Adran woke up on his fifth day on the island.

  Originally, he thought uprooting everything to risk it in a new place would be a terrible idea. That was why he resisted leaving Goldleaf for so long; his village was his home, and he wouldn’t ever dream of leaving. He wouldn’t have left either if it wasn’t for the appearance of that tyrant. His mom and dad raised him there, everybody he knew lived there, and his entire life was built there.

  Once Alecto showed up, however, he and his people needed to decide. Either they would take a chance with a psychotic tyrant that hunted anyone who ventured into the woods or leave for a new life. Adran, along with several people from his village, chose to leave in hopes that they would find a safer home away from tyrants.

  Of course, the blacksmith had an affection for the village he grew up in, but he was under no delusions that help was arriving any time soon. Goldleaf was under the protection of the Zaurian Dominion, an empire that spanned much of Vetus’ coastlines and inland. Adran was fully aware of how Zaurians operated and knew help would either never come or come with a price.

  The Zaurian Dominion would hardly consider sending warriors to a village in the middle of nowhere. Their native guild, the Conquerors, operated more like mercenaries when compared to Dragon’s Lance, who was obsessed with hunting tyrants. The Conquerors would expect Adran’s village to pay a hefty sum, either in currency or in people.

  The barbarian’s guild was well known for both partaking in the slave trade on Vetus and extorting people for their money whenever possible. That alone was enough for Adran to doubt help was ever coming, so he did his best to convince as many people from his village as he could to come with him and leave for somewhere else. Anywhere would’ve been better than the Zaurian Dominion.

  The other villagers must have shared his thoughts, because several people decided to leave with him. They set off for the port city of Bloodshore and only encountered minor resistance from monsters along the way. When they made it to the city, however, that’s when they encountered the worst.

  Extortionists on every corner, pimps and prostitutes looking for people to take advantage of, and thieves galore. Even the guards at the front gate to the city demanded a hefty fine for entry, and it seemingly changed depending on what mood they were in. Adran and the people who came with him had to leave the city fast, so they took the first boat they could find leaving the docks that day.

  Some people wanted to stay and take their chances elsewhere, so Adran was left on a boat sailing with a family of two from his village. That mother and daughter now run the inn nearby, and they seem grateful that they took the chance rather than stay in Bloodshore.

  While Adran was happy for them, he wasn’t so ecstatic about his situation. He was a practiced blacksmith, already making it past the first threshold and learning to manipulate aether. If he wanted to practice his craft, he needed to be in a place where materials were accessible. Unfortunately for him, the island was completely devoid of metal.

  Sure, the occasional shipment would come, but either way his progress would grind to a halt. To make matters worse, apparently, many of the islanders weren’t used to using metal tools, so there wasn’t much demand for them to begin with. Adran would not only be out of materials but also out of work as well.

  It was only when Lukey showed up that he felt a tiny ray of hope. The kid not only wanted a specially made spear but even suggested places where he could find materials. It may have been only one person, but if his reputation spread, the blacksmith may eventually move onto bigger and better things.

  It was for this reason that Adran forced himself out of his bedroll. He was still not in the right state of mind, so he brewed some coffee with the few coffee beans he had left. He painstakingly crushed up the beans, lit a fire in his cooking kit, got some water from outside, boiled it, and threw the coffee grounds in. The blacksmith calmly watched the water as it slowly began to boil, then steam.

  There was a process, a method to making coffee. A professional like a chef could modify that process to change the flavor or make it in greater amounts. The same went for blacksmithing. It was a painstaking process of hammering the impurities out of ore and melting them to make ingots, then shaping those ingots into something useful.

  What fascinated Adran wasn’t just the process, but the precision and the artistry of it. Sure, you could do something asked of by the customer and be done with it, but in most cases, this would turn out terribly. It was up to the artisan to consider how the object would be used and modify it accordingly.

  You don’t just rely on specifications, because sooner or later the person using what you make will encounter something they didn’t think of. True masterpieces stood the test of time and were made so well that they could become family heirlooms. That’s why he needed to go above and beyond, especially when it came to this spear.

