Chapter 333: The Spooky Incident at the Processing Hut.
In the large base of the Second Squad, there were many technicians, and quite a few who specialized in forging. Jié Jié was hanging from the rafters, eavesdropping on this world’s forging knowledge.
For instance, blue Yanque Stones become an excellent metal material called Yanque Steel after refining, with an extremely high melting point that requires the scorching heat of stone coal to process. When fused with armor stones, it can even transform into armor jade.
It was due to the discovery of this mineral that the performance of various weapons and equipment greatly improved, allowing them to resist the impact of large monsters, marking a revolutionary advancement.
Notably, the blue parts of the Slaying Dragon, including its Sword Tail and Iron Face, have a very high Yanque Stone composition.
The Flame King Dragon enjoys feeding on stone coal, which emits heat twenty times stronger than regular coal, making it an important energy source for workshops and various facilities.
Technicians from all over gathered here, exchanging their forging skills, turning this place into a grand gathering where hunters also participated, asking masters to help improve their weapons and armor, creating a new assembly hall.
As the projectile launcher spread outward, it absorbed numerous suggestions from hunters and underwent continuous improvements.
Listening to forging knowledge while watching the craftsmen work made Jié Jié want to try himself.
Just like cutting meat to check its doneness when grilling, he thought he could use his powerful physical abilities to roughly knead the steel over the fire.
Thus, on a dark and windy night when everyone had dispersed to rest,
Jié Jié dropped from the rafter, transforming into a Sky Dog Beast, tiptoeing toward the forge, trying hard not to knock over chairs or tables.
Even as a Sky Dog Beast, his size reached fifteen meters, one and a half times larger than ordinary ones.
Fortunately, the room was spacious enough, having made room for smelting facilities.
Lifting the iron hood revealed that the forge’s flame hadn’t gone out.
The guild generously supported the gathering of artisans, supplying various raw materials, with ample stone coal ensuring the forge’s flame burned day and night.
Taking two pieces of Yanque Stone along with seasonings from the ore belt and placing them in the forge, adding a piece of stone coal and blowing a breath, the forge’s flame excitedly seemed ready to leap out and embrace him.
Blowing another breath to push away the flames revealed the Yanque Stone being refined in the fire’s core.
The Yanque Stone became blurry under the flames, emitting a fiery red glow as it softened.
Jié Jié extended his furry hand then quickly withdrew it.
“Ouch! Underestimated it!”
The intense heat released by the stone coal approached the fire of the Flame King Dragon; although it wouldn’t melt flesh in just a moment, pain was unavoidable, and his fur was completely singed off.
A pair of tongs made of Yanque Steel fell into his hands, clamping the Yanque Stone like chopsticks.
Blowing gently, the fiery light on the Yanque Stone flickered, maintaining a steady temperature under his control.
Extending his palm, he endured the Yanque Stone’s high temperature without melting, rubbing off a layer of waste residue from its surface, then forcefully kneading the steel, successfully shaping the two pieces of Yanque Stone into a single ingot.
Before he could bask long in the joy of victory, he sensed an energy source approaching the door.
Blowing a breath to suppress the leaping flames and closing the iron hood, Jié Jié grabbed his creation, leapt back onto the rafter, placed it there, and transformed into a rat no one would notice.
The Team Leader opened the door, intending to take some design drafts back to his room for further contemplation, but noticed the forge’s fire overflowing, seemingly showing signs of being used.
Lighting a kerosene lamp and stepping closer, he confirmed there were indeed signs of usage, the warmth still lingering.
Had someone come? But why hide?
He raised the projector on his arm cautiously, holding the kerosene lamp as he looked around.
Nothing.
Then…
The Team Leader suddenly looked up at the roof beams, though the dim light revealed nothing.
“Weird, weird?”
Scratching his head, finding no answers, he hung the kerosene lamp and began organizing design drafts at the workbench.
Jié Jié dangled upside down from the rafter, using his tail to hook a screw, quietly observing him.
When the Team Leader rubbed his eyes and looked up, he saw a dead rat hanging from the rafter, startling so much he fell off his chair. By the time he regained his senses, the rat had darted away and disappeared from sight.
The next day, when more people arrived at the temporary meeting place, the Team Leader recounted the incident, prompting everyone to search the house for rats, discovering molten slag on the ground.
Opening the forge’s iron wall, the suppressed flames burst forth violently, as if ready to devour someone.
Fortunately, everyone was experienced, shoveling sand into the forge, thus preventing a large screw from emerging from the fire.
“Someone really sneaked in? This slag looks pretty good, and this fire definitely had stone coal added. Strange, should we strengthen the guard?”
Stone coal and Yanque Stones being missing from bags wouldn’t be noticeable, but some forged items were clearly untouched.
It seemed someone was tinkering with materials and the forge here. Regular visitors had no need to sneak; they could just inform others. It must be an outsider.
“Strengthening the guard might make them stop coming. Let’s pretend to leave at night and surround them tightly at midnight to see what they are!”
The Team Leader spoke excitedly, stirring everyone’s emotions.
Hunting ghosts is always fun!
Jié Jié watched silently from the rafter; he should avoid their plan but suddenly wanted to scare them tonight.
At night, the craftsmen and hunters predictably rested, while those energetic and interested squatted at street corners outside the house.
Unsurprisingly, lights appeared inside the house, causing the guards’ breaths to pause as they arranged their positions. A hunter followed the Team Leader in opening the door.
This time, upon opening the door, there wasn’t nothing. A massive figure draped in fire-resistant canvas turned around, ghost-like, baring teeth and flailing limbs.
“Dongduoluma curse!!!”
Both instinctively stepped back, involuntarily shouting, prompting the guards to rush in, shocked at the ghostly figure charging toward them.
The hunter reacted, grabbing a nearby chair and throwing it at the ghost.
The massive fire-resistant canvas collapsed immediately, lying limp on the ground, no different from ordinary canvas.
Everyone stared at each other, the Team Leader walking forward, carefully prodding the canvas with a stick. Finding no response, he lifted it up.
Reactions varied among the crowd; some wanted to step forward to investigate, while others instinctively retreated.
At this moment, Jié Jié was on the rafter, cheeks puffing as he struggled to hold back laughter.
Underneath the fire-resistant canvas, there was nothing.
Chapter 334
