Sparks flew under the blows of the bronze hammer, scattering into the slowly flowing grooves of magma, producing light, ringing taps.

Chen Yu had not visited the Obsidian Mining Area in a long time, and he found the forging district had expanded considerably.

What had once been a crude open-air shed was now several semi-open workshops built of brick and heat-resistant clay, thick smoke billowing from the heavy-forge furnaces.

The clanging of hammer on metal, the roar of bellows, and the craftsmen’s shouts mixed together, filling the air with a heated, industrious atmosphere.

It was no longer just dwarves and Slime Artisans at work; many human apprentices had appeared, wearing thick leather aprons with coal dust on their faces, busy handling ore, operating bellows, or learning forging techniques.

“Jeremy! Did you sleep through your head again last night?!”

“The number-three load-bearing casting for the floating fortress paddle blueprint, why is there a missing connecting spindle?!” The rotund figure of Anvil—solid as granite—strode over.

The apprentice named Jeremy was a lanky young man with brown hair; his face flushed crimson as he scratched his head awkwardly and stammered, “M-master... well, last night I drank with Hark and the others, so my head was... not very clear...”

“Those dwarf drinkers come out of the womb hugging kegs; why are you, a human boy, messing around with them!” Anvil’s beard bristled with anger, but seeing the apprentice’s pitiful look, he finally waved his thick arm.

“Be more careful next time. Now go and fix the missing part right away.”

Jeremy gratefully accepted the reprimand, bowing and scurrying back to his station.

Anvil shook his head, muttered a few “young people are reckless” remarks, then turned to check on the trial area they had set up with the beetle miners a few days ago.

He crossed the noisy forging district, following a path flanked by stacks of metal ingots and semi-finished parts, walking toward the deeper part of the mining area.

Before he reached his destination, he saw several figures gathered on the open ground where heat-resistant rock formed a magma pool—that was Chen Yu and his group.

It looked like His Majesty and company had come directly through the main mine tunnel.

Olivia seemed quite interested in the Slime Golden Trial; she stood a little back from the magma pool’s edge, silver eyes watching the surroundings with obvious curiosity.

Lya served as Chen Yu’s “throne seat,” carefully cradling him while standing on tiptoe, peering at the bubbling viscous magma below.

The selected trial participant, Big Brother Metal Slime, stood by the magma pool with a serious expression, repeatedly checking the small enchanted short sword that gleamed with magical luster, already appearing prepared and battle-ready.

Anvil trotted over on his short legs. “Your Majesty, we’ve caught several suitable big ones for the trial opponents,” he announced.

He approached, performed a dwarf-style chest-thump salute to Chen Yu, then turned to Olivia. “Honored silver dragon lady, please accept Anvil’s thanks. The materials you generously provided earlier... their mana conduction efficiency is frighteningly high. They solved a huge problem for us.”

“And Miss Lya, welcome to the Obsidian Mining Area. Be careful not to get too close to the magma; that stuff burns very hot.”

Olivia inclined her head slightly, a smile at her lips. “You’re welcome. If possible, when your caravan next goes to the southern kingdoms, you might try sourcing star-pattern meteoric silver from deep mines. That kind of silver has higher purity and mana affinity; it should meet most of your high-end construct needs.”

Lya nodded a little absentmindedly, her gaze still captivated by the rolling magma, and murmured, “This place... why do I feel like I’ve been here before?”

Chen Yu, long used to her ‘déjà vu’ comments, ignored it and asked Anvil, “By the way, what about big Aileen? Where is she?”

At the mention of his precious son, Anvil’s face lit up and his fiery little beard almost curled to his ears with happiness.

“Ha ha ha! Thanks to the winter academy you started, Your Majesty, Sister Nilly has been taking good care of Big Aileen in the literacy class.”

“He hasn’t fully adapted to academy life yet, apparently he’s made a few new friends and will only return when the short break ends next month. You can stop biting your nails worrying that he’ll get scalded by magma or have a rock fall on his head.”

Chen Yu smiled slightly.

It seemed the literacy class at the winter academy really did take in a lot of stray students.

Indeed, that Nilly... she gets along with anyone. She’s friends with Sekashi, and now she’s even looking after a half-elf.

