Chapter 163 Chapter 36.5 - The forge
TOK! TOK! TOK!
No matter where you are, if you ever want to get a specialized product for yourself, you will need to wait.
That is the basic procedure.
This is especially true when the thing you are getting is something that is not common.
"Sigh…It is taking a lot longer than I had expected."
That was the reason why I was waiting in this place, spending time looking for the crafts that were made or training.
'The Great Vorgvir, huh?'
The game [Legacy of Shadows: The Hunter's Destiny] contained quite a lot of twists. That was especially the case with this dungeon.
In the slightly later parts of the game, when Ethan was on the verge of finishing the academy and graduating, he would come to this place for a mission.
At that point, the internship and the field lessons would take a huge proportion of the student's curriculum, and the assignments would also start becoming more like real Hunters.
As one of the assignments, Ethan would come to this place to investigate a report.
In that report, it would be said the environment and the mountains observed a clear change, where there were parts of the ground erupted from time to time.
When the player came here, we would start an investigation, and soon, it would be discovered that a sealed dungeon underneath the mountains was leaking its mana.
It was a pretty normal thing since even if it is a legendary blacksmith, no product can function eternally.
And because the seal was not functioning, the dungeon would start affecting the outside world.
After that would come the dungeon exploration, fighting in the field of fire and eruptions. However, in the end, rather than finding a boss monster to fight, we would find a disturbed and regretful elder demon who had fled from his past.
The player would fight with the old man first since he was a demon. But then, we would lose the fight since the strength he held wasn't only limited to physicality.
But, there, Vorgvir's experienced eyes would notice Ethan's identity and the secret he held that even he himself didn't know.
From that point on, we would get our weapon…The weapon we would use to bring the world piece – Holy Weapon.
In any case, because of this, Vorgvir actually held quite a value in the game, and his position as a character was really important.
However, that doesn't matter much. For the weapon I would use, I knew only a handful of blacksmiths in this whole universe would satisfy the conditions, and the easiest one to approach was Vorgvir because I completed the game %100 and also finished the small side-quest related to him.
Since I knew the seal had already started malfunctioning, I looked for the changes related to mana around the mountain.
To predict the tsunami, we could look for the tremors underneath the sea, or to predict future weather; we can look for the positions of the clouds, etc.
The same applies to mana since, in a sense, it is also one of the fundamental pillars related to the environment.
This property was precisely what I had used to track the location of the dungeon. The mountain range is wide, and this place is quite a high level for a game. Therefore, it was nearly impossible for me to look for every nook and cranny to find the entrance.
And now I was here, waiting for my weapon to complete.
CLANK! FUSH!
From time to time, I could hear the sounds of the hammer clashing with metal and flames rising. The reason why Vorgvir is the legendary blacksmith is because he is the Ancient Demon of Fire.
The fire basically commands his will, and he has chosen to use it for forging.
FUSH!
'Was that the right thing to do?'
I asked myself. Remembering how the Mana Nucleus was created, I knew countless people died in anguish.
BOOM!
Looking at the fire continuously rising, a scene came into my eyes suddenly.
"Astron, look, look…Fireflies….They are beautiful, right?"
The scene of the past, a small place we made after mother and father passed away.
'At that time, I wanted to be like those fireflies….'
"Yeah, they are beautiful."
"What happened? Why are you looking like that?"
"I want to be like them."
"Like them?"
"Yes, like them. They can go wherever they want, unrestricted by anything."
"Freedom, huh? They might have wings, but we have our own kind of freedom, Astron. We can help others, making our world better…We can learn and dream."
"But they can fly."
"….."
"Imagine soaring through the sky, visiting places no one has ever been."
"True, they have the sky, but we have each other, and that's a unique kind of freedom. Besides, who knows, maybe one day we'll find our own wings."
"Can we really find our wings?"
"Why? Do you want to leave me alone and explore the world? This sister is hurt."
"You know, I will never leave you alone in this world."
"I know."
'At that time, you, who were illuminating my world, looked more pure than anything else under the moon.'
For some reason, thoughts and memories came crashing here.
'But, you couldn't find your wings at the end.'
CLENCH!
Clenching my fists, I looked at the small shiny mana particles around my hand.
'They were taken from you.'
And once again, with the memories that crashed back, I stood up and took out the training materials I brought with me.
'And, I swear, I will take them back.'
*******
Inside the forge, Vorgvir's hands, calloused from centuries of forging, gently traced the contours of the weapon.
It pulsed with a latent power, a reflection of the young man's vengeance and the blacksmith's commitment to his craft.
"Old friend," Vorgvir whispered to the hammer at his side, "we have birthed something unique today."
With a profound sigh, he placed the weapon on the cooling rack. The workshop, once ablaze with the fervor of creation, now settled into a reverent silence.
Vorgvir turned towards the door, his steps resonating with the weight of his centuries-long journey.
As he pushed the door open, immediately, a wave of air hit his head. The workshop was closed for a long time, and the refreshing air of the cave entered his lungs.
At first, he couldn't find any traces of the young man around.
"I thought he would be waiting for me here."
He mumbled.
"Hmm?"
His senses picked up a presence on the side.
PISH!
Turning his head to the side, he noticed a very unusual scene.
The young man stood right before the lava flow, his posture serene, as if in a deep meditative state. The scorching heat from the molten rock seemed to have no effect on him.
