The Forge of the Single Fire (6)
With a heavy creak and a resonant thud, the door shut, and a heavy silence pressed down on the space.
Gaon and Adelia followed the guardian deity deeper into the sanctuary, while the remaining observers stepped out of the trial.
"..."
"..."
"..."
The corridor of the Midtemple treasury.
Pokryong stared blankly into space.
Arwen leaned her back against the wall, lost in deep silence, while Heukgol scratched his skull with a conflicted expression.
The strike Gaon had unleashed still flickered before their eyes.
A single, pure white line.
An absolute trajectory containing only a beginning and an end.
A perfect strike that had cleaved even the world of transcendence.
Yes.
That overwhelming swordsmanship refused to fade from their minds.
"If a monster like that gets a new relic..."
Pokryong muttered to himself in a low voice, and the three of them quietly looked at one another.
At that moment, the exact same thought crossed all of their minds.
"...He really will become untouchable now."
Step, step.
Adelia and I walked silently behind the guardian deity.
With every step, the heat grew more intense.
The air grew heavy, and the metallic scent of iron dug deep into my lungs with every breath.
...It's boiling hot, seriously.
Beneath the stone bridge we were crossing, molten red iron flowed like a river.
Floating above that vast sea of liquid metal, the guardian deity began to explain.
This is the path leading to the Forge of the Single Fire.
"..."
It is the place where those who pass the trial may, once in their lifetime, directly audience the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths.
The guardian deity came to a halt.
Before we knew it, we had reached the end of the long stone bridge.
Amidst the molten iron sloshing on all sides, a massive tower revealed itself at the end of the bridge.
Crimson heat and steam billowed from its chimney.
The audience will be conducted individually.
The guardian deity looked at Adelia and pointed toward the tower's entrance.
You are first, Adelia von Goldheart.
"..."
Adelia glanced at me. A flicker of anxiety crossed her blue eyes.
But it was only momentary; that emotion quickly hardened into her usual resolute determination.
"I will be back, Sir Gaon."
"Go on."
I gave a brief nod, and Adelia stepped inside the tower without hesitation.
"..."
...
Silence lingered on the stone bridge where only the guardian deity and I remained.
Since it didn't seem like we would be exchanging pleasantries, I took this opportunity to recall the relic Adelia was about to receive.
A blade that harbors a pitch-black darkness reminiscent of the night sky, embedded with a single, faint point of starlight.
A single sword. Its blade, harboring a pitch-black darkness reminiscent of the night sky, was embedded with a single, faint point of starlight.
It was a relic that looked extraordinary from the very start.
But its true value... would only begin to reveal itself once Adelia held the sword and began to fight.
One attack. One defense. One mistake.
The moment she overcame all of those, when she understood and surpassed something—
Clang-clang-clang!
Her realization would manifest as a blade, rising behind her back.
At the same time, another point of starlight would be engraved upon the blade of the Meteor Sword.
...Telekinetic swords.
One blade at first. Then three, a moment later.
As the battle dragged on, the number of swords acting as her limbs would increase exponentially.
Ten, twenty, thirty... As the telekinetic swords multiplied, the constellation engraved on the blade would gradually reach completion.
"Child."
"Your sword is not complete from the start. It will grow as much as you learn, and its blades will multiply as much as you fight."
"And one day... the swords that reflect your realizations will cover the world."
"Like a meteor shower streaking across the night sky—quietly, yet brilliantly."
Yes. That was the Meteor Sword. A weapon forged solely for Adelia by time, memory, realization, and insight.
...It's an absurdly broken weapon.
Adelia's Meteor Sword was evaluated as one of the strongest relics.
Had I not mentioned it before?
In the future, Adelia would slay one of the Twelve Sword Masters and take their place, reborn as one of the strongest beings in the world.
In that fierce battle which lasted for a fortnight, the number of telekinetic swords floating behind her back reached a staggering one hundred.
The longer the battle dragged on, the more the situation tilted in Adelia's favor.
Her opponent would inevitably grow anxious, which would soon lead to mistakes.
...And Adelia was a relentless swordswoman who never let such mistakes slip by.
Clang! Clang!
"...?"
It was just as I was lost in these thoughts.
From afar, the sound of hammering heated metal began to echo in all directions.
Flames shot high out of the tower's chimney, only to quiet down again as if nothing had happened.
A quiet silence followed immediately after.
But I could tell.
At this very moment, the relic that would make Adelia one of the strongest beings in the world had been born.
Creak. The sound of the tower door opening broke the silence.
Adelia walked out hesitantly. In her hand, she held the Meteor Sword.
Unlike her usual confident self, she was examining the sword this way and that, looking somewhat awkward.
"Sir Gaon."
She looked at me and slightly raised the Meteor Sword.
"I received this weapon from the Great One."
"..."
"It is called the Meteor Sword. The Great One explained how to use it, but... to be honest, I still do not quite know how to handle it."
Adelia looked down at the sword with an awkward gaze. The starlight point embedded in the pitch-black blade glowed faintly.
"Do not worry too much. You will naturally realize how to use it."
"...Ah, yes."
