A conversation between two World Rankers was taking place somewhere in the Golden Iron Palace.

“I received word that you arrived in this city three days ago.”

“This is our second meeting, Bafor.”

“Yes... It’s been years since we met in Subterra.”

Steel King Bafor, a dwarf with dark grey hair and beard as hard as steel cables, stared with his green eyes at Lee Kang-San, the Tortoise Emperor, and the hope of humanity. He was always left surprised when they met.

He’s gotten even stronger, Bafor thought.

He asked, “How far have you gone?”

“As far as you have, I believe,” Kang-San replied.

“I see.”

They examined each other thoroughly. Kang-San felt like he was staring at a hard lump of steel.

Steel King Bafor, thirty-fifth in the World Ranking. Those who have witnessed his hammering in Subterra could never forget him, he thought.

However, compared to then, he looked exhausted and consumed by anguish.

“I’ve heard you are getting along well with Gula lately,” Bafor remarked.

“I suppose. We had much to offer each other.”

“You’d best be careful. Biphatogenes and his kind have an impeccable memory.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Kang-San replied with a smile and asked, “I heard Uriel was seen near Ferrum lately... Are you aware of this?”

Bafor hesitated momentarily, then answered, “I am.”

“Did you invite him? From what I know, Faber and Orbis aren’t that close.”

“Relationships are fluid; they are prone to change, just like the one between you and Gula.”

So, he’s already in contact with the angels, Kang-San thought.

He continued to ask, “Is there anyone among your family or close friends... who has caught an incurable disease or curse?”

Bafor remained silent, simply staring at Kang-San with his unfaltering green eyes. After some time passed, he said, “It appears you’re not here just to enjoy the Ferrum Festival.”

“That is correct. I have a cherished junior who has a rather interesting item.”

“Oh? An interesting item, eh? What kind of item?”

“An Elixir.”

Bafor’s eyebrows twitched.

***

“You idiot!” Hadafu shouted, his face red with fury, as he stared at his son Kazafu.

Kazafu remained silent.

“How can someone like you, who’s receiving the unbridled support of the entire tribe, lose to that vagabond, Muka?!”

Hadafu’s rage had surpassed its threshold after spending weeks watching his son being compared to the undefeated Muka. He could endure the humiliating murmurs from the surroundings, but the real issue lay in Blue Anvil’s item sales. The artisan exams were not just about assessing artisans. It was also the perfect venue to advertise which tribe, clan, or workshop was superior.

Not only that, but the Coins earned at the Ferrum Auction House equated to thirty percent of the tribe’s annual earnings. It demonstrated the importance of the name value and reputation of the dwarf affiliated with a tribe. However, Blue Anvil’s sales had been plummeting lately due to Muka’s victories over Kazafu. Additionally, the number of customers ordering custom gear from Red Hammer had been rising, which enraged Hadafu even more.

“You placed second three times?! You should be ashamed of yourself!” Hadafu screamed.

Kazafu gritted his teeth and replied, “I will win next time... for sure.”

“Of course, you should! There’s only one exam left!”

Eleven thousand one hundred artisans were eliminated in three weeks through the first, second, and third exams. There were only three artisans remaining: Muka Haswell of Red Hammer, Kazafu Kosa of Blue Anvil, and Totoma Bima of Steel Hawk. The most contested final three before the exam began were Kazafu, Totoma, and Shudaiji Yule of Black Furnace, but Shudaiji was pushed to fourth place because of Muka.

“I forbid you from letting go of your hammer for the remaining week!” Hadafu shouted.

The fourth exam was one where the examinees challenged the existing A-rank artisans. Therefore, ranking had no meaning. However, he couldn’t leave Blue Anvil’s reputation tarnished. They needed to achieve unparalleled results in the final exam and restore Blue Anvil’s reputation.

“Huuu, you’re already guaranteed to pass the fourth exam with flying colors,” Hadafu said as he calmed down. “Have you mastered forging with warriorteel, Kazafu?”

