"You're kidding…"
The murmurs spread like fire. The gathered blacksmiths leaned closer, crowding around Bai Chen's blade.
None of them, not even the most seasoned artisans, could see what the Second Fleet Captain had seen.
To them, it was just a fine sword — nothing more.
The Captain's one good eye gleamed. He turned toward the little smith.
"Can you show me your special fire?"
"Yama."
The girl raised her right hand.
A black-violet flame bloomed in her palm.
"A… black flame?" someone gasped.
That was no ordinary fire — it was the Flame Soul of the Salazzle.
When the little smith wore her Living Forge, she could call upon the elemental spirits bound within it.
The Captain's expression hardened.
"Bring me some Pukei-Pukei scales."
Moments later, several apprentices hurried over, arms full of shimmering violet plates.
The Captain handed a few to the girl.
"Try smelting these."
She turned the scales over in her hands, studying the strange, slick surface of the material.
After a moment's thought —
Fwoosh—
The black fire roared to life again.
The Captain's eye lit up.
An amateur might only see a fire.
But a master… saw control, rhythm, instinct.
He could tell she had no experience handling monster materials — none at all —
And yet, in a matter of seconds, she had found how to temper it.
A genius.
No — a prodigy.
And that was before she truly began.
The girl's focus deepened.
She placed her Living Forge onto the floor — the small iron device at her wrist melted and reshaped itself into a personal anvil.
Her eyes scanned the forge. They locked onto a pile of gleaming steel bars.
"Yama!"
She barked an order.
To everyone's surprise, the other smiths obeyed — almost instinctively.
The air of mastery around her was undeniable.
But at the steel pile, one of them scratched his head.
"Uh… which kind of steel?"
Before she could answer, the Captain called out:
"Use Birdwyvernite Steel!"
The girl blinked at him.
"Yama?"
"It's balanced — strong enough to hold the scales' power."
She nodded, accepting the metal.
Being a dual Fairy-Steel type herself, her metal sensitivity was extraordinary.
Her fingers brushed the surface — and she understood.
The composition was close to Damascus steel, but denser, more alive — able to channel power fifty percent more efficiently.
She smiled faintly.
Then, while her right hand held the glowing steel, her left hand continued refining the monster scales in black flame.
Suddenly —
"A second fire!?"
Gasps erupted through the forge.
The Captain leaned forward.
This new flame — a bright crimson-orange — burned with volcanic fury.
He recognized it instantly.
"That's the Turtonator's fire-soul…"
Even Bai Chen frowned, whispering under his breath:
"What is she doing with that one?"
No one dared to interrupt.
The entire workshop — even passing hunters — stopped to watch.
The Pukei-Pukei scales glowed molten purple; the Birdwyvernite bar shimmered red-gold.
When the metals reached perfect color, she moved.
Clang—!
Clang—!
Clang—!
Each hammer blow rang with terrifying power.
The molten piece flattened and folded with precision no human arm could match.
The Captain's grin widened.
This was no apprentice.
This was a true master.
Half an hour passed.
At last, the little smith quenched the metal, pulled it from the cooling bath, and began polishing.
The result — a twenty-centimeter-wide, thirty-centimeter-long arm-shield,
its surface embedded with glimmering purple scales, studded with tiny spikes.
In less than an hour, she had forged a masterpiece.
She fitted leather straps to the back, adjusted the grip, and proudly held it out.
"Yama!"
Bai Chen accepted it — and the system window flashed before his eyes.
[Item]: Pukei-Pukei Arm-Shield
[Rarity]: 3
[Element]: Poison +50 / Blast +20 / Defense +50
[Slots]: None
[Weight]: 12 kg
[Evaluation]:Excellent quality. Forged using dual elemental flames — simultaneously fortifying defense and infusing poison and blast into the spikes.
Bai Chen's eyes gleamed.
"One hour… and it's a rarity-three, perfect-grade shield?"
She'd used both fire-souls to full effect — enhancing the armor's strength while weaponizing its spikes.
"Let me see that."
The Captain took it, his rough hands trembling slightly.
He turned it over once, twice — eyes widening further with each glance.
Then he looked at Bai Chen, stunned.
"You seriously want her to learn here?"
"Yama!!"
The little Smith puffed her cheeks, furious.
She wasn't here to learn — she was here to challenge.
The Captain chuckled.
"Easy now. I've no right to call myself your teacher. Let's just call this… an exchange."
"Yama."
She crossed her arms proudly. She didn't need to exchange anything — in her mind, she'd already won.
The Captain sighed, rubbing his beard.
"Alright then… if it's a contest you want, I'll show you something from my private collection."
He turned toward his apprentice.
"Go to my quarters. Bring that one."
The apprentice paled but obeyed, running off — and soon returned carrying a long, dust-covered wooden chest nearly four meters in length.
Whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Wait… the Captain still has a masterpiece hidden away?"
The old man brushed the dust from the lid and smiled faintly.
"This," he said, "is my proudest work."
He opened the chest.
A surge of cold air spilled out — a blade sleeping in frost.
Bai Chen's eyes widened.
The Z-shaped tsuba, the rope-bound scabbard —
He recognized it instantly.
"No way… That's the 'Peerless Heaven Blade'—rarity 8!?"
The system window flashed again before his eyes.
The reading made his breath catch.
"Wait—this isn't just rarity 8… It's Supreme-grade?"
He swallowed hard.
"Am I… dreaming?"
"This blade… It's actually Supreme-tier—the legendary 'Peerless Heaven and Earth Twin Blade'!?"
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