John immediately began preparing to forge Poseidon's Trident."I'll need your help for one part of the forging process," he said, then activated Weapon Forging – Max Level.
The trident was so severely damaged that even the slightest heat would cause it to crumble.So, John began by refining the Mystic materials in his custom-made furnace before working on the weapon itself.
"Skill: Edenic Water!"This time, John didn't use HellFlames—he infused the forge with the pure waters of Eden.
Poseidon's Trident was a water-type weapon, and if Hellfire were introduced during the fusion of the mystic elements, it would weaken or even downgrade its rank.Thus, John relied on the immense water pressure from Edenic Water.
"Is that the Edenic Water skill?!" Edward thought to himself, stunned, but he remained silent so as not to distract John.To Edward, this moment meant everything—the restoration of a royal inheritance passed down since the birth of Atlantis.
"Let's start with the physical materials," John said as he tossed scales and bones from ancient beasts of unknown origin—but undoubtedly top-grade mystic materials—into the forge.
He continued applying pressure until the materials melted into a liquid-like form."The next step will be critical," John muttered, focusing intensely as he activated Absolute Thought, a skill that allowed him to process and solve problems instantly.
He carefully guided the glowing liquid into the cracks of Poseidon's Trident."Is he doing reverse forging?" Edward wondered.
Reverse forging—refining materials first, then merging them into the main artifact—was an advanced blacksmithing technique of the highest order.Edward knew this because he had once tried to learn forging himself to repair the trident but had made little progress. After all, as the King of Atlantis, he had no time to master such skills.
John faced many challenges while infusing the liquid, but with Absolute Thought, he resolved each issue before it could worsen.Minutes later, the cracks vanished completely—but John wasn't satisfied yet.
If Edward had merely asked for a repair, the job would've been done.But John intended to enhance the trident—to elevate it to a new level.
"If I upgrade it, it'll no longer suffer from backlash or degradation," he thought excitedly.
"It's your turn now," John said, pulling out a high-grade magic stone from his pocket.It was pitch black, radiating hatred and darkness—the Cthulhu Magic Stone.
"If I fuse this as-is, it might corrupt the trident. I'll need to purify it first," John said as he tossed it into the forge.He weakened the Edenic Water, shaping them into a swirling vortex to cleanse the stone.
"It's your turn—I'll need your blood," John commanded.
Without hesitation, Edward cut his palm, forming a sphere of royal blood, and handed it to John.John guided the blood into the forge, increasing the vortex's speed and water pressure.
Minutes later, sweat dripped down John's face.He finally removed the magic stone from the forge—it now shone pure white, completely cleansed of darkness.
John lifted the purified stone and fused it into Poseidon's Trident."At last… it's done," he exhaled.
DING! You have repaired a Mystic Weapon and raised its rank!DING! New skill acquired: Duplication – Level 1!
"Here, see for yourself," John said, tossing the trident toward Edward.
"Be careful! That's Atlantis' greatest relic!" Edward panicked, catching it quickly.
"Hah? Have a little faith in my skills. It won't break if dropped—in fact, you should worry about the floor instead," John teased.
"This… I can't believe it. You didn't just repair it—you made it stronger," Edward said, tears streaming down his face.
John stayed silent, then smiled faintly."Compose yourself, Your Majesty," he mocked playfully.
"Shut up! This has been my life's dream!" Edward said, still crying uncontrollably.
John couldn't help but laugh, and soon the two were laughing together like old friends.
After a few minutes—"Have you calmed down now?" John asked, smiling."Yes," Edward said, his eyes still red from crying.
"Then let me explain the new traits." John activated Appraisal Skill.
Weapon Data:Name: Poseidon's TridentRank: Mystic+Special Skills:Ocean Control, King of Sea Creatures, Emperor of the SeasDescription: The completed Trident of Poseidon, reforged using the King's blood and the magic of his most loyal guardian. The weapon no longer suffers side effects from Ocean Control.
"In short," John said, raising two fingers, "it has the same form and abilities—but with two key changes."
"First, this trident now recognizes you as its master, bound by your blood. If you wish to pass it on, your successor must offer a drop of blood on this magic stone. Don't worry—it won't transfer to your enemies accidentally. It must be done with the king's consent."
"Second—and most importantly—the Ocean Control skill no longer damages the weapon. You can now use it freely without weakening the trident."
"Oh, and third," John added with a grin, raising a third finger, "it's now Mystic+, not just Mystic."
"Edward: That's three changes, not two.""Fourth—if you don't shut up, I'll steal your weapon right now," John snapped.
"In any case, my part of the deal is done. Now it's your turn.""Don't worry. I'll help you face the disasters—and more than that, I know you've been searching for Space Magic. I have a skill book for you," Edward said, handing John a tome titled Space Magic.
Even after his battle with White, John had been searching for Space Magic but had found no clue—until now.
"What is this supposed to be? The pages are blank! Are you mocking me?!" John shouted.
"Calm down. It's a Skill Book. I suppose your people haven't reached this technology yet. Just say 'Learn,' and the knowledge will transfer directly to your mind," Edward explained.
Skeptical, John muttered, "Learn."The book began to dissolve, and the knowledge flowed straight into his mind.
DING! New skill acquired: Space Magic – Level 1!
"So you're telling me I could've learned skills this easily all along? Then why the hell have I been training this whole time?!" John nearly cried in disbelief.
"I want the method to create these skill books," John demanded.If he could obtain that knowledge, forming his own elite unit wouldn't be impossible.
"I'll give it to you—but remember, it's neither cheap nor simple. To make that Space Magic book, I needed a mage with Level 50 Space Magic, and even then, he could only create a Level 1 version. Each book requires at least one rare element, and the higher the skill, the rarer the material," Edward explained in full honesty.
He wanted to strengthen his bond with the human who had accomplished what no Atlantean king ever could.
"The repair and enhancement debts are settled—but there's still something else I must tell you," Edward said seriously.
Seeing his expression, John focused intently."John, do you know where legends come from?" Edward asked."I have a theory," John replied without hesitation. "They originate from other worlds."
"Excellent—that's correct, though incomplete," Edward said. "Legends are stories that truly happened—in other universes. Have you heard of Olympus? It's real, but from another world. The Phoenix? Giants? All exist—just not here. So what happens when one of those legends crosses into our universe?"
"There are only two outcomes," John said firmly. "Coexistence—or annihilation, where one universe destroys the other."
"Remarkable. You understand deeply. Atlantis itself came from another universe—but our king chose peace, vowing never to harm the native races. Unfortunately, our world is now being invaded—by not one, but six other universes," Edward said gravely.
"I wasn't alive then, but our royal records describe how our ancestors once faced the same fate."
"How did it happen?" John asked.
"Our ancestors were besieged by countless universes—as if coordinated. But before disaster struck, a pale man with white eyes and red markings appeared before our king. He offered salvation—relocation to another universe. The king refused at first, unwilling to abandon his homeland. The man left, saying, 'My offer stands—for those worthy of survival.'"
Edward's face twisted in anger."When the invasions grew unbearable, the king finally accepted. The mysterious man didn't refuse, but he left one cryptic phrase—recorded for his descendants to interpret someday."
"What did he say?" John asked seriously.
"'It's fortunate you are not of low rank—otherwise, no offer would have been made.'"
Edward fell silent.
"What does that even mean?" John muttered, overwhelmed by the flood of unanswered questions.