The Time Has Come

Time passed quickly. Krum was truly worthy of being the heir to the Bloodaxe Clan; his martial prowess was top-tier. After Lilia's sixteenth birthday, he finally defeated all challengers, then returned to the Warsong Clan in triumph, filled with pride and accompanied by his bride.

Upon arriving at the Bloodaxe Clan, the wedding ceremony was held that very evening. All the men, women, and children of the clan gathered together to celebrate Krum's new marriage.

However, Solam was not among the crowd; he had been summoned away by Arando.

Although Arando lived within the clan, he rarely interacted with others and appeared quite reclusive. This was unavoidable; he had never been a cheerful person, and burdened by a deep, blood-soaked vendetta, he seemed even more somber. Over time, the other orcs grew uncomfortable dealing with him. Only a few elders, such as Solam's grandfather and Uncle Tarik, knew something of Arando's past and would occasionally seek him out to drink or hunt. Thus, Arando rarely attended such lively occasions.

"Ram, do you know why I called you here?" Arando asked, sitting on a seat covered in animal hides as he looked at Solam.

"I have a rough idea why." Solam had guessed it long ago, though he hadn't expected Arando to bring it up today.

"Mm, it is time. There is little left for you to learn from me. If you want to develop further, you must go out and venture into the world. But that is not what I wanted to tell you; Kramsh will speak with you about that. He seems to have arrangements, so I will say no more on that front."

Arando then handed a large parcel to Solam. "These were passed down to me by my teacher; they are the heirlooms of our lineage. Now that you have completed your training, I shall pass them on to you."

Solam opened the parcel and was stunned to find Arando's set of full plate armor. He looked at Arando, feeling a bit awkward.

"Master, this... am I not... a bit too big to wear this?"

It was no wonder Solam said this. The armor fit the old man perfectly, but it was far too small for Solam. Solam was now nearly two meters tall and weighed nearly 130 kilograms; there was no way he could fit into the armor of a small old man like Arando.

"...Are you an idiot? Why would I give it to you if you couldn't wear it?" Arando, who had been very serious, was so annoyed by Solam that he couldn't help but laugh.

"This magic armor can automatically adjust to the most suitable size according to the wearer's needs. Otherwise, how could it be considered an heirloom?" That was true; armor was not like other equipment. Being slightly too big or small could directly affect combat effectiveness, and if one were unlucky, it could even cause self-inflicted injuries during battle. One often saw old knightly families displaying many sets of armor as decorations—not because they were show-offs, but because the gear had no practical value. A set of full plate was incredibly expensive, and it was a pity to destroy it, so they had no choice but to display it.

"Oh, I see." Hearing how miraculous the armor was, Solam quickly put it on. The armor was entirely black and covered in numerous runes that were difficult to discern unless one looked closely. Overall, the armor looked very understated, unlike the bright and flashy armor of typical knights.

Once on, he couldn't feel much weight at all. In ordinary full plate, the joints required chainmail for connection, but in this set, the joints were connected by a special leather and a unique silk. Wearing it, his joint movement was completely free, with no sense of restriction—something that usually hindered movement in standard knightly armor.

After putting on the armor, Solam moved his body around and felt fantastic.

Arando was also satisfied with his disciple's appearance in the armor. One had to understand that when out in the world, image was important. This was no joke; in this dangerous world, first impressions were crucial. Looking good could indeed save one from a lot of trouble.

"This armor was crafted with immense effort by an ancestor long ago, incorporating many rare materials. It is said that to make the armor lighter, that predecessor slaughtered several dwarven tribes just to seize enough mithril. The leather was chosen from the neck skin of a red dragon, and even the silk is no ordinary material—it is woven from the spider silk of an Ettercap, which is incredibly tough." (The Ettercap is a magical beast resembling a spider that also spits silk; it is highly venomous, likes to keep various spiders to deal with enemies, is very cunning, and dislikes direct combat.)

Arando spoke proudly of the armor's origin; it was thanks to the protection of this armor that he had been able to escape back then.

"This armor has many special designs. See for yourself."

Solam hurriedly identified the armor.

Dark Sun Armor of Itras

Itras was a dangerous Arcane Knight who joined the church of the Prince of Lies many years ago. Later, he became extremely insane during the "Cyrinishad" incident and worshipped Cyric with fanatical devotion. To help this mad god realize his wish to become the one true god, he ruthlessly forced others to worship Cyric and killed those who refused to convert. To better complete the tasks assigned to him by Cyric, he resolved to forge this powerful armor. Later, when Cyric regained his sanity, this mad Arcane Knight was defeated by his own disciple. In his final moments, he regained his clarity and passed this armor on to his disciple.

