Forging Fourth Rank! (First of 3 Updates Today! Please Keep Reading!)

Forging Fourth Rank! (First of 3 Updates Today! Please Keep Reading!)

"Many thanks, Fred."

Levi panted heavily and said with a smile.

Across the muscle groups in his legs, wisps of faintly visible Black Qi drifted. This was the Black Qi born from the Frost Wolf Seed.

It was precisely this Black Qi that made Levi's speed far surpass ordinary people, taking his dodging and movement techniques to another level as well.

"Not bad at all. I'm one step closer to becoming a Polygon Warrior."

Levi stretched his limbs. In the area of his heart, the Frost Wolf Seed and the Black Snake Seed lay dormant in silence.

Faintly, Levi could tell that the Frost Wolf Seed was being suppressed by his Black Snake Seed, like the bloodline suppression born from a creature's instincts, or rather, the suppression of a superior over an inferior.

Between breathing techniques, there was suppression too.

And the Seed of Life born from an excellent-grade breathing technique would also suppress those of a crude grade.

This was a rule Levi had only discovered after cultivating multiple breathing techniques at the same time.

"I've already ground the Frost Wolf Breathing Technique to its limit. Next, I'll prioritize grinding the Siren Breathing Technique recorded in that booklet. The Giant Bear Breathing Technique can also be put on the schedule."

"A breathing technique that can shrink bones and change body shape is still very rare. It's extremely useful to me," Levi muttered to himself.

With his current realm and experience, grinding these crude-grade breathing techniques should not take long and would not delay much.

And the special effects born from these breathing techniques were still very helpful to Levi.

After returning to the castle, Levi went to the forging area.

"Young Master Levi, this is the steel helmet I forged. Please take a look."

Little Milan brought out the results of his forging during this period for Levi to inspect.

"Mm, not bad. You are already a mature Formal Blacksmith now. I'm rather busy with affairs, so from now on, I'll still need you to put more effort into the territory's forging industry. If this year's targets can be exceeded, I'll have the butler give everyone some extra money at the end of the year. As for your father, I will also rescue him when the time is right." Levi looked amiable and approachable.

"Many thanks, Lord." Little Milan looked overwhelmed by the favor and went back to work.

Levi also found a place and continued forging armor.

He wanted to push his forging skill to the fourth rank in one go.

About a week later, after Levi had deliberately spent a large amount of time grinding forging...

Levi's forging skill finally reached the fourth rank: Forging: Fourth Rank (222/20000), special effects: Guaranteed Masterpiece, Unrestrained Skill.

[Unrestrained Skill: With practiced techniques and superb skill, your forging efficiency is beyond ordinary people.]

"So this is the special effect of the fourth rank?"

"Not bad. This way, the future output of weapons and equipment will definitely increase by a large margin. I'm closer to my goal of saving money to arm a unit of Cavalry."

Levi looked at this special effect and said inwardly.

Forging had already reached the fourth rank, yet it still was not the limit.

This meant that the depths of this craft were very deep.

Levi could not help thinking of Hager Eamon, the "Flame Hammer" known as a Master Smith.

He wondered what rank that legendary blacksmith's forging level would be if converted into his own proficiency ranking.

"What a pity. The legend has passed on. In today's Kingdom, there are no forging grandmasters publicly recognized as Master Smiths anymore." Levi let out a regretful long sigh.

After his forging technique reached the fourth rank...

For the rest of the Month of Origin, aside from cultivating breathing techniques, Levi spent his time forging armor.

With this special effect born from fourth-rank forging, his forging efficiency was twice what it had been before.

One had to know that his original forging efficiency had already far surpassed that of ordinary blacksmiths.

Basically, in the time it took Little Milan to forge one suit of armor, Levi could forge six suits. The gap between them went without saying.

Just like that, two months slipped by without anyone noticing. Levi forged iron and cultivated day after day. He successfully entered the beginner stage of the Siren Breathing Technique, and next would be grinding experience step by step.

With the arrival of the Month of Budding, the winter snow began to melt, the chill slowly started to fade, and tender green shoots began poking out of the frozen soil. The breath of spring descended upon this river valley.

On this day, on a muddy little road, Levi led a small squad of soldiers, while an old ox pulled a cart loaded full of weapons and protective gear covered with hay.

Over the past winter, Blackwater Valley had produced a full thirty suits of armor in total. Levi kept the half with the best quality to arm his own troops.

He planned to haul the rest to Icewind City to sell for some Gold Coins, and also buy more Ambergris to bring back.

At present, the soldier force of Blackwater Valley was still fifty men. However, unlike before, these fifty men had already changed from part-time Militia into true full-time soldiers.

With forging as a money tree, Levi estimated that Blackwater Valley's annual fiscal income this year could multiply many times over, reaching four or five hundred Gold Coins with ease.

And this year, his own forging had advanced to the fourth rank, raising his forging efficiency once again. Levi was confident he could push the territory's fiscal income past the threshold of one thousand Gold Coins, an income that many baronies in the north could not reach.

Icewind City.

Inside a luxurious and solemn noble residence, a Middle-Aged Noble dressed in splendid clothing was enjoying dinner. His movements were elegant as he cut the piece of beef before him with knife and fork, leisurely savoring the delicacy.

At some unknown point, behind him, within the candlelit shadows, a figure wearing a black robe and a black hood suddenly appeared. He was a Broker within the Voice of the Deathbird organization, responsible for transmitting messages and intelligence.

"The Phantom Demon Knight who previously assassinated Baron Levi has been missing for almost half a year. However, according to the intelligence from the spies we planted in Blackwater Valley, Baron Levi is not dead. This indicates that the Phantom Demon Knight is most likely already dead, or abandoned the assassination for some reason and lost contact."

"Now, that Major Client has begun to question our organization's professional capabilities. Therefore, Lord Pale Shadow has decided that you will continue carrying out the mission the Phantom Demon Knight failed, restoring our organization's reputation. Considering that this time requires a veteran Silver-Rank Assassin like you to act, that Major Client has raised the commission. It is now three hundred Gold Coins."

"This is a deposit of one hundred Gold Coins. Lord Pale Shadow has high hopes for you. You must be careful and cautious in this operation and ensure success."

The noble who was enjoying his meal took the bag of one hundred Gold Coins from the Broker's hand and shook it gently. It clattered. What a beautiful sound of metal striking metal.

"Where is this Baron Levi now?" he asked softly.

"He is in Icewind City. According to the spies, he is wearing a White Wolf Mask, so he should be fairly easy to find," the Broker said.

"I understand. Wait for my news." The Middle-Aged Noble waved his hand, and the Broker hid within the darkness, vanishing from sight.

The middle-aged man carefully placed the one hundred Gold Coins he had just received into the iron chest at home and locked it. Inside were more than three thousand Gold Coins, his savings accumulated over the past several decades.

He straightened his clothes in front of the bronze mirror, picked up his sword, and blew out the candle in the room.

Shadow Lord above, may this assassination be completed perfectly.

(P.S. Tuesday's Follow-up Reads are crucial. To ask for Follow-up Reads, there will be three updates today. Please keep reading!)