Chapter 95: Divine Blacksmith Noer

While Arthur was heading toward Ironclad City, a different scene was unfolding inside the guild hall of Azure Town.

A woman of extraordinary beauty emerged from the class evolution room. A dark aura surrounded her, perfectly complementing her cold demeanor and seductive appearance. Her eyes gleamed with sinister delight as she clenched her fists, feeling the tremendous power coursing through her body.

"Hahaha! Legendary grade! I am a Dark Enchantress now!" she exclaimed, her laughter echoing through the hall. "With my curse abilities, those so-called witches in the real world will be nothing more than puny ants before me. I will become their queen, and then, Arthur, you will become my lapdog. You will lick my toes day and night!"

Hatred filled her eyes, so intense that it seemed capable of swallowing an entire world.

The Ashborn and Frost families had been driven into bankruptcy under the relentless pressure of the Miller family. No business group dared to cooperate with them anymore because of Arthur Miller, also known as Darklord. His influence had become so overwhelming that even the most powerful business groups were unwilling to risk provoking him.

Amelia Frost had fallen from grace into the dirt in a single day. The humiliation and resentment festering in her heart could only be satisfied through revenge. She wanted to destroy the Miller family, crush every business group that had contributed to her downfall, and ultimately turn Arthur into her personal slave.

After a while, another figure emerged from the class evolution room. He was a handsome man with a powerful aura radiating from his body, his presence far more imposing than that of an ordinary player.

"Have you succeeded in evolving into a Legendary-grade class?" Amelia asked calmly, suppressing the hatred in her heart as she turned toward him.

Michael Ashborn glanced at her alluring figure before a confident smile spread across his face. "Of course. I am now a Holy Knight," he replied.

"Good." Amelia nodded, her expression returning to its usual coldness. "We need to enter the city, but we must remain cautious. That bastard has become far too powerful for us to confront him directly. We will have to keep a low profile for now."

"But we won’t have to stay hidden for long," she continued, a sinister smile gradually forming on her lips. "I have discovered the location of a hidden ruin outside the city. Once we obtain the treasures inside, that bastard will be nothing more than a chicken waiting to be slaughtered in our hands."

Michael’s eyes lit up with anticipation. The two exchanged a knowing glance, their expressions revealing the malicious plans they had already begun to formulate.

After purchasing the supplies they needed to survive in the city, Amelia and Michael left the guild hall together. Neither of them noticed the woman standing nearby, watching their departing figures with a mysterious smile that conveyed both pity and indifference.

...

Two days later, Arthur finally arrived near Ironclad City, a city associated with a city located close to the border of Arvia County. Because of its remote position, the number of players in the surrounding area was considerably lower than in the more popular cities. However, Arthur had no intention of entering the city just yet.

His primary objective was to find the Divine Blacksmith.

According to the information he remembered from his previous life, the Divine Blacksmith was a mysterious existence above Level 100, most likely a God-tier NPC. Meeting such a being was an extraordinary stroke of luck, as the old man appeared only once in a blue moon and remained in the mortal world for merely twenty-four hours.

During that brief period, he would accept requests from players and help them create extraordinary weapons or equipment. However, the quality of the final product depended entirely on the player’s abilities, resources, and the requests they made. Those who understood his true capabilities could obtain treasures that would change their destinies, while those who failed to recognize the opportunity would have nothing to regret except their own ignorance.

In Arthur’s previous life, the Divine Blacksmith’s reputation had skyrocketed during the seventh year after the game’s release. It was then that he forged a Life-Bound Sword for Sofia Lock, the renowned Dragon Sword, establishing himself as one of the most extraordinary blacksmiths in the entire game.

However, Arthur already knew why the old man would appear near Ironclad City on this particular day. In his previous life, a player had shared a grievance on the forums, revealing that he had encountered the mysterious blacksmith early in the game but had failed to seize the opportunity. The player had even provided the exact date, time, and location of their encounter.

After that revelation, countless players began searching for the Divine Blacksmith. Eventually, a few fortunate individuals managed to find him, but their discovery brought an unexpected complication.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not share his location with others. Whenever they attempted to write a message revealing where they had found the old man, they would mysteriously forget the location, or their messages would simply fail to send during the 24 hours time limit. It was as though some invisible force prevented anyone from revealing his whereabouts.

The incident eventually led players to believe that encountering the Divine Blacksmith was entirely a matter of fate. No amount of searching or preparation could guarantee success, and those who missed their opportunity could only wait for another chance that might never come.

This time, however, Arthur intended to challenge that very fate using the knowledge he had brought back from his previous life.

"Can I really defy fate, or will this old man simply refuse to appear here this time?" Arthur muttered as he continued searching the surrounding area.

He had been traveling and fighting continuously for two days, and even his formidable body was beginning to feel the strain. Dismounting from his Shadow Panther, he stretched his stiff muscles before resuming his search. He had come too far to abandon his objective now, especially when the Divine Blacksmith could help him accomplish two crucial tasks.

Just as Arthur was lost in thought, a sudden breath brushed against the back of his neck.

His instincts screamed in alarm.

Arthur immediately leaped away from his original position, his spine turning ice-cold as he sensed the presence of someone standing directly behind him. Without hesitation, he twisted around and launched a counterattack, his fist carrying enough force to shatter mountains.

However, the moment his attack connected, his expression changed dramatically.

His fist had been caught.

The hand restraining him looked ordinary, yet it remained completely unmoved by the tremendous strength Arthur exerted. It felt as though he had struck an immortal iron wall, his overwhelming physical power rendered utterly meaningless before the mysterious individual.

Arthur’s eyes narrowed as he finally examined the person standing before him.

It was an old man with long white hair and a remarkably robust physique. Despite his age, his body was muscular and well-built, with an imposing presence that seemed entirely at odds with his ordinary appearance. An overwhelming sense of danger radiated from him, making Arthur instinctively cautious.

Although the man’s aura was not as terrifying as that of the Erebus Temple’s emissary, it was still far beyond anything Arthur could currently handle through brute force alone.

Without wasting another second, Arthur activated his ability to inspect the old man’s status.

[Name: Noer

Profession: Blacksmith

Grade: Divine

Level: Unknown

History: A fallen divine being from the Upper Realm, currently wandering through the mortal world in search of a way to return to his former domain. In the meantime, he occasionally assists mortals in forging powerful weapons.]

Arthur’s eyes widened slightly as he read the information. There was no longer any doubt. The mysterious old man standing before him was none other than the Divine Blacksmith he had been searching for.

Yet Noer was still holding his hand as effortlessly as though he were restraining an ordinary child.

"You have a strange aura, young man," Noer remarked, studying Arthur with a curious expression. "It feels as though you have somehow defied fate itself to arrive here, yet I cannot quite determine what makes you so unusual."

After observing Arthur for another moment, the old man finally released his hand.

Arthur immediately withdrew a step and lowered his head respectfully. His previous wariness transformed into genuine reverence, and he carefully concealed the shock he felt at the encounter.

"Senior, I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re talking about," Arthur replied, pretending to be ignorant.

Noer merely chuckled, seemingly unconcerned by Arthur’s evasive answer. "Don’t worry. I have no interest in prying into your secrets."

He stroked his white beard and examined Arthur from head to toe, a faint smile appearing on his weathered face.

"Since fate has brought us together, I’ll forge something for you."

Arthur’s eyes immediately lit up.

"Senior, what can you forge for me?", Arthur asked.

" I can forge a life bound weapon for you. The grade of the weapon would be decided by your capabilities."