Transformation

"What do you mean?" Says Kennedy.

"You do not only sell slaves, but you also extract the information from slaves and sell them. I am proposing that I bring the general of the imperial army to your desired location and you do your thing."

"..."

Since my father retired, the next general should be Orland. This will be a great time to get rid of him and get the information I want.

"What will you gain from this?"

"Hmm... Satisfaction? That guy is a bastard."

Kennedy frowns. "So you are asking another bastard to do your dirty work."

"Of course, I will also pay you. 100 platinum coins, is it enough?" I say.

...

Kennedy smiles again. "Now we are talking. Alright, send your army guys to us."

"Hm? You are not afraid? We have one nascent soul officer and most are in the core formation. Are you not afraid that the entire army come?"

"Don't bullshit. The entire army for some shady association like us? If they want to do that, they would've done it long ago. As for the Nascent Soul... What do you think is the realm above the Nascent Soul?" Says Kennedy.

"..."

The realm above Nascent Soul should the Golden Soul realm. Is he implying that one of them is...

"Haha, don't think too much about it. Pay me a down payment of 40 coins and send your buddies here. We will take care of it." Says Kennedy.

I left a bag of coins on the table and left.

I throw a glance at a nearby slave, there's a blue sigil engraved around their neck. That's the slave mark.

Fenx is known to have multiple headquarters and influence around the world. Since their operations are so widely spread, people cannot pinpoint exactly who's the mastermind and core founder of Fenx. 

No one knows their exact number but the estimation is in the fifth digits.

...

I return home.

---------------

?!

I look around. Am I really in Albion?

In just 2 weeks, everything has changed.

From afar, the polluted pale land has turned into a full green grassland. Some areas have also been transformed into a farming paradise.

The dusty, run-down buildings that looked abandoned have been rebuilt and enhanced. The streets are much more lively and the amount of homeless has decreased. Some merchants are also seen trading in this area. Vendors are set up and one or two adventurers are seen resting in this village.

I look around. There's an Inn positioned near the entrance of the village and a bar beside it. there's even a blacksmith.

Wait blacksmith, isn't that... Golden Hammer!?

The store has a huge circular board of a large golden hammer resting on an anvil, the symbol of the Golden Hammer Blacksmith.

I walk in as I see Gravos sleeping on the counter. The arrangement of things is the same as the shop back in the capital.

*ting ting ting*

"Ah?" Gravos wakes up as the sound of the bell attached to the door rings when I enter. "Oh! It's you! You brat, I said come back in 5 days and 3 weeks passed, you still haven't come back." Says Gravos.

"O-Oh... Haha... I was too busy to remember to pick it up."

"You are lucky I didn't scam you and decided to sell your armour to other adventurers, do you know how much adventurer comes in a day thanks to the fact that I have one Legendary Grade set of armour hung in the shop?" Says Gravos.

"Legendary?"

"Well not legendary anymore, since you took so long, you gave me time to improve it even further, it has now become an artifact level." Says Gravos.

"Artifact?!" I blurt.

...

"Still don't trust it so much, artifacts can still break, I assume you know that." Says Gravos.

The grade of gears is ranked, from the bottom: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Epic, Legendary, Unique, and finally artifact level.

Most blacksmiths usually can only create one legendary gear in their lifetime but Gravos made an artifact grade?

An artifact grade is what it sounds like, a gear that is as strong or even stronger than wild artifacts. Usually, artifacts are found in the wild, no one knows how wild artifacts are formed but most of them spawn in dungeons or tombs.

However, to be able to create artifact grade equipment is another entire thing.

"Why are you staring at me like that? You are not going to take it?" Says Gravos.

"N-No, I mean, take this as my appreciation." I take out a bag of 100 platinum coins.

"What?! This is too much!"

"I insist!"

"No! I will not take this!"

"Yes, you will!"

"If you continue to pester me to take it, I will close down my shop and leave." Says Gravos.

"What..." I mumble.

...

I place the original agreed price on the counter.

"Fine, at least let me treat you to a drink or something," I say.

Gravos smiles. "I will take that."

----------------

"Ah! That's the stuff." Says Gravos as he wipes the beer off his lips.

I take a sip of mine, it tastes nice.

We are sitting at the corner of the bar because this place is really busy, it's the only spot that was open.

"Hey son, why did you go to my store instead of Life best despite all the rumours?"

"Well, you are better than them, that's one."

"What? You are talking nonsense! My equipment still can be broken even if it is an artifact grade." Says Gravos.

...

"If we are talking in terms of that, Life best equipment has a higher chance to break than yours. Even your equipment is a lot better in terms of properties." I say.

...

Gravos take another gulp of beer.

"I have a dream. A dream to make a sword that never breaks, armour there never cracks, a shield that never gives in. So I can protect my customers from losing their life..."

"You will reach your dream one day," I say.

I have a dream myself too...

If this world wasn't that cruel or selfish, I would just start a bakery or something. Adventurer life isn't for me.

My dream is to live a simple life without regret, live a life where no one will bother my family, and where my family can be happy.

But I know...that cannot happen. Greed is everywhere.

Just like how Gravos dream is an impossible one, mine is too...

"Hey, you didn't even introduce yourself. Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself too." Says Gravos. "I'm Gravos..."

"I'm Loi Krist. How are you here in this village anyways? Did you move in?"

"Oh that. The lady, your mother, did some incredible things to this part. Heck, do you know that the village and town now have a name? Previously they don't. I was curious and I needed to get rid of your armour collecting dust so I went to Albion, a place I once dreaded going near. So I told her everything and she suggested that I move into the land while waiting for you. She even exempts me from tax! Haha, why would I not agree?" Says Gravos.

My mother...is this good at governing land?

Wow... Guess there are some things even I don't know.

"It's getting late, I should go," I say.

Gravos waves his hand, telling me to go ahead.

------------

I travel to the larger town where my family reside.

"Amazing..." I couldn't help but stare in awe.

There are several construction sites still building but those are residential buildings. There seems to be a district only for residents and the commercial builds are placed significantly far such that the noise pollution doesn't affect the residents.

Public baths and toilets are already built and there are cleaners to maintain them. I walk in and turn on the tap, clean water flows out of the pipe.

What...

2 weeks.

In just 2 weeks this place...

I walk back to my family's mansion and the guards at the gate bowed before opening the gate.

"Brother!" Christina runs to me and hugs me.

"Hello! How are you? Were you practising as I told you to?" I say.

"Mhm."

!!!!

She's already formed her Dantian and entered the first stage of Qi Condensation!

And she is four! Four years old!

"That's amazing!" I exclaim and carry her up to hold her in my arm.

"You brat!" My father shouts as he storms out of the mansion. "You left on such short notice and came back whenever you please?!"

"Haha... Sorry, it was urgent." I say.

"Tch. Hurry up and come in." My father says.

I put Christina down and walks in.

The maids with a bucket of laundry greet me with a smile before going on their way. Their wounds are bandaged up and most of the minor cuts are healed.

I smile. It looks like I didn't need to do much to help my family, they are more capable than I thought.