Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Lin Yi opened his eyes on the sofa in the arena's private lounge, the vibration from his personal mark waking him up.

Su Xiao sent me a message.

"Come to Reed Blacksmith Shop immediately."

After glancing at the audience comments that were still refreshing rapidly, Lin Yi immediately blocked all communications from sources other than contractors.

As he stood up, his bones made a slight cracking sound—fourteen consecutive high-intensity battles, even just commanding fusion units in combat, had taken a toll on Lin Yi's energy.

Lin Yi pushed open the door and chose to leave the arena.

At this moment, a brief report about "Mysterious Summoner's Fourteen-Game Winning Streak Enters the Top 3,000" is scrolling on the electronic bulletin board of the arena's virtual projection, and the attached battle video clips below have attracted many contractors to stop and watch.

But soon, news of Lin Yi's decision to end the challenge reached the audience.

"What a pity, I thought we could see him break into the top 1,000."

"That's how guys in the Paradise of Reincarnation are. They fight until they're satisfied and then leave. They never play by the rules."

"Did you notice that the attack effects of his summoned creatures... are somewhat similar to Abyss Corruption, but not quite the same?"

"Who cares? I bet on him to win consecutively and made 800,000 Paradise Coins. That's enough."

……

Reed's blacksmith shop was always filled with the unique smell of burning metal mixed with coal.

When Lin Yi pushed open the heavy metal door, a wave of heat and the clanging sound of metal being hammered hit him at once.

In the center of the shop, a huge forging furnace was burning red-hot.

Beside the furnace, a muscular figure, only reaching the waist of an adult, was swinging a forging hammer almost as tall as himself, slamming it hard onto a red-hot metal blank on the anvil.

With each strike, sparks flew, and the dull thud of metal deforming mingled with the crisp crack of the hammer.

Yes, that's right.

The little guy was completely focused at the moment, his forehead was covered with sweat, and a few strands of his originally smooth hair were stuck to his cheeks with sweat.

Her grip on the hammer was standard, and she applied considerable force, but...

Lin Yi's gaze fell on the piece of metal being repeatedly hammered on the anvil.

The object is currently roughly long and narrow, slightly wider at one end, but its overall shape is crooked and uneven in width and thickness. Rather than a weapon prototype, it is more like an iron bar that has been repeatedly abused.

“Oh, I’m really determined to learn how to use a sword recently,” Baha’s voice came from the side.

It was squatting on a wooden crate piled with odds and ends, tilting its head to watch Ooh's movements: "Reed couldn't persuade him otherwise, so he gave him a scrap piece to play with."

Bubuwang lay on the floor next to Baha, its two front paws supporting its chin, its ears drooping, looking somewhat drowsy—clearly, watching Ooh-Ooh forge iron was not an interesting form of entertainment.

Su Xiao leaned against the wall on the other side of the forging furnace, holding an open leather water bag in her hand, from which a faint aroma of wine wafted.

Seeing Lin Yi come in, he casually scooped out a sealed earthenware jar from the wooden bucket next to him and tossed it over.

Lin Yi caught it; it felt slightly heavy in his hand.

The jar still carried the coolness characteristic of a cellar, and the seal was made of a mixture of some kind of animal sinew and wax.

He pressed his thumb against the edge of the jar and applied a little force; with a soft "pop," the lid popped open.

The rich aroma of malt, mixed with subtle hints of caramel and floral notes, immediately wafts out.

The smell wasn't strong, but it was exceptionally clear and pure, instantly overpowering the mixed odors that were originally in the blacksmith's shop.

“Reed’s new batch, aged for half a year.” Su Xiao tilted his head back and took a swig of the liquor from his water bag. “It’s even smoother than the last batch.”

Lin Yi took a bite.

The beer has a slightly bitter taste on the palate, followed by a rich, foamy texture and a full-bodied sweet malt aroma. In the middle, there are subtle citrus notes, and the finish is clean, leaving only a faint bitterness from the hops.

By the standards of the Paradise of Reincarnation, this is already a top-tier brewing level.

