Chapter 303: The Dragon‑Slayer Sword

The items listed on the bronze board are roughly divided into three categories.

The majority are weapons, armor, and equipment, accounting for more than two‑thirds; then come various rare materials, and some other uncategorizable miscellaneous items.

The overwhelming majority of the gear is forged by Titan Giants, using the unique techniques of the Storm Giant clan, and some are specifically marked as crafted by Suolim himself.

Lei En immediately spotted the full set of "Titan Power Armor."

It is armor custom‑made for Legend Grade Storm Giants, the set comprising six pieces—chestplate, helm, gauntlet, belt, skirt armor, and war boots—forged from "Titan Blue Iron," which only Titan Giants can melt, and it bears potent magical effects; each individual piece already reaches Epic quality.

Wearing all six together also grants a one‑level boost to "Strength."

That one level refers to the level of the Strength Element.

Regardless of the wearer's current Strength Element level, it adds one level on top of the existing base; the effect may seem ordinary but is terrifyingly powerful.

For super‑humans below Legend Grade, a one‑level Strength increase—say from four to five—only counts as decent; however, for those above Legend, jumping from ten to eleven levels yields an absurdly massive boost.

The higher the original Strength level, the stronger the effect of the Titan Power Armor.

Moreover, the Titan Power Armor's defense is extremely robust—nearly indestructible—its magical resistance is frighteningly high, and it provides several enhancements tied to lightning spells.

Any Legend‑grade Iron Guard or warrior who dons the full set will see their power surge severalfold!

And that is only one of the items on the list.

There are also higher‑quality weapons, mostly spears, greatswords, war hammers, and shields; even the worst are Epic‑grade and pack a startling punch.

Beyond the weapons forged by Titan Giants themselves, there are a few treasured pieces from the Storm Temple.

"Legend Grade equipment!"

Lei En widened his eyes and examined more closely; the bronze board indeed labeled them as Legend, and there were exactly three!

One is a staff called "Endless Storm," another is the "Egis Divine Shield," and the last is the fearsome "Annam's Dragon‑Slayer Sword."

Of those three Legend Grade pieces, Lei En had heard of all except the Endless Storm.

Especially the "Dragon‑Slayer Sword," which earned a stellar reputation in the Second Era, was personally forged by the giant god Annam and handed to his giant troops; legend says over three hundred dragons have perished beneath its blade, making it a true dragon‑slayer.

This infamous greatsword has been lost for more than ten thousand years, yet the dragon race still flinches at the mere mention of "Dragon‑Slayer Sword."

It turns out the weapon was kept in the Storm Temple, so it's no wonder it's been out of sight.

Lei En, shocked, couldn't help but ask, "Elder Suolim, can the Dragon‑Slayer Sword really be traded?"

He found it hard to believe that such a precious Legend weapon could even appear on the list.

"Of course." Suolim nodded calmly. "If you can provide enough source crystals, the Dragon‑Slayer Sword will be yours."

Lei En was left speechless.

He looked at the price tag for the Dragon‑Slayer Sword: fifty‑thousand pounds of source crystals.

Every item on the bronze board can only be exchanged for source crystals; Suolim deliberately used the Empire's weight unit for conversion, which is also "pound."

A pound of source crystals is about the size of a fingertip.

Of course, this is source crystal refined from ore, with purity required to exceed ninety.

The source crystal ore Suolim just presented could yield less than half a "Osi" of pure crystal; twenty Osi equal one pound.

Lei En could not fathom what fifty‑thousand pounds of source crystals meant.

But he could compare it to the prices of other items.

The full Titan Power Armor set costs only one thousand pounds of source crystals; buying a single piece, the cheapest gauntlet is priced at one hundred pounds.

Those Epic‑grade weapons forged by Titan Giants, such as a two‑handed war hammer, cost four hundred pounds; a "Nebula Ring" that contains a space of over a thousand cubic meters requires fifteen hundred pounds.

The Legend Grade staff "Endless Storm" is priced at fifteen thousand pounds; the Egis Divine Shield at thirty thousand pounds.

The cheapest item on the list is the Thunder Rune Stone; Suolim just gave Lei En one, and another can be bought for ten pounds.

It should be noted that a premium piece like a Thunder Rune Stone can fetch at least ten thousand Gold Shields in the Empire.

Converted, one pound of source crystal is roughly equivalent to one thousand Gold Shields.

Thus the Dragon‑Slayer Sword's price is fifty million Gold Shields—a price absurdly exorbitant.

Lei En recalled that his teacher once planned to sell his Akus Holy Staff for an estimated five million Gold Shields; although the Dragon‑Slayer Sword's fame far exceeds that of the Akus Holy Staff, its value shouldn't be ten times higher.

Of course, this calculation is imprecise; source crystals can't be simply measured in Gold Shields.

Lei En suspected that Elder Suolim's display of a few Legend pieces was likely just a gimmick to lure him into gathering source crystals.

In reality, amassing that many source crystals would be extremely difficult.

Beyond weapons and armor, the prices of those rare materials appear far cheaper.

The Titan Giants' exclusive smelting material "Titan Blue Iron," also the primary component for forging many Epic pieces, can be obtained at thirty pounds of weight for one pound of source crystal. Then come various gems—Lightning Crystals, Storm Stones, Wind‑spirit Jade, Sky‑blue Stone, Blood Coral, Frost‑hardened Pearls, and so on—as well as certain rumored parts from exotic beasts; a few pounds of source crystal can fetch one such piece.

