It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"Really?" The goblin excitedly pulled his own forging hammer from his bag. From the outside, it looked completely different from the one in the blacksmith's hand. Katie duly used the mud to create a platform for it to stand on, and it stumbled onto it.

The goblin cast a sharp glance at the blacksmith next to him, who was looking at him with disdain and suspicion. "I don't know what you've been hammering away at. Why do you have to hammer so much when one hammer can do the job?"

The blacksmith's face darkened. "Do you understand the nature of the low-quality iron materials available in our village? If you don't strike it carefully, a piece of iron will probably be scrapped."

This was his lifelong profession, and he couldn't tolerate being provoked by others. The goblin smiled contemptuously, "Watch this."

The hammer came down hard, and the blacksmith couldn't help but close his eyes. His years of work experience told him that with such a blow, a good piece of material would most likely be scrapped, and he really couldn't bear to see this happen.

But after he closed his eyes, two more hammer strikes were heard, followed by the sound of iron being immersed in water. The blacksmith slowly opened his eyes, and a perfect sword blank appeared before him.

At that moment, he felt that his lifelong cognition had been challenged. He couldn't help but move closer and admire the sword blank as if it were a work of art.

"Impossible! I've been in this business for over forty years, and I'm incredibly familiar with these materials. What kind of magic is this?" He immediately looked at Katie with a panicked look. Katie responded calmly.

"Forty years, is that a long time?" The old voice of the goblin sounded.

This sensitive word

Chapter 72 Four Thousand Years

"The goblin forging technique, passed down through generations, has a history of over two thousand years. Just forty years? Your vision is too narrow."

The blacksmith stared at the sword blank, as if possessed, as if he hadn't heard the goblin's words. His body trembled slightly, just like his overturned heart. The blacksmith loved forging and dedicated his life to it, the daily hammering bringing him satisfaction. He had thought that this was the end of his life.

But the surprise brought by the goblin made him see the future of forging in his ordinary daily life.

Seeing that the blacksmith didn't respond, the goblin continued, "Because of the demonic disaster, your human civilization has been severely damaged... As you said, white-haired warrior, teaching them is just a piece of cake for me."

Bai Lin was stunned. "Katie, civilization is destroyed... is that true?"

Katie nodded, agreeing with the goblin. From her perspective, humanity had indeed lost a lot. Even though the village had used magic to improve the climate and even the soil, the grain yield was still insufficient. And despite the blacksmith's diligent work day after day, even the farm tools they made weren't very good.

Civilization has regressed, it needs to return.

"Listen, I feel sorry for you, but everything has its limits. As a goblin, I can't help you forever. Only what humans explore on their own is what humans deserve."

Goblin said so, Bai Lin nodded in agreement. It is definitely not possible to rely entirely on external forces. At this moment, the blacksmith suddenly cried out strangely.

"accepted!"

"What?" Bai Lin asked.

"Of course, it means agreeing to stay here with the goblins. This is also expected." Katie had an expression as if she had guessed it long ago. She stretched her body casually, ready to leave.

Bai Lin was still a little confused, "Ah? What about the other blacksmiths? Don't they need to give speeches and settle them down..."

He chuckled. "These guys don't buy into speeches anymore, even if you're the Son of God. But there's no need to worry about the other blacksmiths. Think about it, everyone faces danger every day. And what's a warrior's second life?"

Bai Lin instantly understood what Katie meant. Having learned from the Guards, she answered without hesitation, "It's equipment."

Katie nodded in satisfaction and pulled Bai Lin away. The blacksmith was almost clinging to the goblin. The middle-aged man was excited like a child, tugging at it and asking questions. Bai Lin felt a little amused at this, but also relieved.

Yes, there wouldn't be any bad people among the people who made the equipment. Seeing their foreman like this, Bai Lin believed that he would handle everything.

In fact, what the goblin said had also enlightened Bai Lin. She had always pursued the simplest and most advanced techniques in the Guards, but her physical fitness was far beyond that of an average person. She feared that continuous efforts on these techniques would not yield much.

The human civilization in this world was cut off, but Bai Lin's was not.

Four thousand years of Chinese martial arts... I wonder if they can be used here?