Is that the social skill of an Assassin Master? Truly baffling.

As they spoke, several shirtless dwarf artisans were together pushing a cage welded from thick iron bars along a specialized track with a loud rumble toward the magma pool.

Inside the cage was a beetle the size of a calf.

Its back was covered in thick steel plates, six stout segmented legs like iron pillars, and a pair of massive mandibles on its head. It paced restlessly inside the cage, battering the iron bars with dull thumps.

Anvil placed his hands on his hips and proudly introduced the creature to Chen Yu. “Your Majesty, this steelback beetle has been rampaging through the deep tunnels for a while, injuring many beetle miners. A few days ago we finally set a trap and caught it.”

He went over and slapped the sturdy cage, producing a deep, hollow sound. “A Silver rank behemoth—its strength is huge, like a crazed rock boar. When we captured it, it nearly broke my bones.”

“And we prepared several opponents like this for the trial to ensure this Slime Warrior can have a satisfying fight.”

Chen Yu didn’t decide immediately; he turned to Lya in his arms. “Lya, what do you think?”

Lya stared at the agitated steelback beetle in the cage for a while, then nodded decisively this time.

“I saw the Slime’s shadow around it... in that messy fog around where it crawled. It was faint, but the lines did intersect.”

She saw the Slime’s shadow? Is she referring to the crossing of fate lines?

Chen Yu understood.

This must be the one.

He turned to Big Brother Metal Slime, who had been standing ready. The Metal Slime immediately hopped before Chen Yu, its silver body straightened, its little face solemn like a soldier awaiting inspection.

“King! I will pass the trial! For the future of Slimes!”

Chen Yu did not worry too much.

Big Brother Metal Slime was an old veteran who had followed him early on, experienced many battles and legion drills; it had rich combat experience and steely resolve.

Plus, Metal Slimes who fought in legions often had basic fire resistance. While not enough to withstand magma for long periods, a few minutes of combat inside should be manageable.

He had thought about giving it a stronger fire resistance trait, but Lya’s earlier observation warned that excessive external assistance might alter the fate-illusion and make the trial harder or unpredictable.

So Chen Yu abandoned that idea.

Whether it could defeat that formidable-looking steelback beetle would depend on its own strength.

With Chen Yu’s signal, Anvil and several dwarf artisans began operations.

Using simple pulleys and thick iron chains strung above the magma pool, they slowly hoisted the heavy cage, moving it above the center of the pool.

Scorching heat rose from below, agitating the steelback beetle inside; it began smashing the bars with greater force, the whole cage swinging violently and creaking.

Anvil and the dwarves held tight to the control ropes, teeth gritted, sweat beading on their brows, shouting, “Warrior! Are you ready?!”

Big Brother Metal Slime emitted a hum and leapt without hesitation.

“Sploosh!”

Its silver metallic body smashed into the magma and was immediately submerged; the scalding magma turned its body red-hot, tiny bubbles rising on the surface.

A sharp burning sensation rippled through, but Big Brother Metal Slime only wobbled slightly and then steadied.

It raised its head with determined eyes locked on the swaying cage above.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at the scene, surprise flickering in her silver gaze.

So much tenacity and resistance, and in a Slime... how strange.

In her long memory, slimes, though shape-shifting, mostly fear flame and high heat instinctively. One that jumps into magma and keeps fighting is rare.

Seeing Big Brother Metal Slime already in position and seemingly withstanding the magma’s burn, Anvil bellowed, “Release!”

Several dwarf artisans simultaneously loosened the safety catches. With a click of mechanisms, the bottom iron plate of the cage sprung open.

The steelback beetle dropped like a rock, screaming in panic, and slammed into the magma pool with a tremendous splash of scorching liquid.

Anvil wiped his brow and chuckled. “Your Majesty, this beetle’s shell is as hard as tempered steel and its mandibles can snap iron bars. It took a lot of effort to capture; this one’s no joke...”

Suddenly his tone fell silent.

Because after plunging into the magma, the beetle didn’t immediately attack the nearby Big Brother Metal Slime. Instead it scrambled, using its limbs to desperately crawl toward the edge of the magma pool, seeming far more terrified of the magma than aggressive toward an enemy.

