Demon King: Hero, don’t run away!

Brian Redbeard looked dejected, as if regretting he had touched a domain he shouldn’t have, but his eyes were not entirely filled with regret.

Yang Yu reopened a wine bottle, took out a glass, filled it with red wine, and pushed it towards Brian Redbeard.

”What did you experience? Is there a curse when forging Epic Equipment?”

Brian Redbeard shook his head vigorously, ”If it were a curse, I couldn’t be sitting here with you, calmly telling everything...”

As he spoke, Brian Redbeard couldn’t help but laugh, without any joy, just helplessness and bitterness,

”Perhaps calling it a ’curse’ isn’t wrong either, not just me, everyone who forged Epic Equipment was ’cursed’...

Every time I pick up the hammer, my hands tremble.

Once you’ve experienced that feeling...

you can never forget it.

I can’t do it, I really can’t...

Brian Redbeard gradually became incoherent, not looking at the red wine Yang Yu pushed over, but instead fixed his gaze on the Qi Li Ore and Heavenly Stone on the table, his voice trembling, trying hard to endure something.

He tried to calm down, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes, but they only increased, bloodshot filling his eyes unknowingly.

After a while, Brian Redbeard finally used a calm tone to ask Yang Yu:

”You seem like an adventurer... I ask you, what do you think equipment is?”

Yang Yu didn’t know why Brian Redbeard suddenly asked this question but answered without much thought:

”I think equipment is an extension of a person.”

Grabbing the wine glass that Yang Yu pushed over, draining the red wine, Brian Redbeard smacked his lips, not questioning why Yang Yu thought so.

Brian Redbeard stood up, holding the Qi Li Ore from Yang Yu in his hand, the abundant energy making one yearn.

Feeling this abundant energy, Brian Redbeard felt much better, seeming as if the topic that couldn’t continue earlier could now be resumed.

”To forge a good weapon, materials like this are indispensable.

With equal forging skills, the amount of Rare Materials can even decide the quality of a weapon.

To forge Epic Equipment, you must use such precious materials entirely.

Only such equipment can become an extension of a person.

But using precious materials doesn’t guarantee success....

I can never forget the day I first attempted to challenge Epic Equipment.

Many people repeatedly advised me not to do it, but at the time, I was arrogant, thinking they only succeeded and feared I would challenge their status.

So, I didn’t listen to anyone’s advice.

I secretly prepared materials and started the challenge.

The materials I used were the rolling blue iron I often used.

This material is extremely suitable for forging swords.

Add a little during forging, and it would make the Sword Blade sharp while carrying a slight chill.

I wanted to forge a sword that could cut through anything, so I prepared a large block of rolling blue iron to make the blade.

According to the market price at that time, that block of rolling blue iron could buy several villas.

High-level Magic Materials are completely different from ordinary materials, almost free of impurities, requiring no purification.

As long as you understand their nature and make them forgeable, you can directly start forging.

This was not difficult for me...”

At this point, Brian Redbeard paused,

”Confirming the rolling blue iron was forgeable, I hammered it stably for the first time.

In an instant, countless blue glows I had never seen burst from the rolling blue iron.

Each hammer stroke seemed to bring the rolling blue iron to life, surrounding me with pale blue light only I could see.

My consciousness seemed to enter the rolling blue iron, seeing every change within it.

Intuition told me how every part should be shaped to be optimal.

Finally, I forged an unprecedentedly sharp weapon, enveloped by a sense of unprecedented satisfaction. Back then, I never imagined it was the beginning of my nightmare...”

Tightly gripping the goblet, Brian Redbeard’s powerful arm instantly shattered it, scattering shards everywhere.

”Having successfully forged that weapon, I was smug and complacent.

Soon, I sold that piece of equipment.

After all, the price of rolling blue iron wasn’t cheap.

To forge Epic Equipment, I exhausted half of my fortune and needed to recoup.

Selling that equipment afforded me the current Blacksmith Shop.

Back then, I naturally thought that with my current skills, I could soon surpass those stubborn old men, having a lifetime supply of wine.

I even boasted publicly of reaching that realm no one had yet attained, forging Legendary Equipment.

But...”

Brian Redbeard sighed deeply, placing his hand on the glass-fragmented table.

”I don’t remember how long ago it was.

A client came excitedly with a very Rare Ore, hoping I could forge the best equipment.

At that time, I took it for granted I could easily forge Epic Equipment, seeing ’light’ that I was able to.

During forging, I could still see the light, but compared to that day, it was faint in the materials.

I had no understanding of that ore, couldn’t see what was happening inside...

It was predictable; the final product was a failure, barely reaching Rare Status.

As the materials were extremely rare, much quality was lost upon forging after melting down the materials.

My arrogance cost me in the end, losing a great deal of money.

I once thought that day I was just in bad shape and tried again and again... continuously failing…

During that period, I was almost like a madman...

Occasionally succeeding, but mostly failing, I became immersed in forging, unaware of the huge debts I owed.

Later on, I learned that I wasn’t the only one who could see that so-called light.

Everyone who forged Epic Equipment had similar experiences, went through similar madness, almost losing everything like me.

Finally, I came to my senses...

They stepped in to help settle part of my debts, while I...

became the depleted person you see now.”

Brian Redbeard’s voice was low, dissatisfied with himself now.

Yang Yu cautiously asked, ”You’re despondent, not only because of the debts, right?”

Brian Redbeard countered, ”Then why do you think I’m despondent?”

After reflecting for a while, Yang Yu voiced his thoughts:

”The reason you’re obsessed with those things... Is it because as long as you keep forging a certain material, the ’light’ you see becomes stronger, even if just a bit, but indeed becomes stronger?”