Rey pounded the metal pot for what felt like the hundredth time, but it only worsened the damage. He snarled and slammed the hammer onto the pot in fury, making things exponentially worse, crushing it inward until the opening nearly closed.

  His so-called mentor was nowhere to be seen. He was no doubt whoring around and drinking himself into a gutter with all of Rey’s hard-earned money. That made him even angrier. Not because the fat demon had fucked off with Rey’s money, but also because he couldn’t get to do those things. He wanted nothing more than to use Repulsion and blast his shop and all this useless junk into nothing. He had been at it for an hour with no avail. By now, he had ruined three pots to the point of no return.

  He was beginning to think that maybe this was not for him. He didn’t expect it to be so challenging. He was never a handyman back on Earth, and now he knew why. This was far more frustrating than he anticipated.

  He dropped the hammer on the table, put his back to the wall, and slid to the floor. He had half a mind to just walk out the door and forget about all this blacksmith nonsense.

  No, Rey, my dashing good man. You know what is at stake. You can’t just give up…yet. Besides, you have a cheat code, and it’s only worth a Talent point. That’s it. One measly Talent point. You can’t let that grumpy as fuck demon win.

  Rey was certain of this much that Grixi had given him this task to fail, so he wouldn’t have to teach him anything. To make him so frustrated that he left on his own. Rey wasn’t about to lose to a demon who wheezed between insults.

  Time to activate the cheat code.

  He went into his Talent menu, then the Professions sub menu, and found the Blacksmith job. He spent his remaining Talent point and picked up a brand new profession. His vision was littered with many notifications.

  [Profession Unlocked – Blacksmith: Keepers of the flame and the shapers of destiny.]

  [Blacksmith: Amateur]

  [Blacksmith: A Blacksmith is more than a metalworker. They are the architects of war and guardians of civilization. With every hammer strike, they carve strength into steel and forge a promise from the heart of flame. From crude daggers to blades worthy of Sovereigns, a Blacksmith’s work endures longer than stone, and their legacy is carried in the hands of the meek and the strong alike. Kingdoms rise by steel and fall by steel. The Blacksmith decides which steel survives.]

  [Skills Unlocked]

  [Forge’s Embrace: This skill allows the smith to meld metal with precision, fusing broken edges or joining separate pieces into a single flawless whole. Forge’s Embrace doesn’t just repair, it reforges, creating tools, weapons, and armor stronger than before, as if the flames themselves blessed the bond.]

  [Hammering: Hammering is the foundational craft of every blacksmith. The art of striking metal into shape. At its core, it enables you to refine raw ore into workable ingots or basic tools. Hammering is more than just brute force. Each strike carries precision, balance, and intent, forging weapons, armor, and tools that resonate with the smith’s skill.]

  [Grinding: Grinding refines weapons, tools, and armor by smoothing edges, adjusting balance, and removing imperfections. While basic use polishes and restores durability, higher precision allows for detailed tuning, granting improved sharpness, weight distribution, and even minor stat bonuses tailored to the wielder’s style.]

  [Sharpening: The art of coaxing lethality from dull steel. Sharpening allows the blacksmith to hone blades, tools, and weapons, restoring their edge and increasing their effectiveness in battle. Higher mastery not only restores cutting power but can push weapons beyond their natural limits, granting keener strikes, cleaner cuts, and even durability boosts.]

  Rey whistled. Okay, this should make things considerably easier.

  He wasn’t kidding. With the skills came the knowledge of how to work a forge. Though there was still much that was hidden from him. Things that would only come with experience. He at least had the basic knowledge. He looked at the battered pots and grinned.

  Okay, brace yourself. Constructive violence incoming.

  He went to the already hot forge and, thanks to his Forge’s Embrace skill, he knew how to make it hot enough for what he needed to do. He looked around and found what he was looking for. He tossed the molten rock into the forge, very carefully, making sure he didn’t burn his precious hands. His brand-new profession also revealed to him that, due to the scarcity of wood in this kingdom, most blacksmiths used molten rock, which could be found in abundance in many regions.

  No doubt about that.

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  He waited for a little while until the forge was hot enough, then he melted down the bent and unusable pots to a nice liquid metal. He hadn’t known how hot the forge could get. He made a mental note to pick up the Fire Resistance skill once he had a Talent Point to spare.

  He was drenched in sweat by the time he finished. Then he picked up one of the casts that he saw earlier. It matched the pot close enough. So, Rey figured that Grixi must’ve used these to make the pots. He poured the liquid metal into the cast and started the forging process.

  Once the metal had set, he opened the cast, picked up the pot, and set it aside while pouring more metal into the cast to make another pot. After all, he had to create three.

  Then he began work on the first. Heating it up in the forge, banging out the dents to get the desired shape, and then cooling it off. He must’ve repeated the process ten times before he was satisfied. Once he was done, he set the pot aside and started working on the second, repeating the same process for that one, followed by the third.

  He didn’t even realize when Grixi came back. The demon blacksmith stood in the corner, in the shadows, with folded arms.

  “Oh, you’re back,” Rey called. “Three pots fixed, just as ordered.”

