Seeing her serving Thales back and forth like a little daughter-in-law, the others couldn't help but exchange looks; they hadn't expected this proud girl to have such a side.
Leo watched as Majesty finished settling Thales in, then sought out Gerdie to tally the day's earnings. Gerdie appeared exhausted, silently handing over the pouches without a word before heading upstairs to rest.
After greeting his sister, Leo returned to his own room. Finally, it was that exciting moment again.
He collected the gold into his inventory; it directly increased by 500,000. Combined with his previous stash, he had a full million gold coins—experiencing the thrill of being a millionaire in this life.
Next, he brought out the runes. He felt that runes were becoming harder to obtain; he only had five pieces: two Tal (No. 7), one Ral (No. 8) [Note: Original text says "Oth/9", corrected based on game context for Spirit/Insight/Stealth as Ral], one Ort (No. 9), and one Amn (No. 11).
Taking out the several items with added sockets, he first used a Light Plate to craft a Stealth. To those who dared look down on my gear—tomorrow I'll have you kneeling and singing songs of submission.
After crafting Stealth, Leo hurried to the washroom to bathe and change clothes. Although "metaphysics won't save the unlucky and spending won't change fate," a necessary sense of ritual was still required.
He carefully took out four types of runes, three of each, arranging them in the order of Tal (7), Thul (10), Ort (9), and Amn (11). He then laid out the three Crystal Swords in a triangular formation.
Taking a deep breath, he piously picked up the first Crystal Sword and socketed the runes in the designated order.
A grey, chaotic light flared up as several runes rapidly vaporized, turning into a gas that saturated the entire Crystal Sword. Then, the sockets on the blade vanished, replaced by slowly emerging magical engravings. Once the Crystal Sword stopped changing, the entire blade exuded an ancient aura.
Seeing that the first one was a success, Leo completed the socketing for the remaining two Crystal Swords in succession. Soon, three Rune Words were crafted. He picked one up to check the attributes.
> Spirit
> Crystal Sword
> * Required Level: 25
> * Required Strength: 43
> * One-Hand Damage: 5-15
> * +2 to All Skills
> * +35% Faster Cast Rate
> * +55% Faster Hit Recovery
> * +250 Defense vs. Missile
> * +22 Vitality
> * +112 Mana
> * +7% Life Stolen per Hit
> * +3-14 Cold Damage
> * +75 Poison Damage over 5 seconds
> * +1-50 Lightning Damage
> * +8 Magic Absorb
>
Leo's mind was in a bit of a daze. The attributes of all three Spirit swords were identical—all perfect rolls.
Every piece of equipment he obtained in this world basically had maxed-out stats; this was a blessing earned over many lifetimes. If he could take a screenshot and post it on a forum, the brothers from his past life who spent their lives grinding for perfect gear would surely die of envy.
This Rune Word was the king of cost-effectiveness, but its attributes were skewed toward caster use—a bit of a pity. He caressed the three Spirits, unable to let go, and with a sentiment others wouldn't understand, he placed them on his bed. Sigh, by tomorrow you'll become others' swords; at least I can spend one last night with you.
Next, he pulled out the Grim Helm and socketed one Ort (9) and one Sol (12). The familiar scene reappeared, and soon another Rune Word was completed.
> Lore
> Grim Helm
> * Required Level: 27
> * Required Strength: 58
> * Defense: 125
> * +1 to All Skills
> * +10 Energy
> * +2 Mana After Each Kill
> * Lightning Resist +30%
> * Damage Reduced by 7
> * +2 to Light Radius
>
Another piece of caster gear. Once Majesty reached Level 27, he would have her wear this wretched-looking helmet.
"Girls, everyone out! There's a surprise!" Early the next morning, Leo woke the three women.
Seeing them gather around, Leo produced the three great swords. Looking at the attributes of the three Spirits, Majesty and Gerdie understood in their hearts—these were definitely ancient equipment again.
Shika was astonished: "I've never seen equipment like this. To be able to bring out three at once... are these ancient artifacts?"
"Haha, just a bit of insignificant knowledge, nothing major. Come, sister, you can swap out that claw of yours. Gerdie, you take these two; your buffs will be even more powerful from now on." Leo was beaming with joy, though he feigned humility while teasing Shika.
This type of sword had the highest aesthetic value among all weapons; the blade was crafted entirely from blue crystal, and now, with the addition of mysterious runic patterns, it looked even more extraordinary. Majesty and Gerdie happily took the Crystal Swords, examining their new weapons closely.
Unfortunately, Leo underestimated the extent of Shika's shamelessness. She immediately changed her tune, flattering him as she pulled at his arm: "Captain, my gear is too poor; it would bring shame to your face if I walked out like this. Do you have any other ancient gear suitable for me?"
Leo triumphantly produced the Stealth: "Take it. Stick with me, and you'll be living the high life from now on."
Shika humorously dropped to one knee, holding the Stealth high like a knight being knighted: "Captain, from now on, if you tell me to shoot Andariel in the mouth, I definitely won't shoot her in the head."
After distributing the gear, Leo brought out two large pouches: "This is the squad's earnings from the recent period, totaling one million gold coins. I've kept 100,000 as squad funds; the remaining 900,000 will be split 300,000 each. As for Shika's earnings, this Stealth counts as a welcoming gift from the squad. In the future, her pay will be handled by Majesty, as she technically counts as your mercenary and not a full member of our squad."
At Leo's meaningful glance, Majesty took out 10,000 gold and handed it to Shika: "This counts as an advance on part of next month's salary. If you perform well, you'll get a raise; if you perform poorly, it'll be docked. If you want squad gear in the future, you can give the gold to me, and I can help you purchase it from the squad."
"Majesty, you're the best! Sister will listen to everything you say from now on." Shika was overjoyed, grabbing Majesty and giving her a fierce peck on the cheek.
Heh heh heh, truly a season of blooming lilies.
"Ugh, my head hurts... being drunk feels terrible." The hungover Thales was finally woken by the group, stumbling as she tried to walk out of the room.
Shika immediately let go of Majesty and stepped forward to support Thales. Having found a support point, the hungover girl finally stopped swaying and muttered dizzily: "Leo, this is the first time I've ever been outmatched in drinking. You really are a different kind of male."
Seeing her in such distress, Leo activated his Cleansing aura to help her sober up.
Thales quickly regained her senses. She had never been so humiliated before and couldn't help but feel a bit unwilling. She said somewhat stubbornly: "Leo, I concede to your drinking capacity. But I don't believe your strength is as great as the rumors say. Do you dare to have a duel with me?"
Ever since leaving the Bastion, he hadn't fought anyone else for a long time. Hearing someone proactively challenge him to a PK, Leo's eyes lit up: "I'd like nothing more."
The two went outside to sign a Duel Contract. This type of contract significantly reduces the damage dealt by both parties and can open a barrier to forcibly interrupt the fight when one side is near death, protecting the loser's life.
A curtain of light rose, enveloping the two. Simultaneously, a solemn voice accompanied by the sounding of a stirring horn rang out.
"Leo, Hero in Green. Thales, Hero in Green."
"Voluntarily engaging in a duel. Consumable items are not permitted during the match."
"The duel begins. Bystanders, stand back. Win or lose, let there be no grudges."