Lord of Prayer - Chapter 398 - 256: We Are the Same Kind of People (2)
Colonel Guan’s rousing voice boomed through the livestream. “And now, Zhou Chen has stepped onto the winner’s podium to claim his championship trophy!”
After the trophy ceremony, a mature-looking female host came over to interview Zhou Chen. As they spoke, her eyes practically devoured his young, sculpted physique, her gaze as predatory as a wolf’s.
When interviewed, Zhou Chen gave a very standard, polite response. “To have won this Sword Forging Competition, I must thank the competition itself, the organizers, the partners, my superior, my friends, my fans, and the comrades who fought alongside me. This award belongs to all of us…”
Blah, blah, blah…
Once the lengthy interview was over, Zhou Chen finally received the champion’s prize he had been waiting for.
—The forging hammer once used by Forging Master Mitkail.
The moment he held it, the Hammer of Forging deep within his soul pulsed with an intense craving, like a starving man who hadn’t eaten in days, desperate to devour every last drop of the Forging Secret Power it contained.
’Easy, easy. Now’s not the time. We’ll wait until we get home.’ Zhou Chen hurriedly reined in the ravenous Hammer of Forging to keep from giving himself away.
After the award ceremony was over, Zhou Chen used an Any Door to travel to the Forging Association headquarters. He was given a rapturous welcome by the members of the Forging Master Sect there, and all the flattery and praise made him a bit embarrassed.
Then, a staff member led Zhou Chen to an office.
A middle-aged man in a striped suit was already waiting in the office. He had golden hair streaked with red, and his temples were beginning to gray.
Zhou Chen’s heart jolted when he saw the man.
President of the Forging Association: Bell Kevin.
Known in the Forging Realm as “Bear Grylls.”
In his youth, he climbed a mountain of blades and descended into a sea of fire—and note, this was no metaphor. To acquire rare materials for Forging, he had literally climbed a mountain of blades and journeyed into a sea of fire.
Both locations were extremely dangerous Restricted Areas, and few adventurers in those days dared to challenge them. Yet Bell not only took a stroll through them and came back alive, but he even recorded the entire adventure. He later edited the footage, posted it online, and became an overnight sensation. From then on, he was known as the “Bear Grylls” of the Forging Realm, and his life became one of incredible, seemingly impossible success.
Today, he is one of the world’s few Master Forgers, his name ranked alongside the likes of Celestial Craft, Vulcan, and Master Craftsman. According to reliable rumors, he took part in the construction of the man-made marvel, the Celestial Floating City. A large part of the credit for the successful completion of the Annihilation Cannon—a weapon capable of wounding Gods—also goes to him. He is, without a doubt, one of the most powerful Master Forgers alive.
He was also Renie’s maternal uncle.
“Please, have a seat.”
To Zhou Chen’s surprise, this world-class heavyweight didn’t put on any airs. On the contrary, he gestured enthusiastically for him to take a seat.
“Your performance in the competition was truly… impeccable!”
Bell applauded vigorously, his admiration clearly genuine. “That Akita Town instance… The Forging Association sent a total of five exploration teams in, one after another, and every last one was wiped out. To this day, seven or eight of them are still lying in isolation, suffering from varying degrees of mental contamination. It’ll take at least two more months for them to recover.”
“Every failed expedition cost us nearly a hundred million. The Forging Association isn’t short on money, but we can’t just keep burning cash for nothing. Then, I had a flash of inspiration over dinner. With the Sword Forging Competition coming up, I thought, why not let the contestants serve as our next exploration team?”
“And now, it seems my decision was one-thousand-percent correct… no, ten-thousand-percent correct!”
Only by clearing the Akita Town instance could the Restricted Area be fully unsealed, allowing development to proceed.
This Restricted Area is rich in Extraordinary resources, and the Forging Association had long ago contracted the development rights for the entire zone. The sooner it was unsealed, the better it would be for them.
