Warhammer, a Headshot

The owner of the workshop immediately perked up and hurried to his feet. "Sir, are you looking to buy a warhammer?"

He gave Rayne's build a serious once-over. He was tall and sturdy, with steady strides. Though he lacked exaggerated muscles, his physique was compact and heavy, and standing before him created an immense sense of pressure.

He was clearly a Transcendent.

When the owner saw Rayne nod, he turned and took the warhammer off the wall, looking rather strained by the effort.

Rayne took the warhammer with ease, and his eyes lit up at once. Its weight was just right, fitting perfectly in his hands.

He examined it carefully. The entire warhammer had been cast from a dark-gold metal. Its design was simple and attractive, and the head was almost identical to an ordinary Octagonal Hammer, roughly rectangular in shape, only somewhat larger. A few simple decorative patterns were carved into its surface, but they were not runes.

The haft was about as long as his arm and divided into three sections, with diamond-shaped scales carved into it for a better grip. At the end was an egg-sized metal ball, used to balance the warhammer's center of gravity.

The black warhammer carried a hint of dark gold and weighed around 120 pounds in total.

Although it was slightly heavier than he had expected, Rayne found it very comfortable to wield. His strength could also continue to grow with training, and 120 pounds was just right.

With the help of Metal Touch, Rayne understood the warhammer's structure completely. Its forging craftsmanship was quite excellent, with no metal fatigue or internal damage, no flaws in its shape, and a head that was sufficiently hard. This was the pinnacle of what a Mechanical Craftsman could accomplish.

Of course, it was not an Enchanted Weapon, so it was not particularly valuable.

"Boss, how much is this warhammer?" Rayne decided he wanted it and asked the price.

The workshop owner was straightforward as well. "Six Gold Shields."

"That expensive!"

Rayne was somewhat shocked, wondering whether the man was trying to fleece him.

Unless the materials themselves were highly valuable, a fine weapon without enchantments would not be very expensive. At most, selling one for two or three Gold Shields was already quite good.

The Octagonal Hammer he had bought here before, the kind used at construction sites, had cost only three Silver Krons, or sixty Copper Yuan.

Yet this warhammer's price had increased a hundredfold!

Seeing that Rayne seemed displeased, the workshop owner hurriedly explained, "Sir, this warhammer wasn't made from ordinary materials. I mixed black iron with over twenty pounds of Fine Gold and smelted it into a single block of Fine Iron. That was how I forged this Fine Iron Warhammer."

"You should know the price of Fine Gold, sir, shouldn't you?" Afraid Rayne might not understand, the workshop owner even asked to make sure.

Rayne nodded. Fine Gold was one of the most precious metals in Aerenus, and possibly the densest as well.

Twenty pounds of Fine Gold sounded like a lot, but its volume was only about half a finger. It was worth around three Gold Shields.

Because it was so expensive, warhammers made entirely of Fine Gold were extremely rare. It was also nearly impossible for anyone to swing one, so mixing Fine Gold with iron to create Fine Iron for use in weapons was a very common practice.

This warhammer was so heavy because it contained twenty pounds of Fine Gold.

With the Fine Iron materials and the craftsman's labor costs, six Gold Shields was not an expensive price for this warhammer. It was actually quite fair.

Rayne did not haggle further and readily paid for it.

Having completed such a major sale, the owner happily accepted the money and gave Rayne a leather harness as a gift.

The harness crossed his body diagonally. It had a metal hook at the shoulder on his back, which was perfectly suited for hanging the warhammer's head, while the haft slanted down to his waist. Rayne only needed to reach his right hand behind him and grip the long haft, then push upward to remove the warhammer and hold it in his hand. It was extremely convenient.

Rayne tried it several times and was very satisfied with the sturdy leather harness.

After returning to his apartment with the warhammer, he gripped it and began swinging. The hundred-plus-pound hammer felt easy to handle, and he quickly adapted to it.

"This Fine Iron Warhammer should be with me for quite a long time."

Rayne put the hammer away, washed up, and went to bed.

He woke up in the middle of the night.

He silently got up, put on a black outfit he had bought recently, donned a hat, slung the warhammer across his back, and left the apartment without a sound.

The night was deep and still. The gas streetlamps on both sides of the road had gone out, leaving only hazy moonlight illuminating the city.

Rayne activated the Voice of All Things and sprinted through the streets, occasionally stopping to hide in corners and avoid the pedestrians and night patrols he encountered from time to time.

The journey was completely unobstructed. He soon crossed Ohashi and entered the Silver Star District.

Rayne had long since memorized the route. He headed south along the Feregron River, using buildings to block the Spirit Demon Eye atop the tower. No one noticed him.

Before long, Rayne arrived outside a house not far from the riverbank.

He looked up at the Wizard Tower. It was two or three kilometers from the tower, so under the night sky he could only vaguely make out a vertical black shadow. However, the light shooting from its top was extremely conspicuous, and he was still within its surveillance range. Any major disturbance would be discovered immediately.

I have to finish this quickly. I can't make too much noise.

Rayne focused and listened. There were two heartbeats inside the house. One was far stronger and more powerful than an ordinary person's—a characteristic of a close-combat Transcendent.

He was very familiar with that rhythm. It belonged to the fighter Hogan.

The other person was much weaker and was probably an ordinary woman. The two were very close, seemingly embracing as they slept in the same bed in an upstairs bedroom.