"Hmm, not the usual place for meditation," Vorgvir muttered to himself, intrigued by the peculiar sight. As he approached, he realized the young man's skin was continuously burning, yet he remained unperturbed as if drawing strength from the intense heat.
The pale skin was already showing signs of getting wounded, and the scene seemed disturbing.
"Kid, what in the realms are you doing?" Vorgvir asked, a mix of confusion and concern in his voice. The young man slowly opened his eyes.
"I am waiting for you."
The young man replied as he took a small potion from his spatial bracelet.
GULP!
And gulped.
In an instant, the wounds of scorching disappeared from his body as if it was trying to fight against the scorching heat.
The young man stood up, his movements fluid despite the ordeal he had just subjected himself to. The wounds that once marked his pale skin were now gone, the healing potion having worked its magic. He turned to face Vorgvir, his purple eyes steady and determined.
"The weapon is ready," Vorgvir stated, gauging the young man's reaction.
"Good." The young man's response was curt, his gaze fixed on the legendary blacksmith. "What's next?"
Vorgvir nodded, recognizing the impatience in the young man's demeanor. "The weapon needs to be tempered in the essence of the divine forge, and it needs to be connected to your very being. Follow me."
As they entered the workshop, Vorgvir carefully placed the weapon into the forge's flames. The air crackled with the mingling of magic and steel, and the weapon started to glow with an otherworldly radiance.
"Now, this is the final step," Vorgvir explained. "The divine essence will infuse the weapon, and it will become a true extension of your being. But be warned, this process will never be easy as the weapon contains Mana Nucleus. The forge god demands respect."
The final touch is yours," Vorgvir said, his eyes fixed on the young man. "To forge a true connection with the weapon, you must offer a part of yourself. Your blood will bind the divine essence to your very being."
The young man didn't even hesitate for a second. Without uttering a word, he drew a small blade from his belt and made a deliberate cut on his palm. Blood welled up, and he held his hand over the weapon.
"Let your essence flow into the weapon," Vorgvir instructed, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "Forge the connection that will make it an extension of your soul."
As the young man's blood dripped onto the weapon, the divine essence reacted, enveloping the crimson droplets in a mesmerizing dance of light. The cavern seemed to respond to the sacred act, the flames flickering with a newfound intensity.
"Now, prepare yourself," Vorgvir warned. "The infusion begins."
As the divine essence fused with the young man's blood and the weapon, an otherworldly symphony of screams erupted within the forge.
"You promised..." A voice filled with betrayal and despair whispered, seeking a pledge unfulfilled.
"Why did you abandon us?" Another voice, laden with bitterness, accused and lamented a forsaken companionship.
"Vengeance... endless vengeance..." A spectral murmur yearned for a purpose, a thirst for retribution that seemed unquenchable.
The chorus of souls became a tragic narrative, each voice a tale of unfulfilled promises, broken bonds, and insatiable yearning.
The words, saturated with pain and regret, painted a vivid tapestry of the lives once intertwined within the Mana Nucleus project, those who had a clear future ahead of them taken.
They were now seeking the life they had missed, becoming a being fed from souls.
The young man stood in the midst of this scene, accepting everything thrown at him.
"Grr..."
He clenched his fists.
The energy from the Mana Nucleus was slowly overwhelming him, and with each passing second, the voices of the anguish got louder and louder.
The energy emanating from the Mana Nucleus surged through the young man's veins like a torrential storm. His body convulsed involuntarily, wracked by the burning intensity of the divine infusion. The anguished voices of the trapped souls reverberated through the cavern, creating an oppressive symphony of suffering.
With gritted teeth, the young man endured the searing pain, feeling as though every fiber of his being was on the brink of unraveling. The air around him shimmered with the glow of the divine essence, casting shadows that danced in tandem with his silent struggle.
-PAT!
Blood dripped from his bitten lips, a testament to the silent endurance he imposed upon himself.
The forge god's infusion demanded not only a connection to the divine weapon but also a toll on the very essence of the one who sought its power.
Vorgvir observed with a stoic expression, recognizing the profound sacrifice the young man willingly embraced. The process was relentless, an unyielding trial that merged steel, magic, and the essence of countless lost souls.
"Why?"
"Why it was me?"
"What did you want from me?"
As the pain reached its zenith, the voices crescendoed into an almost unbearable cacophony, pushing the limits of the young man's endurance.
THUD!
However, even with his strong willpower, in the end, the young man was weak. His body could no longer handle the pressure bestowed.
With a silent thud, he fell to the ground.
"Arghk!"
His eyes became blurry as both him and Vorgvir could sense the connection holding him to life was weaking.
Just at that exact second, a small, ethereal mist emerged from the necklace around his neck.
The mist coalesced into the delicate silhouette of a girl; her features shrouded in a comforting aura.
"Brother, I am with you, I am with you, I am with you, I am with you."
The ethereal whispers reverberated through the cavern, a comforting mantra that seemed to permeate the very air.
"Gurghk-!"
The young man, still on the ground, listened to the words while groaning in pain.
In his eyes, the silhouette of the girl was the manifestation of the thing he regretted the most.
As the misty figure continued her reassurances, a gentle warmth emanated from her presence as she caressed the cheek of the young man.
"Remember," she whispered, "even in the darkest moments, you are not alone. The echoes are your strength, and I am your guide."
With those words, the misty figure began to dissipate, merging back into the small necklace she came from.
SHINE!
As the young man started shining under the cavern, the weapon, which didn't hold any form, slowly moved towards him.
And with one last movement, the weapon entered the young man's chest.
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