"Since both of you Infernal Flames have made up your minds, the Village of Embers will undoubtedly lend its full support. Dao Wen!"
Puxian finished speaking and looked at Dao Wen.
"No problem, bring out the equipment!"
*Snap! Snap!* Dao Wen clapped his hands twice, and the craftsman's apprentices quickly departed.
*Creak! Creak!*...
Before long, two flatbed carts loaded with large iron cabinets were pushed out.
Chains, heavy locks, talismans, and trigger-type bomb barrels, among other items, covered the surface of the cabinets.
On top of one of the iron cabinets, a ninja Palico was fast asleep.
"We don't fear that Elder Dragon materials will bring ill fortune; we've simply made some protective arrangements to ensure safe delivery of the equipment... Wake up, Ninja-Meow! The Infernal Flames are here to receive the equipment!"
Puxian explained.
As the Ninja-Meow on top of the cabinet woke up, three shurikens appeared on its paws.
Sensing that the situation was not right, it threw a smoke bomb and quickly retreated.
"Why does this feel so strange..."
Yudora looked at the cabinet sealed with multiple layers and felt an inexplicable unease.
*Click!* Li Fan drew his Dragoncutting Greatsword and closed his eyes, sensing the true essence of his Dragoncutting ability.
An urge to cut down everything surged into his mind.
"If living beings aren't afraid, why should I be afraid of equipment made from materials?"
Li Fan opened his eyes and said boldly.
"You're using your awakened ability to increase your courage?"
Yudora hadn't expected an awakened ability could be used for boosting morale.
"It helps a bit, but mainly it's because I have this sword in my hand."
Li Fan raised his Dragoncutting Greatsword, and a few wisps of flame drifted from the blade and dissipated.
"That makes sense!"
Yudora drew her Dragoncutting Greatsword, and they both reached in simultaneously.
*Swish! Clang!*
A diagonal slash and a straight cut.
The surfaces of both cabinets immediately split open.
At this moment, a Felyne apprentice running over with a set of keys froze in place.
Dao Wen, watching from a distance, waved at the Felyne, which immediately retreated.
Inside the cabinet Li Fan was facing was an orange-yellow armor set worn by a mannequin.
Yudora's was similar in style, but predominantly blue-gray.
Both armor sets were adorned with intricate decorations, appearing more like ceremonial costumes worn by performers in divine plays during processions rather than armor for hunting.
Ribbons, sleeves, and hems fluttered in the nonexistent wind, creating an ethereal and distant sensation.
Li Fan confirmed that these were the Narukami andfuujin armor sets from the game.
Beside each armor set was a weapon, as requested by the team: one greatsword and one longsword.
The greatsword had a common heavy sword construction, entirely deep blue.
It had broken free from its weapon stand and was now hovering restlessly in the air due to a current of air.
The golden longsword had a unique bifurcated blade structure, appearing as a V-shape from the front.
Although it remained still within its weapon stand, even without being swung, golden electrical sparks continuously surged and connected in the gap between the blades.
Near the hilt, at the end of the blade, was a rather conspicuous groove.
Li Fan speculated it might be an inlay slot for an ornament, but it seemed much larger than a standard slot.
"What amazing equipment, is this Elder Dragon material... Mr. Dao Wen, what are they called?"
Yudora exclaimed and then began to inquire.
"The female armor is called Fuujin, and the male armor is called Narukami. The greatsword is the Azure Wind God Greatsword, and the longsword is the Narukami Thunder God Blade. The thunder element contained within the Narukami Thunder God Blade is too potent, so we chose a bifurcated blade structure to craft the sword. This way, it doesn't hinder the user's swings while allowing the thunder element to be channeled outwards with maximum intensity. By all accounts, such an aggressive design should only be experimental, but we succeeded on the first try."
Dao Wen, standing at the courtyard entrance, introduced them with great enthusiasm.
"Azure Wind God Greatsword..."
*Clatter!* Yudora dropped her Dragoncutting Greatsword on the ground and reached into the iron cabinet, gripping the hilt.
*Whoosh~* The airflow supporting the Azure Wind God Greatsword suddenly dissipated.
"This greatsword has one rather regrettable aspect. We couldn't find a Dragon Jewel inside the Wind God Dragon, so we couldn't attempt to infuse it into the blade. Consequently, the wind ability is somewhat weaker. We therefore focused on the blade's sharpness and the dragon element energy it contains."
Dao Wen explained.
"Let me test it."
Yudora said, lifting the Azure Wind God Greatsword over her shoulder and performing a charged slash.
*Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh!*
Several currents of air emerged in the courtyard and swirled around the sword.
As the charge level increased, the converging airflow became more violent.
*Whoosh~* The airflow dissipated. Yudora, having completed the three-stage charge, did not unleash the charged slash but gently planted the sword on the ground.
