Lords of the Heavens

Chapter 280 First-Order Spellcaster

"Master Zhao, it's so good that you're back. The lord has placed more than a dozen orders with our blacksmith shop. Without you in charge, we're like helpless little chicks."

In the northeast corner of the camp, right next to the level 3 city wall, is the blacksmith shop that was newly built last month, and next to it is an iron smelting furnace several meters high.

When Zhao Xuanxuan returned carrying her four-star enchanted iron hammer, five blacksmith apprentices were already waiting there—three men and two women. The oldest was 45 years old, the youngest was 15, and the other three were 23, 18, and 18.

Although they are called blacksmith apprentices, they are actually already two-star blacksmiths. After all, it is very easy to upgrade to two stars. Usually, all you need to do is understand how the furnace works, the blacksmith's work process, and then swing the hammer for a month to gain enough experience to level up.

This basically means you can become a mediocre blacksmith, making some useless farm tools for foolish farmers. In ancient feudal times, that might have been enough to make a living.

But in this era, that's far from enough.

Because the uncontrolled magical source has altered most matter at the particle level, the standards for forging used to be one thing, but now they are quite another.

Enchanting is the true measure of everything.

Zhao Xuanxuan is quite qualified to speak on this matter, because she is carrying an enchanted iron hammer.

If the chaotic magical particles cannot be captured and gathered together during the forging process, then no matter how high the level of iron and steel forging is, even if it is forcibly upgraded to four stars, it will still be a blank equipment.

Times have changed.

"Don't rush, take your time, we still have plenty of time."

Zhao Xuanxuan smiled, tore down the order list at the entrance of the blacksmith shop and looked at it. These orders were basically task orders issued by Li Wei through the prestige card system, which was quite similar to the old village chief who issued tasks in the game.

These orders would then be handwritten into order forms by the five apprentices.

"Hmm, Sam, how many steel ingots do we have left? Go to warehouse number 4 and place an order with Javier. Tell him we need to smelt another batch of iron in three days!"

Zhao Xuanxuan picked up a marker and wrote a material requisition form on a blank sheet of paper in the standard format, adding her signature and seal below.

The camp is now operating smoothly, and everything must be done according to the rules and regulations.

It has to be said that the addition of these free citizens is really powerful. Li Wei only needs to give a direction, and these free citizens can formulate reasonable rules on their own.

Javier, for example, is definitely a genius in warehouse logistics management.

"Alright, light the fire. Anthony, Alord, your task today is to swing the hammer 500 times. Diana, your task is to swing it 200 times. Lucas, you and Sam will assist me."

“Master Zhao, why do we still need to practice swinging the hammer? We are blacksmiths, not soldiers.”

18-year-old Anthony said dejectedly.

“Yes, Master Zhao, when we were at Base 379, we used electric forging hammers. One strike could weigh 1000 kilograms. I think we should apply to the Lord for the installation of electric forging hammers.” Arold, who was also 18 years old, complained. They felt that everything they had learned before had been overturned.

I thought I could learn some secrets from this supposedly amazing blacksmith, but instead, I've spent the last half month either starting fires or swinging a hammer.

People should use their brains, not their strength. We are free citizens, you are an NPC, what do you know?
"Anthony, Alold, shut up!"

23-year-old Lucas snapped, "You two idiots! It's one thing to complain in private, but to complain to my face now is just asking for a beating!"

Zhao Xuanxuan glanced at the two little kids, but wasn't angry. There was no point in being angry; their understanding was correct, they just didn't know that times had changed.

You'll understand eventually.

Her task, or rather her purpose, was to contribute to Li Wei's territory and cultivate a few excellent blacksmiths for it, or even just one.

She was only responsible for Li Wei, not for the future of these two little kids.

“Well said. So Anthony, Alold, you still need to complete your tasks today. As for why you should do it, that’s a question I’m leaving for you. People should use their brains and think about why.”

“In a few days, there should be ten more blacksmith apprentices coming for training. I’m only giving you one month. Those who fail the assessment after one month will be fired, and those who pass will stay. Everyone will be treated the same. In the end, no more than three qualified blacksmiths will be able to stay in this blacksmith shop.”

Zhao Xuanxuan spoke calmly and seriously, saying that today another thirty-two ability users chose blacksmith as their first profession card, so they will all be potential blacksmith apprentices.

Even blacksmiths, who have a second profession, don't make the list.

