Second World

He was still short one armor orb, but he didn't have enough glory or knowledge points. He embedded all the armor orbs he had gained into his armor.

He embedded the Orb of Greater Light in his helmet, the Orb of Greater Fire in his arm guards, the Orb of Greater Ice in his girdle, and the Orb of Greater Earth in his leg guards. Only his shoulder armor still had an empty etch slot.

With all the armor orbs added, his physical defense improved to 10,389, and his magical defense was 9,184. His defenses were higher than the Primordial Golem when it had no buff.

"Are you done for the day?" Janus asked. "You will be leaving tomorrow, won't you? It's late already. You've better rest."

"How do you know I will be leaving tomorrow?" Jack asked.

"Royal Advisor John mentioned it during the meeting," Janus answered. "The meeting was over. Everyone had left."

"How did it go?"

"As well as you could expect. Everyone knows what's at stake. No one was thinking about benefits, so everyone went along with the plan to secure our victory, or at least, to delay the enemy's advance. I must admit there has never been an occasion where all of us league factions gathered and discussed the same thing. This was probably once in a lifetime event. It's a pity you missed it."

"We all have our part to play. I doubt the meeting will go any better with me there. It is more beneficial for everyone if I improve my strength."

Janus nodded. "Go and rest well."

"Will you be heading to the front line?" Jack asked.

"Of course, I also have to play my part," Janus answered.

"I meant the real you."

"My clones and the real me will go. I will only leave a few clones so the faction facilities are still operational."

"Then I guess the next time we meet will be on the battlefield."

"It will be an honor fighting alongside you again," Janus said.

"The feeling is mutual," Jack returned.

When Jack was about to leave, Janus stopped him. "Oh, right! I almost forgot. Can you pass this to your royal advisor?" He handed Jack a magic staff. "He asked me to combine a magic staff with an artifact. I didn't bring it with me when I went to the meeting earlier today because it still needs a few adjustments. I've just completed it recently."

"He did?" Jack asked.

"Yes. I think he heard from you about how I used an artifact to craft the Staff of Illios. He requested the same treatment. It's not an easy process, I must say. It is also expensive and requires many high-grade materials, which he paid for and supplied. So, I did it as a favor considering he is your best friend."

"I wouldn't dare call him best friend, but okay," Jack said. He accepted the staff. When he read its description, he gasped. He knew what artifact John used to make this staff.

*

Staff of Mind Breaker, level: 80/99 (Legendary magic weapon)

Magic damage: 1,200

Range: 80 meters

Attack speed: 1

Energy: 500

Intelligence +60

MP +500

Area Mind Blast: Discharge a mental attack that deals 500% magic damage to all hostiles in a 10-meter radius of the target area. Disrupt spellcasting. Range: 80 meters. Cooldown: 1 hour.

Mind Control: Take control of a target. Cannot target Eternal grade. A mythical-grade target has to be 10 levels below the caster. Range: 50 meters. Duration: 10 minutes. Cooldown: 24 hours.

Interrogate: Only work on an incapacitated target. Target lost consciousness for 1 minute. Within that 1 minute, the target will truthfully answer all the questions from the Mind Breaker's user. Or, the user can search through the target's specific memory within that 1 minute. Ranged: 1 meter. Cooldown: 8 hours

*

"Hey! This staff still retains the artifact's effect even after it becomes a weapon," Jack said to Janus. "Why does my Staff of Illios have its surveillance ability greatly reduced? I remember you used the Eye of Illios to spy on events in another country. I can't do that anymore using my staff."

Janus shrugged. "I got better after doing it the second time," he answered casually. Jack couldn't find it in him to continue complaining.

Jack stored the Staff of Mind Breaker and left.

*

The next morning, Jack met John and Thaergood in the throne room. They were having a last-minute discussion about country affairs before they left. Jack told Thaergood to send the two newly built mobile fortresses to Palgrost and Aurebor to help the defense there.

John told everyone to gather in the throne room before they departed. Currently, only Jack, John, Thaergood, Grace, Paytowin, Leavemealone, and Domon were there. Domon was here to send them off. He would head to the front line with the other guild members afterward.

After finishing his discussion with Thaergood, Jack lifted the Staff of Mind Breaker and exclaimed, "Hey, everyone. Look at my new staff!"

"Wow! That's a good weapon," Paytowin remarked after using his Inspect. "But don't you already have a legendary magic staff? What are you going to do with two? You can't dual-cast like Master, can you?"

"Motherf*cker, give it to me!" John yelled. He was cursing Janus in his mind for passing the staff to Jack.

"Yo, man. That's not the way to ask for something. I do have two legendary staff and I can give you one, but can you be a bit more courteous when you ask?"

"F*ck courteous. That staff is mine!" John exclaimed.

"All right then," Jack stored the staff back into his inventory, which caused John to fume.

The others didn't understand what was going on, but they were happy since it was not every day they saw John getting frustrated by another person's attitude.

Domon chuckled before saying, "Afei, stop messing around. If the staff is John's, give it to him."

"Not until he says the magic word," Jack insisted.

John grumbled at the request. He uttered the word, please, in between his grumblings.

"What? I can't hear you," Jack said.

"Give the staff to me, please, Goddamnit!" John exclaimed.

"If you remember, it is I who gave you the Mind Breaker. So, this staff can be said as mine, but I'm not a petty person. So, here."

Jack threw the Staff of Mind Breaker. John caught it mid-flight.

"Oh? So, you made the staff from that artifact? How did you do it?" Paytowin asked John.

"I asked the leader of the Order of Magi to craft it for me. You can forget about doing the same. Even if you have a legendary artifact, not every artifact is compatible to be made into a staff. It also requires many coins and materials, which I'm pretty sure you don't have."

"Aren't you underestimating me too much?! I have the Legacy of Courage which housed lots of resources," Paytowin uttered.

"Which you have returned to the keeper inside the Sanctuary for Courage after we built that wonder building," John said.

"Ugh, I still go there from time to time to get tasks and rewards from Callan," Paytowin returned.

"You recovered awfully fast," Jack said to John. John was back to his usual condescending demeanor once he got the staff.

"I was just pretending to be upset," John replied. "I know you will just insist on keeping this staff if I deny you the satisfaction of letting you think you best me."

"Motherf*cker," it was Jack who now cursed.