For several seconds after Frostmane appeared, the workshop of Crowned Era fell completely silent.
Kiraya stood in the middle of the room with the newly crafted shield held firmly in both hands. She seemed almost afraid to move too quickly, as though doing so might somehow cause the equipment to disappear.
The shield was beautiful.
Its main body was covered in a pale, almost white metal that reflected the warm glow of the workshop's lamps. Delicate light-red accents traced the edges and formed subtle patterns across its surface, giving the otherwise cold-looking shield a touch of warmth. At its center rested the emblem of a lion, but unlike the ordinary insignias found on most Crusader equipment, the lion's mane had been shaped into intricate patterns resembling frozen flames.
Whenever the shield shifted beneath the workshop lights, those patterns seemed to shimmer.
But none of that was what held Kiraya's attention.
A system window floated directly in front of her.
[Equipment Successfully Crafted]
Frostmane
Class: Epic
Type: Shield
And beneath the equipment information was the skill that had captured her attention.
[Crusader Skill: Lionheart's Frostmane]
Creates an ice barrier around Frostmane.
Damage received is reduced by 10%.
The user is healed for 2%.
Mana Cost: 55
Kiraya read the description once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
Her eyes moved slowly across every line as if she were afraid she had somehow misunderstood what she was seeing.
The disbelief on her face gradually gave way to excitement.
"This..."
Her fingers tightened around the shield.
She slowly raised Frostmane in front of herself.
The moment she moved it, she noticed something else.
The shield was heavy.
Of course it was.
It was an Epic-class shield, after all.
Yet the weight was distributed perfectly.
There was no awkward pulling toward one side. No unnecessary strain on her wrist. When she raised the shield, it followed the movement of her arm naturally, allowing her to shift between defensive positions without fighting against the equipment itself.
Kiraya rotated her wrist.
Frostmane moved with her.
She lowered it.
Then raised it again.
She shifted her stance and turned her body slightly, testing how easily she could move while keeping the shield between herself and an imaginary opponent.
Every movement felt natural.
A grin slowly appeared across her face.
"This is amazing."
Cynthia, who had been watching her reaction with nervous anticipation, finally relaxed.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Like it?"
Kiraya lowered the shield and stared at Cynthia as if she had just asked the most ridiculous question imaginable.
"I love it!"
She turned Frostmane slightly, inspecting the lion emblem again.
"Do you know how long I've been fighting without a proper shield?"
Cynthia shook her head.
"Since the battle against Epsilon Dawn."
Kiraya's expression softened for a moment.
"Exactly."
She ran her thumb across the edge of the shield.
"I've been compensating for it ever since."
She had adapted.
She had learned to fight without the equipment that had once completed her build, forcing herself to rely on positioning, movement, and increasingly aggressive use of Lionheart.
But there had always been something missing.
Kiraya took a few steps backward.
Her grip tightened around Frostmane.
Then she raised the shield.
Her posture changed.
The cheerful excitement that had filled her face disappeared.
Her shoulders lowered.
Her feet settled firmly against the floor.
Her breathing became steady.
In an instant, the woman who had been admiring a newly crafted piece of equipment was gone.
The Lionheart Crusader had returned.
The frontline fighter.
The person who was supposed to stand between her allies and whatever monster was trying to kill them.
Kiraya stared at Frostmane for several seconds.
Then her eyes suddenly brightened.
She looked toward Hinabi.
"Hit me."
Hinabi blinked.
"...What?"
Kiraya raised Frostmane higher.
"Hit me."
Hinabi stared at her.
Kiraya's excitement only increased.
"Use one of your spells."
Hinabi slowly lowered the book in her hands.
"One of my spells?"
"Yes."
"The strongest one?"
"Yes."
Hinabi's expression became increasingly suspicious.
"You're asking me to use my strongest spell against you?"
Kiraya nodded enthusiastically.
"I want to test the shield."
Hinabi looked at Frostmane.
Then she looked at Kiraya.
Then she slowly turned her head and examined the workshop around them.
There were enormous crafting tables surrounding them, expensive furnaces glowing near the walls, storage systems filled with valuable materials, shelves containing equipment, and countless tools Cynthia had spent time organizing.
Hinabi's eyes narrowed.
"No."
Kiraya froze.
"...No?"
"We are not testing your new shield by having me launch my strongest spell inside Cynthia's workshop."
