When they arrived at the Larimar Market on planet Gloom, Nebai’s eyes briefly locked onto Zaimo, just for a split second. Alm and Bruno noticed something subtle in that exchange. Then, she turned to the whale and bowed.
"Sir, all the dwarves have been called back to our homes. Those scattered across the universe, working for the God of Merchants, have left temporary replacements. Everyone is ready to follow your orders."
She spoke seriously, and the whale nodded slightly. Dwarves loved parties, drinks, and spending time crafting things unrelated to cultivation. But in important moments, they were extremely serious and loyal.
So much so that, even in the previous universe, while everyone was hunting the nefarious villain at the hero’s command, the dwarves remained focused on their lives, avoiding involvement. At that time, that villainous figure took advantage of their passivity, and the dwarves were the first race to be completely refined by him.
Alm and Bruno would never admit it, but they felt a greater sense of guilt for this, which led them to easily accept the mantle the God of Forge handed them. If possible, they would bring the dwarves to their side. Of course, the benefits from this alliance also motivated them quite a bit.
The whale noticed several Fey inside the market; they had been recently recruited and would take care of the place in the dwarves’ absence. "Let’s go," said the whale, and Nebai, along with all the dwarves, moved towards the transport formation.
A cyan aura covered everyone, accompanied by several pulsating runes. Everything around them distorted, but it only took a few seconds to completely stabilize. Then, the intense sunlight hit them all.
The first thing they saw was an open area in the center of what appeared to be a massive city. The city was incredibly beautiful, with all the buildings well-crafted, and even the ground seemed to have been meticulously designed like a work of art. The whale looked around, searching for something but didn’t find it... It took them a moment to realize they needed to look down.
There, before them, was an endless sea of dwarves, staring directly at the imposing and perhaps fabulous whale.
Alm and Bruno noticed a mix of emotions in the dwarves’ eyes: curiosity, adoration, but mostly doubt and a flicker of anger. It was obvious they wouldn’t easily believe that the God of Forge had reincarnated and was here again—and on top of that, wasn’t a dwarf?
The chances of it being a hoax were huge. And the fact that he was a human, known for their schemes, only added to that. At the same time, the God of Forge himself had promised to return and left a small stone to identify his return. How could this half-human forge something like that? They didn’t know, which is why they needed to evaluate him properly with their senses.
Alm and Bruno realized that, throughout the gigantic city, in every possible inch, there was a dwarf, all of them facing their direction. There were millions, billions, countless dwarves... but obviously, that wasn’t the entire race. Probably, only the most important dwarves were present, observing them seriously.
After three seconds of silence, a small, robust figure with a long golden beard, near the formation, raised his hand. With this gesture, all the dwarves understood in unison; that was the King of the dwarves.
Then, all the countless dwarves began to bow and then kneel towards the whale.
"God of Forge!"
They roared while kneeling in unison. The scene was grand, but... at the same time, awkward.
They weren’t the God of Forge, and even Bruno felt slightly embarrassed by it. He hesitated, but Alm took control of the whale.
"Get up. I can’t stand idiotic formalities; they’re a waste of time. I just came back, and I’ve got a lot of work to do," the whale said dryly, and all the dwarves immediately raised their heads, staring at him coldly.
"What is it, you idiots?" The whale snorted, noticing their looks. "You want to slack off? Fine, whatever, it’s good to relax sometimes. If you want some kind of formality, I’ll allow you to celebrate my return; but I’m only giving you one day to have fun. After that, I’ll work you like horses."
He spoke dryly, and an awkward silence spread across the place.
It lasted several suffocating seconds. Until the dwarves’ expressionless faces changed drastically. They began to stand up quickly, and as if they were synchronized, cheerful and lively laughter echoed throughout the city.
"Hahaha," the dwarf king chuckled lightly, approaching the whale. "Welcome back, sir. It seems the descriptions of you are accurate."
The whale snorted, but internally Alm and Bruno were sweating bullets. How could they guess how the God of Forge would act? It was a blind test, a real risk. Alm hit the right tone by luck; generally, dwarves don’t like formalities, but obviously, there are many different personalities. For a God to emerge, he must be someone eccentric and who thinks differently from others; it was very easy to make a mistake pretending to be him.
’That bastard dwarf should’ve found a way not to leave detailed information about him. Did he want to screw us over? His plan was doomed to fail, and now we’re walking on eggshells,’ Bruno thought to himself, worried.
"Let’s get on with it," the whale said, and the king chuckled lightly, nodding. It seemed that being rude was the right choice.
The king turned to the people and gestured; everyone fell silent, then he spoke loudly: "Celebrate in grand style! You heard him, we only have one day. So make this the biggest day of all. The God of Forge is among us again!"
The entire city roared in response, and the king approached the whale. The formation they were in pulsed, taking them to another place.
When they arrived, they were inside the royal castle. Alm and Bruno sighed; they could’ve taken them directly there, but they had to go through all the dwarves’ tests. The first one was the most important, and they passed it by luck... or maybe not. Bruno was sure Alm simply acted rudely and retorted authentically. If Bruno had done it, it might not have been as convincing; perhaps Alm’s impulse saved them.
"The throne room is close. Your crown is waiting for you there, and all the advisors are already waiting."
The dwarf king said this with an apparent nonchalance, moving slowly. But who in this world could fool these two? Their intentions were clear to both. It was just another test.
"To hell with this shit," the whale grumbled. "Take me to the forge. When I’m tired, maybe I’ll think about wasting time with old fools. Like I told Nebai, my memories aren’t complete. I need to remember some things to clear my mind."
