The Forge.

  It occupied a separate, heavily fortified west wing of the Athena Auction House complex. While the main halls – the Auditorium and Olympus’ Steps – catered for grand displays where elites could network and spend their wealth, the Forge was where craft was born. It was a place where Artisan-type Players, through their sweat, blood, and tears, produced the items used by their Combat-type peers. Players like Jin and Ironshield.

  The first three floors housed the fundamentals: smithing, tailoring, and alchemy. The fourth floor was the storage area, while the fifth, where Ah Mei was now leading them, was designated as a high-security research and development area. Divided into three sections with identical industrial infrastructures, its sole function was to research RIFT minerals and ores so the other floors could make use of them.

  As the group moved through the various checkpoints – a labyrinth of modern laboratories and testing bays – toward Master Haephastus’s office at the very end of the floor, a specific scene piqued Ironshield’s attention. He came to a sudden halt, his face plastered against a reinforced glass window.

  “They are working on the Lode Mothercrystal?!” he exclaimed, his breath fogging the glass. “I've never seen one taken apart–Wait! Is that... is that Dr Faustus?!”

  “Who’s Dr Faustus?” Jin asked, stepping up beside him, curious to see what had gotten the veteran Player so excited. Saki, Take, and Kenji tagged along, staying close to their leader, their eyes wide as they peered into the testing bay.

  Inside, amidst a sea of holographic diagnostic screens and disassembled crystal components, a man stood rigid. Tall and lanky with neatly combed white hair, dressed in a high-collared, white-coloured lab coat, his hands moved over the holographic interface with unnerving precision.

  Before anyone could answer Jin’s question, Dr Faustus turned around. His brow furrowed, clearly annoyed by the commotion and the silhouettes loitering outside his window. His cold and analytical eyes swept over the group like a prejudiced scanner – one that rejected everything until they found what they were looking for.

  Ah Mei.

  His expression shifted in an instant, and the annoyance on his face disappeared. However, there was still a tinge of restlessness in the way he moved. Without a word, he stepped toward the entrance.

  A pressurised seal snapped, and a vertical curtain of violet light swept the threshold as the door hissed open. Faustus stepped into the hallway, bringing a wave of sterilised, chilled air with him.

  “Ah Mei,” he said, his voice cold and commanding. “Tell your master I need ten more Boss Monster crystals from Floor 20, and thirty from Floor 35.”

  Ah Mei’s face tightened. Though bristled at the demand, she didn’t argue. She only gave a sharp nod of acknowledgement.

  Dr Faustus said nothing else and began to turn back toward his work. But before he even took a step, his gaze snagged on Jin’s. He paused, his eyes scanning Jin with ever-growing curiosity.

  “You,” he said. “Interested in a project?”

  “Project?” Jin asked, caught off guard. “What kind–”

  Before he could finish the question, Ah Mei stepped in, her hands tapping on Jin’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, Dr Faustus. These are the Master’s guests.”

  “Oh?” the man replied, a tinge of dissatisfaction creeping into his voice as he dismissed Jin as quickly as he had noticed him. He stepped back into his lab. “Whatever. Just tell Haephastus to bring me what I want. And Ah Mei... remember. Don’t say I didn’t warn you or your master, but I hate waiting.”

  The door hissed shut, the seal snapping back into place and leaving the group in an awkward, heavy silence.

  “What was that all about?” Ironshield asked.

  Jin shrugged. “No idea. Anyway, should we be wasting time here?”

  “Ah!” Ironshield cracked a guilty smile. “Sorry about that. Let’s get going.”

  Ah Mei didn't need to be told twice. She hurried the group away; her pace suggested she wanted as much distance between herself and the testing bay as soon as possible. She didn’t explain why, but Jin and Ironshield knew well enough to ask the unnecessary.

  ***

  As they neared the end of the corridor, Jin realised the layout of the fifth floor was no accident. The path mirrored a concentric trap; to reach Master Haesphastus, one had to pass through the Forge’s entire gauntlet.

  The journey had begun floors below with the gritty thumping of hammers on anvils, moving through the rumbles and whirs of the second floor, and passing the aromatic sections where most people found themselves lost in the pleasurable scents of alchemical brews.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Now, they were deep within the most sensitive labs, with people like Dr Faustus – who, according to Ah Mei, was a guest invited by Master Haephastus himself – lurking around the perimeter. And the deeper they went through the fifth floor, the thicker the walls became, until the modern glass gave way to heavy woods and patterned stones. This place served not only as Master Haephastus’s personal office but also as the final bastion of the Athena Auction House’s intellectual wealth.

  “Master,” Ah Mei said after she knocked on the large wooden door inscribed with a unique engraving of two hammers knocking on a single anvil. “Your guests have arrived.”

  “Let them in,” a resounding yet warm voice sounded from inside.

  As the group entered, Uncle Hans greeted them and motioned for each to take a seat. Standing by the large wooden desk was Master Hephaestus himself. Now that Jin could see them both together, his former appraiser – who was a large, round man himself – looked tiny by comparison.

  If there was a perfect candidate for Santa Claus, look no further; Master Haephastus was the man. His sheer size and the perfect, full white beard were uncanny. Plus, he seemed to be in an excellent mood as he stood by his desk pouring seven glasses of wine.

  “Our last guests weren’t good drinkers,” Master Haephastus said as he brought the tray toward the large, low table. “And I hate to waste this Chateau 2023.”

  “Damn,” Ironshield said, his eyes widening. “You have a bottle? Thought it was extremely rare. Like only a few hundred left in the world.”

  “Oh? A wine connoisseur?”

