"You don’t need to worry about Ezekiel. I will deal with him," Isaac said.
Hannibal frowned. "Aye, and just how d’ye plan on dealing with that fool?"
"You’ll see later."
That answer only made the dwarf king more restless. He folded his arms before unfolding them again a moment later, his curiosity growing instead of fading. Isaac could already tell Hannibal was the kind of person who refused to let go once a question entered his mind.
"Come now, lad, ye can give me at least a hint. I ain’t asking ye to spill the whole forge, just enough to satisfy an old dwarf’s curiosity," Hannibal said.
"If I tell you now, it won’t be as effective."
"Bah, that answered nothing, lad."
Isaac simply smiled without saying another word. Hannibal clicked his tongue and muttered something under his breath, clearly dissatisfied. Even so, he eventually stopped asking after realizing Isaac had no intention of changing his mind.
The steady rhythm of hammering continued to echo throughout the forge. Paul and Tyr worked side by side, moving with surprising coordination despite relying on completely different methods. One forged through years of experience while the other copied every movement with almost perfect accuracy.
After several more strikes, both of them lowered their hammers and straightened their backs. Paul picked up a cloth and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a relieved sigh. Tyr immediately grabbed a much larger cloth and copied the exact same motion.
Isaac couldn’t help smiling at the sight. Tyr couldn’t sweat in the first place. The treant was simply copying Paul because that was what blacksmiths usually did after finishing their work.
A moment later, both of them turned around.
"Lord Isaac!" Paul’s face immediately brightened. "When did you get here? You should’ve called out earlier."
He quickly placed the newly forged sword onto a rack before hurrying over. Tyr followed behind him without hesitation.
Isaac waved dismissively. "It’s fine. I only arrived a little while ago. I wanted to watch the two of you work, so I stayed quiet."
"There’s really nothing interesting about watching someone swing a hammer." Paul laughed.
Isaac glanced toward Tyr as Paul spoke. The treant looked surprisingly pleased by his arrival. Compared to before, he had become much better at expressing emotions naturally instead of relying entirely on gestures.
The group left the forge together and headed toward Paul’s office. Once everyone was seated, Paul’s secretary entered and served drinks before quietly leaving the room. Isaac waited until everyone had settled before introducing Hannibal.
"Paul, meet Hannibal. He’s the Ancient King of Dwarfs. You probably saw him during the livestream inside the Great Dungeon," Isaac said.
"I did." Paul nodded.
Isaac continued speaking with a perfectly straight face. "The person you saw wasn’t actually him. That was his twin brother."
"Twin brother?" Paul repeated.
"Yes."
Paul looked back and forth between Hannibal and Ezekiel. The resemblance was so uncanny that he couldn’t find a single obvious difference.
"Really?"
Isaac nodded again without the slightest change in expression.
"Anyway, that’s not important right now. Hannibal came because he wants to accept you as his disciple," Isaac said.
Paul’s eyes widened in surprise. He slowly turned toward the dwarf king and truly examined him for the first time. The overwhelming aura surrounding Hannibal wasn’t something an ordinary craftsman could hide.
Paul gave a bitter smile.
"Sir Hannibal... I don’t think my Talent is good enough to become the disciple of someone like you."
"Talent? Bah! Is that all you young folk care about these days?" Hannibal snorted loudly.
Paul hesitated before nodding slightly.
"Back in my day, a smith earned his name through his Art, not by whatever Talent the System handed him. Talent was useful, aye, but it never decided who became a true master," Hannibal scolded
"But my Talent really isn’t high—"
"Nay. Don’t go hiding behind your Talent, lad." Hannibal cut him off with a wave of his hand.
The room became quiet for a few moments. Hannibal leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming more serious than before.
"If ye’ve no stomach to keep walking this road, then say it plain. If your resolve isn’t strong enough to keep improving, admit it like an honest smith. But don’t go blaming your Talent every time your courage starts to crack."
Paul lowered his head and remained silent. Hannibal’s words were harsh, but there wasn’t any mockery behind them. They sounded more like advice someone had repeated countless times throughout his life.
After a long pause, Paul looked back up.
"...Is it truly possible? Can a smith without a high-ranking Talent still forge a name worthy of respect?" he asked quietly.
"Of course it is." Hannibal looked almost offended by the question.
There wasn’t even a moment of hesitation in his answer. His confidence was absolute, as though the outcome had never been in doubt.