"The trident is well made." Lin Yi watched as OoO swung the hammer again, and the wider end of the iron bar was flattened a bit more, making it look somewhat like the prototype of the main spike in the middle of the trident—of course, ignoring the fact that the other two "side branches" had not yet been forged.

“That’s a knife,” Reed’s voice came from behind the forge.

The dwarf master was sitting in front of a heavy oak workbench, holding a dark purple ore in his hand and examining it carefully under the light.

He didn't look up, but calmly added in his rough, hoarse voice, "At least, in the design drawings I gave him, that thing should be a straight-bladed longsword."

The blacksmith shop fell silent for a moment.

Completely unaware, he swung the hammer down again, sparks flying into the small bucket at his feet, making a hissing sound.

Baha tried hard to suppress his laughter, his wingtips trembling slightly.

Bubuwang raised its head, looked at everyone blankly, and then lay back down.

Lin Yi held the wine jug, remained silent for two seconds, and finally said, "...The future is promising."

"Hahaha—" Baha finally couldn't hold back anymore, the whole bird rolling around on the wooden box laughing, its wings flapping loudly. "A promising future! Hahaha Lin Yi, what you said... I wanted to praise you just now too! But I didn't dare to say it!"

Ooh then raised its head blankly, wiped the sweat from its face, and looked at Baha: "Baha, what are you laughing at?"

"N-nothing!" Baha stammered, trying to catch his breath. "I was just praising your play! Keep going!"

He let out a soft "oh," then lowered his head again to focus intently on struggling with the iron bar.

Reed put down the ore and came out from behind the workbench.

He wore a leather apron, his bare arms were covered with scars and firm muscles, and his thick beard was tied into several strands with metal rings.

Reed glared at Baha first, then looked at Lin Yi and Su Xiao, his expression turning serious.

"You two," Reed walked to the forge, poked at the fire with his tongs, and lowered his voice, "is something going to happen in the Void lately?"

Lin Yi and Su Xiao exchanged a glance.

"Why do you ask that?" Su Xiao countered.

“Orders.” Reed pulled a leather-wrapped notebook from his apron pocket, opened it, and saw it covered with various symbols and numbers written in Dwarven language. “In the past two weeks, I’ve received more than ten times the number of orders I usually receive from all over the Void. And these aren’t just scattered orders; they’re large batches.”

Reed looked up: "These races usually don't like each other and rarely trade, but now they've all started arming themselves on a large scale as if by prior arrangement. And the delivery deadlines they're demanding are very tight, with the longest being only two months."

The dwarf took a big gulp of wine and wiped the foam off his beard: "I'm a veteran in this business, and this is the first time I've ever seen a wave of military procurement on this scale."

Only the crackling of the furnace and the persistent hammering could be heard in the blacksmith's shop.

Lin Yi slowly took a sip of wine. The liquid slid down his throat, carrying a warm, soothing sensation.

“The Void has been rather turbulent lately,” Su Xiao began, his tone calm.

“I know,” Reed nodded. “Your information network is far better than ours, who do business in the void. I’m not asking about the specifics of what happened—those big things are none of my business as a blacksmith.”

The dwarf put down his wine bag, placed his hands on the edge of the workbench, and leaned forward: "I need to warn you two. If you're planning to go to the Void anytime soon, whatever you do, be careful. Behind this kind of armed wave, there's either a huge opportunity that everyone wants to seize, or a huge disaster that everyone wants to avoid. And either way, the first to die will definitely be those unprepared fools who rush in."

He spoke very frankly and honestly.

Lin Yi put down the wine jug, pondered for a moment, and then spoke: "Reed, about what might happen in the void recently..."

The moment the words were spoken, an irresistible will suddenly descended.

The direct intervention of some higher-level rule made Lin Yi feel as if the words he was about to say were forcibly "locked" in his throat.

At the same time, a line of scarlet text appeared directly in the center of his vision:
[WARNING: You are about to leak information related to the 'Strongest Player Tournament'. Insufficient access privileges detected; the leak has been forcibly stopped.]

[Note: This warning will not result in punishment, but hunters should be aware that information regarding major events is strictly controlled by park regulations, and unauthorized personnel are not authorized to obtain it.]

The warning lasted for less than half a second before disappearing, but the feeling of stagnation at that moment remained clear.

