In the capital of the Steel Melt Alliance, Steel Melt City, the news of the massacre in the military prison struck the entire palace like a thunderbolt. This event not only disrupted Fa and her companions' plans but also cast a shadow over King Secret Forge · Titan's heart. He suspected that behind this assassination lurked a conspiracy among the kingdom's high-level officials. To uncover the truth, he summoned Amber and the two generals in the city, along with the two prime ministers on the left and right, attempting to find clues from their reactions while preparing for the upcoming state funeral of General Green and the future layout of the alliance.
The Summoning in the Grand Hall
In the grand hall of Steel Melt City's palace, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. King Secret Forge · Titan sat upon his high throne, his beard woven with metal rings, and the scepter in his hand emitting a faint blue glow, exuding unparalleled majesty. The torches in the hall burned fiercely, their flames illuminating his resolute face, yet unable to conceal the deep-seated doubt in his eyes. On both sides of the hall, scrolls recorded the glorious history of the dwarf race, but at this moment, these honors seemed shrouded in an invisible haze.
Below the hall, the five high-level officials stood in order: Wind Stick · Amber, Shadow · Wolf General, Flame Hand · Mark General, and the two prime ministers—Wisdom Scheme · Grian and Iron Law · Anrus. Their expressions varied, each carrying an inscrutable depth.
The king spoke in a deep voice, low and powerful, as if it could penetrate every inch of the hall: "Grum and Rock were killed in the prison, the perpetrator's methods sophisticated, leaving no traces. This is no accident; I suspect it was done by someone within the kingdom." His gaze swept over each person like a blade, trying to catch any flaw on their faces.
Shadow · Wolf's Reaction
General Shadow · Wolf stepped forward first, his figure appearing dark and stern under the firelight. Clad in black battle armor, a faint cold glint flashed in his eyes, his voice as icy as frost: "Your Majesty, the prison is heavily guarded; the perpetrator must be extremely familiar with its layout to infiltrate and kill without alerting anyone. I suggest sealing off the prison immediately." His tone was calm, yet it carried a hint of schadenfreude, as if he was not surprised by the massacre and even somewhat secretly pleased.
Flame Hand · Mark's Reaction
General Flame Hand · Mark followed closely, clenching his fists, a flash of anger and shock in his eyes. His voice was loud and impassioned, echoing through the hall: "This is a provocation against the alliance! No matter who the perpetrators are, we must root them out and punish them severely!" His attitude was intense, showing strong dissatisfaction with the event, as if he wanted to burn the culprits to ashes with his own fury.
Wisdom Scheme · Grian's Reaction
Prime Minister Wisdom Scheme · Grian appeared much calmer, gently stroking his beard and speaking slowly in a steady and thoughtful tone: "Your Majesty, since the perpetrator could evade all surveillance and massacre everyone, they clearly came prepared. We need to carefully analyze the motive and purpose, perhaps finding clues from there." His gaze was profound, revealing caution and calculation, as if trying to link this massacre to a larger conspiracy.
Iron Law · Anrus's Reaction
Prime Minister Iron Law · Anrus nodded in agreement, his voice serious and low: "Grum and Rock held many secrets; their deaths are undoubtedly to silence them. We must uncover the mastermind behind it, or the consequences will be endless." His attitude was cautious, not easily committing, as if waiting for more evidence to surface.
The king listened to everyone's statements, his gaze sweeping over their faces one by one, trying to find flaws in their expressions and tones. However, apart from Amber, the four high-level officials showed no obvious cracks; their eyes were firm, their attitudes sincere, as if they had no connection to the assassination.
The Alibi Discussion
The king suddenly asked, his voice carrying a sharpness: "Do you all have alibis?"
General Shadow · Wolf responded first: "Your Majesty, on the night of the incident, I was handling military affairs in the barracks, with multiple soldiers as witnesses." His tone was calm, as if he had prepared this statement long ago.
General Flame Hand · Mark followed: "I was dining with my family at my residence that night; the servants can prove it." His voice was loud, conveying a sense of openness.
Prime Minister Wisdom Scheme · Grian smiled faintly: "I was studying strategies in my study until late at night, with guards at the door." His smile was mild, yet it gave a sense of subtle detachment.
