I Became the Progenitor Vampire Chapter 280

Chapter 280: Chapter 282: The Foodie Female Warrior, Returning to Green City (A 10,000-word mega chapter, added for Alliance Hierarch Jiu Yue) Chapter 280: Chapter 282: The Foodie Female Warrior, Returning to Green City (A 10,000-word mega chapter, added for Alliance Hierarch Jiu Yue) “The race from the Storm Sea Domain??”

Lide narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze electric as he stared intently at Valen.

Spark had mentioned before that in his youth, he had encountered the red-eyed race in the Storm Sea Domain hunting two extraordinary dragons, but he was not clear about the ultimate fate of that dragon-hunting lady.

Now, Valen was also saying the same thing; it certainly could not be a coincidence.

“Valen, what race is it? Do you know about the Isa Race?”

Valen, sensing Lide's pressing mood, couldn't help but glance at Little Yisha again. Those red eyes were exactly the same as those of the race he had seen in the Storm Sea Domain when he was young.

He nodded gravely.

“Your Highness, when I was younger, I spent decades traveling across the glorious Main Plane. Although I stepped foot in less than one percent of it, I went to many dangerous or unique places.”

In the eyes of this three-hundred-year-old Dwarf, a hint of reminiscence showed.

“I have seen countless lives that are either magical or powerful, and among them, besides dragons and Abyss Demons, what shocked me the most was that powerful race with crimson eyes.”

Little Yisha's expression was very tense at this time. Did she really still have kinfolk?

The words she had heard from Spark had given her hope, and now hearing the same news made her even more nervous.

Those clear and pure eyes stared tightly at Valen, anticipating his next words.

“It was an accidental encounter. At that time, I was aboard a large ship heading to a region prolific with magic treasure pearls.

But along the way, we encountered the very lifeform that all sailors in the Storm Sea Domain dread to meet–the Deep Sea Giant Beast!

Those bloodthirsty hunters are the most terrifying natural disasters in the Storm Sea Domain.

The one that attacked us was a beast two hundred blades in length; it considered our one hundred and fifty blade-long ship as prey.

To flee was our only hope; there was no chance of defeating it, and that Deep Sea Giant Beast had even reached an extraordinary level…

At that time, the seven Great Mages on our ship used magic frantically to accelerate the ship, and to avoid the Deep Sea Giant Beast, we greatly deviated from our original safe course.

A greater accident occurred.

Storm, a fierce storm struck us.

For the Storm Sea Domain, encountering a storm is nothing out of the ordinary.

But to adventurers, every storm is lethal, and that particular storm was a horrific natural disaster that the ship's crew had never seen before.

The indescribably powerful storm made heaven and earth seem to lose their meaning…”

At this point, Valen's eyes flashed with a hint of terror, as if that encounter a hundred years ago still made his heart palpitate.

“Even the Deep Sea Giant Beast, which was two hundred blades long in the deep sea, was blown up into the sky by the wind.

The seven Great Mages on our ship exhausted all their magic power to barely keep the big ship from capsizing.

But as time ticked by, the Demon Crystals ran out, the magic power ran out, and after everything was exhausted, we inevitably couldn't hold on.

Just when our large ship was blown directly up into the sky by the storm, along with the Deep Sea Giant Beast floating in the air.

That lady of nobility appeared.”

Valen's eyes shone with light at this moment.

“She wore a long red Mage robe, her face was as perfect as an angel's.

With a wave of her hand, the storm that could lift the extraordinary Deep Sea Giant Beast into the sky stopped within a thousand blades range around her.

The two hundred blade-long Deep Sea Giant Beast, sensing something unusual and trying to resist, was easily burned to ash by her simple magic. Yes, right before all of us, the level twenty Deep Sea Giant Beast was incinerated to ash by a crimson Small Fireball.

Afterwards, the lady of nobility glanced at us, said no words, waved her hand, and we were transported along with the big ship directly out of the storm's center.

The storm, capable of tearing space, couldn't affect the lady of nobility at all.

When we came to our senses and checked, we found we had already appeared in a calm sea area hundreds of kilometers away.”

Speaking to this point, a fervent and unstoppable worship rose in Valen's eyes.