Su Xiao had obviously received a similar notification—Lin Yi saw his brows furrow almost imperceptibly, his hand holding the water bag tighten slightly, and then loosen.

Seeing the sudden silence on their faces, and the abnormal state that had been forcibly interrupted by some force, Reed immediately understood.

Reed raised his hand and made a "stop" gesture.

“Understood.” Reed’s voice was calm, even carrying a sense of knowing “I knew it.” “I don’t have enough permissions to ask or listen. Fine, then I won’t ask any more questions.”

He turned and walked to the forge, grabbed a pair of tongs and took a red-hot metal block from the fire, placed it on the anvil, and began to forge it with a hammer.

"Leave the equipment that needs repairing here," Reed said without turning his head. "I'll take a look at it. At times like these, keeping your gear in good working order is the most important thing."

Su Xiao nodded, took off her seemingly ordinary black leather jacket, and handed it over. "..." Reed stared at the leather jacket in his hand, his expression as if he had swallowed a whole lemon.

He remained silent for several seconds, then finally let out a long sigh, "I should have thought of that..."

Reed examined the leather jacket over and over, scrutinizing the minute wear and scratches.

This job requires tailoring skills, not forging skills.

"Get new armor as soon as possible." Reed rolled up Su Xiao's leather jacket and spread it on the workbench. He then took out several bottles of potions that shimmered with different luster and several balls of strangely colored yarn from under the counter. "This thing can only be repaired one or two more times at most. It's not that I'm making excuses, but the material itself is almost at its limit. I'm not very good at repairing this kind of equipment."

He said, looking at Lin Yi, "What about yours?"

Lin Yi took off his priest's robe and handed it over.

The robe feels light and delicate, with a texture as fine as the finest silk.

Reed examined it and his brow relaxed slightly.

“Three places are damaged.” The dwarf said as he took materials from the shelf on the other side. “Abyss equipment is indeed more troublesome to repair, but I have dealt with a few pieces of Abyss equipment before, so it was fine.”

He picked up a small bottle containing a dark purple, viscous liquid, and then selected a piece of matte black metal and a few strands of silvery-white silk thread.

“This will probably take…” Reed estimated, “four hours. Bai Ye, yours will take at least two days. And there’s no guarantee of a complete restoration; it can only be repaired to the point where it won’t affect usability.”

"Okay." Su Xiao nodded.

"That's enough," Lin Yi said.

Reed said no more, placed the two men's equipment on either side of the workbench, and began to preheat the tools.

While Ooh was still struggling with the iron bar, Baha had already flown to the roof beam for a nap, and Bubuwang was fast asleep, emitting soft snores.

Su Xiao leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to rest, while Lin Yi held a wine jar, watching the flickering flames in the stove, his thoughts gradually settling down.

Void... Tournament of the Strongest...

Although the specific rules and details are beyond his knowledge due to limited access, considering Reed's description of an "armed wave," the scale and importance of this event likely far exceed his initial expectations.

That wasn't a game.

That was a storm.

A super storm that will sweep across the void, affecting countless races, forces, and powerful individuals, and reshaping resources, territories, and even the right to speak.

Lin Yi finished the last sip of wine in the can and placed the empty can at his feet.

……

Four hours later, Reed returned the repaired Abyss Priest Robe to Lin Yi.

There were no visible signs of repair on the surface of the robe, but the fabric felt smoother to the touch.

“I’ve taken care of the problems.” Reed wiped the grease off his hands. “However, the Abyss equipment might be more troublesome if it breaks next time. I suggest you collect the materials as soon as possible to prepare for the equipment upgrade.”

"Understood." Lin Yi took the robe and put it on. The familiar coolness spread across his skin and then resonated with the power of the abyss within him, forming a protective field.

Su Xiao's leather jacket would need more time to be repaired, so Lin Yi didn't linger. After paying the repair fee and giving him a batch of rare metals brought from Kivotos as an extra thank you, he left the blacksmith shop.

Back in his private room, Lin Yi didn't rest but went straight into the special meditation room planted with phoenix trees.

In the center of the room, a small tree, not very tall but radiating a hazy glow, swayed gently, its leaves rustling softly as they collided.

