"What is that?"
Raon leaned forward, examining the red and blue metal beads.
'It's not Gold Resonance, is it?'
It felt similar to Gold Resonance, the metal said to amplify all auras, but the color was different.
"So you don't know after all?"
Vulcan chuckled as if he had expected this.
"This red one is Red Enhancement Gold that amplifies heat, and this blue one is Ice Crystal that draws out cold energy."
He lifted the metal beads as he named them.
"They can't amplify all auras like Gold Resonance, but they're special metals that enhance flames and cold energy even more powerfully."
Vulcan nodded, suggesting they would suit Raon well.
"Of course, I have Gold Resonance too."
He shrugged as he pulled out a piece of Gold Resonance from an old box, similar to the one Raon had seen before.
"...How did you obtain all of these?"
Raon let out a mirthless laugh as he looked at the metals in Vulcan's hands.
'Did he conquer a dungeon or something?'
He couldn't imagine where Vulcan had obtained these treasures that were hard to acquire even with money. The Red Enhancement Gold and Ice Crystal were especially intriguing since Raon himself hadn't known about them.
"I received them."
Vulcan shook his head as if it were no big deal.
"You received them? Those?"
"Yes. An anonymous benefactor occasionally drops them off."
He glanced up at the sky outside the workshop with a smirk.
"An anonymous benefactor..."
It wasn't as if they were asking for a sword to be made; donating metals and leaving... Raon wanted to meet this person and see what they were about.
"Strangely enough, they always stop by just before or after you arrive."
Vulcan twisted his lips as he wiggled his finger.
"Before I arrive..."
Raon licked his lips. Hearing Vulcan's words, one person came to mind.
"Well, enough about that."
Vulcan set down the Heavenly Drive and jerked his chin at Raon.
"You look like you have something on your mind."
"How did you know?"
Raon's eyes widened in surprise.
"Your sword is telling me."
Vulcan lowered his eyebrows, saying that a swordsman's uncertainty shows in their sword as well.
"Even if you don't tell me, try to get your mind in order to some extent."
He clicked his tongue as he stoked the fire in the forge.
"If you waver, your sword will break too."
Vulcan fixed Raon with a heavy gaze, telling him to get his act together.
"Phew..."
Raon let out a short sigh and sat down on the worn chair in front of the table.
"This might take a while, so please have a seat."
"Hmm."
Vulcan nodded briefly and sat down across from Raon.
"Actually..."
Raon told him about the recent events and his struggles to find a clue for reaching transcendence.
"Such a trivial concern."
Vulcan snorted in disbelief.
"Pardon?"
Raon's eyes widened in surprise. He was taken aback because Vulcan wasn't the type to say such things.
"Do you remember what kind of swordsman you said you wanted to become?"
He jerked his chin as if wanting to hear what Raon had said at the charcoal kiln.
"I..."
"You said, 'I want to become a swordsman who will not yield to anyone, in any situation.'"
Vulcan spoke before Raon could recall the memory. He remembered exactly what Raon had said at the charcoal kiln, without missing a single word.
"It was the first time I heard a youngster make such a vow, so I remembered it word for word."
Vulcan smiled faintly as he caressed the blade of the Heavenly Drive.
"I thought your goal was harder than becoming the greatest martial artist. Even those with extraordinary talent and will can suddenly die in this field. But..."
He nodded emphatically and increased the heat of the forge.
"You're achieving that goal. You defeated the Axe King and earned the title of Kingkiller, saved Glenn Zieghart, the Destructive King of the North, and even revealed Derus Robert's true identity."
Vulcan slapped his hand down as if truly impressed.
"You're becoming the unbreakable swordsman you set out to be. Who else could have shattered the mighty Derus Robert like that?"
"That's..."
As Raon was about to say it was just luck, Vulcan continued.
"Should Raon Zieghart, who has astonished the continent, reach transcendence in an ordinary way like others? To remain unbroken by anyone, it might be fine to take everything you have with you."
Vulcan grinned as he echoed Glenn's words. It seemed that those who reached the top saw similar things, even if they took different paths.
"...You're right."
Raon nodded heavily.
'I had vowed from the beginning that I wouldn't be broken.'
