Kairos held the weapon gingerly in his hand. His latest creation is far from ideal.

The furnace’s fire is still too cold, and the materials here are too brittle despite maximising their potential.

If the other blacksmiths know of his thoughts they would be crying.

Master Edgar almost ran towards Kairos and stared at the shiny blade with terrifying interest.

The dwarf held out his hands and Kairos respectfully passed the weapon over.

“Ugh, it’s heavy. Who are you making this for?”

“Myself?” Kairos rubbed his nose and admitted. He still lacked a handy weapon, and a spear is not a good weapon to use in cities. Most spearmen are either guards or soldiers on the battlefield and in an urban area, a long spear will be too inconvenient.

Moreover, Kairos have a special sentiment with his Sparrow, the Kinkon…

Disregarding the terrible name given by Jim, it is a Soul Weapon linked with him for life.

After merging with an Artificial Weapon Soul, Model XII, the weapon had turned into a liquid metal ball that can store ten different weapon templates as well as turn into any shape that Kairos wished.

The Soul Weapon needs to be kept in Kairos’ Dantian to be nurtured and maintain a connection with him. However, this also means that he cannot summon it out without Ki.

Taking back his sword from the master, Kairos whirled it around, testing the balance and speed. The ones around can only see a blur in the air as the blade sliced through cleanly and soundlessly.

When he displayed such swiftness with the weapon, any questions Edgar Silverforge had about the sword being too heavy and unwieldy were swallowed back down the dwarf’s throat.

There are warriors who are much stronger that could use a heavy sword as swiftly as a light one.

Kairos, on the other hand, felt that it was rather unsatisfying, but perhaps until he fully recovers, this dainty weapon will serve him well.

He privately gave the blade a name: the sick person’s sword.

If others know, the pity they will have for this marvellous weapon will be tremendous.

Edgar Silverforge marvelled at the smoothness as the blade cut through the air. There was nary a whistle despite the frightening speed that Kairos had swung it.

After testing the balance, Kairos wants to try out the sharpness. He borrowed a spare anvil from the master blacksmith, and without using much strength he sliced through it like it was butter.

The other disciples stared without saying a single word. The unbelievable scene before their eyes looked like it came right out of a fantasy.

Kairos nodded, although frankly, an anvil is hardly good enough as a testing stone.

A true trial would be clashing his blade with a famous sword. To Kairos, only holding up against a legendary weapon and cutting it in half means that his Sick Person’s Sword is good in a fight.

After that he needed to try out the toughness, specifically if the sword is properly displaying the properties of the Bagua array.

After weighing down the sword on the intact anvil, he took a geologist’s hammer from the tool shed and used the pointy end that could split rocks on the foible.

A loud twang caused the entire room to jump.

The hearts of many were pounding with shock.

Never had anyone seen such a display on a newly minted masterpiece.

The dwarven master blacksmith rushed forward, fearing that the weapon had been destroyed.

When he came over, he gingerly took the sword like one would a new born, and preciously coddled it in his arms.

After a moment of careful scrutinising, he looked up at Kairos with disbelief.

Such violence, yet there is nary a dent.

If not for the cracks on the floor below the anvil showing unbelievable the brute strength that Kairos wielded, Edgar would have doubted his eyes.

“How is there not any sign of damage?”

With Edgar Silverforge’s fame when he asked such a question, everyone around the forging room was floored, but for his students that know him well, it was so much more; it sounded like a huge explosion in their ears.

“The way I hammered made the shockwaves to collide at several points, starting with here,” Kairos explained, pointing at the heart of the blade, then he continued, “This part is the formation’s heart. Next, I created other similar parts with lesser strength, over here, here, here… each of them are formation points and they link together to form a stratagem.”

Kairos slowly pointed out the different points of the Bagua array in a spiral.

As he explained, the other students shoved at each other and tried to sneak a peek but their noise disturbed the master and got everyone thrown out.

Even those who are part of Kairos’ group pushed out.

Outside the house, Edgar’s disciples no longer acted the same as before.

Among them the dwarves were singing high praises. Their race meant that in their blood boils a natural reverence to great smiths, brave heroes, and master brewers.

A blacksmith who can create such a sword is like a sports star, and they are already idolising Kairos.

The ten disciples who are of the other races also no longer behaved as arrogantly as before.

Glittersprout and John Doe bit down on their teeth with scrunched faces as if they were chewing on an old sock, but no one stepped forward to talk to them, not even their usual followers.

The two looked at each other, immediately recognising the spark of hate in each other’s eyes without passing a word. They already know what to do next; no one must jeopardise their influence as the top and second seats. The dwarves are definitely the best blacksmiths in all the land, but this also means that for the other races must work doubly to prove themselves. The blacksmith ranking of Edgar’s students is a highly examined subject, and the ten who are from the other races are all hot items on the market. Every king and Jarl will pay a fortune to buy their service. If the lords could receive a blade from any of the ten or their craftsmen could learn a thing or two, the power levels of the different kingdoms will change.