Prime Minister Iron Law · Anrus said: "I was discussing state affairs with several ministers in the palace council hall that night; it's recorded." His tone was serious, showing confidence in his position.
After hearing this, the king nodded slightly, but the doubt in his heart did not fully dissipate. He knew these people were the pillars of the alliance, their loyalty unquestionable, but Grum and Rock's deaths were too suspicious, the perpetrator's methods too sophisticated, forcing him to heighten his vigilance.
The King's Decision
"In that case," the king said gravely, "I hope you all fully cooperate with the investigation and root out the perpetrator. Additionally, in seven days, we will hold General Green's state funeral; ensure security at all costs, no mistakes."
Everyone responded in unison: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
The king continued: "Furthermore, the general positions of Green and Rock are vacant; we need to find two outstanding dwarf deputy generals to succeed them as soon as possible. Do you have suitable recommendations?"
General Shadow · Wolf stepped forward: "Your Majesty, I recommend my deputy, Warrior · Skar. He is brave and fearless on the battlefield, intelligent and courageous, deeply respected by the soldiers."
General Iron Wrist · Blake also recommended: "I recommend Iron Crossbow · Malga; he is one of the alliance's top marksmen, having achieved great feats on the battlefield multiple times."
The king nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone: "Very well, I will consider your recommendations. After the state funeral, we will make the final decision."
With the discussion concluded, the king waved for everyone to withdraw. Only he remained in the grand hall, slowly closing his eyes and sinking into thought. Grum and Rock's deaths made him uneasy, as if an invisible net was slowly tightening, yet he could not see the truth behind it.
Communication with the Lion Claw Empire
Back in his study, the king activated the magical communication device. It emitted a faint hum, and a light screen appeared, revealing the image of King Nuti · Ursa from the Lion Claw Empire.
"King Secret Forge · Titan," Nuti · Ursa's voice was low and majestic, "I heard that our country's traitor Grum was killed in prison. What happened?"
Secret Forge · Titan responded gravely: "Nuti · Ursa, Grum and Rock were killed by mysterious persons in prison; the methods were sophisticated, leaving no clues. I suspect internal involvement, but there is no solid evidence yet."
Nuti · Ursa's face grew solemn: "This matter is serious; Grum's death may trigger a chain reaction. We must uncover the truth quickly, or the consequences will be unimaginable."
Secret Forge · Titan nodded: "I understand. We are investigating fully, and in seven days, we will hold General Green's state funeral with heightened security."
Nuti · Ursa was silent for a moment, then said: "I will send an envoy to attend the state funeral and assist in the investigation. I hope we can jointly unravel this mystery."
"Thank you for your support," Secret Forge · Titan replied, "We will reveal the truth then."
After the communication ended, the king sighed deeply, a sense of powerlessness surging in his heart. He knew that behind this conspiracy lay a greater crisis, and he must find the answers quickly, or the entire alliance would fall into danger.
During the seven days waiting for the state funeral, Fa and her companions decided to use this time to conduct their respective activities in Steel Melt City, searching for clues, enhancing their strength, and preparing for future adventures.
TISK and Rex's Exploration
TISK and Rex decided to learn and visit the dwarf kingdom's craftsmanship in Steel Melt City. They were full of curiosity about the dwarf race's skills, especially TISK, as a master craftsman, eager to integrate the knowledge here into his own metal magic.
TISK: Inheritor of the Molten Fire Workshop
TISK stood before the Royal Molten Fire Workshop, where the three-meter-high mithril archway was inlaid with flowing lava patterns. Waves of hot air rushed at him, mixed with the rhythmic hammering of metal forging. This was the gathering place for the dwarf race's top craftsmen, with furnaces burning eternal flames, hammers striking metal in succession, sparks flying like a scene of bustling activity.
"The temperature in the third furnace area is unstable!" A rough shout pierced the workshop's roar. TISK looked up and saw the old craftsman Grant waving long-handled tongs, immersing a red-hot star meteor iron into a mithril melting pool. In the instantly rising azure-purple smoke, complex magical arrays faintly appeared.
"Hello," TISK approached respectfully, "I am TISK, from Silver Red Village. I am very interested in the dwarf race's forging techniques. May I ask you some questions?" The old craftsman with burn scars on his left face turned his head, his single eye flashing surprise behind the goggles: "You look just like Hills · Kinske. You're not his descendant, are you?"
