Chapter Five: The Stubborn Dwarven Craftsman

“Faith points? I happen to know about those,” Shui Linglong said, widening her phoenix eyes. The bewitching charm faded, revealing a hint of girlish liveliness. “Do you already have them? Last I heard, faith points only unlock after reaching level 25. Aren’t you two levels short?”

Shen Ce looked up and cast her a cool glance. “I’m still two levels away, but soon it’ll be just one. I think faith points are an extra reward for changing classes. What are they for, exactly?”

Shui Linglong paused at his words, clicking her tongue in amazement. “You’ve got incredible luck, almost like you’re cheating. Faith points represent loyalty to the supreme god of your class. For every 100 points, your class’s martial and magical damage increases by one percent. Pretty useful, right? Too bad there’s no guide on how to gain more faith points yet.”

Such a benefit—wouldn’t everyone want to increase their faith points?

After considering the game company’s possible intentions, Shen Ce nodded. “Indeed.”

Shui Linglong, seeing his steady composure, couldn’t hide the envy in her eyes. She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then said, “Zero, here are the 500 gold coins from the last equipment sale.”

Hearing the system prompt, “Player [Shui Linglong] requests to trade with you,” Shen Ce immediately accepted. Once he’d organized his belongings, he left the Treasure Pavilion and headed to a blacksmith shop on the west side of Ling Shui City. It was a small, shabby store tucked deep into a street corner, its sign barely recognizable. Inside, however, lived a master dwarf smith named Hatar, discovered by a player purely by chance. Unfortunately, when that player sought to have a weapon forged, Hatar had scolded him so fiercely that, out of spite, the player posted the shop’s location on the official forum, inviting everyone to witness this irascible NPC.

It was well known that, in any game, dwarves were always the most gifted blacksmiths. Shen Ce had intended to ask for a new staff, but after acquiring the “Devil-Cursed Spirit Ring,” he had another objective in mind.

After a long and winding journey, Shen Ce finally reached the blacksmith shop mentioned on the forum. Dwarves were reputed to be both gifted and stubborn, not the easiest to deal with, so Shen Ce had prepared accordingly.

He frowned at the cobwebbed, dilapidated door, but nevertheless knocked politely. “Master Hatar, are you here?”

He waited outside for several minutes, but no one answered. At last, Shen Ce pushed open the door, immediately feeling a wave of heat. Inside, an old dwarf with ashen-brown hair was hammering away at his forge, sweat pouring down his face, completely oblivious to the stranger’s entrance.

Shen Ce cleared his throat softly. Only then did Hatar, the old dwarf, notice him. Setting down his hammer, he turned and glared, whiskers bristling. “Rude cleric! Hasn’t anyone taught you not to barge into people’s homes? Out, out! Don’t disturb my work!”

Shen Ce didn’t argue. Instead, he silently produced a jug of juniper spirit from his inventory, shaking it gently so the unique aroma filled the cramped room.

The old dwarf’s clouded eyes lit up. He snatched the bottle from Shen Ce’s hand. “Boy, how did you know I like juniper spirits?” Shen Ce said nothing. He’d spotted several silver-gray flat flasks in the background of that player’s screenshot, and had Shui Linglong look up what kind of alcohol they might contain. Appealing to an NPC’s preferences was often the key to winning them over.

After several deep gulps, the old dwarf’s already small eyes nearly disappeared into thin lines. He sighed contentedly. “Ah, that’s the real stuff! You got lucky, boy. I’m in a good mood today. What do you want?”

Shen Ce smiled slightly, replying with composure, “Master Hatar, I’d like you to forge a cleric’s staff suitable for my level.”

The dwarf squinted at Shen Ce’s current wooden staff. “That staff of yours seems pretty good. Do you want a new one forged, or just something inlaid onto it? Either way, the effect will be similar, but the latter is simpler.”

Dwarves were said to blend cunning with candor—an odd reputation, but widely accepted. Shen Ce couldn’t be sure if Hatar was trying to swindle him and hesitated for a moment. “What would you inlay?”

