Chapter 235: The Ultimate Blacksmith Competition (2)

“Dispatch them.”

“Dispatch?”

Kai blinked at the unexpected word term.

“You said the reason you’re troubled about Libertia is because of the 107 dwarf blacksmiths who will lose in the competition. Isn’t their treatment after the competition the issue?”

“That’s right.”

“Even if they lose the competition, adventurers will be desperate to recruit them.”

Camilla was right. Especially with the current surge in territory wars, having a dwarf blacksmith in one’s domain was a significant advantage.

When adventurers gather to visit a blacksmith’s workshop, residents aiming to do business with those adventurers will gather too.

Whether a proper facility existed or not made a significant difference in the development speed of a territory. That much was evident even from the current state of Libertia.

“So, charge royalties and dispatch the blacksmiths and their workshops to other territories,” Camilla suggested.

Her suggestion was a brilliant move that hit the nail on the head for Kai.

It would be disappointing to lose the exclusivity of having dwarves only in Libertia though...

But aside from that, both Kai and Libertia would gain massive benefits.

Above all, it prevents the dwarves’ labor from solely enriching other territories.

That was what Kai was most wary of. A monopoly contract with workshops could lead large guilds or territories to rise as rivals against Libertia.

But if we’re the ones dispatching them, the relationship stays clean.

If the other party acted against their agreement, the dwarves could simply pay a penalty fee, and be pulled back to Libertia. Moreover, even if the dwarves were dispatched to other territories, their home was no longer Ingart—it was now Libertia.

It’ll also naturally serve as marketing for the territory.

Considering the rarity and influence of the dwarves, it was like collecting rewards without lifting a finger.

Not only that, but I’ll also enjoy having the power to control massive forces like the Nine Guilds, despite only ruling a few territories.

The dynamics of

MID Online

would change from the moment the dwarven workshops were dispatched—territories with a dwarven workshop versus those without. No matter how vast their land or resources were, the difference would be hard to bridge. Kai, being a player himself, understood that very well.

People like me are surprisingly simple.

Those who were gamers to their core always pursued the best and aimed for optimal results. The idea that they would neglect their equipment maintenance was nonsense.

If this goes well, I could sit in this tiny territory and still control the Nine Guilds.

Of course, it wouldn’t be as easy as it sounded. However, Kai felt confident that with his skill, influence, and the dwarves’ rarity combined, it would be achievable.

As his thoughts reached this point, he began to form a different impression of Camilla.

Kai looked at her with a surprised expression. “You... You’re smarter than I thought.”

“I’m Camilla, a hidden class player who inherited the Challenger Blacksmith and one of the top-tier blacksmiths!”

“You?” Kai tilted his head.

As someone who frequently monitored auctions, Kai knew almost every notable blacksmith by name.

But I didn’t even know Camilla existed until I met her.

He assumed it was the kind of bluff people often made.

When Kai smirked, Camilla glared at him. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

“Sorry, but I’m an auction house regular. I’ve got a list of famous blacksmiths right here.”

Kai tapped his temple with his finger.

But instead of getting angry, Camilla put on a confident expression and pulled out a large box.

“Let’s see if you’ll still say that after looking at this.”

“This is...”

The box was so white and enormous that he feared getting even a speck of dust on it.

This is unexpected.

There was a saying that a master craftsman cared even about the cord attached to a sword’s sheath. Camilla, too, seemed to prove her craftsmanship through the meticulous care she had put into the box itself.

Kai lightly touched the box with his index finger.

[Would you like to open the Set Box-White Death Dragon?]

[Once opened, the set item will be bound to your account.]

In the past, Kai would have agonized over whether to sell such incredible equipment after obtaining it. But now, things were different.

I’ll open it first, and if I don’t like it, I can reseal it using the Witch’s Essence and then sell it.

Kai’s fingers naturally moved toward the

[Yes]

button. At the same time, a radiant light streamed out from the slowly opening box.

“

Wow

...”

Kai let out an involuntary exclamation as he stared at the neatly arranged equipment inside the box.

Th-this is...!

Kai once received the Tyrant of the Sea Set from Solid in the past. It was a set crafted primarily from the scales of Hakhas, the prince of the nagas. Perhaps because of that, the helmet resembled a lizard, reminiscent of the naga.

But this isn’t some mere lizard.

It was a pure white helmet in the shape of a dragon’s head. Even just looking at it exuded an overwhelming aura of majesty.

And it’s not only the helmet.

The White Death Dragon set, consisting of five pieces including the helmet, chest plate, pants, belt, and boots, was clearly top-tier equipment. In addition, the box contained a long white spear.

Kai unconsciously let out the breath he had been holding and uttered a brief remark. “This is the first time I’ve felt overwhelmed just by looking at the appearance of an item.”

“Oh my, you’re capable of giving such praise? But it’s still too early to be surprised.”

Glancing at Camilla, who was smiling, Kai carefully picked up the helmet.

[White Helmet of Death]

Grade: Unique

Intelligence: +130

Dignity: +50

Defense: 3842

Magic Defense: 4215

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+

Kai’s eyes widened. Since obtaining the Holy Pauldron Nike, Kai hadn’t paid attention to new items.

But with this...

Nike was a one-piece armor, so it couldn’t be combined with separate upper and lower pieces. While its status as an Eternal Legendary-grade item allowed its stats to increase with Kai’s level...

Its defense doesn’t even reach half of this.

More importantly, the Holy Pauldron Nike only increased Stamina by 30, which was underwhelming for a one-piece item. However, the Intelligence stat on the White Helmet of Death was a staggering 130.

