Maximus was hunched over at his well-lit table. Beads of sweat dripped down his face. He peered through a magnifying glass with bloodshot eyes at the damaged end of a broken blade. The blade had been sliced in half so cleanly that, even under magnification, the broken end appeared perfectly smooth. No matter how many times or how carefully he looked, he couldn’t find any ridges.

The blade belonged to a weapon he had made for Gilgamesh. A year ago, Gilgamesh had approached him with an offer he couldn’t refuse - enough adamantium to make a short sword. It wasn’t often that he could get his hands on the extremely rare crafting material. When it was completed, he considered the short sword to be one of the finest weapons he had ever made.

Maximus, who saw himself as a peerless blacksmith, had been confident that no other blacksmith in the world could produce a stronger or sharper adamantium weapon. The short sword was deemed indestructible. At least, that was what he’d thought.

He had traveled a long way to witness the capabilities of the short sword in actual combat. What better place to test it than the Combat Tournament, where the world's most skilled and best equipped warriors gathered to fight?

The sword could theoretically help Gilgamesh triumph against more skilled opponents in the tournament. His first match went as expected. His opponent's weapon was broken by the short sword early in the match, handing him an easy victory. But his second match caught Maximus by surprise.

Just when Maximus thought he had reached the peak of his profession, he saw the existence of an even higher peak. He watched, in awe, as Hupo broke his supposedly indestructible creation with just one blow.

The most logical conclusion he could come up with was the one he found the most difficult to accept - that the other weapon was made by a blacksmith who was vastly more skilled than himself. He assumed that the other weapon was also made of adamantium, since it was the strongest known metal in the world. That meant that the biggest difference between the two swords was how they were made.

There was loud knocking at the door.

Maximus looked up from his desk. "Come in."

"Teacher, I've found where Hupo is staying."

"Good work, Wyn. Lead the way." Maximus got up from his chair and followed his apprentice out of the Golden Hotel.

He could hardly contain his excitement. Having meticulously studied what was left of Gilgamesh's short sword, he had developed a deep yearning to see the weapon that had broken it. If he could just examine the weapon, he might be able to gain some insight into the superior techniques used to create it. Perhaps he could even learn the identity of the weapon's creator from Hupo.

They entered one of the poorest neighborhoods in the city. There were only a few pedestrians. The only source of light came from the moon.

Why would the champion be living here? With the winnings from the tournament, he could live anywhere he wants. Is Wyn lost?

“Are you sure this is the right way?”

Wyn nodded. “I’m sure of it. I was here not long ago.”

Maximus’s nostrils were assaulted by a nasty stench.

He covered his nose. “What’s that awful smell? Did you fart?”

“No, it wasn’t me. This neighborhood always smells like that.”

Why would anyone choose to live here?

Finally, after a long, arduous journey on foot, the two of made it to the inn.

“So this the place?” Maximus surveyed the exterior of the run-down building.

It looks a lot worse than I imagined.

Light leaked from underneath the shabby front door. Most of the windows were either cracked or boarded up. It looked as though a giant had sat on the roof, because it sagged dreadfully.

“That’s right.”

“Then what are we waiting for? A treasure trove of knowledge awaits us behind those doors.” Maximus took a deep breath and stepped into the Cheap Inn.

***

Hupo lay on his bed, thinking about his plan for the next day. The prize money had opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

First, I’ll treat everyone to a nice breakfast at a restaurant. The food at this inn isn’t good at all. They deserve better. Then, we’ll look for potential locations for the restaurant. I’ll need to come up with a menu…

His train of thought was interrupted by knocking at the door.

Is that Coco? No, she would’ve barged in without knocking. It’s probably Easton or Alana. Are they having trouble sleeping as well?

The bed squeaked as he got off it. He opened the door and found two men standing in front of him. One of them was the man who had followed him earlier.

The other was shorter and middle-aged. "My name is Maximus. The man behind me is Wyn, my apprentice. I'm sure a warrior of your caliber has heard of me."

"Never."

Maximus was speechless.

"What can I do for you, Maximus?"

"Sorry, this has never happened before. I'm the blacksmith from Andor. Ring any bells?"

"No."

Maximus's mouth twitched. "Remember the short sword Gilgamesh used during the Combat Tournament? Believe it or not, I made it."

"Gilgamesh? Who's that? "

"The one with the chatty mouth."

Weren't all my opponent's like that?

Hupo shook his head.

Maximus sagged his shoulders and sighed. "The gold-loving narcissist?"

"Oh... that guy! I remember him."

"The short sword he used was one of my greatest creations, but you broke it as though it was nothing."