  After that talk with Lukey, Adran put in double time to get everything ready. First was the forge, which the blacksmith figured would be impossible. The materials to make the bricks simply couldn’t be found on the island, and ordering them from the mainland would’ve cost too much. Adran was at a loss for what to do next.

  However, two days ago an unexpected gift arrived for him.

  ...

  Two Days Ago

  “Um… Thank you, your highness, but what is this?” Ardan meekly asked.

  “Isn’t it obvious? And please, “emperor” is fine. The smiling ruler said.

  Before Adran was the emperor of the island, holding what looked like a large chunk of black rock. The rock was practically radiating heat, but the emperor was holding it in one hand with no trouble at all. In his other hand was a large sack that was seemingly filled to the brim. The emperor was smiling as he greeted Adran.

  Adran had to keep a calm composure. He didn’t meet any rulers before Caldoon, but one thing he was sure of was that none of them were this forward with people. Since he was a kid, his father told him all about how nobility lived a completely different life from the rest of the peasant class. Whoever Caldoon was, he clearly did not care about how a ruler should act.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Adran was in his house wondering about what to do next when this madman started yelling at the top of his lungs. The blacksmith didn’t want to disrespect the ruler of the island, so he came out to greet him, which resulted in the current situation.

  “This is some volcanic rock that I harvested near an underwater volcanic vent. It recently erupted, so I was able to get it while it was still fresh,” Caldoon said.

  “And these…,” Caldoon held up the sack, “are the bones you requested.”

  Adran was shocked at the display. An emperor normally wouldn’t bother themselves with such mundane tasks, or if they did, they would send somebody to do it for them. They wouldn’t show up at somebody’s door waiting to make a delivery.

  “Ah, thank you for the bones, but I don’t know what I’ll do with the volcanic rock,” Adran nervously said.

  “The rock is for your forge. I understand that you can’t get materials from the mainland. So, I took the liberty of procuring them myself,” the emperor said. “Volcanic rock has a high melting point, so once it solidifies, it should make a great forge.”

  “How … do you expect me to make the forge?”

  “You let me handle that; just point out where you want me to put this.”

  Adran, still in shock, complied as he led the emperor to the alley behind his house, where a forging area was still being constructed. It was an open area where walls and a roof were being set up as an attachment to the house. The alley was surrounded by neighboring buildings, so it was a perfect area to avoid contact with people.

  Adran led the emperor into the building, being mindful not to let the volcanic rock touch the sides of the doorway. A few steps led him down to the interior of the building, where it was mostly devoid of items, save for a few essentials. An anvil that was purchased from the general store sat in the back, and a workbench that was hastily constructed sat on the right-hand side.

  A patch of dirt behind the anvil was already dug on the ground where the forge would be constructed, outlining the area with wooden stakes and string. Adran’s tools were also set up on the workbench already; he was sick of having them in his house, so they were better off in the forge. His tools consisted of a carving knife, a pair of wooden tongs, some nails for detailing, and, of course, a forging hammer.

  “Set the rock down in that area in the back, then we’ll try to shape it into what we need,” Adran said.

  The emperor understood and made his way to the back of the forge. While he made his way there, he dropped the sack of bones on the ground near the workbench and grabbed the molten rock with his other hand. He walked over to the dugout area and set the fiery stone down in the center.

  “There, now do you mind describing what a forge is supposed to look like? It has been a while since I’ve been to either of the continents.” The emperor calmly said.

  Adran was still confused as to what the lackadaisical man was planning but complied as he began to describe the forge he used before he moved to the island.

  “The bottom part is a circular pit with walls around it to put the coals and wood. It also needs to have a base so nothing leaks out. The top half of the forge is a half dome, with the open part facing towards the anvil. Besides all that, there is a hole on top for a chimney and notches in the wall to hold whatever I’m heating up.”

  Adran did his best to describe the ideal forge. He didn’t know what the emperor was planning, but if he was going to do anything, he needed a forge that would last him a long time. This would also save him the hassle of having to make modifications later.

  “Understood,” the emperor said. “Now stand back.”

