“Did you eat first today? Sorry, I should’ve woken up a bit earlier.”
A broad smile and a relaxed tone—who would’ve believed that Agnus was the owner of the eyes that were warmer than the sun? The nickname of ‘Mad Dog’ might be too harsh for him.
‘...What?’
The doctor, Hera, watched Agnus’ gentleness and shook her head. Was it normal for a human to treat the dead as a lover? He truly was as crazy as the rumors.
“...Are you going to be hara.s.sing people tonight?”
A month—this was how long the doctor Hera had been captured by Agnus. Of course, she could run away at any time. She was a player and the only thing that could bind a player’s freedom was the laws of the nation and the power of certain NPCs.
However, Hera didn’t run away from Agnus. In the first week, it was because she was afraid. Later, she became interested. Why on earth did he love a rotting doll?
In this stinking dining room, Agnus kissed the rotting cheek of a doll in a beautiful dress. Then he turned to Hera. The eyes that seemed like suns.h.i.+ne cooled down like mercury. “You are asking something obvious. The march of the night won’t stop until the only living people on this land are the three of us.”
“Three... you, me, and who else?” Hera asked with courage as she alternated looking between the doll staring at the ceiling with no focus and the lich hiding in the shade of a tree and carving a jewel.
Agnus responded like it was absurd, “Are you joking?”
He looked like he didn’t understand. Hera saw his hand on the doll’s shoulder and was forced to admit it—Agnus believed that the doll with the name ‘Luna Carlin’ above her head was alive. The fork, which had been in a precarious state for quite some time, fell under the table. It was the fork held in Luna Carlin’s hand. The plate in front of her was untouched.
However, it looked different in Agnus’ eyes. “You ate everything. Then I’ll get rid of it.”
Agnus threw the leftovers and utensils into the trash can and turned his attention to the lich Pauld. Pauld’s appearance was no different from when he was alive apart from his skin being strangely white and cold. He was an eternal youth apart from the fact that he wasn’t breathing.
Agnus asked, “Are you done?”
“Yes.”
Pauld gave Agnus the ring that he had been carefully crafting over the past week. The Ring of Absurdity—Pauld’s masterpiece that reduced the consumption of all resources was revived more brilliantly to reflect the new era. Agnus placed the beautiful, s.h.i.+ning ring on his finger and laughed. “I can do even more tonight.”
The night was sure to come. A cold night that subdued the divine flames soaking this land. Once it came, the dead would crawl out and harm the living. Every day, the number of living would decrease and the number of dead would increase.
Agnus smiled coldly and stared at the palace in the distance. “You should’ve just given it to me.”
***
Blacksmiths were those who touched iron filled with heat. Blacksmiths were never afraid of fire. However, fire to this extent...
“Oh...!”
Grid started to use the bellows and the reddish furnace affected the smithy. It wasn’t this hot even standing in the middle of Reidan’s desert. The bodies of the blacksmiths behind him immediately became drenched in sweat. Someone immediately took off their clothes and threw them away. He was worried that his clothes wouldn’t be able to withstand the heat and would burn. The heat was this hot.
“Th...is.”
The 1st ranked blacksmith, Panmir—even he couldn’t stand it and had to take a step back. He was deprived of his ability to breathe in this heated s.p.a.ce and wanted to run out like the other blacksmiths. However, he endured it and kept watching. The best flames produced by the best blacksmith were imprinted in his eyes and mind. The goal of his life was reformed in this moment.
“Cough, cough...!” Panmir eventually couldn’t stand it and left the smithy.
“Gasp... Gasp...”
Grid’s use of the bellows accelerated even more. The furnace in front of him was an orange color and was on the verge of melting. Even so, Grid didn’t stop the bellows. They were fast but regular movements. He stepped on the bellows like it was a sword dance.
The fire stone in the furnace still had its original shape. It seemed to be ridiculing him for trying to dominate it with this much after it endured the fire dragon’s breath for 200 years. The surface of the furnace started to melt, but the fire stone in the furnace was still fine. This stone was far beyond the flames. It seemed to be whispering to Grid to bring it on.
However, Grid just smiled. “Let’s see who will win in the end.”