"Hahaha! Kushala Daora! We meet again, and I'll be sure to give you a surprise."
Yudora declared, removing her Dragonhead Helm and putting on the Fuujin Helm.
Unlike the greatsword, as soon as the helmet was worn, the airbag-like structures on its surface began to inflate and swell.
Yudora tilted her head, and her body, as if losing its balance, tilted sideways.
*Thud!*
Her head, which landed first, did not suffer any impact thanks to the cushioning of the helmet's airbag-like structures.
"Are you alright?"
Li Fan asked tentatively.
Yudora, with her head pressed against the ground, turned her face and replied, "I'm fine, I'm great."
"Then the Narukami helmet should also be safe... Tell me, how does it feel?"
Li Fan inquired.
"I feel very uncoordinated, like I'm floating in the air, and... it feels very comfortable with my head down."
Yudora described her sensations.
"In that case, this is currently just a normal bodily assimilation reaction."
Li Fan said, and then tried on a single Narukami gauntlet.
The sensation of wearing it was not like that of a rigid material, but rather a soft and springy feel, akin to a rubber glove.
Hmm... It gave him the urge to do a one-handed push-up.
Not detecting any abnormalities, Li Fan put on the other Narukami gauntlet.
He then felt an urge to do somersaults.
Feeling that the assimilation was within normal limits, Li Fan grasped the hilt of the Narukami Thunder God Blade and gently lifted it.
*Crack! Crack!*
Golden electrical sparks flickered continuously within the bifurcated blades, giving an impression of instability.
This was a longsword that prioritized elemental damage, and it felt light in his grip.
The blade was bifurcated, extending further outwards than a typical longsword.
The gap in the middle, as Dao Wen had described, allowed the thunder element to be channeled outwards most smoothly.
It was just that the structure didn't seem very strong, but since it was crafted from Elder Dragon materials, it shouldn't be too bad.
Also, possibly due to the unique structure and material limitations, a suitable scabbard could not be made.
It seemed he would need some time to adapt.
Li Fan mused internally, intending to sling the Narukami Thunder God Blade onto his back, but realizing it lacked a scabbard, he felt something was amiss.
"Infernal Flames! The Narukami Thunder God Blade must be worn with the Narukami chest armor!"
Dao Wen's voice called out from outside the gate.
"Oh, thank you... Is it an illusion? Why do you guys seem to be standing further and further away."
Li Fan muttered, placing the sword back on the weapon stand for now.
Wearing the Narukami chest armor did allow for safe carrying on his back.
However, the greater the contact area, the stronger the assimilation amplification.
He decided to first determine the assimilation effects of each part before deciding on equipment combinations.
He removed the gauntlets, tidied his bangs, and put on the Narukami helmet.
*Clang!*
Li Fan's head tilted, and his body, as if losing its balance, tilted sideways.
However, the Narukami helmet had no airbag cushioning, so his head rang from the impact.
"Damn it... Sigh, Yudora was right, it really is comfortable with your head down."
As Li Fan, with his head burrowed into the ground, marveled, Yudora, wearing the three pieces of Fuujin equipment—helmet, gauntlets, and boots—floated past him like an astronaut in a space station.
The Fuujin equipment had the characteristic of allowing the wearer to float...
Li Fan was truly astonished.
At this moment, Di Lu, wearing a Felyne armor, carrying a large drumstick, and riding on a small floating cloud, drifted over.
"Amazing, meow! Amazing, meow!"
"Is this a floating cloud made from airbags?"
"It seems so, meow. It really resembles the Wind God Dragon's airbags."
"So your equipment can float too, Di Lu. I've drifted to the corner and gotten stuck. Can you help me figure something out?"
Yudora's voice echoed.
"Of course, meow! Uh... I found you! I'm coming over right away."
"Wait, how are we communicating?"
Li Fan asked, confused.
"Yeah, we weren't speaking..."
Yudora realized.
"There's no problem, meow... Actually, something is a little off."
Di Lu, on the small cloud, also noticed that he hadn't made any sound at all.
"The commonality among the three of us is that we're all wearing helmets made from Wind God Dragon and Thunder God Dragon materials. So, this must be mental communication."
Li Fan pondered for a moment and offered his deduction.
"This is possible, meow?"
Di Lu was incredulous.
"Hmph... Hmph... Hmph..."
A strange humming sound arose.
"Is one of your assimilations malfunctioning?"
Li Fan asked warily.
"No, it's Qingtian, meow."
Di Lu replied.
"Who added Qingtian to the group chat?"
Just as Li Fan was curious, Qingtian, clad in Wind God Dragon armor, was floating close to the ground in disbelief.
"Hmph... Hmph... Hmph..."
