Chapter Thirty-Three: The Dwarves with Strange Attitudes

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Dwarf with the Odd Attitude

When Selos mentioned Hatar’s name, a hint of surprise flickered across Shen Ce’s face. “You know him too?”

That old dwarf was a notoriously stubborn craftsman, and Selos himself had always been wild and untamable. The fact that the two were acquainted was truly remarkable.

Selos smiled faintly, raising his left hand. On his index finger, a silver ring shimmered in the sunlight. “He forged this ring. What do you think?”

Shen Ce stared for a moment, his gaze fixed on the ring. He couldn’t help but touch the “devil-cursed spirit ring” on his own hand. His throat tightened, and his voice grew a little urgent. “Do you know Hatar’s teacher?”

Though the spirit ring on his finger offered decent attribute bonuses, it had never been fully restored—a persistent thorn in his side. Shen Ce was a perfectionist; whatever he did, he strove for flawlessness.

Selos noticed the difference in Shen Ce’s demeanor. Lowering his left hand, he replied coolly, “His teacher? We crossed paths once, long ago. It was precisely because of that encounter that Hatar agreed to make me a ring.”

Shen Ce had asked without much hope, but to his astonishment, Selos had truly met Hatar’s teacher. Unable to suppress his excitement, Shen Ce pressed on, “Do you know where he is now?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Shen Ce realized his own loss of composure. He quickly regained his calm—after all, it was already remarkable that Selos knew Hatar, but that he also knew the enigmatic, elusive mentor whom Hatar himself hadn’t seen in centuries bordered on the miraculous.

Selos shook his head, his voice tranquil and crystalline. “You’re looking for him? I’ve only met the smith twice. He wanders without pattern—meeting him is fate; seeking him deliberately is like searching for a needle in the ocean.”

The answer was as Shen Ce expected, and he sighed in disappointment. He raised his silver ring for Selos to see. “It’s about equipment bonuses. This ring was tainted by demonic energy, and its attributes have been greatly diminished. If I could meet Hatar’s mentor, perhaps he could restore it.”

Selos glanced at the ring on Shen Ce’s finger, his eyes flickering. “I see. Since we’re heading to the Demon Territory anyway, perhaps someone among the demons knows how to restore it.”

Shen Ce lowered his hand, his tone weary. “Let’s hope so. This ring is strange—not only can I not remove it after putting it on, but I felt something was off the moment I wore it.”

Selos lowered his eyes, concealing a trace of irony. “Perhaps you’re overthinking it. Don’t worry. There will be a way to fix the ring.”

Shen Ce made no comment. It was midday, and the blazing sun gilded the lush treetops. Gazing up at the towering trees, he said softly, “Let’s go find Hatar, then. He should still be at the Divine Guild’s quarters.”

The two of them made their way to the guild. Shen Ce had considered asking Han Qishao which room Hatar occupied, but Selos, far more familiar with the place, led him straight to the dwarf’s quarters.

As soon as Shen Ce pushed open the door, he was hit by a strong scent of alcohol. A short, elderly man lay slumped over the table, a brass jug in his right hand, pouring liquor into his mouth as if it were water.

At the sound of the door, the old dwarf Hatar turned impatiently, his drunken eyes bleary, a flush coloring his cheeks. Though disheveled, his voice was haughty as ever: “Who is it? Can’t you see the ‘Closed’ sign on the door? No orders today.”

“Hatar. It’s been a while.” Selos spoke before Shen Ce could. His voice was cold and elusive, like a shifting mist, or an unsolvable riddle.

The old dwarf seemed startled to his core. After a long, deliberate moment, he turned his head. “Da—Selos, what brings you here?” He stumbled over Selos’s name, and after a shiver, hastily tossed aside his jug. His eyes trembled visibly, and his drunken manner vanished instantly.

Shen Ce looked up in astonishment. The dwarf’s sudden gentleness and respect were hard to reconcile. Was Hatar afraid of Selos? How could that be?

The dwarves were the most stubborn and proud race in “Celestial Dominion.” Shen Ce had dealt with Hatar before and knew his obstinate nature. Why, then, did he change so dramatically at the sight of Selos?

Never before had Shen Ce seen a master NPC blacksmith so intimidated by a player.

