Imprisoned for a Trillion Years, I Was Worshipped by All Gods!

After the selection process concluded, Daniel prepared to return to his quarters. He had no interest in sticking around for the announcement of results—it didn't seem particularly meaningful to him.

Ed had already told Daniel where his accommodations were, so he simply needed to make his way there.

On the way, Daniel ran into a familiar figure: Dixon.

"Master Daniel, how did the selection go?" Dixon asked with a smile.

"A bit tiring. I just want to rest," Daniel replied plainly, making it clear that he wasn't in the mood for conversation.

But Dixon, either oblivious or willfully ignoring Daniel's tone, cheerfully offered to lead him.

"Master Daniel, you probably don't know where your room is yet, do you? Let me show you the way."

Without waiting for a response, Dixon walked ahead, leading Daniel down the path.

The room wasn't far; after only a few steps, they reached a doorway with an open door.

"This is your place, Master Daniel," Dixon said, gesturing with a welcoming smile. He entered first, almost as if he were the host, and invited Daniel in.

"Please, have a seat, Master Daniel. Rest for a bit."

Once Daniel sat down, Dixon leaned forward slightly and asked, "So, what do you think of the new apprentices? Any promising ones?"

"They seem alright. One or two show some potential," Daniel replied.

"Is that so?" Dixon said, nodding. "Well, do you fancy taking one under your wing? You're still young, Master Daniel, but it's never too early to think about passing on your legacy, is it?"

Daniel's expression hardened. Dixon's intentions couldn't have been more obvious.

"I don't have any legacy to pass on," Daniel replied coldly.

He had just arrived here, barely spent a day in the forge, and already Dixon was pushing for him to take on an apprentice? The man was certainly impatient.

"Don't misunderstand me, Master Daniel," Dixon said with a chuckle. "I just meant that since you're new to Greenstone City, it might be helpful to have a few people to look after your needs."

Daniel gave Dixon a sidelong glance.

"Fine," Daniel said after a pause. "Send a few apprentices my way, but I'm not promising to teach them anything."

"Of course! How about… ten apprentices?"

"Ten?" Daniel's expression immediately darkened, and a visible question mark seemed to hang in the air around him.

"Three," Daniel said firmly. "Just three. Or no deal."

"Done!" Dixon replied so quickly it was as if he feared Daniel might change his mind.

Daniel couldn't help but feel he'd been played.

Had Dixon intended to haggle all along? Did he deliberately name a high number, expecting Daniel to negotiate down?

Now that he thought about it, Dixon might have been overjoyed at getting even three apprentices approved.

Daniel sighed. He had underestimated the man. For all his gruff exterior, Dixon was a shrewd operator.

The next morning, Daniel stepped outside to find Ed waiting for him with two other young people.

Daniel immediately felt a sense of foreboding and asked, "Did Dixon send you three here?"

"Yes," Ed replied with an awkward smile. "Last night, he told us we'd be working under you. This is my junior apprentice, Betsy, and this is Allen, who just joined the forge yesterday."

Daniel glanced at Allen and recognized him—it was the young man he had monitored closely during the selection process. Allen had, of course, passed the exam.

But when Daniel looked at Betsy, he noticed a striking resemblance to Dixon. Suspicious, he asked, "What's your relationship with Dixon?"

"She's the master's daughter," Ed answered.

Good grief!

Daniel's face twisted into a mix of amusement and disbelief. He had half a mind to march straight to Dixon and confront him.

Dixon wasn't just sending his top apprentice—he'd thrown in his own daughter too! And as for Allen, the lad was likely assigned because Daniel had paid him extra attention during the selection process.

"Master Daniel, what do you think?" Ed asked hesitantly, clearly embarrassed by his teacher's antics.

"Alright, fine," Daniel said with a resigned sigh. "The three of you can stay here. If you have questions about forging, feel free to ask. After all, I can't stay here for free."

The three apprentices nodded eagerly, grateful for the opportunity.

Over the next few days, Daniel's life settled into a comfortable routine.

He spent most of his time reading, wandering around the forge, or relaxing. The apprentices rarely disturbed him, and Dixon seemed to pop up frequently for casual chats.

During this time, Daniel also gathered more information about the Artisan's Sanctuary.

It turned out that the forge did have a system of recommendation slots for the Artisan's Sanctuary. However, the Sanctuary's requirements were notoriously strict.

Beyond a high level of forging skill, candidates also needed exceptional magical aptitude.

This was because most of the Sanctuary's creations were magical items. Without innate magical talent, designing and crafting such items was nearly impossible.

Every year, representatives from the Artisan's Sanctuary visited the forge to scout for potential recruits. However, they hadn't arrived yet this year and likely wouldn't until the end of the year.

One morning, as Daniel was preparing to head out, he nearly collided with a frantic Ed.

"What's going on? Why are you in such a rush?" Daniel asked.

"Master Daniel, you need to come quickly! The Artisan's Sanctuary representatives have arrived, and Master Dixon is recommending you to join. But… it's not going well," Ed explained hurriedly.

"Lead the way," Daniel said, his interest piqued.

At the back of the forge, in a private room…

"Rest assured, Master Dixon," one of the Sanctuary representatives said. "We have the utmost respect for your judgment. However, it's difficult to believe that a Tier-Silver rank blacksmith could meet our standards. The work we do at the Artisan's Sanctuary requires skills far beyond what someone at that level could handle."

"Master Daniel is still young, with limitless potential ahead of him!" Dixon argued passionately, his voice rising.

But the representative remained unconvinced, his expression cold. Dixon's words had no effect on him.
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"Young? Do you think he's younger than me?"

The voice came from a young man dressed in luxurious robes, who had been standing quietly until now.

"This Greenstone City is nothing more than a backwater," he sneered. "Your narrow vision blinds you to what true genius looks like."

The young man's mocking tone filled the room.

"A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well!" he scoffed, drawing furious glares from everyone present.