“Later, after discussions among the seven Great Mages on our ship, we unanimously believed that the lady of nobility might very well have reached the limit of the legendary, a true Demigod.”

After finishing, Valen turned his head and stared intently at Yisha. “The lady of nobility's eyes are identical to yours, and the aura emanating from your eyes is so similar–unmistakable like bright moonlight that cannot be covered up.

Kachar Your Highness, this honorable young lady, her origins must be far beyond our imagination.”

After listening to all this, Lide deeply sighed. This Dwarf's experiences were truly full of twists and turns; if it weren't for Valen's integration into Dawn City, he would have surely thought the fellow was bluffing him.

Turning his head, he looked at Little Yisha with a slightly complex expression, who was full of longing on her face.

What's the difference between saying that and saying nothing??

“Where did you encounter that lady? Can you find her again?”

Valen unexpectedly nodded, “That place is the most famous Death Sea Eye in the Storm Sea Domain. The magic energy there is extremely dense, and various Demon Beast resources are distributed. Many powerful races own their own islands there, and even giant dragons are often seen.

It's very likely that the lady in question resides there.

So the best way to find them is to head to the Death Sea Eye.”

After saying this, Valen added a little more.

“Of course, to enter the Death Sea Eye, you must be at least Transcendent level, because that is the most dangerous place in the Storm Sea Domain.

Because the magic energy is too dense, terrifying storms frequently occur there, which are the nightmares of countless people.”

After hearing this, Lide looked at Little Yisha who turned her head and seemed somewhat nervous, smiled faintly, and reached out to pat the girl's head.

“Don't worry, your teacher won't be rash. When Yisha grows up, I'll take you there.”

Upon hearing this, Yisha immediately let out a sigh of relief and then revealed a radiant smile.

She nodded vigorously.

“Mm…”

Storm Sea Domain, Death Sea Eye.

Lide silently memorized this name, softened by the longing and anticipation in Little Yisha's eyes.

Getting information about Yisha's origin was an unexpected joy, but this was not a map to be explored in the short term. They would wait until Dawn City had enough Transcendent power to give it a try.

Just hearing the name Death Sea Eye suggests a map of sufficiently high level, possibly concealing many treasures and resources.

He shook his head; thinking about this was still too early. For now, forging the Extraordinary Equipment and enhancing his subordinates' combat strength was the real deal.

Castro, after getting the Extraordinary Armor, became unrivaled; Lide was quite looking forward to seeing what kind of enhancement these fighters with off-the-chart combat strength would gain after getting their Extraordinary Armor.

“Valen, Grote and Kapp have arrived, right? This is Betty; if you have any requirements for the armor and weapons being forged, tell her.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Betty followed Valen, and Lide, also curious, led Yisha to see how Valen would proceed.

Then under Valen's arrangements, Betty, the Valkyrie, went through basic tests of swinging a sword, chopping at wooden stakes, and sprinting.

Only after she had used all her skills in the most basic fight, with two warriors as targets, did Valen call an end to the assessment.

When Betty stopped, people immediately came to help two seemingly tough targets off to heal.

Although Betty had not exerted even 1% of her strength, she still gave two level 5 warriors a hard time.

At this point, Grote and Kapp, having just finished testing, appeared before Lide with excited expressions, especially the level 18 Beastman King Kapp, who was in a state of constant excitement.

He was about to have Extraordinary Equipment, which was simply unbelievable to him.

What kind of life did Beastmen live before??

Poor!

This word was enough to sum it all up.

He, as the king of a twenty-thousand-strong Beastman Tribe, only had a longsword of Perfect Level and armor of Rare Level; he wasn't even comparable to the captain of some wealthy city on the border.

But now, after taking refuge under a powerful patron, he was immediately enjoying ultrluxurious treatment, which made this Beastman King, used to the hardship, cry out in delight. Compared to now, what kind of life had he been living before?

If only he had sworn allegiance to His Highness sooner…

“Good day, Your Highness.”

Watching his two dependable generals, Lide nodded with satisfaction.

Level 18 Beastman King Kapp was currently the strongest combat force in Dawn City; if it weren't for his poor equipment back then, who knows what price they would have had to pay to take him down.

