Reforging

 A tense, blade-drawn atmosphere hung heavy between the two men.

The air pressure had dropped to an unbearable level, making it hard for Bai Ling—standing between them—to even breathe.

A [Sage]-rank alchemist was equivalent to an [Immortal]-level Soul Invoker.

A clash between such powerhouses was a rare sight even across the vast continent of Tanggrelia.

Noticing Bai Ling’s clear discomfort, Baiming slightly retracted his oppressive aura—

Better not make a worse impression in front of his daughter.

“Alright, alright—”

The crow’s inappropriate voice broke the tension.

“I didn’t call you here to fight. I called you to clean up the mess.”

“…A talking crow?”

Baiming blinked in confusion.

Magical beasts capable of speech weren’t rare in Tanggrelia.

But a crow with zero mana that could talk?

That was a first for him.

Mikhail, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered.

He dispelled his [Alchemical Rite] and clapped the dust off his hands.

“No more fighting.

Let me check on the kid first.”

It was rare—this famously hot-tempered alchemist, backing down so easily.

“Mikhail, didn’t you notice the energy inside that boy?

That’s clearly [Abyss] power.

By protecting him… are you declaring war on all life?”

“I was asked to help.

Don’t try to guilt-trip me, you overgrown lizard.”

Baiming stepped forward, blocking Mikhail.

A pale longsword appeared in his hand, drawn across his chest.

“Have you forgotten the [Oath of the World], Mikhail?

As a Sage-rank alchemist, don’t tell me you’ve never heard of it.”

“His case is… special. He’s an exception.”

Mikhail’s tone was calm, but firm.

“And what of it?

In the face of the world’s survival, no exception is—”

A small hand tugged at Baiming’s sleeve.

Her voice soft, almost pleading:

“I… I’m begging you… please let him go…”

The old dragon paused, stunned.

Then slowly turned to look at Sui Ming—his eyes filled with a strange emotion.

Three years old and you’re already after her?!

A vivid image flashed through Baiming’s mind:

A white-haired brat draping his arm over his precious daughter, grinning smugly.

Then pulling out a marriage certificate and saying:

[“Hey old man, I’m parking my ghost bike outside your house.

Your daughter’s coming with me.”]

An inexplicable fury erupted in Baiming’s heart.

Even Mikhail had no idea why this overprotective dragon dad suddenly went full red-alert.

The two men stood there, dumbfounded—

Not out of tension, but because Baiming was lost in his own delusions.

Only when he noticed the cautious gazes around him did he snap out of it.

“Ahem… well, since Ling’er is asking,

I’ll… let it go this time.”

“Heh…

Dragon King, do you think human territory is something you can come and go from freely?”

The implication was clear: Pay the toll if you want to leave.

“Sigh… fine,

I’ll consider this a loss.”

Baiming reached out and sliced a shallow wound across his arm.

From within, he pulled out a glittering, rainbow-hued dragon scale, still streaked with blood.

He casually tossed it toward Mikhail, who caught it one-handed.

“This is where we part.”

With that, both figures turned into silver beams of light.

Before vanishing, Bai Ling gave one last reluctant glance at Sui Ming’s unconscious body.

“Goodbye…

May we meet again someday…

My hope.”

The light faded.

Only a man and a crow remained, blinking at the now-empty space.

“Whew—

Finally, it’s over.”

The crow sighed heavily.

“Hey! Where are you going?!”

“Uhh… dear lady, I’ve done everything you asked. So maybe now I can—?”

“Don’t be hasty, Mikhail~”

The crow gave a smile that to Mikhail looked no less terrifying than a demon’s.

No, even if it were a demon, he had the confidence to punch it out.

But this black-hearted woman…

He was terrified.

Utterly.

Rhine had sent him here to supervise, sure.

But nobody mentioned there would be such terrifying things lurking around!

The moment he looked into her crimson pupils,

Mikhail felt like he saw thousands of ghostly hands waving at him from a mountain of corpses.

As the crow casually walked toward him, Mikhail—a musclebound juggernaut—

Closed his eyes, bracing for the worst.

“Relax…

I just want you to make something.

Not take your life,”

She said with a disturbingly friendly smile, patting his shoulder like a big sister.

She reached into Sui Ming’s coat and pulled out a blade—

White Cry.

Once pure white, it had been eroded by the Abyss until it was nearly in pieces.

Now, it hovered on the brink of total collapse.

Mikhail took it from her hand, examined it, and scoffed.

“This junk?

Even the toilet plungers in my workshop are better than this.”

“Using a Dragon King’s scale on this…

What a waste of heavenly resources.”

“So… are you doing it or not?”

The crow smiled sweetly.

An icy chill burst through the air.

“YES!

Of course I am!!”

A blood-red array flared to life on Mikhail’s palm—

The same [Alchemical Rite – Firecalamity] he had readied earlier.

But this wasn’t just a weapon.

It was the cornerstone of Mikhail’s rise to [Sage].

Its true purpose wasn’t fire—

Fire was just a byproduct.

Its real function: converting mana into alchemical fuel.

The flaming blade rose into the air at his gesture.

Flames swirled around it, purifying the lingering corruption.

The silver dragon scale in his hand melted—transformed into liquid rainbow—

And was poured into the fractured weapon.

A brilliant light burst forth, dazzling as if stars were being reborn.

The weapon’s aura surged.

From a mere [Mortal Dust]-tier dagger, it evolved into a near-[True Manifestation]-level artifact.

Only a [Sage] could perform such a miracle.

As the radiant light faded, a dagger with faint multicolored luster floated in Mikhail’s hand.

“Here, take it… dear lady.

I… I’m leaving now.

Call me again if… you must.”

“Oh?

You said that yourself~”

The crow smirked wickedly—like she’d just found herself a lifetime sponsor.

Mikhail felt a chill down his spine and fled the scene at once.