Maya's husband walked over. He glanced at Ren Isana, then at the students behind him, and asked, "Maya, you brought Ren over for...?"
He knew Ren Isana. Ren used to work part-time at his shop, but back then, the kid was quiet and reserved. Seeing him again now, the huge change in him was quite surprising.
"Ren brought back some good materials for you to appraise. Also, he wants to borrow the workshop's forging tools," Maya explained with a smile.
"Jimmy," Ren greeted him, using the name from his memories. Seeing this, the others also chimed in with a chorus of "Jimmy."
Hearing everyone, Jimmy smiled and said, "I see. If you need to use them, go right ahead, Ren. Did you learn how to forge during your trip to the other world?"
Setting aside the materials for a moment, he was immediately intrigued by the fact that Ren wanted to use the forging tools. Maya had told him about Ren's journey to the other world, so he knew all about it. Now it seemed this kid had actually learned blacksmithing over there. That piqued his interest. There weren't many things he cared about, but forging was definitely one of them.
"Yeah, I learned a few things from a God of Blacksmithing. The weapon Maya gave me before was upgraded by her, and now I want to fuse it with another weapon," Ren explained his idea.
At the mention of a "God of Blacksmithing," Jimmy's eyes instantly lit up. He hurriedly asked, "Can you let me see that upgraded weapon?"
He was incredibly interested. The weapon Maya gave Ren had been upgraded? He was the one who forged that weapon, and Maya had told him she sold it to Ren for dirt cheap. Now that it had been upgraded by a God of Blacksmithing, he absolutely had to see what kind of skills a god possessed.
Ren didn't refuse. He immediately took out his Tang Dao. The moment the Tang Dao appeared, Jimmy's pupils shrank. He asked, somewhat uncertainly, "Is this blade stained with divine blood?"
Hearing this sudden question, Ren was a bit surprised. It seemed Maya and her husband were far from simple—he could actually tell at a glance that Ren's weapon was tainted with god's blood.
"Yes!" Ren didn't explain too much, simply nodding in acknowledgment. As for *how* it got stained, that was a story for another time. Jimmy didn't pry either; instead, he took Ren's weapon and began to examine it closely.
The more he looked, the more shocked he became. He couldn't see any trace of his original forging on this Tang Dao anymore. It had completely transformed into a brand-new blade. Aside from the length and basic shape remaining the same as when he forged it, the internal structure was entirely different. After studying it for a while, he reluctantly handed the weapon back to Ren. "This kind of craftsmanship is truly incredible. It looks like I'll have to find a way to visit that world and learn a thing or two!"
This kind of forging technique... all he could say was that she truly lived up to the title of God of Blacksmithing. The Tang Dao in front of him was simply a work of art. It was too amazing!
"If you want to learn, Jimmy, I can teach you a few things. As for going over there, it'll probably be a long time. Or maybe, whenever the people from that side come over, I can introduce you to them," Ren said, taking his weapon back and looking up at Jimmy.
Hearing Ren say this, Jimmy grew even more interested. "How much did you learn? It seems you guys have a pretty good relationship with that God of Blacksmithing over there?"
He knew Ren's talent. Seeing his current posture, it seemed he had brought back quite a lot of knowledge. He glanced at the Spatial Rings on the hands of Ren, Asuna, and the others, and had a rough guess in his heart.
"I learned quite a bit. We also happened to bring back a lot of materials from that world. I can show you next, Jimmy." Saying that, Ren took out all the materials he had set aside to be processed.
In no time, a pile of various mid-to-high-tier Magic Stones and materials piled up on the ground. Seeing these materials, Jimmy's eyes lit up. As a blacksmith, he was naturally very sensitive to the grades of these items.
"Good stuff. Is this all?" Jimmy looked at Ren with burning eyes. If this was it, it would be a bit of a pity. It would be great if there were more.
"My other classmates have more." Seeing his expression, Ren smiled and signaled for everyone to pour out the materials they wanted to process.
Hearing Ren's words, the crowd began to act, each pouring out a pile of materials. The quantity was already quite substantial.
Seeing this, Jimmy said excitedly, "Wait a moment, you guys. Maya, go call some people to take inventory. Give them the highest price. We'll take all these goods!"
He hurriedly called out to Maya to arrange for people to count the quantity. If they swallowed this entire batch of materials, it would be enough for him to forge a lot of weapons.
Hearing her husband's words, Maya smiled and nodded. She took out her phone, sent a message, and then said, "Wait a moment, my people will be here soon."
Naturally, everyone had no objections. Meanwhile, Ren started chatting with Jimmy, sharing some of the forging techniques from the other world.
The documents he had submitted would probably reach Jimmy's hands before long anyway, so teaching him a little now was no big deal. Ren casually mentioned this matter.
Hearing Ren say this, Jimmy froze for a moment, then asked, "Are you saying you've already compiled the data and submitted it? Wait a second, let me go ask."