In the original world, even those who had studied it could understand that the so-called martial arts left by China could only be summarized in four words: "difficult to fight in actual combat."

Regardless of weight class, the unregulated duel on a hard floor clearly favors the physically superior opponent. In a martial arts world rife with fraud, the notion of a master being defeated by a random punch is unavoidable but also a reality.

But what Bai Lin was facing now was a battle without weight classes, rules, or venues. Her physical fitness would gradually improve as she defeated the enemy, which meant that she only needed to figure out how to standardize her movements to achieve the desired effect.

With the idea of ​​just giving it a try, Bai Lin said goodbye to Katie and walked straight into the forest.

"Let me think..."

She was a quitter, so she only learned a superficial bit of everything and then threw it away. There were many pieces to the puzzle, but Bai Lin couldn't figure out where to start. Finally, all the pieces pointed to one point.

"Man" means "heart."

Chinese martial arts films often feature scenes where branches are used as swords. The implication is that the sword is merely an external object; the person wielding it is the real focus. Only with inner peace can one achieve a restrained edge.

Thinking of this, Bai Lin spread her legs and began to stand. The benefits of this most basic exercise method for her were negligible, but all she needed was to pursue this mentality.

Use your body to listen to the sounds from the forest, and think and recall what useful skills you still have.

Although Bai Lin was very strong, squatting for so long had left her thighs numb. However, Bai Lin didn't care at the moment. She blended into the icy forest like an ice sculpture.

Monsters passed by her, some stopping to stare at her curiously, but no one took the initiative to greet this strange human. It was as if they instinctively considered Bai Lin one of their own. There was no hostility; her mere presence dispelled any desire to attack.

The first to attack was the Beast of Aldaeus. Undeterred by Crease's control, it attacked relentlessly. Icicles whistled towards Bai Lin, who remained silent. Just as the attack was about to reach her, she suddenly reached out, grasped one, and hurled it with force. It bounced back and forth between the other two, disrupting them before suddenly accelerating and piercing the bird-beast's eye with pinpoint accuracy.

She slowly opened her eyes, looking as if nothing had happened. But the moment she opened her eyes, the monsters seemed to see a person suddenly jumping out of the ice and snow.

It was as if Bai Lin was originally supposed to be ice and snow.

She walked into the village with steady steps. This trip was very fruitful.

Martial arts are techniques used to protect the weak. How could she express her gains from this trip in a more direct way? It was the moment Bai Lin threw her ice spear, even Claire was unable to observe her.

Being able to disappear from the eyes of the strong, isn't that a form of self-protection?

To the birds and beasts, Bai Lin, standing still, was clearly the weaker party. Therefore, she had successfully achieved her goal of self-protection, and that was her reward.

Whatever your heart sets your mind to, you will achieve it.

Chapter 73: Lighting up and dispelling the cold

Back in the village, it was already dinnertime. Katie glanced at Bai Lin, who was eating diligently, and started to say something, but swallowed it back. Finally, she suggested going back to look for the goblins.

"It must have intelligence."

Bai Lin naturally had no objection to this. Why was the goblin imprisoned? What kind of person was it? Although they had rescued the goblin, to them, the goblin remained a mysterious figure full of mysteries.

There are many things I want to learn from it.

As if it had anticipated their arrival, the goblin wasn't working in the blacksmith shop that evening. Instead, it sat on a chair in the foreman's workshop, staring at the door. Upon seeing Bai Lin and Katie arrive, it shifted its gaze to them.

"How does it feel to stay here?" Bai Lin asked with concern.

The goblin groaned, "Compared to being locked up, that's definitely not bad."

Katie noticed the subtle satisfaction in the goblin's eyes, roughly analyzed its mood and personality, and began to think about the sentence structure she would use when asking questions later.

However, it is not wise to discuss these things in front of the blacksmith.

Bai Lin naturally noticed this, and she said to the goblin, "Would it be convenient for us to go out and talk?"

The other party nodded obediently. They both saved it out of both reason and emotion, and there were no problems getting along. It was just a matter of going out to chat, so of course there was no problem.

