The objects that Jack had thrown so casually turned out to be legendary items!

The All Horn (Legendary)

Description: Legend has it that when an artisan achieves the apex of craftsmanship, he can enter a state of full concentration, known as the ‘crafting zone.’ This horn, sculpted from one single diamond, was made to produce a beautiful note that helps craftsmen reach such a state.

Effects:

Begins [Crafting Zone] for 24 hours.

Has three uses. (Two uses left.)

You’ve inspected an incredible treasure!

+5 insight

What kind of item was this that it could grant five insight from simply looking at it? That was the equivalent of gaining a level. If Jack were to open a business where he charged gold for players to examine this item and gain five stat points, there would be a never-ending line of them! The neuralizing chairs were proof of that.

Neuralizing chairs only worked on the starting stat points or the free stat points assigned by players. Most players made use of at least two of the basic stats. That meant that if they hadn’t made a mistake when building their character, they had 5 or 10 extra stat points they could use. Warriors, for example, flocked to the Union to turn five intelligence and five wisdom into ten strength. They were willing to pay five gold for it. The Union had already made thousands of gold from the two neuralizing chairs they had built.

“W-what does [Crafting Zone] do?” Roth asked, voice trembling.

“It multiplies all experience gained from crafting by ten and elevates everything you do by a full grade. It only elevates it up to A, though. It won’t help you get an S grade. Otherwise, it would have been too broken.”

To his side, he heard Godsfried mumble. “Y-you… h-how… Gala… Ja…” It sounded as if he were having a seizure.

“Are you alright, Godsfried?” Roth asked, worried.

Godsfried was too stunned to speak. He just handed over the pair of rusty objects to Roth.

Robornir’s Hammer and Anvil (Legendary)

Description: Among the ancient masters, Robornir is considered one of the best. Not only did he free the dwarves from the exploration of the tyrannical barbarians, but he was also the very first craftsman to work infinitum.

Effect: You can exchange this item for any favor from the dwarves.

You’ve inspected an incredible treasure!

+10 insight

Roth gulped. He could see why Godsfried had become speechless. The description of the item was too vague. Saying any favor seemed to include virtually anything. Additionally, it didn't just say that he could get any favor from one dwarf, but from the dwarves. Roth would have been apprehensive about just how powerful this item was. But this was a legendary item. Legendary! A high-grade legendary item, too, since it granted ten insight from just looking at it!

“Pretty impressive, uh? Had to go through hell to get these.”

“When it says any favor, could it include having the dwarves help us?”

“Oh yes. But we need to be very careful about how we phrase it. I've been burned in the past before. They can be worse than lawyers. We dwarves can, I mean,” Jack joked. “I also doubt that they will be willing to help us forever. That's where the horn comes in. It will help us make the most of the dwarves’ help.”

“So what’s the plan?” Godsfried asked, excited.

“For now, I'll take a break. I have a life too, you know? When was the last time you logged out?” Jack asked Godsfried.

“A couple of days.”

“Log out. Clear your head. Be with your family. Spend time with your loved ones. Having their memory in your mind will help you endure what you are about to go through. Once we’re back, we won't be logging out for a while. We’ll craft until we drop.”

Something about the way Jack spoke made Roth feel a bone-chilling terror take over him. Seeing Godsfried’s trembling knees, clattering teeth, and pale face didn't help. This was a jeweler master, one of the best in the game. What kind of spartan operation did Jack have in mind?

Glancing over at his former adversary, he felt his mouth go dry. Jack had a predatory grin as if he were a butcher looking at two cows he was planning to milk dry only to chop up to sell their meat and afterward grind their bones to make flour and sell that, too.

“Meet you here in 24 hours. I'll have the guild bring us all the necessary supplies here.”

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“Y-yes, Galatheel.”

Godsfried logged out with his tail between his legs. Jack laughed, winking at Roth. “No crafting until we’re back. Rest. See you, Roth.”

Roth was left alone on the 82nd floor of Sapphira. More than apprehension at Jack’s ominous tone, Roth was slightly disappointed. Unlike them, he couldn't leave the game to clear his head.

He tapped his foot, considering how he would spend the next 24 hours. On the one hand, his first instinct was to practice crafting. He'd never worked in a crafting team. He was about to join forces with two of the most talented craftsmen in the game. On the other hand, from Jack’s warning and Godsfried’s reaction, he felt it would be unwise to burn the midnight oil just yet.

“Hi, Mel. Are you free?” he tried. Even though he couldn't leave the game, he could still spend time with his girl.

“Sorry. Boss fight.”

“Can we meet in Hilsford a little before 16:00, for example?” It was a couple of hours before having to meet with Jack and Godsfried. It should allow him to go for a romantic walk with Mel. Since he could afford the teleportation fee, he would make it work.

His girlfriend answered almost immediately with many roses and heart emojis.

Roth’s heart raced at the possibility of seeing Mel again.

“The question is, what will I do until tomorrow? What can I do in about 20 hours of gameplay?” Sighing, Roth decided to open his to-do list.

* Getting out!