TISK nodded: "Yes, he is my grandfather." The old craftsman set down his tools, wiped his sweat, his tone carrying respect: "Hills · Kinske is a legend among our dwarf race; his inventions are still used by us today. Since you are his descendant, I am willing to teach you what I know."
TISK's first lesson was "Density-Controlled Fire." Grant pressed his palm against the scorching furnace wall, his rough fingertips brushing over the uneven rune grooves: "Dwarf flames have ten layers of breathing; pulling the bellows three times is the low roar of lava, seven times is the pulse of a volcano." When TISK mistuned the flame rhythm for the seventh time, causing the tungsten steel ingot to shatter into jagged pieces, the old craftsman suddenly pulled out a rusted screw from his waist: "This is what your grandfather Hills left me sixty years ago; he said one day to pass it to the next inheritor."
The inside of the screw was engraved with a tiny star map, matching the "Star Melt Casting Method" recorded in TISK's magic tome. Over the next four days, he spent time by the scorching melting pool: learning to mix adamantine powder with dragon breath grass juice to create "Flame Soul Coating" that could withstand 20,000 degrees; attempting to embed lightning-attribute magic crystal fragments into a war hammer handle, triggering chain lightning through pulsed magic; the most difficult was engraving the "Composite Exorcism Array"—requiring simultaneous chiseling of purification and reinforcement runes in nanometer-level gaps. TISK's index finger blistered from this, but on the fifth day, as he brushed over his bracer, he accidentally discovered the silver patterns resonating with the array, bursting forth ice-blue cold flames.
"Hills always said the difference between human and dwarf forging lies in whether one is willing to listen to the metal's cry." Grant shoved a dwarf war hammer engraved with vine patterns into TISK's hands, "This 'Burning Vine' is for you. Remember—quality hammering is not conquest, but dancing with the molten iron."
Rex: The Mechanical Poet in the Library Depths
Meanwhile, Rex arrived at Steel Melt City's Royal Library. The dome soared fifty meters high, pieced together from hundreds of self-adjusting luminescent stone bricks, housing centuries of dwarf knowledge and wisdom. The shelves were filled with ancient and modern scrolls and books, the air permeated with the scent of paper and ink. He used his mechanical eyes to peruse materials on mechanical engineering, magical technology, and ancient lost techniques, downloading the entire library's data with his mechanical arms.
Suddenly, on the third floor's southeast corner, he detected an abnormal cold spot—a magically sealed hidden compartment.
"Section 51 Forbidden Books, requires the king's handwritten permit." The librarian's iron-chain glasses reflected a warning red light. Rex circled to the back of the shelf, his fingertip ejecting a fine drill to deftly unlock the triple magic locks. The cover of "Lost Mechanical Civilization" in the compartment was covered in moss-like rust, opening with a crisp sound like insect wings. The first page held an ancient parchment, written in mechanical fluid: "To seek true knowledge, first break conventions."
The "Perpetual Pivot" technology recorded in the book made Rex's mechanical core vibrate intensely. This was a device converting magical pulses into perpetual kinetic energy, key to the "Diminishing Resonance Chamber" design—requiring adamantine gear tooth spacing controlled within 0.001 nanometer error, while engraving seventy-two spatial stabilization runes. Excitement flashed in his eyes as he immediately began studying the ancient book, integrating its knowledge into his own technology. He believed this knowledge would play a crucial role in future battles.
Fa: Research and Discovery
When the archive room's archway slowly opened, Fa sensed a subtle spatial fluctuation—the guardian matrix on the lintel recognized the star eye power within her, emitting a blue halo. Inside, whalebone shelves were filled, each ancient text held by floating light spells to prevent paper from weathering due to age.
The archive room was dimly lit, with glowing magic crystal stones embedded in the walls, emitting soft light. Her purpose here was to interpret the incomplete volumes of the "Star Dome Chronicle" series, texts written in blood and stardust, readable only by those with star eyes. On the first day, in scroll numbered III-6, Fa found a star map fragment strikingly similar to the symbols Grum drew in blood on the prison wall before death: three overlapping diamonds inlaid with an octagonal star, each tip corresponding to different celestial orbits, "This is the coordinate map of the 'Star Shards'."