Remembering the scene of Kapp wielding a longsword and wearing ragged armor, yet standing firm against five top-tier fighters, he couldn't help but smile.

Now he's mine; how exhilarating.

At that moment, Betty turned slightly and faced Kapp.

Their eyes met.

Betty, holding a greatsword, stiffened slightly, and then her legs pressed down hard, her body coiled like a spring wound to its limit, ready to burst forth with endless power.

Her fighting spirit soared in an instant, her wild eyes brimming with eager anticipation.

This was the first time these past rivals had met after more than half a year.

Seeing Betty, Kapp's aura surged as his eyes flickered with a cold sharpness, clearly impressed by her previous performance in the Dwarf Valley.

Sparks seemed to fly in the air.

A fighting spirit lingered.

Lide's mouth twitched slightly, no wonder Mages looked down upon Warriors, viewing them as vulgar and crude, never dignifying them with a direct look.

Were these guys idle?

Polite Mages, even when facing an opponent, only measured themselves through Magic, such a street brawl-like scenario would never happen.

“That's enough, if you want to fight, go outside. Don't be a nuisance here.”

Hearing Lide's rebuke, both parties slowly calmed their auras. Kapp respectfully bowed his head to apologize, then stood silently beside Lide.

Lide's will was the direction for him as a Temple Knight; there was no chance for disobedience.

But the fighting spirit in Betty's eyes never faded. Challenging the strong was a trait imprinted in the blood of the Northern people.

Kapp was also one of the strongest opponents she had encountered in her life so strong that even when she used all her cards, she could only tie with him for a while.

Hence, she always wanted to challenge this Beastman who was strong enough for her to sense the hovering presence of Death.

Northern Warrior, Fearless and Dauntless!

“Your Majesty, the test is complete, we will now begin the official forging. In three days' time, you will receive three sets of Extraordinary Level armor.”

Lide nodded, satisfied, and gave the Dwarf Forging Master a hearty encouragement, promising that if the forged Equipment made him satisfied, he would allow them to drink to their hearts' content in the city's tavern for three months without restriction.

Valen smiled so broadly that he could hardly close his mouth – the only tavern in the city belonged to the City Hall's logistics department, and it was not cheap.

The tavern recently introduced a new brew called “Erguotou,” a supreme liquor designed by Lide himself, which Valen couldn't get enough of. Unfortunately, the liquor was produced in small quantities. Now with this excuse, wouldn't he be able to drink as much as he wanted?

After arranging the blacksmith's work, Lide couldn't be bothered to stay to watch them forge Equipment. He had seen it a few times and pretty much knew the routine – smithing was truly uninteresting.

Seeing Isa's yearning gaze, Lide smiled slightly and took the hand of this long-unseen girl to start wandering through the streets of Dawn City.

Yes, it was an unprecedented move.

In the past, he always inspected the situation, observing the city's development and people's livelihood from the perspective of a ruler, never experiencing the city he built firsthand as a citizen.

But before doing so, he slightly altered his face.

Otherwise, as the god of the Dawn Sect and master of Dawn City, he would be stopped by countless Believers and residents shouting greetings at every three steps, which felt quite refreshing for the first one or two times but became uninspiring with repetition.

At this time, Betty also followed out, the Northern Land Valkyrie who adored this open and inclusive city.

Even after the strategic expedition to Dwarf Valley, had it not been for Isa still in Green City, she would have liked to stay a bit longer in Dawn City.

As for Kapp and Grot, these two guys, absorbed in their thoughts of Extraordinary Weapons, had already stayed behind to help at the blacksmith shop.

Compared to half a year ago, Dawn City had become much more prosperous, especially after the influx of a large population following the winter, which made the city even more thriving.

The last time Isa and Betty had come mainly for Lide, they hadn't explored the city much. Now, following Lide, they immediately felt the joy they couldn't experience in Green City.

The city was clean and tidy, without the stink of sewage or piles of garbage.

The residents smiled, their eyes filled with hope and light, and they were kind and polite to others.

The patrol team was strictly disciplined and loyally diligent; there was no extortion or bullying.

Having lived in the oppressive and hopeless city of Green City for too long, one would fall in love with Dawn City at first sight upon arrival.

The difference was too vast.