The chat took place in a small shed at the back of the blacksmith shop. Since the blacksmiths had adapted to the high temperatures inside, this resting shed also had a fire for warmth. With a flick of her hand, Katie lit the fire and naturally washed the teacup beside her, filling it with lukewarm water.

The goblin took the water cup without hesitation. He also expected that his old voice would be worn out today.

"Tell me, what do you want to know from me?"

Just when Bai Lin was about to ask why the goblin was imprisoned, Katie had already taken the lead.

"How much do you know about that ice field and snow-capped mountains?"

The goblin hesitated. "Not many, I think. I just know that most of the monsters have left. Now the various tribes of minotaurs dominate the entire snowfield, and then..."

"There's a huge castle on a high mountain top. It's a relatively dangerous place. Most of the followers gather there."

"Family members?" Bai Lin asked in confusion.

The goblin nodded, "That's right."

Katie, standing by, explained attentively, "This word usually refers to monsters that are subordinate to powerful monsters, or beings with blood ties. But in this case, it doesn't mean..."

"Yes, it means dragon." The goblin gave an affirmative answer.

As a goblin, it was also classified as a monster by humans, but when it revealed this information, it felt no guilt at all. After all, it was the so-called dragon that had kept it imprisoned for so long.

Furthermore, while humans viewed all "monsters" equally, in their own eyes, each species was completely different. Goblins, dragons, and their followers generally didn't interact much, and the reason it came here was actually due to some rumors.

Bai Lin took a deep breath, "There really is a dragon."

"Yeah. But don't worry, the dragon's current condition is no different from being dead." The goblin's words dispelled Bai Lin's worries, but there were still some doubts in this sentence.

"What do you mean?" Katie demanded.

The goblin took a sip of hot water and said slowly, "You must have heard the rumors about the dragon knight, right?"

Bai Lin recalled and nodded. To be honest, the story had always been about "the hero and the lady", so she had no idea that the hero was a dragon knight.

"The dragon rider came to the ice field and fought a decisive battle with the evil dragon. In the end, both were seriously injured and defeated. This ending about the evil dragon is completely correct." said the goblin.

Although the rumors Bai Lin and Katie had heard didn't include this part, it did make sense considering the hero was wearing scars when he first appeared. Bai Lin didn't doubt it and glanced at Katie, but surprisingly, Katie accepted this statement calmly.

…She's definitely not right today. Bai Lin shook her head, trying not to take it seriously. After all, Chris had reminded her that they trusted each other, so it would be best to wait for Katie to speak first.

"What I mean is that there are dragon followers in the ancient castle, but we don't need to worry too much about this dead dragon, right?" Bai Lin confirmed.

"Yes, the dragon was indeed seriously injured. It's a rare sight to still be alive. The dragon rider's efforts were not in vain. Every time I hear a story like this, I can't help but marvel at the strength of you humans. With such a weak body, you dare to challenge a dragon."

The goblin seemed to be talking with some enthusiasm, not necessarily flattery. Bai Lin gave a wry smile, "Dragon Knight, he's still slightly outmatched. He's been dead for many years."

The goblin blinked in surprise, then said regretfully, "Is that so? That's a shame."

"But now that the evil dragon has been subdued, I believe the dragon knight can finally rest in peace," Katie said, smoothing the situation over. "Well, we don't need to dwell on the past. Compared to a powerless dragon, how much do you know about its followers?"

What followed was a rather lengthy narrative. The three of them chatted for a long time, with the goblin doing most of the talking. Katie would ask a few questions, and then it would answer them one by one. Although the conversation was extremely dry, Katie seemed to become more and more excited with the goblin. Bai Lin couldn't help but sigh at their extraordinary abilities.

Back in the tent, night had already fallen. After washing up and going to bed, Katie, who was lying next to Bai Lin, suddenly spoke,

"It's better not to let your guard down against that rumored dragon."

"Huh? Didn't the goblin say it was the same as being dead?" Although she felt a little strange that Katie said this suddenly, she continued.

Katie turned her head and looked at Bai Lin. "That's the biggest question. I infer that this means its body is completely destroyed. But you have to know that it can take over the bodies of its own followers."

Bai Lin was slightly surprised, then put his finger on Katie's lips.

