Making the Papers

As Gilan activated the power of "Iridescence."

The colored number "810" in his eyes fell accordingly, becoming "510."

After consuming a full 300 points of Mystic Energy, Gilan instantly mastered the hammer secret technique recorded on the bone fragment: "Forge Tempering."

The birth of this secret technique seemed to have truly originated with a blacksmith. It possessed tremendous explosive force, yet beneath that explosiveness lay an extraordinary number of variations.

Take simply hammering an iron ingot, for instance.

With the same swing of the hammer, under the effects of the "Forge Tempering" secret technique, Gilan could flatten the ingot or shatter it... he could even use vibrations to knock impurities out of the iron.

Such miraculous effects all stemmed from "Forge Tempering's" precise control over force, allowing a single measure of strength to yield tenfold results.

Gilan closed his eyes and contemplated the mysteries of his new secret technique, immersing himself so deeply that he lost track of time.

By the time he opened his eyes again, it was already the following morning.

The train had left the desert and was nearing the Empire's border.

"Lainis," Gilan called softly.

Very soon, he heard a woman's reply.

The brown-haired woman in a white shirt hurried over. After adjusting her glasses, she said respectfully:

"Good morning, sir. What are your instructions?"

Gilan glanced at his female secretary.

Seeing the heavy dark circles beneath her eyes, he raised a brow and asked:

"You didn't sleep at all last night?"

"Yes, sir. You seemed to be contemplating something, so I did not disturb you. I remained seated in the rear, awaiting orders so that you could summon me at any time."

Lainis nodded and answered seriously.

Gilan smiled.

It had to be said that Lainis was an exceptionally capable personal secretary. She considered every