"I know you're shocked, Qingtian, and I never thought you'd be able to walk in the air one day, but this is a group chat channel, stop humming."
"Hmph... Hmph... Hmph..."
"I'm here, Yudora, grab on, meow!"
"Got it!"
"Hmph... Hmph... Hmph..."
"Great, I'm finally free!"
"Hmph... Hmph... Hmph..."
Li Fan removed the Narukami helmet, and the world immediately fell silent.
However, seeing the inverted hunters in the courtyard, the cloud-riding Felyne, and the floating Great Boar.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead in exasperation. This brand new version was something even he, let alone Gu Tianle, had never experienced.
He took out his notebook and began to record all the awakened abilities he had discovered.
The characteristics of the equipment crafted from Elder Dragon materials far exceeded his expectations.
Recalling the negative assimilation reactions, his pen paused.
Because currently, only the most basic bodily assimilation reactions were occurring, and the eerie threats he had worried about had not materialized at all.
This was impossible. If the assimilation effects were truly limited to this, or only brought positive benefits, there was no reason for the Guild and the Dragon Calendar Institute to restrict Elder Dragon materials.
Could it be that the terrifying assimilation effects of Elder Dragon materials and the various ominous tales were just rumors?
Li Fan was momentarily bewildered, but the equipment testing was still in its early stages, and nothing was conclusive yet.
The craftsman had been closed for a full week to craft the two sets of Elder Dragon equipment.
The team didn't want to keep testing endlessly, so they loaded the equipment and weapons onto the flatbed carts and prepared to depart.
"Wait, Li Fan!"
Puxian called out to Li Fan and then took off the Village Treasure Blade he carried on his back, handing it over with both hands.
"The Hundred Dragon Night Hunt has completely ended. This Village Treasure Blade, forged by our ancestors to defend against the Wind God Dragon, will now be kept by your team. We hope it will be of assistance in your future hunts."
"This... is too valuable."
Li Fan politely demurred.
"You are the Infernal Flames who ended the Hundred Dragon Night Hunt. This blade will only reach its maximum potential in your hands."
Puxian's attitude was firm.
"Understood, our team will take good care of it!"
Li Fan accepted it with both hands.
The Village Treasure Blade could only passively accumulate energy, and only against specific targets.
It seemed only the Wind God Dragon, Kushala Daora, and the Amatsu could charge it.
Fortunately, Kushala Daora was one of the team's targets, so it might indeed be useful.
"There's one more thing that Dao Wen asked me to give you."
Puxian said, looking around, and then took out a bud that glowed with an orange-yellow light.
"This was found inside the Thunder God Dragon. Dao Wen initially speculated it was the Thunder God Dragon's Dragon Jewel, but it was dismissed due to its small size. Based on the energy and activity it exhibits, the Guild would not permit such a material to exist. Even the Narukami Thunder God Blade cannot contain it for long, so Dao Wen devised a plan for a detachable accessory-like application."
"You mean the circular slot at the end of the blade?"
Li Fan inquired.
"Yes. In any case, the right to decide how to handle it rests with your team. Dao Wen, due to his position as a craftsman, cannot easily cross the Guild's bottom line."
Puxian said with a hint of helplessness.
"Thank you, Village Chief."
Li Fan accepted the bud.
*Screech!*
After resting in his palm for a moment, the gathered orange-yellow, strip-like petals unfurled.
A round, jade-like stone, golden on the surface but with a blue-green hue inside, was revealed.
This was a jade with a built-in active protective layer.
Li Fan was immediately shocked.
The Huìhuì Dragon Qi Jade could also generate a protective crystalline wall, but it lacked activity.
"If you need any help, feel free to come find me anytime."
Puxian said, smiling and waving goodbye.
"Understood."
Li Fan put the carrying harness on Qingtian and got into the cart to head to the airport.
He had only one question in his mind: what exactly was this jade? Even Elder Dragon materials couldn't contain it for long.
Not the Thunder God Dragon's Dragon Jewel...
Right! The Dragon Palace Ancient City hunt was not for the Thunder God Dragon, but for the origin of the Hundred Dragons, the Thunder Serpent.
Then this jade must be the Origin's Storm Jewel!
Upon reaching this conclusion, Li Fan was somewhat surprised himself.
However, this was the most likely answer.
If this were to cause a monster to undergo an awakened mutation...
No, even Elder Dragons couldn't withstand something like this.
Although he had obtained a material of god-tier power, Li Fan felt it was best to proceed with caution regarding its application.
First, he should find a safe storage location, and then find an opportunity to embed it in the Narukami Thunder God Blade and experiment with its use.
Right! He also needed to pay attention to one issue: this thing was radioactive. If the active protective layer couldn't prevent radiation from spreading, the storage location would need to be chosen carefully.
Lost in thought, Li Fan, driving the cart, returned to the airport.