We slowly exit the huge temple. The old mage comes closer.

"*Whisper* Man you have balls of steel not to kneel there."

I look around. The glances they are giving me are ones of curiosity rather than anger. It seems we are fine.

"But seriously how did you do it?"

[Do what?]

"Didn't you feel like kneeling in front of the statue? I worship Akresh and yet I couldn't stop that feeling I was getting."

[Oh?]

How peculiar! I felt the opposite instead. Probably because I'm an artisan myself? As for the dwarves, it is their guardian deity.

Before long the three leaders are meeting. Iron Hammer is the one I know. Iron Furnace has no beard and Iron Anvil has a really long beard. That's how I identity them! How will I recognize them if they change beard style? I won't! At that point, it would be the result of their own tomfoolery.

We reunite in a public plaza. Then many dwarves bring everything required for forging.

[How does this work exactly?]

A young dwarf answers me.

"They'll be using all their techniques to try and create the best sword possible. Whoever manages to will be getting one point!"

[Point?]

"There are 3 competitions, so whoever wins two is the overall victor."

[What if it's a three-way tie?]

"Then it will be up to Forgar himself to determine the winner."

[I'm surprised that you guys are accepting our presence so well. I mean since you've closed this place from the outside world.]

"You are trying to help with a calamity. This also impacts us. There is no hiding from these creatures. If they invade the continent all will die, even us."

Okay makes sense. Between accepting strangers and death, the choice is easy.

They all get to work. First, they are brought ores. There are different shapes, sizes, colors, and I understand none of it!

They all take a while to carefully select what they will be working with. Afterward, I'm expecting them to start right away. Nope, they start inspecting something that is going to be used in the furnace to increase the potency of the fire.

Afterward, they check every single piece of equipment possible. Only after making sure everything is in order do they start the melting process. They seem to be using magic too to raise the intensity another notch.

They turn the ore into ingots that they'll be able to manipulate. Then starts the forging process itself. At first, I'm trying to count how many times they hammer, but then I get told it will be a few thousand so I give up.

Every swing is done with a specific angle and a carefully measured force. I'm wondering if they have secret techniques for each family. Nope, or more accurately they are all using the same.

I guess it will all come down to whoever is the most skilled. The gallery is cheering and going wild. The thing is…this is boring.

I feel like the only sane man in an asylum. After a few painful hours, these guys are finally done…forging. Now remains cooling everything off. After a few more steps we can finally appreciate the end product.

I need to admit all three are magnificent works. Also in my eyes pretty much the same. The color schemes are a bit different but that's it. I feel like this show could have been called pimp my sword.

Then many dwarves step forward. It seems to be a small committee of some sort. Ah, they are judges. They start using all sorts of technical terms that I don't understand at all.

I think they are grading based on the sharpness, the sturdiness, the mana conductivity, and the overall appearance. Then they start deliberating.

I've seen people condemned to capital punishment with less deliberation than that!

Finally, the result comes out. No beard is the winner…aka Iron Furnace. They do a detailed analysis of why he won. Pretty much his is about 0.1% better than the others. This is kinda ridiculous.

At this point, a sword is a sword! Oh well, they are perfectionists, I guess.

One of the judges even does an announcement:

"This is a worthy product of the dwarven race! It is both powerful and unbreakable! Congratulations to the winner!"

I can't help but wonder if these are really unbreakable or if it's just a figure of speech.

"Human! I have seen how you gaze at the sword. Are you perhaps doubting our craftsmanship?"

[Oh, it's just the last time I encountered a dwarven sword it got destroyed really easily. Was just reminiscing. Don't mind me.]

"How about this! Come here!"

What? Ah, whatever I'll comply for now. As I get closer he hands me the sword.

"You can do anything to try and break it, but of course it's impossible for-"

*Applying pressure*

*CRACK*

Oups, did I use too much divine energy? I was just casually testing it and it already shattered.

"Y-you! How did you do that?!"

[Ah, sorry I was just trying to bend it a little. Honest mistake.]

The other two want me to try it with theirs too. Before long there are three piles of sword scraps on the floor.

Well, this is awkward. They are looking at me like I'm some kind of monster. Turns out they decide to consider this round a loss for them all.

That concludes the first challenge. For the second one, we'll need to head deeper underground.

This feels like an exode. Hey, at least I can always see far ahead…you know dwarves…

Before long the temperature raises drastically. The old mage is having issues, he's sweating like a pig. Then we come across extremely long stairs going down. We walk for a while until finally reaching the bottom.

It feels like a new world. First, is the heat. A warm and comforting one. Second, is the light, I can see magma! It has a mesmerizing red glow. As beautiful as deadly. Third, is the smell, a sulfur one. That's a bad scent but it fits so well to the surroundings that I can't even be mad.

[Hey, isn't this dangerous? Isn't there a possibility the magma overflows if the earth moves? Then it could submerge the city or something.]

That one kid is still there.

"It has happened in the past, but Forgar's blessing protects us from that. There are protections at the level of the stairs."

That's pretty cool. This reminds me of when I used signs with water to block lava from overflowing before.

[So what are we here to watch exactly?]

"It is the hunt. Look there in the magma."

What is there to see? Oh wow!