After a sigh, Godfrey smiled faintly. "What a good child. Nigel is truly fortunate. If one day West Ocean City is no longer enough for you, Skysea's doors will always be open."
He gently patted Ray's head, then turned and left with broad strides.
Ray remained silent until the two figures disappeared into the distance.
"That offer sounded pretty good," Raziel Phoenix said with a foxlike grin. "Why reject it? You don't want to leave us?"
Ray forced a bitter smile. "Pretty good? That was incredible. You don't understand how important Spirit Refinement is. Only fifth-rank blacksmiths can attempt it, and it's one of the most critical steps in a blacksmith's life."
He exhaled slowly. "It burns through absurd amounts of rare metals. Fail once, and everything turns to scrap. Just thinking about all that money going up in smoke…"
Raziel Phoenix stared at Ray in disbelief. "You love money that much, yet you still rejected him? Are you out of your mind?"
