---
At the base of the volcano cave sat the Smith-ground. Apprentices, experts, masters—all kinds of forgery were happening at once. The air shimmered with heat intense enough to melt steel, men and women hammering endlessly. But separated from the rest was a special chamber.
Inside, an old man with long white hair tied into a ponytail that stopped at his neck sat shirtless. His body bore lines of old battle scars carved across his well-built frame. Grandsmith Roy sat before two curved blades—one shaped like a waxing moon, the other a waning one. His hands hovered above them, bombarding the steel with aether. The blades were in their final stage.
A bell rang at the door.
"Grandsmith Roy, time's up," said a young-looking boy as he walked in.
"Good. It's ready. You were a big help with this project, Ren."
"Em… thank you, sir," Ren said, knowing full well all he did was time Roy's work hours.
"What's next on my schedule?"
"You have an appointment with Ivy Belladonna—the heir of the Belladonna family."
"Oh yes," Roy said, standing as he slipped on a short-sleeved kami. "Take note, Ren. As the next Grandsmith, you must stay close to the Belladonnas. That bond has always been essential. So today's your opportunity."
Later that day, in the official wing of the Smith-ground—where personal requests and formal meetings were held—Grandsmith Roy sat while Ren stood beside him. Then Ivy walked in.
"Ivy! How are you?" Roy stood, hugged her, and gestured to the seat. "Oh, and this is Ren, my top candidate to succeed me as Grandsmith. I figured you two should get familiar."
"Okay, sir." She shook Ren's hand and sat down. "Nice to meet you, Ren. I'm Ivy Belladonna. You must've heard of me."
"Yes, I have. Nice to meet you too," Ren replied.
"It's been a while. How's your father?" Roy asked.
"He's fine, I guess. Haven't seen him in a while though," Ivy said.
"Alright, then let's get to business," Roy said.
"Yes, sir. I sent my katana earlier for repairs."
"Yes, and it's done. Good as new." Roy smiled.
"Thank you so much, sir. I owe you a lot."
"I appreciate that, but don't get too happy yet," Roy said, his tone darkening. "The more I repair that katana, the weaker it gets. I'd advise against using it the same way again. The Black Beetle was crafted for speed, not to tank hits."
"Actually, that's the thing," Ivy leaned forward. "Black Beetle was forged from a demon crystal, but has it ever shown signs of having active Umbral aether?"
"Hm… well, the thing about weapons made from unstable crystals is that to activate their special ability, your aether flow must resonate with the weapon's passive aether. That resonance triggers the crystal's true ability."
"So to activate Black Beetle's ability, I'd need Umbral aether—which is impossible."
"Not necessarily," Roy said. "I'm not an expert on triggering weapon abilities. Some weapons I've made revealed powers I didn't even realize they had. But your father might know more. He's one of the five people to master the Three Beetle Katanas—Speed, Strength, and Stamina." Roy signaled Ren to fetch the katana.
"I'm sure your father can answer the rest," Roy said, handing the Black Beetle to Ivy. "Now take care of her."
"Thank you, sir," Ivy said, bowing. "And nice to meet you again, Ren." She left.
"That went well, I guess," Ren said, checking the list on his notepad. "You still have to inspect the new armory."
"Haha, you still have a lot to learn, boy."
---
"Hhhkkhh—ghhhahhh… khhhuhhh…" Alex groaned, yawning as his memories rushed back.
"Did I win the fight? Where the hell am I?"
'Relax, Alex,' Gemi said.
[CONGRATULATIONS]
[QUEST COMPLETE]
[ENEMY DEFEATED]
[400 ETA GAINED]
[100 EXP GAINED]
[NEW SKILL UNLOCKED – Collector]
[Collector: Allows user to absorb aether from defeated opponents.]
[LEVEL 5 – 80/80]
[+5 STATS POINTS]
[LEVEL 6 – 15/160]
[+5 STAT POINTS]
'With the way my fight with Saint went, I need more stamina,' Alex muttered.
'Smart choice,' Gemi replied. 'That'll help balance your stats.'
[STATS]
Strength – 27
Speed – 7
Stamina – 8
Agility – 12
Durability – 16
'Alright, increase stamina and durability.'
[Stamina – 14]
[Durability – 20]
'Looks good. Sucks that I can't use the new skill yet, but it's not a combat one anyway. It can wait. What's my current aether resonance level?'
[AETHER RESONANCE – LVL 1/20]
[UMBRAL AETHER RESONANCE – LVL 1/??]
'Still hasn't increased? Damn it!'
The door swung open. Saint walked in, dressed in his usual white robe, a nurse trailing behind.
"Finally awake. Discharge him immediately," Saint ordered.
"But sir, he just woke—"
"Don't make me repeat myself," Saint snapped.
"O-okay…"
"Good fight," Saint said, glancing at Alex. "But don't let it get to your head. You're still my subordinate."
"Emm… okay," Alex chuckled.
"Since you'll be one of our main fighters in the tournament, we've got shopping to do. Get ready." Saint walked out.
---