The goals of revealing Derus Robert's identity and elevating Sylvia to the direct lineage would sound laughable even now. Yet he had achieved all those objectives and reached the highest level of Grandmaster. Having accomplished goals that were nearly impossible, he felt there was nothing he couldn't do when it came to reaching transcendence.
"To remain unbroken, I can't be ordinary, can I?"
"Now that's the look I want to see."
Vulcan clapped his hands loudly, muttering his approval.
"You remind me of that boy who believed in himself even when he couldn't create aura for months."
He smiled softly, seemingly recalling the days at the charcoal kiln.
"I won't forget from now on."
Raon bowed his head to Vulcan, expressing his gratitude.
"Enough of that. Now, let's get to work..."
As Vulcan was about to suggest they start working, the workshop door opened, and a middle-aged man with a pipe entered. It was Harlan, Vulcan's son.
"Raon? What brings you here?"
Harlan approached, roughly pulling out his pipe.
"I came to entrust the Heavenly Drive to Vulcan, as I heard he had returned."
Raon greeted Harlan, saying it had been a while, and bowed his head.
"Is that so? Then I'll help too!"
Harlan said it was perfect timing and moved towards Vulcan.
"Father! I'll help as well."
"That won't be necessary."
Vulcan shook his head firmly, indicating it wasn't needed.
"What? But, but I've been training all this time! You even acknowledged that my swords were good enough to sell..."
Harlan's eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn't expected Vulcan to refuse.
"That's precisely why it's not needed. Look carefully. What is it that you should be doing?"
Vulcan's voice was calm. He wasn't angry; it seemed he had something else in mind.
"Ah...!"
Harlan looked around at Vulcan, Raon, and the workshop before letting out a low groan.
"I understand."
He put down his pipe and nodded with a serious look in his eyes.
"I won't disappoint you."
"Mr. Harlan?"
"Raon. Wait for it."
Harlan winked at Raon and left the workshop. His back had grown even broader than Vulcan's, a testament to how much he had been swinging the hammer.
"What just happened..."
"Don't worry about him. Try infusing your aura into this metal."
Vulcan pointed to the Red Enhancement Gold, Ice Crystal, and Gold Resonance placed on the table.
"Understood."
Raon nodded and grasped all three metals at once. With a surge of energy, he poured in all the auras he possessed, starting with the Ring of Fire, then the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, Glacier, Gale Wind Style, and even the aura he had obtained from the Sword Saint.
'Let's push it a bit further.'
Having learned from Karoon how to draw out emotions and willpower, he infused the accumulated emotions and willpower into the metals as well.
"That's perfect."
Vulcan let out an exclamation as he watched the Red Enhancement Gold, Ice Crystal, and Gold Resonance tremble and move.
"We can start right away."
He tossed the gold charcoal into the blazing forge and stepped on the bellows. With a roar, the fierce wind combined with the heat of the strongest charcoal, producing an immense inferno. It felt like stepping into a volcano filled with lava.
"Breathe like you did that day. That's enough."
"Understood."
Raon stood before the forge, biting his lip slightly. He employed the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation while enduring the scorching heat that made his skin sting.
'Martial prowess isn't what's important.'
Right now, setting a direction was more important than getting stronger. The aura of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation surged in resonance with Vulcan's hammering.
Raon closed his eyes and focused on the hammer strikes of the master who had surpassed transcendence.
'Let's look back at my foundation.'
Despite mastering numerous auras and swords, his foundation remained the Ring of Fire and Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. These two auras had formed the basis that allowed him to create a vessel that even impressed Glenn. To ascend to transcendence with more than anyone else, he needed to nurture that foundation.
He exhaled deeply.
As Raon and Vulcan fell into a state of enlightenment before the same fire, only the resounding clangs of the master striking iron and the swordsman's breathing could be heard in the rounded workshop.
"No way..."
Rimmer turned his back after looking at Vulcan's workshop, which was emitting thick smoke.
"If you're going to do this, just give it to him openly!"
He glared at Glenn standing behind him, furrowing his brow.
"Why keep it a secret that you gave him the Gold Resonance after telling him to go to Mirtan!"
Glenn, realizing that Raon was pondering about transcendence, had come to Mirtan first and tossed the three metals to Vulcan. What's even more ridiculous is that he didn't just give them, but claimed he had picked them up on the way. Rimmer couldn't understand why Glenn was keeping it a secret after doing something for Raon's benefit.
