Child of Destiny



...

Shin was completely caught off guard by the words that Berlin had said. He was not sure how to react, especially with some conflict from the words that the old dwarf had said.

Unfortunately, he did not have any time to dwell on it since the grandcraftsman, who was already at the Saint Rank of Blacksmithing, was already starting to work.

With that, he could only focus his gaze and used his 'True Sight' Skill to make sure that he would not be missing anything. At the same time, he also remembered one of the Legacy Skills that he had long forgotten – the 'Duplicator's Eyes'.

He activated one of the effects of the Legacy Skill, which was especially used when he was 'learning'.

Under his gaze, he watched and observed every movement that the old dwarf was making. He particularly focused on the breathing that the dwarf was using the entire time. But what he could see, it was a special breathing technique that the dwarves used.

From what he could tell, this must be the technique that Berlin wanted him to learn the most. The old dwarf must have sensed that Shin had a high affinity when it came to fire elements, especially how he was able to withstand the heat inside this place.

Hence, Berlin wanted him to learn this technique too to have much better control over Fire Element.

Unknown to Shin, he started to subconsciously imitate the breathing technique of the old dwarf with the help of the 'Duplicator's Eyes'. He even copied the circulation of the energy within the dwarf's body without him knowing.

He was too focused to notice those changes.

On the other hand, Berlin, who was supposedly busy with his work, was able to notice the sudden change within Shin's body as well as the air surrounding him.

"Not bad," he muttered with a satisfied smile before continuing with his work.

At the same time, he also started explaining without caring whether Shin was able to hear him or not. In a sense, he seemed to be talking to himself while doing his job.

"This blade is originally forged from two metals with different properties to complement the elements of its first wielder, which were the Powers of the Brilliant Sun and Abyssal Moon."

"To reawaken those properties and return it to his former self, we need materials with the same properties and their purity must be on the same level too. This is why I ask you to get these high-quality materials," he added as he pointed at the materials laid on one of the forging tables while waiting for the blade of the [Yamato] to be fully melted.

On that table, the materials of the best quality could be seen. The Fruit of Nirvana and Sunfire Fragments which contained a lot of fire elemental energy, and the Lunar Essence and Moonfrost Shards that were reached in ice elemental energy were releasing a pulsing beat with their mana.

"With the best materials, it is hard to reforge such an item. Melting its blade alone is going to take a very long time. This is the reason why I have chosen this place as my main forging ground."

While saying that, the old dwarf took the Earthen Charcoals from the table and threw them at the blazing furnace, making the heat that it had to further increase and intensify.

Bullets of sweat flew down from his forehead as he patiently waited for the blade to melt down properly.

The temperature within the furnace continued to soar as Berlin continued to put more Earthen Charcoals in it. He had yet to use the special ones that Shin had secured, so the dwarven blacksmith was relatively relaxed while waiting.

When the blade was finally melted into a perfectly liquified state, Berlin finally continued his lecture. "Fusing materials with different properties was very difficult, much less the ones with opposing properties, so finding a metal that could perfectly contain those opposing elements and keep them under control is very important."

He then took the Ancient Void Metals laid on the table before continuing. "These metals have special properties that can keep the balance between the opposing powers of Ice and Fire. It will form a perfect vessel that can contain both powers from the Brilliant Sun and Abyssal Moon together with the other two metals that we have here."

He then turned to Shin and pointed at the Sunfire Fragment and Moonfrost Shard laid on the table. "Infuse your mana on these metals. It is to familiarize themselves with you and be able to recognize you as their sole owner once the sword is completed."

Shin nodded his head subconsciously before infusing the mana that he had within him toward the two special metals. This time, he did not use the breathing techniques from his Mentalism but instead changed it with the ones that he usually used for his Martial Arts, the Yin-Yang Breathing Technique.

He even entered the state of Reality Manifestation to make sure that he was using the technique properly. He used powers of the 'Brilliant Sun' and 'Abyssal Moon' within him to imitate the 'Sacred Qi' and 'Demonic Qi' that he had from the real world through the Yin-Yang Breathing Technique.

Berlin could not help but become amazed at what he was seeing. He then remembered something and asked Shin. "Do you have any other weapons that you want me to fuse with these?"

"I remember hearing from an old friend that you also have a pair of sabers with similar opposing properties."

This time, Shin was somewhat stunned when he heard those words. He did not know which old friend Berlin was talking about, but from his confident tone, it was clear that that person knew Shin very well.

Shin hesitated for a moment since the [Dusk Blade] and [Dawn Blade] were part of the set. It was a complete ten-piece equipment set. He would lose the final set bonus if he took away those two from the set.

Seemingly able to read what Shin was thinking, the grandcraftsman said with a very confident tone. "Don't worry, I will make sure that you will still have the perfect set effects of your equipment even though those sabers fused with your katana."

Hearing that, Shin did not hesitate any longer and quickly to out the [Dusk and Dawn Blades] and sent them flying toward the old dwarf through 'Telekinesis'. After all, his hands were still tied to the two metals in front of him as he infused his mana in them.

In front of the furnace, Berlin smiled mysteriously as he caught the pair of sabers before quickly dismantling them and throwing them in the furnace. And since the materials of these two were much weaker compared to the [Yamato], they quickly melted and became part of the liquified metal within the furnace.

"That is enough."

Shin heard the voice of the old dwarf while he was shoving his mana at the two metals. He then nodded his head and complied.

"Judging how much energy imbued in these metals, I can see how much you have grown. You are a completely different person than we first met," commented Berlin gently as he could see with his naked eyes the mana containing the two metals.

