Broken spent the entire day in the miners’ city, inspecting everyone’s status. After pushing himself to the limit, casting his skill on numerous people until his stamina was drained, he found no one with a suspicious or uncheckable status.
Feeling that everything was under control, he, Elincia, and the others finally decided to return to Dissidia Capital City.
“That was a close battle, and thanks to you, we managed to get through it,” Broken expressed his gratitude to Maylock.
Maylock gave a slight smile. “It’s actually quite simple; some people just fail to see it.”
Elincia chimed in, “If you think he’s arrogant, Broken, no, he just doesn’t realize that not everyone is as smart as he is.”
Broken smiled at her comment.
After returning to Dissidia Capital City, Broken wasted no time and got straight to work, repairing both his and Princess Alora’s armor, as well as their weapons. The durability had taken significant hits due to the intense battles they had faced. Relying only on each other as fighters, without any support or healer roles, they had suffered numerous setbacks.
He estimated it would take him about two or three days to repair everything. That morning, he received Princess Alora’s armor and her sword, specially delivered by Lionell to the royal blacksmith workshop. Broken quickly set to work.
The poor condition of the armor did not go unnoticed by the other royal blacksmiths present that day. News of Princess Alora’s battle against the demons alongside Broken had spread widely. Although the details of the Trial Domain were kept secret, many knew about Princess Alora’s expedition to the miners’ city.
The blacksmiths were both amazed and shocked by the state of the armor. It was in a truly dreadful condition, which spoke volumes about the severity of the battle they had fought. Imagining Princess Alora, who was highly skilled in sword fighting, having to sustain such damage suggested just how challenging the fight had been.
Many of the blacksmiths were curious as to why Princess Alora was not accompanied by the two Knight Grand Crosses during the event.
Moreover, they were well aware of the high quality of the armor. It was an elemental set armor, level 200, with an average grade above Epic, and some pieces were even of Unique- grade.
“I wouldn’t believe it if Princess Alora herself hadn’t invited Broken to the expedition,” a few blacksmith players chatted among themselves.
“Yes, Princess Alora personally acknowledges Broken. It seems he’s truly talented in both blacksmithing and combat.”
“But demons? I’ve never seen demons, except Paul from the Shadow Wolves.”
“Does this mean a big war is coming? I mean, I enjoy the peaceful condition of Dissidia Kingdom.”
“I agree, a big war means more work for us. And, sigh, I just want to play the game peacefully.”
“I hope the big guilds can handle these issues properly so that smaller players like us don’t get affected.”
Several players passing by tried to chat with Broken, who was busy working on his craft.
“Broken… hey, I’ve heard a lot about you. You seem to be becoming more popular lately,” they said, but received no response.
“Don’t disturb him. He’s working on the Princess’s armor,” someone else whispered in reminder.
Broken spent almost two straight days without logging out, fully dedicated to completing the armor. On the second day, he was nearing the finishing touches. At the same time, the other blacksmiths were curious about the outcome of his work.
One by one, he completed the pieces, starting with the highest grade. He began with the Unique-grade sword belonging to Princess Alora. Then he moved on to his two Legendary- grade weapons, which dazzled everyone’s eyes, as well as other items like his pickaxe.
He continued with the Unique-grade pieces of armor, which retained their grade, followed by the Epic-grade pieces, which also held their grades. Finally, he moved on to the last piece, the only Elite-grade among them. He finished it, and boom, the grade upgraded to Epic-grade.
A smile appeared on Broken’s lips. He was satisfied that he had managed to provide Princess Alora with a full set of armor, all at a minimum of Epic-grade. This improvement would enhance the stats and the skills attached to the shoes.
This did not go unnoticed by the other blacksmiths, who were amazed by what they saw. Upgrading the grade of equipment during repair was something they had heard of, but the chances were small. Usually, this happens within Rare-grade or Elite-grade items. But what they witnessed was an upgrade to Epic-grade during a repair. It was beyond their expectations.
The blacksmiths applauded after seeing Broken’s work. They had grown accustomed to the impressive displays each time Broken crafted, and they found themselves craving more. The miracles he performed with crafting were beyond anyone’s imagination. Some even dared to claim that Broken was at Master rank, considering all he had achieved. However, this was disputed by many, as it seemed impossible for a player to reach Master rank so quickly. No one had ever done it; even achieving an Expert rank was still out of any players’ reach. Broken tidied up all his blacksmithing tools and placed the armor and weapons back into his Inventory. He stood and observed the blacksmiths who were watching him, wide-eyed and in
awe.
He smiled at their admiring gazes. He could feel it-the difference from the looks he used to receive before. He was genuinely happy that many things in his life had changed for the
better.
“Tomorrow, I’m really setting off on my journey to Slumdon Town, for however long it will take,” he said. The blacksmiths remained silent, still curious about him.
“Thanks for everything. Next time, I’ll come back,” he continued.
The blacksmiths then started clapping, some offering congratulations and even patting him
on the back as he walked past.
“Broken, you inspire me. Thanks!” a player said.
“Baron Broken, thanks for everything. We will work harder to reach your level,” several NPCs shouted enthusiastically.
Broken then walked towards the door, where Lionell was already waiting for him. Together, they set off to meet Princess Alora.
A little while later, Broken entered the room where Princess Alora awaited him, adorned in a splendid royal dress, being attended to by her maids. As he stepped in, the maids noticed his arrival, promptly standing up and quietly exiting the room, leaving the two of them alone. “Hi, come here, don’t just stand there,” she said with a warm smile.
Broken returned her smile and approached, taking a seat on an elegant chair set in the center
of the room.
“So, have you finished the repairs?” she asked.
“Yes, I finished everything-two sets of armor and some weapons,” he replied, his voice
steady.
“That’s fast, almost too fast. Did you do it without any rest?” she asked softly.
“No, I took a little break, relaxed, and had some food,” Broken replied, smiling.
Alora let out a light laugh at his response. “That’s not quite the kind of rest I had in mind,”
she said.
Once again, Broken’s mind drifted back to the recent days when this princess had fought valiantly beside him against the relentless demons. Now, she sat gracefully before him in her royal attire, a stark contrast to the fierce warrior he had seen before.
“Why that look?” Alora inquired.
Broken chuckled softly. “It’s nothing, really. I’m just amazed at how completely different you
appear without your battle armor, Princess.”
“Is that supposed to be a tease?” she asked.
“No, it’s a genuine compliment,” he replied with sincerity.
“So…” Princess Alora replied with a firm tone. “You’ve become quite bold, haven’t you?
Teasing me like this. You’re lucky Lionel and Mercy are outside the room. If they were here, I
wouldn’t be able to save you from their wrath, Baron Broken.”
“Please, don’t mention them, Princess. I wouldn’t last a second against the two of them,”
Broken responded.
With a smile, Broken took out the newly repaired armor set and sword belonging to Princess Alora and placed them on the table beside where they were sitting.
“Epic-grade?” Alora looked impressed, her eyes widening as she examined the shoes.
“Ah, I just remembered,” she continued, turning her gaze back to him. “I think I owe you
more rewards.”
“Rewards?”
“Yes, for your service and assistance during the last expedition. Tell me, what do you want?”
she asked.