As he gazed at the iron pot bubbling with ghastly green bubbles, where a pink trident was floating up and down, Red-haired Bureau Director couldn’t help but give a big thumbs-up, eyes brimming with admiration as he said, “Even with such crude tools, you can still craft top-notch anomalous items. That’s truly impressive!”
“Hmph, making a fuss over nothing.”
With an impatient pout and eyes gleaming with pride, Square-headed Old Man opened his mouth to say:
“Compared to when I was still alive, the tools used for forging anomalies have improved greatly, but the skill level of the smiths has instead declined. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“It’s because they’re too artisanal! They’re way too picky about the forging environment and materials!”
With a shove of the tool in his hand, scraping off a large piece of paint from the iron pot, Square-headed Old Man humphed with dissatisfaction: “The source of anomalies is emotion! It’s obsession! It’s longing! Ultimately, it’s the power of the heart, and there are no ‘standard answers’ for the heart!
Nowadays these smiths always think that using the best forging tools and the finest material combinations will definitely produce good results. Once they fail to create something satisfactory, they blame the materials or the process, completely ignoring the importance of the heart. This is pure deviation!”
Unaware that his coffin lid had already been stolen, Third-Generation Bureau Director, roused by the discussion, complained with irritation:
“I’m telling you, human hearts are the most complex yet simplest things. As long as you can understand them, figure them out, and guide them appropriately, that’s enough. The processes and tools are all superficial; they only affect your success rate and cannot influence the effectiveness of the final product.
If you don’t believe me, look at me. Even if I use a stove made of broken bricks or a random pot picked up from the roadside, I can still forge god-level anomalous items. In fact, if it weren’t for the need of ‘fire’ and ‘forging’ imagery, I wouldn’t even need a pot. I could simply create anomalies with my bare hands!”
“How could I not believe you?”
While watching the fork gradually taking shape in the pot, Red-haired Bureau Director secretly sent signals urging Leon to hurry back while smiling flatteringly:
“From the beginning until now, whenever there’s a vacancy in Taurus Director’s position, you’ve always been the best smith in the world. This is proof enough of your skills. If I don’t trust you, who else should I trust?”
“Heh, you’re just talking nonsense.”
After giving a sidelong glance at the flattering Red-haired Bureau Director, Square-headed Old Man smirked: “If you really trusted me, why don’t you come find me more often to forge things? I know what’s going on! You little fox, none of your words are true. If this generation’s Taurus hadn’t sealed herself, I probably wouldn’t even see you!”
“You’re wrongfully accusing me.”
Noticing Leon carrying the coffin into the cemetery through her peripheral vision, Red-haired Bureau Director immediately let out a sigh of relief. Then, squinting her fox-like eyes, she smiled sweetly:
“I want to come find you more often to forge things, but first, you live in Deathscape year-round, which makes it extremely inconvenient to visit. Second, there haven’t been many major events recently, so we haven’t had much good material. Ordinary stuff can be used for general smiths to practice, and there’s no need for you to waste your time.
Besides, although they may never reach your level after a lifetime of practice, they are still inheritors of the secret art of forging. If every slightly better item required troubling you, ordinary smiths would never get a chance to practice, and how would the bureau’s secret forging art continue?”
“Tsk, in my opinion, your current level is no different from discontinuation… Alright, kid, come over here. It’s done!”
“Good!”
Seeing Square-headed Old Man finish the forging, Leon, who had already put the coffin lid back in place, took half a step forward, completely merging with the illusion created by Red-haired Bureau Director. Then, he quickly walked towards the two.
“Huh? What’s wrong with you?”
“My furnace is colder than ice water, so why are you sweating?”
Shit! We’re gonna blow our cover!
After hearing Third-Generation Bureau Director’s inquiry, Leon, who had run up a sweat, was startled momentarily. He quickly wiped away the sweat with the back of his hand and respectfully said according to the communication method the director had taught him in advance: “It must be excitement… The Honorable Taurus of this generation once tutored me, teaching me some basic techniques of the secret forging art, so I am also a smith.
For a smith, being able to witness the forging process of the undisputed number one smith in history is truly a restless heart, hard to control, so I’ve sweated a little.”
“Tsk… Another liar!”
Although he immediately saw through Leon’s bluff, upon hearing the phrase “undisputed number one smith in history,” Square-headed Old Man’s corners of his mouth involuntarily twitched upward. Then, with a face full of disdain, he waved his hand: “If you don’t want to say, fine. I’m too lazy to ask… Come here, since you’re someone brought by Olivia, if you have any questions about the secret forging art, I can give you some guidance.”
Guidance? Hearing Square-headed Old Man’s words, Leon’s expression couldn’t help but brighten slightly.
The director was absolutely right! The core logic of communicating with this Third-Generation Honorable is to never stray far from “the strongest smith.” As long as those words are spoken, the content doesn’t matter anymore.
“Thank you, Third-Generation Honorable!”
Switching both the “Secret Art Inheritor (Taurus)” and “Secret Art Inheritor (Aquarius)” badges on the badge panel, Leon bowed gratefully and apologetically toward Square-headed Old Man before asking:
“I wonder if I may ask you…”
“Wait, I’m not done talking yet!”
Raising a hand in a wait gesture, Third-Generation Bureau Director crossed his arms and lifted his head slightly:
“I don’t mind guiding you, but not everyone deserves my guidance. You must show me your level first!”
Hearing this, Leon couldn’t help but pause briefly, glancing at the big pot bubbling with green bubbles. He hesitated and said:
“You mean… I should forge an anomalous item for you right here?”
“Forgetting about forging is fine.”
After hearing Leon’s words, Square-headed Old Man said disdainfully:
“The skill level of today’s smiths is too poor, watching them carve like flowers is too painful. I don’t want to suffer like that… Anyway, you were standing nearby earlier, observing how I forged the anomaly. Let’s use that as a test question!”
Reaching into the pot and tossing the object at the bottom to Leon, Square-headed Old Man grinned wickedly at Leon, whose expression was somewhat hesitant and clearly lacked confidence in the test: “Come on, you’re not allowed to infuse strength into it to activate it. Just use what you’ve learned from this generation’s Taurus and refer to my previous forging process. Tell me exactly what kind of anomalous item I forged for you!”