“Teacher, this candied haw is really delicious…”

“What is this, Liangpi? Such a strange name…”

“Teacher, why is it called Youtiao? It really smells so good…”

“This soup dumpling actually has soup inside…”

Food in Dawn City was previously very scarce; residents had only one main food staple for a long time – bread.

The City Hall struggled to resolve this issue for a while until Lide, inspired, came up with a brilliant idea.

He brought a variety of simple, easy-to-make, and extremely delicious foods from Earth to Dawn City.

This caused a curious phenomenon in this world of a Medieval European backdrop, where one could actually taste the delicacies exclusive to Huaxia.

How rich is Huaxia's cuisine? If ordinary people ate three new dishes a day, from birth to death, they could not finish all the dishes.

Lide casually introduced dozens of classic snacks that immediately diversified the food on the streets of Dawn City.

Residents' lives visibly improved.

Noodles, steamed buns, twisted dough sticks, pancakes, dumplings, baozi, cold noodles, wontons… and so on.

These simple snacks, which were not difficult to make and required simple ingredients, had now become another scenic highlight in Dawn City.

And the two girls beside him could not stop eating.

Originally, he thought Isa would be very happy, but in the end, Lide found that Betty was the happiest.

At that moment, the Northern Royal Family Valkyrie, who had slain a level 19 Molten Demon with two swords and possessed strength that soared through the heavens, was holding over ten kebabs in her left hand and two candied haws on a stick in her right, with her pinky hooked around a paper bag filled with soup dumplings, all while munching on a fried dough stick.

Her pitch-black eyes, which showed no fear even when facing a giant dragon, now sparkled with joy. Furthermore, they roamed around greedily looking for other delicacies.

Her greatsword was carelessly strapped to her back, making her appear the very picture of a food lover.

Lide could only laugh and cry at the sight. Where was the slightly arrogant, combat-power-off-the-charts Valkyrie? The contrast was just too great.

On the other hand, Little Isa's eating manner was much quieter than Betty's hearty enjoyment; she nibbled on the candied haws gently, but the smile on her face was equally radiant.

In the end, the three of them strolled from dusk until many shops were about to close, and the two girls ended their city tour reluctantly, though Lide realized they hadn't even finished exploring one street…

As a level 16 warrior, Betty's digestive speed was exceptionally fast. The food she consumed soon transformed into pure energy, hence her being the biggest eater. She would stop to try any new snack that she hadn't had before or that looked even tastier than the last one she tried.

Moreover, many shopkeepers recognized Betty, who had lived in Dawn City for a while, and were exceptionally warm toward her, often giving her a large amount of delicious food for free.

On the other hand, Little Isa wasn't as fortunate as Betty. With her stomach puffing out slightly under her mage's robe, she kept stealing glances at Lide and would quickly suck in her belly and bend over to hide it whenever she noticed him looking, pretending nothing had happened.

Lide chuckled at the contrast between the two girls beside him. Today's food tour was indeed delightful, seeing the city's vibrant life force from the most grassroots perspective.

The Bloodline was also receiving unimaginable worship at the lowest layers of the city, whether patrolling Bloodline or those in human form. The residents respected them genuinely, not just a facade but heartfelt admiration.

This was quite rare. The happiness in the residents' eyes and the free-moving silhouettes of the Bloodline on the streets reassured him that his efforts had not been in vain. Sustainable development strategies were indeed a timeless great plan.

He finally felt relaxed.

The high-intensity work over the past half month had kept him on edge, but now the delays brought about by his three-month slumber had been rectified in Dawn City.

So, the pressure on his mind eased as well.

In the following three days, Lide took time off to accompany Isa and Betty, touring every corner of Dawn City–even visiting a pig and horned-lizard breeding farm.

He also used this opportunity to inspect all of the city's buildings and construction projects.

Overall, while the city had many shortcomings, everything was manageable, and the momentum of Dawn City's development continued to rise rapidly.

The girls spent the days beaming with smiles, and for Lide, it was the first time in a long while he had enjoyed such relaxed moments with Isa.

Even Betty's gaze toward Lide softened significantly, losing its previous stiffness.

Over those days, this new food lover became the most popular customer among all the shops in Dawn City.