Paul stared into the dwarf king’s eyes for several seconds. Slowly, the uncertainty on his face faded away, replaced by determination.
He stood up and bowed deeply.
"Then... please accept me as your disciple."
"Hahaha!" Hannibal threw his head back and laughed heartily. "Aye, those are the eyes I wanted to see. Remember this, lad. If ye mean to surpass folk born with greater Talent, then your resolve must be harder than theirs, and your will stronger than the steel ye forge."
Isaac quietly stood from his seat. The two of them clearly had much to discuss, and there was no reason for him to stay. Leaving them alone, he stepped outside with Tyr.
The two walked slowly through the workshop.
"How have you been?" Isaac asked.
Tyr smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.
"I figured as much." Isaac chuckled.
They chatted casually for a while—with Tyr responding with signs—as they walked. Eventually, Isaac brought up the reason he wanted to speak with Tyr privately.
"Hannibal will probably ask you for more Hell-Iron Myre. You can help him, but don’t push yourself too hard. If he starts demanding more than you can reasonably provide or expects you to keep working without stopping, come find me. I’ll deal with it," Isaac said.
Tyr scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile. Isaac already understood what that expression meant before the treant even tried to explain himself.
"I know you don’t need sleep or rest the way humans do. But that doesn’t mean you should spend every hour working. Take breaks, spend time with your friends, and enjoy yourself once in a while. I even heard Freya invited you to her concert, but you turned her down because you wanted to keep working. What was that about?" Isaac asked.
Tyr suddenly froze. His eyes widened before he slowly looked away. He began fidgeting with his thumbs, looking noticeably embarrassed.
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you didn’t actually refuse because of work, did you?"
Tyr lowered his head.
"You were embarrassed to go with Freya?"
After several long seconds, Tyr slowly nodded.
Isaac let out a helpless laugh. He wanted to give the treant some advice, but stopped himself before saying anything further. Some things were better understood naturally instead of being explained by someone else.
Instead, Isaac simply patted Tyr on the shoulder.
"Just don’t overthink everything."
Tyr smiled sheepishly before nodding again. The two talked for a few more minutes before Isaac finally left the workshop. Hannibal would likely keep both Tyr and Paul occupied for the rest of the day anyway.
As Isaac stepped outside, he spotted a familiar group approaching from the street. Freya was walking at the front alongside several students from the university.
"Hey," Isaac called, raising a hand.
The group smiled and walked over. They exchanged greetings before chatting casually about classes, dungeon practice, and the recent livestream.
While they talked, Isaac noticed something. Freya’s eyes kept drifting toward the forge behind him before quickly returning to the conversation. It happened often enough that it became impossible to ignore.
She looked like she wanted to ask about someone inside but couldn’t quite gather the courage to do so.
Isaac noticed it almost immediately. Freya’s friends noticed as well, and knowing smiles appeared on several faces. None of them teased her, though. They simply watched her struggle to bring up the question she clearly wanted to ask.
Isaac decided to pretend he hadn’t noticed. He continued talking with the group about the university, their recent dungeon training, and a few amusing stories from campus. After chatting for another few minutes, he excused himself and continued on his way.
His destination was the residential district where the nagas lived.
Unlike the other neighborhoods, the naga settlement had been built around a spacious park. A giant tree stood at its center, its thick canopy casting shade over most of the area. It had gradually become the gathering place for the entire community.
Today, however, the usual peaceful atmosphere was missing.
Word had already spread that Isaac wanted to meet Kaela for an important matter. Nobody knew why he wanted to meet her, only that she had recently been relieved of her duty as Selene’s bodyguard. The lack of information only made everyone more anxious.
Several nagas surrounded Kaela, trying to reassure her that everything would be fine. Although they spoke confidently, it was obvious they were trying to calm themselves as much as they were calming her.
Before long, someone noticed Isaac approaching.
"Sithaar!"
Almost every naga immediately lowered their heads respectfully while calling out the title they had chosen for him.
"You may stand," Isaac said calmly.
The nagas immediately obeyed. Isaac’s gaze settled on Kaela, and she quickly stepped forward. Although she tried to remain composed, the worry on her face was difficult to hide.
The others looked just as nervous.
It wasn’t difficult to understand why. Ever since joining Isaac, they had always feared falling out of his favor. Even though Isaac had never treated them unfairly, that fear had never completely disappeared due to their history with Isaac and the humans.
