The news that the lord of Pondenorlin City could be slain spread quickly, drawing in a flood of players with noble titles. However, only a handful dared to make a move. Everyone knew there was only one chance to challenge the boss. Rushing in first to chip away at its health would only serve to benefit someone else in the end.
For the top-tier players, securing a noble title by completing the quest became the priority. Even though challenging Bibienne meant a high chance of becoming cannon fodder, it was clear that in the later stages, guilds eyeing Pondenorlin City would be willing to spend a fortune hiring players to grind down the boss's health.
"Demon Emperor is using a world shout to rally players against Bibienne. Does he seriously think he can steal the kill?"
"Heh, that's a dangerous gamble. If Demon Emperor actually manages to take over Pondenorlin City, he'll have a reckoning coming."
"If another player takes it down, challenging the player lord afterward will be much easier."
The members of Godslayer chose to sit back and watch, letting the other players struggle. They had no intention of letting their prize slip away.
"Cut the chatter. Let's go!"
Dozens of magic warships surged toward Pondenorlin. Without hesitation, Madman unleashed [Hellfire Burn].
"Holy shit, that's a Forbidden Curse?! No way!"
"Good thing the Golden Dragon Knights and other NPCs on the arena platform are in invincible mode. If that Forbidden Curse landed, no one would survive!"
A massive mushroom cloud rose over the horizon.
The entire city of Pondenorlin trembled as if the apocalypse had arrived.
The NPC warships, fragile as paper under the might of the Forbidden Curse, were obliterated in an instant. More than half were reduced to nothing.
The guild leaders, including Demon Emperor, felt a chill down their spines. Any hidden schemes seemed utterly ridiculous in the face of such overwhelming force.
But the temptation of ruling a major city was too great. They had no choice but to feign ignorance and push forward with their plan—right under Godslayer's nose.
Orson descended into the underground treasury.
The layout was unexpectedly intricate, a maze of twisting tunnels that stretched endlessly.
Even after running through the dimly lit passageways for over ten minutes, there was still no sign of the so-called treasury.
He frowned and picked up his pace.
"What the hell? Feels like I've already left Pondenorlin City's borders…"
Another half-hour passed before he stopped. His map showed he had unknowingly traveled all the way to the border between Pondenorlin City and Purple Thunder Fortress.
"No way… Did Cain's descendants have rat DNA or something? Why the hell did they dig this deep just to hide some treasure?"
Suppressing his frustration, he pushed onward.
Just as he was about to lose patience, the tunnel suddenly opened up into a spacious, dark chamber.
A fireball ignited in his hand, illuminating the space.
"Wait… this is a blacksmith's forge?"
He stood frozen in disbelief.
The room was filled with blacksmithing tools—forging hammers, anvils, magical furnaces—but judging by the thick layer of dust, it had been abandoned for a long time.
Then he noticed something.
A faint trail of dried blood on the ground.
Following the bloodstains forward, he soon came across a corpse—cleaved clean in half.
His eyebrows furrowed, not out of fear, but curiosity.
A blacksmith's forge hidden inside Cain's treasury… and a dead body right next to it? Something wasn't adding up.
[Master Blacksmith · Gray Dwarf Willy]
Inspecting the corpse's details, Orson identified the victim.
Even among NPCs, achieving the rank of Master Blacksmith was extremely rare. Players wouldn't be able to reach that level until at least two years into the game.
The Gray Dwarf Tetevi, who successfully forged the legendary Heavenly Fire Set, was only considered an Expert at best.
But above Master-level stood the Grandmasters, the true legends of smithing.
And the sole requirement to become a Grandmaster? The ability to forge Forbidden Magic-tier equipment.
Orson felt a chill.
Behind Willy's corpse, a massive sword scar had nearly split the entire chamber in two.
Clearly, this single strike had ended the Grandmaster Blacksmith's life.
Just then, a faint glow emanated from beneath the forge.
Orson knelt and reached in.
[You have obtained: Armor Fragment]
[You have obtained: Weapon Fragment]
[Item Description: Fragments of the divine material Archaic Star Iron.]
[Item Description: A failed forging attempt.]
Orson's heart pounded.
These star-like fragments were exactly the god-tier materials he had been searching for.
In that instant, he understood the truth.
Cain had imprisoned this Grandmaster Blacksmith, forcing him to craft Forbidden Magic-tier equipment—or perhaps even an Artifact.
But something had gone wrong during the forging process.
The equipment failed, Cain flew into a rage, and executed Willy on the spot.
Orson's eyes gleamed as he searched the room for more clues.
Eventually, on a workbench, he found two ancient equipment blueprints.
The parchments were stained with blood and grime, with nearly half of their details missing—likely the reason for the failed attempt.
Then, two system notifications popped up.
[Incomplete Level 50 Equipment Blueprint I - Forbidden Magic-tier · Supreme Series · Archaic Arcane Blade]
[Incomplete Level 50 Equipment Blueprint II - Forbidden Magic-tier · Divine Might Series · Archaic Demon Blade]
The two blueprints had completely different styles.
The Supreme Series was designed for Mages, yet its main weapon was a sword rather than a traditional staff.
The Divine Might Series was exclusive to Magic Swordsmen, its weapon long and massive, bearing a striking resemblance to the God-Emperor's Blade.
In Infinite Dimensions, Forbidden Magic-tier blueprints were practically impossible to obtain in the wild or through dungeons.
Each one that appeared at an auction was sold for astronomical prices.
Yet, Orson had just found two.
[Choose one blueprint to claim.]
Orson hesitated for a moment, then examined the Supreme Series description.
[Trait: High Burst Damage, Maximum Output, Increased Critical Rate.]
[This equipment has a chance to unlock a hidden subclass—Arcane Bladesman.]
Orson's eyes narrowed.
Arcane Bladesman?
Could these blueprints be part of the God-Emperor's lost legacy?
He recalled the Old War Saint's words—that Gaedashiram, the God-Emperor, had mastered both magic and the sword.
This was proof.
Orson smirked and selected the [Supreme Series] blueprint.
[Forge success rate: Below 2% (Master Blacksmith).]
"…2%? That's insane."
For anyone else, this blueprint was utterly worthless.
But Orson had one advantage—Heavenly Spirit's Right Eye.
As his right eye glowed, a hidden quest notification appeared:
[Travel to Ashen Lands. There, you will find another bearer of the Supreme Series blueprint.]