Adam waited for the right moment, and it came soon.
A week after his last talk with Adam, Ferroalloy returned to York and headed straight for Adam's workshop.
Outside the workshop, more than ten new Titans were hesitating. They were unsure if they should get their gears grafted. Even though they could pay later, this might delay their advancing progress and make them less useful.
Ferroalloy caught everyone's attention with his unusual appearance. Most of his body was shiny and unscarred, but his chest and stomach were covered in corrosion marks. His head was full of cracks from Metal Eaters' bites. What caught others' eyes even more were the various alloys he held in his arms.
"Is that Ferroalloy? Did he really go to the front lines?"
"The things he's brought back must be Metal Eater spoils."
"I saw him leave for the front lines, but I didn't think he'd make it."
"I thought the same. It's rare for a new Titan to fight on the front lines."
"Is that a full set of Mithril 99 Graft Parts? They look unscathed."
"Should we get upgraded too?"
"What if it's useless? How much time do you have left?"
Despite the chatter, Ferroalloy didn't care. He rushed in, placed his metals down, and excitedly told Adam, "Mithril 99, you're amazing! Ordinary Metal Eaters can't even scratch this armor. Windflame 222 said I could become a Warlord someday!"
Adam had expected this. He had arranged with Windflame 222 to keep Ferroalloy away from high-level Metal Eaters.
"Any malfunctions during the fight?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Not at all! The gears seem to merge with my body, getting better the more I use them." Ferroalloy clenched his fist, and a burst of air spread out, showing his increased strength.
Seeing the other new Titans getting eager, Adam knew just a little push would open up the situation completely. While he was thinking of what to say, a Titan stepped forward and challenged Ferroalloy, "Let's fight! Show me the power of your gears!"
Titans rarely sparred among themselves. Their metal bodies meant that equals rarely hurt each other, and city fights could lead to fines due to the damage. Infighting was also forbidden on the battlefield. Thus, Adam had never seen two Titans fight before.
Ferroalloy looked at Adam, unsure if he should accept the challenge.
Adam nodded at him, "Go ahead."
Adam wasn't particularly interested in the fight. After setting up a defensive field, he went back inside. Sitting across from Qi 31, who was smiling, he said, "Not watching? If that kid loses, your workshop's reputation might take a hit."
"He won't lose. He's stronger than all the new Titans here combined."
The challenging Titan was just an ordinary newcomer. Although he might advance to Knight level within a year, Adam was confident Ferroalloy would win now.
"How about a bet?" Qi 31 suggested, knowing exactly what Adam was thinking.
"What's the wager?" Adam asked.
Qi 31 pointed outside, "If Ferroalloy wins, I'll promote your gears, ensuring plenty of high-level Titans come for upgrades. But if he loses, you join my academy as my assistant until you become a Warlord."
Qi 31 was persistent in recruiting Adam, especially after seeing his unique abilities and smelting techniques. He believed Adam's assistance would greatly benefit his research on Qi alloys.
Adam felt Qi 31 genuinely wanted to help. With Qi 31's credibility in York, he could easily open up the market for Adam. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.
"Deal," Adam agreed.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Their conversation was overheard by everyone outside. Nobody liked being underestimated, and the looks they gave Ferroalloy turned unfriendly.
Ferroalloy panicked. He wasn't afraid of one-on-one, but now he was facing thirteen Titans, each as imposing as the next. His confidence waned, and he turned to Adam, "Mithril 99, I..."
"Trust me, you'll win. If not yourself, then trust in my gears," Adam reassured him.
Ferroalloy, simple yet not foolish, knew the importance of this fight. He didn't want to let down Mithril 99, who had always supported him.
After thumping his chest, he bravely declared, "All of you, come at me!" Despite his bravado, his confidence was shaky.
The scene turned chaotic with the sounds of metal clashing. Fights between the newborns were purely physical brawls. Put aside their massive sizes, the fight was less spectacular than a typical wild beast hunt.
Adam wasn't really interested in watching the fight; he was busy adding ingredients to a batch of liquid metal. He was working on his latest product, the Vital Generator's flexible shield.
Qi 31, on the other hand, was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, occasionally commenting on the fight. Seeing Adam's indifferent attitude, he teased, "You're that confident in him?"
Boom!
The liquid metal exploded due to conflicting internal structures, but the fragments were contained by a magnetic field. Adam gathered them up, squished them into a ball, and tossed it aside, calmly saying, "It's not so much confidence in him as it is in myself and the products I create."
Several loud noises came from outside as Ferroalloy knocked down six new Titans without showing any signs of defeat.
Qi 31, realizing he had lost the bet, laughed wryly, "You're unique. I've never seen a Titan quite like you. No wonder Iron 27 said you were a natural Intelligent."
Adam wasn't sure how to respond, but Qi 31 didn't seem to mind. He got up, dusted himself off, and said, "I lost this time. I'll introduce you to my Titans. Whether you can satisfy them is up to you."
After Qi 31 left, an unscathed Ferroalloy, his core fluctuating wildly with excitement, burst in and exclaimed, "Mithril 99, I won!"