The king stopped and turned to the whale. After two seconds, he nodded with a silent smile. "This humble dwarf is called Nival, and I am at your service, sir," he said, bowing deeply.
"The castle’s central forge is empty. Everyone has gone out to celebrate your arrival. I’ll call Master of the Forge, Valzi, but he’s probably drinking. In the meantime, I can accompany you; my skills in forging are only surpassed by his."
The whale nodded, and then Nebai said, "Uncle, I’m going to check some information for Mr. Denil."
Nival nodded, giving a casual glance at his niece. He knew her well and noticed something subtly different about her. With just a look, he saw the dwarf next to the whale and wondered why. Had she finally found someone?
He let out a slight sigh. He felt sorry for the young dwarf; his niece’s standards and expectations were daunting.
For dwarves who loved forging and handiwork, the reason why 99.99% of them got married was tied to talent and the fruits of their labor. The higher the woman’s status, the more distinguished the dwarf had to be—someone of high value.
Nebai was the king’s niece, of pure bloodline from the God of the Forge, and the only young unmarried woman in the royal family. How exceptional would the dwarf have to be to catch her attention?
Nebai bowed to the whale and left without saying anything. Then the whale, Zaimo, and Thea were calmly led by the king through the corridors. They descended deeper and deeper, until they reached a deep underground area.
The dwarves of Pristine built their cities and lived underground. These divine dwarves, however, built their forges down there. The forge was definitely where they spent most of their day. This was common for all dwarves; since birth, they had a connection with the laws of earth and fire. They felt very comfortable underground, and if it was hot, it was even better.
When they arrived at the gigantic and luxurious forge, Zaimo sighed in awe. He saw many organized metals, along with various materials in production and others almost complete.
Everything radiated the skill and technique of the creators, and the materials were of the highest quality. Everything was perfect and supreme.
Suddenly, the whale narrowed its eyes. Alm immediately sensed something that stood out to him deeply. In a corner, he saw some ingots of a black metal that looked like pure Yin.
"What is that metal?" The whale quickly asked Nival.
He looked at the black metal and calmly replied, "That appeared after you left. It’s something unique to a planet in this galaxy, called Netherium."
Nival was surprised by the whale’s keen senses, as that metal emitted no fluctuation, but it was definitely one of the greatest treasures of the dwarves. "This metal is very similar to the Thorn Yin metal from the Underworld, but while it’s weaker in some areas, it has its unique characteristics."
Alm and Bruno nodded internally. They finally discovered the name of the metal used to make the chains they had encountered a few times. They could seal laws and Qi at the slightest contact, which was terrifying. They already knew the metal from the chains came from the Underworld, and that Vorion was created incorporating that metal along with demonic metal.
"Do you have any finished piece made with it?" The whale asked, and Nival nodded, pulling something from his spatial ring.
It was a hammer as black as pitch. He handed it to the whale, and Alm examined it, getting more and more excited.
They had kept that demonic metal they stole from the Desolate Battlefield, the same metal that imprisoned Amary as the weapon spirit. They had been too busy and left the forge for the new saber for later. Now, the golden opportunity had come.
"Sir."
A dwarf’s voice sounded from behind. It was a dwarf slightly slimmer than the king, with a long black beard.
At the whale’s gaze, he bowed. "I’m the Master of the Forge, Valzi... welcome back, sir," he said, trying hard to make his words sound firm, although he was clearly a bit drunk.
The whale’s eyes glimmered slightly. "Have you studied my forging methods?"
"Just the basics, sir. I can’t consider myself a disciple; I’m useless and couldn’t create a rune seal," Valzi said, lowering his head in regret.
"Great, do you know how to use Heavenly Refinement?" The whale asked dryly, and the dwarf turned and nodded positively. "Look at this. I need your opinion."
Suddenly, the whale gestured, and a black saber with a demonic aura appeared in his hand. At that instant, the whole forge turned cold, as if a demon radiating its malevolence was present.
Valzi’s eyes widened and he instinctively stepped forward. But faster than him, the king positioned himself in front of the saber. Both were stunned, but at the same time, the spirit of forgers took over them in front of that masterpiece.
The two approached the blade, analyzing it with fixed eyes. Minutes passed, and their gazes didn’t waver, as if they were entranced.
Internally, Alm smiled. Then Bruno spoke to the whale: "So, what now?"
Follow current novℯls on ƒгeewёbnovel.com.
Valzi snapped out of his trance and murmured, "I can clearly feel the basis of Heavenly Refinement... but this is like the difference between heaven and earth. The metals fused perfectly, as if they were born together in nature..."
The whale huffed. "Good eyes, you’re approved. This isn’t Heavenly Refinement, but something superior that I developed."
The two dwarves immediately trembled and turned to the whale, almost catatonic. "What? You think I stood still in time and never moved beyond? I’m always forging and improving. I’ve long surpassed my old self. My past Dao is outdated, and I intend to go far beyond."
*Thump!*
*Thump!*
Suddenly, both dwarves fell to their knees, trembling. That was the mercy blow. If there was still any doubt that the God of the Forge had reincarnated, none remained now.
The Chaotic Refinement, developed by Alm and Bruno, indeed surpassed the original technique of the God of the Forge. The dwarves had studied those techniques their whole lives. They instantly knew this was truly a much higher level.
How could someone surpass the techniques of the God of the Forge himself? Only the creator himself, in all his glory, could do that.
"I’ve told you to stop wasting time," the whale huffed.
"We... forgive us, sir..." the two murmured, but there was an intense emotion in them that they couldn’t control.