At that moment Big Brother Metal Slime moved.

It shot up from the magma like a cannonball, its entire silver body smashing into the fleeing beetle’s side.

A dull, crushing impact—this hulking beetle was slammed hard and nearly toppled in the magma.

The beetle staggered, shocked, seemingly unable to fathom where such strength came from in this “little thing.”

Then anger overrode its fear. It emitted a sharp scream, turned its direction, opened its huge mandibles, and charged with heavy iron legs, rumbling toward Big Brother Metal Slime.

Anvil said, “Your Majesty, see? I told you this beetle is nasty when provoked.”

Olivia shook her head lightly and said softly, “No, it’s no match.”

In the rolling magma, when the beetle came in with its forceful charge, Big Brother Metal Slime stayed remarkably calm.

At the last moment it lightly sidestepped, avoiding the deadly mandibles and the heavy impact.

Then its entire body flowed like mercury, concentrating weight and momentum into the enchanted short sword, thrusting forward fiercely.

[Morphing Stab]

This was a warrior skill only slimes with extreme body plasticity could master through countless harsh battles.

It fully utilized the slime body’s properties, condensing full-body force and momentum into a single point, able to unleash power far beyond its size.

Clang!

The enchanted short sword plunged precisely into the joint connecting the beetle’s foreleg to its body. The armor-piercing rune on the short sword glowed faintly as the blade slid in unimpeded.

Crack!

The thick steel leg snapped on cue, dark green blood sprayed from the wound and hissed as it hit the searing magma.

The steelback beetle emitted a wailing screech, its body convulsing from pain and imbalance, the remaining legs flailing, mandibles snapping crazily.

Like a seasoned hunter, Big Brother Metal Slime gave no respite.

Using the magma’s buoyancy and its own weight, it nimbly circled and bounced around the beetle, evading blind attacks.

Each pause was followed by a precise stab or slash; the enchanted short sword seemed an extension of its body, wielded fluidly and efficiently.

In only a few breaths, the beetle had seven or eight deep wounds, dark green blood flowing constantly, its movements growing sluggish.

Seizing an opening, Big Brother Metal Slime darted to the beetle’s flank, leapt up, and drove the short sword hard into the weak spot between head and carapace, levering with force.

The steelback beetle emitted a final shriek; its massive body lost all strength and slowly tilted, then with a splash it sank into the magma, leaving only a few rolling bubbles and charred remnants.

From the beetle’s fall into the magma to its complete defeat, the whole process was dizzyingly fast—less than a minute.

Trial succeeded?

Silence fell around the magma pool.

Everyone stared at Big Brother Metal Slime standing in the magma.

But Big Brother Metal Slime looked puzzled; it peered at its red-hot body, felt its internal strength, its little face full of confusion.

No change... the body felt no different, and its power had not increased.

It had not sensed the expected “metamorphosis.”

Lya tilted her head, pondering, and said, “Metal Round is really strong. That dark mountain didn’t even get a chance to grow before it stepped over it.”

Chen Yu thought, good thing we didn’t raise Big Brother Metal Slime’s fire resistance... otherwise with its current strength we wouldn’t have been able to find suitable trial opponents, and the trial would be impossible.

Anvil’s eyes were wide too.

He had never expected the beetle that had given them so much trouble to be so easy before this slime.

Remembering the effort it took to capture it—almost getting injured—he felt a bit embarrassed.

He cleared his throat and said to Chen Yu, “Your Majesty, don’t worry, we prepared quite a few trial monsters.”

He and the dwarf artisans hurriedly pushed in two more heavy cages containing a larger steelback beetle and a snarling rusted monstrosity.

After Big Brother Metal Slime rested briefly, the trial resumed.

The beetle was hurled into the magma; it was even more ferocious this time, not fleeing on impact but locking onto Big Brother Metal Slime and charging like a battering ram.

Yet the result was the same.

Big Brother Metal Slime, using exquisite combat technique and the slime body’s unique advantages, easily parried, avoided the charges, and struck precise blows to send this more imposing beetle into the magma depths.

Next came the rusted fiend.

