripled and would continue to grow as his base strength increased.

Of course, there were also some upgrades made to the already existing weapon skills of his Sword of The Storm; however, what stood out glaringly was none another than the bonus forged effects.

It was not just one or two bonus forged effects, but a total of four! In addition, it was on a Unique rank item!

When they first met back in front of the Mystical Realm Palace, Gu Chao, the current head Blacksmith of the Mystical Realm Palace, revealed a level 30 rare item with two bonus forged effects called the Soft Bone Sea Swallow Chest.

Izroth was curious about how blacksmithing worked in RML. So, he observed Gu Chao's crafting abilities before the start of the event. That's when Izroth noticed that virtually none of the items Gu Chao's crafted had bonus forged effects attached to them. Was it due to his poor luck? Or, was there a limited number he could craft within a certain time frame? Naturally, Izroth was interested.

In the end, Gu Chao shook his head and told Izroth, "Big bro, you got it all wrong. It takes me only an hour to craft the Soft Bone Sea Swallow Chest. But, do you know how long it took to add two bonus forged effects to a rare chest piece? Three days! Three! This little brother of yours nearly fainted from starvation! I'm just glad I didn't choose a weapon; otherwise, it would have taken me twice as long! I-"

At that point, Gu Chao bit his own tongue and didn't continue to speak for a bit after that. Nevertheless, Izroth was able to grasp a decent understanding of it. And, that's why he was even more shocked with the ability of these Entai.

Gu Chao was a grade four Blacksmith, who was soon on the verge of becoming a grade five. Yet, it would still take him six days in-game to produce a level 30 rare weapon with two bonus forged effects.

However, not only had the Entai upgraded Izroth's level 40 Sword of The Storm from the Epic to Unique rank, but they also managed to add four bonus forged effects! And, this was all done in a few minutes, let alone hours or six days!

Just how skilled were these Entai to produce such a masterpiece as if it were as easy as breathing?

"So? Are you satisfied?" Astratis asked with a grin on his face as if he already knew Izroth's answer.

Izroth inwardly shook his head as he returned the Sword of the Storm to its rightful place.

"It is a good sword," Izroth commented.

Astratis nodded and said, "It's not easy to get something personally crafted from the Entai. That's why I could only give you the Token of Promise and let them upgrade something you already have. Those guys don't talk much at all, but they are natural-born craftsmen of the forge. When it comes to their skills, they are second to none in this world."

"I am afraid if other Blacksmiths knew a place like this existed, they would all come rushing to learn their secrets," Izroth stated.

"Ha, do you think others have not tried? Asking them how to craft is like asking a sea beast how to swim or a man how to breathe. It is all pure instinct." Astratis responded.

"I see. A pity. Though I would like to see their crafting process some time." Izroth said calmly.

"Sure, I can arrange that. But, it will have to wait until after things with the pillars are settled. After all, we can't afford any mistakes this time around. That being said-"

Astratis' expression turned serious as he continued, "I think it's about we had an open dialogue about a serious topic, don't you agree?"

'Oh? Has he finally reached the limits of his curiosity? I planned to tell him about the Mortal Realm after we left the Hidden Celestial Abode, but... Well, I suppose there's no harm to doing so now. My judge of character has yet to lead me astray.'

But, before Izroth could speak, Astratis placed his hands on Izroth's shoulders and said, "My sister--what do you think of her? It won't be easy to win her heart, but if you perform well in this upcoming battle, it is not impossible if I put in a good word for you."

'...'

"This is..." Izroth was momentarily speechless. He thought Astratis wanted to inquire about the things he was hiding; however, it turned out he actually desired to play matchmaker!

...

Several minutes later...

A brilliant ray of light shone down in front of an open-roof temple with a serene atmosphere.

Not too long after the light flashed, two figures emerged--Izroth and Astratis.

"Ahahaha, to think you would turn down my offer. I am not sure whether to be offended or impressed. There are many men who would face death to gain my sister's favor." Astratis stated.

"Brother, have I not advised you against doing such distasteful and unnecessary things?" Eiritia's voice suddenly echoed as the sound of footsteps approached.

A few seconds later, Eiritia walked out of the temple along with Sychia at her side.

"If I do not say anything, I fear my eldest sister will be alone eternally," Astratis commented.

"You... Forget it. Allow me to apologize for my brother's behavior. Please do not take everything he says to heart." Eiritia said as she turned her attention to Izroth.

"It's fine. Your brother just has an active spirit." Izroth replied with a carefree smile.

"Indeed, my brother does have an active spirit--just as he has a prior engagement with his wife before departing to the Celestial Battlegrounds," Eiritia stated with a graceful smile.

"Prior engagement? But we didn't have anything planned today?" Astratis frowned.

"Does today not mark the day you wed? Yet, not only did you forget, you even allowed her to welcome another woman. If not for the upcoming battle, do you think your wife would spare you?" Eiritia noted.

"The day we... Our Day of Remembrance!" Astratis exclaimed as his face turned pale.

The Day of Remembrance was the celestial version of an anniversary. And, Astratis had been so busy lately that it had completely slipped his mind. No wonder her mood seemed to be continuing to worsen throughout the day!

"This is why men are..." Eiritia muttered to herself she released a heavy sigh.

She then spoke up and said, "I have arranged for a set of events to take place in the Abode's Garden. I know that you have been working hard lately for our sake; therefore, I will not allow you to suffer. But, brother, this is the last year I will cover for you."

"As expected of my elder sister! You have my gratitude! Izroth, I have some more things to discuss with you, but it will have to wait until later! The Guiding Ray will transport you when it is time, so make any necessary preparations! Then, I am taking my leave!" Astratis said with haste as a bolt of lightning crashed down on his location and he moved at a terrifying speed.

The Guiding Ray was fast, but it still took a few seconds to lock onto their position and determine their destination. However, Astratis did not have such a luxury!

Right as Astratis left, Izroth received an alert from the system.

〈System Alert: You have received a new quest! Would you like to accept? [Warning: Declining this quest will result in an immediate automatic ejection from the «Secret Realm: Era of Titans»!]〉

Izroth could only inwardly shake his head at Astratis' actions. The next moment, he opened his system interface to read over the quest information.

'This quest... Isn't the system basically forcing my hand?'

Quest Name: The Rebel & The Liberator(3)

Quest Difficulty: SSS

Recommended Level: N/A

Recommended Party Size: N/A

Objective: Assist the «Rebellious Son of Thunder, Astratis», who is making his move against the pillars along with his allies.

Time Limit: N/A

0/1 Accompany «Rebellious Son of Thunder, Astratis» to the «Celestial Battlegrounds» and survive until the end while emerging victorious.

Reward:

-x1 Access to the new «Celestial Abode».

-???

-???

Failure:

-Lose 3 levels.

-Automatically ejected from «Secret Realm: Era of Titans»

-Lose access to the «Cyclops Workshop».

If Izroth declined, he would be automatically ejected from the Secret Realm, losing out on any potential rewards in the process. But, the rewards for the quest itself were too unclear, while the penalty for failure was fairly harsh.

Nevertheless, how could the rewards from an SSS-ranked quest be bad?

Of course, Izroth would accept such a quest!