Anything tasty was welcomed, and Betty's way of eating made the shopkeepers believe their craft was perfect, gratifying their vanity to a great extent.

—
—
—
“Your Highness, the weapons have been forged…”

But all good things come to an end. On the morning of March 20th, Valen arrived at City Hall, bursting with excitement, unable to hide his internal thrill.

Three sets of Extraordinary Equipment, plus three Extraordinary Weapons–this was indeed a monumental task, which he had completed in just three days.

Valen could almost feel the threshold of the Forging Master Level loosening, giving him hope that, with more time, he could challenge the ultimate pinnacle–the Legendary Blacksmith.

Valen was excited, but upon hearing this, Betty did not show joy; instead, she felt a slight disappointment as she stealthily glanced at Lide sitting on the sofa.

The handsome figure in the black mage's robe was dazzling.

The forging of the weapons meant they would have to return to Green City…

Returning to Green City meant no more of these unique snacks, no more carefree fun like the past few days…

Isa felt the same, glancing wistfully outside the window. These had been the happiest days of her life because Lide had been by her side.

The young girl wore a pure white semi-hollow fringed long dress made especially for her by the tailor's shop at Lide's request, with patterns of pristine white flowers, black calf-leather boots, and long white socks on her feet.

Her flaxen hair hung lightly behind her head, and her delicate face with skin as soft and fair as a baby's complimented her sparkling red eyes–a goddess stepped right out of an anime world.

Lide sensed something off in the girls' eyes and shook his head with amusement.

“If you like it, just come more often. My manor will always have rooms prepared for you.”

“Let's go and see how our weapon forging is doing.”

“This time I will return to Green City with you.”

Hearing Lide's comforting words, Betty's mood inexplicably lifted, and she nodded slightly.

Isa looked at Lide with her little head tilted like a kitten, her heart brimming with satisfaction.

The blacksmith shop.

Kapp and Grott had already donned a full set of light silver armor and were holding silver greatswords in their hands.

Grott, after becoming a Bloodline, had grown even taller, reaching a staggering height of 2.3 blades, and Kapp, the Lion-man, was even more outrageous at 2.5 blades.

When Lide saw the two large figures clad in full armor, he felt a sense of height-induced oppression wash over him.

But immediately afterward, the two of them bowed deeply to Lide with their hands on their chests.

“Your Majesty, welcome.”

Lide nodded in satisfaction; the two sets of armor were designed in segments, akin to an enlarged version of fish scale armor, but the defense was significantly enhanced compared to the somewhat thin fish scale armor, allowing for very flexible movement.

The only drawback was their heavy weight, but for a Level 17 and a Level 18 warrior, this weight was nothing to worry about.

He curiously opened the attributes of the two sets of Extraordinary Armor.

“Lion Armor
Quality: Extraordinary
Traits: Super strong physique (Physical recovery speed increased by 500%, physique increased by 200%)
Solid (Defense increased by 500%, with additional resistance to impact, corrosion, and piercing)
Super Resilience (Immune to Three Circle and lower magic, immune to mind-controlling skills, immune to Three Circle and lower negative states)
Extraordinary Traits: Auto-repair (Enchanted by a special Alchemy Array, capable of absorbing Magic Power to repair the armor), Tough texture (Can use energy to temporarily strengthen the texture of the armor in certain parts of the body, increasing its solidity)
Introduction: Extraordinary armor forged by Dwarf Forging Master Valen Barbaric Hammer, using Mithril and other precious materials.”

“Silver Greatsword
Extraordinary:
Traits: Armor-piercing (Destructive against armor, with a chance to sever weapons below Extraordinary Level)
Solid (Possesses the most unyielding blade, able to withstand higher levels of impact)
Sharp (Greatly increased killing power of the blade)
Auto-repair (Can automatically repair damage to the blade)”
“Northern Armor
Quality: Extraordinary
Traits: Super strong physique, Solid, Super Resilience
Extraordinary Traits: Auto-repair, Tough texture
Introduction: Extraordinary armor forged by Dwarf Forging Master Valen Barbaric Hammer, using Mithril and other precious materials.”

“Silver Greatsword
Extraordinary:
Traits: Armor-piercing, Solid, Sharp, Auto-repair
Although the attributes of these two sets of armors were not as good as the Castro armor that had been enhanced with the Power of Faith, they were still quite decent.

