If it were in the past, Qian Jin would have simply turned and left, thinking he could just find another job. But after being repeatedly turned down in his job search today, he couldn't bear to let go of this rare opportunity.

"I'm different from them. Can you just let me try?"

As soon as the words left Qian Jin's mouth, the few apprentices in the front hall of the Franklin Blacksmith Shop, along with the large man standing before him, burst into loud laughter.

One apprentice, busy arranging swords and blades, chuckled, "Little warrior, this isn't the first time we've heard that. Nearly every student from Oakwood says the same thing when they arrive. In the end, without exception, they all prove to be exactly the same."

Qian Jin cursed inwardly, Damn it! What are the odds? What were those previous guys even doing?

"Francis, are you slacking off again in the front hall!"

A voice laced with anger emerged from the back room. It belonged to a human, short in stature but incredibly well-built, resembling a dwarf, carrying a sledgehammer that looked to weigh easily a hundred pounds. His two thick, golden-yellow eyebrows were arched high.

"Brother, I wasn't slacking," the large man, Francis, hopped back a step, shaking his head repeatedly as if genuinely afraid of the newcomer. He pointed the massive hammer at Qian Jin and quickly stammered, "It's this kid. He says he wants to apply for a job here. I was just telling him to leave..."

"You?" The newcomer, holding the hundred-pound hammer, swept Qian Jin with the same look of disbelief that Francis had worn. He waved his free left hand dismissively. "Kid, you're from the Oakwood Warrior and Magic Academy, right? Go focus on your warrior training. Don't come here causing trouble. Blacksmithing isn't something you can just pick up."

The same words, the same attitude. Qian Jin cursed all his predecessors who had applied here in the past. How could the Oakwood Warrior and Magic Academy have such a terrible reputation at a mere blacksmith shop, especially after being eliminated in every preliminary round of the Four Seas Heroes Meet? If this got out, it would be embarrassing enough for the Academy.

He glanced down at the Oakwood Warrior and Magic Academy uniform he was wearing and felt a pang of regret for wearing it out. Because of this uniform, which usually commanded respect, he was now being repeatedly looked down upon in this blacksmith shop.

Qian Jin darted another look at the massive hammer in the man's hand—a weapon whose sheer size indicated it weighed a hundred pounds—and felt a flicker of uncertainty.

Even though he had spent sixteen hours forging iron in that virtual game called 'Endless World,' inexplicably boosting his strength, it didn't mean that forging real iron was that simple.

"Why don't you just let me try?" Qian Jin shrugged. "Aren't you hiring? If you let me try, you won't lose anything."

"Boss, let him try."

"Yeah, let him give it a go."

Several of the young men handling sales in the front hall began to egg on the dwarf-like human. Qian Jin then realized this man was the owner of the shop, Franklin.

Franklin gave the egging youngsters a look of resignation. These people loved a spectacle, especially watching students from the Oakwood Warrior and Magic Academy make fools of themselves.

Franklin looked back at Qian Jin. He wasn't overly thick, but his build was certainly strong—at least for someone his age. His muscles appeared taut and elastic, not stiff. Based on outward physique alone, he possessed the basic potential for forging. However, blacksmithing required training, and the shop couldn't afford to hire someone who knew nothing.

"Fine," Franklin said, lifting the hundred-pound hammer and walking toward the back, his tone dripping with hopelessness. "You can try."

Francis, clutching his own hammer, followed Qian Jin closely into the back courtyard with an expression of eager anticipation to see him fail.

The back courtyard was entirely different from the front. The moment Qian Jin stepped onto the ground there, waves of intense heat washed over him. The chaotic clang of hammers rang out relentlessly, and dazzling sparks flew everywhere. Several burly men, stripped to the waist, sweated profusely, their perspiration soaking the lower halves of their clothing.

Occasionally, a blacksmith would pause his work, giving Qian Jin a curious look as he passed, before roaring in a gruff voice to Franklin leading the way, "Boss, why did you bring in a student from the Oakwood Warrior and Magic Academy? Is this today's entertainment?"

The rough shout instantly drew laughter from many. Franklin shook his large head helplessly. While he knew Oakwood students might be decent at fighting demons, they were useless at forging. But since the shop was truly short-staffed, he could only gamble on the slight chance of finding a worker who knew even a little bit about forging.

Qian Jin followed Franklin to a small furnace and stopped. Franklin looked up at Qian Jin with a worried expression, casually grabbed a piece of raw iron, tossed it into the fire, and said without much hope, "Give it a try. Be careful, the iron gets very hot when it glows red. Even with your Dou Jin protecting you, you can still get burned."

Hearing this, a wave of helpless frustration washed over Qian Jin. Does my face project an air of utter stupidity? That red-hot iron will burn—that’s common sense! Could it be that some senior student tried to show off his powerful Dou Jin here and actually burned his hand? That would be a massive embarrassment for the Academy!

The rising flames slowly turned the raw iron a brilliant red. Franklin noted the color of the iron and gestured toward several hammers resting in the corner against the wall. "Pick any one you like and start."

Qian Jin looked at the hammers by the wall. Even the heaviest among them seemed to weigh no more than thirty pounds. Although he had only used a forging hammer once in that 'Endless World,' he felt more accustomed to a heavy one, and they certainly looked more imposing.

Qian Jin remained standing in place. Several nearby blacksmiths mocked him with a hint of teasing, "Little warrior, can't you even lift those hammers? No worries, look to your right; there are some three-pound small hammers over there."

The teasing instantly drew laughter from blacksmiths standing further away. Nearly everyone stopped working to watch the 'splendid performance' of this Oakwood Academy warrior. They had seen spectacles like this many times before, yet they never tired of watching.

"Uh..." Qian Jin raised a hand to scratch the back of his head, mumbling, "These are all too light..."

The laughter in the back courtyard abruptly ceased.

More than a dozen blacksmiths froze, their expressions bizarre, as if they each had an egg stuffed in their mouths. The muscles around their cheeks and eyes twitched rapidly from stiffness, and then an explosive roar of laughter echoed through the entire blacksmith shop. Some bent over, clutching their stomachs from laughing so hard.