“Yes, Father. I could forge with it, even with my eyes closed.”

“Good.”

Hadafu stroked his beard as he fell into thought. He had invested everything the tribe had to offer to make Kazafu an A-rank artisan. He had poured astronomical amounts of Coins and labor into developing a new metal, warriorteel.

Kazafu is guaranteed to pass if he showcases the new metal in the fourth exam and shows off its capabilities, he said inwardly.

It would restore Blue Anvil’s falling reputation and secure their majority seating in the Faber conference.

The problem is Muka and Totoma. What if they both become A-rank artisans?

It would be even worse if they decided to challenge A-rank artisans who supported Blue Anvil. If they won, the A-rank artisans would be demoted to B-rank, and Blue Anvil would lose their majority seating.

“What are those bastards from Green Hunters doing?” Hadafu asked.

Kazafu answered, “They’re in hiding, but I’ve heard over two hundred were killed due to attacks every night.”

“Tsk, useless pricks.”

Clan Green Hunters had lost their use after the human named Cheon Seong-Hwi killed Jazathura. Worried their tail would lead to Blue Anvil, Hadafu commanded Manfu Kosa, the chief of security and a member of Blue Anvil, to hide them. However, an unidentified assailant had been hunting the Green Hunters’ goblins every night.

Regardless of who they may be, their tracking skills are exceptional.

Blue Anvil couldn’t help them because there were too many eyes on them. Besides, Hadafu had no obligation to assist them in the first place.

“Abandon them. Since they failed to pay the advance, the deal with Humilitas is null,” Hadafu remarked.

“Understood. Also... the one whom I spoke to you about has sent a message,” Kazafu replied.

“What was their name again? They all sound so similar that I can never remember.”

“It was Bethaniael, if I remember correctly.”

***

A massacre took place in a hideout in Ferrum.

“Kererek!”

“Kurgh!”

“R-run! It’s the Grim Reaper—Krek!”

It was carried out by Seong-Hwi, who had transformed into Smith using the Myriad Cheoyong Mask just in case. A goblin head flew with each swing of the Sword of Koksan, and goblin intestines spewed with each flash of the Zanaka Karambit.

Seong-Hwi cut down a dozen goblins and entered a room in the deepest part of the hideout. He finally encountered his target—a goblin with bandages on his left shoulder.

“Kererek! Bastard!” screamed Sakozati, the vice clan leader of Green Hunters.

“It’s about time I killed you,” Seong-Hwi mumbled.

“Krek! Die!”

Sakozati grabbed a sword enveloped with an unsettling sorcery and swung it at Seong-Hwi’s legs. Seong-Hwi blocked it with the Sword of Koksan, which brightened Sakozati’s eyes.

“Kerek! You fell for it!”

Sakozati watched the sorcery spread throughout the Sword of Koksan, but did not know what Seong-Hwi’s Wings of Evolution turning light green meant.

[Activating Race Skill: Sorcery Reversal.]

The sorcery was reflected on Sakozati, mangling his intestines.

“Kurgh!” he grunted.

The Sword of Koksan severed his head before he could even feel pain.

[3,345,510 Karma obtained.]

“Huuu, looks like I’m more or less done with disposing of the remnants,” Seong-Hwi said.

He had been hunting the remnants of Clan Green Hunters for the past few weeks. He hunted one group after another by tracking them via connections using the Night Stalker. He had been letting only Sakozati escape on purpose to track down the scattered goblins, but he had killed him tonight along with the final remnants. Thanks to them, he had earned a lot of Karma.

[Karma: 27,555,507]

He opened two A-rank stat cubes without hesitation.

[Magic A(6) obtained.]

[Magic A(16) → Magic A(22)]

[Destiny Force A(6) obtained.]

[Destiny Force A(19) → Destiny Force A(25)]

Seong-Hwi relished in the pleasure brought by the increase in his mana and Destiny Force capacity.