However, what struck him as odd was that
The attributes of these two sets of armor and weapons were exactly the same, except for their names.

Curiously, he turned his head and looked at Valen, who was in high spirits, “Valen, why do these two sets of armor have such different designs, yet their attributes are exactly the same?”

Grott was a Northern Warrior; though strong, he still had a human form.

Kapp was different, being a member of the Lion-man Clan with a sturdy lion head that couldn't possibly be the same as a human's.

But for two pieces of armor, completely dissimilar in appearance to have the same attributes, this was quite peculiar.

Hearing Lide's question, a deep sense of pride showed on Valen's face.

“Your Majesty, this is a new idea that I came up with recently after combining the forging processes of the weapon factory, or rather a new forging method I have just developed.”

Oh? A new forging method?

Lide became interested.

“Tell me about it.”

Valen's voice gradually became more enthusiastic.

“I've thoroughly studied the information you gave me about building factories and came to a very simple conclusion.

No matter how the factory produces, it must be assembled at the end.

The theory of factory-based production has been rapidly developing, and it inspired me greatly.

This time, I experimented with a new idea on these two sets of Extraordinary Weapons. Although the two sets of armor look different, I forged them at the same temperature, using the same materials, and then assembled them in the same way.

In the end, the situation I had imagined really occurred–two sets of armor with identical attributes, no matter how different their appearances.”

At this point, Valen became even more excited, “Your Majesty, the production of Extraordinary Equipment has a chance of failure, but after mastering this skill, we can ensure a 95% success rate in the large-scale, continuous manufacture of Extraordinary Equipment.”

Upon hearing this last sentence, Lide immediately opened his eyes wide.

“Large-scale, continuous manufacturing of Extraordinary Equipment??”

Is this dwarf defying the heavens?

This is even more significant than building a weapon factory.

In addition to excellent materials, the forging of Extraordinary Weapons also requires the blacksmith's highly skilled forging techniques. Even for a forging master like Valen, the success rate of creating Extraordinary Equipment is only just over sixty percent.

That is to say, there is still more than a thirty percent chance of failure.

If what Valen said could be realized, then the implications would be completely different.

Although the armor forged in this way would have exactly the same attributes and would not have exceptionally good equipment attributes, the word “stable” alone would outweigh everything else.

In mass production, the most important thing often isn't any special attributes, but simply stability.

“Are you sure??”

Looking at Lide's excited yet serious gaze, Valen nodded firmly.

“Yes, Your Majesty, I have mastered the technique for mass producing Extraordinary Equipment.

We wouldn't even need to reach Master Level, just Expert Level blacksmiths could use this method.”

Expert-Level blacksmiths?

Lide frowned.

“How many Expert-Level blacksmiths do we have now?”

“There are a total of 4… excluding myself, three dwarfs and one human.”

Four, that's a bit few.

Lide shook his head, “How much material do we need to consume to forge a set of armor like this?”

“One set of armor requires raw materials worth thirty thousand Gold Pucks, plus another 40 pounds of Mithril…”

Valen's voice trailed off with a lack of confidence.

Forty pounds of Mithril, that's an astronomical figure.

Mithril's market price is around 4000 to 5000 Gold Pucks per pound, so 40 pounds would be two hundred thousand Gold Pucks at the rate of 5000, plus another thirty thousand for other materials.

A single suit of Extraordinary Armor would cost a mere two hundred and thirty thousand Gold Pucks for materials alone.

The real hidden value is even higher, requiring thousands of Beastmen from the Dwarf Valley to mine for 20 days. The cost of sustaining thousands of Beastmen for those 20 days is also a large sum of money, and is dwarf craftsmanship worthless?

Thus, if one were to sell this suit of Extraordinary Armor, its value would be at least between three hundred to three hundred and fifty thousand Gold Pucks.

However, that's if it were being sold. Here, the cost is merely thirty thousand Gold Pucks plus the labor of thousands of Beastmen for 20 days.

Completely worth it.

“No worries, Mithril is mined to be used, right? When the next batch of Mithril reserves reach a hundred pounds, you can continue forging equipment for other top combat forces.”

