In the bustling forge of the factory, where the blacksmiths toiled with sweat-soaked brows, the clanging of hamrs and the hissing of molten tal filled the air.
The workers were engaged in their tasks, crafting various tal goods under the watchful eye of the Masterbuilder. But now, it was ti to make an announcent.
With a loud whistle, the Masterbuilder called for the workers’ attention. They stopped their work and gathered around him, curious and expectant. After all, it wasn’t every day that Masterbuilder asked them to stop their work.
"Listen up, everyone!" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the noise of the forge. "I’ve got so news from the Mayor’s office."
A murmur of curiosity rippled through the crowd as the blacksmiths exchanged glances. The Mayor’s office was a distant world for commoners and any news from there was bound to be intriguing.
Not only that, they knew it was ti for annual festivities, so the announcent could be related to that.
"Like every year, the Mayor has decided to extend an invitation to one of you," the Masterbuilder announced. "A single craftsman from this factory will have the honour of attending the Mayor’s Ball."
The room fell silent as curious eyes turned toward the master builder. He wore a rare, pleased expression that had not graced his face for a long ti.
"The Mayor has requested a showcase of the finest craftsmanship this city has to offer," the master builder announced. "And he’s looking for soone to represent our factory."
The news was t with a mixture of excitent and disbelief. A chance to rub shoulders with the city’s elite was a dream for many, but such opportunities were only offered to so.
A wave of whispers erupted from the crowd. Everyone was excited to have a chance to visit the Mayor’s office. All of those who had been lucky enough to attend the ball had their lives changed.
The greatest example wa the current Mayor himself. After all, he had t the Mayor’s daughter during one of these functions, and they fell for each other.
As a result, a blacksmith, like them, beca the city’s Mayor. However, their happiness didn’t last for long as the Masterbuilder continued.
"But here’s the catch," the master builder added, a sly grin on his face. "You only have five days to create sothing extraordinary. The Mayor expects to see a true masterpiece at the ball."
The mood shifted as the blacksmiths considered the tight deadline. Five days to craft sothing remarkable was a daunting challenge.
"And there’s one more thing," the master builder continued. "You’ll have to gather your own materials for this project."
A collective groan rose from the blacksmiths. Materials were not easy to co by in Heaven’s Refuge as Eclipse had a monopoly on everything, which made procuring materials for personal use a daunting task.
Only those who had enough money to bribe the Eclipse for so materials or those with connections would be able to participate in the competition.
It wasn’t fair, but in their city, nothing was fair to begin with. As such, Many looked discouraged, knowing that getting materials would be a significant obstacle to their chances.
Amid the disheartened crowd, Shinon’s face remained impassive. Luckily, he was prepared for such a situation.
His shadowy domain concealed a stockpile of materials and resources that no one else knew about. In addition, he had the support of Miro, who was determined to help him succeed for his father’s sake.
"Well, that’s it from ," Masterbuilder concluded, and the crowd dispersed as everyone returned to their work. "I hope many of you will participate in the competition and bring glory to our factory."
The energetic crowd from before looked like they had a eting with a vampire. No one seed excited like before, except a few people who were glad they got rid of the competition.
Moreover, they believed since Shinon was new to the city, there would be no way he would be able to participate in the competition despite being highly skilled at the craft.
After all, he would need both the money and the relationship needed to procure so materials, and since he had none, he was more or less out of the competition before it even began.
However, Shinon had a separate problem altogether. In a twist of fate, he was, once again, being forced to work for his potential enemies. First, it was the Phoenixes and now the Eclipse.
"I managed to fool the Phoenixes by crafting the weapons with a cursed blessing," Shinon mumbled to himself. "But that trick won’t fly with the Eclipse. If they realise what I did, it would make getting out of here challenging."
The Eclipse were more dangerous than anyone Shinon had t in their world. As such, he would be a fool to treat them as he treated the Phoenix.
"That’s all the more reason to not make a weapon for them. God knows how they’ll use it, and as much as I’ve grown to accept ridding souls, I can’t imagine getting innocent blood drenching my hands."
As he thought, Shinon could have crafted a weapon and won the competition easily. But he didn’t want to gift them sothing the Eclipse would use to cause more havoc and chaos.
But then Shinon was almost sure that he wouldn’t win the competition if he didn’t create sothing for the Eclipse.
As others took off to gather resources, Shinon sat on a cold anvil, wondering what he could make to ascertain his victory.
"I could do that!" Shinon’s eyes shined as an idea struck his brain.
Instead of creating one thing like the rest, Shinon would focus on creating a set of non-lethal traps. He will get the Eclipse’s attention without jeopardising the lives of innocent people.
Another challenge was using common materials because if he used materials like Lunarisite or Zombie’s acid, everyone would beco suspicious of him, making things difficult for him.
"Thankfully, I know just what to make," Shinon mumbled confidently. "Five days... it should be sufficient for to craft three pieces of the set."
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