This time, Berlin picked up one of the special Earthen Charcoals and threw it at the furnace, where a thick haze was already shimmering.

Bang!

The heat from the furnace quickly soared to greater heights, making it difficult to breathe. And when Shin witnessed that, he quickly shifted his breathing technique once again and copied the one that Berlin was using.

This time, he was completely conscious when switching the breathing technique. He was pretty much surprised when he realized how familiar he had become with this breathing technique despite him only learning it just now.

Berlin continued to throw the special Earthen Charcoals at the furnace with a timely gap in between. When the temperature reached his desired limit, he finally took a few lumps of Ancient Void Metal before throwing them at the furnace.

When they melted and perfectly fused with the liquified metal within it, he then took the Sunfire Fragment and threw it in the mix.

Bang!

The tremendous heat raged and started to melt the metal within seconds.

Spark! Spark!

Fire embers came out from the gap in the furnace as Berlin waited for a few moments. Then took out the half-melted Sunfire Fragment before inserting the Moonfrost Shard.

Crackle!

A mixture of crackling and hissing sounds could be heard as the cold metal was being melted within the furnace. It even created a dense steam in the process.

After waiting for a moment, he also took the Moonfrost Shard out of the furnace when it was half-melted.

He then waited for a few minutes before throwing the two metals at the same time. He waited for a few more minutes until he finally took the other materials laid on the table.

The Fruit of Nirvana and Lunar Essence were the first to enter the furnace, making the elemental properties of the two metals that were previously thrown in it soar and stabilize.

Then they were followed by Hearts of Abyss and Lava Cores one after another, further increasing the resonance between the ice and fire elemental mana.

Then finally, it was time for the crushed Meteorites to be poured inside.

From Shin's perspective, it seemed like Berlin was more like cooking something rather than forging a weapon.

Little did he know that this was just the start.

A moment later, he saw Berlin take out the metal pot from the furnace containing all the materials that were poured in and melted down.

He then poured it into a molder in a slow and steady manner.

Shin squinted his eyes as he saw something strange from that particular molder. Contrary to the very high temperature within the underground workshop, this molder was releasing an intense coldest. It only took a couple of seconds before the heat of the liquified metal sharply dropped while its form slowly solidified.

Shin had yet to adjust himself when Berlin took the metal out of the molder before its heat completely died down. Then he found the old dwarf throwing it again at the furnace before pouring the rest of the special Earthen Charcoals inside.

When the lump of metal slowly lost its shape once again after getting burned for a long time, Berlin took it out once again before finally placing it on top of the anvil.

Then Shin felt that the gravity within a certain radius around Berlin seemed to have increased.

He watched the burning lump of metal locked in place on top of that anvil as Berlin took out a pair of hammers before striking down with them.

Swoosh!

Bang!

Berlin's hammering had begun.

"Gulp," Shin swallowed as he watched.

His ears seemed to have become deaf yet also not at the same time. The booming sound that resonated with the entire workshop seemed to have shaken his soul.

Clang!

Then the second strike came!

Shin felt that his entire body trembled. That strike just now made his hair stand on end!

Clang! Clang!

The precise hammering was neither strong nor weak. It was not even slow or fast. It seemed to have a natural rhythm that could not be broken. It looked the same as the natural breathing of people from the moment they were born.

Clang! Clang!

The sound remained constant.

Then Shin felt that he seemed to have been brought into an illusion where he could see the path that Berlin was taking.

He saw from the hammering of this blacksmith, who reached the heights that only a few people could achieve, a path that only a true blacksmith could take.

Clang! Clang!

Each strike seemed to be telling him a story of a young blacksmith who reached the peak by just swinging his hammer endlessly.

This story reverberated throughout the heat-filled workshop with the mouth of a volcano.

Shin felt that something was changing within him as he watched Berlin continue to hammer the burning metal.

Clang!

Each strike of the hammers contained a breath of life.

Clang!

Each time they struck down, the metal was being purified. It was constantly cleansing the impurities that it contained.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Each strike contained an unshakable determination and iron will.

Rumble!

Then a sudden enlightenment struck Shin as he continued to watch the old dwarf. Then his breathing shifted once again.

The breathing technique of the Celestial Vermillion Bird Method resonated with the Jade Kirin Scripture, seemingly fusing with one another.

Shin could clearly remember this feeling. It was the same when he first used the Jade Kirin Scripture when using his sword-drawing arts within the game. It naturally transformed the energy within him into the energy that he needed most during that time, which was the wind element.

But this time, it was into fire element.

It also did not stop there as they even resonated with the other breathing technique that Shin just learned – the one that he copied from Grandcraftsman Berlin.

Swoosh!

The energy within him circulated while following this unique breathing pattern. It even resonated with the hammering of the old dwarf as time went by.

Shin started to enter a unique trance that he never had felt before yet was also somewhat familiar.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The flow of mana within his body moved according to the hammering sound of Berlin, which felt like striking his soul instead of the metal on the anvil.

In this state, Shin felt that his entire body was being purified by the flame within him. It was as if he was really the one being forged rather than his sword.

He felt that his muscles and bones were becoming more and more mature. Then they become even more sturdier alongside the constantly growing mana within him.

Clang!

The hammering sound started to become even stronger as Berlin also became lost in his own world.

In his own immersion, he struck the metal endlessly with his hammer. His eyes were burning with intense spiritual blaze.

Clang! Clang!

He kept on hammering with his mind and soul. And as he did this, the metals, and other materials that he mixed earlier started to mingle with each other as if they were originally a single entity from the very beginning.

The metal started to take shape and become molded as the time went by. The blade radiating with a frightening black and white light started to make its appearance.

...