"Greetings, Sithaar," Kaela said respectfully.
Isaac nodded before speaking in a voice loud enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"Kaela, I intend to send a group into the wilderness to spread my faith. They will face dangers that people inside the cities rarely experience, and every journey could become their last. Because of that, I want someone I can trust to spread my faith."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"I want to appoint you as my Champion. You will represent my faith and act in my place while leading this mission."
Silence immediately spread throughout the park. Every naga stared at Isaac, unsure whether they had heard him correctly. Even Kaela remained frozen where she stood.
Isaac continued speaking without rushing her.
"I understand what I’m asking is dangerous. Outside the protected cities, death is always close by. If you don’t wish to accept this responsibility, I won’t hold it against you, so don’t feel pressured to agree."
Kaela stared at him with wide eyes. She looked completely stunned, as though she couldn’t believe she had heard those words correctly. A few moments later, she suddenly dropped onto one knee.
"I would be honored to become your Champion, Sithaar."
Her voice echoed throughout the park. Several nagas immediately smiled, while others quietly wiped tears from their eyes. For them, Isaac’s decision meant Kaela would forever remain one of the people he trusted most.
Isaac stepped forward and placed his hand gently over hers.
The snakes resting among Kaela’s hair instinctively hissed at the unfamiliar touch. Before they could continue, several older snakes nudged the younger ones, and soon every snake lowered its head respectfully toward Isaac.
Isaac focused on the power resting inside his heart. It responded almost instinctively, flowing through his arm before entering Kaela’s body. She accepted the power without the slightest resistance.
[Kaela Halgirus has been chosen as your Champion.]
[All Faith gathered through your Champion will be transferred to you.]
Several additional notifications appeared immediately afterward. Their color was slightly different from Isaac’s usual system windows, making him realize they weren’t intended for him. They were notifications belonging to Kaela.
[Sub-God Quest: Hymn of the Champion]
[Objective: Spread the faith of your God and tell others of His miraculous deeds.]
[Reward: Apex Rank Species Evolution Potion x1, Random Legendary Equipment Ticket x1.]
Isaac raised an eyebrow after reading the rewards. He had assumed he would need to reward his Champion personally, but the System had prepared everything automatically. Kaela looked just as surprised while silently reading the notifications in front of her.
Once she had recovered slightly, Isaac reached into his spatial ring.
A pair of dark metallic gauntlets appeared in his hand. They were the Gravekeeper Gauntlets, a piece of Legendary-grade equipment that suited summoners exceptionally well.
"Take these," Isaac said as he handed them over.
Kaela accepted them carefully with both hands.
"They’ll increase your Strength and Dexterity considerably. More importantly, their passive ability strengthens every summon under your control, and the active skill can restrain enemies with giant skeletal hands. They should be much more useful to you than they would be to me," Isaac explained.
"Thank you very much," Kaela said softly.
She immediately equipped the gauntlets. Even after putting them on, she continued staring at them with an expression full of disbelief. It still hadn’t completely sunk in that she had become Isaac’s Champion.
Isaac smiled faintly before speaking again.
"You still have some time before departure. Spend it with everyone here and say your goodbyes. The expedition will leave in one hour, so make sure you’re there before then."
"I understand."
Several nagas quickly approached Isaac after hearing that.
They invited him to stay for lunch, insisting they wanted to celebrate Kaela’s appointment properly. Isaac thanked them for the invitation but politely declined, explaining that he still had several matters to take care of before the expedition departed.
After leaving the naga settlement, Isaac made his way toward Vale’s office.
When he arrived, he found Vale, Celia, and Selene already waiting inside. Another young man sat with them, looking noticeably nervous the moment Isaac entered the room.
The young man immediately stood up.
"G-Greetings, Lord Isaac!"
Isaac smiled politely. "It’s nice to meet you, Brolly. I take it Selene has already formed a contract with you using her new skill?"
"Y-Yes, Lord Isaac. We completed it this morning." Brolly nodded so quickly that it almost looked comical.
Isaac looked toward Selene.
Her new skill allowed her to establish a communication network connecting up to ten managers. As long as the chosen individuals possessed a Class or Talent related to business, they could instantly exchange information across the network.
Brolly was the person Selene had chosen from her company to fill one of those ten positions. He would accompany Vale’s group during the expedition, allowing Selene to remain in constant contact with them. It would allow Isaac to receive important updates regarding Vale’s group whenever necessary.
