"Its parts — I want them forged with essence too."
Anastasia’s voice rang out through the wide, crowded workshop, seeming to bounce off every surface before crashing into Christian.
He paused mid-motion. And with an appearance even more disheveled than the day before, he turned his head toward her mechanically.
His eyes — shadowed with exhaustion — locked onto her smiling face. For a moment, only despair flickered behind them. But then, frustration crept in, and his gaze sharpened with irritation. At last, he narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth.
Anastasia’s smile faltered at his flat reply. But Christian, now far removed from the concept of fear, continued with a dry and firm voice.
"That android you saw is still incomplete. And you want a functioning one, right? Then you’ll have to be satisfied with the one I’m currently building."
Anastasia let out a soft, thoughtful hum, then countered smoothly, "Okay, I’ll take a step back and say, maybe it’s impossible to forge every part with essence. But even then, just the skeletal structure, the mainframe, if only those were forged with essence, that should still be doable, right?"
Christian still shook his head.
"That’s still too difficult. So, how about this, let me finish the current android first. Then, a few years down the line, you can come back. By then, I’ll have developed a fully forged one for you."
Christian tried to meet her halfway, but Anastasia didn’t agree. And an argument flared between them, rising with every word exchanged.
Christian had long passed the line of fatigue — five days of nonstop work without rest or food had worn him raw. And now, even the idea of compromise felt like too much.
He grew more stubborn, uncaring of any consequence.
And maybe sensing that? Anastasia slowly exhaled, then said, "Okay. I’ll give you a new offer. If you still think it’s not worth it after hearing it, then I won’t insist anymore. How about that?"
With his arms crossed, Christian, standing now at around 184 cm, looked down at Anastasia, who barely reached 140 cm, and gave a small nod, signaling her to go on.
From the outside, it might have seemed like he was the dominant one in this exchange.
But naturally, that couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
Even so, Anastasia gave a cheeky, self-assured smile, as if she already knew she’d won.
Then, without warning, she extended her hand in his direction.
Above her palm, a small flame flickered into existence.
Orange in color, calm like the flame of a single candle — it swayed gently, looking as if it would vanish with a single breath.
It was so small, so harmless-looking, that it was hard to tell what she was trying to show him.
Thankfully, quick to read the doubt in his expression, Anastasia began to explain.
"This is a Living Flame," she declared proudly, her voice smug and satisfied.
"Normal fire? It dies the moment you stop feeding it. But a Living Flame? You can starve it, shatter it, bury it — and it’ll still crawl back out of the ashes, smiling at you."
"Living Flames are fires that are rarely born in the universe. They have immense strength, a will of their own, and they’re almost impossible to tame."
"Naturally, I’ll help you with the process. So, don’t worry."
"Oh, and this flame is even a ranked one!"
"So, you really should be thankful I’m giving it to you!"
Hearing the term Living Flame, along with its description, Christian’s breath caught in his throat. And his eyes... sparkled.
He was clearly interested, and the excitement in his gaze was unmistakable.
Naturally, he tried to control himself. He forced a dismissive expression and asked, "Why do I feel very strong fire will vanish with the lightest touch, then?"
Anastasia grinned, and with a gleam in her eyes, asked back, "Then, do you want to feel its raw power?"
Christian made a small gesture, inviting her to go ahead. And Anastasia chuckled, then stopped restraining the fire hovering above her palm.
It lasted only an instant before she restrained it back.
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But in that moment, Christian felt as if he had been plunged into the heart of a volcano and yanked back out.
His body was drenched in sweat, and his hair? It looked like it was a centimeter away from catching fire.
Christian stood frozen, stunned by the overwhelming heat and pressure. His gaze, now fixed on the flame, changed once again — becoming sharp, greedy.
She said it’s a ranked Living Flame... then what rank is it?
He didn’t expect it to be first, second, or even third. But surely, it was in the top ten?
His thoughts swirled as his sparkling eyes, full of desire, stayed locked on the flame.
And Anastasia, seemingly unaware of all that, smiled cheekily and asked, "So? What do you think?"
Christian cleared his throat, coughed once, and then shamelessly muttered, "Well... it’s not bad."
Then, with a casual tone that couldn’t have fooled anyone, he added, "But, what’s its rank?"
Anastasia burst into laughter — loud and high-pitched. Upon seeing through his act, she couldn’t hold it in.
She clutched her stomach and bent slightly, her small frame trembling with laughter so strong her eyes squinted shut. The sound rang through the room like bright, chaotic bells.
To Christian, in that moment, she looked adorable. Precious, even. And for just a second, the desire in his eyes shifted — no longer aimed at the flame.
But he quickly shook his head, brushing away those thoughts.
When Anastasia finally calmed down, she wiped the corners of her eyes and grinned, still catching her breath.
"This is the Iron Flame. Ranked 1009."
"You’re a blacksmith, so this flame would actually be the perfect match for you!"
Christian didn’t even hear the second part she said — his mind was still stuck on the number.
It turned out the flame really was within the top ten.
There was an addition of what? A thousand?!
He was expecting something more grand. Something dramatic. Something badass.
Iron Flame? Seriously?
Christian couldn’t help but feel disappointed.
And noticing that, Anastasia spoke, her tone lightly scolding.
"What? Did you really expect it to be ranked higher?"
"Just so you know, it’s extremely rare for someone still in the mortal rank to even see a Living Flame, let alone own a ranked one."
"Moreover, this flame you’re turning your nose up at? It’s worth more than the entire planet we’re standing on."
"Your greed really knows no bounds," she finished, shaking her head.
Then, she finally asked, "So? Give me your answer. Do you want to accept my order or not?"
Christian, who naturally didn’t believe every word she’d said, still replied immediately — and righteously.
"When did I say I wouldn’t make the Android?"
"I’ll naturally make it for my lovely customer!"