I brought the white and black ores I had found on the Dungeon's outer wall back to the workshop.
"The hardness is quite impressive..."
"Amazing."
No matter how far apart I separated them, the white and black ores continued to pull toward one another, as if drawn by an irresistible force.
"There doesn't seem to be any documentation on these... I suppose they were either created and hidden away by someone, or they're a newly discovered type of ore."
The Dungeon was a place brimming with the unknown.
It was an environment where the unexpected was the only constant; a single mistake could be your last, sending you straight to the afterlife to be judged for your sins.
"Well, my task is already decided."
I was still inexperienced, but I was a blacksmith.
Since Aiz had waived her claim to the ores...
Maybe I should forge a sword for myself?
I fed firewood into the forge and, once it reached a decent temperature, I placed the two ores inside. However—
"Damn it. Is this really not enough?"
The heat was insufficient to soften the ores for forging.
"Sigh... I guess I have no choice."
I took out a sterilized knife, along with some bandages and a potion to treat the wound.
"Ngh..."
I sliced my palm with the knife, letting the blood flow.
"Burn brighter."
As I sprinkled the crimson blood into the forge, the flames began to roar, growing hotter and more intense by the second.
"I never thought I'd actually have to use this..."
It was a method I had discovered by pure chance.
While crafting a kitchen knife, I had accidentally cut my finger and wiped the blood with a cloth. After finishing the blade, I had carelessly tossed that cloth into the dying embers of the forge.
The fire, which had been on the verge of extinguishing, suddenly flared up more violently than it ever had with mere firewood.
"I nearly jumped out of my skin back then..."
Just a few drops of blood had turned a flickering flame—one that had barely existed for ten minutes—into a raging stallion.
"Good. This should do it."
With the forge now burning with a fierce, searing heat, I was finally able to work the ores.
Slowly, the shape began to emerge.
The two rough, stone-like lumps were transformed into a pair of magnificent twin swords.
"Phew..."
I took a long drink of cold water and lifted the freshly forged blades.
"Perfect."
I hadn't decided on a name yet, but I was certain of one thing.
These were the finest blades I had ever created among the hundreds I had forged.