Compared to Ultra Rare or even Rare weapons from World of Lorecraft, it was indeed nothing. Of course, Hupo didn’t say his thoughts aloud.

"It wasn’t nothing. That was one of the finest swords I've ever seen in this world."

What he said wasn’t a lie. Even though the short sword would have been regarded as a trash item in World of Lorecraft, it appeared to be of a much higher quality than the other swords he’d seen in this world.

The corners of Maximus's mouth quirked up. "You have a knack for seeing sword quality. If you weren't a warrior, I would've taken you as one of my apprentices."

"Thank you for the compliment."

"The reason I came here today was because I wanted to learn more about your sword." Maximus eyed the sheathed katana at Hupo's waist. "Can you tell me who made it?"

The honest reply would’ve been ‘The employees of Blaster Entertainment.’ Every piece of equipment in World of Lorecraft was created with much time and effort by an army of designers, artists, programmers, and testers. Explaining all that to Maximus was pointless, because he wouldn’t have understood any of it. Instead, Hupo came up with another explanation.

"Not sure. I found it in some ruins."

His answer was completely honest. Blaster Entertainment had grown into such a massive company that he didn’t know the names of many of his own employees. In addition, his katana was an Ultra Rare drop from a dungeon boss in World of Lorecraft. He’d had to clear the dungeon almost a hundred times before it finally dropped.

"Then can you tell me where you found it?"

Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand.

"No."

"Can I examine it?"

"No."

"I'll pay you handsomely for the privilege."

"The knowledge you glean from my sword may be used against me in the future. I wouldn’t take such a risk for any amount of money, especially after I've won so much of it."

Maximus clasped his hands together. "I beg of you, please let me see your sword! There's so much I can learn from it. I'll give you anything!"

"I don't need anything from you."

"You might in the future!"

Having a blacksmith owe me a favor might come in handy one day...

Hupo recalled a line from one of his favorite mafia movies.

He’d finally found himself in a situation where he can use it. "Alright, I'll let you see my sword. In return, some day, and that day may never pass, I'll ask you to do something for me."

"Of course!"

“Come in.” Hupo stepped away from the door, unsheathed his katana, and lay it on the bed.

***

Maximus's face dripped sweat, his heart raced, and he trembled in excitement as he stared at the sword. He’d seen countless swords in his lifetime, but never one as masterfully created as the one in front of him. To untrained eyes, it would appear to be a simple sword. However, Maximus could tell that the sword was of an unimaginably high quality.

Its appearance was unlike any other. Its curved, slender, and single-edged blade sat atop a circular guard and long grip. The back of the blade and its adjacent sides were polished to such an extent that they could serve as a mirror. A wavy line running down the side of the blade's edge had the appearance of ripples of water. The sword's tip was long and well-defined.

He knelt beside the bed, brought his nose close to the blade, and inhaled slowly and deeply. His whole body relaxed, and he couldn’t help but smile.

What a heavenly smell.

He felt a strong urge to lick the blade, but stopped himself, afraid that doing so may offend its owner.

He gulped. "Can I touch it?"

Hupo nodded. "Go ahead."

Maximus's shaking hands moved slowly toward the blade. Upon touching it, he felt a wave of tingles and then calm wash over him. All his worries seemed to melt away.

While touching the sword, he activated [Analyze Weapon]. The sword's physical properties appeared in his mind.

His eyes widened. "How can this be?"

“Teacher, are you alright?” Wyn had a concerned expression on his face.

“This blade is made of a metal that is far stronger than adamantium.”

“How is that possible? Isn’t adamantium the strongest metal in existence?”

“I thought so too, until I examined this blade. Not only is it virtually indestructible, but it’s also impossibly sharp as well. It makes every other blade seem blunt in comparison.”

Maximus thought he’d already worked with every metal this world had to offer, so coming across an unknown one was a real shock. He finally understood how the sword was able to easily cut through adamantium.

He lowered his face into his hands. "I’m but a fledgling. What have I been doing all these years? To think I was so proud of my meager skills."

Hupo returned the sword to its sheath. "Now that you've witnessed craftsmanship superior to your own, let it motivate you to improve."

Maximus's eyes lit up. "You're right! I haven't felt such shame in a long time. I've been looking down from an ivory tower for so long that I've stopped working hard to improve myself. From here on out, I'm going to restart my training."

"Great, maybe you should start tomorrow. Get some rest first."

"I will. Thank you for letting me see your sword. It has shown me a whole new peak to strive towards."

"What you've learned about yourself was probably more important than what you've learned about the sword."

"That's right! I feel like an apprentice all over again. If you're ever in Andor, stop by my workshop. By then, perhaps you would’ve thought of something I can help you with."

"I’ll keep that in mind."