There was still quite a lot of white phosphorus wood in Grid’s inventory. It was a quant.i.ty that could make at least 300 items. The hundreds of firewood were poured into the furnace. It was without leaving behind a single one.
He focused on this moment without thinking about the consequences. He was convinced this was the only way he could beat that guy. A legendary blacksmith. No, it was a calculation that was possible because he was a blacksmith who confronted a G.o.d.
The heat was unparalleled. The heat wasn’t in the realm that a legendary blacksmith could endure. At least, if Grid wasn’t the Duke of Fire nor had the red phoenix’s protection.
There wouldn’t be a single person who could stay in the smithy right now. The furnace exploded. It might be able to contain ultra-high heat, but it was only a work of humanity. The work of humanity couldn’t endure the true heat of the white phosphorus wood grown from seeds sown by G.o.ds.
The flames grew out of control. It moved like a tsunami that hit Grid and swallowed the entire smithy. Then the smithy exploded. The first smithy, which housed hundreds of furnaces and was the largest smithy in Reinhardt’s blacksmithing district, was easily reduced to ashes.
“Aack!”
“This... this is unbelievable!”
Panmir was glad to hear the voices. The blacksmiths who stood across the street and watched the smithy were fortunate enough to avoid any serious injuries. It was just that the mental shock they experienced was unbearable. How big were the flames to cause the smithy to explode?
Beep!Beep!
Whistles rang throughout the city. The onlookers gathered around the dazed blacksmiths. The security force arrived one step earlier and tried to stop them from entering the scene of the explosion, only to pause. It was due to Knight Royman’s command, “Stand by.”
“......”
The entire area became calm like it was holding its breath. The outline of the smithy swallowed up in the flames slowly started to be seen. A building with only the skeleton left. Grid stood in the middle of the blackened ruins. The orange molten stone flowing like spring water from the furnace caught people’s attention.
Stagger.
Grid struggled to take steps as he caught the molten stone and pulled out an anvil. He didn’t use a mold as always. Hammering began in the silence. The forging and quenching processes were repeated. Every hit caused ferocious flames to appear and the molten stone gradually took shape.
It wasn’t until a few hours later that the people watching discovered the ident.i.ty was a ‘sword.’ It was a long and laborious task.
Kaaang!Kaaang!Kaaang! Slowly but surely, the form became perfect. After being quenched several times, the red-hot blade gradually cooled down.
Kaaang!Kaaang!Kaaang! The flames calmed down. The fire stone finally accepted Grid’s touch and was transformed into a blade. Then Grid started to sharpen it.
“Uh... Uwah...”
“Is this the work of a human being like us...?”
The blade that regained its light after being polished was as transparent as gla.s.s. The wavy marks created during the forging process were faintly visible, making the blade more beautiful.
“...Gulp.”
The blacksmiths on the street had a gut feeling. Every night, they would dream of making that beautiful blade with their own hands. They would dream and then feel despair every morning when they realized it was an unachievable dream.
In the silence that continued again after the admiration, Grid poked the blade with his finger and a clear sound echoed. It was a clear resonance that they would never hear again in the future. The ordinary people and blacksmiths started to tremble. The tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets didn’t dare to speculate on the value of the work that Grid had just created.
Then a strange voice permeated Grid’s ears. It was the voice of the new sword that Grid would often hear in the future.
-Human who made me surrender when I didn’t give in to the fire dragon, even if you are far away, you are my only master.
[The Fire Dragon Sword has been completed.]
[Producing a myth rated item has permanently increased all stats by +20 and reputation throughout the continent has increased by +1,000.]
“...!”
“...!”
“...!”
The blacksmiths, soldiers, knights, and even ordinary people couldn’t shut their mouths. The beautiful sword that Grid had just created floated around Grid. All of a sudden, Grid swung the sword toward the sky. It was his greeting to welcome the Fire Dragon Sword.
The light sword cut through the air. The transparent Fire Dragon Sword was dyed red and a trail of red light remained as an aftereffect. The residual light caught fire. It was then transformed into a ma.s.sive, ferocious flame that ascended to the sky. The sky seemed to be falling.
Grid slowly stroked the Fire Dragon Sword against the red-colored sky. “Let"s get along well in the future."