Davis and Nadia arrived at the periphery of the Purple Guest Palace.

"Mhm?"

Once they closed in, he saw a lone figure standing outside the Purple Guest Palace, appearing quite hesitant, even fidgety. His eyes brightened as he recalled.

"Sophie, you're here!" He called out.

Sophie Alstreim froze stiff before turning around and looked at Davis with a surprised yet panicked expression, "Oh!? Esteemed Alchemist went outside?"

"Yes, why are you waiting outside? Since I've requested something from you, just enter and wait." Davis flew past her after talking to her.

Sophie Alstreim's eyes flickered as she saw the beautiful woman behind him, but she knew that she was a magical beast. Still, she couldn't help but become entranced for a second before she shook her head and followed them into the Purple Guest Palace's seventeenth floor.

Once they entered, Davis turned around and spoke, "Since you are here, I take it that you finished the work."

"Ah, yes!" Sophie Alstreim took out a spatial ring and handed it over in a beat, "I failed."

"Awesome!" Davis took the spatial ring with a smile, but his smile abruptly froze.

He blinked before he blurted out, "What did you say?"

"Ah!" Sophie Alstreim retreated two steps as she became scared. However, she instantly explained, "I was able to upgrade the Grieving Emerald Scythe to King Grade successfully, but I failed in helping it in the process of birthing an armament spirit."

"Oh... I understand."

"Alchemist Davis... As an apology, I used the help of a person and upgraded the Grieving Emerald Scythe to Peak-Level King Grade, and it also got its armament spirit, so please forgive me! I was unable to complete the work you have given me. I was afraid, so I couldn't help but borrow the help of my grandfather!"

Sophie Alstreim clasped her hands and bowed ninety degrees.

Davis's brows twitched, 'How much pressure did I unknowingly cast upon her?'

"It's alright..." He forced a smile, "The price is equivalent to a Peak-Level King Grade Armament, right?"

"No!" Sophie Alstreim raised her head and shook, "It's an apology."

"I'm sorry then..." Davis spoke with a straight face.

"NO!" She panicked, "I mean... It is my apo-"

"Whatever..." Davis shrugged, "It's all the same, and I'm not angry or anything. In fact, I'm glad that you successfully managed to find someone who could upgrade my scythe to the Peak-Level King Grade. Your grandfather is Grand Elder Krax Alstreim, right?"

Sophie Alstreim looked a bit stunned before she slowly nodded her head.

Davis smiled, "Tell him I said thanks..."

"..."

Sophie Alstreim felt captivated as she watched his smile. She blinked a second later before she lowered her head, "I will..."

If he knew this beforehand, Davis felt that he could've thanked Grand Elder Krax Alstreim as they just met a short while ago. In any case, he felt that a reward is necessary for the completion of the work and also felt compelled to give so when she achieved four hundred percent of the result by upgrading the Grieving Emerald Scythe to a major level.

The Alstreim Family might've not been well-versed in Alchemy, but he knew that they sure do have Emperor Grade Experts when it comes to blacksmithing. However, they fell short of the Weapon Refining Villa in terms of blacksmithing as they didn't have a blacksmith who could create High-Level Emperor Grade Armaments, Artifacts, and other items.

The Weapon Refining Villa is a power specialized in creating armaments and artifacts. Their disciples are all blacksmiths and train in fire-attributed cultivation methods, and their power is not part of the Nine Western Territories.

The Ancestor of the Weapon Refining Villa could precisely create High-Level Emperor Grade Treasures and has even created armaments for the Alstreim Family upon being commissioned. However, it was not High-Level but peak Mid-Level Emperor Grade Armaments and Artifacts.

Weapon Refining Villa's Ancestor knew that it was not good to fatten up their rivals, so he didn't accept any commissions relating to High-Level Emperor Grade Armaments or Artifacts. However, he did gift a High-Level Emperor Grade Armament to the Falling Snow Sect's supreme beauty, Ancestor Tirea Snow.

However, Ancestor Tirea Snow declined it, saying that she was not interested in playing diplomatic games, much less marriage, which made Weapon Refining Villa's Ancestor lose face. He was the hegemon of a small-sized Territory that was located towards the south of the Falling Snow Sect, yet he was made a laughingstock at that moment.

But he didn't do anything worse at the end other than making it difficult for the Falling Snow Sect to acquire armaments and artifacts for a period of time.

Nevertheless, it wasn't that Ancestor Dian Alstreim was an inadequate blacksmith, but he didn't possess the methods to create High-Level Emperor Grade Armaments and Artifacts. Besides, he lacked the Body Tempering Manuals required to last him through the forging process, but he could somehow trade that with his Law Rune Stage Powerhouse.

Otherwise, with how long he lived, he would've been able to quickly learn and produce those if he possessed the manuals for it.

