Section 7, The Summons of Hephaestus

Upon entering the shop, one is greeted by a plethora of weapons and armor. A short dwarf with a bushy beard and a small braid on his head is sitting on a chair by the counter, engrossed in a booklet with great delight

Leo is advancing through this tunnel

As the martial arts leader of the family, Gab displayed sufficient respect towards Leo; perhaps only Gab truly understood the terror of Fonseca

I am looking for Master Kulunwachi to prepare to create something. Leo is not angry either

Setting aside family ties, assassination, interests, and conflicts, between Leo and Gab, they spoke only of their experiences, their ideals, sharing what they had seen and heard, both the real and the rumored, all transformed into dishes accompanied by fine wine

"Hello, brother, what do you think of this? You tell me where Master Kulunwachira has gone, and this bag of wine will be your reward." Leo indeed had some understanding of dwarves

The dwarf looked at the wine pouch in Leo's hand, not reaching out to take it, but simply asked, "Is this rye beer?"

Leo descended the rocky lizard and quietly made his way out of the tunnel

Upon exiting the tunnel, one should arrive at the habitat of the snake lizard. After circumventing this area and proceeding for several miles, the entrance to the Heart of Fire should be ahead.

The dark tunnel winds through this eerie realm, with various passages carved out, accompanied by uneven terrain that creates an endless rise and fall in the scenery before one’s eyes. This place is as silent as a tomb, with only the constant sound of dripping water, unchanging through the ages, and the books faithfully recording the killings and betrayals that transpired within.

"Hmm." Leo stepped forward with a smile and said, "Here, this is for you."

Recalling Gab's advice, Leo couldn't help but heighten his vigilance

"Otherwise, you might as well wait here for a while; the master often returns." The dwarf's attitude changed quite rapidly as he accepted the wine pouch and began to show concern for Leo's situation: "The master will probably be back for a few days in about three months."

When Gab was informed that Leo was going to the Molten Core, he repeatedly advised against it. The Molten Core is located to the south of Blackrock City, accessible by traversing a long stretch of oddly named areas teeming with monsters, and descending through a tunnel overgrown with putrid flowers. This place is originally an excellent site for gathering fire element essence or ores, but due to the excessively high temperatures, it is unbearable for most people. Even dwarves, who are accustomed to forging in magma, cannot withstand it, resulting in a scarcity of human presence here. This place is originally an excellent site for gathering fire element essence or ores, but due to the excessively high temperatures, it is unbearable for most people. Even dwarves, who are accustomed to forging in magma, cannot withstand it, resulting in a scarcity of human presence here

With a thought, Leo took out a pouch and handed it to the dwarf, smiling slightly as he said, "Brother, where can I find Master Kulunwachira?"

Several years ago, Master Kulunwachira felt the call of Hephaestus, the God of Fire and the God of Smiths. It turned out that as a master-level craftsman, he had a strong possibility of being promoted to the level of a grandmaster forgers. Therefore, Kulunwachira moved to the Free Alliance Kingdom, selling his weapons on hetushu.com while collecting materials.

Leo thought for a moment; three months might be a bit long, and since he currently had no pressing matters, it would be better to seek out this master blacksmith. Thus, Leo paused for a moment and began to converse with the dwarf—oh, he now knew his name—Christopher.

Whether it is Leo's smiling eyes, his slightly upturned thin lips, or his crude and unrefined demeanor—have you ever seen someone take wine from another's home and pour it into a skin to take away?—all of these indicate that this person is utterly lacking in grace and is exceptionally vulgar

The master has gone to the Molten Core to seek the Essence of Fire. Upon hearing this, the dwarf snatched Leo's wine pouch and held it close, saying, "I told you that you can't go there; it's too hot. But whether you can go or not, I will accept the reward." Dwarves are like this; regardless of their likes or dislikes, joy or sorrow, it is all written on their faces, making them a very pure race

Leo sighed; it seemed that it was once again time for him to play the role of the hero

The dwarf raised his head, glanced at Leo, and coldly said, "The master is not in the shop; he has been out for a long time and has not returned." After speaking, he prepared to lower his head and continue looking at his own things

As Leo departed, the family elders and his father were discussing this individual, believing that Leo, whether through the strength displayed on the road or his manipulations of Nicole and Rebecca, even feigning ignorance in the hall to play the fool, fully demonstrated his extraordinary nature. Throughout the conversation, they praised him repeatedly, which made Nicole and Rebecca seethe with resentment.

