Alpha Instinct-Chapter 74: "Leonard’s Choice"

The group left the tavern and stepped out into the silent streets of Armeria, the weight of the manager’s revelation still hanging over them.

"We need to be quick," Leonard said, looking at his companions. "If we’re going to help this city, we can’t waste any time. We have a mission to complete."

He paused briefly. "Evelyn, come with me. We’re heading to the smithy. Kaleb, Mikaela, try to find out as much as you can about the attack. Where, how, why... everything. We’ll meet back here in..." he glanced at the sky, calculating the time, "...two hours."

Without waiting for a reply, Leonard touched Evelyn’s shoulder, and they both began to walk towards their destination, leaving Kaleb and Mikaela behind.

After consulting with a few locals, Leonard and Evelyn finally found Calton’s smithy. It was a modest building, with stone walls blackened by soot and a roof of uneven tiles. The sound of metal against metal, muffled by the thick walls, indicated that, despite the city’s situation, the blacksmith was still working.

They entered. The interior was hot and stuffy, illuminated by the reddish glow of the forge. A strong, middle-aged man, with muscular arms and a worn leather apron, was working on a piece of metal, hammering it with precision.

Evelyn stepped forward, taking the VIP token from her pocket and placing it on the counter. "Calton?" she asked.

The man stopped hammering and looked at them, his eyes narrowing. He picked up the token, examined it carefully, and then nodded. "That’s me. What do you want?"

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"We need armor," Leonard replied, getting straight to the point. "The best you’ve got." He took the amethyst crystal from his backpack and placed it on the counter. The crystal, even in the dim environment of the smithy, emitted a soft, purple glow.

Calton froze, his eyes fixed on the giant crystal. He had never seen an amethyst of that size, so pure, so perfect. "That... that’s..." he stammered, unable to complete the sentence.

"Yes, Cragheart. I’m offering half of this for the best armor you can forge," Leonard said firmly. "And I need it yesterday."

Calton blinked, stunned, and then a slow, greedy smile spread across his face. "Come with me," he said, his voice hoarse. "I have something special for you."

He led them through a door at the back of the smithy, which led to a secret chamber, hidden from prying eyes. In the center of the chamber, under a dusty tarp, was something that made Leonard catch his breath.

Calton, with a theatrical gesture, pulled back the tarp.

Before them, gleaming under the faint light, was a suit of armor. It was made of a black, reptilian leather, flexible yet strong, with a pattern that resembled battle plates. The armor seemed to emanate power, an aura of mystery and danger.

"Black Reptilian Hide," Calton announced proudly. "S+ rating. Increases all stats by twenty percent."

Evelyn whistled, impressed. "That’s... incredible," she admitted. "I’ve only seen something like that in Ashton’s hands, in Gothia."

Calton smiled, pleased. "He’s the one who made it," he revealed. "It came here through a merchant. A commission that was never claimed."

"And why wasn’t it sold?" Leonard inquired, curious.

"Rookie mistake, asking that," Calton replied, with a wry smile. "Probably, the owner died before he could receive it. To be honest, I thought I’d never sell it."

Leonard handed the crystal to Calton, who, with a single, powerful blow from a large forge hammer, shattered it into several pieces. He placed the pieces on a rustic scale, balancing them carefully until the plates leveled. Then, he separated half of the fragments.

"Here’s your share," Calton said, returning the rest to Leonard.

Evelyn stepped forward, took the bag with the crystals, and said with an eager smile, "Hurry up, put it on. I want to see how it looks on you."

"Why the rush?" Leonard asked, confused.

"It’s not a rush. It’s so he can adjust the armor to your body, you dummy," she replied, rolling her eyes.

After a few minutes, Calton finished adjusting the armor perfectly to Leonard’s body. He felt much better, lighter, more agile. The quality of the new armor was surreal, incomparable. The black reptilian leather was infinitely superior to the Leirion Boar hide. However, Leo knew that there were materials far superior to this one.

"Here’s the armor’s spec sheet, warranty symbol," Calton said, handing him a small piece of paper.

_____________________________

Fabric: Dark Reptilian Hide (Leirion)

Quality: Epic

Construction: S+

Craftsmanship: 20% enhancement.

Note: Qualities > Common, Good, Excellent, Epic, Mythic.

Construction > F, E, D, C, B, A, S, S+

_____________________________

"Damn, this is badass!" Leonard exclaimed, admiring himself in the blurred reflection of a polished metal sheet.

"Just wait ’til you get your hands on some dragonscale battle gear. You’ll shit your pants, hahaha!" Evelyn laughed, teasing him with a mix of amusement and admiration.

"Oh, yeah? And what are you wearing?" Leonard asked, playing along.

Calton, stepping in before Evelyn could answer, said, "Werewolf hide and Frosteel plates." He put his hand to his chin in a thoughtful gesture and concluded, "Her armor is worth your entire crystal, and you’d still be in debt."

Evelyn winked at Leonard, a conspiratorial gesture.

"Show-off..." he muttered, shaking his head, unsure whether it was admiration or mock disapproval. "I hate werewolves..."

"Me too..." she said, taking his hand and pulling him out of the shop. Leonard could barely say thank you, gesturing with his arms to Calton.

Leonard and Evelyn left the smithy, walking towards the agreed meeting point. Leonard, now wearing the black reptilian hide armor, felt strangely light and protected at the same time.

They found Mikaela and Kaleb waiting near the entrance to the tavern. Kaleb still looked a little pale, but he was standing on his own.

"So?" Mikaela asked, her eyes fixed on Leonard’s new armor. "Did you get it?"

Leonard smiled. "I did. What about you? Any news?"

Mikaela nodded, with a grave expression. "Bad news. I found out who’s behind the attack on Armeria."

"Who?" Leonard and Evelyn asked in unison.

"A cult," Mikaela replied, her voice low. "The Cult of the Four Midnight Moons."

"Never heard of them," Leonard said.

"I have," Evelyn murmured, darkly. "And it’s not good news."

"They... they turn dead Neumonds into undead," Mikaela explained. "Somehow, they manage to reconnect the ELEV, even after death, using... soul crystals."

"Soul crystals?" Leonard asked, feeling a chill.

"They’re magical artifacts... dangerous ones," Mikaela replied hesitantly. "Normally used to imprison souls, to trap consciousness, to torture..." she took a deep breath. "But apparently, this cult has found a way to use them to control the dead."

Kaleb, who had been silent until then, swallowed hard. "That... that explains a lot," he said, his voice trembling. "The strength of those Black Knights... the lack of... of life in them..."

A heavy silence fell over the group. The weight of Mikaela’s revelation was crushing.

"We need to warn the other cities," Leonard said, finally. "This is... bigger than we thought."

"And more dangerous," Evelyn added, with a look that left no doubt about the gravity of the situation.

Mikaela nodded. "But first..." she began, looking at Leonard, "...you have a mission to complete."

Leonard took a deep breath, feeling the weight of those words. The Skull Volcanoes. The Ursulus Rex. And now, a cult of Neumond necromancers.

He had to decide between selfishness and plurality.