But even if your first profession is blacksmithing, you may not necessarily become a blacksmith in the end.

Competition in this world is fierce, so cherish the time we have.

She was also saying this to herself, because she wanted to become an enchanted blacksmith. Li Wei had given her a universal gold card before, and in the process of strengthening the iron hammer, she had an epiphany and thus found her future direction.

Yes, crafting enchanted weapons doesn't necessarily require a universal gold card; it can be done through forging.

And this may be her path.

At this moment, Zhao Xuanxuan's destiny matrix trembled slightly, and the destiny title of Sword Forger shone brightly, melting into the afternoon sunlight, giving her a sacred feeling.

That's right, that's exactly how those four blacksmith apprentices felt at that moment—it was an invisible mark, as if it were branded deep into their souls.

Perhaps one day in the future, on a September afternoon, in the warm, bright sunshine and the gentle breeze of early autumn, they will fully realize that this feeling is what is called destiny resonance!
At the same time, in the same afternoon, in that small town beyond the northern mountains, in a library filled with dust and cobwebs, dappled sunlight slanted through the high windows, splitting the dusty air into several amber beams that shone on rows of bookshelves forgotten by the world.

A breeze blew in from the window, carrying the coolness of early autumn, rustling the pages of a book. It all seemed like an arrangement of fate, a magic of time, or even a curse of knowledge.

Sitting behind her desk, Liang Yuzhi smiled with relief, her entire demeanor and temperament completely transformed.

If she was merely a cunning, mean-spirited, eccentric, and strange widow before, she is now probably a cunning, mean-spirited, eccentric, and vicious witch who is also knowledgeable, well-informed, and capable of sensing disordered magical rules.

Yes, she succeeded!

She finally obtained the rare Scholar Card.

Activate, bind, she let out a long, contented sigh. Then, with a few gestures, as if casting some kind of magic, Ah-Dai, who was peeping outside the library, was instantly annihilated into a speck of light. The next second, Ah-Dai appeared in her hand.

If Li Wei were to witness this scene, he would likely be greatly astonished, as it would be tantamount to Liang Yuzhi having cracked his hunting pet's defenses and even being able to use the projectile lock-on skill.

At that moment, Ah Dai was so frightened that he dared not move his eyes.

"You little bastard, you're addicted to peeping, aren't you? This time I'll teach you a lesson!"

Liang Yuzhi cursed and flicked Ah Dai away with a finger. Ah Dai was so frightened that he flapped his wings and flew away without looking back. This woman was too scary.

Liang Yuzhi sighed, looking at the well-preserved library with a touch of nostalgia. It was a treasure trove.

and so--

"call"

A fireball the size of a human head suddenly appeared in her palm. She casually tossed it, and the next moment, with a huge explosion, the entire library was quickly engulfed in flames.

That's right, this is her daily life as Widow Yang.

As evening approached, there was a knock on Li Wei's door. It was Liang Yuzhi knocking. He looked up in slight surprise because he hadn't sensed Liang Yuzhi's approach at all.

Keep in mind, he's currently at Perception +2.

wrong!

Li Wei slowly stood up and looked at Liang Yuzhi standing solemnly outside the door. She still looked the same as before. Adai nestled in her arms, looking aggrieved and blinking his eyes frantically.

However, from Li Wei's perspective, and from the perception brought by the +2, Liang Yuzhi's demeanor and aura were completely different. It felt as if the person standing in front of him was no longer a cunning, mean, eccentric, and aloof widow, but a cunning, mean, eccentric, aloof, vicious, and cruel master...

That's really too weird.

"Second Aunt, congratulations." A thought flashed through Li Wei's mind, and he understood what was going on.

"Your perception is now +2?"

Liang Yuzhi suddenly said, and as she stepped into the room, Li Wei suddenly felt as if he had entered some kind of strange force field.

"I got a rare Scholar card, so I'm now a Tier 1 Spellcaster Witch again. I can use some fancy little spells now, like my mental field, which is roughly equivalent to the effect of a five-star Conspiracy card."

"Congratulations, I don't quite understand," Li Wei said in surprise, while her mind raced with thoughts.

"It's okay if you don't understand. Do you know what a Warrior card is?"