In the third category of miscellany, Lei En noticed a peculiar item.

"Dragon‑Binding Chain."

According to its description, it was the most commonly used auxiliary tool when giants vied with dragons, possessing the effect of subduing a dragon's power; once a dragon is bound with it, the wielder can manipulate it at will.

Lei En's interest was instantly piqued.

It seemed quite suitable for dealing with the golden three‑headed dragon; he checked the price—a Dragon‑Binding Chain costs two hundred pounds, about the same as an Epic piece.

"Two hundred pounds…" Lei En shook his head helplessly.

Among the miscellany, there's also a "Winter Horn"; when sounded, it bestows a strength boost to a designated massive army, similar to a blood‑lust technique, causing the whole force to enter a berserk state—slightly weaker, but without the berserk aftereffects.

Beyond physical items, Suolim also offered knowledge exchanges.

For example, maps of the Storm Plane, locations where rare items might be found, the secrets of a certain great powerhouse, advanced lightning rune scriptures, or information about the Endless Abyss, and so forth.

Even just these knowledge catalogs reveal Suolim's profound erudition.

No wonder he's a half‑god who has lived nearly four thousand years.

Lei En stared at the list on the bronze board; he wanted every item, yet he didn't even know where to gather source crystals now, having not a single pound.

His mouth watered internally, but his face remained impassive.

Because the list lacked a few of the things he most desired.

"Elder Suolimu, are source crystals only tradable up to these?" Lei En did not appear completely calm; a hint of excitement and agitation showed, yet he restrained himself to a certain degree.

The Titan Elder's eyes widened in surprise, finding this young man always beyond his expectations.

"These aren't enough?"

Seeing Lei En nod, Suolimu raised an eyebrow, his face slightly furrowed as he asked, "What do you want?"

"How many source crystals for a Thunder‑forged Giant?" Lei En asked eagerly, then pointed at the massive furnace below, "And can this furnace be traded?"

Suolimu was momentarily stunned, then burst into a laugh.

"Hahaha…"

The entire palace hall shook from the laughter; thunder elements boiled, and lightning flashed overhead, as if a prelude to a seven‑ring spell thunder‑cloud storm.

Lei En's expression remained unchanged, while Bulaimit covered his ears, his face turning pale.

The laughter continued for half a minute before stopping.

Suolimu shook his head at Lei En and said, "You are the most perceptive mortal I've ever met, leaving a deeper impression than Emperor Ai Er Fa did back then. Yet you are even greedier than Ai Er Fa, fixing your mind on the Titan Furnace—hehe…"

Lei En was surprised inside; the Elder Suolimu had even interacted with Emperor Ai Er Fa?

So the reactor‑like thing beneath our feet is called the Titan Furnace!

"I only want the most valuable thing," Lei En said honestly. The Titan Furnace and the Iola Core should be the same kind of magical construct, capable of supplying massive energy, and for former Diqiu people its operating principle seems easier to grasp.

The Titan Furnace and the Thunder‑forged Giant are of the same lineage; their manufacturing techniques are clearly the Storm Giant's most vital secret.

Nevertheless, asking costs nothing.

From the earlier contact, Suolimu truly is as Bulaimit described—gentle, like an elder; a few words would not offend him.

As expected, Suolimu only laughed a few times.

He thought for a moment, waved his hand and said, "Considering your excellent perception, as long as you can afford the source crystals, I'll sell them to you."

As soon as the words fell, several lines of text appeared on the bronze tablet in Lei En's hand:

Titan Rune Technology – 5,000 pounds of source crystal;

Thunder‑forged Giant – 10,000 pounds of source crystal;

Titan Furnace – 500,000 pounds of source crystal.

Lei En was speechless; all three items were astronomically priced. Especially the Titan Furnace, which converts to five hundred million Gold Shields, enough to build several Fu Kong Cheng.

"Sure enough, it's a gimmick, worse than a blank check."

He muttered under his breath and asked, "Elder Suolimu, what are the characteristics of source crystal ore, and where should I go to collect them?"

Suolimu immediately handed him a thin booklet, "All introductions to source crystal ore are inside; study it carefully when you return."

Lei En flipped through it casually; the booklet was printed, looking somewhat aged.

Obviously, Suolimu's trading partners were more than just him, and he wasn't the first; this Titan Elder had certainly dealt with others before, and there were likely many potential traders, though it was unknown whether they obtained what they desired.

Before leaving, Lei En didn't forget the matter and inquired about the Lightning Affinity Element.

"Hmm, Lightning Affinity?" Suolimu stared at Lei En for a few seconds with an unfriendly gaze, making cold sweat form on his back, then said, "I recall that not far from Karl Peak, within the Dead Forest, there's an 'Ismu River Valley.' That area is dense with thunder elements, and several monsters there develop Lightning Affinity; you can try your luck there."

"I originally intended to give you this information as a gift, humph…"

The Half‑God Titan snorted, "Now you owe me twenty pounds of source crystal."

Lei En didn't dare to bargain; after repeatedly thanking, he politely took his leave.

Bulaimit had originally intended to reminisce with Suolimu, but Lei En pulled him away from the palace, straight to the teleport platform; under Lodaer's strange stare, he stepped into the teleport array and returned to Ai Lun E Si.

(End of chapter)