The First Legendary Beast Master

Forgemaster Granite handed out notepads and pencils to the other team members, then went to survey the damage from the strike.

"Don't forget to write your direct phone number so I can contact you when all your weapons are ready. They might be similar to this one, unstable until bonded." The Dwarf reminded the group.

"Gladly. If punctuality is all that it takes to get a Monarch Ranked class customized weapon, I will bring the team to you as many times as necessary," the mage agreed.

The other warriors were crowded around Garrick, examining the tool work on the weapon.

"Are we allowed to know where this came from? Is there a resource that might produce more like it?" One of the warriors asked.

Karl smiled. "It's a newfound System Skill, and still under development. There are resources that can produce more of them, but they're extremely limited in quantity. Give it another few years, and we should be able to make dozens of Commander Rank weapons a week.

But until then, a slow production of these Monarch Ranked blades for the Overlord Ranked special forces teams will be all there is."

The mage smiled at Karl. "I think that I see now. The craftsmen can't make weapons above their own Rank, so the number is limited by the time that it takes the available crafters to make it, and we don't really have any spare high-ranked Elites who can be trained."

Karl winked and leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially. "If you don't have a trade skill, I might be able to sneak the knowledge to you."

The mage whispered back. "I will have you know that Overlord Dallas might have been born at night, but it was not last night. If I knew what you do, I would be the one locked in a lab for national security reasons."

Karl laughed and raised his voice. "Well, if you change your mind, let me know. I can make it worth your while. Maybe sweeten it with an Epic Grade summoning skill?"

Dallas' eyes lit up with excitement, but Karl could see that he wasn't going to volunteer to change spots.

Karl tapped him on the head and activated [Follow Me, Little One]

{Skill Successful} Suspicious Fox Dallas has learned [Epic Guard]

That was a different message than it usually gave Karl for the skill. Maybe he was getting better at it?

Overlord Dallas gasped in shock, then summoned the new Guardian.

His Epic Guard appeared as a Wind Elemental with armour on. It was strange seeing a vortex with arms and a chest plate, but it was clearly an immensely powerful conjuration.

"Well, see you later." Karl declared.

"Oh no, you don't. You don't get to just teach him a new skill and run away without explanation. Who do you think you are, the Frost Faerie?" One of the warriors demanded, referring to the children's tale about a Fae who gave gifts to good kids on the winter solstice.

Karl smiled. "Just wait, we've got to make more weapons, so you'll see us again. That's two gifts in a day, I'm at my quota."

Overlord Garrick laughed. "You say that with such conviction that I almost believed it. But you should go. The others will need their weapons as soon as you can make them. This is too good to keep delaying you."

Karl ushered everyone back through the portal to the lab, and once the portal was closed, Forgemaster Granite turned to Karl with an accusatory look.

"When were you planning to tell them it would take about four hours to make the rest of their weapons? We already have base stock under production with the new forge fire to fill all these requests except the wand," the Dwarf demanded.

"In about four hours. Wait, what time is it? It's got to be getting late by now. Maybe we should do them in the morning." Karl suggested.

Then he snapped his fingers and wrote another series of notes. "These are for another Special Forces team that I've worked with in the past. We will add their gear to the list and pass them all out tomorrow when the batches are done. Your journey continues at empire

Ladies and Gentlemen of the archery team, Overlord Joram is an archer, and he will need the best bow that you can produce."

According to Karl's watch, it was getting later in the afternoon, but not quite late enough to be headed back to the Palace yet, no matter how productive the day was.

The other smiths were making great progress on their weapons with the new forges, though it was taking some adjustment for them. Forgemaster Granite had managed to adapt instantly to the new forge, but the others had repeated stages multiple times, trying to get things just right.

Once they finished, things would be greatly improved, though. The addition of Ghostfire flames to the forge only granted the Ghostfire skill to the highest quality of weapons, but the level of refinement made the alloys subtly different, and more mana compatible.

The only issue Karl could see was that nothing created here would be particularly amenable to being enchanted with the ice or water element.

There would be a few Warriors and Rangers who might be put out by that. But overall, it was an improvement.

Engineer Fizzspark gestured up the stairs toward the main door.

"Go, head home for the evening and come back early. We will have something suitable by then, and the workers will be less stressed without the extra supervisor." She demanded.

"Should the Acolytes stay?" Karl asked.

"We have rooms ready for them here. They're assigned here as long as you are, but they don't have rooms in the Palace." Granite interjected.

Karl nodded. "Alright. Make sure that they sleep so that they're not nodding off when I get back in the morning."

That made the Dwarf laugh. Getting Blue Clerics to sleep when there was not only new knowledge, but a new skill worth of knowledge that they could practice, making them stop might actually involve drugging them to sleep.

Locking them in their rooms for the night would only change the location of their research.