Kairos’ friends were overjoyed. It looks like a certainty that Kairos will be accepted as an apprentice, but Relestia is a little worried after hearing that master Edgar would not let Kairos out. After all he is famous for keeping his disciples in the forge until they proved themselves, and the master is exceptionally difficult to please.

Inside the forging room, Kairos and Edgar are now discussing the make-up of the sword. It is apparent that this is an alloy that was never seen before on the Axis.

One could bend the blade till it nearly folds itself in two yet it always return to its original shape without damage.

The dwarven race can control metal and fire but it does not give them the ability to understand the materials like Kairos could.

When he explained the new alloy’s composition, Edgar had to know how Kairos knew.

Unable to describe what exactly his Veritable Sight and Heart’s Echo does, Kairos who was stumped had to credit it to his instincts.

When he hears an object’s approval or disapproval with another object, it was a brief and sketchy experience that basically only tells him if it will work out or not. Of course, if these are spirit ores or spirit herbs, then he can hear them even more clearly. If the material’s grade is high enough, it might even understand what Kairos wants and start to communicate.

Coupled with his Veritable Sight that not only reveals the truth, but also shows all kinds of details, Kairos can sift through different properties and retrieve what he wants.

This way, without needing much trial and error, he can form compounds and alloys that others never heard of before.

Little did Kairos know that this became the deciding point for Edgar Silverforge.

The master blacksmith looked at Kairos expectantly and after a long pause he said, “Young Kairos. I have one more test for you. If you fail this, you cannot learn my skills.”

Hearing this caused a frown to appear. The other students only had one test. Did he make a mistake in his forging that left Master Edgar undecided on whether to impart him the skills?

Edgar saw the expression Kairos made and laughed, “Your technique is nothing I have seen before. As if you’re not from this world.”

The dwarf looked carefully at Kairos, as if trying to see if his wild guess had hit the mark, but there was no changes that he could tell.

“However, I can see your inexperience in your crafting. There is a kind of rigidness in your movement like you are actively controlling every step and calculating the timing of your strikes. If not for your warm breath and hot blood, I would have taken you for an automaton.”

Kairos’ brows eased, having heard the same criticism from his master Siegfried.

Just as Kairos was about to agree, Edgar suddenly punched him lightly on the arm, “Young man, your mistake is thinking yourself incapable. You are already able, whoever taught you your set of skills made sure there are no flaws to be found in you. What you only need to do is to allow yourself to make mistakes.

Let go of your controls and allow your instincts to flow through; that is called experience.

When one day, you do not need to think of what you are forging to forge it, all your abilities will become one and you will become a master yourself.”

Kairos was stunned speechless by this simple explanation that no other master said to him before today. Without knowing, he had separated and compartmentalized each process when forging a weapon.

Edgar continued, “But this isn’t the reason I want to give you a second test. Your ability to see things that others cannot determines that I will never be able to bring you to your full potential. But perhaps, you may teach yourself.”

He paused a little and then placed a damaged leather scroll on Kairos’ hands, “This is written by the legendary dwarven master smith, lord of metal and fire, and the first dwarf. Erichthonius, son of Hephaestus blacksmith of the gods.

I’ve learnt my skills from this, and only understood it partially. The second test will be your comprehension ability. If you can glean a hundred and eight blacksmithing secrets within a month, you pass. Your answers must not be already-known common techniques. You will be provided with a blacksmithing manual to compare.”

Not only does Edgar Silverforge expects Kairos to grasp the knowledge of an ancient manuscript, he expects the young man to do it while picking up the dwarven’s forging methods.

Kairos briefly unwounded the thick scroll, the language is completely foreign. The court magus had casted a translation spell upon the summoned heroes but the magic does not lend its strength to the ability to read languages.

He looked at the blacksmith full of confidence in his eyes and said, “Do you have a dictionary for this language?”

Edgar Silverforge almost dropped his ale pot. This kid had such a refined mannerism that the dwarf had never expected him to be illiterate.

Looking at his expression, Kairos smiled apologetically and explained, “I’m not from around here.”

A frown appeared on the dwarf’s brows, the entire Axis uses a common language and it is exceptionally rare to have someone speaking in another tongue.

He finally noticed a gentle buzz of magic in the air around Kairos, the signs of a translation spell and then realization struck him.

“Could the boy be one of those summoned from another land? Strange indeed, but his techniques… it must be true.”

The dwarf master immediately laughed, “In that case, why don’t we continue this test after you learned our words?”

Kairos shook his head, “I don’t have the time.”

“Sonny, it is not a simple exam. It took me a decade to find a hundred and eight techniques and theories from the scroll,” Edgar confessed bashfully. He did not attempt to make it difficult for the boy, but merely believes that this examination is suitable for him.

Kairos shook his head a second time, “I really don’t have the time. But, if I pass your second test within a month despite all this, may I have a condition of my own?”

“Speak freely, what is it?”

“I want to be able to leave the place anytime I need to.”

Being confined in this forge is detrimental to the things he need to do. Since he is already here there are many things he want to learn, and there is also the task of finding a way home.

“I cannot decide that,” Edgar declined, “my disciples will consider it unfair. Many of them have been around for decades.”

“As long as you agree, Master Edgar, I’ll find a way to convince the senior disciples.”