Chapter 85: Achieved Without Any Effort?

“There’s no need. I would never exchange the Dark Dragon for anything. For a warrior, his sword is his life—where the sword is, he is; when the sword perishes, he dies. If you don’t even understand this, I believe you’re not worthy of becoming a Master Blacksmith, for you lack the qualifications!” With a cold gaze at the old man before him, Rod completely ignored all previous temptations. He tightly grasped the Dark Dragon, feeling its aura, and spoke calmly, no longer holding any respect or admiration for the old man.

Suddenly, the moment Rod finished speaking, a streak of light flashed across the Dark Dragon in his hand, accompanied by a dark black glow. It then flowed along the sword’s blade and into Rod’s body. A cold aura spread throughout his body, finally settling in his arm.

This sudden change stunned both Rod and the old man. They never expected the Dark Dragon to change at this moment. Rod quickly rolled up his sleeve to check his arm and saw a huge tattoo appear out of nowhere on his right arm—clearly the shape of the Dark Dragon.

“The sword spirit has chosen its master!” Contrary to Rod’s confusion, the old man’s expression changed drastically. He tightly grasped Rod’s hand and examined it closely, speaking in disbelief.

“The sword spirit has chosen its master?” Rod looked at the old man in confusion. It seemed he knew something—hadn’t the Dark Dragon already chosen a master? Why was there another claim by a sword spirit?

“Perhaps you don’t know, but the biggest difference between a true divine weapon and an ordinary sword lies in whether it has its own soul. Only a sword with its own soul can be considered a great sword. For example, Flaming Blade—because it lacks its own soul, no matter how sharp or valuable it is, it can only be called a precious sword, not a divine weapon. That’s the key difference. As for a divine weapon with a sword spirit, besides being recognized through the weapon’s own blood sacrifice, it’s especially important that the sword spirit acknowledges it. A divine sword without a sword spirit is no different from an ordinary precious sword. What just happened was the sword spirit claiming its master!”

“Although the sword spirit of this Dark Dragon is sealed and in slumber for some reason, its consciousness has already chosen its master. From this moment on, you are its only master. As long as you live, it will not perish, nor will it change masters. I believe you’ll understand this better in the future!”

Seeing Rod’s puzzled expression, the old man sighed before explaining.

Listening to the old man’s words, Rod was shocked. A sword spirit recognizing its master—this was the first time he had heard of such a thing. So that’s how it is; only now could he truly be considered the true master of the Dark Dragon!
“Fate… perhaps it really is fate! Well, force cannot bring it about. If there’s no destiny, fate plays tricks on people! It ultimately belongs to you. Yes, you’re right—I did overlook the most important thing for a warrior, and also for a weapon! The heart is what matters most, haha… So that’s how it is. It seems the problem that has troubled me all along is about to be resolved.”
“Well, don’t you like that set of armor? Take it! I hope it will shine anew in your hands. I believe it’s nothing ordinary! My name is Theron. Come find me if you need anything in the future! Take this!”
After expressing his feelings with a look of regret and a bitter smile, the old man took out a purple badge and handed it to Rod, speaking in a deep voice. His face showed both disappointment and excitement—a complex expression that was hard to describe and left people puzzled.
“Really?” Of course. None of this matters. What’s important is that he finally agreed to give him that set of armor. Everything happened so unexpectedly that he could hardly believe it.
“I’ve given it to you. I won’t be going out. I’ll arrange for someone to take care of you. Don’t worry! I hope you’ll cherish it as you would the Dark Dragon!” With a sigh, his words carried a sense of loneliness and heaviness. After all, it had been his possession for many years. It was hard for him to part with it, especially knowing it was truly extraordinary.
“Thank you, sir. I will surely cherish it dearly!” The sudden surprise lifted Rod’s mood from rock bottom to the peak. With a slight tremor of excitement, he spoke quickly, without the time to examine the badge in his hand. He quickly put it in his chest, his eyes filled with anticipation. That set of armor was finally his—this thought filled his entire mind.
After giving some final instructions and hearing Rod leave, the old man sighed and slowly closed the stone door. Sitting at the table, gazing at the flames, his expression was extremely complex. He had thought this would be the pride of his life, but so many things had happened. Now, looking at the flames, he felt a mix of helplessness and dissatisfaction.
Gently stroking the flames, he knew he still had a long road ahead. Looking at the stone door, he sighed, “An extraordinary young man. The divine weapon has recognized its master. I believe he will achieve great things in the future. I hope he won’t disappoint me.”
…
“Congratulations! You’re the first person the master has met, and he even gave you that set of armor! You’re very lucky!”

