Xiao Jie didn't pay any attention to the newbie players, casually strolling into the village. Familiar scenes rushed at him, and his gaze immediately fell upon the blazing blacksmith shop.
He saw Wang Kai, still bare-chested, with sweat glistening on his bronzed muscles, focused on wielding the iron hammer, rhythmically striking the red-hot iron bar with a steady and powerful cadence.
"Wow, Brother Wang Kai," Xiao Jie couldn't help but speak, his tone tinged with a mix of mockery and admiration, "It's been more than half a year, and you're really still sticking it out in this Newbie Village without faltering?"
Hearing the voice, Wang Kai looked up. When he saw it was Xiao Jie, and especially felt the unfathomable, ethereal aura about him that was completely different from any "player" or "NPC" he'd known, he was struck as if by lightning, stuck in place, the iron hammer in his hand clanging onto the anvil with a loud sound.