Unfortunately, the previous exploration teams weren’t up to the task, and they burned through the development budget without achieving any tangible results.
Just when everyone was getting a headache over the issue, Bell slapped his hand on the table and decided to hold this year’s Sword Forging Competition inside the Restricted Area, effectively putting the contestants to work.
Unsurprisingly, he faced some opposition, but he overruled it all.
Now that the plan had succeeded, his previous opponents were left speechless, forced to admit he was right.
Bell considered himself truly brilliant and inspired, capable of casually producing genius-level ideas.
’Looks like Renie was right. This big shot isn’t serious at all…’ Zhou Chen couldn’t help but snark internally at the smug expression covering Bell’s face.
“In any case, the Forging Association will not be stingy with you or the other contestants.”
Bell pointed to the items on his desk. “These are your rewards.”
Zhou Chen leaned in for a closer look.
A Gold Bank Card from the World Bank, which held the champion’s prize money. A small label on the card read: fifty-six million US Dollars.
A lifetime membership card for the Forging Association;
A lifetime membership card for the Alchemy Association;
A lifetime membership card for the renowned “Helandy Alchemy Workshop”…
There were nearly ten membership cards from various renowned associations alone.
Next was a long list filled with the names of Extraordinary Materials—all part of the championship prize.
Finally, there was a stylish, leather men’s waist pack.
“This is part of the prize, too?” Zhou Chen tried to recall the officially announced prizes, but he didn’t remember a waist pack being on the list.
“This is a personal reward from me. You’ve probably figured it out—it’s a Storage Artifact.”
Bell said, “You just have to promise me one thing, and this Storage Artifact is yours.”
’Even though I’ll be going to the gamified Zone 009 in a few months and will automatically get a ’Player Backpack’ Storage Artifact, who’s going to complain about having an extra high-end item like this? Even if I can’t use it later, I can just toss it in the Round Table Hall’s treasury.’
Zhou Chen asked, “What is it?”
“Stay away from Renie.” Bell’s expression grew serious. “Renie is a very innocent girl. If you so much as play a few games with her, she’ll probably start developing feelings for you. I don’t want someone like you getting close to her.”
Zhou Chen raised an eyebrow quizzically. “Someone like me?”
’What kind of person am I?’
“Zhou Chen, the moment I first saw you, I knew we were the same type.”
Bell said in a solemn tone, “We—are both scumbags!”
“…”
Zhou Chen’s jaw dropped in astonishment. ’Sir, do you even hear yourself right now?’
“How… How can you just slander my good name like that!”
“’Good name’?” Bell scoffed. “Do you want me to list them out one by one? You used someone else’s Extraordinary Ability during the competition. That signature azure lightning… that’s Aspiration of the Blue Clouds, isn’t it?”
Zhou Chen froze.
“The Tyrant, who made a name for herself over fifty years ago. You think a man my age wouldn’t know about her?”
Bell continued, “I was young then, only seven or eight years old, so I’d only heard stories of her deeds. However, plenty of the younger generation in my family had been beaten up by her… Then she vanished mysteriously, and no one knew where she went. That is, until recently, when word got out that she had appeared in the Pantheon to participate in the Heroic Trials.”
“Many people know she has a ring identical to the one you’re wearing. So, the moment I saw it on your finger, I knew there was something going on between you two.”
“Then, I looked into your background. I found that you were awarded an Honorary Knight’s Medal by the Laine Kingdom. And just before that, the Battle of Jinzhu broke out, and the daughter of a Laine Kingdom Grand Duke was involved… Her name is Erin, correct?”
“Also, there’s your superior. While nothing may have happened between you two, my intuition tells me your relationship isn’t so simple either.”
Bell took a calm sip of water. “Zhou Chen, never underestimate a scumbag’s intuition for one of his own.”
Zhou Chen’s scalp went numb. He nodded hastily. “Renie and I are just friends. Seriously, I have no intentions toward her whatsoever…”
“Good enough.” Bell nodded, satisfied. “Take your things. You can go.”