Kiraya looked genuinely confused.
"Why not?"
Hinabi slowly extended one hand and gestured toward the room.
"Because I'd rather not destroy the entire place."
Kiraya finally looked around.
Her eyes traveled across the workshop.
The crafting stations.
The furnaces.
The storage units.
The carefully arranged tools.
The shelves filled with materials that were worth more money than Kiraya wanted to think about.
Her gaze slowly returned to Hinabi.
"...Oh."
She lowered Frostmane.
Hinabi crossed her arms.
"We can go outside."
Kiraya's face immediately turned red.
"I..."
She looked away.
Her voice became noticeably quieter.
"...got carried away."
Ryota immediately burst out laughing.
Rio covered her mouth, but the smile she was trying to suppress was obvious.
Even Cynthia couldn't stop herself from giggling.
Hinabi shook her head.
"You were about two seconds away from asking me to fire a battlefield-level spell at you while standing next to the forge."
Kiraya's embarrassment deepened.
"I forgot!"
"You forgot that we were inside a workshop?"
"I was excited!"
That only made everyone laugh harder.
Kiraya turned away from them.
"Stop laughing!"
Ryota grinned.
"You really are happy to have your shield back."
Kiraya opened her mouth to argue.
Then she glanced down at Frostmane.
Her embarrassment slowly faded.
A genuine smile returned to her face.
"...Yeah."
She gently touched the lion emblem in the center of the shield.
"I really am."
Frostmane wasn't simply another piece of equipment.
Kiraya had spent enough time fighting without a proper shield to understand the difference.
Lionheart had always represented the offensive half of her fighting style. It allowed her to turn her determination and injuries into strength, pushing her forward even when a normal fighter would have retreated.
But a Crusader was not defined by offense alone.
She needed something that could let her stand at the front.
Something that could withstand the attacks meant for everyone behind her.
Something that allowed her to become the wall between her allies and danger.
Frostmane gave her that role back.
It completed the style she had been forced to abandon after losing her previous shield.
Kiraya looked at Cynthia.
"Thank you."
Cynthia smiled warmly.
"You're welcome."
Kiraya hesitated.
Then another thought occurred to her.
She glanced at Frostmane.
Then back at Cynthia.
"How much?"
Cynthia blinked.
"For the shield."
Kiraya lifted Frostmane slightly.
"How much should I pay you?"
Cynthia immediately shook her head.
"Nothing."
Kiraya stared at her.
"...Nothing?"
Cynthia nodded.
"You don't need to pay me."
Kiraya frowned.
"Cynthia, this is an Epic-class shield."
"I know."
"And you used guild materials."
"I know."
"Then I should at least—"
"No."
Cynthia gently interrupted her.
Kiraya stopped.
Cynthia's expression softened as she looked toward Rio.
"Rio already did so much for me."
Rio raised an eyebrow but said nothing.
Cynthia continued.
"She gave me a place to work. She gave me access to materials. She trusted me."
Her fingers curled slightly.
"She even made me the head crafter."
There was a quiet sincerity in her voice now.
"I don't want to charge the people in this guild for everything I make."
Kiraya's expression softened.
Cynthia looked around the workshop.
"If anyone in Crowned Era needs a weapon, armor, shield, accessory, or anything else I can craft..."
She smiled.
"Just let me know."
"I'll be happy to make it."
Kiraya looked at her for several seconds before smiling.
Hinabi's expression softened as well.
Even Ryota, who had been laughing only moments ago, looked genuinely touched.
Rio simply nodded.
Cynthia had said it casually.
But everyone understood what it meant.
She wasn't treating Crowned Era as another employer.
She wasn't standing behind a counter waiting for guild members to bring her commissions.
She was treating the guild like a place she belonged.
Like home.
Then Cynthia suddenly blinked.
"...Oh."
Rio looked toward her.
"What?"
Cynthia's eyes had already shifted toward Rio's weapon.
The flintlock musket hanging at her side.
"Can I see your musket?"
Rio raised an eyebrow.
"My musket?"
Cynthia nodded.
"Yes."
"I've always been curious about it."
Rio smiled.
"Sure."
She opened her inventory.
A faint system glow appeared beside her before the flintlock musket materialized into her hand.
Rio turned it over once before holding it toward Cynthia.
"Here."
Cynthia carefully accepted the weapon.
The moment her fingers wrapped around it, something changed.
