“I can’t believe you’d do this to me, Elder Zijin,” Adam said, puffing out his cheeks.

“I understand why you would be hesitant, but it would be considered a great favour to us,” the Elder replied, calmly.

Adam was sitting opposite the Elder, eating some of the snacks the Orcish Iyrman had offered him. He had awoken with such great luck that morning, an Omen which gave him a 20. He had such plans for the roll, which would allow him to create a greater enhanced weapon.

“Since you can guarantee the greatest enchantment today, it would be best to enchant a legendary enchantment for the Iyr,” Zijin stated. He could have mentioned how difficult it was to keep him alive, especially after he had awakened Churot, but he decided against it.

“This is bullying, Elder,” Adam said, sipping the tea, staring down at the liquid. A legendary enhancement, but not one for himself? How could they take away something like that from him? Adam eventually sighed. “Fine, fine.”

“Thank you, Adam,” Elder Zijin said, bowing his head. With this the Iyr would be able to confirm the extent of these strange abilities. If Adam could place a legendary enchantment onto a blade, and they could finish it using someone who wasn’t Romaezi, then…

Adam made his way away, before stopping. “Elder Zijin?” Adam turned to look over his shoulder. “I’m going to tell Taygak that you’re bullying me.”

Elder Zijin stared at Adam. He wondered if he should add the threat to Adam’s black book. “Taygak will not believe you.”

“She’ll believe me,” Adam said. “I’m her Cousin.”

“I am her Elder,” Zijin said.

Adam remained silent for a long while. “I’m definitely not marrying into the Jin family.” The Half Elf turned and stormed off.

Elder Zijin wondered if Adam meant it. ‘Should I tell Taygak he is bullying me? With how much stress he has been pouring over my shoulders…’

When Adam arrived at the shrine, everything had been prepared. He stared at the weapon, a greatsword which was black, not like the night, but like death. It was black, yes, but it was various shades of black, which created ominous waves across the blade.

“What is that?” Adam asked.

“Deathsteel,” the Orcish Iyrman beside him said.

Adam flinched, for it wasn’t the Orcish Iyrman who had come with him, but a familiar face he had seen before. He had long hair, which was braided, and a large beard which hid his lips. “What’s with yo-,” Adam began, only to clear his throat. “Good morning, mister Romaezi.”

“Good morning, mister Fateson,” the man replied, his voice like a nightval breeze, low and chilly, causing Adam’s hair to stand on end. “You are to enchant a Legendary weapon this day?” His eyes remained focused on the deathsteel greatsword.

“I’m going to start enchanting a Legendary weapon,” Adam said. “I assume you’ll finish it off?”

“If you are to know, you are to know,” Romaezi replied, simply. “I am here to meet you.”

Adam bowed his head. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You as well. I had wished to meet with you when you had returned, but thought it was best for you to rest. I have heard that you work too hard, but that you have begun to rest properly.”

“Something like that,” Adam muttered quietly. He had been out of it since Awakening Churot, and he had to remain in bed for some time in order to heal up from the aftermath.

“Your enchanting abilities are great,” Romaezi said. “A Chaos Enchanter?”

Adam glanced around, noting they were alone. “That’s what I heard.”

Romaezi remained silent for a short while, chewing on his thoughts. “You are a Nephew of the Rot family?”

“Yes,” Adam said.

“I have been told you are close with a pair of siblings.”

“Yes.”

Romaezi slowly nodded his head. “You do not wish to marry into the Iyr?”

“For now, I have no intentions to marry into this place.”

“What of the future?”

“I don’t know.”

Romaezi nodded, before reaching out to pat Adam’s back. “I wish you the best of fortune, Adam. I hope that the deathsteel treats you well.”

“I hope so too,” Adam said, watching the Iyrman leave. He let out a sigh of relief, wondering if the Iyrman was going to ask him to marry into the Ezi family. ‘That wasn’t Ezi at all.’ Adam chuckled to himself quietly.

