In the bustling forge of the factory, where the blacksmiths toiled with sweat-soaked brows, the clanging of hammers and the hissing of molten metal filled the air.

The workers were engaged in their tasks, crafting various metal goods under the watchful eye of the Masterbuilder. But now, it was time to make an announcement.

With a loud whistle, the Masterbuilder called for the workers’ attention. They stopped their work and gathered around him, curious and expectant. After all, it wasn’t every day that Masterbuilder asked them to stop their work.

"Listen up, everyone!" he bellowed, his voice carrying over the noise of the forge. "I’ve got some news from the Mayor’s office."

A murmur of curiosity rippled through the crowd as the blacksmiths exchanged glances. The Mayor’s office was a distant world for commoners and any news from there was bound to be intriguing.

Not only that, they knew it was time for annual festivities, so the announcement could be related to that.

"Like every year, the Mayor has decided to extend an invitation to one of you," the Masterbuilder announced. "A single craftsman from this factory will have the honour of attending the Mayor’s Ball."

The room fell silent as curious eyes turned toward the master builder. He wore a rare, pleased expression that had not graced his face for a long time.

"The Mayor has requested a showcase of the finest craftsmanship this city has to offer," the master builder announced. "And he’s looking for someone to represent our factory."

The news was met with a mixture of excitement and disbelief. A chance to rub shoulders with the city’s elite was a dream for many, but such opportunities were only offered to some.

A wave of whispers erupted from the crowd. Everyone was excited to have a chance to visit the Mayor’s office. All of those who had been lucky enough to attend the ball had their lives changed.

The greatest example wa the current Mayor himself. After all, he had met the Mayor’s daughter during one of these functions, and they fell for each other.

As a result, a blacksmith, like them, became the city’s Mayor. However, their happiness didn’t last for long as the Masterbuilder continued.

"But here’s the catch," the master builder added, a sly grin on his face. "You only have five days to create something extraordinary. The Mayor expects to see a true masterpiece at the ball."

The mood shifted as the blacksmiths considered the tight deadline. Five days to craft something remarkable was a daunting challenge.

"And there’s one more thing," the master builder continued. "You’ll have to gather your own materials for this project."

A collective groan rose from the blacksmiths. Materials were not easy to come by in Heaven’s Refuge as Eclipse had a monopoly on everything, which made procuring materials for personal use a daunting task.

Only those who had enough money to bribe the Eclipse for some materials or those with connections would be able to participate in the competition.

It wasn’t fair, but in their city, nothing was fair to begin with. As such, Many looked discouraged, knowing that getting materials would be a significant obstacle to their chances.

Amid the disheartened crowd, Shinon’s face remained impassive. Luckily, he was prepared for such a situation.

His shadowy domain concealed a stockpile of materials and resources that no one else knew about. In addition, he had the support of Miro, who was determined to help him succeed for his father’s sake.

"Well, that’s it from me," Masterbuilder concluded, and the crowd dispersed as everyone returned to their work. "I hope many of you will participate in the competition and bring glory to our factory."

The energetic crowd from before looked like they had a meeting with a vampire. No one seemed excited like before, except a few people who were glad they got rid of the competition.

Moreover, they believed since Shinon was new to the city, there would be no way he would be able to participate in the competition despite being highly skilled at the craft.

After all, he would need both the money and the relationship needed to procure some materials, and since he had none, he was more or less out of the competition before it even began.

However, Shinon had a separate problem altogether. In a twist of fate, he was, once again, being forced to work for his potential enemies. First, it was the Phoenixes and now the Eclipse. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"I managed to fool the Phoenixes by crafting the weapons with a cursed blessing," Shinon mumbled to himself. "But that trick won’t fly with the Eclipse. If they realise what I did, it would make getting out of here challenging."

The Eclipse were more dangerous than anyone Shinon had met in their world. As such, he would be a fool to treat them as he treated the Phoenix.

"That’s all the more reason to not make a weapon for them. God knows how they’ll use it, and as much as I’ve grown to accept ridding souls, I can’t imagine getting innocent blood drenching my hands."

As he thought, Shinon could have crafted a weapon and won the competition easily. But he didn’t want to gift them something the Eclipse would use to cause more havoc and chaos.

But then Shinon was almost sure that he wouldn’t win the competition if he didn’t create something for the Eclipse.

As others took off to gather resources, Shinon sat on a cold anvil, wondering what he could make to ascertain his victory.

"I could do that!" Shinon’s eyes shined as an idea struck his brain.

Instead of creating one thing like the rest, Shinon would focus on creating a set of non-lethal traps. He will get the Eclipse’s attention without jeopardising the lives of innocent people.

Another challenge was using common materials because if he used materials like Lunarisite or Zombie’s acid, everyone would become suspicious of him, making things difficult for him.

"Thankfully, I know just what to make," Shinon mumbled confidently. "Five days... it should be sufficient for me to craft three pieces of the set."