Chapter 25: Trouble, Trouble (Part 1)

"How long…"

Julian stood by the forge, not in his usual spot, but on the other side of the anvil.

"How long has it been?" For a moment, he was back in his childhood, standing next to his father. The smell of burning coals and molten metal filled his nose, the heat of the forge licking at his skin. He didn't know anything back then, but he learned in time what everything meant.

He remembered the rhythm of his father's hammer, the steady beat of metal shaping metal, the way he used to listen, completely captivated by the process… the burns in his hands when he makes a mistake…

…and the screams of her mother as she beat his father half to death for even bringing Julian to the forge.

His father had taught him everything he knew about blacksmithing, even when Julian couldn't even see. Telling him to listen… to listen to the voice of the metal. This is the reason why he loved blacksmithing so much—because in a way, it allowed him to see.

All of his senses, working to create an image in his mind that he would have otherwise truly never seen.

"Ha…" His grip on the hammer tightened, his heart pounding as a surge of emotions washed over him.

"...I haven't done this since... since then," he whispered to himself. His vision blurred slightly, and he blinked it away, focusing on the anvil in front of him.

"Yo, pretty boy…" Juliet's voice broke through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present, "You… alright?"

"Yes…" Julian turned to look at her, only to see her slightly backing away from the anvil.

"...You look like you're about to cry again," Juliet squinted her eyes, now slightly hesitating and thinking whether or not she made the right decision. What if… Julian's actually just some sort of crazy person?"

"I'm fine. Sorry…" Julian quickly wiped his face, shaking his head slightly as he forced a smile. "I just... It's been a while since I've been an assistant."

"...And you're crying because of that?" Juliet stared at him for a moment longer, her brow furrowed, but she didn't press further. Perhaps... Julian truly was just a little... special? She would ask, but she only just met him and it wouldn't really be right.

But alas, Juliet could not help herself.

"Sorry to ask this out of nowhere, pretty boy..." Juliet narrowed her eyes, "...But are you right in the head?"

"No, I'm not." And surprisingly, Julian answered without any hesitation.

"Well… Alright, then," Juliet let out a small chuckle; shrugging as she placed the hot metal blank on the anvil. "Let's get started."

"Okay," Julian let out a humming breath.

"Okay, strike the—"

PANG!

And before Juliet could finish her words, the hammer struck the metal, and she saw all of Julian's emotions seemingly vanish at the first spark. His expression shifted from one of nostalgia to one of calm… and strict concentration.

Is this even the same person who looked like he was about to cry just moments ago?

The rhythmic clanging of metal against metal echoed through their tent, and Juliet quickly realized just how… focused he truly was. Every strike was precise, deliberate, the sound sharp and clear as the shape of the blade began to emerge.

"This is… crazy." Juliet worked alongside him, but her pace soon slowed as she watched in awe. She had seen skilled blacksmiths before a lot of them, but Julian… Just from the first strike alone, she knew Julian was different.

And all of a sudden, Juliet found herself a bystander—she was supposed to be leading this crafting process… so why does it feel like she ended up just being the assistant instead? No, worse than that—her only role now was holding the blank ingot.

But still, Juliet did not mind at all. Each strike was perfect, timed to perfection, and the metal responded to him like it had no choice but to obey.

"How… did you even learn something like this?" Juliet muttered, almost to herself as she glanced at Julian's

And Julian didn't respond at all.

"By the gods…" Juliet's amazement slowly turned into something else—something closer to fear. She had been in this business long enough to recognize talent, but Julian's skill… went beyond that.

His strikes were flawless, unrelenting in their precision. The speed at which they were crafting the weapon was unnatural. It didn't take long for the blade to take shape, far quicker than Juliet had ever experienced before.

"T…this… Julian, this is…" Her heart raced as she grabbed the finished sword, "G…[Guidance!]"

And as soon as she saw its stats, she froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.

[Item: Unnamed Ordinary Sword]

Type: One-handed Sword

Grade: Epic

Durability: 200/200

Sharpness: 100

Weight: 2.5

Special Effects:

Heat Resistance: Negates heat-based damage for the wielder by 15%.