The warmth and nervousness that had characterized her moments earlier disappeared.
Her expression became serious.
Focused.
The crafter had taken over.
She turned the musket over in her hands, examining the stock, barrel, firing mechanism, lock, trigger, and every visible connection between the components.
Her fingers moved carefully across the surface.
She checked the metal.
Then the wood.
Then the joints.
She even inspected areas that most players would never bother looking at.
Rio watched silently.
Kiraya and Hinabi also became curious.
After several moments, Cynthia walked toward the main crafting table.
"Can I place it here?"
Rio nodded.
"Go ahead."
Cynthia carefully placed the musket on the table.
Then she activated her crafter interface.
A pale-blue light spread across the weapon.
The musket slowly lifted from the table.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted toward it.
Then something incredible happened.
The weapon didn't physically break apart.
Instead, translucent projections of its individual components appeared around it.
The barrel separated into a glowing schematic.
The wooden stock appeared beside it.
The lock mechanism became visible.
The trigger.
The firing mechanism.
The internal components.
Even the tiny pieces that most players would never notice were displayed separately in the air.
They floated around Cynthia in perfect alignment.
Ryota leaned forward.
"Whoa."
Kiraya's eyes widened.
Hinabi quietly watched as Cynthia's hands moved through the projections.
Slowly.
Carefully.
She separated each section and examined it.
The weapon's structure became completely visible.
There was nowhere for a flaw to hide.
Cynthia inspected the metal.
The wood.
The internal mechanism.
The connections.
The points where the weapon experienced the greatest stress during firing.
Then she stopped.
Her expression changed.
"...Rio."
Rio looked toward her.
"Hm?"
Cynthia pointed toward the system display.
"The durability."
Rio blinked.
"What about it?"
Cynthia expanded the weapon information.
A large number appeared before them.
Durability: 132 / 4352
The workshop suddenly became quiet.
Ryota stared at the number.
"...That's bad."
Cynthia nodded.
"It's extremely low."
Rio looked at the durability bar.
She knew the weapon had seen a lot of use.
Still, seeing the exact number made the situation much clearer.
Cynthia continued examining the musket.
"It's close to breaking."
Rio looked at her.
"You aren't surprised?"
Cynthia shook her head.
"You're a fighter."
She gestured toward the weapon.
"Of course your equipment is going to suffer."
She looked at Rio.
"Especially a weapon you've been using constantly."
Rio nodded.
That was simply the reality of Evermount.
No matter how skilled a player was, equipment suffered durability damage through repeated use.
And when durability reached zero, the consequences could be serious.
A weapon could become unusable.
Or worse, break entirely.
Cynthia carefully continued her inspection.
Then she looked toward Rio.
"Can I modify it?"
Everyone froze.
Rio blinked.
"...Modify it?"
Cynthia nodded.
"Upgrade it."
Ryota immediately became interested.
Kiraya leaned closer.
Hinabi raised an eyebrow.
Rio looked at Cynthia for a moment.
Then she smiled.
"Surprise me."
Cynthia's eyes widened slightly.
Then a small smile appeared on her face.
"Alright."
She turned back toward the weapon.
The crafting interface expanded.
The floating components became even clearer.
Cynthia began dismantling the musket.
But she didn't simply tear it apart.
Every component was removed with precision.
Damaged metal was separated from usable metal.
Repairable pieces were placed into another category.
Components that could be reused were carefully isolated.
Anything that had reached the end of its useful life was removed entirely.
Nothing was discarded without being examined first.
Nothing was wasted.
Rio watched in silence.
She had seen countless craftsmen throughout her years in Evermount.
She had worked with elite blacksmiths.
She had watched legendary equipment being forged.
She had witnessed weapons that players had spent fortunes acquiring.
But Cynthia's technique was different.
There was no wasted movement.
No hesitation.
No uncertainty.
She didn't merely know how to craft.
She understood the object in front of her.
She understood it as a machine.
As a collection of materials.
As a structure in which every component served a purpose.
Cynthia eventually finished separating the musket.
"I'll need a few things."
Rio nodded.
"Take whatever you need."
Cynthia walked toward the storage system.
She selected several materials.
A refined piece of metal.
A specially treated wood.
Several reinforcement materials.
She brought them back to the crafting table and arranged them beside the dismantled musket.
Then Cynthia opened her inventory again.
