Death… And Me

Chapter 4308: Six Months

The demonstration from the Branch Guild Master eventually came to an end, and he left after answering several questions from the surrounding blacksmiths. The Branch Guild Master himself was only a Level Three Blacksmith, but many believed he would already be at Level Four if his cultivation wasn’t still in the Zone God Level. That alone showed just how much confidence everyone had in his abilities.

The area contained many Smithing Workstations available for public use, but once the Branch Guild Master left, most of the observers departed as well. Unlike Array Masters, Blacksmith Masters generally preferred working in their own private workshops. Because of that, most of the people who remained behind were newer cultivators at Level One. As for the Level Two Blacksmiths, they all left shortly afterward.

Time passed, and eventually the next day arrived. Even now, Rean still hadn’t spoken to that Devil Beast Blacksmith. During this period, however, Rean received a call from Dongaro, who later personally brought him the contract. Both of them signed it before submitting it through the official channels, ensuring neither side could break the agreement without suffering penalties.

Rean instructed Dongaro to head to his rented residence, where he would work together with Araujo and Dristan. For the time being, Rean told him to simply observe the Array Masters’ work since they were already applying the methods Rean had taught them. It would help Dongaro gradually familiarize himself with the techniques he would later need to work with himself.

---

”Sigh...”

The Devil Beast looked utterly exhausted. Although he had improved slightly on the tool he was attempting to forge, the final result was still quite terrible.

He could produce simple equipment well enough, which explained why he had at least managed to become a Level One Blacksmith. However, every attempt he made toward further improvement failed to produce meaningful progress. Even if his current results improved twice over, they would still fall far short of the required level. Eventually, he decided to end his work for the day and try again later.

Rean smiled faintly. The moment he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

Before the Devil Beast could begin collecting his tools, Rean approached the Smithing Workstation.

”Hello, friend.”

The Devil Beast looked at Rean with a tired expression. ”Hum? Oh... You want to use this workstation? Sure, give me a minute. I’m already leaving.”

However, just as he reached for another tool, his hand suddenly stopped moving.

Not because he stopped on his own.

Rean had grabbed his arm.

The Devil Beast immediately pulled his hand back in surprise. ”What? What do you want? Don’t touch people like that. Have you never heard of privacy?”

Rean simply shook his head. ”Sorry, but I can’t let you stop now. Your meridians are finally saturated, so allowing them to rest right away would be a huge waste. Now then, let’s restart the forging of this tool. Just follow my instructions.”

”Uh?!” The Devil Beast stared at Rean as if he were insane. ”Who the hell are you? Why would I listen to whatever some puny Anchor God says? Hum? Wait... no...” He narrowed his eyes while examining Rean more carefully. ”I’ve seen you before... Where was it... Right! Weren’t you one of the top ten on the rankings for first-timers fighting against a Godly Creatures Horde?”

Rean couldn’t help but laugh.

”Hahaha! It’s already been a few months since then. Most cultivators have forgotten about it by now. I’m impressed you still remember. My name is Rean Larks. And you are?”

”Farriko... No, forget that!” Farriko quickly shook his head. ”What exactly do you want?”

”Are you really going to waste time asking questions right now?” Rean asked in return. ”At this very moment, I can help improve your blacksmithing abilities while your meridians are saturated and worn out. But if you wait too long before restarting your forging, you’ll miss the optimal window to improve your flow.”

Farriko looked more confused than ever. ”What kind of nonsense are you even talking about? Improve the flow? What flow? I don’t have any flow problems.”

”Quite the opposite,” Rean corrected him immediately. ”You simply can’t feel it because that’s how you were born. You were definitely born in the Celestial Plane, and you also possess a hybrid Devil Beast bloodline. Your body simply isn’t capable of properly handling the amount of energy you can accumulate inside it.”

Farriko was genuinely startled by those words. Very few people, even devils, knew he possessed a hybrid Devil Beast bloodline.

”Where did you even get that information?”

”From you,” Rean replied casually. ”Anyway, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you. I can help fix the issues with your meridians and reveal your true potential as a blacksmith. Well, it would also greatly improve your combat strength, but honestly, I don’t really care about that part. I’ll ask only one more time. Restart your forging right now and allow me to make the necessary corrections. The optimal state of your meridians is fading, and I’m not waiting for you to force them back into this condition again.”

Naturally, Farriko wasn’t about to blindly obey Rean.

”You’re crazy. Move aside. I need to rest.”

Yet, right afterward, he suddenly noticed something strange.

Earlier, Rean had grabbed his arm while stopping him from collecting his tools. Now, when Farriko tried moving his arm again, he realized the energy flowing through the meridians there felt... different. Smoother.

”This... Did you do something to my arm?”

Rean gave a small nod. ”Not much. I only pressed a few key points to improve the energy flow slightly. You should start feeling a sting any second now, though.”

*Ugh!*

It was far more than a sting.

Farriko suddenly felt as though the exact spot Rean had touched earlier had been pierced clean through by a spear.

”Fuck! Why does it hurt this much?!”

”I already told you. This is the best possible window,” Rean insisted calmly. ”That pain is proof your meridians can still be corrected. The improved energy flow you felt, even if only for a moment, should already be enough evidence. Are you really going to throw away this opportunity? Once I turn around and walk away from this workstation, we probably won’t see each other again.”

This time, Rean didn’t wait for an answer.

He simply turned around and began to take his leave.

But then...

*Grab!*

Farriko seized Rean’s shoulder from behind.

”I must be insane for even considering this...” Farriko muttered. Then, he spoke. ”First, what exactly do you gain from helping me?”

Rean smiled before turning back and raising six fingers.

”Six months. I need six months of your life.”