Three weeks had passed since Master Korven Shadowforge had settled into his new role as the Light Guardian's chief metallurgical researcher, and the results exceeded even Ethan's enhanced expectations.
From behind his black mask, he watched the master smith work with materials and techniques that pushed the boundaries of conventional understanding, creating innovations that would soon attract attention they were not yet prepared to handle.
The forge had become a symphony of controlled chaos. Apprentice smiths—carefully recruited from those seeking advancement beyond family politics—worked alongside Master Korven with the focused intensity of artists pursuing perfection.
The air itself seemed to hum with spiritual energy as metal responded to techniques that treated forging as collaboration rather than domination.
But it was the project consuming Master Korven's full attention that would change everything.
