Rise of the Living Forge

Betrayed by his guild and left for dead, Arwin must forge a new path. Ever since he was summoned as a child, all Arwin has known is war. And now, to claim the demon queen's life and end that war, he must sacrifice himself. But at the moment of the final blow, the Hero of Mankind is betrayed. Caught in a magical explosion, Arwin awakens a month later to find everyone has already moved on. His [Hero] class has changed to a unique blacksmith class called [The Living Forge], empowered by consuming magical items. Some old passive Titles remain, giving him the power to forge his new future exactly as he wants. Arwin isn't settling for anything less than surpassing the powers he wielded as the Hero. After all, you are what you eat — and Arwin's diet just became legendary.

Everything Arwin fought for was a lie. The war was fabricated by the Adventurer's Guild — but as powerful as he's become, he's nowhere near strong enough to take them on yet. For now, he's happy to build his strength and make connections, living the life he's always wanted. For the first time in history, the Hero of Lian and the Demon Queen stand together. Things are peaceful. Then the Iron Hounds strike, destroying Arwin's smithy in an explosion that kills an innocent child. They meant to silence an uppity crafter who refused their orders — but they've done something no one has ever done before. For the first time, the Hero of Lian and the Demon Queen will march to war on the same side, and they will not stop until everyone responsible is dead.

With the Iron Hounds defeated, the Menagerie's future is opening up. Their guild is making a name for itself, and Arwin has plans to push them onto the kingdom's stage. But a powerful guild doesn't fall silently. Players who moved in the shadows of Milten see the new power vacuum and begin to move — some seeking revenge, some power, some something else entirely. The Menagerie, as it tends to do, stands in their way. Bonds are tested, foes new and old arise, and Milten becomes the face of an ever-growing battleground. The Menagerie has drawn attention from all sorts of people — and some of them might be exactly what they need.

Twelve — Jessen's deadly assassin mentor — is right at the Menagerie's door and isn't happy about what happened to his apprentice. Their time to deal with him is running out, and he won't be nearly as easy to handle as any threat they've faced thus far. But the Menagerie's fame has spread beyond their enemies' ears alone, and Jessen isn't the only one at their doorstep. Everyone seems to want a piece of Milten. Arwin has had fame and power before, and neither holds any temptation — his only concern is his friends, and he'll do anything to protect them.

After taking down the assassin Twelve, Arwin and the Menagerie earn an invitation to the Proving Grounds — the most prestigious tournament in the kingdom. They're not just there to compete; they're there to prove that a crafting guild can stand toe-to-toe with the realm's elite adventuring parties. As Arwin delves deeper into the mysteries of his class, he unlocks the dangerous potential of Forbidden Soulmancy — a dark magic once used by liches, repurposed as a partnership with his materials to create equipment beyond anything the kingdom has seen. But the Proving Grounds have drawn old enemies, and the Menagerie is on a direct collision course with the Adventurer's Guild. To protect his friends, Arwin must attempt his most impossible project yet: forging armor capable of housing the Soul of the Infernal Armory itself.