Chapter 792 Preparing for the big challenges
In the morning, Kaizen's group finally reached the imposing capital of Tretidian.
The majestic and colossal statues placed on the great mountain that was literally the Commercial Center, towered over much of the city, supported by ancient columns and giving everyone a sense of imposing. Even though it was early, the city was already buzzing with life everywhere, and the number of players seemed even greater than when Kaizen was last in town.
It was normal for many players to use the morning to hunt monsters or go to the Adventurers' Association to pick up their quests, after all, most players were different from Kaizen, they didn't have the "luck" of always being involved in trouble.
As they entered the gates, the buzz of the city enveloped Kaizen's group. The streets were full of hurrying merchants, curious passers-by and players in shining armor.
A curious fact about the Royal Capital was that most of the houses were built of dark stone or wood, except for the noble part of the city, where the Royal Palace was located, because there the walls looked like pure marble.
Kaizen guided the cart to his store, Raven's Feather, where they could finally rest after a long journey.
The days that followed were marked by a mixture of preparation and fervent group activity.
The meetings began in the evening of the same day, with Alina taking the lead in the search for information. In the central part of the library, she spread out maps on worn wooden tables, and began to discuss with herself the points of approach to the Tower of the Magi. She literally dove into the books, also looking for details about the summoning rituals, about Tyr and other gods, only not finding much on the last two topics.
"I know that the Library of the Magi holds much of the knowledge of Olaynore's magicians, but it doesn't hold everything. They certainly had another one somewhere in the Citadel of the Magi." She muttered to herself, even more determined than before to go to the Wizard Tower.
The others were also determined to help Og'tharoz rescue his wife. Andrew, aware of his weaknesses and wanting to be more useful, went hunting with Xisrith and Jayaa. As the three of them were the weakest of the group, they knew that they needed to improve their skills and coordination, both to face the Tower of the Magi and to face Hell. So they trained hard and began to level up.
Xisrith and Andrew had already passed level 100, so they could already become Evolved, but becoming Evolved with that amount of XP wasn't what they were aiming for and it wasn't what Kaizen was indicating, so they resisted the temptation to power up quickly, so that they could reap the rewards in a while.
Og'tharoz, the demon, tried to remember everything he could about hell. Even if hell had changed, he knew that the changes probably wouldn't be drastic considering how methodical Surtr was.
For his part, Kaizen spent days forging. Now that he was an Evolved, forging Legendary-ranked items wasn't a challenge and his friends would need the best gadgets for what was coming next.
During the evenings, they gathered around the fireplace in one of the library's private rooms to discuss their progress and plans, until the day finally came.
Kaizen, with his forging skills now honed as an Evolved, presented his companions with the fruits of his nights of hard work. The weapons and armor he forged were true masterpieces, each with meticulous details and enchanted runes that he had learned from Alina.
Og'tharoz, the demon, was the first to receive his new armor. Og'tharoz's armor, named "Burning Ember", was made of a dark alloy that absorbed the light around it. Each piece was adorned with flaming runes that seemed to dance across the black surface. These dark alloys absorbed the light into a pair of sharp daggers that emanated intense heat, capable of cutting through the densest black magic. This was a power contrary to Belial's and contrary to most demons, for Og'tharoz would need this kind of power to fight Maelstrom, the one who taught Belial to manipulate shadows.
"Thank you, Kaizen. I'll make good use of these little beauties." He said, twirling a dagger in each hand.
Alina, the mage in the group, was given the "Guardian's Cloak". In other words, her armor wasn't made of iron, but a mixture of magical cloth and light metal plates, providing mobility and protection. A cloak hung over her shoulders, emitting a soft light and reflecting her connection with mana. In addition, she handed over an even better staff than the previous one, called the "Divine Morning Star", which had the power to dispel the darkness around her.
"I'm sure the mages in the citadel will be impressed when they see me wearing this." Alina said, thanking him.
Jayaa, the bard, was given a set of "Crescent Moon Blades". His armor was made of dragon hide, allowing him to move with agility and still have protection. He was also considered a type of mage, so he needed to move quickly.
"Ow! That's more than I could ask for!"
Andrew and Xisrith were given equally impressive gadgets. Andrew, a Paladin, wore the "Twilight Armor", an armor that adapted as his stats such as MP and HP became lower, increasing the percentage of bonuses to all attributes, allowing him to become up to 200% stronger when below 30% HP or Mana. His sword, "Burning Twilight", was always engulfed in golden flames, coming from a Matrix Fire Crystal.
"Now I can fight alongside Kaizen without fear. Thanks, man."
Finally, Xisrith, the sorceress, now wore the "Robe of the Arcane Storm". Her armor was light and made of titanic plates, providing protection against magical attacks. Her Crimson Katana was renamed "Crimson Ray", because it now had a slightly curved blade and had the ability to double its attributes such as attack and stamina every five minutes.
"You've improved on what I thought was already perfect. I knew I could blindly entrust my most precious item to you, boss."
With their new gadgets, the group gathered around the fireplace in the library's private room. Alina spread out the maps again, now marked with detailed strategies for breaking into the Wizard's Tower.
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