Lide was unconcerned, waving his hand. Utilizing such great effort to seize the Mithril vein was not for the sake of satisfying his vanity, but rather, transforming it into combat power is what needs to be done at this stage.

The situation outside has quietly changed, and Dawn City must now accelerate the improvement of its strength.

“Additionally, if you have other ideas, I'm willing to allow you to experiment with no more than fifty pounds of Mithril every three months.”

Lide spoke with an intense trust, his gaze burning as he looked at Valen, directly giving the Forging Master even greater autonomy.

Fifty pounds of Mithril allowance, that's a material worth two hundred and fifty thousand Gold Pucks, enough to create ten thousand Alchemy Bombs, easily destroying the Black Wind Tribe of twenty thousand centaurs five times over.

Hearing this, Valen's excited eyes were almost brimming with tears.

50 pounds of Mithril??!!

By the Forge God above, that's 50 pounds!

The Barbarian Hammer Tribe's output hadn't been that much in three years.

At this moment, the elderly dwarf was deeply moved, as if ready to die for a kindred spirit, looking at Lide with reddened eyes.

“Your Highness, I will not let you down!!”

His tone was firm and laden with unshakeable resolve.

Lide's lips curled into a radiant smile.

The longest road in this world is always the path of tricks.

This dwarf has probably long forgotten how he initially resisted Dawn City.

After resolving this affair, Lide gestured towards Betty, who was looking at them talk with great interest.

“Valen, what about Betty's equipment?”

Valen was snapped out of his excitement and hurriedly signaled for others to bring out Betty's gear from the storage.

A suit of armor appeared in front of Lide, slightly delicate yet flowing with sleek lines of black armor.

Handsome was Lide's first impression of this ladies' armor.

The pure black fabric reflected the unique cold luster of metal, while the dark silver patterns on it seemed both ancient and generous. The half-active buckle design made it wearable, and the delicate layout of the wrists and joints provided strength and beauty in abundance.

“Black Ice Armor (Female)
Quality: Extraordinary
Traits: Super Speed (Agility and speed increased by 500%, stamina consumption reduced by 50%)
Super Solidity (Defense increased by 500%, extra defensive power against impacts, corrosion, and piercing)
Super Resilience (Immune to Four Circle and below magic, immune to mind and chaos control abilities)
Black Ice Armor (Armor possesses powerful ice attributes, fire resistance increased by 1000%, and within a ten-blade radius attack and reaction speeds decrease by 1% every 10 seconds)
Extraordinary Traits: Auto-repair (Enchanted with a special alchemy array, capable of absorbing magic power to repair the armor), Solid Texture (Can use energy to temporarily strengthen armor's texture in body parts, increasing solidity)
Introduction: Dwarf Forging Master Valen Barbaric Hammer forged this extraordinary armor from Mithril and other precious materials exclusively for ladies.”

“Black Ice Greatsword
Extraordinary:
Traits: Armor Penetration (Can easily break the opponent's armor, with a chance to cut through weapons below Extraordinary level)
Solidity (Possesses a robust blade that can withstand Legendary Level impacts)
Sharpness (The sword blade's killing power significantly increased)
Coldness (Every successful attack lowers the target's attack speed and reaction speed by 1%)
Auto-repair (Can automatically repair the damaged blade)
Lide was somewhat surprised; this set of armor was much stronger than the previous two sets, not just because it had gone from one star to two, but also because it had an additional Black Ice Armor trait.

In a duel, it would surely be an advantage. Despite the diminishing trait not appearing significant, with enough time, the accumulated negative effects would definitively place the enemy at a disadvantage.

Moreover, although the attributes of the longsword were simple, it was still powerful, especially the Coldness trait paired with the armor made it all the more domineering.

Betty fell in love with the armor at first sight, stepping forward and putting it on directly under everyone's gaze. Only a close-fitting jacket and trousers underneath, otherwise, it wouldn't fit.

And once she donned the armor, Betty immediately caught Lide's eye.

“Fearless and striking” was the best description for this wild Female Warrior.

With the black longsword in hand, Betty's long hair slightly scattered behind her head, and her mixed-race features stood out, so beautiful it was hard to look away.