Armor Penetration: Increases damage against armored foes by 20%.

Skills:

Molten Edge: The blade heats up, allowing it to sear through armor and flesh, leaving a burning wound that continues to deal damage over time.

Description:

The first blade forged together by Julian and his assistant, Juliet. A blade forged with unmatched precision and fire in its core. Its molten power grants it the ability to cut through the toughest armors, with heat lingering in its strikes to burn anything it touches. Its edge remains hot, making each slash more devastating than the last. Crafted to endure, this blade stands as a testament to both the skill and the passion behind its creation.

[End of Description]

"W…what?" Her hands shook slightly as she stared at the words glowing in front of her. How had they done that so quickly? It usually takes hours, an entire day even, to produce a weapon of this quality. But they had done it in mere minutes.

"Julian," she breathed, "My skill… My [Fire Enhancement] skill actually activated!? It... this is only the second time it has activated in my entire life! And… and…!!!"

Julian didn't seem to hear her. He was still standing at the anvil, hammer in hand, waiting for the next blank.

"We… just made an [Epic] grade weapon. This… this is insane. How did—" Juliet's voice trembled slightly as she spoke, but Julian remained as calm as ever, his focus unbroken. But soon, his eyes turned toward the sword that Juliet was holding.

"Oh... look at it," Julian then suddenly approached Juliet... and perhaps too close. Juliet wanted to move back, but there wasn't really so much space inside her outdoor forge, "Look... at our baby."

"Uh... huh?" Juliet quickly looked around as someone might misunderstand what was happening right now. But fortunately for her, the other blacksmiths were also completely focused on their own craft, "Uhm... right... maybe I should... uh... put this aside for now?"

"Hm... Next?" Julian then asked quietly, a small smile persisting on his face.

"N…next? What do you mean… next? We just… crafted an [Epic] weapon?" Juliet hesitated, her heart pounding. She should have been excited. She should have been elated. But instead, she was terrified. No one crafted like this. No one could create something so perfect so quickly… and yet he just wants to craft again without even celebrating it?

What kind of blacksmith was he?

"You... want to make more?"

"More babies, yes."

"...Please don't call them babies anymore."

And so, they continued working, but Juliet's hands shook as they crafted one weapon after another. Not once did Julian miss a strike, not once did his focus waver. But of course, they could not replicate the [Epic] grade weapon they made anymore.

By normal standards, [Epic] grade weapons are the highest one could craft throughout their entire life—but it is also because there were no longer any weapon grades between [Epic] and [Legendary].

Not all [Epic] grade weapons are equal. But still, it was a testament of a blacksmith's skill. And the fact that they created one on their first try means... something special was happening here.

And by the time they had finished their third sword, Juliet's awe had turned into outright fear.

Was Julian… actually a master? No… masters couldn't even work this fast if they tried.

"Julian…

…just what are you?"

And so, with that, Julian continued to hammer away.

***

"Sword Junkie!"

Amidst the crowd of people who wandered around the smithy stalls, a single voice broke through the usual clamor.

The words were shouted loudly, catching the attention of everyone nearby, including Juliet. She quickly turned to see what the noise was about, only to see a man pushing through the crowd… and approaching toward them?

Julian, too, glanced up from his work—but not because of the noise, but because Juliet removed the blank from the anvil.

The stranger pushed closer, his eyes widening as he finally reached Juliet's stall.

"I… I finally found you!" He pointed at Julian, his face a mix of awe and excitement.

"Hm…?" Juliet raised an eyebrow as she looked at the stranger, and then to Julian.

"I knew… I knew it was you! Sword Junkie!" he shouted again, drawing even more attention from the crowd. "I've seen your work, man! You're a legend!"

"Sword…" Juliet stared at the man in confusion, unsure of what was happening. "Sword… Junkie?"

"Uhm…" Julian let out a quiet sigh, placing the hammer back on the anvil. His calm concentration faded, replaced by the familiar uncertainty that crept back into his demeanor.

"It's you, right…?" The stranger leaned in closer to lower his voice, "The one who can always hit [Perfect] spots…? The one who could mass-produce [Rare] weapons!?"

"Mass… producing [Rare] weapons?"