Top Tier Perversion: Dual Cultivate Secretly

Elsewhere in Copper Town, the town’s largest forge had been cleared of everything unrelated to the monster crisis.

Tools and unfinished orders had been pushed against the walls. Railguards carried iron bars inside while smiths filled the furnaces with more coal.

At the center of the forge, one of the fountain snake’s scales rested inside a crucible.

The furnace had been burning at its highest safe temperature for almost half an hour, yet the scale had not melted, softened, or even changed color.

The dark metallic sheen beneath its inner surface continued moving like thin veins. Whatever had strengthened the creature remained active after death.

"M’lady, we can add more coal," the senior smith said. "But if we raise the heat further, the furnace may crack."

"There’s no need."

Leona removed the scale using a pair of long tongs and placed it upon the anvil.

A metallic ring passed through the forge.

The scale remained intact.

Leona picked up an ordinary iron bar almost as thick as her wrist and ran her fingers along its uneven surface.

The smiths watched silently.

Leona pressed her thumb against one side of the bar and placed two fingers against the other.

The iron creaked.

Its blunt end slowly narrowed beneath her fingers.

The senior smith froze. One younger smith stepped backwards until his shoulder touched the wall, while another lowered his hammer without realizing it.

Nobody exclaimed, making the silence worse.

They had heard stories of knights lifting loaded wagons, but never of one reshaping forged iron with bare fingers.

Leona continued until the end formed a rough point. Her expression remained unchanged while the smiths avoided looking directly at her hands afterward.

She pressed the sharpened end against the snake scale.

The iron bent.

The scale remained untouched.

Ordinary material remained ordinary regardless of how much strength was used to shape it.

Better ore produced better metal, and better metal produced stronger weapons.

However, Copper Town did not possess any Spirit Iron to equip an army.

What it possessed was ordinary iron stored for railways, warehouses, and construction.

Leona closed her eyes.

The sounds of the forge gradually faded from her awareness.

Her Soul stirred.

The Forge Path had never felt foreign to her. She had spent her entire life beside furnaces, anvils, and metal. Every choice had pushed her toward this moment long before she knew cultivation existed.

Meaning descended.

It did not rise from the furnace or emerge from the iron.

It came from somewhere far beyond the Heavenly Laws governing the world.

The flames stopped flickering and leaned toward Leona.

Soot drifting through the air slowed and settled around the anvil. The tools hanging along the walls produced faint metallic notes despite no one touching them.

The smiths noticed.

None dared to interrupt.

Leona’s Heart remained firm.

The meaning entering her Soul was vast, but her opened Veins carried its weight through her body.

Materials possessed limits, but a blacksmith decided how those limits would be used.

A weapon meant to survive a hundred battles had to preserve its strength.

But what if a weapon intended for one strike preserved nothing?

What if every weakness and impurity within the iron was forced into one purpose?

Leona opened her eyes and placed the bar upon the anvil.

The first strike landed near the base.

Clang.

A second sound followed from somewhere beyond the forge, like another hammer striking an anvil at an impossible distance.

Leona struck the middle.

The flames bent lower.

A thin line appeared inside the iron and moved toward the sharpened tip.

Leona struck a third time.

Every tool inside the forge fell silent.

She picked up the bar and pressed it against the snake scale.

The iron entered without resistance.

The sharpened end passed through the hardened surface and touched the anvil beneath.

A crack followed and the bar fractured from within, leaving its sharpened edge lodged inside the scale.

The senior smith stared at the hole before glancing at Leona’s fingers.

"M’lady..." he muttered in shock.

Leona picked up one of the broken pieces.

The iron had spent everything upon that single thrust. It could not survive a second attack, but it had completed its task.

One weapon. One purpose. One strike.

"Bring me the heaviest stamping die available," Leona said. "Clear the first two furnaces and heat every bar until it turns red. Do not melt them."

The smiths immediately began moving.

"The weapons will break after piercing the scales," Leona continued. "Tell the Railguards not to rely upon a second strike."

The senior smith nodded quickly.

"How many can we make?"

"As many as the iron allows."

Leona looked toward the stacks beside the wall.

They were nowhere near enough.

She turned to the Railguard near the entrance.

"Send word to the Lord."

The Railguard raised his pen and wrote down Leona’s instructions, leaving immediately.

...

The golden-eyed snake continued rising from beneath the street.

Soil fell from its body while its golden eyes moved across the Railguards below.

Several rifles were raised.

"Hold your fire!" the Railguard captain shouted.

No one pulled the trigger.

The captain pushed down the barrel of a young Railguard whose hands were trembling.

"Do not shoot something we cannot injure."

Vincent glanced at him.

’At least someone here has survival instincts.’

Anastasia stood half a step ahead of Vincent with one hand beneath her apron.

