Michael stared in wonder at the GodForge, or at least a part of it. It was extremely large, about the size of an automobile. So, Michael could only guess that the finished GodForge must look even bigger than this.
"When we first moved into this country, our main goal was to find and retrieve the missing pieces of the GodForge. Unfortunately, it turned out that humans had already settled onto the lands, taking control of everything within it.
Because of that, we couldn't retrieve the pieces. The previous Kings of our kingdom decided to shut ourselves off from the world and protect the piece we have right now, until that opportune time when they could search for their relic."
The Dwarven King sounded melancholic, as if he was saddened by the fact that it was improbable in his lifetime to fulfill his ancestors' wishes.
Meanwhile, Michael couldn't take his eyes off the incomplete GodForge. It was as if it was calling to him.
"Why haven't you tried to study the secrets of this piece?" Michael asked.
He could see blurry and vague inscriptions carved onto the very surface itself. From Biru's description, it seemed like this piece still held a part of the secret knowledge that they lost.
"We have tried," answered the Dwarven King. "We made the best full metal armor that can withstand even the temperatures of lava, yet it was no use against this fire. We tried to douse it with water or air, but none were effective against the raging flame protecting the GodForge.
We have tried all mystic and physical means to get through the fire, but we had only come about 2 meters close to the GodForge.
This is a test. We need to prove that we are worthy of the GodForge and restore it to its prime state before it allows us to peek through the knowledge hidden within."
He understood the Dwarven King's frustration. Having tremendous amounts of knowledge so close to them, yet so far away at the same time was a frustrating feeling.
He, too, wanted to see what the GodForge had to offer them. He wanted it so bad that his entire body was pulling him towards the flaming ball surrounding the GodForge.
He hadn't felt this feeling ever since he set his eyes upon the Magical Library on the Magic Tower.
"!!!!"
"What's wrong?" the Dwarven King asked upon seeing the surprised face written on Michael's face.
The reason for Michael's shock was a realization that dawned on him when he remembered the Magic Library.
Back then, he impulsively touched the very nodes of the Magic Library and was suddenly endowed with all the information and knowledge it had to offer.
He gained too much data that it led him into a state of unconsciousness.
But after that, his personal AI assistant underwent a tremendous upgrade that led to his current state of power.
The question then arrived in his mind.
If he touched the GodForge, would he gain the knowledge contained within it?
This lit up a fire inside him, a desire to take the risk and brave the big ball of fire impeding him from getting to his goal.
"Dwarven King, I have a favor to ask," Michael said, keeping his eyes on the GodForge.
"You are my friend. Speak away," the King replied.
"Can I approach the GodForge?"
Michael's words were casual, as if he was just asking if he could look at a unique trinket or a cool sword displayed in the King's collection. But the GodForge was nothing but ordinary.
"You… you want to reach for the GodForge? Are you serious? Do you not see the flaming ball of fire that would melt even the hardest of minerals in just a few seconds?" the Dwarven King asked, incredulous at Michael's 'small' favor.
"Yes. I want to touch it and see if it has some kind of effect on me," Michael explained.
The Dwarven King couldn't say anything else. Since Michael was an important friend to the Dwarven Kingdom, Biru didn't want to see him get incinerated into ashes. On the other hand, Michael seemed completely confident with himself if he even suggested such a thing.
Biru rubbed his forehead and eventually decided to let Michael do whatever he wanted. "If you can go through the ball of fire, then you have my permission to approach the GodForge. However, if I see that you can't survive the flames, then I will pull you back into safety without hesitation."
Michael agreed immediately. If he found out that he couldn't go through the fire, he wouldn't push himself into death just to get to the GodForge as well.
"Now, how are you going to resist the flames?" asked the Dwaven King.
"I have a special skill," Michael replied. As he stepped forward, the flames emanating from the GodForge immediately tried to swarm his body, as if warning him not to approach any further.
However, a protective layer of prismatic shield appeared around him and protected him from the blazing flames. The flurry of elemental mana in the shield collided with the flames, creating sparks that deflected away.
"This is my Absolute Unity Defense!"
With the bubble of prismatic shield around him, Michael took another step forward, ignoring the flames that tried and failed to devour his defenses.
The Dwarven King saw something he thought was impossible.
Michael slowly walked towards the GodForge, completely unharmed!
This was surprising to the King because he had mages try and defend themselves from the GodForge as well.
He even employed an 8-star wizard to try and walk through the fire like Michael was doing right now. However, even they were left unable to defend against the onslaught of blazing fire from the GodForge.
The 8-star wizard explained that the GodForge's fire reacted proportionally to anyone who tried to enter. No matter if they were as weak as a 1-star mage or as strong as an 8-star mage, the GodForge would always bring out just enough firepower to sear through any of their defenses.
Yet somehow, Michael was able to walk through the fire virtually unharmed.
The Dwarven King began to wonder. Was Michael's Absolute Unity Defense really that strong or did the GodForge deem Michael as worthy enough to receive their tutelage?