The party formation for this upcoming mission to save the village had already been decided.
Helen had departed for the S-rank dungeon along with Beatrice to train.
Mirian, by Ryanâs order, had gone to integrate with the village soldiers, as she would now be in charge of the villageâs security while he was away.
At this moment, only Ryan and Karol were in the house.
Of course, Irina was also there with Ryanâs new assistant.
But in addition, the alchemist was now present, brimming with excitement, because according to her, she had created the most powerful weapon to date.
When she placed the box upon the table.
Opening it revealed the full form of the sword.
âIt looks... impressiveâ
The alchemist began to speak, unable to hide her massive smile as she pulled the sword from the box.
"With an elongated and slightly curved blade, it features a detailed and ornate design that combines angular shapes with fine finishes."
She stepped closer.
"The hilt is integrated into the weapon and features decorative extensions that give it an elegant and well-crafted look. Furthermore, regarding the color, cool tones like blue and silver predominate, accompanied by red and gold details that highlight the design."
She looked at him with glowing eyes as she placed the weapon into his hands.
"Your Majesty, in short, it looks like a refined weapon, striking and designed both for quick combat and to stand out visually. There is no way even your enemies wonât admire this sword."
Ryan gripped the hilt firmly.
He held the weapon out, feeling its weight and shape.
"Analyze."
[Chimera Flame Sword: Strength +700 | Stamina +500 | Agility +500]
Item Skill
âș [Sword Mastery]
25% boost in Sword damage
âș [Phantom Drain]
45% of the wielderâs Strength is applied to drain the targetâs mana.
âș [Heavy Symbol]
Adds 35% to the damage you deal. Ignores 30% of the enemy targetâs defense.
âș [Blazing Blade]
Adds 7 ranged heat blades, each dealing 110% of the wielderâs normal attack damage.
Effects:
âș 35% Damage reduction.
âș 35% Skill defense.
"Wow, it has so many stats and skills?"
Ryan stood there observing it in detail.
"This is an incredible weapon."
"Hee hee hee, naturally, Your Majesty. I assure you that this weapon can compete on the same level as epic weapons, perhaps even higher."
Karol approached with curiosity, admiring the sword.
"There might be more S-rank people who have a Chimera as a weapon, but so far only Raphael is known to carry one."
"Iâd heard of him."
The alchemist interrupted.
"These weapons donât have a rank classification, but they are undoubtedly on the same level as epic weaponsâeven higher. There are several types; this one, for example, has damage reduction, but others have increased damage. Like the one that hero Raphael youâre talking about has."
Karol stood thinking for a moment.
"I remember now. He uses gloves like you, Ryan. And those gloves are his Chimera weapons."
"My gloves are only rare rank. Iâd like to have those Chimeras..."
"Hey, hey... are you thinking about picking a fight with him?"
"I didnât say that."
Then the alchemist commented.
"Well, in fact... a conflict wouldnât be strange. After all, Raphael is the bodyguard of the nationâs Elven King. Of course, he isnât an elf; heâs only there by order of the Church."
Ryan stayed reflecting for a moment.
Knowing that, it wouldnât be strange if he had to face that hero at some point.
Though, his intuition told him he wouldnât be an easy opponent.
The fact that he had a Chimera weapon while being with the Church confirmed to Ryan that these weapons truly were special.
But besides that, he now had an epic weaponâthe short sword he took from the assassinâand this new weapon.
A longsword.
Excitement stirred in his chest.
"Mika."
"Yes, Your Majesty!?"
"Relax. I just wanted to congratulate you on your good work. Iâm counting on you from now on. Soon we will go to the nation of the dwarves, so I will expect excellent results from you then as well."
"Yes! I assure you I will fulfill your expectations, Your Majesty."
She made a bow.
Then she straightened up and spoke.
"By the way, Your Majesty, there is still one more thing. I understand that you will go to the dwarven nation, but by this time you must be the most wanted person in the world. How did you plan to stay hidden?"
"Well... I thought about using a hood and passing as an adventurer. Isnât that common?"
"No... it canât be that easy. What would you do if youâre discovered?"
"Itâs true, Ryan. I donât think you can expose yourself like that."
"But I canât stop now, either. Iâll think of something if weâre caught."
"Fu fu fu." The alchemistâs laughter distracted them.
"You see... Your Majesty, remember that you didnât just bring materials for the sword. In addition to that incredible weapon, I have prepared this, thinking it might be useful to you."
She held out her hand.
"A ring?" he asked.
"Yes, but itâs not just that. Itâs forged with the Mighty Combine Set you gave me."
"I remember giving you something like that, but not its purpose."
"Well, you see... that item, when combined with a skill, serves to make that skill evolve, or even generate another extra skill."
"I see... it sounds incredible, but how does that help me camouflage myself?"
"Fu fu fu... itâs because the ring itself is made with the Mighty Combine Set, but that gem in the centerâI placed it intentionally, and itâs what will help you camouflage."
"Can you please explain without going in circles?"
"Yes, Iâm sorry, I just got excited. Well... this gem will allow you to change your hair color. And your eyes."
She handed him the ring.
"Please, put it on." While Ryan was putting it on, she asked.
"So, who will be going with you on this trip?"
Ryan told her he would be going with Karol.
It would only be them and Irina.
"I see... then the best option is for you to pretend you are adventurers, escorts for an important noble, which in this case would be Princess Irina. and to hide your identity, you could pose as Karolâs brother."
"Siblings?" Karol commented with a frown.
"Yes." The alchemist stepped closer and plucked a strand of hair from her.
"Ow! Hey!"
"Sorry, itâs just that... this is what we need for the ring to work."
She gave the strand of hair to Ryan and embedded it in the gem.
"Is that all it takes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. Now, please just fill it with mana."
Ryan did so. The gem lit up, consuming Karolâs hair strand.
And almost immediately, Ryanâs hair and eyes turned blue.
"Wow, Ryan. Seriously, you look... well, yeah, I think you could pass as Karolâs brother," Irina commented.
"But we arenât siblings! Donât get your hopes up, Irina." Karol turned toward Ryan.
"Just so you know, I donât plan on letting anyone interrupt us on this trip. Now that weâll be alone." She said it with a mischievous smile.
Ryan sighed.
"Yeah, yeah," he said curtly.
"Hey, please, you can leave those things for when youâre alone. Now... Your Majesty, which skill will you evolve?"