Chapter 123: The Backup Plan

"Don't bother looking any further; aside from your space ring, all your equipment is destroyed," the Elven elder observed, watching the Sword Saint, who was sitting cross-legged on a trunk, fiddling with a heap of "trash."

Muria examined the pile of metal fragments in front of the Sword Saint, faintly making out some rings, amulets, and necklaces among them. Based on the lingering spirit patterns, it was clear these were also defensive equipment.

Moreover, their level seemed quite high, likely legendary. Recognizing this made Muria's heart ache; so many legendary pieces of equipment had been reduced to rubble.

"The space ring is still intact," Ryan found a speckled ring among the metal scraps and slipped it onto his finger. "Equipment can be replaced. I'm still alive, and anything lost can be regained."

Legendary armors destroyed, yet the space ring survived? Muria was stunned for a moment before realizing that in the attack by the Titan Asherborne, all defensive equipment had been activated and shared the brunt of the assault with the Sword Saint.

However, the space ring was different. It contained most of the Sword Saint's personal wealth and was protected during the attack. Plus, due to its small size, it ended up being the only piece of equipment on the Sword Saint that wasn't destroyed.

Then, Ryan took out a set of pure white robes with spirit patterns from the space ring and put it on. Next, with a "clang," a longsword surrounded by white light appeared in his hand, emitting a slight vibration.

"The legendary robe 'Thoughts of Truth,' the legendary war sword 'Glory of Light,' worthy of being the foremost Sword Saint," the Elven elder recognized the names of the robe and sword that Ryan had taken from the space ring. "Even the backup sword and robe are legendary."

Legendary equipment is far rarer than legendary beings because becoming a legend, one step further, means becoming an eternal and immortal deity. Thus, materials capable of bearing their power are scarce, and those that can enhance their power are even rarer.

Therefore, many legends don't possess a single piece of equipment corresponding to their level, virtually equivalent to being unarmed. This is exceedingly pitiable. And every piece of legendary equipment is widely known, especially those that have existed for a long time; anyone with a bit of knowledge would recognize them.

Ryan, this human whom Muria initially thought appeared impoverished and simple, wore legendary equipment from head to toe, including his clothing, the sword in his hand, and even his seemingly inconspicuous accessories.

However, that wasn't the key point. The critical aspect was that after his equipment was destroyed in the battle with the Titan, Ryan could still produce backup legendary equipment.

"I was wrong!" Muria couldn't help but cover his eyes, feeling for the first time that he had brought shame upon the dragon race. Assessing the value of items is a basic skill every dragon should master, yet he initially thought this Sword Saint was "modest."

A modest mistake, but it was normal for the Sword Saint to have such a foundation. Throughout his life, he had defeated and slain so many legendary beings. Just the remains of those legends alone constituted a tremendous fortune, not to mention the wealth those legends possessed themselves. Thus, it was understandable that the Sword Saint's assets could be tens of times greater than those of a typical legend.

After lightly swinging the legendary sword "Glory of Light" a few times, Ryan furrowed his brows; it was not as comfortable to use as his regular sword.

But there was no alternative; his original sword was destroyed. To repair it, he would need the help of a legendary dwarven king. For now, he had to make do with "Glory of Light"; after all, having the support of a legendary sword made a significant difference.

"Are you that Titan youth?" After testing the sword, Ryan put it away and turned to Muria. Like the Elven elder, Muria's drastic change in size had no effect on him; he recognized Muria at a glance.

"Yes, Your Excellency," Muria nodded, somewhat troubled as he pondered how to phrase his request.

"Sword Saint, this guy came to ask you about that legendary sea monster corpse. How do you want to handle it?" Before Muria could speak, the silver-haired Elven girl, Hester, who was nearby, blurted out Muria's purpose.

"Legendary sea monster corpse?" Ryan was momentarily stunned.

"The one you left on my island," Muria reminded him, noticing the Sword Saint's slightly confused expression.

"I remember now," Ryan nodded. "That sea monster carcass is yours to do with as you please. No need to ask me."

"It's mine!" This time, it was Muria's turn to be astonished. A legendary creature's carcass—its bones, blood, flesh... everything about it, even a single hair, was incredibly valuable.

"You connected me with a very powerful Titan," Ryan smiled, a bit bitterly. "I'm satisfied with this battle. Consider the sea monster carcass your compensation."

"Compensation!" Muria scratched his head awkwardly. "Isn't that a bit too valuable?"

Arranging the meeting with the legendary Titan Asherborne hadn't taken much effort on his part; it was all resolved by Cassio. He had merely listened to Cassio's stories and then went to watch the battle, hardly exerting any effort. Thus, Muria felt undeserving.

Salvador, the Elven elder, and Hester, the Moon Elf girl, both showed surprise when Muria didn't immediately accept the Sword Saint's gift.

"Don't be shy; the sea monster carcass is of no use to me," Ryan explained earnestly, seeing Muria's hesitation. "Keeping it only takes up space in my ring."

"A legendary creature's body is of no use to you?" Muria was incredulous. "Its skin and bones can be used to craft legendary equipment."

"Merely a low-level legendary creature, unable to produce high-level legendary equipment," Ryan said dismissively, his disdain evident. He simply didn't value the creature he had slain with a single stroke, which is why he offered it to Muria.

"In that case, I'll gladly accept it," Muria responded, hearing Ryan's words and deciding not to be overly modest.

"Uh," watching Ryan, who had regained his calm demeanor, Muria braced himself, "Sword Saint, I have a request."