Saying that, he ran off, taking out his phone to make a call. Was the person on the other end Jimmy's teacher? Hearing how Jimmy addressed the person, Ren's heart stirred.
Director Ken had mentioned that the extra materials were approved by a master blacksmith. Could it be such a coincidence? Thinking of this, Ren's expression turned a bit strange.
Jimmy returned shortly after. He looked at Ren with eyes full of joy. "Good kid, I really didn't expect your talent to be this incredible! You actually learned the techniques of a God of Blacksmithing!!"
Having confirmed this, Jimmy was ecstatic. He had verified it with his teacher, and he already had a digital copy of the documents Ren had submitted on his phone.
"Is your teacher a master blacksmith, Jimmy?" Ren couldn't help but ask. Only that master blacksmith would have told him about these things, right?
Facing Ren's inquiry, Jimmy nodded. "Yes, my teacher is a master blacksmith. He just mentioned you too. Come on, we can leave things here for Maya to handle. Let's go strike some iron!"
Saying that, he pulled Ren toward the furnace. Maya could handle the rest. Besides, he was very curious—just what level had Ren's forging skills reached now?
Ren didn't refuse. Following Jimmy to the massive furnace, Ren took off his outer shirt and brought out both of his weapons. In addition to those, there were the metals, though Ren only took out two pieces this time. That should be enough.
Looking at the magic staff and the metals Ren brought out, Jimmy blurted out a "Holy shit." He wanted to fuse these two weapons together? And using *this* kind of metal?
He already understood what Ren wanted to do. If it was this kind of metal, it really might be possible. However, he had no idea how to execute it, so he was extremely curious about Ren's next steps.
With a mindset to learn, he didn't interrupt, but quietly watched Ren's operation from the side. To be able to fuse two weapons together, Ren must have learned everything the God of Blacksmithing had to offer, right?
Next, Jimmy started acting as Ren's assistant. With his help, Ren began to integrate the metals into his two weapons. The metals melted into liquid and were poured entirely over the two weapons.
Watching this scene, Jimmy's heart ached. After all, this kind of material couldn't necessarily be bought even if you had money. To forge a top-tier weapon, you only needed a tiny bit. But now, Ren was dumping it all in like it was free. If the quality of Ren's two weapons wasn't so high, he would have wanted to curse him out. It was too damn wasteful.
After Ren's two weapons completely absorbed the materials, their malleability fundamentally changed. Next, Ren began to reforge them, directly stacking the Tang Dao and the magic staff together front-to-back. Then, using a special technique, he fused the two weapons into one.
The clinking sound of striking iron began to ring out in the area. Maya didn't come over to disturb them; instead, she led her people to help the students inventory their materials.
The prices given were quite high. Some people could even directly buy a new Spatial Backpack. After learning the prices of these items, many students were stunned for a moment. Then, without hesitation, they all chose to exchange their earnings for Spatial Backpacks.
Hearing their requests, Maya didn't know whether to laugh or cry for a moment. "Alright, I did stock up on a few while you guys were in the other world. I'll just give them all to you!"
Maya didn't refuse. She directly led them to another area. The Spatial Backpacks happened to be right there, so she could give them out on the spot. By the time everyone returned, each person who had come today had a Spatial Backpack in their hands.
This included Megumi Kato and Asuna, who both had an extra one in their hands. The two of them had also exchanged their party's share of materials for Spatial Backpacks. This way, everyone in their party would have both a Spatial Backpack and a Spatial Ring.
Although not everyone else had one yet, they could ensure that every party had at least one Spatial Backpack. This was the result of their discussions. In the future, if they gathered more materials, they could slowly buy them for the others, ensuring everyone eventually got one. After all, the materials were farmed together. They had agreed on this arrangement through voice chat.
By the time everyone returned, Ren's forging was also complete. The Tang Dao had disappeared, replaced by a single magic staff. Although the staff's appearance hadn't changed much, the entire shaft was now covered in densely packed runes.
Having witnessed Ren forge this weapon with his own eyes, Jimmy was completely dumbfounded. The techniques Ren had just displayed were enough for him to study for a lifetime, and he still might not be able to master them.
"*Hiss*, it's done just like that?" Jimmy looked at the magic staff in front of him, hardly daring to believe his eyes. Fusing two weapons like this? Was there really no problem?
"Yeah, it's done!" Ren looked at the magic staff in front of him, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. He condensed a ball of Magic Power in his hand and reached out to grab it. As his Magic Power poured in, the runes on the staff grew even more dazzling.
Moreover, its temperature instantly cooled down. The entire staff now radiated a silvery-white glow, looking like a weapon from a game that had been upgraded many times.
With the Magic Power injected, the staff was completely bound to him. Then, under the watchful eyes of Jimmy and the newly arrived Asuna and others, Ren directly activated the runes inside. The next moment, the staff instantly transformed. With a flash of silver light, it turned directly into a Tang Dao.