The air was filled with a calming fragrance.

Lin Yi sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became long and deep.

Instead of immediately refining his techniques, he completely opened his mind and tried to feel the "rhythm" of the room.

Just as divers need to equalize ear pressure before diving, and pilots need to calibrate instruments before takeoff, Lin Yi needs to achieve a deeper harmony between his state and the surrounding environment.

Consciousness spread out like mercury.

In this state, Lin Yi's sense of time became blurred.

Lin Yi's consciousness sank into the contract space, where hundreds of much brighter points of light had already appeared.

Each bright spot represents a "new individual" that has successfully fused with the soul fragments of the students of Kivotos, awakened, and begun to adapt to its new body.

The number... has exceeded five hundred.

Moreover, this number is slowly increasing at a rate of one to two per minute.

Hill has already fully streamlined the fusion process.

At this rate, completing the initial fusion of all the soul fragments within ten days is indeed feasible.

Lin Yi's thoughts swept over those bright spots of light.

The vast majority are in good condition.

A few individuals experienced mild rejection reactions or tremors of consciousness, but these were all within a controllable range and were rapidly subsiding under the intervention of Hill or Marvin Waltz.

What caught Lin Yi's attention even more was that about one-tenth of these light spots emitted a "fluctuation" that was significantly stronger than that of the others.

These individual soul fragments were either elite students from various academies in their previous lives, or possessed special talents or powerful combat instincts.

Their fusion process was smoother, their compatibility with the Shadow Legion's bodies was higher, and their basic strength after awakening was also stronger.

Aru was one of them.

Lin Yi's consciousness lingered briefly on a few particularly bright "nodes".

If we're just talking about soldiers, these traits might only make a difference in individual combat effectiveness.

But what if... it serves as the "skeleton" of a future legion?

A thought flashed through Lin Yi's mind.

He no longer simply viewed these integrated individuals as future "soldiers," but began to think about how to classify and train them more precisely based on their characteristics.

Those skilled in assault can be assigned to the vanguard.

Those skilled in sniping should form a remote support team.

Specialized in defense, serving as the core of the front line.

Those with command talent or a broad perspective might be worth considering developing into commanders.

As for those with special technical backgrounds—such as students from the Millennium Science Park—their soul fragments may retain some scientific research or engineering knowledge, and these people may play a key role in the future logistics construction of the Legion.

Lin Yi began to consciously utilize the authority of the Seed of Reincarnation to more meticulously "mark" and "classify" these already merged individuals.

This is a massive undertaking, but the Seed of Rebirth, as the highest control core of the Givotos Halo System, is inherently designed to support this differentiated management.

What Lin Yi is doing now is simply "customizing" his own needs within the existing management framework.

When Lin Yi naturally emerged from that state, his personal imprint showed that eight hours had passed.

The phoenix tree swayed without wind, and a few leaves, emitting a faint glow, drifted down, swirling around him a few times. A feeling of heightened mental activity then spread through him.

Lin Yi stood up and stretched his stiff joints.

Lin Yi, who had just gotten up, immediately received a notification from the Paradise of Reincarnation.

[Warning: The time limit for your stay has been reached. The hunter will soon return to the real world.]

In the real world, there are shops selling traditional Chinese medicine.

Lin Yi leaned back in his chair, savoring the aroma of the tea.

After arriving in the real world, Lin Yi completely emptied his mind and stopped thinking too much about the Paradise of Reincarnation.

When you come to the real world, the most important thing is to relax your body and mind.

In the afternoon, Lin Yi and Su Xiao lay on the main road basking in the sun, with Bubuwang lying beside them. Feeling the warmth of the sunlight, Lin Yi fell into a deep sleep.

Real life was peaceful, and Lin Yi gradually adjusted to his best condition. As for whether he could win the top three in the Strongest Battle, he was still unsure, after all, there are always people better than him.

In such a vast place as the void, Lin Yi didn't believe he could truly crush everyone.

Time flew by, and Su Xiao, engrossed in the game, and Lin Yi, basking in the sun, simultaneously received a summons from the Paradise of Reincarnation. (End of Chapter)