Red Moon, Green Cicada, Purple Wisp

Hidden Hero's exclusive weapons all fell within the category of "Exotic Weapons."

In other words, anyone without the corresponding weapon proficiency could not use them. If they insisted on doing so, the results would be extremely poor, and they might even injure themselves.

Miller was therefore a little nervous as well.

He did not know whether the weapons he had forged would earn Roger's approval.

"Fine blade."

Roger held the Crimson Moon Blade in his palm, feeling its weight. Then he lightly ran the index and middle fingers of his left hand over the blade, which was as thin as a cicada's wing, before sincerely praising it.

The Crimson Moon Blade was a ring-pommel saber, with a circular grip at the end of its hilt.

Compared to a Japanese katana, its blade was narrower and longer, and its edge was sharper.

It was a devastating weapon well suited for "cleaving."

Its only drawback was its lifespan.

According to Miller, this design meant that every cleave inflicted tremendous wear on the blade.

Although he had taken various remedial measures during the forging process, he could not change the fact that the Crimson Moon Blade was not a durable weapon.

Qi Divination Technique showed that its durability was only 6.

This meant that after every battle, it needed extremely careful maintenance, or flaws would soon appear.

Fortunately, Roger had dealt with Miller for so long that he knew a thing or two about weapon maintenance.

"It's not a big problem," he thought.

"I've always avoided conflict. I rarely draw my blade."

"When the time truly comes to draw it, none of that will matter anyway."

Overall, he was extremely satisfied with the Crimson Moon Blade.

The attached "Eye Cut" special skill in particular perfectly enhanced the Crimson Moon Blade's killing power.

He could already foresee the Crimson Moon Blade becoming a fearsome weapon that severed enemies' heads from their bodies.

With that thought, he sheathed the blade and carefully placed it into the long, narrow box.

Finally, he used the straps to carry the wooden box on his back.

The Half-Elf Blacksmith let out a sigh of relief.

The second weapon was "Green Cicada (Sword)."

"Green Cicada (Sword)"

"Rating: S"

"Piercing 8 Sturdiness 7 Weight 4 Balance 9"

"Special Skill: Hell"

"Hell (Passive): Wounds created by Green Cicada's thrusts inflict double pain, with a small chance of causing burning."

"Restriction: None"

It was a rapier. Compared to the Crimson Moon Blade's obvious sharpness, the Qing Fu Sword appeared far more understated and delicate.

Unlike a two-handed broadsword that won through swinging, the Qing Fu Sword was a typical one-handed sword. Its sides were sharpened, but that was not its true killing move.

This sword's greatest strength was its piercing ability.

Of all the weapons, the one Miller himself liked most was actually this Qing Fu Sword.

After all, he was a Half-Elf, which made him half a swordsmanship expert.

"Its only shortcoming is that it's too short."

That was Miller's assessment of it.

Roger disagreed.

Green Cicada was somewhat short, but that was not a flaw.

This thing was not meant for facing enemies head-on.

A Hidden Hero was half an assassin.

During assassination missions, the Qing Fu Sword definitely had a chance to shine.

Compared to daggers or scimitars, its destructive power was far greater.

And when paired with the Hidden Hero Secret Technique, "Sword Hiding Technique," the Qing Fu Sword could absolutely help Roger carry out missions that ordinary weapons could not handle.

"Absolutely perfect."

Roger still offered his praise.

Miller smiled smugly. He did not claim much credit, instead joining Roger before the final weapon.

"Purple Wisp (Bow)"

"Rating: S"

"Draw Weight 6 Elasticity 8 Toughness 9 Balance 7"

"Special Skill: Whisper of the Trade Winds"

"Whisper of the Trade Winds (Passive): Stability of arrows after leaving the string +3"

"Restriction: None"

Purple Wisp was a very typical ranger's shortbow.

Its range was not particularly long, but it possessed extremely high stability when sniping at medium range.

This could somewhat make up for Roger's minor shortcomings in archery.

He did not have high expectations for this bow:

Usable was enough.

After all, he was only a mediocre archer himself. He had no right to demand that Purple Wisp be some divine bow.

Limited by the materials, Miller had paired Purple Wisp with the most common White Feather Arrows.

This kind of arrow was extremely common in human armies.

Its advantage was that it was cheap.

"Very good."

Despite not having much expectation, Roger still offered a compliment.

Miller smiled until his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Wait here for a moment."

He left Roger behind and went alone to rummage through the depths of the warehouse for a while.

In the end, he came over carrying a weapon belt and a small box.

"You're going to deal with the Corpse Demon, right?"

"Consider this a small token from me."

The Half-Elf Blacksmith handed those two items to Roger. "They're for you."

Roger did not stand on ceremony and accepted them.

Miller had once received this weapon belt from an elderly elven ranger.

After Miller's modifications, it allowed Roger to carry all three weapons perfectly on his body. It also had three empty slots for daggers, potions, scrolls, bottles, and similar items.

The item in the small box, however, came as a surprise to Roger.

"Little Finger (Slingshot)"

"Rating: A"

"Draw Weight 4 Elasticity 9 Toughness 6 Balance 7"

"Loading: Just use whatever marbles or pebbles you can find."

"This is a slingshot that fairies especially like."

Miller said:

"I know you're better with this thing."

This time, Roger smiled from the heart.

Compared to the S-rated Purple Wisp Bow, he truly preferred Little Finger.

The moment he picked it up, he fell in love with the small slingshot and began considering what kind of ammunition to pair it with.

"It would be great if I could get some elemental enchantments on pebbles or glass beads."

That was what he thought.

As he left the blacksmith shop, Miller suddenly called out to him. "Hey! Roger!"

"Hm?"

"Don't die."

The Half-Elf Blacksmith lit a roll of tobacco, smoke curling upward.

"You have to avenge Kane!"

Roger patted the heavy weapon belt and nodded.

On the way back, despite taking a secluded path, Roger still ran into many people who normally would not greet him.

The town's residents had all heard about Roger slaying the Red Tide Corpse Queen and came to congratulate him.

Of course, what they cared about more was the campaign against the Corpse Demon.

Roger gently brushed them off by saying that Dorothy was handling those matters and that he was only an assistant.

He hurried to the General Store, dealt with the spoils he had asked the soldiers to carry over that morning, then bought enough food for three days from the helpful Auntie Amure before heading home with his head down.

He could not wait to try out the Hidden Hero's "Secret Techniques"!

A Hidden Hero could only learn Secret Techniques after obtaining their exclusive weapons.

That was why he had only been able to look on greedily before.

"I wonder how much learning Secret Techniques will improve my strength..."

Lost in thought, Roger had already caught sight of the two Tongma Trees outside his door.

A young girl stood beneath the trees.

She looked as though she had been waiting for a long time.