  “The term is Master, you fucking human,” Grixi grumbled.

  “Yeah, I’m not calling you that,” Rey replied. “Unless you want to pay your apprentice.”

  “Fat fucking chance of that. I’d sooner clean my dick cheese before I pay the likes of you.”

  It was a testament to how much Rey had been around demons that the comment didn’t even faze him one bit.

  The guy smelled of alcohol, and funnily enough, Rey knew exactly which one—Irata Renide. There was a distinct aroma to this ale; it was a mix of blood from a succubus, along with some other sweet-tasting demons, the likes of which he didn’t even know the names for. But he was sure they tasted pretty good. Just thinking about it made his mouth water.

  It used to be one of his favorites, and it was damn expensive. The asshole was already spending Rey’s money on the finest brew. A part of him was surprised that this backwater town even had such a pricey ale.

  “You’re clearly spending my money on the rich stuff,” Rey commented.

  The blacksmith coughed. “My money, you filth. Now, shut yer trap and get to polishing all these swords. I want them so shiny that I can see my hairy ass on them.”

  “Oh, and here I thought you were going to use them to shave that scraggy beard.”

  Grixi gave him a look that said he was going to skewer him through with those same swords, but the drunk slowly leaned forward and crashed to the ground.

  “Yeah, that’s going to leave a mark.”

  Rey left him there and turned to the swords. He found a rag that still had some oil residue on it. Then he looked around the shop and found a vat of oil. Dipped his fingertips and dropped a few drops on the rags and got to work on the swords. So that he wasn’t just wasting his time, he formed a small Gravity’s Domain around him and increased the gravity by fifty percent.

  After about the third sword, he got the familiar stat boost.

  [+1 Strength]

  He grinned as, almost immediately, he felt a noticeable difference when he lifted the next sword. He even swung a few around, and they were quite decently made. Not as good as some of the best ones that he had wielded, but they were not bad for this piss stain of a town. The passed-out blacksmith must’ve had real skill.

  Now, I seriously hope he passes some of that skill onto me.

  The night must’ve passed by, or whatever constituted as night in this kingdom, as it was always mostly dark in this place. The blacksmith stirred and woke with a mighty groan, followed by a yawn and a stretch.

  “Did you take a hammer to my face, boy?” Grixi grumbled.

  “I wouldn’t need to do all that. The poor hammer would loathe to touch whatever’s been lingering on your face for so long.”

  “One more thing out of your fart hole and I will stuff it with coal,” he snapped.

  To test out his claim, Rey farted.

  “Oops, sorry.”

  Grixi shivered with rage and was about to attack when he noticed the shiny swords lining the walls of his shop. He paused to see that Rey had indeed done what he had asked for, and not just that, but even cleaned up his messy shop. This guy had no respect for his workplace.

  “See, all swords done.”

  Grixi huffed. “So, you’re good for something. Hey, where did you learn all this?”

  “I didn’t come to you as a good-for-nothing. I do happen to know a few things. I’m an amateur blacksmith.”

  Whatever that means. Rey had no idea what the other levels were, but then what was he paying this guy so much money for? But that would be a topic for another day. For now, Rey wanted something to eat. His stomach was grumbling.

  “Good, then I don’t have to hand you to the Sniffers just yet.”

  Rey went cold. “They’re here?”

  Sniffers were the worst. They were demons that were trained to hunt humans or any other race of beings that still retained their souls. It was a Sniffer that had finally done him in and started his journey on the demon side. Rey hated that fucking guy above all others. He had hunted him for nearly two whole weeks and had nearly eaten Rey’s soul. It came down to the last few seconds. If he had been a minute late in breaking through the horde, Rey’s journey through Hell would’ve ended right then and there.

  Grixi picked a sword off the wall and started examining it. “Yeah, three of them have been in town for a few days.”

  “And you’re telling me this now?” Rey exclaimed, heading for his scythe that lay at the other end of the room.

  “You want to kill them? All by yourself?” Grixi barked a laugh. “You’re going to end up as a kabob on their plates before you can even so much as scratch your nuts.”

  Rey paused. “Aw, look who cares about me.”

  “Don’t push your luck, kid.” Grixi drawled.

  “So, you don’t mind if I go kill them.”

  Grixi shrugged. “It’s not like they’re born from my mama’s cooch. Kill them, flay them, put em in a soup. Just do it before they end up here and kill me for harboring one of you.”

  Rey nodded. “Why didn’t you give me up to them?”

  “They ain’t paying,” Grixi said. “You are. So, you’re worth more alive than dead. So, just for that. Every day that I have to keep my mouth shut, you’re going to have to pay me three extra silver coins.”

  Rey walked for the door. “Don’t you worry about that.” He paused midstep. “What were their Ranks?”

  “I don’t fucking know, six or seven. All you Exiled chumps seem the same to me.”

  “Hey, if you somehow manage to do the impossible, make sure you do it outside of town. I don’t want people to know that you ain’t one of us. Also, take their swords; it was some pretty good work.”

  Rey grinned. “Don’t you worry, I always scavenge whatever I kill.”

  Time to kill some demons that are trained to hunt humans. Easy.