"Alright then, Vale. Take this," Isaac said as he reached into his pocket.
He pulled out a folded map and handed it over. Vale accepted it before carefully opening it across the table.
"What is this?" Vale asked as he studied the unfamiliar markings.
"It’s a map leading to Black Castle. The City is located in the Valley of Spires. I need you to travel there as my representative and meet the Lord of Black Castle, but there isn’t any need to rush. Finish your other objectives first and go there whenever the opportunity presents itself," Isaac replied.
Vale’s eyes flickered with recognition. "Black Castle... isn’t that one of the major powers in the Valley of Spires?"
"That’s right." Isaac nodded.
Within Sector 8XA, twelve Mid-Rank species ruled over their own territories.
Isaac’s city happened to be located inside the lands governed by the Florathi, while the Valley of Spires belonged to the Pale Knights, residents of Black Castle City.
Unlike the Florathi, however, the Pale Knights didn’t possess overwhelming military superiority over the other Lords in their territory.
Because of that, the Valley of Spires was rarely peaceful. Conflicts between local powers happened constantly, with each faction trying to expand its influence. It was a dangerous place even by the standards of the wilderness.
"Why do we need to go there?" Vale asked.
Isaac looked around the room before answering. Everyone present was either someone who would participate in the journey or someone he trusted completely. There was no reason to hide the truth from them.
"I have a Quest that requires me to meet the Lord of Black Castle. If you arrive there as my representative, I’ll be able to activate the Quest even without traveling there myself," Isaac explained.
"Is the reward really that important?" Vale asked.
"It rewards a fragment of a map. If we gather every fragment, we’ll eventually locate the Pond of Life. The Pond of Life can continuously produce evolution potions. Anyone who drinks from it can evolve into a High-Rank Species," Isaac said.
Vale’s eyes narrowed in surprise. Selene also looked genuinely shocked after hearing those words. Only Celia remained relatively calm since Isaac had already told her about the Pond of Life some time ago.
Brolly, on the other hand, became visibly nervous.
His eyes moved between everyone in the room, and his stiff posture made it obvious he wasn’t sure whether someone like him should even be hearing this conversation. His face practically asked whether it was too late to pretend he hadn’t heard anything.
Vale eventually nodded. "I understand. I’ll take care of it."
"I know you will." Isaac smiled faintly.
Not long afterward, everyone gathered outside the city gates to send the expedition off. Vale stood beside Brolly, Kaela, and Oy while the final preparations were completed. The atmosphere was much quieter than usual, as everyone understood this would be a long journey.
Celia stepped forward before they departed.
She hugged Vale tightly for a few moments before letting him go. Then she smiled brightly and told everyone to travel safely before waving as they started walking away.
Vale waved back one last time.
The group gradually disappeared beyond the city gates until they could no longer be seen.
Only then did Celia’s smile disappear.
The tears she had been holding back finally began to fall. She lowered her head and quietly cried without making a sound.
Isaac walked over and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
He slowly rubbed her back while allowing her to cry in silence. There wasn’t anything he could say that would make her feel better at that moment, so he simply stayed beside her until she calmed down.
After a while, Isaac brought her to the afterparty that was still being held following the concert.
During the walk, Celia barely spoke. She stayed close to Isaac the entire time, almost clinging to him like a koala while she silently gathered herself. It wasn’t until they reached the venue that she finally wiped away her tears and put a cheerful smile onto her face.
Isaac stared at that smile. He knew she was smiling like that to not make anyone worry about her.
She showed her true emotions to him because she trusted him, and believed she could share her burdens with him.
He decided to remain with her for quite some time.
He chatted with her and the others, making sure she gradually relaxed instead of dwelling on Vale’s departure. Only when he was certain her mood had genuinely improved did he excuse himself and leave.
His next stop was Catherine.
She was already waiting when he arrived. Seeing him approach, she crossed her arms and gave him the mysterious smile she always seemed to wear.
"So, what exactly is this surprise you wanted to show me?" she asked.
"I’m going to help you become stronger." Isaac smiled back at her.
"Right now? I’ve already reached the limit of my stats, and you’ve given me Legendary equipment set. I honestly don’t know how you plan to make me any stronger," she said.
Her smile hadn’t changed, but Isaac could easily tell she was genuinely puzzled.
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"There are still several ways to become stronger. And today, we’re going to use one of them. To be exact, we’re going to..."