"Ahem! The other children might get jealous, you know."
Glenn cleared his throat briefly and shook his head.
"Since Karoon has changed, there's no one that petty anymore!"
Rimmer shook his head firmly.
"Even if there were, they wouldn't dare say anything. Karoon or Balder wouldn't stand for it!"
He stomped his foot, insisting that the current Zieghart was different from before.
"Sheesh! You're not the Destructive King of the North, you're the King of Excuses."
Rimmer clicked his tongue in exasperation.
"This is why you can't get Raon to call you grandfather."
"Don't you understand?"
"What's there to understand? It's obvious without looking. If you just told him to call you grandfather from now on, it would all be resolved..."
"That's not it."
Glenn slowly turned his chin.
"That title only has meaning if Raon calls me that of his own accord."
That's also why he didn't ask to be called grandfather at the foot of North Grave Mountain. What he wanted wasn't to be called grandfather by force, but a title that came from the heart.
"Then tell him you gave him the metals!"
Rimmer shouted at the top of his voice.
"Well, that's..."
"Ugh, I swear. It's so frustrating I can't stand it. Let's come to our senses, okay?"
He tapped his own temple, telling Glenn to think a little.
"This is why you're called a has-been old m..."
"Shut your mouth!"
"Oof!"
As Rimmer was mumbling, he was sent flying by Sheryl's kick.
"Th-this place is hell! You damned woman... Argh!"
He fell off the cliff with a scream.
"..."
Sheryl watched Rimmer disappear into the mist before stepping back to Glenn's side.
"I agree with the Head of House's words. A forced title has no meaning. However..."
She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the edge of the cliff.
"As that fool said, it would be right to at least mention that you gave the metals."
"...Then why did you push him off?"
"He was too noisy."
Sheryl dusted off her hands and tilted her chin as if asking what the problem was.
"I see."
Glenn nodded calmly, seeming to agree with Sheryl's words.
"So, how is Raon doing?"
Sheryl let out a soft sigh as she looked at Vulcan's workshop, where heat haze was rising.
"He won't immediately become stronger or gain enlightenment. However..."
Glenn smiled faintly as he watched Raon and Vulcan working in sync.
"It seems the vessel to receive that enlightenment is being forged."
Two days later. The endless heat emanating from Vulcan's workshop finally stopped. Raon slowly opened his eyes the moment the ceaseless hammering, which had continued like embers, came to a halt.
'It's clear.'
Unlike the workshop filled with smoke, dust, and intense heat, his mind was as calm and transparent as a garden pond. It felt as if all the worries that had clouded his thoughts had been washed away by rain.
Ugh, is it finally over?
Wrath stretched and let out a long sigh.
I thought I was going to die of boredom!
He shook his head, wondering how Raon could stand still for over two days.
'I wasn't just standing still...'
Raon smiled, lightly tapping his temple.
'I was honing my mind and spirit.'
Certainly.
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he looked at Raon.
You do seem a bit different.
He nodded, acknowledging it was a change beyond mere martial prowess.
Receiving Wrath's recognition, Raon lowered his gaze. On the anvil that Vulcan had tirelessly hammered lay a sword glimmering with silver light. Though it was the Heavenly Drive he had wielded countless times before, there was something different about it now.
'Red and blue lines?'
The noble and elegant blade remained unchanged, but two lines were now engraved on the sword's body. It seemed as if the Red Enhancement Gold and Ice Crystal had melted together with the Gold Resonance.
"Nngh!"
Vulcan straightened his bent back. He looked a decade older, but his eyes gleamed with a happiness that surpassed even that as he gazed at the Heavenly Drive.
"Take it."
Vulcan wiped the blade of the Heavenly Drive with a clean cloth and handed it to Raon.
"This is a new Heavenly Drive that can support you even if you waver."
He lightly shook the sword as if urging Raon to take it quickly.
"Ah..."
Raon carefully received the Heavenly Drive, handling it as if it were a child.
'It feels like my arm has grown longer.'
As he gripped the hilt, it felt like his hand was glued to it. It wasn't just holding a sword; it felt as if his own body had extended.
With a resonating hum, Raon held the Heavenly Drive upright and harmonized the refined Ring of Fire, recalling the sound of Vulcan's hammer.
A burst of flames erupted!
