Chapter Fifteen: Aganzo’s Hidden Dragon Greatsword

“Uncle Linus, I want a greatsword—the finest one you have here.”

Ye Lin wore a mournful expression, utterly dejected. In the end, he couldn’t escape; Shiat had cornered him with a bench, forcing him to buy a greatsword from the blacksmith’s shop as an apology.

After all, no matter how you looked at it, the fault was his—he had held up the most vital muscle of a pure and innocent young lady for two whole hours. It was a testament to Shiat’s patience that she hadn’t cut him down!

“Well done, young lady,” Linus praised, giving a thumbs-up. Ye Lin’s cruel and sly retorts yesterday had tarnished his reputation, turning him into a scoundrel in the eyes of adventurers. That incident had yet to be settled.

But if he, as an elder, confronted a junior, he might be accused of bullying the weak. He was brooding over this, unable to eat, when early in the morning he witnessed this rascal being chased all over the place by a miraculous girl wielding a bench.

It was satisfying—exhilarating.

“I happen to have something good. Come with me to the back room and see if it suits you.”

Since Ye Lin was footing the bill, Linus figured he might as well take a proper cut. Linus was hospitable, but he never forgot a grudge.

“Could it be a rare weapon?” Shiat asked casually.

Outside the blacksmith’s shop, the rack near the forge held only common and advanced weapons; anything kept in the back was undoubtedly of rare quality.

“No…”

Linus bent down and pulled out a long wooden case with a black snake-skin pattern from under a bed. He blew off the dust, placed it on the table, and opened the two clasps.

“This is a prized possession. My body isn’t what it used to be, so I rarely have the chance to wield this sword anymore. Might as well give it to you and let it shine again.”

He glanced at Shiat. For this young swordswoman, he instinctively felt she wouldn’t disappoint him, nor would she let the sword’s reputation fade into obscurity.

Inside the case lay a silver-gray greatsword resting calmly on velvet. The hilt was roughly one-third the length of the blade, which gleamed with a sharp, chilling edge. Although the design was simple and classical, it revealed an extraordinary essence.

“This weapon once belonged to Sword Saint Aganzo, who gifted it to me. It’s of artifact quality!”

Linus spoke with pride, but his eyes grew complex and unreadable. He pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a deep drag. The smoke carried memories.

Had it not been for that friend’s dark deeds, perhaps he too would have been a swordsman renowned throughout the continent.

[Aganzo’s Hidden Dragon Greatsword]: (Artifact) (Usable at Level 40) (Greatsword)
Physical Attack +505
Magic Attack +371
Strength +40
Physical Critical Hit +2%
Accuracy +1%
Contains the Sword Saint’s Will: Greatsword Resonance (Greatsword Mastery) effect +5%
Professional Skill Damage +5%
10% chance on attack to trigger Dragon’s Roar, doubling the damage of the next normal attack.

Note: Aganzo wielded this greatsword single-handedly!

Shiat’s lips parted slightly, her eyes shining with fascination. This truly was a fine sword—she wanted it!

But the price must be astronomical. Forcing Ye Lin to buy it might drain his wallet entirely. Would that be too much...?

“You know, common-grade equipment is basically raw materials crudely fashioned into weapons. Advanced-grade requires careful refinement and craftsmanship.”

“Rare-grade equipment contains magic amplification effects. As for artifacts, like this greatsword…”

Linus brushed his finger along the blade. “Not only must the material’s properties be fully realized, but the weapon must be imbued with extraordinary magical effects, perfectly fused. Its magic power surpasses rare-grade equipment by several times—only then can it be called a divine weapon, or simply an artifact!”

“Legendary or even epic-grade weapons are far more difficult to come by…”

“Since fate has brought you here, I’ll make you a fixed price: 500,000 gold coins.”

Linus smiled broadly, stating an almost unbelievable sum.

“No, no—that’s way too expensive. A rare-grade sword will do,” Shiat quickly waved her hands. No matter how much she desired it, 500,000 gold was shocking, and she doubted Ye Lin could afford it.

Even if he could, she wouldn’t dare accept it!

In Hedonmar, living well on food and drink costs about 30 gold coins a day, with rent adding a few dozen more.

The Seria Inn was somewhat pricier...

Ye Lin, who had been silent, nodded and ran his hand along the blade. “That price is steep. Can you lower it?”

“How much?”

“Just chop off a zero.”

“Heh…”

“This is the Sword Saint Aganzo’s weapon. With that fame, it’s worth the price.”

Linus looked adamant and wore a disdainful smirk as if to say, “You don’t have the money.” It was deliberate.

He knew the price was high—fame can be valuable or worthless, like a black bread that only fills the stomach.

Even if Ye Lin couldn’t afford it, Linus intended to give the sword to this girl. A pearl shouldn’t gather dust; better it be wielded than left in his hands.

“Maybe forget it, Shiat. This sword is just ordinary,” Ye Lin scratched his head awkwardly.

“Yeah, I was just saying. I saw a rare greatsword outside earlier—it seemed suitable.”

Shiat breathed a sigh of relief, having feared Ye Lin might rashly bankrupt himself buying the sword.

Calling the sword ordinary was likely her way of hiding reluctance to buy it.

“You’re not even married yet, and you’re already trying to save me money?”

“Shameless!”

She had gotten used to Ye Lin’s teasing and would respond with a casual “shameless” in return—it was pointless to scold him; he wouldn’t change.

“The sword’s ordinary, but the price is too high…”

“How can you call it ordinary? It’s an artifact!”

Linus’s mouth twitched, almost spitting out his smoke. Rare artifacts were just ordinary goods to him now?

Did he know anything about quality?

“Shiat, have you awakened?”

“If I had awakened, do you think a pack of bloodthirsty cat demons would have beaten me like that?”

Shiat rubbed her forehead in exasperation. Awakening was a term for reaching a new realm after perfecting one’s profession—a state where one’s power skyrockets and unique, lethal skills become accessible.

Every awakened warrior was a formidable figure.

“I see…”

Ye Lin nodded slightly, estimating Shiat’s level around 35, still some distance from awakening.

However, if she unleashed her internal transfer power, most awakened warriors wouldn’t stand a chance against her...

“Here’s the deal.”

Linus sighed inwardly. Why argue with these two young ones so early in the morning? The adventurers who called him a scoundrel were only joking kindly, not serious.

A blacksmith from the Elven Front, surrounded by weapons day in and day out—it was impossible for him to be a rogue.

“If you bring me the corpse of the Poison Cat King, I’ll give you this sword. Consider it a trial for her. The Poison Cat King is a friend of Thunder Keno; their territory lies north of the Thunder Ruins... Wait, what are you holding?!”

Linus was sharing information about the venomous Thunder Ruins when he suddenly caught sight of a flash of a crimson greatsword in Ye Lin’s hand!

The overwhelming aura of bloodshed and the terrifying power contained within the blade made him shudder uncontrollably at a mere glance.

“Goodbye, Uncle Linus. We’re going to kill the Poison Cat King.”

Ye Lin grinned triumphantly and hurriedly pulled Shiat away, not giving Linus time to react.

For a blacksmith who forged weapons, what could be more enticing than a fine blade?

Nothing!

Linus was left feeling miserable...

The crimson greatsword flickering in Ye Lin’s hand was a preserved collector’s piece—an epic-grade weapon, the [Fury of the Mad Dragon].