With a light and cheerful heart, Alistair returned to Snowmantle Citadel, having smoothly completed the last of his daily villain quests.
His target had been a slavelord who was viciously beating his chattel. While such sights were common, that didn't mean Alistair had to tolerate them. Consequently, the man was charged with "the crime of disturbing the lord with excessive noise" and was soundly thrashed by Alistair's knights. As for his slaves, Alistair appropriated them as well, arranging for them to become servants in the castle.
The shameless System hadn't specified what kind of subject to beat, just that it had to be a subject. This was the only task Alistair had completed with a clear conscience, one that required no clandestine compensation.
…
"And now, for the thrilling reward ceremony!"
Alistair rubbed his hands together in excitement. He sat upright at the long table in the dining hall, a spread of roasted meat and fine red wine laid out before him.
"System, I'll take my reward now!" Alistair declared with a swagger, taking a pleasant sip of wine.
[Ding! The Host has completed all daily tasks. Claim rewards? Y/N?]
"Yes!"
Alistair heard the sound of celebratory fireworks going off in his mind, and a virtual prize wheel materialized before him. The wheel was divided into five equal sections: Troops, Combat Arts, Equipment, Potions, and Curios. It was a thoroughly traditional design.
Alistair was neither surprised nor particularly disappointed; his expectations for the shameless System were already rock bottom. Of the five reward types, he wanted Troops most. As a newly appointed lord, what he lacked most was talent. For now, Thorne alone was not enough.
His second choice was Equipment. As for Combat Arts, Alistair had no need for them. His master had been a legendary Sword Saint; the techniques he had already learned were among the best in the world. He had no idea what Curios were, having never encountered them in the game. With a system this shameless, wasn't his life strange enough?
Potions were likely the most useless prize. In Alistair's view, any boost that wasn't permanent was just a empty threat.
Let's go.
With a mental command, Alistair pressed the button in the center of the wheel. It spun rapidly before gradually slowing, passing Combat Arts, then Troops, before finally coming to a gentle stop in the Equipment section.
"Not bad!" Alistair was quite pleased to have won his second-most desired prize.
[Congratulations, Host, you have received the Excellent-grade armor: Dragon-Shatterer Heavy Plate… Ding! Triple critical chance obtained! Critical success! …Congratulations, Host, you have received the Hero-grade armor: Triumphant Paladin Hero Plate.]
"Alright… wait, Hero-grade?" Alistair shot up from his chair.
[Congratulations, Host, you have received the Hero-grade armor: Triumphant Paladin Hero Plate. Manifest now?]
"Yes, manifest it now! I've never even seen a piece of Hero-grade armor before!"
Alistair was ecstatic. His own master, the legendary Sword Saint Thalric, possessed only a single Hero-grade sword; his armor was merely Master-grade.
The skill of human smiths was limited, with Master-grade being the pinnacle of their craft. Equipment of a higher grade could only be forged by Dwarven masters. And even then, creating a Hero-grade item was incredibly difficult, requiring not only peerless materials but also a perfect alignment of time, place, and spirit.
As for the Epic-grade and Legendary-grade equipment that lay beyond, they were things of myth.
Under Alistair's expectant gaze, a suit of armor so magnificent it bordered on divine materialized on the dining table.
The armor was a brilliant silver-white, accented with flourishes of gold. The joints were crafted from a highly resilient soft gold, while the main body was forged from the hardest dragon-patterned steel.
During his studies at the Knight Academy, Alistair had learned of this material; only trace amounts could be found deep within the earth's core or in the lairs of fire dragons.
The most eye-catching feature was on the breastplate. In the center was set a golden dragon crystal the size of a man's face. Though cut and polished, it was clearly from at least a mature brass dragon.
The crystal was linked to a web of mana circuits etched into the armor, which would passively amplify the wearer's aura. The wearer could also actively channel their energy into the circuits, projecting a protective barrier.
Without a doubt, even among other Hero-grade equipment, this was a top-tier piece.
Alistair eagerly donned the armor. The mana circuits activated, and he felt a jolt of energy. A surging wave of power emanated from his chest, spreading throughout his body. He had the distinct feeling that, wearing this armor, he could now fight Thorne on equal footing.
"System, you absolute legend! You're not some useless piece of code anymore. You're really on the ball now!"
[Ding! This system is a data-based consciousness and is not physically situated on a spherical object.]
The System was as literal as ever. But that was a good thing. The dumber it was, the more loopholes he could exploit.
Mulling this over with glee, Alistair fetched his greatsword from its stand. He was now itching for a fight with Thorne.