Vol. 6 Ch. 44

Ultimately, this hard-fought victory belonged to Leon and his side of "good people."

Although Constantine was once again defeated by Leon, he accepted the loss without complaints.

"The next time you have the chance to track me, I won’t be as careless as I was this time," Constantine said.

Leon bent down, scooping up Muse in his arms and playfully teasing the little girl. He then replied, "I’m looking forward to next time. After all, besides the Red-haired Queen, you’re the only one who’s pushed me this far."

"The Red-haired Queen? You mean the Crimson Flame King?"

Leon’s eyes sparkled mischievously as he responded with a faint smile, "It’s a good thing she didn’t come this time. If she had, even I might’ve ended up a lost soul. I really wouldn’t know how to win against her."

The pinnacle of skill was pinned down at the "key point."

A true champion of the battlefield deserves to be immortalized at that "key point."

With the arrival of a new chapter, Constantine’s impressive strength forced Leon to momentarily shift his focus.

Of course, as formidable as Constantine was, he could never outshine the status of the "Red-haired Queen."

That title was reserved for the eternal, unrivaled true champion.

As Leon mentioned, he was genuinely looking forward to his next match against Constantine.

Whether it was a battle of wits or a physical contest, the flame-spewing dragon was undoubtedly a worthy opponent.

"Noa! Noa!"

On the other side, Helena had finally found Noa.

"Noa! Noa!" She ran up to her, exhaling deeply in relief, and moved to embrace her warmly. But just as they were about to hug, a stray strand of hair shot up between them.

Moon stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes closed, and spoke with an air of righteousness, "Good people and lost souls should keep their identities separate. I kindly advise you not to get too close."

Aurora, standing nearby, didn’t even need to look to know what would happen next.

Third Sister once again found herself experiencing the sensation of being whacked by an imaginary steel pipe.

The children laughed and chatted as they played, while the three adults took the opportunity to discuss their plans for the future.

"The rebuilding of the Crimson Flame Dragon territory is complete. If you have some free time, you should come visit," Constantine offered.

After all, when Constantine and Hefei had nowhere to stay, they had relied on the Silver Dragon Palace for a while.

"Sure, I’ll make time for it," Leon replied.

He then turned to Helena, "We’ll take Helena back in a bit. Do you need to visit anyone in my family while we’re at it?"

Constantine nodded, "Safe travels."

After three intense and unforgettable days of gameplay, everyone returned to their normal lives.

The Flame Dragon patriarch and his wife returned to the Crimson Flame Dragon Clan.

Leon and Rosvisser took their daughters back home. After resting for a day, they accompanied Helena back to the Sea Dragon Clan.

In the Sea Dragon Palace, Helena ran up to Claudia.

"Mom, I’m back!"

"Did you have fun?" Claudia asked, smiling gently.

"Yes, yes! Super fun!" Helena exclaimed excitedly.

"Even though I lost, it feels like my relationship with Noa-chan improved a lot," she added, her face glowing with happiness.

Claudia chuckled softly and pinched her daughter’s cheeks.

"Good. Go to your room and rest for a bit. Uncle Leon and I still have some things to discuss."

"Yes, Mom."

Helena obediently left.

As she walked off with her small, hurried steps, Claudia turned to Leon and Rosvisser.

"Thank you for bringing Helena back. After all the hospitality you showed us recently, this was hardly an inconvenience," Claudia said politely.

Rosvisser responded just as courteously, "It’s no trouble at all."

Claudia didn’t prolong the pleasantries. "Let’s go. My sister and Taggar are waiting for you."

The three made their way past the grand temple hall, through the corridor, and into the room where Taggar and Charlotte were waiting.

"Master, Mistress, I came to see—ah!"

Leon barely managed to greet them before being interrupted by a long, black, unidentified object flying straight toward his forehead.

Claudia quickly stepped forward and caught the black object with her hand.

Leon narrowly dodged her, spinning out of the way before landing on the floor with a thud.

Before Leon could fully recover, Taggar strode over to him with large, deliberate steps and grabbed him by the collar.

"Kid!"

Leon, slightly uneasy, responded, “M-Master...”

“What do you think we should do about the broken sword, huh?”

During the final battle at Sky City, Leon had exhausted the last vestiges of power from the Night Forge and poured it all into the Thundercloud Blade. This allowed him to wield immense strength even though his heart dragon scales hadn’t fully recovered.

The price, however, was that the heart dragon scales suffered a backlash, turning into the bane of the sword.

After the battle, Leon handed the Thundercloud Blade over to Claudia, hoping she could ask the sea dragons for help in repairing it.

But judging by his master’s agitation, it seemed the repairs hadn’t been successful.

Old Taggar grabbed Leon by the shoulders and began shaking him vigorously, making his head spin like a mosquito coil.

“Master, Master, stop shaking me—! I know the sword’s broken, but it was an emergency, and I had no choice but to take a risk!”

“Well, it doesn’t seem like Leon broke it on purpose,” Charlotte, Taggar’s wife, said gently from the side, trying to calm the situation.

“That sword has been with Master for many years. For someone as traditional as him, weapons are cherished like their own kin.”

Leon could understand the sentiment. If someone were to break his black sword, the Obsidian Cleaver, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm either.

Of course, Taggar wasn’t truly angry—just disappointed. After giving Leon a good scare, he finally let go of him.

Claudia stepped forward and handed over the long, black object in her hand—the scabbard of the Thundercloud Blade.

Taggar and Charlotte accepted it and sheathed the damaged blade.

“This sword has been with me for so many years,” Taggar said. “It’s more than just a weapon—it represents my will and legacy, which is why I passed it on to you. It’s a shame it’s now damaged.”

Leon scratched the back of his head and lowered it, his tone full of guilt. “I’m really sorry, Master.”

“Why are you apologizing? We’re family. I just wanted to scare you a little,” Taggar replied with a smile, though he let out a sigh. “Still, Claudia has tried countless methods recently, but none of them could repair the Thundercloud Blade.”

Leon’s eyes widened slightly. “Not even with ‘warsteel’?”

“‘Warsteel’ is an incredibly rare metal on the continent of Bisel, and it’s the main material used to forge the Thundercloud Blade.”

“Originally, when Claudia strengthened the Thundercloud Blade to match Leon’s abilities, she used up all of the Sea Dragon Clan’s reserves of warsteel.”

“Warsteel isn’t a material you can simply meld back into the blade once it’s damaged. It doesn’t work that way,” Taggar explained.

Claudia nodded. “We’ve used up all the warsteel we had stored. I even contacted many of my father’s old friends, but their clans don’t have any reserves either.”

Hearing this, a hint of disappointment flickered across Leon’s eyes.

“I see…”

“It’s not just the sword he cares about,” Charlotte said. “It’s what the sword represents.”

Taggar nodded solemnly. “That blade carries my will, my experiences, the hardships and storms I’ve endured throughout my life. It’s all there, and I entrusted it to Leon.”

“If you choose to store the damaged Thundercloud Blade at home as a memento or a keepsake, that’s fine,” Taggar continued. “But a sword with a mission—a warrior’s blade—should be on the battlefield, not sitting in a fancy box, kept alive with high-end maintenance oils.”

After a brief silence, Claudia spoke up.

“Actually, repairing the Thundercloud Blade might not require warsteel.”

Leon’s gaze immediately snapped to her, filled with a glimmer of hope.

“There’s a way to trace the source of the problem—go back to where it all began,” Claudia explained.

“In the icy plains near the far north lives an ancient race—the Dwarves. They are the finest craftsmen on the continent of Samael, known for forging weapons that defy imagination.”

Claudia continued, “Maybe you can try your luck there.”