Date: Unspecified Time: Unspecified Location: Myriad Realms, Lil. Red Storm, Seed World, Trophy Section, Duel Realm, Crafting Sector, Venue: Chaos Dwarven Forge.
[ –Ingredients– >Frosling Corpse (Demon Emperor, Female) x3
>Frosling Demon Core (Demon Emperor) x3
>25L Winter Plague (SSS-Rank) >Clampedo's demonic pearl bomb (Top-Tier) x3
>250L Liquid Frost Rule Power (Frosell Realm Rule Power)
>Winter Weaver's core(SSS-Rank) x3]
After recalling the history of the Froslings, Wyatt swiftly procured three sets of six ingredients, carefully selected for refining his trio of Frosling corpses. With a clear vision for the direction of their crafting, he wasted no time in gathering what he needed. However, his short ingredient list quickly drew the attention—and suspicion—of the spectators. The absence of the basic components typically required to prepare a corpse for crafting into a corpse puppet was glaringly obvious.
Wyatt's peculiar selection of ingredients, combined with the already rampant speculations about his identity, made him the center of the crowd's gossip. Conversations buzzed with theories and conjectures, each more outlandish than the last. Some claimed he must be a rising prodigy, while others dismissed him as a reckless fool courting disaster.
Among the murmuring crowd were self-proclaimed genius corpse puppet crafters who loudly derided Wyatt's approach. They sneered at his methodology, declaring that the unknown demon merchant had no understanding of the intricate art of corpse puppet crafting. "Everyone knows that Froslings, like Snow Elves, are inherently frail. Their weak physiques make it essential to use specific ingredients to enhance the durability of their corpses for crafting proper corpse puppets. Yet this so-called demon merchant didn't buy a single one of those crucial ingredients. It's obvious he doesn't have the faintest idea what he's doing. What a waste of my money buying tickets to this duel!"
"Perhaps, but look at him—he looks like he knows exactly what he's doing. Maybe he has an alternative method. Rumor has it that he's from a ruler-class force. That might explain it."
"Ruler-class or not, the rules of corpse refining are the same for everyone. You can't just skip the essentials and expect to create something better. From where I stand, this brat reeks of inexperience. He doesn't belong to a ruler-class force—he's just some bumpkin from the backwaters of the myriad realms."
"Is that so? Then explain how this 'bumpkin' managed to convince the Devil Merchant Code to blacklist a chaos merchant's workshop—and in the Chaos Dwarf District, no less!"
"Keep throwing that at me all you want, but we don't know the full story. I'm willing to bet there's some missing context. Wait—what is he doing? Is that... soul crafting?!"
"Now tell me, who's the real bumpkin here? The one using soul crafting, or the one making baseless claims with nothing to back them up?"
"Excuse me, what's soul crafting?"
"Soul crafting, also known as soul pathway crafting—wait, if you don't even know what soul crafting is, why are you here? Who let you buy a ticket to this duel?"
"Ignore this fool. Crafting supremacists like him are always looking for someone to belittle. Soul crafting is an advanced technique where items are crafted at their very essence, using the soul pathways of the ingredients themselves. Only those with immense spiritual power can even attempt this method. There are alternative approaches, of course, like using array formations. That's exactly what this demon merchant is doing right now! And look at his precision—he's converting the ingredients into soul pathways seamlessly, without damaging a single one. That's no small feat."
"Is there really an advantage to using soul crafting over traditional methods?"
"Advantage? There's an enormous advantage! Items created through soul crafting are vastly superior in both quality and durability compared to those made with traditional methods. Traditional crafting is riddled with limitations, while soul crafting is virtually boundless. That's why all renowned crafters rely on it. Even I use soul crafting, though only on materials I'm deeply familiar with. Altering or editing the soul pathways of new ingredients without thorough knowledge risks damaging them beyond repair. To master soul crafting, one needs not only immense spiritual power but also profound knowledge of the intricate soul pathways in every resource and ingredient they handle."
"That explains it. The rumors about him being from a ruler-class force must be true."
"It's still too early to make such claims. Let's watch and see how this unfolds."
"Yes, especially since the unnamed chaos dwarf is using soul crafting to refine the ingredients needed to prepare the corpse for crafting a puppet. It's clear he's not as well-versed in soul crafting as his opponent, but he's a seasoned corpse puppet crafter nonetheless."
"Whatever. It seems the arrogant chaos dwarfs have finally met their match today. Honestly, making the trip to watch this duel in person feels even more worth it now. I can't wait to see the despair on that unnamed chaos dwarf's face when he loses. Who even registers as unnamed in a competition? These chaos dwarfs act like they value only their craftsmanship and nothing else, but they're no different from attention-seeking whores. The only distinction is that others sell their flesh, while these chaos dwarfs sell their so-called masterpieces. I'm so done with their hypocrisy."
"You're not wrong. This entire 'Chaos Dwarven Forge' and their annual crafting competitions are just proof of how much they crave validation through their crafting skills and crafted items. They try to act superior, but in the end, it's all about showing off."
"Are you guys aware you're sitting in a colosseum owned and operated by chaos dwarfs?"
"And? Should I be scared? I said what I said."
"Good. Then why don't you march over there and tell them to their faces instead of whining to us? Honestly, I'm sick of hearing your jealous rants. If you have such a problem with them, take it up with them directly."
The Frosling, the arbiter of this crafting duel, listened intently to the clamoring crowd and the spectacle unfolding before her. Her gaze, keen and discerning, fixed upon the contestant of unknown race, whose every move hinted at a hidden potential. A craftswoman herself, she recognized a kindred spirit, a soul capable of fulfilling her mysterious purpose.