She retrieved a small piece of dark ore.
At first, it looked ordinary.
Then Cynthia touched it.
A blue glow spread across its surface.
The ore slowly softened.
It stretched beneath her control.
Compressed.
Reshaped.
Its rough exterior gradually became smoother as Cynthia manipulated its structure.
Little by little, it began taking the shape of a new muzzle.
Stronger.
More refined.
More stable.
Cynthia then picked up the treated wood.
She examined it for a moment before carefully shaping it.
The wood changed beneath her hands.
Its surface became smoother.
Its structure became denser.
She reinforced the interior before connecting it to the newly forged metal.
The two materials fused together.
Cynthia continued.
She rebuilt the internal components one by one.
She reinforced the firing mechanism.
Adjusted the barrel.
Strengthened the frame.
Improved the stock.
Every part was placed back into position with meticulous precision.
The weapon slowly began to resemble a musket again.
But it was no longer the same weapon.
Rio could see that.
Cynthia was not repairing the old musket.
She was rebuilding it.
Improving it.
Turning it into something that had never existed before.
Rio watched with growing fascination.
She had expected Cynthia to repair the weapon.
She hadn't expected her to completely rethink its construction.
The level of control required was extraordinary.
Finally, Cynthia placed the last component into position.
She carefully fused everything together.
A faint blue light spread across the weapon.
The system began calculating the results.
Cynthia stared at the weapon for several seconds.
Then she turned toward Rio.
"This is my thank-you gift."
Rio blinked.
"For what?"
Cynthia's expression softened.
"For believing in me."
The room became quiet.
Cynthia looked at the weapon.
"If you hadn't recruited me..."
She hesitated.
Then gave a small smile.
"I don't know if I would've continued playing."
Rio's expression softened.
Cynthia placed one hand over the weapon.
"So this is for you."
The glow around her hand intensified.
Blue light flowed from her palm into the musket.
The entire weapon began shining.
Lines of light traveled across the barrel.
Through the stock.
Across the firing mechanism.
Then the system chimed.
[Weapon Upgrade Successful]
The light faded.
A new system window appeared.
Everyone looked at it.
[Equipment Successfully Upgraded]
Silvermoon Musket
Class: Epic
Type: Flintlock Musket
Rio's eyes widened.
Ryota stared at the weapon.
Kiraya leaned closer.
Even Hinabi's expression changed.
The Elite-class musket Rio had been carrying was gone.
In its place was an entirely new weapon.
The barrel had become a polished silver-gray metal, reinforced along its length. The wooden stock had been reshaped into a smoother, more elegant form, while faint silver patterns ran along its surface like moonlight frozen into the weapon itself.
It was unmistakably a musket.
Yet it looked like something far more refined.
Then the skills appeared.
[Passive Skill: Silver Bullet]
Every third successful shot has a 30% chance to fire a special silver bullet.
Silver Bullets inflict 5% Slowness on the target.
Targets struck by the Silvermoon Musket suffer a 3% reduction to healing effects.
Rio stared at the description.
"...That's actually really good."
Ryota nodded.
"Not completely broken."
He glanced at the weapon.
"But definitely useful."
Rio continued reading.
Then another skill appeared.
[Passive Skill: Delicate Touch]
While the weapon is not being used, its durability regenerates by 1% every 30 minutes.
Silence descended over the workshop.
Rio stared.
Ryota stared.
Kiraya stared.
Hinabi stared.
Even Cynthia looked slightly nervous.
Ryota was the first to recover.
"...Wait."
He pointed toward the system window.
"Did that just say the weapon repairs itself?"
Cynthia nodded.
"Yes."
"Automatically?"
"Yes."
"While it's not being used?"
"Yes."
"One percent every thirty minutes?"
Cynthia nodded again.
Ryota slowly turned toward Rio.
Then he looked back at the musket.
Then at Cynthia.
"Why..."
He paused.
"...did nobody want this?"
Cynthia lowered her eyes.
The question had struck somewhere deeper than Ryota realized.
"Because..."
She hesitated.
"People didn't think it was useful."
Ryota stared at her.
"How?"
Cynthia folded her hands together.
"Most people told me the same thing."
She gave a small, embarrassed laugh.
"Why would you need an enchantment that repairs durability?"
"If a weapon breaks..."
"Just replace it."
Ryota's expression became increasingly incredulous.
"They actually said that?"