It tried to spray corrosive slime, but in the magma’s high temperatures the corrosive fluid was greatly weakened. Once Big Brother Metal Slime closed in, it dismembered the thing quickly with its enchanted short sword.

Then Anvil even reluctantly brought out a relic—the mountain-copper guardian’s husk.

This was a magical construct found in an ancient ruin, barely functional.

It took Big Brother Metal Slime some time, but it finally located the construct’s energy core and shattered it with one blow.

...

When the fourth lava copper-scorpion was likewise dispatched cleanly, Anvil and the cage-pushing dwarves were exhausted, panting as they collapsed to the ground, fanning themselves with their caps, faces expressing utter weariness.

“I... can’t... anymore... Your Majesty...” one dwarf panted, “We’ve searched for all the decent Silver-rank monsters we could find... we’re out... there’s nothing better around...”

Big Brother Metal Slime hopped out of the magma pool slowly and approached Chen Yu, head bowed; its spirit wave conveyed deep disappointment and guilt. “King, I’m sorry, I let you down...”

Chen Yu was about to comfort it when Anvil, catching his breath on the ground, suddenly sprang up as if remembering something.

“Wait, Your Majesty, I thought of something.” His eyes lit up. “The caravan! Five days ago the caravan we sent to the southern Doran Kingdom returned with a pawned item.”

“A bankrupt minor noble couldn’t repay a loan and handed us what he said was a gold lizard captured from the Gilded Sands Desert.”

“That thing is still locked in the most secure underground cage in the mining area. We were going to melt it down into minting metal... and it seems cursed by some odd magic—its strength is terrifying and its temper brutal. Maybe it’ll do.”

He immediately called over the artisans still sitting and several burly dwarves working nearby.

Soon, a heavy rumbling approached, mingled with terrifying beastly roars.

Seven or eight strong dwarf artisans, chanting, pushed a cage many times larger than the previous ones, struggling along the reinforced track.

Inside the cage was a golden lizard.

It was bull-sized, its body dazzling gold, limbs stout and powerful with sharp metallic claws at the ends. A long, strong tail lashed restlessly, striking the iron bars with dull metallic thuds.

At that moment the golden lizard was in a state of extreme frenzy, ramming the cage, clawing at the bars, roaring deafeningly.

The massive cage shook violently under its assault, seeming as though it might fall apart at any moment.

Chen Yu’s small eyes brightened.

This was a good one.

Its sheer presence was far more formidable than those beetles.

Olivia watched from the side and warned softly, “Your Majesty, a living adult desert gold lizard, on the southern black market, might be worth the monthly output of a small coal mine. Are you certain... you want to use it as trial fodder?”

Chen Yu did not hesitate for a second; he wobbled his gel to affirm.

For the future of the Slime race, one gold lizard was nothing.

Coins can be earned again, resources can be found, but this chance might be unique.

The trial began once more.

Big Brother Metal Slime’s eyes rekindled with fighting spirit; it plunged bravely into the scorching magma, head held high toward the huge cage slowly being hoisted above.

The golden lizard thrashed crazily in the cage, roaring; the dwarf artisans strained to steady the swaying pulley mechanism as they moved the cage over the magma pool center.

But just as Anvil prepared to shout “Release,” an accident occurred.

Perhaps the lizard’s thrashing was too strong, or the iron cable suffered metal fatigue. With a sharp snap, the primary iron cable bearing the weight suddenly broke under the stress and violent shaking.

The cage lost balance and tilted sharply, the golden lizard crashing toward the magma pool.

“By the gods!!”

The sturdy cage distorted on impact; inside, the gold lizard roared and with terrifying force tore open a huge gap in the deformed bars, bursting free from the broken iron.

It fell into the magma, but the searing liquid seemed to do little harm to that golden body—it only made its skin shine even brighter.

It shook its head and its golden vertical pupils locked on Chen Yu and the group at the pool’s edge, releasing a threatening roar as if venting its caged fury.

But very soon its attention was drawn to the silver little blob standing in the magma before it. In the lizard’s simple, violent mind, every living thing blocking its path was an enemy to be torn apart.

It opened a mouth lined with metal teeth, and with a powerful kick from its hind legs in the magma, its massive body displayed an agility incongruous with its size. Its huge claws sliced through the air and slammed down.