On the fifth night, in an incomplete volume titled "Chronicles of the Fallen," Fa discovered a shocking record: She carefully examined the scroll, which recorded a legend about the Star Heart:
"The Star Heart is the power of inheritance, possessing endless strength. Its shards are scattered across the world; only by collecting all shards can its true power be awakened. Legend says three shards of the Star Heart are hidden in the Light Feather Dome, the Vortex Tide Sanctuary, and the Lion Claw Empire."
Fa's heart stirred as she continued reading. The scroll also included a map marking the locations of the Light Feather Dome and Vortex Tide Sanctuary. The Light Feather Dome was in the "Hurricane Cliff" in the northwest of the Muret Continent, a forbidden land guarded by the Wing Clan; the Vortex Tide Sanctuary was in the "Shadow Sea Domain" in the southeast of the continent, a mysterious realm ruled by the Sea Clan.
"So that's it," Fa murmured to herself, "I need to go to these three places to find the shards' whereabouts."
She closed the scroll, a flash of determination in her eyes. Though the path ahead was full of unknowns and dangers, she knew this was her mission to complete.
Kayla: New Materials for Thunder Claw
During Fa's archive research, Kayla, Salsa, and Arya were not idle. They wandered Steel Melt City, helping local residents while gathering intelligence.
Kayla arrived at a blacksmith shop, assisting an old blacksmith in repairing damaged weapons. Her strength was immense, wielding Thunder Claw to forge the eighth piece of scrap iron into a perfect arc. The old blacksmith Mulin squatted nearby, using tongs to smear crushed coal on the war axe's fracture: "Girl, your strength could crush magic crystals barehanded, but repairing a war axe requires not brute force." Then, he had Kayla immerse the broken blade in a clay pot filled with rose oil, where memory fragments of the axe's owner surfaced on the oil: a dwarf warrior swinging this axe to sever a dragon's tail, blood splattering on the toothed blade, forming unique rust patterns.
To thank Kayla, the old blacksmith pulled out a piece of "Frost Iron Ore" with ice crystal textures from deep in the cabinet: "Legend says this is meteor iron fished from the Eternal Winter Abyss; take it as repayment." Holding the "Frost Iron Ore," Kayla thought secretly that she could give it to TISK to forge a more powerful weapon. As she gripped the ore, she suddenly noticed a new notice in the corner of the blacksmith shop: "During General Green's funeral, all leisure entertainment is suspended—Secret Forge · Titan."
Salsa: Soul Body's Street Wandering
Salsa's soul body passed through the bustling "market," her mechanical cat shell emitting faint clicks. She enjoyed this state of detachment from the crowd—transparent fingertips passing through steaming grilled lizard stalls, smelling the mix of rust and cinnamon, listening to dwarf vendors hammering shelves to attract business.
"Funeral-exclusive ribbons! Three silver coins each, usually only half!" The beastman selling silk waved ribbons printed with General Green's portrait, edges still wet with ink. Salsa floated behind him, watching him secretly alter the "original price" label, his tail curling around abacus beads clicking rapidly to calculate exaggerated profits.
At the flower shop corner, several dwarf women argued over the last bunch of iron roses. "On funeral day, it'll sell for a gold coin!" The human shop owner tied black ribbons on the bouquets while whispering to neighbors, "Heard the palace ordered a hundred thousand bunches; of course we're raising prices—nobles have plenty of money." Salsa circled the blooming iron flowers twice, discovering the so-called "funeral-exclusive" were just ordinary iron roses sprayed with matte paint, costing less than a copper coin.
In the armor shop, the dwarf owner was labeling heart guards with new prices. "Battlefield memorial edition!" He wiped scratches on the heart guard with a rag, grinning yellow teeth at customers, "Same design as General Green, of course... price is triple the original." Salsa floated to the shelf top, seeing dust-covered heart guards still bearing last year's sale tags, shaking her transparent head—these merchants' tricks were really crude.
As she passed through "Craftsman Avenue," she heard two blacksmiths discussing. "The coffin shop old guy's making a fortune," one spat on the ground, "Originally five silver coins for a lead-iron coffin, now daring fifty! Calling it 'hero-exclusive molten iron craft,' fooling ghosts!" The other whispered: "But... this is General Green's state funeral; everyone wants to show respect." Salsa looked at their worn hammer handles, suddenly feeling these price-gouging merchants were both detestable and pitiful—war and death were always the most expensive opportunities.