The black armor clung tightly to her lissome figure, radiating fervor and an innate wildness that provoked a desire for conquest.

“Not bad, not bad at all.”

The only disappointment was… there was absolutely no fullness to it.

Lide shook his head, wondering how he always ended up meeting such wealthy girls…

What's with all the games being full of baby-faced bombshells??

The image of the owner of the Elvis Tavern in Green City suddenly popped into his mind, that 17th-Level Elf Archer with her surging waves.

The buttons would burst.

This is the right way to open a game…

“Kapp,” Lide reined in his wandering thoughts, forging weapons and equipment was complete, and organizing tasks was next, there was plenty of time to test the power of the experimental weapons, no need to rush it now.

His gaze shifted to the Beastman King.

“Leave immediately and return to Dwarf Valley.

You must be aware of the changes in the outside situation over the past half a year, Craig is now deep in Risier City, and it will be difficult for us to get news from Risier City through other channels in the short term.

You must send someone to investigate what the Beastman is up to in Risier City.”

The highly unusual behavior of the Beastman had been causing Lide unease, especially since he couldn't contact Craig and Emi after using the Power of Faith.

Kapp, the true master of the Lion Tribe and 18th-Level Beastman King, Lide believed the other party could uncover the information he desired.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Lide waved his hand and continued, “That's not all. After you return, make contact with the former Lion Tribe, it would be best if you could take back control of your original tribe to prevent future troubles.

And, the Dwarves from Dwarf Valley have left no trace, be cautious.

The Secret Silver Vein is extremely important to Dawn City, we cannot afford to lose it.”

“As you wish, my master.”

Kapp responded once again.

Having given Kapp his orders, Lide looked towards Grote.

“Stanley has been confirmed not to be returning to Green City to manage the Dark Contract, but if you have any problems, you can contact him immediately.

The Dark Contract is our trump card in Green City, whether it's purchasing raw materials or gathering intelligence, it has advantages unmatched by other factions.

With the current changes to the greater situation, you must act cautiously, with stability as your primary concern.

Also, you must pay attention to one more thing – the Dark Contract's branch, Immortal Soul. The Undead from the Lost World have left the Main Plane for now, but they will inevitably return before long.

The strategy Stanley has adopted for them, you must carry it out firmly, and report back to me or Stanley in a timely manner if any issues arise.”

Grote stepped forward and bowed deeply.

“Yes, Your Highness, I will guard the Dark Contract with my life.”

After giving instructions to the two men, Lide looked at Valen, who was eagerly waiting for his share of tasks, and couldn't help but smile.

This guy also wants to be assigned a couple of tasks?

“Valen, there's no need for you to handle everything down to the last detail in the weapon factory. Once we open up the market in the Low Hill Ridges, our demand for weapons is going to explode.

During this time, you should recruit more apprentices to prevent production from being unable to keep up when demand increases.”

Valen immediately perked up.

“Yes, Your Highness, I guarantee I will accomplish your orders.”

“Furthermore, during this time, pass the technology for producing Extraordinary Armor to those four Expert-Level Forging Masters. I hope to have at least 20 Forging Masters learn it in the future.

We possess a massive Secret Silver Vein, and we will definitely see more Extraordinary Equipment in the future.”

“Your Highness, the Dwarves will not disappoint you.”

Valen said with confidence, head held high – in forging equipment, no one could outperform the Dwarves.

Lide nodded, having given all his directives.

He turned to look at Little Yisha beside him, gazing up at him with adoration, and he showed a doting smile.

“Let's go, Yisha, we're headed back to Green City.”

There was Harrison at City Hall, so there was nothing that needed his attention.

The Crimson Mage Tower seemed stable for now, but due to external changes, it was beginning to become dangerous, and he had to address these issues.

As Dawn City's most important source of funds, the Crimson Mage Tower could not afford to fail.

The Undead who established an empire in the north, the Death Cemetery that transformed High-level Undead, the severely injured 19th-Level Great Mage Spark, the coast invaded by the Fishman Country with over a dozen harbor cities, the Crimson Mage Tower restrained by the scarcity of Magic raw materials…

As Lide flew out of Dawn City on Castro's back, he keenly sensed that upon returning to Green City, the situation he would face would differ greatly from before.

Chapter end