Rayne hesitated for a moment. As for Hogan, who had seen his face, he was determined to kill him. He could not wait even a day.

Even though he had only become a Transcendent that day, he had come over in the middle of the night to strike and eliminate the threat.

But he did not know what relationship the ordinary person sleeping beside Hogan had with him, or whether she was a follower of an evil god. He would have to distinguish that when he attacked, so that he would not kill an innocent person by mistake.

Of course, all of this was premised on his own safety.

If the other party threatened his life, he would show no mercy, whoever it was.

Rayne waited patiently for more than ten minutes. Their breathing was steady, with only an occasional turn in bed, indicating that they had long since fallen into deep sleep.

He locked onto Hogan's breathing and approached the house step by step.

Even though Hogan was asleep, Rayne could not be certain whether he would sense the Strife Mark, or whether he would wake up if it entered his sensing range.

As the distance shortened, there was still no movement in the bedroom.

Rayne vaulted over a low wall and landed softly. He took the warhammer from his back and gripped it. He was now less than fifteen meters from Hogan in a straight line.

It seems the evil god's follower can sense the Strife Mark only within fifteen meters. It isn't as far as a hundred meters.

Of course, he might simply be asleep and unable to sense anything.

Rayne speculated inwardly. As far as he was concerned, the shorter the sensing distance, the better. That way, there would be less chance of being detected by the evil god's follower.

The doors and windows on the first floor were tightly shut, leaving him no way in. He cautiously circled around to the side of the house, then lightly jumped up, caught the edge of the balcony, and pulled himself over.

Under the control of his phone's gyroscope, his movements were precise and flawless, making not the slightest sound.

He entered the room from the balcony. It was separated from Hogan's bedroom by only one wall.

Inside the bedroom, that powerful heartbeat suddenly quickened, and the breathing briefly grew faster. It had clearly become unnatural.

He's awake!

Rayne immediately noticed the change. Without hesitation, he stamped down hard, crushing the wooden floor beneath his feet, and threw his entire body toward the wall.

With a crash, Rayne broke through the wall and appeared inside Hogan's bedroom.

He had already locked onto Hogan's position. The moment he burst through the wall, he swung the warhammer in his hand, smashing it directly toward the figure on the bed.

Bang!

The entire bed shattered, but it did not hit Hogan.

Hogan reacted incredibly quickly. He rolled away half a step ahead of time, then sprang up like a compressed coil. He kicked several times against the wall beside the bed, climbing upward like an agile cat. He quickly flipped over and dove straight down at Rayne from the ceiling.

"Ah..."

The woman sleeping soundly was startled awake. She fell to the floor and let out a terrified scream.

Seeing that she was only an ordinary person, Rayne casually struck her unconscious with a palm.

By then, Hogan had already flashed in front of him. He wore only a pair of shorts, his entire body covered in bulging muscles. His fists were clenched tightly, and streams of energy seemed to flow beneath his muscles before gathering in his fists, breaking the air with a crisp crack.

A fierce gust from his punch swept toward Rayne.

Rayne remained calm. He lifted the haft upward, blocking Hogan's fist at precisely the right moment.

At the instant of impact, tremendous force erupted from Hogan's fist, several times greater than before. It lasted for an extremely brief moment, yet produced an astonishing effect.

Rayne's tiger's web went numb, and his body could not help retreating half a step.

By comparison, Hogan suffered an even greater recoil. His entire body was sent flying backward and slammed into the wall.

His eyes filled with shock. He had already used all his strength in that punch. He had originally intended to knock the warhammer from the enemy's hand, but the other man had only retreated half a step and was completely unharmed.

What incredible strength!

The thought flashed through Hogan's mind, but he showed no fear of battle. Under the effect of the "Balance" element, he instantly adjusted his posture and turned to attack the enemy again.

As long as he could kill this man and seize the Strife Mark, he would be able to receive a god's blessing!

A fighter's path to victory lay in close-quarters combat: using speed against slowness, entangling the opponent at close range, and giving the enemy no chance to react. No matter how many methods they possessed, they would be unable to use them.

As Hogan advanced, his feet shifted rapidly from side to side, attempting to create an illusion in Rayne's field of attack.

That move is interesting.

Rayne was not fooled. An idea flashed through his mind, and he pretended to misjudge the direction, swinging the warhammer toward the left side in front of him.

Whoosh, whoosh—the heavy warhammer tore through the air with a fierce howl, but failed to hit its target.

Bang!

Hogan appeared on the right and drove a solid punch into Rayne's ribs with a muffled thud.

His Inner Qi erupted in full force, and a triumphant smile appeared on his face. He seemed to have already seen the victory of killing his enemy. A fighter's instantaneous explosive power was something even an Iron Guard could not withstand. One punch would certainly inflict serious injury.

However, in the next second, Hogan's smile froze.

At the spot where his fist had struck, Rayne's clothes had turned to scraps, revealing a dark-gray metallic sheen. Agonizing pain shot through his hand, as if he had not struck a human body but a steel plate.

In the darkness, he could not make out Rayne's appearance. The skin all over his body had turned dull, and even his hair had become rigid strand by strand, making him resemble a steel statue.

In the blink of an eye, Rayne, who had been prepared, pivoted half a turn. The warhammer that had originally been swinging to the left followed through to the right, its head striking Hogan squarely in the head.

Crack!

Blood sprayed everywhere, and Rayne seemed to hear the sound of a watermelon splitting apart.