These points, Davis knew none, nor did he think about it other than the fact about blacksmithing prowess of the two powers. He had taken out the Grieving Emerald Scythe and was admiring its new form.

The previous silver blade with its edges and the tip filled with lustrous green was now full of deep lustrous green, making it shimmer in a glossy jade gleam. Even the long hilt seemed to be made from a better version of the Emerald Indic Ore.

Davis didn't know the specifics, but he could tell that this scythe had shed its skin, gaining anew with new materials added to it.

However...

"Master..."

A spirit called out to him as it surged out of the blade, looking as if sitting on it. Its shape was an emerald sphere that glowed magnificently upon appearing outside.

Davis's lips widened, "Grieving Emerald Scythe, I'll name you Yama."

"Yama... I thank Master for his kindness. I will be Yama from now on!"

Sophie Alstreim watched them interact with a smile on her face. She could tell that the armament wholeheartedly accepted Davis as its Master, and that would mean a world of difference when fighting along with it as it could aid in various ways.

"Master, what about me? Can I have a name too?"

Davis's brows twitched. It was that Peak-Level Emperor Grade Protective Artifact that he wore on his finger sneakily sent him a transmission. He hesitated for a moment before deciding to name it since it went out of its way to ask.

"I'll call you Skala..." He used soul transmission to relay his intent.

"Skala! It's the first name I received!"

"Skala is pleased, Master!"

Hearing its tone, Davis felt a bit guilty as his naming sense was half-assed just now. He just added a female sounding tone to the name 'scale'. But to him, this name sounded good.

Nevertheless, Davis returned his gaze to the armament spirit, "Are you able to unleash any special attacks?"

"Alchemist Davis..." Before Yama can answer, Sophie Alstreim answered, "Only Emperor Grade Armaments can unleash special attacks, but it is the case only if such a rune is imbued into them."

"I see..." Davis kept Yama back into his spatial ring and awkwardly chuckled, "Do you now believe that I don't know much about blacksmithing?

Sophie Alstreim wryly smiled before she giggled, "Seems like it..."

She retreated two steps back and slightly bowed with her hands clasped, "Well then, I've delivered your armament. Now, I have nothing that would let me stay here anymore, so it's time to leave."

'Straightforward...' Davis wryly smiled.

"You can't leave just like that..."

Davis abruptly took her hand and shoved an object into her fist, "Take this..."

Once he let her hand go, only then did Sophie Alstreim react, her expression turning into a healthy red. She opened her fist and saw a vial lay on her palm.

"This... this... could it be the Million Emerald Vines Calamity's nectar!?" She screamed in surprise and saw Davis nod his head before she started vehemently shaking her head.

"No, this is too precious! I can't take it!"

She had heard about the effects of the nectar and was considerably tempted. But still, even if it was given as a reward, she felt that she had done nothing to deserve this vial!

She was already feeling worse that she had failed in causing the armament spirit to manifest. Hence failing the first work that Alchemist Davis had given her made her feel somber. She was afraid that she failed to meet his expectations and ended up relying on her grandfather to help her.

Grand Elder Krax Alstreim took one day to read Blacksmith Helix's notes on forging scythes before he worked on the Grieving Emerald Scythe, and when she finally saw that it had been upgraded to Peak-Level King Grade, she practically cried. She only wanted her grandfather to help imbue a spirit, but he instead caused it to be upgraded to Peak-Level King Grade and advised her to continue 'working hard'.

She came here, not knowing what to do about 'working hard', and had just planned to leave after delivering the Grieving Emerald Scythe, but now, she was given such a reward that spooked her.

"Sophie..." Davis's voice became solemn.

Sophie Alstreim was caught off-guard as she became dazed by his voice and expression.

"You're going to become a great blacksmith, right?"

Sophie Alstreim dazedly nodded her head.

"Then accept my goodwill, okay?"

Sophie Alstreim blinked, not knowing what to do. Indeed, for blacksmithing, she needed a sturdy physique to forge, and with how she was already tempted, she increasingly trembled, battling to make a choice in her mind.

"Well then... I'll see you some other day if we get another opportunity to meet..." Davis disappeared from the place he stood, leaving a dumbfounded Sophie Alstreim.

The next moment, she came out of her reverie and looked left and right, her eyes roaming around, searching for his silhouette.

"Alchemist Davis...?" She called out with a slightly agape mouth but didn't receive a reply.

She looked at the vial in her palm again for a few seconds before she clenched her fist. However, when she opened her fist, there was nothing. The vial had disappeared into her spatial ring. She turned her body towards the entrance and bowed ninety degrees with clasped hands, "I accept this kindness! Many thanks!"

Her body trembled before she turned around and flew away, leaving the Purple Guest Palace.

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