Surveying the experience notification following the defeat of the Poison Blade Rat King, the sense of joy eluded Tyler.
— “Successful killed Poison Blade Rat King – Grey – Lv69, occupation experience +172500, current experience 184800/16800.”
After a flurry of upgrade notifications, Tyler’s Combat Occupation, “Shadow Assassin”, had ascended from level 41 to 50, leaving only 10200 points short of the maximum experience.
In other words, he had reached the peak level once more.
Earlier that morning, Tyler had been contemplating how to manage his time, how to practice his skills more diligently, so as not to level up too quickly and waste the experience. However, now it seemed all his planning had been in vain.
Was the world of Prison Star too lenient in leveling up, or was he simply an anomaly? Tyler could only conclude it was the latter.
A typical Tier 2 occupation wouldn’t possess his ability to single-handedly take on a Tier 3 Rat King, let alone his previous opponent, Albert.
If it weren’t for the assistance of the “Divine Eye of Transcendence”, Tyler would have met his end long ago.
From the initial confusion, utterly perplexed about how to become stronger, to reaching maximum level right after advancing to the second tier, Tyler felt he was gradually unraveling the “strategy cheatsheet” of this world.
As long as he could continue to grow stronger faster and more efficiently than others, Tyler believed, one day he would stand before the “Singular Demon God – The Unutterable Name” as an equal.
Indeed, achieving equality was the first step in establishing the bridge of communication!
.
Upon reaching level 50 this time, Tyler had gained 19 points in Dexterity, 3 points in Strength, and 2 points in Intelligence.
Glancing at his status, he felt increasingly adept at utilizing his physical capabilities.
By Tyler’s side lay the carcass of the Poison Blade Rat King and the unconscious, yet-to-awaken, Heavy Cavalry Knight Garvit.
After some consideration, Tyler first extracted the magic core from the Rat King’s body. It was the most valuable item it possessed. As for the other materials, Tyler didn’t pay them much heed.
Next, Tyler searched Garvit and found a red potion for the war horse hidden in his armor, as well as a green poisonous mist potion for throwing.
After identifying their composition, Tyler noted it down and returned the items to Garvit.
Tyler now had two more methods for combat at his disposal.
Having done what needed to be done, Tyler, fully satisfied with his gains, returned to Sunny Town.
His gear was in tatters, it was high time for an equipment upgrade.
.
Upon arriving at Sunny Town, Tyler headed straight for the familiar equipment store.
Upon entering, he saw the familiar craftsman along with two others, studying the materials he had brought earlier —— the teeth, claws, horns, scales, bones, flame sac, wing talons, hide, and marrow of the Crimson Flame Dragon.
“Master craftsmen, any ideas yet?”
“My, my! You finally grace us with your presence, lad! Where did you purchase these materials? We’ve never seen dragon materials before!”
“Indeed! These are materials from a Tier 2 Dragon! I can die without regrets now!”
The craftsmen were candid. Since getting acquainted with Tyler, they spoke their minds.
(Oh? Dragon materials are that rare?)
Seeing the craftsmen excitedly flushed, Tyler decided to keep his trial with the Crimson Flame Dragon a secret, subtly claiming he had bought the materials from a nearly bankrupt caravan at a low price.
“Boy, you’re rather lucky!
“You’ve got wealth and love, and your own strength isn’t too shabby either. Keep pushing and you’ll achieve great things!”
“Do your best, lad!”
“Love?” Tyler queried, bemused.
“Heh, don’t think we didn’t notice. The foxkin girl at the Quest Guild has a certain look in her eyes when she sees you.”
(Oh, is it that obvious? )
The craftsmen’s words sent a shiver down Tyler’s spine —— this could be perilous.
“Haha, really? I hadn’t noticed.”, Tyler tried to play it cool.
“Enough of that, we understand how shy you youngsters can be… Come on! Let’s discuss how we can ‘rebirth’ these materials!”
Fortunately, the craftsmen weren’t particularly interested in romantic topics and quickly moved on to the main matter at hand.
.
In the equipment store, Tyler engaged in a vibrant dialogue with the craftsmen, and incidentally, acquired a substantial amount of knowledge.
It turned out that in the world of Prison Star, there existed the concept of “ancient species.”
The Dragonkind, as one of these “ancient species,” is virtually unseen in human alliance territories. 𝒪𝗏𝒍xt.𝐜𝒐𝓶
Moreover, all “ancient species” are of a higher caliber than ordinary races.
For instance, the strength of a Tier 2 Dragonkind could rival that of a Tier 3 standard demon. The most superior Dragonkind are an unrivaled powerful presence in their own bracket.
Tyler’s materials brought this time were of exceptional quality. However, high-quality demon materials often require pairing with high-grade materials of other sorts to maximize their value.
Regrettably, in a humble place like Sunny Town, procuring high-grade metals, wood, stones, and other materials is almost impossible. If forced to produce, it would be a waste of such precious materials.
“Nevertheless, there’s a feasible solution if you are open to it,” the craftsman proposed.
The craftsman informed Tyler that these materials could be sorted and then merged with the high-quality equipment he currently possessed through secondary smelting and fusion casting, thus forging even stronger new equipment.
“I must admit, that black sword of yours has been dazzling our eyes for a while now,” he confessed.
Tyler, knowing the craftsmen were earnest folks, displayed all his equipment on the table without any concealment.
.
Following a heated discussion, Tyler approved the final plan:
The “Shadow Sword Blaze Steed” would be smelted and reformed with dragon teeth, claws, bones, and a flame sac.
The “Fir Treant Long Hunting Bow” would undergo framework enhancement with dragon horns, bones, and scales.
The “Venomous Blade – Poison Claw” would be smelted and reformed with dragon wing talons and bones.
The “Ebony Boots – Shadow Step” would be strengthened with dragon skin and scales.
The entire process for the four pieces of equipment was slated to take three days. The master craftsman would rally all of Sunny Town’s craftsmen to work in shifts day and night on Tyler’s equipment, which made him feel guilty.
However, these old gentlemen seemed not the least bit bothered, instead, they were brimming with enthusiasm.
When Tyler inquired about the cost, the craftsmen were indignantly incensed.
“Charge what? As craftsmen, having the chance to work with Dragonkind materials once in a lifetime is a privilege! I would pay you for that!”
The craftsmen’s response left Tyler in a state of bemusement. Seeing their fervor, Tyler graciously accepted their kind offer.
As for the Tier 3 magic core from the Poison Blade Rat King that he had acquired this round, Tyler decided to save it for later and did not reveal it.
His rationale was that three days in Sunny Town was already a lengthy stay. If he had to wait even longer for new equipment, it would increase the burden and risk for the next confession.
.
Exiting the equipment store in the evening, Tyler contemplated getting some food as the white bread given to him by Garvit at noon was insufficient.
Unexpectedly, he ran into Avirl and rabbitkin granny just a few steps away.
(Calculation Boost – Overclock!)
Spotting the duo, Tyler instinctively activated his skill, anxiously scanning for the figure of Emilia within a thirty-meter radius.