Upon seeing someone at the door, the dwarf remained focused, glancing briefly before stating: "Our store has a rule: if you want to buy something, look for yourself. Once you have made your choice, call me, pay directly, and leave. Thank you for your cooperation"

Indeed, he may possess some skills, be highly proficient in martial arts, and with a bit more luck, he could kill Fong Saika. However, such strength is not particularly impressive. Fong Saika is merely a brute who relies on sheer force, with a strength level slightly above six, barely scraping by at seven. What is so remarkable about killing him?

Leo walked slowly through the city, and the places he passed began to gradually form a map in his mind, spreading with winding lines. He knew that as long as he walked enough, this map would eventually come to life, serving as the most advantageous weapon in moments of escape or pursuit

Upon returning to the hotel, I saw a person waiting at the door for me

Behind a finely carved archway glimmered a soft magical light, which informed Leo that he was nearing the entrance to his destination. He urged his mount to quicken its pace towards that place, where many enormous fungi grew, and where the most beautiful houses in the city of Braille were clustered.

Leo had previously mingled in many cities and was well-prepared for this. Generally speaking, dwarf shops operate in this manner, with straightforward transactions, fair prices, and a focus on books. Moreover, they harbor deep suspicion towards humans. If one wishes to cultivate a good relationship with the dwarves, it is essential to use wine and rare minerals to pry open their mouths.

Leo clarified the path to the Heart of Fire, returned to his inn, and prepared to rest for the night before setting out.

The underground city is much larger than the surface city, often requiring a detour of nearly ten miles to traverse from one side of the city to the other. Many people advance with ease and speed on rock lizards, silently treading on the shattered floors, walls, and even the ceilings of the long tunnels. With the aid of their three-toed adhesive feet, rock lizards can scale walls and traverse rooftops like spiders, making them a favored mount among the populace

Cities in the dark world are far more dangerous than the wilderness. Many wild magical beasts kill merely out of hunger, whereas humans are different; too many temptations and interests drive them to attack you, perhaps without even realizing it

The sign of the "Kulenwachira Weapon Shop" is quite eye-catching, making it very easy for Leo to find it

Help! In the distance, several figures are desperately running. One of them, lagging behind, tears open a scroll while running and throws it back. Where it lands, flames or ice erupt, and occasionally a few goblins emerge. Chasing this group are several enormous serpentine lizards, their snake-like bodies twisting and moving swiftly. The upright upper bodies of the lizards wield large beast bones in each hand, and when they encounter small stones or summoned monsters, they swing their clubs, sending them flying without a trace.

Passing through a narrow tunnel, Leola looked at the map.

Regarding this saying among dwarves, the summoning of Hephaestus is, in fact, a sudden realization that occurs over a long period. Under this realization, dwarves generally use the finest materials to forge transcendent items named after themselves, experiencing the subtle changes during the forging process. Once successful, the feelings and insights gained will be deeply ingrained in the hearts of the dwarves, serving as a foundation for future advancement. Moreover, due to this mysterious summoning, craftsmen often perform beyond their usual capabilities, making the creation of sacred artifacts not surprising. The act of forging transcendent items named after themselves and experiencing the subtle changes during the forging process, once successful, will have their feelings and insights remembered by the dwarves, allowing them to achieve advancement based on this in the future. Furthermore, the items forged, due to this mysterious summoning, often lead craftsmen to exceed their usual performance, making the creation of sacred artifacts not unexpected.

The Solomon Family

Upon hearing that it was rye beer, the dwarf's eyes nearly bulged out, yet he still did not reach out his hand. Instead, he muttered to himself: "The master said that one should not take things for free... I really want to have a sip, what should I do... The master didn't say I couldn't buy it, otherwise I would just purchase it... No, no, it's too expensive..." His face alternated between expressions of delight and sorrow, truly a spectacle... No, no, it's too expensive..." His face alternated between expressions of delight and sorrow, truly a spectacle.

Nicole and Rebecca were sitting in the garden, whispering to each other

The fine wine brought by Gab is paired with the wildly flavorful skewers, expressing the sentiments of an elf. Although they consist mainly of light fruits and roots, they are exceptionally delicious

Where is Juwen? Why hasn't he returned yet