Bul-Kathos completely ignored Melinda May's presence, his attention fixed on Luke Cage.
Though he sensed an unnatural, grafted power in Luke, he had no interest in probing further.
"Yeah, I ran into some trouble. But this lady…"
Luke clearly didn't want to discuss his issue in front of a stranger, his eyes seeking Bul-Kathos's guidance.
"Woman, leave. You're starting to get in the way."
Bul-Kathos spoke brusquely, pushing Jill behind him.
"I'm about to start forging. Luke, you can speak once she's gone."
He tossed a metal ingot into the furnace. Though the forge had equipment like a press, he preferred the feel of manual forging.
Even for practice toys, he disliked mechanical creations.
As he put it, machines lacked the power of will.
For ordinary smiths, machines offered efficiency and precision.
But Bul-Kathos needed neither.
Hearing his words, Melinda left the forge in a huff, brushing past Luke at the door.
"Alright, Luke, speak."
Bul-Kathos eyed the metal in the furnace, speaking casually.
Returning to the forge, he'd sensed many unfamiliar presences—S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, no doubt.
He wouldn't storm their base over it, but expecting him to be friendly was a pipe dream.
"Pop's shop ran into trouble. I can't handle it alone."
Luke spoke sheepishly. If it were just small-time thugs, he wouldn't need help.
But his strong sense of justice had entangled him with the Defenders and the Hand, leaving him no way out.
Unable to stay a janitor at the barbershop, he needed someone to protect Pop.
That way, he could fight the Hand's ninjas without worry.
"So you want me to guard the old man?"
Bul-Kathos worked the bellows, stoking the furnace.
The metal wasn't hot enough; he needed fiercer flames.
"If it's convenient for you."
Luke lowered his stance, hesitantly voicing his request.
This wasn't a one-or-two-day job, and he had no one else to turn to.
Seeing the metal glow red, Bul-Kathos pulled it out with tongs, placing it on the anvil.
"I'd rather give you something to deal with those troubles yourself."
He struck the metal with a hammer, its shape visibly deforming under the force.
Jill's eyes gleamed, sensing the metal would become his practice weapon.
He took a few steps toward the anvil, only to be stopped by Bul-Kathos.
"Kid, when watching forging, always keep a safe distance."
Bul-Kathos cautioned Jill, missing Luke's disappointed expression.
Or rather, Luke misunderstood, thinking Bul-Kathos was brushing him off.
A smith focused on forging rarely noticed their surroundings; getting too close risked a full-force hammer blow.
"Luke, go to the basement and pick a weapon you like. We'll talk payment after."
Bul-Kathos knew S.H.I.E.L.D. had been here, curious why they'd restrained their greed for power.
The basement's entrance was in plain sight.
He was surprised they hadn't stolen anything after testing those "toys."
To barbarians, they were barely equipment, but to this world's humans, they were keys to power.
Luke nodded, disappointed, but followed Bul-Kathos's directions to the basement.
Perhaps he thought a good weapon would help him crush those ninja heads.
In prior fights, he'd ignored their sharp katanas, but his street-fighting style left him at a disadvantage.
For a superhuman who avoided killing, not breaking bones in a brawl was a skill.
"Uncle, isn't the basement full of weapons you made? Why not pick one for me?"
Jill spoke after Luke vanished from sight.
"Those are just toys. You need more than that, especially if you want to go to school."
Bul-Kathos placed the hammered metal back on the anvil, pulling a Veiled Crystal from his pack and setting it on the metal.
This world's metals, infused with Diablo's materials, performed decently.
They wouldn't break under normal use.
Unlike demons' tough hides, this world's common metals were fragile.
Thus, weapons here rarely needed repairs, unlike in the Diablo world.
Bul-Kathos intended to imbue this practice weapon with unique power, enough to keep Jill alive until he could arrive if Death came calling.
"Unity" was the name of this legendary power.
Though derived from the legendary ring of the same name, it suited Bul-Kathos's purpose.
Crafting a practice weapon didn't warrant a Veiled Crystal, but a minimal Unity ring was perfect.
Those bearing Unity shared damage evenly.
If more craftsmen could imbue this power, humanity wouldn't have struggled so against demon hordes.
But this damage-sharing scaled proportionally. Against mighty demons, Unity-wearers could die en masse.
It only prolonged death's agony, not granting strength to defeat stronger foes.
For Jill, though, it was enough.
With Unity, Bul-Kathos would sense any harm to Jill and ensure his survival by sharing his vitality.
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