  The blacksmith’s confusion ended when the room began to heat up. At first the temperature felt normal, like standing in the sunshine. Then it began to reach uncomfortable temperatures. It felt like he was sticking his face in a campfire. Adran began to walk backwards as he put his hands up to block the heat that the emperor emitted.

  Indeed, heat was rolling off the emperor’s body as red cracks began to show on his skin. The cracks glowed brightly, whereas the rest of his skin seemed to darken as if it had been burnt and turned to coal. Adran watched the transformation in surprise as the emperor began to put his hands in the massive lava rock.

  It was then that the heat in his body poured into the lava rock. The piece of magma began to heat up and glow as the emperor poured more heat into it. Soon, the jagged outer shell of the rock began to soften as it got increasingly blobby. At this point, the rock looked more like molten magma in its fluid state, and it was here that the emperor made his move.

  An invisible pressure came from the emperor as he shaped the molten blob. First, the blob rose and expanded before taking the shape of a large tube. Then, the top of the tube was rounded out and closed to make a domed roof. The general shape of the forge had taken form, but it was not finished yet. The emperor willed openings in the front and top of the dome and then added the notches to the front.

  The heat began to recede as the whole room began to cool down. Adran was watching with his body half out the door as he felt a cool pressure wash over the room. He lowered his hands over his eyes as he saw the molten rock of the forge gradually cool down. The emperor was cooling down as well, with his skin losing its molten glow as a deep blue light began to wash over him.

  The emperor’s body washed the room in a deep blue light, like a glow coming up from below the water to reflect the ripples. Adran managed to bask in the soothing glow for a moment before an unfathomable pressure was dropped on him. It was like an entire mountain fell on top of him, weighing him down. He barely got a glimpse of the molten rock hardening before his face and body hit the ground.

  Then, everything stopped.

  “It’s finished,” the emperor said, before turning back to look at the blacksmith struggling to keep his body up. “Ah, sorry, I always forget how my abilities affect other people.”

  It took several seconds for Adran to get back to his feet. He gasped for his breath as he tried to get back to a normal state. When he was finally capable of breathing out of his nostrils instead of his mouth, he spoke.

  “That control over the aether…was that sovereign will? And two advanced elements, no less.” Adran quietly mumbled.

  “My second class is miner,” the emperor said. “I needed something that would allow me to swim underground, and the miner class fitted that need perfectly. Ah, but keep this a secret, will you? Most people think that I’m some sort of lancer, and it’s best to keep up the facade.”

  The blacksmith quietly nodded as he stared dumbly at the emperor. It was said that the closer you approached sovereignty, the greater control you would have over the aether. At the first stage, you have no control over it. At the second stage, where Adran was, you start to demonstrate minor control to fine-tune and upgrade your abilities.

  The emperor was clearly a fourth-stage sovereign. His control over the aether was at the point where it bent at his sovereign will. All the rulers of major empires were said to be fourth-stage sovereigns, each gaining power as they used their empire’s resources to progress. Of all the things he expected to see during his lifetime, the abilities of a fourth-stage sovereign were not one of them.

  “What would you call your class? How do you define it?” Adran asked.

  “A name for it? Well, I dive into the depths of the earth and the ocean to hunt,” the emperor mumbled, lost in thought. He seemed to have thought of something as he snapped his fingers.

  “Global Diver”

  ...

  Now

  Adran finished making his coffee and proceeded to pour it into a filter that sat above a cup. He took a few slow, small sips of the brew as he gradually tried to steady his thoughts. His experiences from two days ago shook him to his core, but now he needed to focus on his craft. He must throw his entire being into crafting the spear, as this would be the work that defined him on the island.

  The blacksmith spent a good hour sipping his coffee and chewing on a loaf of bread. By the time he finished his breakfast, he had properly cleared his mind to make room for the challenges ahead. Adran put out the fire on his cooking set and took his mug with him into the back.

  He proceeded through the backdoor of his house into the newly built forging area. Besides the forge made by the emperor, there wasn’t much else that was new, save for the scrap iron that Lucia managed to collect from the broken tools around the island.

  “It’s time to forge steel from bones and iron…” Adran said to himself.

  Now how the heck do I do that?