"Young master, it hasn’t looked toward the civilians."

Vincent followed the creature’s gaze.

The snake stared toward the southern road. Its gaze followed only those who stepped into its path.

’System, can I use Profile Appraisal on it?’

[The target has not developed sufficient affection, obsession, resentment, or inappropriate infatuation toward the host to form an Entanglement profile.]

Vincent stared at the snake.

’You could have stopped after saying no.’

[The system wished to reassure the host that the snake currently possesses no romantic interest in him.]

’Wow... what would I have done without you...’

[The system is happy to help!]

The snake lowered its head until Vincent saw his reflection upon its golden eye.

Anastasia shifted her foot.

Vincent caught her wrist before she could move farther in front of him.

"Wait."

"Young master—"

"If it wanted to attack, it would’ve done so already."

The snake’s tongue flickered outward.

Vincent tightened his grip but did not step back.

The creature moved its head past them, shattered an abandoned grain cart with its body, and continued toward the southern road.

Vincent released Anastasia.

"Clear its path. Remove every cart and barricade."

The captain raised his hand.

"You heard His Lordship! Clear the road and keep the civilians inside!"

The Railguards rushed ahead.

Anastasia watched the snake move.

"It’s behaving like the monsters outside."

Vincent nodded.

Predators and prey had moved together while escaping the Highlands.

The snakes were no different. The rat burrows had simply given them a path through Copper Town.

"We don’t need to kill every snake," Vincent said. "We only need to make sure the town isn’t their easiest way out."

The captain returned.

"What does Your Lordship have in mind?"

Vincent looked toward the distant railway yard where white steam rose beyond the rooftops.

"The trains run using steam, right?"

"Yes, Your Lordship."

"Do you have anything that can direct it elsewhere? Hoses used during repairs?"

The captain’s uncertainty disappeared.

"The depot has reinforced pressure lines and two maintenance engines with external release valves. We can bring them beside the grain district."

"Can you send the steam into the burrows?"

"Yes. We’ll connect the pressure lines to the drainage hoses and lower the release so they don’t rupture."

Vincent nodded.

"Do it."

The captain immediately turned and began issuing orders.

The Railguards scattered.

’These guys really do become different people the moment trains are mentioned.’

Anastasia crouched beside one of the smaller burrows.

"The steam may force them through other openings inside the town."

Vincent stiffened.

He had overlooked where they would emerge.

"The old rat reports mentioned drainage outlets beyond the eastern and southern walls," Anastasia continued. "Some should still connect to these burrows."

"Where are the reports?"

"The grain administration office and town archive."

Vincent called over two Railguards.

"Go with Anastasia and bring every map related to the burrows and drains."

"I can retrieve them alone, young master."

"You can read the maps while they carry everything."

Anastasia gave him a small bow and left with them.

By the time she returned, the maintenance engines were moving onto the freight branch. She spread a map across an overturned grain cart.

"Three outer drains were sealed and two collapsed. The eastern and southern outlets should remain open."

The captain studied the map and nodded.

"Keep those open," Vincent said. "Every burrow inside the walls gets steam or smoke. Every exit outside remains untouched."

"Make the town unbearable and leave them a better route," the captain said.

"Exactly."

The engines released steam.

A deep hiss passed beneath the streets.

The ground trembled.

Snakes began emerging from the warehouses and drainage holes. Most followed the cleared roads toward the outer drains.

A few attacked anything blocking them.

One serpent struck a Railguard’s shield while several bayonets scraped uselessly across its scales.

The plan was working, but redirecting the creatures would not solve every problem.

They still needed weapons capable of killing the ones that attacked.

A messenger came running from the forge.

"Your Lordship, Lady Leona has made an urgent request."

"Then give her what she wants."

The messenger hesitated and remained where he was.

Vincent frowned.

"What are you waiting for? I already gave her access to the town’s materials."

"She requested every available iron bar in Copper Town."

Vincent stared at him.

"So? Give it."

The messenger shook his head.

"M’lord, the quartermaster released the forge stock, but Lady Leona also requested the railway reserves, warehouse bars, private supplies, and every unused shipment at the station."

Vincent suddenly understood why he had stopped.

"That was too large an order for him to approve, yes?"

"Yes, Your Lordship. Taking the railway stock may delay maintenance."

Vincent glanced at the Railguards still struggling with the serpent.

"Do not remove anything from an active railway line, working engine, building, or anything holding up a roof."

The messenger nodded.

"Everything else?"

"Give her every bar, rod, broken weapon, and scrap of iron she asks for. Record the private stock and compensate the owners later."

Vincent looked at him.

"Whatever Leona needs, give it to her."

"At once, Your Lordship."

The messenger ran toward the forge.

Before he disappeared from the street, the first cart of iron had already turned in the same direction.

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