Chapter 1056 - 517: Divine Artisan Showdown

Chapter 1056: Chapter 517: Divine Artisan Showdown

In the 791st year of the Primordial Furnace Calendar, the elderly Ernest lived a reclusive life, seldom making an appearance in public in Lamania.

He spent his life crafting all kinds of weapons and armor, divine artifacts, and rare items, but in his later years, he no longer picked up the hammer or created anything.

In his own words, it was because he had seen the pinnacle of the artisan realm, and crafting ordinary items had long since lost its flavor for him.

Every day, he would first go to the fish pond in the backyard to fish, feed his catch to the pet cat, then casually find a book he hadn’t read, lie down on a recliner, and let the time pass by leisurely.

Sometimes, if he couldn’t find a book or recalled some things and didn’t feel like reading, he would sit in front of his late wife’s grave and talk to her.

Speaking of which, fishing was even her hobby—he didn’t know when he picked it up too.

As for the house cats, nobody could tell how many generations had passed; they were originally stray cats she had adopted. Anyway, Ernest had the money to support however many it were, just that they loved curling up beside him when he was fishing, sleeping and waiting.

But one day, he had to change his schedule because his grandson was coming home today.

Like many grandparents in families, Ernest always wanted to cook a meal for his grandkids no matter what, plus, thanks to the blessings he received in past adventures, his health was good, and he didn’t hire servants at home; he managed everything himself.

At dinner time, the grandson arrived right on schedule. He was a young boy from the Haven Race.

Ernest and his wife, last name Alma, were a cross-racial couple. In Nebis, generally only humans and elves could have mixed offspring, while the descendants of the Horned Race and Douding Family took after either parent.

Due to his wife’s frailty and untimely passing, they had only one son, and this son wasn’t interested in leaving descendants behind, so the grandson was an only child as well.

Ernest himself felt somewhat emotional, having once thought he had shut his heart off from love and disliked children, but as he grew older, a desire mysteriously emerged, and upon becoming a grandfather, such love was uncontrollably expressed.

Today, his grandson’s mood seemed off, with him being evasive.

Ernest had a great relationship with him; despite his hesitations, in the end, he laid out his reasons.

Recently in Lamania, a "Master Blacksmith" had become extremely famous, claiming to rival Ernest—no, even surpass him, and this rumor had reached his grandson’s ears.

Ernest was indifferent; there had been far too many such matters. Given his reputation, countless people tried to provoke him every year for publicity, and whenever any genius artisan appeared, or some expert achieved something, they always used him as a benchmark, it was all quite bothersome.

However, he still noticed something subtle about his grandson’s attitude.

After further inquiry, he learned that this person indeed seemed capable, with their creations being exhibited in the city where Ernest lived, and coincidentally, his grandson had seen them.

With the exceptional judgement developed through years of exposure, his grandson couldn’t find faults in these creations compared to his grandfather’s work.

"This is quite normal. Artisans have their specialties; I can’t claim to surpass everyone in all kinds of creations. Moreover, some creations inherently have limits, and the strength of this world has limits too—once everyone reaches that level, how can one objectively say who is better?" Ernest said.

"I understand all this, but they’ve issued a challenge, claiming you’re definitely not as good as them and should compete to prove it," Ernest’s grandson said.

"There are too many people like this, but after dinner, since there’s nothing else to do, I might as well go check it out—it’ll be a post-meal stroll."

Throughout his life, the mockery and challenges ignored by Ernest were countless. Even in his youth, having just crafted the "Passionate Talent" and being immensely proud, he didn’t accept every challenge from budding talents.

But seeing his grandson perceive someone as impressive did ignite his curiosity.

In the city center, at a sizable exhibition, a series of works by the so-called Divine Artisan were on display. Ernest didn’t bother disguising himself as he walked through this venue, filled with professionals, naturally attracting attention.

He had grown quite accustomed to the attention, and those present understood his nature, not bothering him much. Leading his grandson through the venue, Ernest ascended a platform and announced to everyone, "I accept this person’s challenge!"

"Grandpa?!"

His grandson was utterly surprised, Ernest smiled at him and said, "Interesting."

After the journey and various interludes, upon reaching the duel location, Ernest and his grandson learned that the so-called Divine Artisan had challenged many artisans, and after Ernest accepted the challenge, he used it for publicity, attracting even more artisans.

Together with a group of artisans, some familiar, all of whom recognized him, everyone participated in the duel.

Ernest deliberately did not record the challenger’s appearance, age, or gender, seemingly purposefully avoiding mention.

His few words only noted that this "duel" was more like a "trial" than a duel, with the opponent "testing" these artisans. Right from the start, some sensed the opponent’s arrogance and wanted to leave, but refrained because Ernest stayed.