  Ironshield let out a small laugh. “Learned a few things after retirement. The older you get, the more you’re attracted to the simple yet finer things in life.”

  For one reason or another, the two large men had gotten along quite well. However, like his first group of guests, except for Jin and Ironshield, the rest were rather alcohol-averse.

  “No thanks, Big Bro. Apologies, Sir,” Saki answered on her gang’s behalf. “We’ve still got to ride later on. And we don’t want to get in more trouble than necessary, especially for our Big Bro.”

  Jin smiled and excused them from the host’s hospitality. “I’ll drink on their behalf, sir.”

  “Hahaha! Good, young man! Good! And you, my dear? Why aren’t you taking your glass?”

  “Master,” Ah Mei said, her voice low and rather sultry, “You know full well that I don’t drink while still at work.”

  “Haha! I forgot!” Master Haephastus laughed before gliding the glass across the table. “Here, big guy. Don’t mind if you’ve got another glass?”

  “Of course,” Ironshield replied. “Can never refuse a good wine.”

  After the initial friendly introduction, they finally got to the matter that brought them together.

  “So, Hans boy, let me get this straight again,” Master Haephastus said, his eyes gleaming with interest. “You said you can’t appraise this young man’s gem?”

  “Yes, Master,” Uncle Hans replied as he bowed. “Apologies for troubling you.”

  “Hmmph. It’s very rare for you, Hans.” He then turned to Jin. “So, young man, mind showing me what stumped this student of mine?”

  Knowing that this place was as safe and secure as a national bank’s vault, Jin didn’t hesitate and brought out his Player’s inventory screen.

  “Hmm,” Master Haephastus muttered. “So, a sceptre that could cast instantaneous magic rays independent of the user’s mana with variable power and size too. Impressive. And this robe is not bad either. Twenty-five per cent resistant to all elements, seventy-five per cent to wind and earth. Stealth and minor regeneration? Damn, kid. Where did you get these? These could fetch a hundred mega-dollars.”

  Jin smiled. “From the two Silver chests I got after killing an evolved Boss Monster.”

  “What?!”

  Master Haephastus’s reaction no longer surprised Jin. For every time he mentioned defeating the evolved Boss Monster, this was the reaction he got.

  “So, you’re like my previous guests too, eh?” Master Haephastus continued, leaning back against the plush seat as he stroked his beard. “Hans?”

  “Yes, Master?”

  “Didn’t he get that little Stat Seed from defeating an evolved Boss?”

  “It is as you–“

  “Wait a minute.” Master Haephastus silenced Uncle Hans with a wave of his hand. Once again, his attention turned to Jin. “Are you the one he mentioned? The suicidal idiot who was crazy enough to lead an under-level, under-prepared team and actually beat that thing?”

  “I guess so. But it wasn't only me,” Jin said. “Ironshield contributed as much.”

  “So,” Master Haephastus’s voice dropped into a low whisper, vibrating with growing interest. “You got the same seed?”

  Jin hesitated. He could feel the weight of the question. Could he trust this man? Yet, trust was a two-way street, and in this fortress of craft, wealth and knowledge, Jin decided to bet on the truth.

  “Him, Ironshield, and me.”

  “And are you going to auction yours?”

  Before Jin could even blink, Ironshield let out a booming laugh. “Damn right I am! Can you arrange that for me, Master?”

  The two large men shared a momentary bond, Master Haephastus looking at Ironshield with the pride of a father whose son had returned from a successful dragon hunt. But when the excitement settled, the Master turned his focus back to Jin’s inventory screen. He reached out, his fingers hovering inches from the display of the unknown gem.

  “Hmm…”

  The room fell into a heavy, expectant silence. Even Jin, usually the anchor of any storm, felt a prickle of anxiety as the seconds stretched into a minute. Master Haephastus’s brow furrowed, his eyes darting across details only the master to the Master Appraiser could see.

  Finally, Uncle Hans couldn't take the tension. “So… is it really imposs–”

  “Everyone!”

  Master Haephastus didn't shout, but his voice carried a thunderous shockwave that made Saki and the others bolt upright in their seats.

  “Except for Frank, all of you out. Now.”

  The jovial ‘Santa’ fa?ade was gone. In his place, the Master of the Forge emerged, his eyes burning with a terrifying vigour. He stood up and steered the bewildered Uncle Hans toward the exit. “Don’t stand there like a fool, Hans. Out. And you too, Mei.”

  “B-But, Master,” Ah Mei stammered, her sultry confidence evaporating. “What is going–”

  “Do as I say!” he commanded. “Clear the floor. Every technician, every smith, every guard.”

  “Everyone?”

  “Everyone!” Master Haephastus’s face turned beet red. “Send them home. Tell them the floor is under a total lockdown. I don’t care if they go to the pub, date or sleep, but if I find a single soul left on this wing in five minutes, I won’t just fire them. I’ll ensure they never work in the Forge or anywhere again.”

  “E-even Dr Fautus?” Ah Mei whispered, glancing toward the door.

  His face darkened, a vein pulsing in his temple. “Especially him. If Faustus gets a whiff of what is in this room, none of us will be safe. Now move!”

  The sheer authority in his voice left no room for argument. Ironshield realised the gravity of the situation first, ushering Saki and her gang toward the door with a grim expression.

  As the heavy wooden door slammed shut and the locks engaged with a series of metallic thuds, Jin looked back at his inventory screen. The rows of had vanished, replaced by clear, glowing text.

  As Jin read the description of the item, his jaw dropped. Only then did he finally understand why Master Haephastus cleared the building.