It didn’t take long for me to purchase a large building with a huge garden. The properties in the capital weren’t exactly cheap, but I wasn’t exactly hurting for money either.
Especially since a magical weapon could easily be used as money. Four magical great swords, six longswords, and two bows allowed me to purchase the building with little fanfare. The owner tried to bargain, but a threat about going to another building was enough to stop his attempts to bargain further.
I also used an agent to purchase the surrounding buildings … but for the moment, kept that particular detail a secret. Subterfuge and teleportation were a very useful combination for that purpose.
The sellers didn’t argue much. Especially since I was significantly overpaying for the old, poorly maintained buildings … but considering my first action was to demolish it completely before I set up a temporary workshop in the open, it was hardly a problem.
Then, I started forging myself a house, made entirely of bronze and steel, right out in the open.
At first, it looked like a needless expense, especially as I was visibly using parts from Class Ten beasts to strengthen the metal further, but there were three benefits to it.
First, it was the best I could create. As I forged out there in the open, a huge crowd gathered in the streets, piling around to watch me work. Not everyone could meet with someone with Grandmaster Blacksmithing skill.
Of course, technically, I didn’t have that skill anymore. Luckily, for that, the guild helped, which formed my second benefit.
From the window of the nearest building, three people with Grandmaster Blacksmithing skill watched me. I had no doubt that they were sent by the higher-ups to assess the threat of the sudden appearance of another Grandmaster, and what was the best way of communication.
And, to do that, they needed to assess my true range of mastery. Not only in terms of skills, but also the key stats, particularly, Strength, Precision, and Endurance.
However, they were unaware that their presence was helping me greatly.
No matter how strong my stats were, without my Skills, I was at a disadvantage. Luckily, their presence helped me resolve that particular problem.
A string of pure mana, mixed with darkness mana to keep it hidden, connecting to their soul space directly, subtly stimulating their Skill. It was a variant of the trick the Crown Princess pulled, but rather than letting the system create an artificial soul-space on a clone for me to control, I tapped the information flow of an existing one.
It was a difficult trick, especially with a Grandmaster-level skill. Rather than my soul space creating a cushion for me to absorb it slowly and steadily, the information flooded my mind mercilessly, leaving me with a nasty headache even with my Intelligence helping me greatly to filter through the knowledge … but the benefits were incredible.
I could sense my forging capabilities improving with each second. It wasn’t as good as directly having the skill … but then, unlike having the skill, it couldn’t simply disappear.
Altogether, it was much more preferable.
The third benefit was simpler. I didn’t use my own mana to forge, but using incredible amounts of monster parts still created a temporary cloud of mana that created some interference despite the constant devouring of the System, which allowed me to create a deep tunnel toward the bottom, and several secret basements, which would ultimately be very useful.
More and more people gathered around the place as my metal house started to rise, and at the edge, a line grew … potential customers, much to the distaste of the guild members.
It was fun, but unfortunately, I had a lot of things to do, so I stopped after two days, only after building two floors, with the potential to build more.
Then, I grabbed a huge metal plate, and started carving letters on it before I hung at the walls.
And the crowd exploded in shocked whispers.
It was an announcement, one that told that I was recruiting apprentices for forging, as well as mages capable of enchantment. Each role had several requirements such as level, skills, and minimum stats, which was not exactly shocking especially since I kept them deliberately low.
No, their gossip was triggered by the last line.
No official guild affiliates were allowed.
A declaration of war.
The guild members scoffed at my daring as they left, probably to deliver their findings to the headquarters so that they could teach a lesson to someone daring to challenge them. Arrogance, they thought without a doubt.
Admittedly, it didn’t take long for me to see an immediate impact. The huge line of people waiting to purchase my weapons suddenly scattered like chickens, afraid of angering the guild. Only a fraction stayed, and I had no doubt some of them actually belonged to the guild, wanting to buy some of my works for detailed examination.
I ignored them as I put another plate … one that showed a detailed price conversion list. One that contained a huge amount of materials, from common iron and copper to very rare gems and monster parts, each with a direct point equivalent.
I wanted to preempt the most obvious trick the guild would pull against me, blocking the sale of the supplies.
I didn’t know if it would actually work to give me the materials I needed. I preferred it if it did, as it would keep me from going around purchasing materials from other cities under different identities before teleporting back … or stealing from the guild warehouses.
I could do both, but I preferred not to waste time.
The moment I put the price list on, the line started to grow once more, with several people who had left the line earlier returning.
The temptation of my prices, half of the official guild prices for the same quality of weapons was hard to turn down.
At a distance, I could see the guild members signaling to their member, who was third in line. The first two quickly purchased a weapon each, cradling them like newborn children. Then, it was the turn of the third one. “I’ll buy everything,” he declared proudly.
“No,” I answered simply.
“What do you mean, no?” he asked. “I’m willing to pay the full price.”
“No, I’m not going to sell all my stock to guild dogs so you can continue to swindle the poor fighters that stand against the endless monsters that surround us,” I said, deliberately shouting.
“I’m not a guild member. How dare you—“ he started, then, suddenly stopped.
Which might about my fingers around his throat as I lifted him up, and threw him away like a ragdoll. Everyone on the line froze while I turned and walked back to the price board, and added another line.
‘Each customer is limited to one weapon.’
That made a lot of people grumble in frustration, and a few more left their places on the line, but more people filled the line … until I sold everything. A few people used monster parts to pay, but most just paid with money.
Understandable, as not everyone just walked around with their carts filled with iron.
“You can stay in the line if you want. I will be selling at least fifty weapons each day. The number will increase if I can find some competent apprentices.”
With that, I started moving my workshop inside, a trivial task with my immense strength, ignoring the two other growing lines, one for forging apprentices, and one for mages that would work as enchanters. They had been gossiping and fighting, but I didn’t care too much about it.
As long as I had some helpers to look convincing, it was enough.
After all, it was just a cover for the real thing.
Of course, while I was busy with that, people were already trying to purchase the surrounding buildings, most I had already purchased. I didn’t sell any of them, but some, I deliberately let them rent, letting spies fill the places.
Others, I had put on various disguises as I covered them with wards, acting as I belonged to some other group that was spying on me as well… By that way, I would be able to act much freer while blaming some mysterious third party.
At the same time, I quickly interviewed the apprentices, kicking only the most obvious spies out while letting in the rest.
Just like that, everything was ready…
—
{Strength: 45 Charisma: 45
Precision: 45 Perception: 45
Agility: 45 Manipulation: 45
Speed: 45 Intelligence: 49
Endurance: 60 Wisdom: 45}
{Purified Divine Spark: 33280}
{Pseudo-HP: 15000 Mana: 20000}
{ADDITIONAL SPARKS
Light - Chosen 7.4
Nature - Chosen 10}
{MINIONS
GODDESSES
Elven Goddess
Goddess of Knowledge}
