However, the three Feder Blacksmiths’ excitement didn’t last long before turning into wry smiles.

Before they could speak, Levi took the initiative and asked, "Why aren’t these bow arms strung?"

The body of this Bed Crossbow was composed of three parts: the Main Bow, the Front Bow, and the Rear Bow. Through the Bowstring, their geometric structure would perfectly combine their tension and elasticity, achieving an effect where one plus one plus one was greater than three.

But strangely, though the body of the Bed Crossbow was completely finished, it had yet to be strung.

"Lord, that is precisely what we’ve been agonizing over." The expressions on the faces of the middle-aged blacksmiths were complicated, like a father proudly watching his daughter get married, only to realize her husband is some punk.

"The tension of these Bow Arms, laced with mountain copper, is too great. In fact, it’s excessively so. After we built them, we found it’s completely impossible to bend them enough to attach the Bowstring."

An Zhi explained, stroking the purple Bow Arm on the Bed Crossbow—a coloration caused by the mountain copper. His face was filled with both fondness and frustration.

"Have the Giants do it," the Lord said.

Although the construction of the Bed Crossbow had to be kept secret for the time being, just getting a few Giants to help string it wouldn’t be a problem.

"It’s no use. We even had the Giants try. Two of them could only bend the Bow Arm a distance of two fists." The blacksmiths’ wry smiles only deepened.

This time, Levi was genuinely surprised. The Giants may have been stupid, but their strength was inversely proportional to their intelligence.

The Lord had suffered his first major setback at the hands of these oafs; it was safe to say no one had a more visceral understanding of their power than he did.

Good news: the most critical component, the Bow Arm, had been successfully forged.

Bad news: it was *too* good, so it couldn’t be strung.

Levi suddenly had a realization. The reason even some entire nations couldn’t produce Dragon-Hunting Bed Crossbows made entirely of mountain copper wasn’t that the technology was so advanced.

It was simply because even if you built one, you couldn’t fucking string it.

Evidently, the nations capable of independently producing Dragon-Hunting Crossbows must have a specialized technique for stringing them.

No wonder the old blacksmiths had been looking so glum all morning.

The Lord had thought they’d been kicked out of bed for poor performance.

"Let me try." The Lord rolled up his sleeves, looking eager to give it a shot.

"Huh?!" x4

Everyone was dumbstruck, wondering if their old ears were failing them or if the Lord was still half-asleep.

So as not to wound his pride, the old blacksmith An Zhi wracked his brain for a tactful way to dissuade him. "Lord, such crude labor is truly unseemly. A man of your noble station has no need to do this."

He might as well have pointed at the Lord’s head and said, ’Just give it up, Lord. If two Giants couldn’t budge it, you certainly can’t.’

In truth, while the blacksmiths had never seen the Lord in action, they had long heard tales of his martial prowess.

But even so, he was still a man of flesh and blood. They couldn’t believe his seemingly meager frame contained power more terrifying than a Giant’s.

"You have that little faith in me?" Levi asked, flexing his biceps and pecs with a fiery glint in his eyes.

His meaning was clear: ’My muscles are this magnificent and you still don’t trust your Lord?’

The blacksmiths all rolled their eyes in unison. Compared to a Giant, his muscles were no different from toothpicks.

Levi’s confidence wasn’t baseless. Ever since acquiring the System, he had no idea what the upper limit of his own Power was. All he knew was that if a Giant, renowned for its strength, were to clash with him head-on, the outcome would be the Giant’s weapon—and its body along with it—being smashed to smithereens.

Seeing the Lord was determined to try, An Zhi stopped trying to dissuade him. ’Once his Lordship experiences it for himself, he’ll know to back down.’

Levi walked up to the Bed Crossbow and looked at the flat Bow Arm, which was as thick as his own arm. He took a deep breath, spread his hands, and gripped the middle of the Bow Arm, as if holding a power twister bar.

"UP!"

Levi’s Qi sank to his dantian. Veins popped on his arms, and his muscles stood out in sharp relief, as defined as chiseled marble. Accompanied by his low roar, the Bow Arm began to make the groaning sound of bending metal.

"This..."

The blacksmiths began to question their own reality, but it was clear they were starting too soon.

CREEEAK...

As the Lord exerted his strength, the Bow Arm bent to an unbelievable degree, its groans echoing uniquely in the silent room.

The watching blacksmiths stood frozen like statues, the tools in their hands unconsciously slipping from their grasp and clattering to the floor.

"My heavens... It’s... It’s Hercules..." An Zhi watched in a daze, his body trembling uncontrollably.

He knew just how powerful those Giants were. The creatures possessed a trace of true Giant blood and were born with immense strength. Even if the wheels of a heavy wagon filled with iron ore got stuck, they could just keep dragging it forward through brute force.

And yet, it had taken two of those creatures to barely bend the Bow Arm halfway into position.

But what was he seeing now?

The unyielding Bow Arm was now being bent into a semicircle by a much smaller human.

The visual impact of this pure display of Power was more potent than any words or descriptions could ever be.

"What are you all gaping for? Get the Bowstring on, now!"

The Lord even had enough strength left to shout.

Snapping out of their stupor, the Feder Blacksmiths quickly fastened the Bowstring, which was woven from a thousand strands of ox sinew.

The Bed Crossbow had a total of three Bow Arms. Levi was bending the Main Bow first, as planned. The Feder Blacksmiths quickly tied the Bowstring to the Rear Bow, then looped it over the pulley on the Main Bow.

Once Levi let go, the precisely measured Bowstring would pull the two into a perfect fit. All that remained was to attach the Front Bow to the Main Bow, and the Bed Crossbow would be complete.

"You all better stand back."

Levi prepared to release the Main Bow. Even he was starting to feel tired from the immense tension; he could only hold on for another hour at most.

The blacksmiths all scrambled for cover.

The Bow Arm forged with mountain copper had completely surpassed their expectations, so there was a chance the Bowstring they had prepared wouldn’t be able to bear the strain and would snap.

SNAP!

As the Lord released his hands, the Bowstring made of a thousand strands of ox sinew held for only three breaths before snapping, just as they’d feared.

With a whistle through the air, the broken string instantly shattered a nearby chair. The force was terrifying.

"Lord, are you alright?"

The blacksmiths rushed to Levi’s side.

Having released his grip, Levi had already taken the opportunity to move to a safe position, so he was naturally unharmed.

"Well, this is a problem." Levi sighed, looking at the half-finished Bed Crossbow.

They could figure out a solution for the Bow Arms and other components, but the Bowstring was another matter. Its production process was extremely complex, and it was impossible to make a new one on short notice.

Making these few Bowstrings for the Bed Crossbow had already exhausted the Feder Tribe’s entire store of ox sinew.

And besides, if a Bowstring woven from a thousand strands of ox sinew couldn’t withstand the tension, what kind of Bowstring possibly could?

’Sometimes, something being too good is its own kind of headache.’

The Lord thought helplessly.