Asudar, proud as a rooster, brandished his freshly forged sword. It gleamed under the flickering light of the forge—simple, yet incredibly well-crafted for a child. The other dwarf children, who had stayed in the background until now, erupted into applause, while the slimes jumped around Alex in excitement.
Alex himself had stars in his eyes.
"You… You're a genius," he whispered, stunned.
Asudar puffed out his chest, lifted his chin, one hand under his nose, the other on his hip.
"Of course! Now it's your turn," he said with a proud smile.
Alex's heart raced wildly. He carefully placed his strange egg on the table and turned to Asudar.
"Can I use your hammer? I don't have mine yet…"
"Of course… but it's called Come Back, so give it back when you're done," replied Asudar, handing him the tool.
Alex grabbed the hammer. A shiver ran down his spine.
It was the first time he had held a hammer in this world…
He froze, almost in a trance, a smile distorting his face. He trembled with excitement.
"Looks like a pervert," muttered Exalisse, turning her eyes away.
"He's scary," added Coralisse.
Then a translucent window appeared in front of Alex.
[You are touching a forge hammer. Do you wish to enter your personal space: The Matrix?]
Yes / No
"Huh? What? The… Matrix?" he murmured.
He didn't know what it was, but he clicked "Yes" without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
He found himself in a pristine white room, silent and immaculate.
At the center stood a dark anvil and a thick bellows furnace. Alex spun around, amazed, like a kid in a candy store.
"Wow, this place is incredible!"
Then the atmosphere shifted.
Suddenly, nine spheres of blood appeared around him, floating slowly in the air. Magical arrows activated above each orb, and a series of names appeared, projected in light:
Stored Blood:
• Thundering Squirrel
• Mist Serpent
• Fiery Hedgehog
• Acid Wasp Queen
• Obsidian Ant Queen
• Thunderous Forest Feline
• Stormbeak
• Black Dragon
• Humans
A new interface opened:
Do you wish to infuse a blood to shape the weapon?
[Yes] / [No]
Alex clicked [Yes].
Without warning, one of the blood spheres coiled around his right finger, forming a pulsating reddish spiral.
[System]: Use the blood of a monster to shape the essence of your creation.
He hesitated. The metal he had couldn't withstand a dragon's power…
He chose the weakest: Thundering Squirrel.
[System]: Please draw the weapon you desire.
"Huh? Draw?"
Instinctively, Alex pointed his finger at the ground.
The blood reacted instantly, spreading across the white floor to trace the precise outline of a sword. Once the drawing was complete, it lifted and floated in the air, twisting and sparkling as if alive. The outline then transformed into a blood mold, ready to shape the blade.
"So stylish…"
Then a window appeared:
Choose your materials
Stored Materials
Several windows popped up:
• Thundering Squirrel x3
• Mist Serpent 1
• Fiery Hedgehog 1
• Acid Wasp Queen 1
• Thunderous Forest Feline 1
• Stormbeak 1
• Black Dragon 1
• Basic Metal (low quality)
Alex clicked on Thundering Squirrel, knowing it was the only monster the metal could handle.
Available Quantity: 3
Select the quantity to use:
[1] [2] [3]
He chose 1.
Suddenly, the complete corpse of a magical squirrel appeared, suspended in the air, glowing with a golden light.
Do you wish to skin it?
[Yes] / [No]
"Yes," said Alex without hesitation.
He confirmed. The full squirrel corpse slowly fell from the void and remained suspended. A new window appeared:
A blinding light enveloped the creature. When it dissipated, several components gently floated down as if in water:
• Blue claws, fine and shiny like shards of ice x10
• Yellow fur, soft, almost electric to the touch
• Pearly bones, light and semi-translucent x233
Then he selected the window for the basic metal ingot Asudar had given him. The ingot appeared before him.
Alex took a deep breath.
"Here we go…"
He activated the furnace.
A roar of flames filled the space.
The ingot was thrown into the fire. It softened first, glowing red, then fully melted, turning bright orange.
Meanwhile, Alex crushed the claws into a fine bluish powder, which he poured into the molten mass. A burst of blue sparks erupted from the furnace. The metal reacted violently, as if the magic was forcing itself to merge with the raw material.
He then grabbed the crucible and, with precision, poured the molten metal into the blood mold he had drawn earlier. The thick liquid perfectly conformed to the shape of the blade, as if drawn by an invisible force.
When the metal began to solidify, Alex prepared to remove it from the mold. But before his eyes, the molten metal fully absorbed the blood mold, as if drinking its energy. He then placed it on the anvil. Hammer in hand, he struck.
Each blow sent blue sparks flying.
The blade began to take shape: thin, flexible, slightly curved.
"I… I feel so good… this is incredible, this feeling…" he murmured, his red eyes glowing with a supernatural light. A crazed smile formed on his lips.
"Come on… let's speed this up."
Between steps, he dipped the blade into a water basin where the squirrel bones had been dissolved.
The metal vibrated.
He shaped a handle with the remaining bones, wrapping it in yellow fur.
The texture was soft, resilient. Perfect.
When he finished, he remained silent. Then he cried.
It was his first true weapon. A magical weapon.
When Alex set down the hammer, he gazed at his creation. The blade was thin, slightly curved, almost as if it could slice through air effortlessly. The handle, wrapped in yellow fur, seemed alive under his hand. The entire sword vibrated, ready to strike at the slightest movement. It was his first real weapon, perfectly crafted, elegant, and dangerous at once.
The system reappeared.
[Please name your weapon]
He wiped his tears, smiled, and whispered:
"Thundering Sword."
A window appeared in the air.
[THUNDERING SWORD]
The first sword forged by a blacksmith who loves forging in his personal space called the Matrix. Made from 10 blue claws, the yellow fur of a Thundering Squirrel, and a basic metal ingot. Although the metal is ordinary, the fusion with magical creature materials unexpectedly strengthened the whole.
RANK: Rare
TYPE: Short Sword
DURABILITY: 20/20
AFFINITY: Nature
⸻
STATS
• Physical ATK: +32
• Magic ATK: +12
• Attack Speed: +15%
• Accuracy: +10%
• Critical: +8%
⸻
SPECIAL EFFECTS
• Thundering Strike
Releases a natural shockwave every 5 attacks (narrow area, 20% of physical damage).
• Wild Instinct
+5% attack speed and accuracy when the user remains in motion for more than 3 seconds.
• Living Grip
Reduces attack fatigue (-10%) thanks to the flexibility of the absorbent fur handle.
A flash of light enveloped him.
Alex opened his eyes.
He was back in the old forge, his blue magical sword in hand.
He was back in the old forge. The weapon in his hand, blue, vibrant, magnificent.
The children were frozen, mouths agape. Even the slimes stopped in their tracks.
Asudar stammered:
"Ho… How did you do that? It's even better than what my father makes…"
Alex didn't understand what they had seen while he was in the Matrix.
Asudar, kneeling, tears in his eyes, whispered:
"Save our village… please."
BAM!
The door burst open violently.
A huge bearded dwarf, eyes red with anger, roared:
"ASUDAR!! I WARNED YOU!!"
"Da… Dad?!"