Chapter 48

As for how Francis and Sally would use their resources to launch a new round of confrontation, Rody, as the "instigator" of the entire incident, was completely indifferent.

His mind was entirely focused on the equipment gradually being completed in the dark room of the inn.

To avoid drawing attention, he had separately paid four blacksmiths to forge various metal pieces containing mithril, while he himself handled the scales. After the parts were completed, he assembled and sewed all the components himself. Although these Chimera beast scales were unknown to ordinary people, in the eyes of the "Master Tanner" Rody, he had been doing similar work day and night for more than two years, and everything was done with ease. The material consumption was kept to a minimum, and the effects were maximized.

On the fifteenth day after parting with Sally, Rody finally completed all the equipment.

Satisfied with the pile of equipment in front of him, Rody took a deep breath. As a tech enthusiast, such moments might be the only times that would make him feel the most valued.

And these works were his first set of "assets" since his rebirth.

There were seven pieces of leather armor made from Chimera beast scales, including shoulder guards, chest armor, belt, wrist guards, leg armor, gloves, and boots, all crafted from blue-quality scales and above. Not only were the main materials precious, but the auxiliary materials were also of great value, all being high-end goods processed by magic or enhanced by potions. Although the item level was only 4, the attributes reached the limit of 4-level equipment due to the materials being dropped by a 20-level Chimera beast.

Five pieces of this set were "blue" quality, while the gloves and boots reached "purple" quality, which was epic level!

Of course, the term "epic" was just a level designation. Truly epic equipment was mostly designated for advanced classes at level 50 and above. However, even so, obtaining purple epic equipment at level 4 brought an astronomical increase in attributes for players!

At this moment, glowing text flashed before Rody's eyes:

Hunter's Chest Armor

Fine Leather Armor

Slot: Chest

Required Level: 4

127 Armor

Strength +11

Constitution +13

Agility +8

[Set Piece 1/6]

The Hunter's Shoulder Guards, Wrist Guards, Belt, Leg Armor, etc., had similar attributes, all increasing strength, constitution, and agility. If the chest armor was the benchmark, then at the same level and item grade, the shoulder guards had 70% of the chest armor's attributes, the wrist guards 30%, the belt 30%, the leg armor 80%, the boots 60%, and the gloves 30%.

However, Rody's Hunter's Gloves and Boots were purple equipment, with attributes 30% higher than blue, and they also had two special effects—boots increased movement speed by 5%, and gloves added a 1% critical strike rate and 1% additional hit rate.

In a sense, this set of equipment directly multiplied Rody's attributes several times over!

The entire set of Hunter's Armor added 45 points of strength, 58 points of constitution, and 35 points of agility to Rody. In addition to the 1% critical strike and hit rate and 5% movement speed, the set attributes also added three effects:

2/7: Armor increased by 150 points

4/7: Constitution +10

7/7: Attacks have a chance to deal fire damage

According to his past gaming experience, Rody's current set of equipment had already completely outclassed 8-level green equipment. Considering the set effects, it was equivalent to the attributes of a full set of 15-level green equipment—expensive materials, exquisite craftsmanship, and the set effects due to the use of Chimera scales as the main material. All these factors made Rody's strength increase by more than three times!

Putting on the equipment piece by piece and bringing up the character status bar, Rody was satisfied to see the attribute values change dramatically:

[Legion Soldier]

Level 4

Strength 22 (+45)

Agility 11 (+35)

Spirit 9

Constitution 18 (+68)

Intelligence 8

His health instantly increased from 180/180 to 860/860, a terrifying value that could be called a "health bull" at his level!

Since Chimera beasts were known for their high defense and health, the set made from their scales retained these characteristics, even reaching the level of green metal light armor of the same grade!

Rody himself had not expected such astonishing results. After all, the base attribute growth before level 10 was too slow, and a set of top-tier equipment bringing several times the attribute bonus was, upon careful consideration, to be expected. He estimated that this set of equipment would be fine to wear until level 10 for his class change.

Adjusting the straps of the leather armor, Rody reached for another piece of equipment he had made—this was not for himself but specifically for Sally.

In the assassination incident caused by the dukedom, even though the current Sally had escaped, the threat from Francis still existed. The solution to this problem was simple for Rody: eliminate the opponent.

However, not yet.

He planned to spend some time improving his strength and influence—but first, he needed to ensure Sally's continued survival. Although the "Rosicrucian" Temple was a powerful organization, no one could guarantee that Francis wouldn't do something desperate. So, Rody carefully selected thinner Chimera beast scales, treated them with potions, and finally sewed them into a light blue soft inner armor.

