Ray shook his head. "My teacher told me to come alone and look for someone named Grandmaster Kaelan."
The moment the name Kaelan left his mouth, both young ladies stiffened.
The sweet-looking young lady immediately straightened and said, "Please wait a moment. I'll check whether Grandmaster Kaelan is available. Have you contacted him before using a soul communicator?"
Ray shook his head again. How could he possibly own a soul communicator? Even owning one was expensive, not to mention the communication fees.
Back in his hometown, there had only been a single fixed soul communicator. He was even planning to find a coin-operated one later to call his parents and tell them he was safe.
The sweet young lady pressed a number on the communicator. "Grandmaster, there's a child here looking for you. Yes… That's right. Big eyes, wearing plain clothes."
After ending the call, she turned to Ray with a smile. "Little brother, Grandmaster has time right now. Come with me."
She led him toward the side of the vast hall. Luna stuck out her tongue as she watched them leave and muttered to herself, "I really couldn't tell… that little guy actually knows Grandmaster."
When the metal doors of the soul elevator slid open, Ray nearly jumped in shock.
This was the first time he had ever seen something like it.
"Come on," the sweet young lady said gently, without teasing him at all.
Ray hurried over.
"My name is Nova," she said warmly. "Grandmaster's office is on the fifteenth floor. I'll take you to see him, and then he'll bring you to the blacksmith ranking test."
"Thank you, big sister," Ray replied politely.
Nova looked him over as they rode the elevator. Though his clothes were plain, he was undeniably good-looking, especially his large, clear eyes. On top of that, his manners were impeccable, leaving an excellent impression.
Ding.
The elevator stopped at the fifteenth floor.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of smooth white metal. Clean, orderly, and quiet. That was Ray's first impression.
There were doors lining both sides of the hallway.
Nova brought him to one marked with a nameplate reading Kaelan and pressed the button.
"Grandmaster, it's Nova. I've brought the child."
"Mm."
A deep voice answered from inside, and the door opened.
The office was around thirty square meters in size. A massive wooden desk occupied nearly a quarter of the room.
Behind it stood a man in his forties. He wasn't especially tall, but his build was solid and powerful, his shoulders broad beneath a black jacket.
At that moment, he was studying a design blueprint on his desk.
"Grandmaster," Nova said softly.
"Mm."
Kaelan raised his head.
His gaze immediately fell on Ray, curiosity flashing in his eyes. "You're Gilbert's disciple?"
"Yes." Ray bowed slightly. "Hello, Grandmaster. My teacher told me to greet you on his behalf."
Kaelan frowned faintly. "Gilbert… that fellow always talked about reaching the peak, yet he actually accepted such a young disciple." He straightened up. "Come on. I'll take you to the blacksmith ranking test."
Blacksmiths lived in a world of metal, largely indifferent to worldly matters. Whether Gilbert's choice was right or wrong would be proven by the test itself.
Nova smiled. "Then I'll head back down."
"Mm." Kaelan nodded.
She gave Ray one last encouraging smile before leaving.
Kaelan led Ray back into the soul elevator. This time, they descended to the third floor.
As the elevator moved, Kaelan glanced sideways at him. "Little fellow, Gilbert didn't tell me what rank blacksmith you are?"
Ray shook his head. "Teacher didn't say. He just told me to come take the test and accept some tasks afterward."
Accept tasks?
Nova, who was still beside them, couldn't help but feel surprised. Being able to accept tasks meant at least rank two. Rank one blacksmiths weren't qualified to take tasks on their own.
Kaelan asked again, "Do you understand the blacksmith ranking system?"
Ray nodded. "Teacher explained it to me. Blacksmiths are divided into nine ranks. Ranks one and two are Master Blacksmiths. Three and four are Grandmasters. Five and six are Master Craftsmen. Seven and eight are Saint Craftsmen. Rank nine are Divine Craftsmen."
"Mm." Kaelan nodded approvingly.
Just then, the elevator reached the third floor.
"Goodbye, big sister," Ray said politely as he followed Kaelan out.
Unlike the quiet fifteenth floor, the third floor was filled with noise. The clear clang of hammers striking metal echoed through the hall, instantly familiar to Ray.
Kaelan walked him to the front desk. "Open a testing room and call a surveyor."
"Grandmaster Cen," the staff member said curiously, looking at Ray. "Is this your disciple? He's so young. Is he even twelve?"
Kaelan took a set of forms and handed them to Ray. "Fill these out. Your basic information."
"Yes."
Ray carefully filled out the form.
Kaelan read over his shoulder as he wrote. "Ray. Born in Ironspire City. Nine years old. West Ocean Academy, intermediate division. First grade…" He paused. "You're only nine?"
Both he and the staff member stared in shock.
A nine-year-old coming to take the blacksmith ranking test?
That hadn't happened in many, many years.
Historically, the youngest testee had been eight years and six months old, a once-in-a-generation genius now working on the thirtieth floor of the Blacksmith's Association.
And now, another child stood before them.
If this boy passed the test, what would that mean?
Kaelan's interest deepened. After all, Ray had said Gilbert allowed him to accept tasks directly. That meant at least rank two.
A record-breaking achievement.
"Grandmaster," the staff member said, "Testing Room Three is ready." Kaelan narrowed his eyes as he picked up Ray's form. "Follow me."
He needed to personally see what level Gilbert's disciple had reached.
The so-called testing room was, in truth, nothing more than a forging room. That was only natural. A blacksmith's assessment could only be carried out amid fire, metal, and hammering.
The moment Ray stepped inside, the tension in his chest quietly eased. The layout was almost identical to Gilbert's workshop. Since arriving in West Ocean City, this was the first place that felt familiar to him.
The surveyor was a middle-aged woman who clearly knew Kaelan well. She smiled faintly and said, "Grandmaster, you personally escorted someone here? I just heard this child is only nine years old. If he were a little younger, he could've challenged the President's record."
"We'll talk after the test," Kaelan replied calmly.
The surveyor nodded and turned her attention to Ray. "There are fifteen kinds of metal here. Choose one to purify. Your score will be determined by the metal you select and the degree of purification. If you score above sixty, you'll qualify as a Rank One blacksmith."
"Yes," Ray replied, nodding.