"Let's not talk about this, go to sleep."

Chapter 74 Snowfield Exploration

Although somewhat surprised, Katie chose to listen to Bai Lin and keep silent about the matter. This was the first time Bai Lin had explicitly rejected Katie through words. From that moment on, the vague rift between them seemed to have gone from one-way to two-way.

Katie turned around and gritted her teeth. Although she had expected things to develop to this point, and she wanted to be strong and endure it, Bai Lin sleeping next to her made her feel even more painful.

Bai Lin was so close to Katie that he could sense her emotional changes. But she just lay there quietly. This time, Bai Lin chose to remain silent.

Katie has the ability and right to make her own choices, and perhaps she shouldn't interfere too much now.

But is it really okay to continue like this?

Suddenly I miss the time when she acted like a spoiled child to me...

The tent was filled with a mixture of anxiety and melancholy, a mixture of negative emotions that kept both of them awake for a long time. That night, Bai Lin pondered a great deal. She had given up hope in life, a mere idle wasteland who lived off her parents. It was only after arriving in this other world that she was transformed, and the one who had most changed her was, naturally, the girl named Katie Pello.

She began to feel happy when Katie smiled, and worried about the frown that formed when she was thinking. She had walked from a dark, dark room, where there was no distinction between day and night, into a world filled with color. Despite the pain, as long as Katie was by her side, Bai Lin had the motivation to keep moving forward.

She was extremely reluctant to have such a rift.

She thought clearly, and respecting Katie's choice was what she should do. But why was it that even though she thought so clearly, every time she made a decision, she still felt so painful?

The next day, they both felt a bit silent, but they still managed to embark on their journey smoothly. Everything was fine. The village would develop even better with the arrival of the goblins. Bai Lin had mastered new technology, and Katie, as always, had a thorough exploration plan.

Just like yesterday, our Elf Queen still did not appear at the lake this morning. In the blink of an eye, the two of them were once again among the icebergs and snowfields.

Bai Lin activated his helmet and carried Katie on his back. Based on last night's discussion, Katie's strategy for today was: direct attack.

The goblin had given the information that, "Due to the king's death, the minotaurs must be very weak now." This was common sense in the monster world regarding their populations, but it was quite rare among humans. So, after Katie's questioning, the goblin had finally figured this out; after all, it was just common sense to it.

"Karsas Tribe"—this was a term Bai Lin hadn't forgotten. The first person in this world to bring Bai Lin kindness was Klein, but she died at the hands of this very tribe. Katie naturally knew this, so today's attack was also a battle of revenge.

What will happen when the duo, growing stronger and more coordinated in battle, once again face a group of minotaurs? In the past, Bai Lin, relying on the advantage of terrain, managed to pull off a one-on-many feat despite a significant disparity in strength. Now, the difference in strength between the minotaurs and her must be considerable.

Following Katie's instructions, Bai Lin crouched down and crawled behind a hill. Katie, in a low voice, chanted a lengthy spell. The minotaurs, patrolling as usual, walked leisurely, completely unaware of what they would encounter next.

Flames rained down from the sky. While it looked like a simple spell from Bai Lin's perspective, to the minotaurs, it must have been a scene of doom. While the gathered fireballs weren't particularly intense, their sheer number was like rain, and the vast amount of flames plummeted like meteors into the patrolling minotaur squad.

Bai Lin didn't rest either, and rushed out after Katie finished the spell. Looking at the minotaurs roasting to death on the ground, their bodies burned to the point of flesh and blood, Bai Lin started to finish them off without any hesitation.

Katie stood by, watching all this unfold, feeling an indescribable emotion. Perhaps revenge was a pleasurable thing, but Bai Lin had already killed the culprit, the son of the Tauren chieftain. Perhaps more than pleasure, there was also a sense of sadness mixed in.

No matter what, she would not have the slightest mercy on the minotaur. After Bai Lin walked out of the sea of ​​fire, he climbed up again consciously.

"I feel like I shouldn't let you see these." Bai Lin said this, and she felt a little guilty about her words as soon as they came out of her mouth. She was undoubtedly treating Katie as a child again.

Katie shook her head. "Nothing, just..."