If it was merely coincidence, then there was nothing to it. But! If it wasn't a coincidence, it was terrifying! Dorata could only find the word ‘terrifying’ to describe the young man before him.

An Inscriber? An Inscriber this young was terrifying enough to keep one awake at night. Even the youngest Inscribers in the Inscribers’ Guild were in their thirties, yet this young man looked barely twenty!

To be an Inscriber was already shocking enough. But to be able to carve delicate inscriptions while wielding that Zanbato—a blade that looked better suited for cleaving elephants than chopping vegetables—during intense combat, even modifying the opponent's weapon runes amidst the slaughter... this could only be described as terrifying!

Even the most powerful Inscribers in the world might be able to carve on moving objects, but they certainly couldn't manage such precise work during a fight this fast. The way of Inscription was as vast as the stars; a lifetime would only allow one to glimpse a tiny fraction, leaving absolutely no time for the rigorous training of a warrior.

Twenty years old, and he was both a mighty warrior and an Inscriber? Impossible! Dorata shook his head vigorously to clear the shock. This was absolutely impossible!

Qian Jin retracted his Zanbato and raised a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. In that brief instant, he had spotted an opening to alter the runes on his opponent’s war hammer. He had risked several strikes under that extreme speed to make the modifications—barely completing them, which was why he could win so easily. However, the mental exhaustion was immense; these few strikes were far more tiring than taking on a whole group of opponents days ago!

"So," Qian Jin murmured, nodding unconsciously, "Master Aknash always insisted I practice rapid carving on moving stones. That was the ultimate goal, right here!"

Just three cuts, modifying the pathway of a simple Stun magic inscription, directly decided the outcome of the battle.

If he could carve a self-detonation rune onto an opponent's weapon during a fight... Qian Jin shivered at the thought. Runes... If one’s weapon was strong enough to allow carving on an opponent's weapon, then an Inscriber with actual combat ability truly was a terrifying existence!

"I... I lost..."

Dorata spoke the words of concession with bitterness, profound bitterness. Losing the Dwarf clan's unique technique, Godly Manifestation, wasn't inherently bitter; a technique suited only to Dwarves losing to another wasn't worth bitterness. But losing... losing to a mere ordinary warrior who hadn't even achieved the Golden Heart—that bitterness was profound enough to wake him from any dream.

The most bitter part wasn't the defeat itself, but the Battle Soul! It had been halted halfway through condensation, failing to fully mature into a true Battle Soul. And the catalyst for this potential Battle Soul—that immense lotus flower Battle Qi released by his young opponent—was what had given him the insight.

Dorata understood clearly that the Battle Soul he was condensing would have been a blooming lotus. Yet, this lotus stopped unfolding before it could fully blossom.

The opportunity was gone! Continuing the condensation now was impossible, unless he could learn that specific set of techniques! Dorata sighed deeply. That technique was effectively the key guiding him toward his Battle Soul, and he simply hadn't obtained the key.

"I won," Qian Jin said, taking Godly Manifestation—the combat technique—from Tejiaofei’s hand and tossing it into his Dimensional Realm. He then addressed Dorata, "I assume you're the leader of these bandits here? Do I still need to stay for the half-year training period?"

Dorata shook his head helplessly. That single strike had shattered all his confidence, and the Raging Lotus Technique left him with no desire to consider anything else.

"Fine then." Qian Jin nodded and turned toward the door. "I'm leaving. Look for me during the final assessment..." "Wait!," the dazed Dorata let out a roar that interrupted Qian Jin, drawing everyone's attention. What did this defeated Dwarf want now?

"I... I," Dorata’s chest hitched, his breathing becoming ragged. "I want to bet with you again!" "Bet?" Qian Jin lightly twitched his earlobe a few times, looking at Dorata with confusion. "What else do you have to bet with?"

Dorata's body trembled slightly, his rough skin immediately flushing deep red. That was right! He had already lost the Godly Manifestation technique; what else did he have to wager?

Not bet? Dorata couldn't accept it. Receiving Qian Jin’s questioning gaze only fueled his unwillingness. Being defeated, he felt Qian Jin's eyes were filled with contempt and disdain. A Dwarf’s pride simply couldn't endure such a look—it was the same look the True Strategy Dynasty and the Demon Race cast upon the Dwarves.

Even though the Dwarf clan’s overall forging skills were slightly superior to those of the Demon Race and the True Strategy Dynasty, and even though the Lucifer Dynasty and the True Strategy Dynasty purchased various equipment from the Dwarves, that look of dismissal always appeared, as if they were viewing lesser beings.

