---
While Zain continued to breathe fire from his mouth, his throat and mouth burned — and even more, his internal organs suffered from agonizing burns. Yet he didn't stop hammering, for this technique was one he had created himself in his second life, after the death of his master… the man he regarded as a grandfather, whose place in his heart was no less than that of his uncle and aunt.
The flames of Fran surged with every breath he took. And each time he spat fire from his mouth, it wasn't aura-based flame — it was Fran's true fire… the fire that burned everything, even his own body from the inside.
And with every wave of pain, he didn't stop. Because he knew this, too, was a form of training — one that tempered both his blade and his body at once.
Thanks to the talent he acquired in his second life — "Golden Bone and Iron Skin" — he possessed a body that could withstand extreme pain. The more he was tempered by fire like weapons in the forge, the stronger and tougher he became. As for the meditation skill "Sacred Injustice Dragon," it quietly healed his internal wounds, turning his body into an unbreakable machine.
And as he drowned himself in the hammering of steel, memories began to resurface...
In a small forge, a young boy held a sword in his thin hands, his eyes gleaming with excitement, a proud smile on his face:
"Master! Look! I made my first sword! I think it deserves a name, doesn't it?!"
Boom! A sudden blow from a heavy wooden stick landed on his head. The boy gasped in pain, clutching his head as his eyes welled with tears. He turned around.
There stood a short, rough-looking dwarf with a thick white beard, messy hair, bulging muscles, a soot-stained apron, and leather gloves. In his hand was the same stick he always used — a painful teaching tool.
"You call this garbage a sword?! And you're thinking of giving it a name?!" His voice was as harsh as iron struck on an anvil.
"But… I worked so hard, Master… why do you call it garbage?" the boy said, biting his lip, trying to hold back his trembling tears.
"Are you arguing with your master now, you little brat?!"
Boom! A second blow landed mercilessly on his head.
"Ahh... Master! That hurts!" the boy cried out, wiping his tears with a filthy hand, trying to appear brave.
"My teachings are wasted if you squander resources on this junk!" the dwarf said scornfully, glaring at the trembling sword in the child's hands.
"But... it's sharp! And strong! And sturdy! I'm sure it could cut through a demon beast like butter!" the boy insisted, holding the sword before him like a treasure.
Boom! A third strike shattered all his confidence.
"Master! Why again?!"
"What do you understand about a sword? Or about weapons in general?" the dwarf asked, his eyes piercing him sharply.
"To kill… and to cut down enemies."
Boom! Another strike made the boy leap out of the stick's range.
The dwarf didn't care about his retreat. He continued, his voice heavier than iron:
"A weapon isn't just a tool to kill. It's a partner… an extension of you… a part of you, just like your own hand."
Then he turned his back, hiding the small smile that formed on his wrinkled face. A smile the boy never saw… but it said everything.
The boy stood there, staring at his master's back, wondering about the true meaning of a weapon.
---
Zain kept breathing fire and hammering steel, pondering the meaning of a weapon.
"Yes… you were right, Master. The weapon in my hand is an extension of me. A partner that bears my strength and shows it to the world."
Zain raised his hammer and struck the steel.
Suddenly, a blinding light flashed before Zain, and a long, straight sword appeared. He quickly plunged it into a barrel of water, releasing a massive cloud of steam from the sword's intense heat. Zain pulled the sword out — it was black in color, with a golden-orange hue.
A faint smile appeared on Zain's face.
He crafted a handle for the sword, adorned with the head of a black wolf with golden-orange eyes.
Zain gripped the sword and raised it high.
"From this day on… your name is Eclipse Wolf."
Zain bit his thumb and wrote his name on the blade with his blood.
The blood quickly disappeared, replaced by a set of engraved words.
The name was etched onto the blade using an ancient technique he had learned from his master — a method used by dwarves to form an eternal bond between a master and their weapon.
"From this day forward, you'll be the partner who bears my strength and shows it to the world… I trust you more than anything."
The sword was named "Eclipse Wolf" because the wolf symbolized loyalty — and the eclipse, the dark aura that Zain carried.
---
He put on his shirt and left the blacksmith workshop, carrying the Eclipse Wolf Sword, eager to try it out as soon as possible.
When he stepped outside, a whole day had passed. Waiting for him were his uncle, aunt, and the old man who owned the workshop, whose face was frozen in shock.
