Treasures of Ancient Times

"This truly is... a treasure from ancient times! A divine artifact!"

Herren had emerged from the sinkhole, his face beaming with joy.

Feeling the surging power within him and the warmth from the iron hammer in his hand, he was overjoyed.

He never expected that there would be an unexpected gain this time!

He believed that his forging skills had reached the pinnacle among mortals. After all, it was no joke that the skills of the people of Luxiang, accumulated over thousands of years, had been integrated into one person.

However, he could not transcend the limitations of mortals and could not create a true "divine artifact".

But things are different now...

[Ornn's Blessing: You have gained the favor of the Mountain Flame. You are no longer mortal. With the divine power of the First Flame, the quality of your masterpieces will be greatly enhanced.]

[Heir of the Hearth: It's time to seek out rarer materials, forge more legendary equipment, and don't forget to find your comrades. One person cannot truly be called a member of the Hearth.]

But does this mean I've... obtained the divine power of the Mountain Hidden Flame?

Am I now considered a favored one of the demigods?

Although it is unclear how much power Ornn granted him, perhaps to Him it was just a spark.

But for Heron, a mere mortal, it was already practically inexhaustible.

After the initial excitement subsided, Herren couldn't help but look back at "Half of Ornn's Mountain," and a belated sense of melancholy suddenly welled up in his heart.

Perhaps for Ornn, a decade or so is but a fleeting moment, but for Heron, a decade or so is his entire existence in this world.

He felt somewhat reluctant, but this did not affect his ambition.

Bring the warmth of the hearth to Freljord, to the land of fire!

Harren tightened his grip on the hammer. With the blessing of the Mountain Shadow Flame, he became even more convinced of his goal...

However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined.

Perhaps he got a little carried away, because Herren couldn't find the place where he had hidden the leather jacket.

After searching for a long time without success, he had no choice but to descend the mountain with half his body exposed.

Fortunately, after receiving the blessing of the Mountain Hidden Flame, his cold resistance also increased significantly. Despite being shirtless and having just worked up a sweat, he only felt a chill, a bit cold, but not unbearable.

He returned to his small home at the ruins of Luxiang... more of a hiding place than a home.

Although Herren possessed the skills of building, he was alone and helpless in the face of the ruins of the furnace village. He could only manage to tidy up a small hut that was enough to shelter him from the wind and snow.

Compared to his own residence, the furnace room was meticulously prepared. He had built the furnace himself and spent most of his time there, except when sleeping, honing his skills.

Sometimes, he would even sleep here, as it was warmer by the fire in the stove.

After taking one last look at this humble abode, which wasn't exactly cozy but was where he had lived for over a decade, Herren picked up the luggage he had already prepared.

Some dry food and other necessities, such as anvils and tongs.

Helen couldn't carry as many other items as bellows, various ores, and molds; he only brought the essentials, which he packed into a large backpack.

With the package slung over his shoulder and fastened with a sturdy buckle, Herren shut off the long-burning fire in the furnace.

Looking around at this dilapidated, thousand-year-old ruin, Herren took a deep breath and silently made a vow.

"When I return, it will be time for the reconstruction of the Hearth Village... At that time, the warm hearth fire will rise again in this land of eternal winter."

Full of confidence, Herren then stepped lightly into the snowy night.

Back to reality, the most urgent task is to find a place to settle down, preferably with a powerful tribe capable of procuring all sorts of high-level materials...

……

……

"I'm going to die..."

The cold winds of Freljord are enough to kill any outsider, and even native Freljordians can easily perish in the harsh northern winter.

Only true Iceborns could keep moving in such extreme cold.

A blonde girl dressed in fur clothing gripped a long bone knife tightly in her hand, embedding it deep into the snow to support her body as she moved forward through the blizzard.

She buried her head deep inside her leather hat, her braids, which were braided with animal teeth, peeking out. She had a beautiful face, and a scar ran across her nose, adding to her wildness.

Sejuani should have known that the weather in Freljord was just that unforgiving.

But she did not regret hunting alone. As an Iceborn, the cold was not enough to kill her; needing someone to accompany her would have been a sign of weakness.

On the other hand, this is also a choice made out of necessity.

The tribe's food supplies were running low, and as the daughter of the War Mother, she felt it was her duty to take responsibility in this time of crisis.

However, hunting is far more risky than rewarding, especially in the Freljord.

Even the strongest warriors expend energy moving through the cold winter, and if they gain nothing, that is the greatest loss.

Therefore, Sejuani chose to keep it a secret from everyone and go hunting alone, at least as an unawakened ice bloodline, she could resist the cold.

However, in such a blizzard, visibility was no more than a few meters. Now, she no longer had to consider whether she could find prey, but rather to be wary of the risk of being hidden in the thick snow at any time.

Sejuani was on edge, moving slowly through the snow that was almost up to her knees.

Reason told her that she should turn back now, otherwise she would be buried in this snow sooner or later.

But her stubbornness wouldn't allow her to do that... It was one thing to go out on her own, but if she had to go back empty-handed, she would rather die in this snowy field.

She could no longer bear the disappointment in her mother's eyes.

As Sejuani continued forward, she saw what appeared to be a figure ahead.

Its outline isn't particularly robust, and it hasn't undergone the mutation seen in the bear-men, which is good news.

Seeing that the other person "looked like a human being," Sejuani spoke loudly and held the long sword in front of her.

"Who are you?!"

The figure in the flying snow slowly turned around and looked at the hungry and cold girl in front of him.

"Are you freezing to death?"

"...Nonsense! I'm perfectly fine!"

However, the figure slowly approached through the snow, and at that moment, Sejuani was finally able to see the other person's face clearly. It was a young face, about the same age as her.

A man, shirtless, stood tall in the cold wind... This was proof of his strength; only the Iceborn could be immune to the extreme cold.

Therefore, in Freljord's stereotype, the less afraid of the cold a person is, the stronger they are.

But it's really rare to see someone like this, shirtless, completely naked.

In particular, although his muscles are well-proportioned and powerful, they do not appear bulky or particularly strong.

Sejuani grew increasingly wary, while Harren, unaware that the girl before him had already categorized him as a "stronger" individual, scrutinized Sejuani's expression before nodding and stating with certainty.

"I'm clearly freezing to death."

"..."

Sejuani's lips twitched, and a surge of embarrassment and annoyance actually warmed her face, which had been numb from the cold.

As an Iceborn, she is naturally not afraid of the cold, but that doesn't mean she doesn't feel it.

But before she could retort, Herren had already taken a small hammer from his waist.

arms?

Sejuani hastily raised her longsword, startling Harren.

"What are you doing?! Stop brandishing knives and sticks..."

Herren said with dissatisfaction, then took out a small anvil.

The heavy anvil felt as light as a feather in his hands.

Then he raised his hammer, and the hammerhead immediately lit up with a crimson flame. Sejuani saw that there seemed to be flames rising in the man's eyes.

The next second, he slammed the hammer heavily onto the anvil.

clang--

A crisp sound rang out instantly, a spark flew from the point where the steel collided, and an invisible stream of heat spread outwards.

The surrounding snow melted away instantly, revealing the long-lost wet ground, creating a "vacuum zone" in the snow.