It looked similar to ordinary cloth clothing and felt even softer, but only Rody knew how much material he had used—perhaps the cost of materials for the seven pieces of the Hunter's set combined could match this one piece of soft armor.

Refined Soft Scale Inner Armor

Fine Leather Armor

Slot: Chest

Required Level: 4

180 Armor

Constitution +65

Special Effect: When attacked, there is a chance to reduce 40 points of damage.

Although this equipment was designated as leather armor, it could be worn as cloth. Sally, being in the "Rosicrucian" Temple's convent, would not be suitable to wear leather armor daily. With this inner soft armor, her health would more than double, and the damage from a level 5 NPC's attack could be almost completely negated. Rody believed that with this, Sally's safety should not be a major concern.

Satisfied, Rody exhaled and got up to tidy up the remaining materials. He left the inn with all his belongings—because the Hunter's set had a sharp and streamlined appearance, Rody wore a cloak to avoid drawing too much attention. His weapon also needed an update, but Rody had his own plans and did not go to the blacksmith to buy or make one.

He had agreed to meet Sally one last time before leaving, and Rody intended to give her the clothes he had made. However, due to the continuous days of non-stop equipment production, he needed some intelligence to confirm the current situation. So, after leaving the inn, Rody went straight to the "Cambay District," a place with a mix of people and reliable information.

...

At the same time, Sally in the "Rosicrucian" Temple seemed somewhat melancholic.

To players, the "Rosicrucian" sect was a very powerful force. It was difficult to join and even harder to provoke, with countless people vying to enter this organization because it offered far better treatment to its "insiders" than other forces of the same level.

On this continent, the "Rosicrucian" sect, like the religious forces of other countries, had a very strict hierarchical structure. In the Kingdom of Calen, its history was long-standing, and in some ways, it could even influence the fate of the kingdom. Sally was now a member of this vast religious organization in the "Rosicrucian Temple" of Holier City.

The convent of the "Rosicrucian" sect was a quiet place in the city. Without the towering walls of a fortress, the bustling streets were just a street away, but it seemed to isolate the world. The floor was paved with cold stone, and when the sun shone, it sparkled. The atmosphere was quiet and solemn, and looking up, one always felt something intangible that suppressed the inner restlessness.

Sally stood in the corridor of the hall, looking up at the neatly arranged dome, feeling a sense of oppression in her heart.

Inside the temple, she was not as calm as she appeared. To make Francis temporarily abandon his attack, Sally had taken a risky step—but the cost was obvious... becoming a "Deacon" meant she could never marry and, more importantly, had to remain absolutely loyal to the "Rosicrucian" sect.

The "Rosicrucian" sect was like a solid shield, ensuring Sally's safety while also preventing her from using too much external force against Francis in the short term—this led to a stalemate in the covert conflict between the siblings.

Francis remained inactive in the Duke's mansion, and Sally refused to leave the convent. To the outside world, the Luciferon family seemed calm, but it was actually in a state of calm before the storm. The two parties were both struggling to find a way to break this deadlock.

"Leaving here means you might encounter unexpected attacks at any time. Only in the temple can your safety be guaranteed. Sally, do you understand?"

These were the words left by Bishop Benjamin to Sally. Over fifty years old, the bishop was learned and devout, and in the eyes of the believers, he was always a wise man who maintained silence. Fifteen days ago, it was this bishop who agreed to Sally's request and exceptionally selected her as a "candidate Deacon"—the reason might not be solely due to her status as a duke's daughter, but the specific reason was unknown even to Sally herself.

Walking through the empty and silent corridor, the cold atmosphere lingered as unfamiliar believers or priests passed by. Sally's gaze was somewhat gloomy, and her mood was terrible.

She wore the deep blue robe of a "candidate" and tried to recall the doctrines she had memorized the previous day, but her mind kept flashing back to that indelible figure.

The battles half a month ago had left Rody as an eternal mark on her soul... his calmness in fighting the orcs, his decisiveness in slaying the monsters in the Silent Forest, his firmness in giving her the necklace when facing Francis, his tension when facing the Chimera beast...

He grabbed her arm, lifted her skirt to check the wound, she fell over in fear when she mistook him for a undead, and he pressed her chest on the mine cart...

She couldn't describe this emotion, but Sally had to admit that she might not be able to shake off the influence of this figure for a long time.

And what was truly unsettling Sally was that she wanted to know... when would this person, who promised to meet her one last time before leaving, appear before her?