This armor incorporates many precious materials, making it exceptionally sturdy and lightweight, with astonishing defensive capabilities. The magic within allows the wearer's body to become lighter while significantly increasing the wearer's spellcasting ability.

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Equipment Effects:

+2 spell slots for each level from 0 to 7.

Slightly increases spell power.

Significantly increases physical defense (equivalent to +3 plate armor; in terms of meaning, it is equivalent to the combined protection of three sets of fine full plate armor).

Significantly increases magical defense.

Immune to acid attacks.

Permanently enchanted with Levitate.

Three charges of Energy Shield (can be recharged; also automatically recharges by the next day).

Invisibility three times a day (reveals the wearer when attacking; lasts 5 minutes, +1 minute per spell level).

Greater Invisibility once a day.

This long list of magical enchantments dazzled Solam. However, he couldn't help but feel that having Invisibility on a knight's full plate was a bit underhanded. As expected of a follower of Cyric—the more underhanded, the better.

(The "Cyrinishad" incident occurred shortly after Cyric ascended to godhood. On a whim, he fabricated a scripture; any person (or god) who read it would fanatically worship and obey Cyric. The former God of Thieves fell for it, and later, this ridiculous deity actually went to read the "Cyrinishad" himself, went insane, and then made his own followers read it, causing many of them to go insane as well.)

Without a doubt, this was a legendary set of full plate, though it was impossible to tell from the outside; it had no magical aura whatsoever.

"This armor was treated with a dark-light finish from the very beginning, so it shows no magical aura. Others cannot track it, so you can use it with peace of mind. As long as you don't tell others the secret of this armor, there will be no problems," Arando explained. This was a teaching passed down since the ancestor's time to prevent others from coveting the armor. Arando had never told anyone the truth about it, not even his wife or children; they didn't know it was legendary. There was no helping it—legendary equipment was rare enough, let alone legendary armor. Telling others was equivalent to making life difficult for oneself.

Arando then handed over the rest of his remaining collection to Solam: a belt, a ring, a spellbook, and a pendant.

The belt was called the Tactical Master Belt, crafted by Arando himself. While it lacked powerful magical enchantments, it was highly practical. The belt had three dimensional pockets, each nine cubic meters in size, and a scroll case specially treated to hold 100 scrolls, allowing the user to retrieve any needed magic scroll with a single thought. It also featured special weapon clips that could tightly secure weapons, ensuring they wouldn't loosen or fall during intense movement. The belt was made from the tough hide of a dragon's back and was incredibly durable.

The magic ring was also Arando's own work—not powerful, but very practical: "Arando's Magic Ring": +1 spell slot for levels 1-5.

The spellbook was an heirloom, containing many recorded spells, including some rare ones.

The final item, the "Amulet of Shelter," had no magical enchantments other than one function: it could store a mount. The pendant was very plain, looking like a simple iron tag. In fact, it was permanently enchanted with the 9th-level spell "Luwin's Sanctuary," which created a small space for storing living creatures. It could only hold one living being at a time.

Solam equipped all these items and checked his status.

Name: Solam

Attributes: Strength 20(+2), Intelligence 23, Constitution 19(+2), Dexterity 15, Wisdom 21, Charisma 16(+2)

Class: Elemental Shaman (Level 7), Warrior (Level 8), Arcane Knight (Level 3)

Spell Slots:

Level 0 Spells: 8(+5) (2 from ring, +3; 2 from armor, +2)

Level 1 Spells: 5 (+5)

Level 2 Spells: 3 (Equipment +5, Class -2)

Feats: Elemental Totem, Armored Casting, Arcane Modification

With the buffs from this equipment, Solam had instantly transformed from a commoner into a noble; he now possessed more spell slots than an average mage. This was exactly why people said that if a mage had money, they were truly formidable.

Arando watched Solam beaming with joy and didn't have the heart to dampen his spirits. He calls this having money? Too young, too naive. Thinking this, Arando felt that sending him out to see the world was indeed the most correct choice.

"Stop gloating and let's talk business. Do you have any idea what your top priority should be once you head out?"

"I do, to avenge you!!!" Solam said with ironclad resolve. Arando had never hidden his reasons for teaching Solam from the very beginning, so Solam naturally knew the cause.

"No, quite the opposite. You must forget your hatred and focus entirely on learning and improving your strength. Do not overestimate yourself; the Arcane Brotherhood is not as simple as you imagine. Remember, you must remember this: never underestimate any mage, let alone an ancient mage organization." Arando warned him sternly, "I am only telling you this because I fear you might underestimate the enemy. Once you go out, do not think about revenge, and do not even mention it. Do you hear me? Only when you reach the Legendary realm will you have the qualifications."

"I will remember. I won't act on impulse," Solam promised immediately.

"Very well, I have said all that needs to be said. Go now, and remember my words."