The style of this Tang Dao was exactly the same as the one Ren had used before, except the blade was now covered in many runes, much like Bell's dagger in the anime.
Looking at the transformed weapon, Jimmy couldn't help but sigh in admiration. At the same time, a question popped into his mind, prompting him to ask, "Based on the properties of that divine transforming metal, your weapon should be able to transform into other weapons too, right?"
The property of the metal Ren had fused in was exactly that. As long as those materials were integrated, the forged weapon could completely change its form. Not only would it become incredibly sturdy, but it would also possess a stronger self-repair effect. Even if it broke due to some irresistible force, as long as you pieced it back together, it would be as good as new in no time. It could be said to be a truly dream-like material.
"Yeah, it could even turn into a spear. But I don't use spears!" Ren said this with absolute seriousness. Since ancient times, spearmen have always had E-rank luck—except for that badass Zhao Yun. So Ren had no desire to be a spearman. A magic staff and a Tang Dao were more than enough.
In its normal state, it was a magic staff. When he needed to use the Tang Dao, he just had to transform it. This was already enough for Ren to use; there was no need to go and become some spearman.
"I knew it!" Hearing Ren's explanation, Jimmy suddenly understood. Or rather, aside from a spear, as long as it was a weapon of similar length, this weapon could probably transform into it, right? It was just that Ren might not need it.
"This was a real eye-opener for me! Your forging skills have probably already surpassed my teacher's." Talent was truly an unreasonable thing, Jimmy couldn't help but sigh.
Regarding Jimmy's praise, Ren just smiled and didn't let it get to his head. Who could really say for sure about these things? Surpassing someone was actually quite simple. Thinking this, Ren directly transformed the Tang Dao in his hand back into a magic staff and put it away.
In the future, he wouldn't need to constantly switch weapons back and forth. Summoning the magic staff would be enough, directly using it as two weapons. Feeling quite pleased with himself, Ren turned to look at his other classmates.
When Ren saw the Spatial Backpacks in his classmates' hands, he was a bit surprised. He was especially puzzled when he saw that Asuna and Megumi Kato each had two.
Seeing Ren looking over, Asuna smiled, stepped forward, and shoved a Spatial Backpack into Ren's hands. "This is for you. I exchanged our party's materials for two Spatial Backpacks, so you can have one too."
Hearing this, Ren was instantly speechless. His storage space... was getting a bit ridiculous, wasn't it? He had his personal space, two Spatial Rings, and now a Spatial Backpack. That made four in total.
Although Ren was speechless, he still accepted it. After all, no one would complain about having too much storage space. Even though theoretically his personal space could be expanded infinitely, this Spatial Backpack was still very useful.
Accepting the Spatial Backpack, Ren skillfully began to bind it, then asked, "You all exchanged for Spatial Backpacks? Did you discuss it beforehand?"
The materials in these classmates' hands didn't belong to them alone. Some people hadn't come today, and he didn't want them to have internal conflicts later, so he had to ask.
"We've all discussed it, Class Rep. And the others chipped in some money too. Actually, we wanted more Spatial Backpacks than this, but Maya just ran out of stock," Sora chuckled, immediately explaining it to Ren.
Hearing Sora's words, Ren nodded. "As long as you've made your own decisions and discussed it properly. If you want more in the future, just ask Maya to set some aside for you."
He just gave a simple reminder and didn't pry too deeply. After all, this involved profit distribution, which was an internal matter for their parties. Ren wouldn't interfere too much.
"Don't worry, Class Rep. We've all agreed. In the future, party funds will be prioritized to buy everyone a Spatial Backpack, ensuring everyone gets one, as long as Maya has stock!" Sora grinned, laying out their plans.
"If you need them, I can actually let you buy them on credit first. You just need to pay it off with materials you gather later," Maya offered very generously.
She thought very highly of this group of students. Building a good relationship with them had no downsides. Besides, with their speed at farming materials, it probably wouldn't take long for them to pay it off completely, right? After all, they had only been out for a little over a month and brought back all these materials. And she felt this wasn't even all of it, just a small portion. So letting them buy on credit wasn't a big deal.
"No, no, we'd better not buy on credit. We'll come back to exchange when we have more materials!!" Sora hurriedly refused upon hearing this. She didn't dare to be like Megumi Kato, directly owing over a billion.
Thinking of this, Sora looked at Megumi Kato with admiring eyes. She knew full well that Megumi owed Ren a billion. Owing that much money before even graduating was simply too absurd!
If she owed that much, she definitely wouldn't be able to sleep and might even start having wild thoughts. For example, if Ren pressured her to pay her debts and she couldn't, she might end up having to wear a maid outfit, lift her skirt, and look at Ren with an expression that said, *Consider this your reward*...