Chapter 106: Testing Epitaph with Snow

Leon stepped out of the shallow crater, the localized dust cloud from the atomized crystalline trees settling gently against the dark, polished bamboo of the estate’s porch.

He raised his right hand, bringing the newly forged Legendary axe, Epitaph, up to his eye level. He rotated his wrist, testing the rotational balance of the dark silver leather grip and the wicked, crescent-moon curvature of the razor-thin blade.

"I like the feel and the swing of the weapon, Snow," Leon stated. "The weight distribution is flawless. The aerodynamic profile completely removes the drag that usually hinders heavy armaments. It swings like a phantom."

Snow Valestorm was still leaning against the porch railing, her striking blue eyes wide as she stared at the empty space where five steel-dense trees had stood just moments prior. She slowly pushed herself off the wooden rail, a massive, brilliant smile breaking across her face as the shock faded into absolute, radiant pride. ℯℯ𝘭.

"I told you I was good, baby," Snow practically purred, strutting down the wooden steps and walking onto the grass to meet him. She reached out, running a finger lightly along the flat of the dark metal haft. "My SS-Rank talent doesn’t just make sharp things. It pulls the absolute ideal of a weapon out of the system’s code and hands it to you. But even I didn’t expect that internal detonation to be so... catastrophic."

"A static test against an unmoving target is one thing," Leon noted, his mind already pivoting away from the display and looking toward practical application. He lowered the axe, the weapon resting comfortably against his thigh. "I am more confident in testing it in a real combat scenario. Hitting bark is fine, but I need to feel how the Absolute Edge interacts with active magical shielding and hostile resistance."

Snow’s eyes lit up with excitement. She summoned her own massive silver buster sword, lifting the weapon that weighed as much as a small boulder and resting it casually against her fur-lined shoulder.

"Oh, baby, say less," Snow grinned, shifting her weight confidently. "Who are we killing? Give me a target."

Leon looked toward the southern horizon, past the glowing blue mana-waterfall and the tranquil borders of the Azure Scale village.

"While I was returning from the Iron-Vein Crater with Auris’s new armor, I flew over the primary intersection road that connects the crystalline forests to the dwarven outpost," Leon explained, his dual-colored eyes narrowing as he recalled the geographic data. "It is a major transit artery for the NPC factions, but I saw it entirely blockaded. It was heavily infested with a roaming pack of monsters. Iron-Spine Ursas, mostly."

"Level 50 monsters," Leon continued, turning to look directly at her. "They are massive, highly aggressive beasts covered in dense, natural iron plating. Their physical defense is incredibly high for the Adept rank. With your Level 47 stats and that Legendary-ranked buster sword you forged, they shouldn’t be difficult for you to handle. And those monsters will serve as a perfect, highly-armored test dummy for this new weapon."

Snow let out a short, melodic laugh, tossing her long white hair over her shoulder.

"Level 50s? Baby, please," Snow scoffed playfully, her eyes gleaming with absolute confidence. "I was hunting Level 50 Elites before I even had a Steadfast husband to back me up. But I appreciate you finding me some warm-up targets. Let’s go clear the road and test out your new toy."

Leon offered a brief nod of agreement. He reached out with his soul-sense, projecting his intent across the valley.

Less than ten seconds later, the sky above the estate darkened as Auris, the Glacial Sovereign, descended from his high-altitude hunt. The Level 100 High-Dragon landed gracefully in the clearing, the heavy steel armor plating covering his chest and wings completely silent despite the massive weight.

Auris let out a low, rumbling greeting, his cyan eyes flicking toward the dark axe in Leon’s hand, sensing the lethal, concentrated energy radiating from the Legendary weapon.

"We have an extermination run, Auris," Leon commanded smoothly.

He didn’t need to offer a hand this time. Snow eagerly scrambled up the dragon’s armored side, utilizing the jagged edges of the steel plating as handholds. She vaulted into the saddle area at the base of the dragon’s neck, settling in and patting the cold metal affectionately. Leon followed effortlessly, his 235 Agility making the leap look like a localized teleport.

He settled in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist to grab the primary handholds, pulling her back against his body.

"I could definitely get used to this, baby," Snow laughed, leaning her head back against his shoulder as the dragon’s massive muscles coiled beneath them. "Riding a dragon beats walking through the mud any day."

"Hold on," Leon warned, a faint smirk touching his lips.

Auris launched them into the sky with a violent, thunderous flap of his Void-Piercer Wings. The G-force pressed Snow flush against Leon, and she let out a loud, exhilarated cheer that was instantly swallowed by the roaring wind.

They banked south, tearing through the pale magenta sky of Sector 12. Leon engaged the Aegis of the Tempest, creating their localized pocket of calm air so they could strategize without fighting the atmospheric pressure.

"The intersection is located in a deep, narrow canyon just before the dwarven territory," Leon briefed her. He was already familiar with monsters of this type from Sector 4, though the ones he had encountered there had been considerably weaker.

He leaned forward slightly, looking over her shoulder at the approaching landscape.

"The Iron-Spine Ursas use the high canyon walls to trap merchant caravans. They’re pack hunters, so the moment we enter the canyon, they’ll try to swarm us and overwhelm us through sheer numbers, cutting off our mobility before we can properly respond."

Leon’s expression remained calm.

"If we want to avoid getting surrounded, we need to break through their formation before they can close in."

"Let them swarm, baby," Snow said, gripping the hilt of her buster sword. "My blade is built for crowd control. I’ll take the vanguard, you take the flanks?"

"No," Leon corrected, his voice calm but absolute. "You take the left flank. I will take the right. I want a clean, isolated testing environment for the axe’s internal detonation mechanic. Do not interfere with my targets unless you are overwhelmed."

"Overwhelmed? Me?" Snow feigned offense, turning her head to shoot him a playful glare. "You just watch your own back, baby. I’m going to turn my half of the canyon into a meat grinder."

The crystalline forests rapidly gave way to the heavy, rugged stone of the southern crags. The earth cracked and splintered, forming deep, jagged canyons that pulsed with dense, aggressive earth-attribute mana.

Leon’s Origin Eyes flared with golden light, peering down through the atmospheric haze.

"There," Leon pointed.