Cynthia nodded.
"They said durability wasn't important for most weapons."
She looked down at her hands.
"Common weapons could be replaced easily."
"Even Elite equipment wasn't considered worth repairing forever."
She gave a faint smile.
"Players were always upgrading."
"So they thought my Unique Skill was a waste."
Ryota stared at her.
"That's insane."
Cynthia smiled faintly.
"I barely used it after that."
Rio slowly looked at the Silvermoon Musket.
Then she looked back at Cynthia.
"Cynthia."
"Hm?"
Rio raised the weapon slightly.
"They weren't completely wrong."
Everyone looked at her.
Cynthia's expression became uncertain.
Rio continued.
"Your Unique Skill isn't especially valuable for common weapons."
Cynthia's shoulders lowered slightly.
Rio noticed.
"But listen."
Cynthia looked up again.
Rio nodded toward the musket.
"Think about the situation."
"If you're using a common weapon, repairing its durability over time doesn't mean much. You can replace it easily."
She continued calmly.
"The same is true for most Elite equipment. Players constantly upgrade. They sell old weapons and replace them with stronger ones."
Cynthia nodded slowly.
"But..."
Rio ran her fingers across the silver-patterned stock.
"That's not the only situation."
Cynthia's eyes widened slightly.
Rio continued.
"Epic equipment."
She raised one finger.
"Legendary equipment."
Another.
"Unique equipment."
Then she looked directly at Cynthia.
"World-class equipment."
Cynthia slowly understood where Rio was going.
"Equipment that might take months or even years to replace."
Rio smiled.
"Exactly."
She lifted the Silvermoon Musket.
"Imagine an Epic weapon with incredible statistics. Multiple skills. A unique design. Something a player spent a fortune obtaining."
Her gaze moved across the weapon.
"Now imagine that weapon can repair its own durability."
Cynthia stared at the musket.
The implications were becoming clearer by the second.
Rio nodded.
"That's not useless."
Her voice became firmer.
"That's incredibly valuable."
The workshop became quiet again.
Rio looked directly at Cynthia.
"Your mistake wasn't the skill."
Cynthia's eyes widened.
"It was the people judging it."
Cynthia said nothing.
Rio continued.
"They only looked at the easiest situation. They never considered what happens when equipment becomes difficult to replace."
She tapped the musket lightly.
"An Epic weapon that can restore its durability while sitting in your inventory isn't equipment you casually throw away."
Ryota immediately nodded.
"Exactly."
Kiraya raised Frostmane.
"And if Cynthia can make that kind of enchantment work on shields..."
Hinabi smiled.
"...then her skill could become ridiculous once we start using high-level equipment."
Cynthia stared at all three of them.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say.
She had spent so long believing her Unique Skill was worthless because everyone around her had told her it was worthless.
They had judged it based on the equipment players used at the time.
They had never considered what would happen when the game progressed.
When weapons became rarer.
When armor became more expensive.
When equipment became powerful enough that replacing a single piece could become an enormous undertaking.
Rio had simply looked at the same ability from another angle.
And suddenly, its value was completely different.
Rio smiled.
"I love the new musket."
Cynthia blinked.
"Really?"
"Really."
Rio looked down at the silver weapon.
"It's perfect."
Cynthia's expression brightened.
Then Rio looked directly at her.
"Cynthia."
"Yes?"
"You have talent."
Cynthia froze.
Rio's voice remained calm, but there was absolute certainty behind it.
"Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Kiraya immediately nodded.
"She's right."
Hinabi smiled.
"Definitely."
Ryota crossed his arms.
"Anyone who rejected you is going to regret it."
Cynthia lowered her eyes.
A small smile appeared on her face.
This time, she didn't try to hide it.
"...Thank you."
For Cynthia, the moment meant more than the Epic shield she had just created.
It meant more than the upgraded musket.
For so long, people had looked at her work and asked whether it was immediately profitable.
Whether the materials were worth the cost.
Whether her experiments were efficient.
Whether she could produce results quickly enough.
No one had stopped to ask a different question.
What if her ideas simply needed the right opportunity?
What if the problem had never been her talent?
What if she had simply been surrounded by people who couldn't see where that talent could lead?
Rio had asked exactly that without ever needing to say the words.
How far can this go?
That question stayed with Cynthia.
She looked around the workshop.
At the crafting tables.
At the materials.
