Oscar looked directly into her status screen.
[Host Character Status]
Name: Iris
System: Divine Forge System
Function(s): Material Analysis
Traits: Mana Flame Control | Hammer Mastery (Locked)...
Class: Anvil Sovereign (1*) - Reborn
Class Skill: Essence Forging
Skills: Runecrafting, Heat Tempering, Structural Extraction, Gear Amplification
Level: 20 (1,450 / 2,000)
Attributes:
STR: 12
CONST: 15
AGI: 19
INT: 58
Mana: 580
HP: 150
Unallocated Points: 0
If he wanted to, he could easily overpower her right here in this room. With her pathetic physical durability and low Agility, killing her would not be a problem at all.
Oscar considered the thought for a brief second, then silently shook his head.
Killing an Epic blacksmith in this world was an absolute death sentence, no matter how talented a Host was.
After all, what this world lacked was not talented combat Hosts, but high-tier blacksmiths who could craft proper gear.
Furthermore, she was an Epic blacksmith at such a young age, yet her personal attributes were far too weak to protect herself.
Despite that, she had not been locked away by some powerful underground faction to craft equipment endlessly like a slave.
That simple fact meant she possessed enough background power to protect her freedom.
However, since she was willing to negotiate her secrets with his, it also meant she could not let her backing know about her current project.
If the news leaked that she was secretly building a Legendary weapon and its matching accessory, even her background might not be able to shield her from greedy eyes.
Or perhaps she simply did not want whatever power stood behind her to discover she was planning to become a Legendary blacksmith on her own terms.
Iris allowed him time to process his thoughts as she casually walked over to a small side table and began preparing tea.
Oscar watched her meticulous movements as she brewed. Even though he was not an experienced tea taster or brewer, just watching her smooth hand movements told him she was an absolute professional.
Her technique was flawless and fluid, like someone who had been rigorously trained in high-class etiquette since childhood.
That alone pointed to her personal background being extraordinary.
A few moments later, Iris walked back over and handed him a delicate white porcelain cup. The steam rising from the liquid carried a rich, soothing aroma that immediately cleared his mind.
Oscar took a small sip. The flavor was crisp, refined, and surprisingly refreshing, spreading a gentle wave of warmth down his throat.
It was easily the finest tea he had ever tasted.
"How are you so sure my secret can help you?" Oscar asked, placing the teacup quietly onto the wooden table.
"Do you know that when a living being reaches a certain threshold of power, even if they die, their body parts can continue living?" rather than answering him directly, she asked back.
Oscar furrowed his brows. That was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing. Just imagining a severed body part remaining alive and active creeped him out.
Iris chuckled softly at his expression as she continued. "It seems you lack some fundamental information. I strongly suggest you attend Greymore Academy. You should have received a direct invitation by now, right?"
Oscar gave a silent nod.
"Now, coming back to our topic," Iris said, her tone growing serious. "Beings beyond the Four-Star Host level, or Monsters beyond the Lord Class, will always leave a lingering fraction of their consciousness behind even after death. Every single part of their body contains this remnant residual will, hanging on in the hope of being reborn one day."
She turned and pointed her hand toward the half-constructed bow resting on the pedestal.
"The reason I cannot finish forging this bow frame is because it still contains the residual consciousness of an Apocalypse-class monster. To completely erase and suppress the residual consciousness from the raw materials used for that quiver on the table, I paid a massive price."
She looked at him with steady eyes. "I fell from a Three-Star Host all the way back down to a One-Star... and my original Class broke."
So the reason no one dared to do anything was not just her background, but also her strength. But now... that was no longer the case.
This was the second secret she was revealing to him. Oscar was not an idiot and understood her actions were meant to show how desperate she was and that he could trust her completely.
But...
"What? A Host Class can actually break?" Oscar asked in genuine wonder.
Now he finally understood why her status screen displayed ’Reborn’ next to her Class title. That was because it was a brand-new Class she had awakened only after shattering her previous one.
"Yes," Iris replied, a touch of pride flashing in her eyes. "But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. My newly awakened Class rose straight to Legendary potential from Epic! However, I severely doubt I will have the same luck if I try to break my class a second time."
Oscar fell into silence, digesting the heavy information she had just shared.
The sheer depth of sacrifice required to forge high-tier gear was far beyond what ordinary people imagined.
"I understand now," Oscar said after a long pause. "You want me to somehow find a way to remove or tame that monster consciousness inside the bow frame?"
"Yes," Iris confirmed plainly.
"But keeping each other’s secrets is not enough of a price for me to take on a risk like that," Oscar stated calmly, meeting her gaze.
"Obviously," Iris laughed. "I am not a marksman. I have zero use for a weapon like this bow. My only goal is to use its successful creation to break through and officially become a Legendary blacksmith. That is all I care about."
"So you are really giving me this entire set?" Oscar asked. Although he tried his best to stay composed, a slight trace of excitement and skepticism leaked through his voice.
"How about we sign a formal System Contract right now?" Iris suggested smoothly. "You can take the finished Quiver with you immediately after the contract is bound. That way, neither of us can ever go back on our word."
A System Contract was an absolute binding agreement authorized directly by both Hosts’ systems. Once both parties signed, neither could ever break the terms.
The penalty for violating a System Contract was instant soul destruction and death.
"Sure," Oscar agreed.
Before he could even finish his sentence, Iris whipped out a pre-drafted contract scroll from her drawer and slapped it directly in front of his face.
Oscar’s cheek twitched slightly. This woman! She had been completely confident that he would agree to the deal, and every single step of this meeting had been calculated in advance.
He shook his head with a silent sigh. Still, he was not at a disadvantage here, so there was no reason to complain.
Besides, there was another massive reason he had agreed to this arrangement beyond just acquiring a high-tier weapon.
’System, are you completely sure taming that residual monster consciousness will grant me a Legendary Skill?’ Oscar asked silently in his mind.
[No mistake.]
The moment he entered this basement, the system had revealed that the unfinished bow contained a legendary skill.
But it had not revealed that the legendary skill was a consciousness.
As Oscar glanced over at the hidden detailed status panel of the residual consciousness resting inside the Legendary bow frame, a feeling of absolute helplessness washed over him.
’Damn it, it is way too powerful to tame with my current strength....’