“Huuu...” he sighed and looked around.

It was a regular dwarf residence; it looked nothing like a house that goblins would live in.

According to Rika Haswell, Blue Anvil has practically taken over public security.

It seemed to be true. Every goblin group had been lying low in unexpected areas as if someone had hidden them there.

Seong-Hwi grabbed Sakozati’s head. He had collected over two hundred goblin heads and was planning on preserving them so that they wouldn’t decay and send them to the Capital.

“It’s finally tomorrow,” he mumbled, referring to the fourth artisan exam. “Muka’s role is crucial.”

Rika mentioned that Hadafu and those of Blue Anvil planned to impeach Bafor during the upcoming Faber conference, which was terrible news for Seong-Hwi.

I have to negotiate with Bafor, but it would be meaningless if he’s not the king.

Hence, Muka needed to challenge and defeat an A-rank artisan from Blue Anvil and become an A-rank artisan himself.

Also, according to Lee Kang-San, the angels’ movements have been highly unnatural.

Kang-San met with Bafor a few weeks ago to discern his intentions and propose a deal, mentioning that they possessed an Elixir. However, Bafor refused.

Seong-Hwi recalled Kang-San shaking his head and saying, “It’d be best to give up, junior. Bafor has already made up his mind to make a deal with the angels. Well... I don’t blame him. According to him, the treatment requires both an Elixir and Holy Force.”

Kang-San failed to find out exactly what kind of disease it was, but there were two requirements to treat it: the Elixir and the angels’ secondary force, Holy Force.

“Don’t even consider the possibility that you could find an angel willing to help you. Every angel is unconditionally loyal to the God of Heaven. They are the God of Heaven himself. They’re bound to him by the halo.”

Kang-San emphasized that the plan was impossible. Although they had an Elixir, there was no way to obtain Holy Force. However, that information only brought hope to Seong-Hwi.

“I can use Holy Force. I’m perhaps the only non-angel who can use it!” he shouted.

With this, Seong-Hwi was made certain that he possessed all the cards necessary to negotiate with Steel King Bafor. What remained was to prevent Bafor from continuing his deal with the angels.

If Muka becomes an A-rank artisan tomorrow, I must ask Rika Haswell to let me meet Bafor as soon as possible!

***

The morning of the fourth artisan exam day brightened. Despite the intermixing of desires and underplots in the air, the skies were clear. The audience cheered as if celebrating the birth of an A-rank artisan, the finale of the Ferrum Festival.

“Get started already!”

“Muka! Although not as much as the 117 Human, I bet on you from the second exam!”

“Idiot, Kazafu is gonna sweep the fourth exam! I heard Blue Anvil’s been preparing for it.”

“I don’t care who it is! I just want to see the birth of a new A-rank artisan!”

Six large, spherical blast furnaces, each over three meters tall, were installed on the front yard of the Golden Iron Palace. Dwarves were already standing before three of the furnaces. Muka was on the far left, Kazafu was in the middle, and Totoma was on the far right. The three other furnaces were across from them.

Then, the host stepped forward and announced, “Alright! It’s time for the fourth exam, the A-rank artisan exam!”

“YEAAAAAH!”

“MUKA! MUKA! MUKA!”

“KAZAFU! KAZAFU!”

“TOTOMA! TOTOMA!”

Cheers were so loud that they almost drowned the host’s amplified voice. There were far more audience members than during the other exams, despite there only being three artisans remaining.

There are easily over a hundred thousand people, Seong-Hwi thought as he observed the surroundings with the Observer’s Earring.

Seeing this, he was certain the Steel King was not only an exceptional artisan but also an outstanding administrator. The host’s next announcement only solidified his certainty.

“Because this is the final exam, Faber’s almighty blacksmith, the pride of the dwarven race, the World Ranker, the Steel King, Lord Bafor has decided to host this exam!”