Combat instinct made Big Brother Metal Slime react instantly. It didn’t take the hit head-on; it compressed its body into a silver round shield and bounced sideways and back.

Boom! The lizard’s giant paw struck the magma, sending several-meter-high geysers of molten spray; scalding droplets fell like rain.

Though Big Brother Metal Slime avoided the direct strike, it was hit by the explosive shockwave and splashes, its silver body shoved back.

The lizard, missing its blow, became even more enraged. Its tail lashed like a golden whip, leaving afterimages as it swept across.

Big Brother Metal Slime avoided again with nimble movement, seizing the opening from the lizard’s attack. Compressed like a spring, it burst forth; the enchanted short sword in its hand became a streak of silver thrusting into the lizard’s flank.

Cling!

The short sword pierced the golden skin but not deeply, as if it had struck not flesh but resilient gold.

More surprisingly, no blood flowed from the wound; instead molten golden liquid quickly surged out and, in the blink of an eye, sealed the cut as if repairing it.

The lizard howled in pain and attacked more frenziedly.

It abandoned restraint—charging, rolling, attempting to crush this pesky little thing with sheer mass and force.

Each heavy paw strike caused the magma pool to convulse, fountains of lava spouting up.

Big Brother Metal Slime felt the pressure mounting; it wove through the lizard’s furious assaults and the scorching magma with difficulty, dodging and blocking.

Its small round shield had already developed obvious deformations and cracks after enduring repeated heavy hits. Its silver body bore claw marks and more scorch marks from the magma.

Yet the light in its eyes grew brighter, and its combat rhythm, far from breaking, became more refined under extreme pressure.

It darted at high speed in the magma, sometimes smashing into the lizard’s leg joints like a meteor hammer, sometimes thrusting into an eye socket like a spear, sometimes slipping under its belly like an eel to stab with the short sword.

The fight reached a stalemate.

The golden lizard was berserk—its strength, defense, and regenerative ability were all abnormal, but its attack patterns were relatively simple and lacked finesse. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Big Brother Metal Slime’s technique was superb and its will unyielding, but its attack power was comparatively insufficient to deliver a decisive blow, and it was continuously taking strikes and burns.

At the magma’s edge, Lya gripped Chen Yu’s small hand tightly, eyes fixed unblinking on the battlefield.

Anvil breathed heavily.

As a dwarf warrior seasoned by countless battles, he now understood.

That silver slime, though small, had never truly lost its combat rhythm.

Every dodge was perfectly timed, every counter aimed at vital points. It was like a top-tier fighter dancing on a blade, honing its skills ever purer at the edge of life and death.

It will win... the thought rose in Anvil’s mind.

Not by luck, nor by sudden breakthrough, but by the relentless accumulation of perfected combat technique, finally crushing the opponent.

In the magma, Big Brother Metal Slime avoided another lizard lunge. It sensed that its body had taken significant damage and the short sword’s edge had rolled from hitting the hard golden body repeatedly.

But it was calm inside, discarding all distractions. Only pure combat instinct and thirst for victory remained.

Now.

It caught a flaw exposed by the lizard’s continuous lunges. Without hesitation, it poured all its strength, will, and long-battled experience into the coming strike.

Its body spun and compressed to the extreme in the magma, then released like a spring burst to the breaking point.

Its silver body and sword became one, a silver flash tearing through air and magma.

[Heavy Strike]

This was no ordinary skill, but the ultimate blow condensing all its power.

The silver lightning cleaved the golden lizard in half. At the break there was no blood, only molten golden liquid and fractured bone.

Pain drove the lizard into complete madness; its body on both sides flailed wildly, but soon its eyes dimmed rapidly.

Then a miracle happened.

The lizard’s body began to rapidly disintegrate and melt into streams of golden liquid, as if pulled by an invisible force. The liquid flowed in the air and finally surged toward Big Brother Metal Slime.

On contact, the liquid did not burn or harm; instead it produced a comforting sense like returning to a mother’s body.

Big Brother Metal Slime’s once-silver sheen began to change at a visible pace—the silver gradually covered and was infused by a deep, heavy dark gold.

Hm? What is this?

Is it turning into a Golden Slime?