“I know. There are no corresponding cards for the Warrior class, but once you advance to Master Warrior, which is all-attribute level three awakening, you can forge a Warrior card with your own unique style. Even without a Warrior card, you can still be called a Warrior. All-attribute level one awakening is Senior, and all-attribute level two awakening is Expert.” Li Wei said quickly. He had only just reached all-attribute level one awakening and was still a long way from all-attribute level three awakening.

“That’s right! Since there are Warrior cards, there must be Witch cards. The process is similar. You, Li Yue, and others like Thomas and Leon all followed the Warrior path, while I followed the Witch path. Similarly, Night Owl followed the Witch path and has already created a one-star Witch card. Her confidante Hathaway also followed this path.”

"So Li Wei, do you know why I'm telling you all this?" Liang Yuzhi suddenly asked.

"This can't possibly be my second aunt's affection for me," Li Wei couldn't guess.

Liang Yuzhi smiled and said, "You're a good person. At least you're trustworthy and principled. Although I dislike keeping my word and being principled the most in my life, this experience has taught me some lessons. So, I hope to cooperate with you in the long term. Of course, not in the way you think of it, but rather you have to promise that if I ever fall into trouble again, you will lend me a helping hand."

"In return, I will create a new baronial coat of arms for you after you win this pioneering mission, and you will gain my friendship. I promise that in the future, as long as my fundamental interests are not involved, I will not be your enemy, and at the very least, I will maintain permanent neutrality."

"Why? I mean—"

“You don’t need to say it, I understand your thoughts, Li Wei. You need to understand that the moment I obtained the rare scholar card, I was destined to become a top figure in Ver City again. Any cooperation between you and me would be like icing on the cake, and my future would be smooth sailing, as long as I don’t fall on hard times again. Therefore, I must draw a line between us. This is for your own good, otherwise your boss will most likely see you as a thorn in his side.”

"But I admire you, so I'm willing to buy insurance for my future, you know what I mean?"

Li Wei paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically; he understood.

However, he couldn't help but ask, "Um, I'm just curious, do I have a chance to become a wizard?"

"Yes, wash away your rare scout card, three-star lumberjack card, and four-star hunter card, then activate and bind the mountain dweller card. The farmer card and the mountain dweller card are a pair of CP cards, which are very helpful for planting various magic potions and collecting rare herbs. For the third profession, choose the apothecary card, so you can make various potions with ease. For the fourth profession, choose the scholar card, so you will have extensive knowledge and the ability to discern the essence of things."

"Try unlocking the Destiny attributes of all four types of cards. The first two can increase your Spirit Power, and the latter two can unlock the hidden attribute Inspiration. So, do you want to give it a try?"

Liang Yuzhi spoke very seriously, while Li Wei could only smile awkwardly and say, "Try it and you'll die."

"May I ask one more question? What is the difference between a warrior's perception and a witch's inspiration?"

Liang Yuzhi snorted coldly upon hearing this.
"So you're looking for weaknesses to exploit in future battles against witches or other spellcasters like that? You know what? Just based on that one sentence, I would have had a hundred reasons to kill you in the past, but now, well, who am I to spoil you, since I'm your second aunt!"

"Of course there is a difference. I won't go into the complex principles, but let me give you an example. We both understand the life core of a magical zombie. You can detect and lock onto it using your senses, and I can lock onto it using my intuition. The results seem the same, but they are actually very different. Your discovery is based on the life force field, which is more like using a CT scan or ultrasound. It is a kind of physical-level extrasensory perception. This kind of perception is simple and down-to-earth. It is a perception map that is constructed by capturing and deducing subtle details."

"For example, your outstanding performance in the radiation fog yesterday was an imprint left by your perception on the physical level. It was a precise, accurate trajectory of the gears turning."

"But do you know how my inspiration led me to lock onto the core of life? What I saw were the traces left by the power of magic, the reaction chain left in his body by the out-of-control magical radiation."

"If I were to be placed in that radioactive fog again today, I would only try to find the chaotic magical particles within it, trace them back to their source, and then break the radioactive fog. That is the difference between a warrior and a spellcaster."

"That's all for now. Don't forget our cooperation agreement. And please keep this a secret for me. I'll pretend I didn't get the rare scholar card for the time being, understand?"

"Furthermore, this conversation of ours is equivalent to using a five-star card, so I can't stay any longer, and neither can Li Yue. This is for your own good..."

"Oh, and lastly, next month some players from other departments might try to recruit you. Remember to refuse them decisively. That bitch Night Owl isn't any more cunning than us."

(End of this chapter)