The cheers grew even more deafening. Seong-Hwi stared at the dwarf with dark grey hair and beard in the front row of the VIP seats. His appearance made it difficult to discern his age, and he naturally exuded an unmoving aura.

“I thank everyone for coming to Ferrum for this wonderful event,” Bafor greeted as he raised his hand.

His voice resonated as if he were right beside each audience member, overpowering their cheers.

“I know there is nothing more empty than verbal gratitude. Allow me to show you something you may enjoy,” he remarked as he whistled.

A steel bird flew down from the sky. Its drop was so powerful that the generated gust disheveled the audience’s hair. The steel bird landed on Bafor’s right arm and looked around.

Bafor smiled as he stared at over a hundred thousand pairs of shocked eyes and remarked, “This bird is an item I’ve made. It has been five years since I’ve showcased an item with S-rank potential.”

“M-my word!”

“The Steel King has showcased a new item at last!”

“C-contact the clan leader immediately!”

Bafor’s announcement caused an enormous commotion. He was the only person in the Mirror World who could create items with S-rank potential. He hadn’t showcased a new one since the last item five years ago.

“This item chooses its owner. It was inspired by my tribe, Steel Hawk. Its name is Steel Blade Hawk. It will be exhibited at the Ferrum Auction House.” Bafor did not waste the exhilaration of the audience and continued, “Now then, there is no theme to the fourth artisan exam! Each artisan may create whatever they wish! However, they have twelve hours, the perfect time to show off one’s creativity.”

Bafor turned to Totoma on the far right and asked, “Totoma Bima. Who will you challenge?”

“I would like to challenge the respectable artisan, Master Elfanya,” Totoma replied.

A male elf stood up from his VIP seat. He was one of the three A-rank elf artisans in the Mirror World. However, the audience murmured at Totoma’s choice.

“Wise choice!”

“Wise, my ass! It’s cowardly.”

“What does that have to do with anything? Winning is all that matters!”

Totoma mentioned he respected Elfanya as an artisan, but many knew that Elfanya was the least skilled of the A-rank artisans. He was a newcomer who had obtained his A-rank artisan certificate only last year.

“What about you, Kazafu Kosa?” Bafor asked.

“I would like to challenge the master craftsman of Steel Hawk, Master Nour.”

An old dwarf stood up from his VIP seat with a ferocious smile. The audience praised Kazafu’s courage. Nour was a veteran who had been an A-rank artisan for decades.

Hehe, this exam is as good as won. We’ve created a completely new metal, Hadafu said inwardly as he smiled from the VIP seats.

This exam was the perfect time to showcase the warriorteel. Not only that, Nour was Bafor’s disciple; they had already planned for Kazafu to remove him from the Faber conference.

Hmph! An item with S-rank potential? I could create something like that easily if I could monopolize the Artisan’s Soul like you! Hadafu mumbled inwardly as he glared at Bafor.

Just then, Bafor turned to Muka, the final dwarf, and asked, “Very well. Lastly, who will you challenge, Muka Haswell?”

Muka stared directly at his master and said, “I would like to challenge the artisan of the Blue Anvil tribe, Master Hadafu Kosa.”

The Golden Iron Palace’s front yard instantly grew silent. Muka had declared that he would challenge Ten Thousand Arms Hadafu Kosa, a World Ranker. Hadafu, who had been smiling as his son challenged Nour, frowned intensely.

“What? The arrogance—” He was about to scold Muka for not knowing his place, but Bafor was faster.

“Ahaha! Very well. Hadafu is also an A-rank artisan. You are more than qualified to challenge him. Will you accept, Hadafu?” Bafor asked as he turned to Hadafu.

All eyes also went to Hadafu, filled with anticipation that they would see the hammering of a World Ranker.

Hadafu gritted his teeth as he sensed their anticipation and answered, “It is the duty of an adult to educate the young dwarves. It is no problem.”

The moment he stood up from his seat, Bafor announced, “In that case, I wish you all luck!”