Regarding the items in the territory shop, Xu Que made sure to purchase the maximum quantity every day, as these items were crucial for his future needs.
Had anyone seen the items Xu Que bought and their prices, they would have surely erupted in anger, branding him a spendthrift. Each of the three items he purchased was priced over a thousand spirit crystals, with the most expensive being a mysterious shard worth ten spirit stones!
After closing the territory shop, Xu Que opened the Honor Shop to begin acquiring the forging equipment he currently required. Instead of opting for the best A-rank forge, he chose the most economical C-rank furnace. As for the materials he would need for burning, he selected B-rank Fire Spirit Coal.
Although Xu Que had never studied forging in his previous life, he knew that the quality of a furnace was primarily determined by the fuel used, a fact that came from Duan Jiude's research. In his past life, Duan Jiude wasn't a forgemaster, but he knew a mid-level forgemaster who explained that the rank of the fuel was crucial. Each time a forgemaster leveled up their skills, they would gain new insights into forging.
These insights, unlike blueprints—where any forgemaster of any rank could learn and use them—were personal and varied. If one could grasp insights into S-rank armor or weapons during the forging process, they could immediately reach an extraordinary level, though such occurrences were rare. The forgemaster Duan Jiude knew, for instance, only ever managed to craft a pair of B-rank shoes, but that single achievement catapulted him to the position of Chief Forgemaster at the Divine Corporation overnight.
After purchasing a forging hammer and a series of tools, Xu Que set them all up. Staring at the twenty or so tools, he felt a bit overwhelmed.
"No wonder forgemasters in the past were treated like treasures. Just learning how to use these tools properly is going to take some serious practice..." Xu Que muttered, then pulled out several spirit ores, placing them beside the melting furnace.
As the flames were ignited, Xu Que could feel the intense heat, which far surpassed the temperature of any flame on Blue Star. When he attempted to toss a spirit ore into the container, an error message suddenly flashed in his interface:
"Melting failed, one piece of spirit iron ore deducted."
"What the hell! Just like that, it's gone?" Xu Que blinked in disbelief, staring at the disappearing ore. "Could it be the temperature is too high? Or the ore's grade too low?"
He selected a C-rank spirit secret ore and tossed it into the furnace. Watching it slowly melt into liquid iron, Xu Que quickly retrieved the container and poured it into the ingot mold.
Although the process seemed simple, executing it was far more complicated. With only two ingot molds available, Xu Que awkwardly muttered to himself, "Looks like I didn't buy enough molds..."
He tossed more ores into the furnace, purchasing twenty additional ingot molds. With each attempt, Xu Que grew more proficient in the melting and molding process.
Next, Xu Que placed a B-rank Spirit Seeker Ore into the furnace. After observing that the process was mostly the same, aside from an additional three seconds of melting time, he tried an A-rank Magic Spirit Ore.
"Ah, so that's how it is!" Xu Que realized the importance of the ratio between the fuel's burn time and the ore's melting time.
He didn't dare try any A-rank ores again, as these were some of his most precious resources. Wasting them would truly be a reckless misuse.
Once all the ingots had cooled, Xu Que began the true process of forging.
The sound of hammering echoed throughout the underground third floor. Originally, Xu Que had intended to stretch the ingots, but with each strike, he felt that something wasn't quite right...
"Am I trying to make armor?" Xu Que pondered, realizing he had been hammering the ingot into flat pieces instead of forging a sword blank.
"Forget it, it's my first time. I'll just hit it as I please..."
Had there been an experienced forgemaster present, they would have likely scolded Xu Que into submission. After all, he knew nothing about forging!
Forging and alchemy weren't games; you couldn't just click a button and expect success. These crafts required profound expertise, and Xu Que, having studied finance, was hardly an expert in metallurgy.
However, Xu Que was fortunate to have abundant resources, allowing him to freely practice without worrying too much about wasting materials. He understood that nothing could be achieved instantly and that he needed to refine his skills slowly over time.
...
In the fragrant city, at the Legendary Hunter branch, Kate looked at the young man before her in disbelief. She couldn't quite believe that the person in front of her was actually the centipede.
"Ms. Kate, you summoned us here, not just to see us, right?" the young man asked, offering Kate a polite smile.
"Apologies, Mr. Ye, I was simply taken aback by your appearance," Kate said apologetically.
"Alright, let's get to the point. Yanzhou needs me back," Zhang Dahai said as he set down his cigar.
Kate nodded, sliding two documents across the table toward the two men. "This is Miss Lei Xi's request. She hopes that Excellence can settle in the Prospect International Building, and your Tianhui will be sacrificed in the process."
"Are you planning to burn the bridges behind you?" Zhang Dahai picked up the documents and asked.
"No, it's not about burning bridges. It's about bringing you back to the headquarters. They want you to take talent to Y Country in order to capture the international market," Kate explained with a smile.
Zhang Dahai nodded and opened the documents, flipping through them. "Lei Xi wants me in the Prospect Building, but I believe her real intention is to investigate Zha Tian Company. I don't think that's necessary."
"I understand your concerns, but Lei Xi wants more than just to wait for Xu Que. She wants everything Zha Tian has!" Kate shrugged, looking helplessly at the young man.
"There aren't enough chips. There's no reason for me to take this risk, especially now during this global upheaval. I don't want to sacrifice the entire cake for such a small piece of it," the young man smiled, glancing at Kate.
"If you help Lei Xi, she will make you the supreme ruler of Z Country," Kate said earnestly.
"Supreme ruler?" The young man chuckled and shook his head. "Your empty promises mean nothing to me. The reason I'm here is to tell you that Zha Tian Hunters aren't as easy to deal with as you think, and you have no real understanding of us Z Country people!"
Kate narrowed her eyes slightly. "What do you mean by that? Are you trying to betray the organization?"
"The Eyes of the Gods?" The young man stood, shaking his head with a smile. "True light isn't as simple as words. You people are unclear on your intentions, but the upper echelons of Z Country know exactly what you're up to. If you want to rise in chaos, perhaps M Country would be a better choice. Z Country will never allow it."
Kate jumped to her feet, waving at the two bodyguards near the door. "I didn't want to take action, but you all forced my hand!"
As the young man finished speaking, the two bodyguards collapsed to the ground without warning, their blood spilling from their bodies.
Kate was stunned, unable to comprehend how the man had struck so quickly and silently.
The young man took a step, then suddenly paused, turning to face Kate. "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. Your situation is quite dangerous. I doubt you'll be leaving Fragrant City anytime soon. If you don't believe me, feel free to try."
He turned his gaze to Zhang Dahai. "As for you... well, enjoy yourself. There's no need for a dead man to know so much."
Zhang Dahai stood there, confused, glancing from Kate to the retreating figure of the young man.
"Bang!"
Kate slammed her fist on the table in fury. She couldn't believe that the centipede had dared to betray the organization right in front of her!