At the enormous storage system.
At the people who had trusted her.
For the first time in a long while, the future didn't feel like something she had to prove herself worthy of.
It felt like something she could build.
A short while later, Kiraya lifted Frostmane onto her shoulder.
"Alright."
Hinabi looked toward her.
"What?"
Kiraya smiled.
"I've got a new shield."
She raised Frostmane proudly.
"And I really want to test it."
Hinabi immediately sighed.
"Outside."
Kiraya looked offended.
"I wasn't going to say anything."
"You were."
"I was."
Rio laughed.
Kiraya glanced toward Cynthia.
"Thank you again."
Cynthia smiled.
"Good luck."
Hinabi waved as she began walking toward the exit.
"We're heading back to the dungeon."
Kiraya nodded.
"There are still plenty of floors left to clear."
She glanced down at Frostmane.
"And now I can finally fight properly again."
The two women reached the workshop entrance.
Kiraya stopped.
She turned around.
"Cynthia."
"Yeah?"
Kiraya held up Frostmane.
"If I break this shield..."
Cynthia blinked.
Kiraya smiled mischievously.
"...I'll come back."
Cynthia laughed.
"Please don't break it."
Kiraya shrugged.
"No promises."
Hinabi immediately grabbed Kiraya by the shoulder.
"Come on."
The two disappeared down the hallway, their voices slowly fading into the distance.
Cynthia watched them leave.
Then she turned back toward the workshop.
Her workshop.
The thought still felt strange.
She looked at the crafting table.
At the storage units filled with materials.
At the countless possibilities waiting to be explored.
A quiet smile formed on her lips.
"I think I'll experiment for a while."
Rio nodded.
"Go ahead."
Cynthia glanced at her.
"If I need anything from the market..."
"Just let me know."
Rio smiled.
"If you need help finding something, getting a good price, or selling something, call me."
Cynthia nodded.
"I will."
She returned to the crafting table.
Already, her mind was racing with possibilities.
The workshop that had once felt like an impossible luxury now felt like a world waiting for her to explore it.
Meanwhile, Rio and Ryota began making their way toward the teleportation crystal near the far end of Crowned Era's headquarters.
The enormous crystal stood within a circular chamber, its translucent surface glowing with shifting colors that represented the different floors of Evermount.
Ryota approached first and looked over his shoulder.
"So, where are we going?"
Rio walked beside him.
"Floor Two."
Ryota blinked.
"Back to the shipyard?"
Rio nodded.
"We're meeting Akari and Memory."
His expression immediately brightened.
"Oh."
He thought for a moment.
"I hope they're enjoying Floor Two and its deserts."
Rio gave him a small look.
"Deserts?"
Ryota shrugged.
"You know what I mean."
Rio shook her head with a quiet laugh.
"They've been progressing surprisingly quickly."
She stepped toward the teleportation crystal.
"And I promised I'd help them."
Ryota tilted his head.
"With what?"
Rio smiled.
"Their limited skills."
She looked at the glowing crystal.
"They're still beginners. They don't know the game well enough yet, so I'll help them understand what they're working with."
She paused.
"But not too much."
Ryota grinned.
"Sounds like fun."
Rio nodded.
"It should be."
She placed her hand against the crystal.
The surface immediately responded.
Blue-white light spread outward from her hand, filling the chamber.
Ryota stepped beside her.
As the teleportation magic began to activate, Rio glanced back toward the hallway.
Somewhere behind them, Cynthia was still standing in her workshop.
The woman who had once been told that her talents were a burden was now surrounded by people who wanted to see what she could accomplish.
Kiraya had her shield.
Rio had her new musket.
And Cynthia had finally found somewhere she could create without being afraid that her next experiment would be the reason someone abandoned her.
The teleportation crystal brightened.
A moment later, Rio and Ryota disappeared in a flash of blue-white light.
The workshop fell quiet again.
Cynthia stood before her crafting table, staring at the next set of materials she had already begun arranging.
A new shield had been created.
A forgotten talent had been given another chance.
And a weapon that had once been considered ordinary had become something worthy of an Epic rank.
Cynthia smiled as she reached for her tools.
This wasn't her peak.
It was only the beginning.
Far away on Floor Two, two young adventurers were waiting for Rio and Ryota, unaware that their own builds were about to receive the same kind of attention.
The adventure continued.
And this time, everyone had a place in it.