Wait, considering Camilla’s Beauty of Challenge skill, three additional options should be added.

As Kai stared at Camilla intently, she caught on and explained, “The maximum base stat for a helmet is 100. I stacked Intelligence three times as additional options, making it 130. So don’t get confused—same for the other equipment.”

“So that’s how it works.” Kai nodded as he now understood.

A hidden class was indeed incredible. After all, a stat difference of 30 could create a significant gap at higher levels.

While he was at it, Kai quickly appraised the other items.

[White Chest Plate of Death]

Grade: Unique

Stamina: +130

Dignity: +75

Defense: 4219

Magic Defense: 4508

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+

[White Belt of Death]

Grade: Unique

Strength: +130

Dignity: +50

Defense: 3100

Magic Defense: 3100

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+

[White Leg Guards of Death]

Grade: Unique

Stamina: +130

Dignity: +75

Defense: 4151

Magic Defense: 4324

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+

[White Boots of Death]

Grade: Unique

Agility: +130

Dignity: +50

Defense: 3421

Magic Defense: 3659

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+

It was magnificent. No matter how many times he looked, those were the only words that came to mind about the set.

But the true highlight of a set item is its set effect.

Even if the White Death Dragon set were standalone pieces, Kai would have been willing to equip them. That’s how overwhelming the stat increases and defense values were.

It’s a bit disappointing that it doesn’t include any Holiness stats.

But considering it was made from the materials of the infamous Red Dragon, Sineras, it was understandable. Of course, Sineras was albino and had white scales, which turned out to be an advantage here.

The White Death Dragon set... It's amazing.

Kai stored Nike in his inventory and began equipping the White Death Dragon set piece by piece.

Click, click.

Despite being armor made from hard scales and bones, it felt as comfortable as lying on a soft bed. At the same time, the set effects appeared.

Ding!

[You have equipped the White Death Dragon Set.]

[5-piece set effect: Contempt Against the Weak is activated.]

[5-piece set effect: +50 to all stats.]

[5-piece set effect: +10% to all speeds.]

As Kai nodded in satisfaction, a pleasant metallic sound rang in his ears.

“Do you like it?” Camilla asked.

“Very much.”

“But that’s not all this time either.”

“... There’s still more?”

“Ouch. My specialty isn’t armor—it’s weapons.”

Camilla gestured toward the white spear with her eyes.

Kai hesitated briefly, then reached out and grasped the spear.

“Item appraisal.”

[Dragon Horn]

Grade: Unique

Attack Power: 666~707

Strength: +70

Agility: +50

Critical Hit Rate: +20%

3% chance to destroy the target’s armor upon attack.

A spear carved from the bones of the Death Dragon, Sineras, who ruled over the frozen mountains.

*Made from dragon scales and bones, it is incredibly durable. Durability does not decrease easily.

Durability: 100/100

Requirement: Level 400+, Strength 1500+.

This is... I can’t help but acknowledge her.

Camilla, as a blacksmith, was undeniably skilled. So skilled that Kai doubted even bringing in a dwarf blacksmith would produce equipment of this level.

But I’ve really never heard of her name before. If equipment of this level had been circulating in the auction house, there’s no way I would’ve forgotten the creator’s name...

Dragon Horn. As he spun the spear named Dragon Horn in his hands, Kai squinted.

“

Huh?

”

He noticed an engraving of letters etched into a corner of the spear shaft.

“God Hand...? My goodness!”

Kai snapped his head up and stared at Camilla’s confident face.

“You’re God Hand?”

God Hand[1]. Translated literally, it meant the Hand of God.

The blacksmith with this arrogant signature had made their debut at an auction house one day. At first, all blacksmiths sneered at the arrogant name, but after seeing their work, no one could laugh.

To date, God Hand had crafted a total of seven weapons. Of those, the first three were Rare-grade, while the next four were all Unique-grade.

Many guilds worked behind the scenes to recruit God Hand.

They commissioned intelligence guilds and bribed auction managers, but all responses came back saying they didn’t know anything.

I never would’ve thought God Hand’s identity is Camilla.

Moreover, the period when God Hand appeared was also when Kai’s activity peaked as Unknown. It had even become a joke that while Unknown dominated combat roles, God Hand ruled the crafting world.

“How about now? I’m not exactly unknown as a blacksmith, am I?”

“... True. No, if you’re really God Hand, your reputation is beyond sufficient.”

“That’s why I said that I really, really wanted to meet you when we first met.”

“I remember. So that’s why you said it.”

Kai nodded as he looked at the equipment.

Then, as if making a decision, he said to Camilla, “But I still can’t let you compete in The Ultimate Blacksmith Competition.”

“What? Why?! You promised!” Camilla shouted.

Of course, Kai had an explanation. “I said I’d listen and decide. I never promised to let you compete.”

Camilla stayed still, her brows furrowed. After a moment, she wore a sullen expression, as if she had just reviewed a replay of the conversation.

“What the... you’re serious...”

She must have really wanted to participate.

It’s unfortunate, but The Ultimate Blacksmith Competition has to remain entirely a stage for dwarves.

That way, as per Camilla’s earlier suggestion, they could demand a higher price when dispatching the workshops afterward.

Camilla’s skills are dangerous.

Seeing the White Death Dragon set had made that abundantly clear. It also solidified his decision not to let her compete. If, after the tournament, a dwarf workshop had to be dispatched but was known to have lost to a human, their value would naturally decrease.

Maybe it’s time to offer her a carrot.

Looking at Camilla, sad, Kai flashed a bright smile.

1. This was written in English in the raws ☜