Sensing Shen Ce’s caution, the old dwarf glared, his beard nearly standing on end. “You doubt my skill?!”

Shen Ce hadn’t expected an NPC to be so perceptive, instantly spotting his lack of trust. He quickly composed himself, putting on an earnest expression. “Of course not. I’m just inexperienced and want to understand more.”

But the old dwarf was having none of it. He snorted heavily, “Don’t try that with me, humans are all sly. Hmph! But since you brought me that juniper spirit, I’ll forgive you this once. Bring me ten Simon Horns and then talk. I’m busy.”

“Player has triggered the quest—Find Simon Horns for Hatar to Reforge the Staff. Accept?”

Shen Ce hadn’t expected the dwarf to decide for him, opting for reforging the staff without even asking. Now he understood why dwarves were considered so extreme. With little choice, Shen Ce accepted the quest and then stepped forward again. “Master Hatar, I have another favor to ask. Could you look at this ring on my hand…”

“Ring, schming—don’t distract me!” Hatar turned away dismissively, but when he glimpsed the ring on Shen Ce’s left index finger, his expression twisted in shock. “Good heavens! What am I seeing?!”

Moments earlier, Hatar had been eager to send Shen Ce away; now he practically lunged at him, eyes feverish as he grabbed at the ring with his grimy hands. Shen Ce watched, speechless, as the dwarf fumbled, unable to remove the ring and leaving only dirty smudges on his knuckle.

After several failed attempts, the old dwarf finally admitted defeat, his gaze growing heavier. “Young cleric, aren’t you a follower of the God of Light? Why are you meddling with demons?”

Seeing Hatar’s grave expression, Shen Ce smiled ambiguously. “How could I be involved with them? This ring was given to me by a senior priest from the Temple of Light. It must have picked up some corruption during a battle with demons. Master Hatar, do you think it can be repaired?”

The old dwarf stared at the ring, his face a portrait of anguish. “You can’t even take it off, so what’s there to repair? Even if you could, hardly anyone could fix it—maybe a grandmaster like my old mentor.”

Shen Ce’s eyes brightened. “Your mentor, perhaps…”

Hatar stroked his gray beard, returning to his proud and disdainful air. “I haven’t seen the old man in centuries. You, a mere cleric, shouldn’t even dream about it. Just get me those Simon Horns instead of chasing impossible dreams.”

Though a little disappointed, Shen Ce was heartened to know the ring might still be restored. He bowed to the old dwarf. “I’ll leave my staff in your hands, then.” With that, he left the ramshackle blacksmith shop.

Shen Ce opened his quest log to check the details about the Simon Horns. It turned out the northern part of Frostleaf Plains was home to a creature called the Violet-Horned Rhino, which dropped the required item. As he perused the quest, Shen Ce suddenly felt hungry. A glance at his hunger gauge showed it had reached seventy-three.

He quickly retrieved some bread from his inventory. In “Heaven’s Dominion,” reaching seventy points of hunger put a character into a weakened state, reducing both attack and defense. At one hundred, the character would simply die.

At the same time, he realized it was dinnertime in the real world as well. Shen Ce logged out swiftly. Though the high-end nutrient pod could keep him alive for fifteen days without sleep or food, Shen Ce usually maintained a regular routine of three meals a day and seven hours of sleep. After all, nutrient solution wasn’t a true substitute for real food or rest—prolonged gaming without a healthy body would only hinder his progress. Physical well-being was the foundation of any endeavor.

A flash of white light, and Shen Ce’s consciousness returned to reality. He opened the blue pod canopy and headed to the kitchen, taking out some fruits, vegetables, and meat to prepare a simple dinner.

Oddly, after his meal, Shen Ce felt unusually tired and didn’t return to “Heaven’s Dominion” for another round as he normally would. He guessed it was due to poor rest in recent days and decided to give himself a break, saving the next battle for tomorrow.