His uncle and aunt looked at him with pride, having witnessed the moment the sword was completed. They were all stunned by Zain's success.
"Uncle, Aunt, how long have you been waiting?"
"For a while now."
"Zain, you really managed to forge an incredible sword. It looks beautiful!" his aunt said, pointing at the sword in Zain's hand.
"Yes, and it's all thanks to the high-quality steel my uncle gave me."
"What nonsense are you saying? It's all thanks to your talent!" his uncle said with a smile.
"Yes, Zain." His aunt also smiled.
The three of them were about to leave when the old man stopped them.
"Wait a moment!"
The three turned to look at the old man, curious about what he wanted.
"Listen, Zain. I didn't expect you to have a gift for weapon forging. I've seen many blacksmiths in my life, but let me tell you one thing: you're better than all of them."
"Thank you."
Zain held no grudge against the old man. Why should he? To him, harboring feelings like hatred, envy, or resentment would only lower his worth. Those were emotions meant to be directed at him by the weak, not the other way around.
"Listen, Zain. I've always dreamed of creating a sword that would be remembered in history, but I never had the talent. Today, I saw you... and that's why I want to offer you a gift for your sword. Please, wait a moment."
Before anyone could respond, the old man had already gone back into the workshop.
They could hear the sound of tools being tossed around inside. A few minutes later, he returned carrying a long box.
"Your sword lacks a sheath, so I want to give you this one."
He opened the box, revealing a sheath that looked ordinary, but its size didn't match that of the Eclipse Wolf Sword.
"Umm... Grandpa, thank you for the sheath, but it doesn't fit my sword."
Zain had always been respectful. The old man hadn't mistreated him—in fact, he'd let him work in the blacksmith shop—so Zain followed a personal rule:
"Respect your elders, love the children."
"Hehe, I know. But this is a special sheath, made by one of my best friends. Just try it and see."
Zain didn't fully understand, but out of politeness, he took the sheath and tried to insert the Eclipse Wolf Sword into it… and then something unexpected happened. The sheath suddenly changed shape and fit the sword perfectly!
"This…"
"Yes, it's a special sheath made from high-grade materials."
In truth, Zain wasn't surprised by the sheath itself, but rather by the existence of such technology in this backward world.
"Is your friend... a dwarf?" Zain asked.
"How did you know?"
"It's obvious. This is a rare technique that requires high skill in forging and crafting."
"Haha, just as I thought—you really have a sharp eye."
In truth, Zain could make a similar sheath himself. It was one of the simpler techniques he had learned from his master. He just hadn't expected that a world this far behind in technology had reached such a level.
Zain thought to himself:
"Maybe I should visit the land of the dwarves… to show them who the true master of iron and flame is."
Zain looked at the old man.
"Thank you for the gift."
"It's nothing. Watching you create that masterpiece made up for my regrets."
"Really, thank you. The sheath came at the perfect time. I didn't want to wrap the Eclipse Wolf Sword in some cheap cloth."
Zain then left with his uncle and aunt after bidding farewell to the old man.
The old man watched Zain's back as he walked away.
"I never thought I'd see the day when someone cared for his sword like it was his soul—so much so that he gave it a name… If that old friend of mine saw this, he would've been overjoyed."
---
Zain wanted to go test his sword, but his aunt dragged him home to eat, as he hadn't had anything all day while working on crafting her sword. After finishing the meal, Zain quickly rushed out, leaving his aunt a little helpless in the face of his excitement. Thankfully, his uncle was there to help her sit down and rest.
Zain arrived at a secluded spot. He looked around and picked a large boulder to test his sword's power. He drew the sword from its sheath, took a deep breath, then closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He raised the sword at a 90-degree angle above his head and channeled his aura into it. It felt much smoother than the last time with the training sword, and the amount of aura needed to activate the sword's first form seemed to have decreased.
{First Form: Dark Slash}
Zain swung his sword quickly, releasing a massive wave of dark energy five meters long.
Boom!
Zain's attack struck the large boulder, and dust filled the impact area. Quickly, he used wind magic to disperse the dust, revealing a long trench half a meter deep in the ground. It started narrow but widened at the end.
If any knights or warriors had seen this scene, they wouldn't believe such an attack came from someone with only one star. Even three-star warriors could barely unleash that level of destruction.
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Hello everyone, I hope for all your support.