* Find the Crow Emperor

* Abolish slavery

* Teach Lin some manners - In progress

* Meet the Table

* Molympic Games

Over the past week, he had managed to finish the dwarves’ quest and find Lua’s herd. He had put the herbalist and cardmaster professions on standby. He was as busy as it was. He didn’t need more professions on his plate right now. The Table wouldn’t meet for ten days, and the Molympic games would still take one week.

After weighing his options, Roth made up his mind. He marched to his room to fetch his traveling companion. Lin was in the same place he'd left him, sleeping at a seemingly impossible angle. Had Roth slept like Lin, he would have broken a few bones.

“Come on, Lin. Time to go.”

“Nyaah,” Lin made an untranslatable feline yawn. “Where are we going?”

“The swamps.”

Roth’s plan was simple: he would get the quest to meet with the Crow Emperor out of the way. After all, he had already cracked the clues and knew how to travel to the Dark Abyss. All that was left to do was to reap the rewards of his hard work.

“Why can’t you leave me alone for a moment?!”

Roth chuckled. Lin had acted jealous not even an hour ago and now was just playing it cool. He grabbed the [Swamp Orb]. After confirming that Lin was perched on his shoulder, he focused on the mix of green and black gasses inside the glass ball, which began whirling, and after a few seconds, the rocky sculpted city of Sapphira disappeared, and he was back at the bony towers of the Eight Spires.

Although the swamp was still fetid and dark, something was different about it. The place was crowded! Dozens of lizardmen players traveled from one spire to another, dragging themselves through the sludge. After the new race became available to beginners, the Eight Spires instantly became a hot spot crowded with lizardman players. Roth puffed up his chest.

“Let’s go, Lin.”

“Yawn. I’ll just take a nap. Wake me up when we get there.”

Lin found a comfortable nook inside Roth’s clothes while Roth headed toward the central spire. Even though the seven spires, representative of the different species of lizards, were crowded, the central spire remained deserted. It looked like very few had the reputation needed to meet the leaders of the lizardmen race.

That worked just as well. The ferryman Roth had hired last time was at the same place he’d left him over a week ago. For a moment, he wondered whether the ferryman had been here for the last ten days or if it was just his resting position, the place he went back to after carrying passengers. Roth threw him a gold coin. “Ready to cross all the way to the dark lands?”

The lizardman nodded placidly. “Yes, Martyr.”

Roth hopped on the ferry and got himself comfortable. The ferryman dug his long rod into the sludge and slowly propelled the boat through the dirty waters of the swamp. The ferryman was a terrible rower. The boat felt as if it were still. Or maybe Roth was used to moving so fast these days that it seemed sluggish when he had to rely on someone else to transport him. However, the bulging muscles of the lizardman told Roth that getting the boat moving in these thick waters wasn’t as easy as he made it seem.

Nevertheless, the boat did move. The imposing sight of the eight bony towers and the many lizardmen became ever smaller until the large reptiles became colorful dots moving against the ivory and brown background. The direction the ferryman rowed to was west, the location of the thunder and lava spires. Therefore, most of the dots were either bright purple or crimson red, the colors of the scales of the towers’ inhabitants.

After several minutes of slow rowing, the city finally disappeared behind the foggy horizon. Roth decided to make the most of this ride. In the worst-case scenario, he’d find himself in the middle of the crossing and realize that finding the Crow Emperor took much longer than anticipated. In that case, he would just use the [Forest Orb] to transport back to Hilsford and meet with Drake, and then Mel. There was nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

He closed his eyes and focused on the relaxing croak of frogs, their rhythmic symphony echoing through the thick, humid air. The ferry glided forward, its hull soothingly swooshing as it cut through the murky waters. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying vegetation. Roth took a deep breath, inhaling the rich, earthy aroma, and felt a sense of calm wash over him. Despite the mosquitos and the dark surroundings, there was a raw beauty to the swamp that soothed him.

He’d been running around like crazy, so it felt good to kick back and relax, even if only for a short while. Lin purred softly on his lap, his warmth comforting against the chill in the air. He couldn’t understand how Mel didn’t like it here. How could this place not be romantic?

The ferryman steered them through the mangrove root beaches, where twisted roots snaked out of the water like skeletal hands. As they approached the Striped Lake, the swamp's muddy waters gradually gave way to the ominous blackness of the abyssal tar.

Half of the lake was a murky expanse of swamp water, teeming with life, while the other half was a foreboding void of black tar, still and silent as death. The boundary between the two was eerily distinct, as if nature had drawn a line that no one dared cross.

The last time he was here was when he'd met the alligators. How were they doing, he wondered. Had Mario made it all the way here? He had helped the cyborg alligator break free from the clutches of the Cyborg Union. “Before you take me across the Abyssal Sea, can you please take me to the alligators? I want to check in on a friend.”

The lizardman gave him a long look but failed to move or acknowledge his request. Understanding what he was thinking, Roth threw him a gold coin. “Here. For the detour.”

The ferryman sighed and, without saying anything, changed the boat's direction toward the mangrove beach where he’d met Mario’s mother.