BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power-Chapter 93 - 92 - Mastered Weapons

"What an exchange," I whispered to myself.

Three years had passed in training time. Everyone had developed tremendously...

So these are the results... but—

"What if we all completed the hundred stages..." I muttered. My eyes focused on Jo’s ivory armor...

"So he’s using it... the ancient weapon," I said inwardly, somewhat surprised.

In truth... I never imagined Jo would reach the point of abandoning the axe.

Inside the weapon furnace... many, many mastered weapons appeared... and even more ancient ones as well...

I have no idea why, but the Deception Beast gave us great assistance... especially in that matter...

...

Before the battle — inside the cave

The voice of the Deception Beast echoed.

"All leaders... your master has decided to grant you a mastered weapon."

The voice was very sudden... they had already obtained their ancient weapons and mastered them greatly... granting them a mastered weapon might seem excellent... a huge increase in their power...

But at the same time...

It would force them to relearn and master it... and for them, there was no time left for that.

"One of you already possesses a mastered weapon," the voice whispered... everyone’s eyes turned to each other.

Then the beast clarified that Soman was the only one who earned it during training...

"I was not going to give you mastered weapons... but your master treats you differently from how other masters treat their followers... sects sacrifice dozens of minor masters for a single mastered weapon...

And your master gives many of them to followers... completely illogical... but he insists. So—"

The voice paused for a moment, then added:

"I will grant you those weapons, but... you will not master them in such a short time... you must buy time to train with them... yes, it can be done."

Suddenly... from nowhere—

A mirror appeared... it reflected everything except the humans in front of it...

The mirror moved through space... then settled in front of me.

The beast’s voice echoed again—

"Transfer Mirror... it will take accumulation from the master and give it to one of the followers... Soman’s new mastered weapon will allow him to summon copies of you close to your nature, at half strength...

With each accumulation, your friend can summon one copy... then go to the training dimension to restore his accumulation quickly... then summon another, and so on... but... even with that, the body will be exhausted... because even after training, it does not equal the real world in recovery quality...

So the mirror will support your friend’s body by taking accumulation from his master and giving it to him... without it, your dear Soman might collapse."

No one spoke... I thought at least someone would question it... especially that overwhelming ability of Soman’s mastered weapon...

"He copies us?" I whispered softly.

The beast’s voice rose again, loud and sharp—

"While your copies fight... I will prepare a special training dimension for you... for a certain time, you will attempt to master your new weapons... but—"

The voice paused... then returned:

"Weapons are divided into ranks... your current weapons are ancient... the rank above them is mastered weapons... but—

Unlike the lower ranks... mastered weapons and above have a different characteristic... that characteristic is—

Before obtaining a mastered weapon and binding to it... you must abandon your current weapon... when the binding begins... the mastered weapon must be the only one bound...

Later, a master or follower can use another weapon below mastered rank... but at the beginning, upon forming the mastered weapon contract... they must immediately abandon all their weapons... and abandonment in this case...

Is the annihilation of the old weapon."

I looked at everyone... their eyes were filled with shock...

Well, they couldn’t be blamed...

They had spent great time and effort training with their current weapons...

As for me...

My weapon, Heir of Darkness, had become extremely important... its attributes were perfect for me... I don’t know how I could sacrifice it...

"Why are you hesitating?" everyone turned toward Soman... his voice was calm.

"They’re just weapons... if you get a stronger weapon, you replace the old one... no need for all these emotions over a mere weapon."

Soman’s words were harsh... but—

"You speak that way because you don’t have a personal weapon," Louis replied with irritation...

"Your weapon is just stat enhancement... as for us, our weapons have become indispensable companions... I will not abandon my weapon no matter what."

"No matter what?" Monali whispered. "Big words, Louis... what if ’no matter what’ means the leader’s death? What about dozens of villagers? Is your weapon worth more than their lives?"

"I didn’t mea—"

"Enough," I said.