This reality had made the Dwarves deeply resentful. Even if others didn't openly look down on them, they sensed the scrutiny.

He would not be looked down upon! Dorata took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently. He couldn't care less about being accused of seeking an advantage through gambling. I will bet you on forging! Dorata thought nervously, staring at Qian Jin. Forging seemed to flow in the very veins of the Dwarves; every Dwarf could forge, though the skill levels varied.

It was different in the True Strategy Dynasty; a large portion of the populace knew nothing about forging. Warriors focused entirely on practicing Battle Skills and Battle Qi, or perhaps delving into strategy and tactics, never bothering with forging.

A bet like this, for a member of the True Strategy Dynasty, was fundamentally unfair! But Dorata couldn't worry about that now, nor could he worry about being mocked by Tejiaofei later. As long as he could obtain that bizarre combat technique, he should be able to condense his Battle Soul—everything would be worth it!

Forging? Qian Jin chuckled. He was no longer a rookie just entering this field. After witnessing the renowned Forgemasters of the True Strategy Dynasty one after another, he had a general idea of the standard skill level of blacksmiths. Even if Dwarves had an innate talent for forging, reaching a truly high level required extremely dedicated practice.

Dorata’s Battle Qi was nearly at the level of a Battle Soul; this level for a Dwarf was merely instinctual forging, highly unlikely to translate into any exceptional forging ability.

"If you lose..." Qian Jin rested his chin on his hand, appraising Dorata up and down with genuine curiosity. "What else do you have to lose?"

Dorata suspected his ears had betrayed him. He had expected scornful laughter from Qian Jin, but instead, he heard something that sounded like an agreement to the bet.

Damn it! The young man named Qian Jin’s words indeed carried the implication of acceptance! Dorata pinched his thigh hard; the sharp pain assured him this was no illusion.

What to lose? Dorata hadn't considered this problem. When he proposed this bet, he was certain he would win! Even if this young man’s weapon was stronger than his Battle Gear, he was still certain of victory.

To possess such formidable combat ability at this age, he must have endured incomparably brutal training since he first learned to walk. Therefore, that Zanbato with its ferocious blade in his hand clearly wasn't forged by himself; it must have been given to him by someone else!

"If you lose, what else can you lose to me?"

Qian Jin once again looked at Dorata, posing the question. If the bet was on forging, he wouldn't mind winning something more from this Dwarf.

Of course! If Dorata couldn't produce anything of value, Qian Jin wouldn't mind simply ignoring this Dwarf who was trying to cheat through a bet.

"Me, lose? How could I lose to you?" Dorata pointed a finger at his own nose. "How could I possibly lose to you? If I lose to you, whatever you say goes!"

Qian Jin sized Dorata up from head to toe. "What else do you have? What are you betting against me?"

"I bet your recent lotus-like Battle Skill." Dorata’s voice grew quieter; he was struggling to find a stake equal in value to that technique.

The Raging Lotus Technique might not hold great value for many.

But precisely! The Raging Lotus Technique held a value comparable to a Battle Gear when it came to condensing a Battle Soul! If an ordinary warrior wished to reach Sainthood, they would pay almost any price; the top-tier Golden Heart warriors held the same desire.

Consequently, the value of the Raging Lotus Technique couldn't merely be described as great; for Dorata, it was practically his second life. Compared to it, all his other chips seemed trivial and worthless.

"All you have left is yourself." The plain words carried immense impact. Dorata stared blankly at Qian Jin, momentarily speechless. Yet, giving up this chance—perhaps the only chance in his life—to condense a Battle Soul was something he couldn't bear to do.

"I..." Dorata felt his mouth fill with bitterness. His usually flexible tongue felt pinned down by a massive stone, making it difficult to utter a sound. "I'll wager... my freedom..."

"No need." Qian Jin smiled and gently shook his head. "The Dwarves are a proud race, but they are not known for their trustworthiness. Your true loyalty will always lie with your own clan. Historically, your promises..." Qian Jin trailed off with a soft chuckle. Dorata looked at Qian Jin curiously. Warriors of the True Strategy Dynasty studied the Demon Race more; they rarely paid much attention to the Hundred Races of the Barbarian Lands, only occasionally researching the Behemoth Bloodline Warriors. Few bothered to study Dwarf culture, yet Qian Jin had summarized the guiding philosophy of the Dwarves over the years in just a few sentences.

"You must hold some status among the Dwarves, correct?" Qian Jin observed Dorata quietly. It wasn't that he hadn't considered taking this Dwarf as a retainer, but countless events in the history of the True Strategy Dynasty proved that Dwarves could not be trusted.