Bonus (2/2)
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Chapter 66: Maple's Shield "Night's Shadow" Ascends to Gold!
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The quest Maple and her team completed was a true jackpot. Not only did it reward them with Gold-grade materials, but it also granted a one-time service from the Elf Queen herself to forge a piece of Gold equipment.
Most importantly: this forging process was 100% guaranteed to succeed.
As long as the required materials were provided, the Queen's divine craftsmanship would do the rest.
"Maple, hand the materials over to the Queen," Seito said, turning to her.
Maple didn't hesitate. She pulled out all her high-tier defense materials and handed them over. She had no intention of switching from the "Poison Dragon" build; its set effects were too broken to abandon. She wanted to evolve what she already had.
The Elf Queen took the materials and disappeared into the inner chambers. With the Queen gone, Maple turned to Seito.
"Seito-kun, what's the plan for later?"
"First, we buy a Guild Base. I think Floor 12 is perfect," Seito replied, stating his intent clearly.
Maple beamed with joy. "Hehe, I was thinking the same thing! The scenery is beautiful—it's the perfect home for The Harbingers."
Sally and Ako nodded in agreement. Compared to the previous floors, the Elven Forest was a paradise.
"Many of our guild members are already exploring the Floor 12 wilds. I'll ask if they've found any prime real estate," Seito said. He opened the guild channel.
[Sei: @Everyone. Anyone found a good spot for a Guild Base on Floor 12?]
[Windrunner: The Boss wants a base here? Awesome! I fell in love with this place the moment I stepped off the portal.]
[Leg-Lover: Same here!]
[Old Twenty-Eight: +1!]
[Player N: Same! +N]
The chat exploded with approval. Then, one message caught Seito's eye.
[Daughter-Slave: Boss, I found a great spot. [Coordinates.JPG]]
[Daughter-Slave: It's a wide-open clearing surrounded by massive trees perfect for treehouses, and there's a natural fountain in the center.]
Several other suggestions poured in. Seito noted them all down.
[Sei: Good. I'll go scout them out shortly.]
Just as he closed the menu, the Elf Queen emerged from her chambers and sat back down before the group. Resting in her hands was Maple's evolved shield: Night's Shadow.
The group checked the stats immediately. In God's Domain, the shield itself didn't "hold" skills, but the user's class skills—like "Devour" and "Shield Bash"—could be channeled through it with terrifying efficiency.
Furthermore, the "Poison Dragon" three-piece set had expanded. Upon reaching Gold-grade, it had transformed into a five-piece set, now including a necklace and a ring.
Seito narrowed his eyes, deep in thought. Interesting.
He noticed a key difference. Unlike his Spatial Dragon Blade, Maple's shield didn't show an "Evolution Requirement" panel.
Only those who possess Divine Power can see or trigger the path to 'Divine' tier, Seito concluded. Since Maple hadn't absorbed Divine Aura yet, her Gold gear was simply at its peak standard form.
"Wow!" Maple's eyes sparkled as she caressed the shield.
"The three-piece set became a five-piece set, just like my Spatial set," Seito explained. "It seems five pieces is the standard for Gold-grade. We'll have to hunt for the remaining jewelry components later."
"By the way," Seito pivoted, "does anyone know who the Floor 12 Boss is?"
"I do!" Sally chirped excitedly. "The Queen mentioned it earlier. The Boss is the 'Corrupted Assassin Stalker,' an entity tainted by the aura of an Evil God."
Sally looked at Seito with wide, watery eyes that practically screamed: "Please help me get an Orange Assassin Set."
Seito's eyes twinkled with a mischievous light. He looked at Sally with a sly grin. "I could help you clear it... but surely, a favor like that deserves a little 'reward' in return, doesn't it?"
Sally's face flushed instantly. Her usual bold demeanor vanished. Everyone in class knew Seito could be a bit of a "Lecherous Space Prince" (LSP). Was he actually going to—
"NO!"
"DAME!"
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"
Maple, Shiro, and Kanade shouted in unison, staring at Seito with fierce, protective glares.
"What are you all getting worked up for?"
Seito asked, perfectly composed. "I'm just giving Sally a reconnaissance mission. It's not what you think!"
Please, Seito thought. I might be an LSP, but I have some standards!
The three girls let out a long sigh of relief. Maple's face stayed a bright shade of crimson, and she sat there fidgeting, clearly embarrassed by her instinctive outburst.
"What's the mission?" Sally asked, ignoring the tension.
"Go to the coordinates ten kilometers west of Feiling City on Floor 11. Find the exact location of Kaguya Shinomiya's guild base and send me the coordinates."
Sally blinked. "Why are you spying on our classmates?" She and Maple had heard about the "Student Council Guild," but since they were already with Seito, Kaguya hadn't approached them.
Seito replied with a face of pure, unadulterated sincerity:
"I just want to reach out and... strengthen our bonds of friendship."
Sally squinted at him, her suspicion reaching critical levels. Friendship? Why does it feel more like he's planning a home invasion?
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Thank you for reading.
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Once again thank you for your support @Keith Lighthill and @Jeremy Grant Ramos.