Primordial Sin System Chapter 586-The Trial of the Blacksmith Emperor

The vortex of swirling light dissipated, depositing Dave right in the heart of a shadowy, foreboding woodland.

Dark shadows loomed amid towering, contorted trees, with the moon's feeble gleam hardly lighting the soggy soil under his boots.

A creepy hush prevailed, disrupted solely by sporadic whispers of invisible beasts slinking through the thick foliage.

Dave shook off the dirt, flashing a cocky grin.

"Alright, where's the next trial? Can't waste my time waiting all day."

His gaze swept the surroundings, voice faintly reverberating across the silent woods.

All at once, a subtle clank of metal drew his notice. His keen eyes snapped to the origin, spotting a diminutive armored form emerging into sight.

The being stood no taller than four feet, encased in elaborate black plate mail etched with luminous runes.

A massive hammer hung across its back, while a lone crimson slit in the helm blazed with a menacing light.

Dave gawked briefly, then erupted in laughter.

"No way. This is my next opponent?"

Laughter rang out through the woods as he held his belly.

The squat figure stayed motionless and mute, rooted firmly in the open space.

"Hey, come on now," Dave taunted, beaming broadly.

"Don't tell me they ran out of strong enemies, so they sent... you. Did you get lost on your way to a blacksmith convention? Or did someone drop you off after story time?"

The armored entity held its silence, the helm's glowing slit constricting a bit.

Dave folded his arms, pressing on with evident delight.

"Look, I get it. Life must be hard when you're that... compact. I mean, do you need a ladder to swing that hammer? Or maybe you could just throw it and hope for the best?"

He chuckled at his quip.

The atmosphere thickened abruptly, chill seeping into the air.

Dave cocked his head, sensing the mounting pressure yet dismissing it lightly.

"What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve? Don't tell me you're mad about being... fun-sized."

Right then, the dwarf's eye slit ignited in vivid crimson.

The figure lifted a gauntleted palm, and the earth below started to quake.

A low, rumbling snarl emanated from the tiny form, accompanied by screeching metal friction.

"Huh?" Dave arched a brow, piqued now. "Oh, are we finally getting serious?"

In an instant, the dwarf's armor morphed and swelled outward.

Segments of ebony steel unfolded and secured, ballooning the compact body to gigantic proportions.

Sinews swelled under the arcane plating as it surged to loom over Dave at a colossal five meters high.

The hammer, previously oversized for its bearer, now fit perfectly for the mutated giant.

Cracks spiderwebbed the soil under the armored behemoth's mass, a profound voice thundering from the helm.

"You dare mock me?" the immense form bellowed. "I am no mere trial! You will regret your insolence, fool!"

Dave blinked upward at the brute. Briefly speechless, he soon cracked a broad smile.

"Well, that's more like it! Took you long enough to grow up."

Before the evolved dwarf could retort, the ground shuddered anew.

Now, steel constructs emerged from the dirt encircling them.

Every one was a golem forged of obsidian iron, inscribed with radiant runes matching the dwarf's gear.

They brandished diverse arms—blades, cleavers, lances—all pulsing with lethal power.

Dave's eyes sparkled with thrill. "Puppets, huh? Oh, and look at those weapons! Semi-God grade, if I'm not mistaken. What the hell!"

He flexed his fingers, advancing boldly. "This might actually be fun."

The giant dwarf boomed with thunderous mirth. "You think you're ready to face me, boy? You mocked my size, but now you'll see the full might of the Blacksmith Emperor!"

Dave grinned, undaunted by the fearsome moniker. "Blacksmith Emperor, huh? Sounds fancy. But titles don't mean much if you can't back them up."

The golems lunged first, their iron frames groaning as they rushed Dave.

Weapons flared with fatal force, slicing and piercing with deadly accuracy.

Dave evaded the initial assault effortlessly, his motions smooth and precise.

"Not bad," he remarked, weaving past a lance jab and smashing the golem's skull with a mighty fist.

"But you'll need more than this to slow me down."

Yet another swung a huge cleaver his way, but Dave seized the haft in flight and snapped it barehanded.

"That's a semi-God level?"

Metal shards rained down as fresh golems hemmed him in.

The dwarf observed from on high, red eyes slitting tighter. "These are but a fraction of my creations, boy. Let's see how long you can last!"

Dave chortled, booting one aside while eluding a strike. "You're starting to sound like the others I've faced. Don't tell me you're all talk."

The dwarf snarled, hoisting his hammer aloft. "You dare insult my craft? You dare underestimate me?"

The hammer crashed down mightily, unleashing a wave of searing force at Dave.

"You have an anger issue; the demonic clone would easily destroy you if he met you because of your emotion."

The surge vaporized golems in its wake, compelling Dave to vault skyward and evade.

"Whoa!" Dave yelped, alighting nimbly on a tree limb.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! Finally showing off some real power."

The dwarf bellowed, calling forth additional golems from the soil. These arms blazed fiercer, motions swifter and sharper.

Dave beamed, plunging back into combat. "You think a few more tin cans will make a difference?"

In the melee, the golems' Semi-God arms sparked against his knuckles, illuminating the night woods.

Outnumbered though they were, Dave dismantled them steadily with grace.

Still, he spotted the dwarf analyzing his patterns, biding for vulnerability.

"You're not just sending puppets for fun, are you?"

Dave quipped, parrying a blow. "You're stalling, trying to find a weakness."

A smirk hid under the dwarf's visor. "Clever boy. But it won't save you."

In a flash of velocity, the dwarf barreled at Dave, hammer aglow with fiery might.

The earth quaked per stride, leaving scant moment for Dave to sidestep the ruinous arc.

The hammer pulverized his prior spot, gouging a vast pit and rippling blasts across the woods.

Dave somersaulted back, sticking the landing with a laugh.

"Alright, I'll admit it. You hit harder than I expected. But if you think that's enough to bring me down, you're in for a surprise."

The clash raged on, woods resounding with metallic clashes and booming collisions.

Dave kept his jovial air, yet his piercing gaze tracked the dwarf's tactics and the golems' rune-etched arms.

"Interesting..." Dave whispered to himself.

"You're not just swinging blindly. Every attack has a purpose, and every move is calculated."

'This guy knows what he's doing.'

The dwarf, catching Dave's concentration, rumbled irritably.

"Stop mocking me and fight seriously, boy! Or are you too afraid to face me at full strength?"

Dave grinned, striding ahead. "Afraid? Nah. I just like to have fun before things get serious. But if you insist, I guess I'll stop holding back."

His palm lifted, chaotic radiance flickering about him. "Let's see if you and your toys can handle this."