William Carter was gasping for breath, laughing as he said, “Old man, what are you saying? It’s just a bit of hard work, that’s nothing to me!” He took a deep breath, and his gaze instantly became incomparably focused.

　　Once again, a small wisp of flame rose from his palm. Even though his body and mind were utterly exhausted, his willpower only grew stronger.

　　The old master craftsman nodded in satisfaction, looking at the meticulous William Carter, and secretly decided in his heart to give him an extra meal tonight—even if he had to lose face, he would make sure this kid ate the best food.

　　※※※

　　For three whole days, under the supervision of the old master craftsman, William Carter devoted himself entirely to practicing with the military equipment. At first, even though he was giving it his all, he still couldn’t truly control the equipment at will.

　　According to the old master craftsman, he had only scratched the surface, and was still worlds away from grasping the true essence.

　　However, after three days, although the old master craftsman still wore a stern face, the smile in his eyes could no longer be concealed.

　　“Kid, you’ve done very well.” The old master craftsman said with considerable satisfaction, “In just three days, you’ve managed to release the equipment at will and even trigger its maximum power in an instant. Hmm, very good.”

　　William Carter’s eyes sparkled as he said, “Old man, how do I compare to you?”

　　The old master craftsman’s expression froze for a moment, but then he sneered, “Hmph, you little brat, still wet behind the ears, and you dare compare yourself to me?”

　　Yet, though his words were harsh, the old master craftsman was actually extremely pleased.

　　Normally, it would take at least a month of practice for someone to successfully activate the equipment. If someone could master it in ten days or half a month, that would already be considered quite talented.

　　However, because William Carter possessed a talent for spiritual power, his starting point was much higher than ordinary people. Still, to be able to activate the equipment on the second day and even repair weapons—this was truly unprecedented.

　　“Old man—” Suddenly, a loud voice called from outside the door.

　　The old master craftsman said gruffly, “Who is it?”

　　“Old man, General Brooks has returned. He’s asking for you.”

　　“What’s the matter?” The old master craftsman frowned slightly and asked.

　　William Carter was secretly amazed. General Brooks’s real name was Ethan Brooks, and he was a deputy general in the army.

　　Although the position of deputy general wasn’t much in the whole empire, within this military camp, he was already one of the most prominent figures.

　　“Old man, this time General Brooks went out and seems to have found a top-quality ore…”

　　Before the voice finished, the old master craftsman’s eyes lit up. “Good, I understand. Go tell him I’ll be right there.”

　　He had worked as a blacksmith his whole life and truly loved the profession. The moment he heard about top-quality materials, he was immediately moved.

　　“Kid, it’s getting late. Let’s call it a day. Clean up and go rest.” With that, the old master craftsman left in a bit of a hurry.

　　William Carter shook his head with a wry smile, but this was not just the old man’s job—it was also his greatest passion, so of course he wouldn’t interfere.

　　After the old master craftsman left, William Carter calmed himself a bit and was about to continue practicing his equipment control when there was a gentle knock at the door.

　　William Carter was taken aback, but didn’t think much of it. He walked to the door and opened it.

　　However, when he saw who was standing outside, his expression changed dramatically.

　　Grace Bolton, that handsome, fair-faced young man, was looking at him with a cold sneer.

　　Countless thoughts flashed through William Carter’s mind in an instant. He opened his mouth, about to call out loudly, but Grace Bolton suddenly reached out and struck him.

　　Although William Carter tried his best to dodge, Grace Bolton’s palm was as fast as lightning, landing on his chest almost the moment it was thrown.

　　Pain shot through William Carter’s chest, a rush of heat surged up, and though his mouth was wide open, he couldn’t make a sound.

　　Grace Bolton had clearly planned this. He strode forward and chopped down on William Carter’s neck. William Carter collapsed with a thud, seemingly unconscious, completely unable to resist.

　　Having served in the army for years, Grace Bolton had developed a strong physique, far beyond what the not-yet-fully-grown William Carter could match.

　　Using a near-sneak attack, it was naturally an easy task.

　　After knocking William Carter out, Grace Bolton carefully glanced around.

　　By now, dusk was falling. Although the camp wasn’t completely silent, there were few people moving about in the equipment division.

　　Grace Bolton reached out and dragged William Carter up, quietly making his way through the equipment division. In just a short while, he had stealthily brought him into the abandoned equipment warehouse.

　　However, along the way, all of Grace Bolton’s attention was on avoiding others, so he didn’t notice that the supposedly unconscious William Carter had, without meaning to, flickered his eyelids—only to immediately return to normal.

　　Once inside the equipment warehouse, Grace Bolton glanced around. The place was completely deserted.