The past was built upon collecting unique characteristics.

Before he could even ask, old Walker, with a smug look on his face, began to give a detailed introduction.

"It has two active effects. The first is that after injecting spiritual essence, it can create a clone that moves in sync with you for a short time. The clone will inherit half of the original's attack power and will look almost exactly the same as you."

That sounds pretty good; it fits the need for flexibility and disruption in combat… Morian’s mind clicked.

"But it's important to note that the created clones are relatively fragile and will inevitably disappear prematurely after withstanding a certain level of attack," Walker continued.

"The second effect is that this knife can absorb energy up to its maximum capacity. The absorbed energy will be temporarily stored inside, and you can choose to release it in any subsequent attack."

"The stored energy will dissipate over time, lasting for a maximum of ten minutes. Be mindful of the time when using it," Walker cautioned, his tone becoming more serious.

"In addition, there is a passive effect that is better than nothing. When using this weapon, every action you take will leave a few seconds of afterimage. These afterimages will maintain your posture at the moment the action is completed to confuse your opponent."

Listening to Walker's description, Morian became even more convinced that seeking out this highly skilled master blacksmith was absolutely the right decision.

The skill of absorbing and counterattacking is invaluable in actual combat, and may even be the key to turning the tide of battle in some situations.

He truly deserves to be called an extraordinary blacksmith with a destiny of "divine skill".

He gently placed the dagger back into the wooden box, then turned to Walker and said earnestly:

"Thank you very much, Mr. Walker. To be honest, this piece has exceeded my expectations."

Old Walker waved his hand, and although he didn't say anything, the slight upturn of his lips betrayed his enjoyment of the customer's approval.

"No need for formalities. Did you bring the final payment?"

"A total of seven hundred and twenty-one pounds."

Morian took out a money pouch from his pocket and handed it over without any hesitation. Inside was the final payment that had already been prepared.

Exchanging over a thousand pounds for this extraordinary weapon is absolutely worth it.

After counting the money, Walker gave a satisfied "hmm" and put it into the pocket of his work clothes.

"Alright, if there's nothing else, hurry up and go. I have things to do."

What a unique farewell... Morian smiled, thanked them again, and then turned and left the forge with the safe.

With this item, I am much better prepared to accept the commission.

……

The following day at noon, in the Maria district.

Following the address written on the royal commission letter, Morian arrived at this predominantly middle-class neighborhood, where the streets were quiet and respectable, with few pedestrians in sight.

The buildings in Maria Street are mostly two- or three-story townhouses with gray stone exteriors. Although not every house has a private yard, the streets are very clean.

Today he deliberately chose a conservative white robe, a common attire for doctors or some researchers, with wide sleeves and small pockets sewn on the sides and chest.

He looked every bit the professional doctor.

Of course, he was a psychologist… Morian mentally reaffirmed his persona at work for the day before raising his hand to knock on the apartment door.

knock!knock!knock!

A moment later, a man of about fifty years old with a serious expression came to open the door. He was dressed in a black tailcoat, with a composed and elegant demeanor, the standard attire of a butler.

"Excuse me, is this Mr. Paul?" Morian asked calmly, referring to the contact name in the letter. "I am Morian Thias, the person who came to pick up the commission."

Paul, the butler, glanced at the white robe, seemingly making a quick assessment before nodding and saying:

"Please come in, Dr. Thias."

Upon entering the house, the first thing you see is a small but tidy living room.

The living room has no superfluous decorations or items that could reveal the owner's status. All the items exude an atmosphere of pursuing pure functionality and low-key style, as if to suggest that the homeowner does not have much demand for material things.

"Please sit down." Paul gestured for Morian to sit in an armchair, while he himself stood upright in front of him.

"Time is limited, so I will give you a brief overview of the situation. The identity of the person who made the request is sensitive. You only need to know that the person who needs help is an important subordinate knight of the person who made the request."

"Yes, I understand. It was mentioned in the letter of authorization." Morian nodded slightly, making a final confirmation. "So you need some special help to guide this knight out of his mental stagnation, right?"

Paul hesitated for a moment, but quickly nodded solemnly: "Yes."

"Your task is to try to communicate with her and alleviate her symptoms. Regardless of the success or failure, you must completely forget what happened today after you leave this room. This is the most basic requirement and is also for your safety."

After giving this instruction, the old butler took an item from the drawer and handed it to Morian.

It was an object resembling a human skin mask, and it was very thin and light.

"Please put this on before you officially set off."

"When worn on the face, this item can temporarily change your appearance and voice, concealing your true identity and appearance from the outside world."

Changing appearance? Morian touched the "human skin mask" in his hand. It felt like some kind of leather, yet had the elasticity of biological tissue.

Does this thing really have such magical effects? If it can truly change one's appearance, then it would undoubtedly be an invaluable treasure for carrying out covert missions.

Without much hesitation, he gently unfolded the film in his hand and applied it to his face.

In the blink of an eye, the human skin mask naturally blended into the skin, automatically fitting tightly along the contours of the face.

Morian felt a slight twitching sensation on his facial skin, but the feeling didn't last long.

A few seconds later, the butler Paul handed over a silver-handled hand mirror.

The face reflected in the mirror was completely unfamiliar. The original black hair had turned into striking blonde hair, the facial features were more blurred than before, and even the color of the pupils had changed to a light blue like the sky.

At this moment, he looked like an ordinary resident walking on the streets of Bet City who would never attract anyone's attention.

It's truly amazing; it even saves the trouble of disguise. No... this is even better and more stable than disguise. Morian raised his hand and touched his cheek; the touch from his fingertips was slightly rough.

"Time is running out," the butler said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"If you are ready, then let's set off now for the knight's residence."

"No problem, we can set off now." Morian put down the mirror, stood up, and his voice had changed to a different tone.

Seeing this, the butler Paul said no more and immediately led the way to the back courtyard.

Opening the unassuming brown wooden door leading to the backyard, a carriage without any markings had been waiting on the street for some time.