Chapter 654

Chapter 654

“You’re Quandt’s elder brother? Then does that mean you’re with the Bavarian Workshop, too?” Diesel asked.

“I used to be one of them,” Avant replied. Then, he revealed a twisted grin and said, “But I left them on my own accord.”

“Why? The Bavarian Workshop is a conglomerate. Did you set up your own shop or something?” Diesel asked, tilting his head in confusion.

“Who knows? You can call it setting up shop if you want to. Whatever it is, the Bavarian Workshop has changed far too much.”

“...?”

“We were once proud blacksmiths who pursued only artifacts that could be called weapons of mass destruction, but the workshop has become no different from those other workshops on the street crafting toys for kids.”

“Hmm...”

“The Bavarian Workshop of today is nothing but an empty shell of the past. That damned brother of mine is leading an empty shell.”

“I guess you left the workshop after not being happy with their direction.”

“I left temporarily. I will go back and reclaim the workshop.”

“Oh?”

“Anyway, enough about that,” Avant said with a snicker. Then, he grinned and asked, “So you want to let me develop the Geyser of Life?”

“Sure. You dwarves are the best when it comes to mining, and I’m sure your skills are vouched for if you were once a member of the Bavarian Workshop,” Diesel replied with a nod.

“That’s an excellent decision, Adventurer Diesel,” Avant said, extending his hand.

“I’m glad to have met a good business partner,” Diesel smirked and shook his hand. Then, he added, “Ah, I’m sure you heard about the mysterious mineral we found in the ground. Did you?”

“I did.”

“Did you see the dust?”

“Yes, I saw it.”

“What kind of metal is that?”

“I have no idea,” Avant replied, shaking his head.

“What? Even a dwarf has no idea what that is?”

“I initially thought it was a dragon’s scale, but that doesn’t seem to be the case after I analyzed its composition.”

“Hmm?”

“There’s mana within that mineral.”

“...!”

“Even a dragon’s scale, no matter how hard it is, can’t hold mana. But this mineral holds mana, albeit not much. In fact, it is infused with fire attribute mana.”

“Then that means...”

“It might be a mineral similar to the mana stones.”

“...!”

“If that’s the case, then I think it’s appropriate to call it... mana ore.”

“M-Mana ore? Is it because it’s a mineral that holds mana...?”

“Precisely.”

Diesel’s heart skipped a beat upon hearing Avant's words.

He was rendered completely speechless as well.

Mana stone was an expensive mineral, but it had limited uses, as it was technically a piece of stone only made special due to the mana inside of it.

However, a mana ore was a different story. An ore had far more uses than a piece of rock, and there was no need to list their uses down, as everyone would know that an ore was far more valuable than a rock.

With that logic, then...

‘It seems I’ve hit a far bigger jackpot than what I initially thought I did...’

Diesel once again reaffirmed that he had made the right choice by attacking the Mandate of Heaven Guild and forcibly taking away the Geyser of Life.

“That’s truly amazing.”

“I, too, believe that it is amazing, Adventurer Diesel. And it is an honor to be the first one to mine these new minerals.”

“Sure thing.”

“May I get to work immediately?”

“Go ahead,” Diesel replied with a nod. Then, he added, “Oh, one more thing.”

“What is it?”

“As you might be aware, we are currently defending against our enemies.”

“I have heard so. That made us go the roundabout way just to get here.”

“So I was thinking... Can you help us?”

“And how do you propose I be of assistance to you?”

“Perhaps you could craft us powerful weapons that could slaughter our enemies?”

“Oh?” Avant raised a brow at those words. Then, he grinned and asked, “Are you asking me to craft you an artifact for combat?”

“Yes, I am.”

“My services can be quite pricey though?”

“I will pay you handsomely for your service.”

“Then I shall assist you.”

“You must help us,” Diesel said firmly.

“I see...”

“It’s difficult to tell the result when two major forces clash. But I know we are at a disadvantage, as the defenders always have the upperhand.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

“The only thing we can do is fight with all of our strength.”

“I understand, oppa,” Yong Seol-Hwa replied with a nod. Then, she added, “If we win this battle, then—”

It was then...

Ding!

A golden exclamation mark appeared on top of her head.

Wooong!

Then, her Inventory opened on its own and her item, the Hammer of Creation, came out of it.

“Huh? What’s going on?” Siegfried asked, curious about the whole situation.

“T-That is...”

“Hmm?”

“I received a class change quest.”

“C-Class change quest?!”

“It’s telling me to meet the ancient god residing under the Geyser of Life.”

“Ancient god?”

“Let me show you,” Yong Seol-Hwa said and shared the quest details with him.

[Ancient Creator]

[Objective: Meet the ancient blacksmithing god sleeping under the Geyser of Life]

[Reward: New Class]

[Warning: This is a special event that will only appear to those who are in possession of the Hammer of Creation]

[Hammer of Creation]

[A hammer that Vulcanus had personally crafted using his left rib.]

[Type: Blunt Weapon]

[Rating: Mythic]

[Effects: +300% All Stats, +15 All Skills Levels, +200% Crafting Speed. +150% Success Rate to Apply Magic on Item, +100% Item Repair Success Rate... (omitted)]

“An ancient blacksmithing god?” Siegfried muttered in surprise after reading the quest details. Then, he asked, “But Seol-Hwa...? Isn't your class already legendary?”

“Yes, it is.”

“If that's the case, then... doesn't this mean that you'll become a Hidden Class user?”

“No way,” Yong Seol-Hwa replied with a smile and shook her head. Then, she said, “Maybe it’s just my second advancement? I mean, it’s not like Hidden Classes are common, right?”

“You think so? But who knows, right?” Siegfried replied with a shrug.

“Maybe...?”

“Oh well, I guess that’s another reason we have to win this war. We need to reclaim the Geyser of Life to clear your quest.”

“Yes!”

It was then...

Shwoooong... Kaboom!

Mortar shells came flying toward the marching Mandate of Heaven Guild, and they all landed in the midst of them.

“Enemy bombardment!”

“Spread out!”

“They’re firing at us!”

The Mandate of Heaven Guild reacted and spread out before the shells blotted out the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Kaboom!

Mortar shells rained down from the sky.

“Run!”

“Kyuuu!”

“Okay, oppa!”

Siegfried, Hamchi, and Yong Seol-Hwa ran as fast as they could, but...

Sseuuuu...!

A thick green fog spread throughout the area where the Mandate of Heaven Guild was located, and...

“Argh...!”

“Kuheok?!”

“I-I can’t... breathe...!”

“Aaaaack!”

The Mandate of Heaven Guild members collapsed one by one.