Luke opened his eyes slowly and saw Holdok standing still in front of him with a hammer in his hand, smoke rising from his body and burnt marks all over his face and arms. His clothes had also caught fire and were scorched black.
He was shocked at the scene and quicky shifted from the lotus position. Just when his feet touched the ground, he realized his boots were missing.
He looked down and saw himself naked. Quickly he pulled some clothes from his dimensional ring and dressed up.
He rushed to Holdok and just when he touched him, he immediately retracted his hand. Holdok was so hot that touching him would burn his hands.
Luke rushed out of the room, brought a bucket of water and poured it over Holdok. Steam gushed from him when the cold water poured over his body.
Luke was shocked at Holdok's resilience. His skin had burned and muscles stretched tight, but he still kept hammering as he froze with that stance and lost consciousness while in that position.
He picked him up and laid him down on the table. He pulled two bottles of healing potion and poured one over Holdok's body and poured the other down his throat.
Sizzling sounds came from his body as they slowly started healing but the process was a lot slower than it should have been.
Marilda rushed immediately near them. Her clothes had soaked from sweat and her lips had dried. But without wasting a second, she casted a spell as a blue runic magic circle formed over Holdok and cold wind gushed out from it, cooling Holdok down.
Slowly Holdok regained consciousness, and upon waking up he immediately pointed his finger towards the anvil and murmured something.
Luke moved his ears near him when he heard his words clearly. "I-I have…m-made i-it!" a smile of pride and content spread on his face.
Luke looked towards the anvil and saw a pair of gauntlets over it. As he moved towards it, he then got a clear look at it.
There were a pair of black gauntlets with red patterns over it and small scales could be seen all over it. Two intricately tuned black mana stones were fitted inside the round sockets in it. One look was enough to know that a legendary masterpiece had been born out of Holdok's hammer.
He picked them up and wore them. A wave of power rushed from his arms to the chakras at his back. The scales in them came alive as they rushed up and covered his whole arm up to the shoulders.
Just then, he realized that he had unlocked another chakra. The root chakra.
"I'm in the initial projector realm now!" a smile formed on his lips as when he clenched his fists, cracking sounds came from them. He felt power roaring to rush out of him, his fists tingling for a punch, but he controlled himself and calmed his excitement down.
"T-they are the first generation b-blood armaments and belongs solely to you, and will keep growing with you!" Holdok spoke with some effort. He had sat up and his burns had almost healed as he was holding an empty round glass vial of high grade healing potion.
Luke still couldn't believe that he now had a blood armament. He couldn't stop smiling and admiring the beautiful pair of gauntlets adorned in his arms.
"But…these scales…did you use the Imoogi materials?" he asked hesitatingly, hoping Holdok to deny, but the answer shattered his hopes.
"What would I use other then the finest material right at that moment in my hand!"
"Then what about the coins?"
"This brat!" Holdok's face twisted in annoyance. "You want me to make you the rarest blood armament and also pay you for the materials? You're brain dead or what brat!!"
"But that was the reward to be shared between my team! Now…" Luke's face fell. He gazed at the ground in helplessness.
Seeing him think of his teammates rather than drowning in the excitement of his armament, Holdok's expression softened at his selflessness.
"Count yourself lucky that I'm not charging you for more! Or else even the material costs wouldn't had covered my fees for making you the blood armament!"
"Think of it as a loan and pay them later! If they accept then you have some fine teammates, and if not leave them or you'll regret later!" Holdok said.
"Thank you! Thank you for making this legendary piece of gear for me! And I'm sorry for the trouble and pain I caused to both of you!" Luke sincerely bowed and apologized to both of them.
"It's all right Luke! Though it was tough and painful, because of you my father could accomplish a long cherished dream of his! He finally made a weapon he would be remembered for! And I believe you will make those armaments shine the brightest!" Marilda said with a warm smile.
"Alright! Enough! I'll keep the fangs as payment, so don't think I've done it for free!" Holdok said, embarrassed at his daughter's praise.
"Take those gauntlets and get lost now!"
"Can I at least try them in the test room?" Luke asked excitedly.
"NEVER!!" both Holdok and Marilda screamed out immediately.
*****
"Did you work with some adventurers for claiming the flower?" Sylvan asked in hoarse voice, clearly conveying the anger he was in.
"Yes Marshall!" Adriana said, her head down, eyes staring at the floor. Jane and Jordan were behind her, standing in attention with hands behind their back and Roger was standing beside Sylvan, as he sat on his chair in the office.
"You dare accept so shamelessly in front of me!!" Sylvan roared as his fists stomped on the hardwood desk, forming cracks.
Intense killing intent released from him towards the three as they were pushed back and got down on their knees.
"I-it was not i-intentional…w-we had no c-choice…" Jane tried to clarify but was cut in between.
"W-we are extremely ashamed and r-ready for any p-punishment given to us!" Adriana said with a strained voice.
Jane and Jordan were surprised at Adriana not saying anything in her defense.
"They are young and foolish, Marshall! Forgive their insolence!" Roger bowed as he asked to spare Adriana and the others.
The killing intent vanished as Sylvan calmed down. A long sigh escaped him and he lifted his head up to speak.
"Even though you worked with some adventurers, it's also a fact that you brought the flower and upheld the military's honor!"
"But for collaborating with those filthy adventurers your team will not be receiving any reward given from the count! That's the punishment you'll have to bear Roger!"
"I accept Marshall!" Roger nodded without a second of hesitation.
"You're dismissed now!" Sylvan commanded the three of them in front. "You stay Roger!"
Adriana and the others moved out of the room as the door closed behind them when they left.
"Thank you, Roger! I couldn't imagine what would have happened if you hadn't brought that flower at that time!"
"It was my duty, Marshall!"
"Stop with these titles, I told you many times to call me by my name when we are alone!"
"Alight!! You were a bit harsh with the children though Sylvan!" Roger complained with a dissatisfied look on his face.
"It was necessary! If one team does this, then the others would follow too! I can never let those greedy and selfish bastards mingle with our loyal soldiers!" he said with determination.
"I'm sorry! I really was a bit harsh!"
"It's alright! They needed that so as to not repeat it in the future!" Roger said.
Sylvan nodded with a smile, thankful that Roger understood him.
"Find some information on those adventurers that worked with your team!"
"Alright! What are their names?" Roger asked.
"They are newly registered! young fifteen years brats! I think they were called…Luke and Noah and the other two I didn't receive their names in the report!"
"WHAT!?" Roger yelled out in shock.
"What's the matter?" Sylvan asked, confused.
A long sigh escaped roger. "They are my nephews!"
"WHAT THE FUCK!!"