Adam noted the large number of gems, each worth several thousands. He wrote down the materials which he was going to use, how he felt, and any small detail which had come to mind.

‘Hey, Bell? Let’s say I wanted to make a Legendary Enhanced magical weapon, how many gems would I need if my total is 27?’

[At least seventy thousand gold.]

‘Then it would work?’

[Maybe.]

Adam wondered if he should do it. He looked to the Iyrman nearby, the same Iyrman who was tasked with keeping an eye on the Half Elf. “Hey, can you tell the Elder something?”

Elder Zijin remained silent, wondering where he would put Adam’s request. He checked both sections of the black book, but decided against putting the request down. However, with this much money, he would need to pass the message up to Elder Gold.

Elder Gold had been checking the various books to see if everything was going to be prepared well for nightval, though considering their efficiency, it wasn’t a surprise she had caught nothing out of the ordinary.

When one of Elder Zijin’s aides approached, she accepted the slip of paper, read it, before finally placing it in her book.

Of course it was about him.

Elder Gold thought for a moment, before writing her own response, handing it to the aide, who would return back to Elder Zijin.

Adam had remained at the shrine for almost an hour before word had reached him, and thus he placed down the gems, worth sixty thousand gold in total, before he began enchanting.

As the days continued to pass, with Adam enchanting for the Iyr every so often, he found he was quite fortunate.

“This time I’m going to make a Greater Enhanced weapon for myself,” Adam said.

“Very well,” Zijin said. He had to give Adam that much, considering Taygak had taken the Elder’s side when the Half Elf had complained. He smiled at Adam, who could understand the intentions behind the smile.

“When Lanarot grows up, she’s going to protect me from you,” Adam stated, before leaving to enchant.

The days continued to pass as Adam enchanted the axe, and played Warriors and Wanderers with his Aunts.

Adam spent less time enchanting for the Iyr than he expected, taking multiple days off to relax, though that was partly because he needed to take an additional day off to finish the enchantment to the axe, where he had awoken with a 20 in his Omen, but then rolled a 20 on the die for enchanting, and so could enchant again. He had spent almost a month enchanting, rolling extremely well to create two Greater enchantments, one for his shield, and one which was Enhanced for the axe.

“What’s this?” Lucy asked, noting the ring Adam offered to her. Her eyes stared into his suspiciously.

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” Adam said. “It’s a weapon I enchanted for you.”

Lucy tilted her head in confusion, unsure as to why he was giving her a ring, before realising what it was. She took the ring from his hands, still glaring at him suspiciously, before feeling the great magic between her fingers.

“It’s a Great Enhanced axe,” Adam said, smiling towards her.

Great Destroyer

Requires Attunement

You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Deals 2D6 slashing + 1D6 fire damage.

Can morph between a ring and weapon at your command.

Can be used to channel spells.

Lucy stared down at the greataxe, which was extremely long, made of dark wood, as well as some kind of dark steel. However, it was certainly better than Destroyer. “Why did you make me a second weapon?”

“Why not?” Adam asked. “I mean, I’ve given everyone else a Greater Enhanced weapon, and Jaygak has one that’s Legendary.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t leave my friend behind.”

Lucy had wanted to ask a question, but she thumbed the ring on her finger. She swallowed slowly, but bowed her head ever so slightly. “Thanks,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Adam said.

There was an awkward silence between them, before Adam retreated, leaving her be. He looked to Kitool, nodding his head. “I’ll be making a Greater Enhanced weapon for you another time.”

“Can I refuse?”

“Sure,” Adam said, before smiling. “I’ll refuse your refusal.” He had been thinking about making Kitool a Greater Enhanced weapon first, but he noted how Lucy had been far more quiet recently, staring off towards the night sky every time it was time to sleep.

‘Stronger,’ Adam thought. ‘I need to get stronger.’