Hearing my words, Adelia nodded.
Now it is your turn, Gaon.
The guardian deity said, pointing toward the entrance of the tower.
The Great One is waiting.
"..."
"..."
With a nod, Adelia gave a brief bow, wishing me luck.
I began to walk forward without hesitation.
Beyond the open door lay a circular staircase. A spiral path winding endlessly to the top of the tower.
Step, step. With every step up the stairs, the heat grew more intense.
And finally, when I reached the top floor—
"..."
A vast space opened up before me.
In the very center, a massive anvil floated in midair.
It was the Forge of the Single Fire, where the first breath of a relic is housed.
"It is our first time meeting in person, possessed child."
The voice echoing throughout the entire tower came in the very next moment.
Though no physical form was visible, I could recognize him instantly.
The Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths. The fact that he was here with me.
"I knew you would find your way here."
"..."
"However, I did not expect this meeting to happen so soon."
The Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths continued to speak.
"The darling of the Pantheon. A being blessed by the Great Ones. And... the irregular who will save this world."
He saw through my identity with terrifying accuracy.
"I witnessed the strike you unleashed just moments ago. It is always a marvel to behold. Truly fitting for the owner of a talent that surprised 'us.'"
"..."
"It was never a question of whether you could pass the trial. However... it was difficult to discern the 'affinity' that suits you."
The heat around the anvil rippled like waves.
"You are already strong enough. You have plenty of room to grow. Yet, considering the enemies you must face in the future, your current strength alone will not suffice."
Yes. Not a single word was wrong.
The enemies I would have to face in the future, and the various scenarios ahead.
I needed more power.
"So, I ask you."
The Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths looked straight at me.
Although no form was visible, I could feel his gaze.
"Child, what is it that you truly desire?"
"...?"
And at the unexpected proposal that followed, I couldn't help but be inwardly surprised.
...What is this?
Before crafting a custom relic, the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths usually gauges the user's essence through a series of questions.
I had planned to naturally steer the conversation in the direction I wanted during that process.
But...
I never expected him to ask for my input so directly.
"..."
Well, since things had turned out this way, I might as well lay it all out.
Having organized my thoughts, I opened my mouth.
"As for a weapon, the Feather Sword alone is enough."
Chuckle. The Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths laughed softly.
"Indeed. It is a tricky sword to handle, but it suits you perfectly."
"What I need is something to support it."
"...Support?"
The Forge of the Single Fire spun slightly faster. The heat rose in a swirling vortex.
"I want a scabbard imbued with a Silence spell. A scabbard that can silence even the most powerful ego."
"Hahaha!"
This time, a burst of laughter erupted.
It seemed he realized exactly why I had made such a request.
The entire tower began to vibrate in sync with the Lord's laughter.
"Is that all you want?"
"..."
Of course not.
I had to add a special authority to it as well. However, there were many restrictions on choosing that authority.
Weighing the various possibilities...
"Without betraying the laws of the heavens, without disrupting the order of causality, and without trespassing into the domain of the gods."
"..."
"There is only one way to obtain a sufficiently powerful authority."
"Oh?"
I declared in a firm voice.
"The Gallery of the Great Ones."
Freeze. In an instant, the air seemed to turn cold.
"I believe we can use someone's 'True Name' that recently echoed there."
"..."
Silence fell.
The Forge of the Single Fire stopped spinning. It felt as if time itself had frozen.
What I wanted was simple.
...A portion of the special sense 'he' possessed.
Engraving it onto the scabbard. Splitting a single authority into two.
It was the only way to obtain sufficiently powerful strength without directly violating the laws of the heavens.
"Hah."
Before long, the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths let out a dry laugh.
"So, you did not utter that being's 'True Name' for nothing that day?"
His voice carried genuine admiration.
Uttering a True Name. It was not merely the act of calling out a name.
It was an interference with the very essence of a being, and a resonance with their authority.
The moment I uttered that name, a faint connection was established between me and that existence in the Gallery of the Great Ones.
Different from complete domination or absorption... it was a sort of vibration, or resonance.
If I use that...
I can borrow a portion of that authority.
Of course, it wouldn't be the complete authority.
But I would be able to engrave a part of the special 'sense' that existence possessed onto my scabbard.
An imitation through resonance, rather than direct theft. Thus, it could bypass the laws of the heavens.
"You are truly meticulous, child."
"..."
"Indeed, the Pantheon's choice was not wrong."
Rumble! As soon as the Lord of Flame and Blacksmiths finished speaking, the Forge of the Single Fire began to vibrate violently.
"Very well. Since I know your intent, I shall begin the crafting."
Whoosh! Blue flames flared up atop the anvil.
Soon after, it began to take the shape of a scabbard.
Scritch, scratch. Blue-green characters were engraved upon its surface.
...The Silence spell.
And deeper within, a special 'something' began to permeate...
Clang! Clang! The sound of hammering echoed. Flames danced, and heat ran wild.
Yes. A one-of-a-kind relic was being born—not for me, but to be precise, for 'her' hanging at my waist.
Just wait a little longer, Feather Sword.
...Because your True Name Awakening is truly not far off.