Puzzled, Shen Ce’s thoughts spiraled into confusion. He pressed his lips together, rapidly recalling every detail since meeting Selos. Though Selos’s behavior was often odd, Shen Ce could find nothing to explain this scene.

Selos glanced at the bewildered Shen Ce, then said to Hatar, “Ling promised to give me a set of assassin gear. The blueprints and materials are ready; all that’s missing is a smith, and you’re the best fit.”

Only then did Hatar notice Shen Ce, standing beside Selos in white cleric’s robes. The dwarf’s voice was tinged with surprise. “He’s giving you equipment? That’s—” Realizing something, Hatar abruptly fell silent.

Shen Ce couldn’t guess the source of Hatar’s astonishment. Giving up, he pulled out the blueprints and materials from his storage space.

Hatar took them all, his rough fingers caressing the lapis lazuli. “Such pure lapis—truly a rare gem. I’ll start forging immediately.”

Selos cast Shen Ce a teasing glance. “It’s a gift from a beauty; how could it not be good?”

Had he not intervened, how would Shen Ce have handled that female player’s confession? Selos knew Shen Ce would have refused her, but the memory of that woman daring to tug Shen Ce’s sleeve still sparked a faint irritation.

Shen Ce, however, was in no mood for teasing. Hatar’s odd attitude toward Selos left him bewildered. His gaze kept shifting between the two, but no explanation came to mind.

Meanwhile, Hatar headed straight for the forge. He worked the bellows, unhesitatingly tossing rare metals and precious gems into the flames. The blazing fire turned his already red face nearly crimson.

Shen Ce and Selos watched from a distance. It was the second time Shen Ce had observed Hatar at work. Though he had chosen herbalist as his secondary profession, he had always secretly longed to be a blacksmith. Unfortunately, a cleric’s physical attributes didn’t meet the requirements, so he had settled for herbalism.

This forging session lasted even longer than Shen Ce had expected. Despite the heat and choking smoke, Hatar worked with relentless focus, sweat streaming down his forehead, moving constantly to hammer the materials on the anvil.

Just watching Hatar work, Shen Ce had to admit he wasn’t cut out to be a blacksmith.

After nearly two hours, Hatar finally finished. With a few words in dwarven tongue that Shen Ce couldn’t understand, a set of jet-black assassin gear flew from the flames, swirling with light before slowly dimming.

Hatar wiped sweat and soot from his face and hands, then picked up the assassin gear and approached Shen Ce and Selos. Though he intended to hand it directly to Selos, a look from Selos prompted him to show it to Shen Ce first.

Selos turned to Shen Ce with a slight smile. “Since you’re giving this to me, don’t you want to check the attributes?”

Shen Ce, seeing Hatar so deferential to Selos—so much so that even a glance or gesture from Selos seemed to matter—was secretly shocked despite everything that had happened before. He accepted the assassin gear in silence, and immediately a system prompt chimed in his ears.

“Ding—Shadow Set, Grade B, upgradable. Assassin only. Martial skill attack bonus +200, martial skill damage resistance +15%, agility +20%, external perception +5.”

Such outstanding attributes would make this equipment the pinnacle of the current market. Shen Ce nodded in satisfaction and handed the Shadow Set to Selos. “The attributes are decent.” With high-level materials and a master smith, such results were only to be expected.

They left Hatar’s private forge. Before they went, Shen Ce noticed Hatar still eyeing Selos with a mixture of fear and awe. Once outside, Shen Ce finally couldn’t help but ask, “Selos, why is Hatar so afraid of you?”

“Afraid? Is he?” Selos arched an eyebrow, studying the puzzled Shen Ce. His voice was as distant as mist across a river. “Perhaps it’s because I mentioned something about his mentor.”

Looking at Selos’s calm, indifferent eyes, Shen Ce instinctively felt he was being brushed off, but he didn’t pursue the matter. “By the way, Selos, you said in the Starspirit Valley that you found a way into the Royal Library. What did you mean?”

“Did you know the Elven Queen is heading to the Human Capital?” Selos tilted his head slightly, his gaze drifting past the guild walls to the edge of the sky.

Author’s Note: Thank you to everyone for your support and gifts—you are all my little angels, and I will keep updating daily until the very end!