Near evening, at the city gate's vegetable stall, she saw a small dwarf secretly mixing rotten potatoes into fresh goods. "Anyway, busy during funeral, who'll check closely?" The small dwarf snickered to his partner. Salsa couldn't resist using her soul body to nudge his cart, potatoes spilling everywhere, his panicked look making her "giggle" out loud—though she couldn't punish these swindlers directly, at least she could make them flustered for a while.
When she returned to her room to rest, her mechanical cat shell's storage was stuffed with price lists: funeral-exclusive beer doubled, mourning cloaks tripled, even paper war hammers for the deceased flipped tenfold. "Merchants' heads are indeed filled with profits and calculations." She scattered the papers into the air, watching them fall like withered leaves, "Good thing iron rose seeds are still original price; I can buy a big bag to scatter at General Green's tomb."
As she said this, her soul body suddenly passed through a hurried dwarf noble, a note falling from his arms. Salsa glimpsed "Iron Law Council Special Funeral Supplies" on it, thinking it was another case of official-merchant collusion—after all, in this city where even the air reeked of rust, deals between power and money were never shocking secrets.
Arya and the Green Guardian of the Iron Rose Garden
In Steel Melt City's rusty air, Arya discovered a bronze archway covered in iron vines. Pushing it open, the Iron Rose Garden before her made her gasp—forged iron petals layered in bloom, with tender pink rose cores, wind chimes of iron leaves and green vines tinkling silver sounds in the breeze.
"Rare for outsiders to find this place." The elf Luna in a flowing green skirt turned, her hair woven with iron leaves and fresh flowers, stroking a broken iron branch where the fracture grew tender green callus tissue. "Dwarves cast iron shells; we bestow life." Luna buried seeds pressed from iron powder and resin into the flower roots, new buds with molten gold sheen sprouting instantly on the iron stems.
Arya recalled her teammates' scars: TISK's burned arms, Salsa's damaged mechanical cat body, and Fa's weakness after using star magic. "Can you teach me this healing method?" She eagerly grasped Luna's hand, "We're about to embark on a more dangerous journey; I want to learn to heal not just flesh, but... weapons and armor, even wounded souls."
Luna's eyes gleamed with understanding; she led Arya to the garden corner's anvil. This anvil, covered in dents and thick rust with deep cracks at the edges, clearly endured countless hammerings. "The first step in healing steel is learning to listen to its voice." Luna pressed Arya's palm on the anvil, "Close your eyes, feel the stories hidden in those scars."
Arya calmed her mind, through the pulsing in her palm, she seemed to hear echoes of hammering, boiling magma, and a dwarf craftsman's low hum. As she slowly infused natural magic into the anvil, something wondrous happened: rust gradually peeled off, revealing newborn silver metal beneath, emerald-like crystals growing at the cracks, like a tree filling wounds with growth rings. "Amazing!" Luna's eyes sparkled with joy, "While repairing the metal, you're also soothing the violent memories it carries."
The real test came from three dwarf children. They ran in hugging a broken-winged mechanical bird, tears in their eyes: "Please save Little Iron! It's a gift from General Green." The mechanical bird's wing fracture was tangled with electrified wires; ordinary healing magic would short-circuit. Arya recalled Luna's teaching, slowly infusing natural magic as a slurry on the wing seam, then closing her eyes to chant—this time, she didn't drive natural magic but guided surrounding magnetic fields into a ring shield, like stitching broken leaves with spider webs.
When the mechanical bird opened its eyes, emitting silver bell-like chirps, the children cheered and hugged Arya's waist. She was amazed to find natural magic combined with magnetic fields had sprouted tiny vine-like crystals in the bird's bearings, reinforcing the structure while adding green touches. "This is the essence of 'Iron Heart Therapy,'" Luna gently plucked a vine, which swayed like real plants, "Planting seeds of life in steel shells."
Upon farewell, Luna gifted her a bag of iron seeds: "Healing's essence is gentleness to all souls." She pointed to an ancient tree bound by iron chains in the garden, flowers blooming amid lava scars: "Even the hardest iron chains make way for love."
Arya was secretly delighted; this would become her vital power to protect her teammates in battle.