Silence fell... my voice was firm... no need to let them continue, it would end badly...

"Each of you chooses for yourselves... no one will be forced... and each of you will bear the consequences."

No one responded... they all lowered their heads...

A cold breeze passed through the silence...

Then—

A loud laugh echoed from nowhere...

The beast laughed violently...

"What emotions," it said.

"I have a solution to your dilemma... but—"

It paused... "Leader."

Everyone turned toward me... waiting.

"I can grant you a way out... I can convert your followers’ weapons into attributes... then they can bind to the new weapons without losing their old ones..."

"But—" the beast’s voice rose—

"The price will be enormous... I don’t think any madman would accept it..."

"What is it?" I said... knowing it would indeed be costly... but willing to hear it...

"Converting a weapon into an attribute is highly desirable... attributes themselves are weapons... if a master has the ability, they will do it... the problem is... the price...

To convert a weapon into an attribute... you must sacrifice another weapon of a higher rank...

Your followers’ weapons are ancient... if you convert each into attributes... you must sacrifice a mastered weapon for each conversion... pure madness. Are you willing?"

"Why ask me?" I said... I smiled, then added—

"They are my dear followers... a mastered weapon has no value to me compared to their distress... do it quickly."

"Hahahaha!" the beast’s laughter thundered violently...

"What a person you are... you surprise me every time, Egg."

Everyone’s eyes turned to me... I could see gratitude in them...

Heh... still fools...

How long have they been with me... and they still don’t understand me...

"Don’t look at me like that... it’s simple. Your strength is my strength. That means I’m only building protection for myself."

Everyone smiled...

"No need to hide it," Monali whispered. My eyes shifted toward her cherry lips.

"You are a master with a pure heart. Moving to another world with great power didn’t change you. I’m happy you’re my leader," Monali smiled...

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Me too."

"Me too."

Everyone repeated it one after another, agreeing with Monali’s words...

I smiled... then directed my words to the beast—

"So how will you do it?"

...

"Jo is putting on a powerful performance," Louis whispered... she wiped the blood from her mouth, then moved...

She launched multiple strikes toward the old woman... all slid aside...

The old woman raised her hands... struck as well...

Louis evaded...

The old woman attacked again... not once or twice... but repeatedly...

After a while... it became clear...

Neither could land a decisive hit...

Louis retreated several meters...

"Should I use it... it will be truly risky," she whispered...

Then decided—

"No victory without risk."

Before she raised her hands—

A massive aura exploded from the old woman...

White vapor spread rapidly, blocking vision...

Inside the fog, the old woman was nothing but a vague black shape...

Suddenly... the vapor began to fade... slowly...

The Fourth-Rank Master’s eyes quickly shifted from Jo to the girl...

"What’s happening..." I whispered inwardly...

I looked as well...

I’ve never seen him shift his focus so quickly... I don’t feel anything...

Is there something I don’t know...

No point in chasing the unknown...

I focused on the girl—or the old woman... I truly didn’t know her real form...

The fog continued to clear...

Then... suddenly it vanished...

From within it... the old woman appeared—

"The old woman?" I said in surprise...

She was gone...

From the vapor emerged a different woman... pink hair, tall, with a perfectly refined body...

In her hands extended two pink rods of medium length...

Her outfit wasn’t for battle... more like pink yoga training clothes...

Her body showed full curves and overwhelming feminine features...

Her eyes shone with life, and her smile widened...

"You forced me to return to my true form," the pink-haired woman whispered...

"She never spoke in her previous form," Louis whispered... "but now she started talking the moment she transformed..."

Suddenly...

The woman began moving left and right...

Movements like warm-up exercises...

She was fast... truly fast...

Then she stopped... lifted the rods and moved them slightly...

Above, in the distance—

The blond master smiled...

He didn’t look at me, but his words were directed at me—

"Perhaps... you should order someone to go help your follower."