As he then employed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, a vivid light blazed from the red line on the blade, causing the entire sword to glow a deep crimson.
'Is this amplification?'
As Vulcan had promised, the Heavenly Drive imbued with Red Enhancement Gold generated an even more intense heat than before. The sword itself seemed to be filled with flames.
"How is it?"
Vulcan jerked his chin, his eyes showing he already knew the answer.
"It's perfect."
Raon nodded as he watched the flames blazing from the Heavenly Drive.
'It feels like it will never waver.'
Just as Vulcan had said, it seemed that even if his own will wavered, this sword would not break. Perfect. There was nothing else to say.
Ugh....
Wrath examined the Heavenly Drive from various angles and pouted his lips.
It's almost too good for the likes of you to wield.
For him to say such a thing was as good as high praise.
"Is that so."
Vulcan chuckled as he sipped his cold drink, seeming pleased.
"Thank you."
Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive and bowed to Vulcan.
"I've only been receiving help from you since the past…"
"Stop with the melodramatic talk."
Vulcan waved his hand, furrowing his brow.
"You're not the only one who's been helped."
"Pardon? What do you mean by that...?"
"Every time you win a fight, more people come asking me to make swords for them. Not long ago, even a Grandmaster came."
He clicked his tongue, saying that requests for swordmaking were increasing day by day.
"So did you make swords for them?"
"Why would I make swords for such greenhorns?"
"You wouldn't."
"Right. I didn't even open the door for them."
Vulcan shook his head, dismissing the idea as nonsense.
"Then how has it been helpful?"
"This isn't a place where I live alone, you know."
He spread his hands, pointing to the village of Mirtan visible below the workshop.
"The youngsters I turned away asked other craftsmen to make swords for them. Thanks to that, the village has become livelier."
Vulcan smiled as he rotated his wrist.
"Your achievements are leading to the prosperity of this village, so I can't help but thank you."
For that reason, he shook his head, saying he wouldn't charge for repairing the sword.
"Even so..."
"I always keep my word. You know that, right?"
Vulcan took another swig from his bottle, insisting he didn't need money.
"I understand."
Raon stepped back with a faint smile. Vulcan was a man of such integrity that he even kept promises made to Raon when he was just a young trainee. There was no way around it when he was this adamant.
"Then please don't refuse my thanks."
Just as Raon was about to perform a formal sword salute and sheathe the Heavenly Drive, the workshop door burst open with a bang! Harlan entered, panting and holding a scabbard.
"Ah, I'm not too late, am I?"
"Mr. Harlan?"
"It's a new scabbard."
Harlan explained that he had made a scabbard for the Heavenly Drive, extending a scabbard adorned with a carved dragon's head.
"Did you make this yourself?"
"Who else would have made it?"
He snorted, as if it were obvious.
"Hmph. A scabbard made by the likes of you?"
Vulcan approached, examining the scabbard first as if doubting its quality.
"Hmm...?"
However, unlike his usual dismissive attitude, he raised an eyebrow as he looked at the scabbard.
"How is it? Not bad, right?"
Harlan straightened his back confidently, leaning backwards.
"Not too shabby."
Vulcan nodded, indicating it barely passed muster. Given that he never went easy on his son, this meant it was actually quite well-made.
"Yeah!"
Harlan let out a roar of triumph, extending his arms. He seemed overjoyed to receive recognition from Vulcan, his father and a master craftsman of the continent.
"So that's..."
Raon let out a small gasp of realization. It seemed that when Vulcan had first told Harlan he had a separate task, it was to make this scabbard.
"Try it on."
Harlan rubbed his hands together, urging Raon to sheathe the Heavenly Drive.
"Alright."
Raon nodded and slid the Heavenly Drive into the scabbard.
Click.
The blade and scabbard fit together as if they had been one from the beginning. The level of craftsmanship made it seem like they were made by the same person.
"It fits perfectly. The design is excellent too."
Raon bowed his head to Harlan, expressing his gratitude. He particularly liked the dragon head, which resembled Kaivar, the Blue Dragon.
"The true value of that scabbard isn't its strength or its form."
Harlan chuckled and lifted his chin.
"Don't tell me you've done it again!"
"That scabbard has..."
As Vulcan's eyes widened, Harlan raised his finger.
"A special ability!"