Carrying Rod, he walked toward the ground. The clerk who had brought him in earlier watched Rod with envy and said, “It’s just luck!” With a bitter smile, he knew it was indeed luck. He understood that the old man was willing to give him the armor mostly because of the Dark Dragon’s effect, especially after the final mutation; otherwise, he would have had no chance of getting that armor.

After climbing up to the surface, the harsh light made him squint. He heard that Lawrence, Lucia, and Nicole were waiting for him outside, so he hurriedly headed outside.

Upon entering the hall, Lawrence, Lucia, and Nicole weren’t as impatient as he had expected. Instead, guided by another clerk, they were eagerly examining other weapons and armor. Especially Lawrence—his eyes seemed to shine with excitement.

When they saw Rod arrive, the three of them quickly came over and examined him carefully. After finding no changes in him, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“How did it go?” Lucia asked doubtfully. Rod’s unmistakably excited gaze and expression gave her a rough idea.

“I met the owner of this store. What did he say to you?” Being an experienced veteran, Lawrence remained calm and quickly brought the conversation back on track.

“Nothing much, just some instructions. Hehe, I’m finally going to get that armor~” Rod said excitedly, with a genuine smile on his face.

“Are you really going to take it?” Lawrence asked, still puzzled, looking troubled. He really doubted if this guy was completely sensible.

“As per my master’s orders, this armor is now yours!” The clerk carefully removed the armor, wrapped it carefully, and then returned to the group, handing it to Rod with respect.

“Thanks!” With a slight smile, Rod carefully took the armor and quickly put it in his arms, as if afraid it might be lost or damaged. His cautious manner left Lawrence, Lucia, and Nicole utterly confused.

“Hehe, it’s free. Come on, let’s go. Thank you all for helping me with this!”

Everything was taken care of, and Rod was in high spirits.

“Hmph, just getting something free makes you so happy?” Lawrence rolled his eyes, saying helplessly.

“Don’t you want to see other things? Consider it my way of repaying you!” Since they were originally there to buy things for Rod, Lucia felt a bit awkward now that he wanted to leave without buying anything.

“I don’t need anything else. This is the best thing!” Rod said, smiling as he pointed to his arms.

With puzzled and frustrated looks from the two of them, the four of them headed outside the shop. Before they knew it, it was already afternoon, and they then remembered they hadn’t eaten. Led by Lawrence, they entered a large hotel. Naturally, Lucia took care of the expenses. A sumptuous meal allowed Rod to fully enjoy the authentic flavors and special dishes of the capital, finding it absolutely delicious.

After the meal, as it was getting late, everyone prepared to return to the mansion.

“You guys go ahead. I plan to take a stroll!” Rod said to the three of them after hesitating for a moment as he approached the carriage.

“Don’t worry. We’re right under the emperor’s protection; nothing will happen. Besides, if we can’t beat him here, can we at least run away? I’m just a lowly mercenary. Who would dare harm me?” Rod said with a wry smile, looking at the three of them.

“Alright, you decide for yourself. Be careful and remember to come back early. We’re leaving first!”

With Lucia by his side and two serious middle-aged men protecting him, plus additional hidden guards, it was naturally not appropriate for them to stay outside unnecessarily at such a critical time.

Leaving Rod alone, the group slowly set off toward the mansion.

Watching the departing carriage and holding his armor tightly, a faint smile appeared on Rod’s lips as he slowly headed in the opposite direction. Finally, he could wander around at his own pace.

…“Hmph, so you finally decide to be alone? Let’s see what tricks you have this time!”

Just as Rod had been alone for a while, Neil, who was inside the mansion, listened to his subordinates’ reports, smirked coldly, and muttered to himself. The next moment, he stood up abruptly and headed outside.

“Get your men ready. We’re going to deal with this guy! Let him know what it means not to offend others and what it means to be a lowly mercenary!”

With a cold sneer, he whispered those words as he passed by a guard before striding away.

Watching Neil’s retreating figure, the guard sighed and silently prayed for the poor mercenary. Offend the young master? He must really be desperate for life. Hopefully, he’ll make it to see tomorrow’s sun!

A conspiracy was brewing, yet Rod, as the central figure, was completely unaware, still leisurely strolling around.