Arknights' Lock of Heaven

“It’s just a small village,” Xia Yu’s smile froze a little. “It’s not well-known.”

“Looks like they live in seclusion,” Nian muttered after hearing this. “No wonder I’ve never heard of them.”

Recluse?

Xia Yu was full of questions. What did this have to do with living in seclusion?

"Then I wonder which prefecture it is in? And the exact location?" Nian patted his chest and said, "Don't let my young appearance fool you, I am the world's top master in forging!"

"Maybe you'll be able to communicate with your 'family' someday..."

forging!

Xia Yu's face darkened.

He now understood why Nian had been so enthusiastic towards him.

Did she think of herself as a sentient weapon?

“Looks like you understood,” Nian said with a smile, taking Xia Yu’s right hand and saying with a hint of infatuation, “Someone like you… is simply a miracle…”

“In Yan Kingdom, I don’t know of any ‘god’ with such skills. Even the ‘me’ of the past couldn’t forge it on my own.”

Xia Yu had originally intended to withdraw her hand, but upon hearing this, she raised an eyebrow.

god?

He gazed at Nian, the deep blue in his pupils growing ever more dazzling.

This divine appearance... isn't quite complete.

It really is just fragments.

A slight smile appeared on Xia Yu's lips.

He had tried to suppress the overwhelming aura of divine attack that was about to scare the black snake, and it seemed to be quite successful, as Nian in front of him did not notice it at all.

"Why must we have blacksmiths?" he said with a smile. "Can't I just be born that way?"

"You know, monkeys can even jump out of rocks."

The smile on his face froze.

Her hand felt like it was being pricked by a needle, and she tried to pull it back, but Xia Yu held it down.

In that instant, Xia Yu revealed her true nature.

The aura of the anti-god special attack hidden deep within.

Xia Yu has always been a low-key person. She is very hostile towards things like God Special Attack, which would attract a lot of hatred, so she usually seals them with the Holy Grail.

This is why Talulah, who was being controlled by the black snake, mistook him for a spell and didn't realize it immediately.

It wasn't until she was trapped by the chains that Talulah realized, to her utter bewilderment, that she couldn't move.

The Holy Grail is really useful; it truly lives up to its name as an all-powerful wish-granting machine!

Seeing Nian's frozen smile, Xia Yu's smile deepened.

At this moment, the roles of offense and defense have reversed!

44. Arriving at Longmen Again

Nian really wanted to take it back.

But unfortunately, it was something I had to restrain myself from doing.

Moreover, as a skilled blacksmith, she gleaned some insights from Xia Yu.

Then he froze.

Amiya sensed that something was off.

“Mr. Xia Yu…” she said tentatively, “It’s not really appropriate to hold a girl’s hand like this for so long.”

"Ah, I was being presumptuous," the latter said, withdrawing his hand and giving an exaggerated smile.

"I'm sorry, Miss Nian, I was a little too excited to finally meet a fellow townsman with whom I have some connection."

Amiya might have thought Xia Yu's smile was just a bit exaggerated, which made sense given his reasoning.

But Miss Nian saw it differently.

The smile on the face of the beautiful woman who had seemed harmless just moments before was now so sinister.

I'll kill you in a minute! Your ashes will be scattered!

She even mentally added a sound effect to that smile, complete with reverb.

Why is this so?

I just saw a really interesting treasure, and it even transformed into a person and could communicate with me...

Shouldn't two joys combined be double the joy?

Why is this happening?

But no matter how much you wallow in self-pity, you can't escape it.

There wasn't even a chance to look for the time machine in the drawer.

Ah... why does Rhodes Island have monsters like this...?

Where did Kal'tsit find him?

That great achievement recognized by the world... the truth is truly terrifying.

Don't tell me you're just a fragment; even at your peak, facing a monster like this...

Before leaving home, one must make arrangements for one's final affairs.

As a blacksmith, her professional advantages allowed her to get a glimpse of that great undertaking.

That was it that almost gave her a heart attack.

Did Kal'tsit dig this out of some prehistoric grave?

They fought against the creator god and played a crucial role in the conflict...

Why do such monsters still exist now?!

To overthrow the creator god... What the hell is this? The creator god? My god, if this wasn't a message coming from the heart, I wouldn't believe it!

What could be more terrifying than knowing that such a horrific monster exists?

By the time you find out, you've already gotten into trouble with him.

They practically delivered themselves into that trap!

I swear to God, I was just curious and wanted to take a look!

Heavens above, why has it come to this?

"What's wrong, Miss Nian?" Seeing that she didn't respond for a long time, Xia Yu asked with apparent concern, "Are you feeling unwell?"

But the smile in his eyes was undeniable.

Even Amiya noticed!

Although she didn't know why the relationship between the two, who should have been meeting for the first time, was like this, it didn't stop her from understanding the atmosphere.

Nian seems to have suddenly become extremely afraid of Mr. Xia Yu.

They were so enthusiastic when we met, but their attitude changed in an instant.

"How could that be?" Nian forced a smile from his stiff face. "I was just... so happy to see someone from my hometown."

“Yes, I’m happy too,” Xia Yu replied with a smile.

He was genuinely happy.

Unexpectedly, before one black snake was even used up, a spare one was delivered to their door.

Of course, Xia Yu is definitely not the kind of person who would kill any god she sees; that wouldn't be right.

But if Black Serpent backs down, there's still a backup option to confirm what level you are among the gods in this world, isn't there?

Of course, killing a malevolent god like the Black Serpent would be effortless, and given that Nian has such a good relationship with Kal'tsit, he can't be a bad person.

Although his face was all smiles, anyone with eyes could see the eerie atmosphere.

Amiya was conflicted.

Mr. Xia Yu is very nice, but Nian has been good to me too...

After much deliberation, seeing Nian on the verge of tears, she sided with her best friend.

"Mr. Xia Yu, shall we go eat some cake first?"

Amiya got up, took Xia Yu's hand, and was about to lead him away from Nian's side.

"I would never dare to eat hot pot."

Amiya lifted her face, a bright smile on her face.

“Okay,” Xia Yu stood up with a smile, “Then see you at the dorm, fellow villager.”