“You need… to craft 10 [Epic] grade equipment… and the shadows will all take them?”
Juliet sat in front of Julian, her eyes slightly trembling from everything she had just heard. And while she couldn’t believe what she just heard, Julian seemed to be completely calm, as if the weight of what he had just revealed wasn’t heavy at all—it was. It was very heavy.
10 [Epic] grade equipment…just for a unique class? Anyone else might have probably already abandoned the quest, but now that she was remembering who was right in front of her, maybe the task wasn’t so daunting after all.
“So… both the weapons we created together disappeared,” Juliet whispered, her eyes narrowing as she scanned the outside of her forge for anyone who might be listening in on them, “Does that mean we only need to make 8 more? Wait, what do I mean ‘only’!? Julian… that’s crazy! That’s almost the entire portfolio of a Master Blacksmith… and we’re not even going to get them?”
“Yes,” Julian hummed, “That is why I want to focus on finishing the quest—I want to be able to hold our babies.”
“Hm…” Juliet’s breaths slightly trembled, her hands adjusting her bandana as she tried to process everything. She looked at the ground, and then at Julian again, “What happens if we finish making them? Is that it? You’re going to be… whatever your Unique Class is?”
“No.”
“No…?” Juliet’s eyes widened, “What do you mean ‘no’?”
“No.” Julian repeated, “After I finish the ten weapons, I need to craft a [Unique Epic] grade weapon.”
“...Why am I starting to regret becoming your apprentice, pretty boy.” Juliet almost pulled out her bandana there and then, her eyes widening as she looked Julian in the eyes, “Do you even realize how rare that is? [Epic] grade pieces of equipment are already hard to come by, and you’re telling me you need to make a [Unique Epic]? And although not at the same level…
…that’s the closest you could get to [Legendary] grade, Julian.”
“Hm.” Julian hummed, returning Juliet’s gaze and causing her to slightly be flustered. After all, he barely looks anyone in the eyes, if at all, “That’s why I need your help, Juliet—I don’t think I can do this without you.”
“T…that…” Juliet scratched her head, barely able to retain eye contact with him, “Heh… well, alright then, pretty boy. When do we start?”
“You’re fine with all of this?”
“Heck yeah,” Juliet stood up and gave Julian a thumbs-up, “The better my master is, the better it is for me. I am so in, pretty boy. I told you that I am all in, and I’m not going to back out now.”
“Thank you.” Julian also stood up and smiled.
And after that, neither of them spoke. Juliet leaned against her anvil, her thoughts racing as she once again tried to wrap her mind around everything. But very slowly, she took in a deep breath and started lighting the forge.
“Well…” The roar of the forge whispered in the air along with her words. She turned to Julian, the lines of her silhouette flickering orange from the dancing flames, “We’ve… got a lot of work to do, huh?”
“Hm.” Julian let out a small breath as he started rotating his wrists and stretching his fingers, “Let’s just get on with it, then.”
And as soon as the fire was hot enough, the two got to work almost immediately—and this time, Juliet was completely in assistant mode. She wasn’t even a striker, no. She just watched Julian, letting the clanging of the hammer whisper to her. And as soon as she hears the metal hardening, she quickly pulls it from the anvil and reheats it in the forge.
She really only needed to do this once per blade, however, as Julian was capable of completely shaping the metal to whatever he wanted in a very short amount of time. Sometimes, not even—she just ends up grinding the edges and sharpening them, but even that takes so little time since Julian even molds the sharp edges himself.
In truth, Juliet wanted to be involved more in the crafting process—but right now, at her level, she would probably just get in the way. And perhaps this was better, after all, she was practically sitting right in front of a master class… all she needed to do was watch and listen, again, and again.
“Ah! Julian, our first [Epic]!” After just the 2nd blade, they were able to craft an [Epic] dagger. Julian only glanced and smiled at it before once again confining himself within the roar of the forge and the heat that almost scaled their skin, tireless crafting weapon after weapon.
One would think that Julian’s effort would dwindle along with the mountain of ingots, but not at all. Each new weapon they forged had a life of its own—even those that were only [Rare] grade.
And soon, Juliet finally witnessed the thing she was waiting for. The shadows started to shift.
“This…” Juliet quickly looked at Julian, who also glanced at her in response. She was about to voice her thoughts, but she noticed that some of the blacksmiths working nearby were actually watching them—how could they not when Julian was practically mass-producing something they needed to work incredibly hard to achieve?
Most of them were whispering among themselves, their eyes as wide as they could be with awe.
“Ack!” Juliet quickly rushed out of the tent, grabbing a handful of heavy drapes from the side of the forge and hastily covering all the sides of their tent, leaving only a bit to keep the air flowing. The onlookers were not shy in expressing their disappointment with their loud groans, but Juliet stepped out and started pointing and shouting at them to leave—suffice it to say, when she came out with a large axe in hand, they all just scurried away like roaches.
And once she was sure there weren’t anymore people lurking about, she stepped back inside…and what awaited her caused her entire body to freeze there and then.
The shadows now completely surrounded the entire forge, and although she knew it was impossible, it was almost as if she could feel them hugging her, veiling her in a warm, and comfortable whisper.
It was weird. She thought the shadows would be cold and… ominous, but not at all. It felt quite… welcoming.
But of course, her opinion once again changed as she saw the [Epic] grade weapons that Julian had made with all of his heart slowly disappearing into the darkness—no. They weren’t disappearing at all, although it was imperceptible at first, he saw the real form of the shadows as they crept toward the weapons—they looked like heads. Perhaps wolves? Birds? Maybe even human, she couldn’t quite explain it.
But they were here, they were everywhere…and she even felt that the shadows were actually also watching her. It should feel menacing, but not at all.
“I’m… not going to get absorbed too, am I?” Juliet nervously gulped, but still took a step closer to Julian to assist him. The shadows moved faster and faster, swirling around the weapons—and soon, all the [Epic] grade weapons they had made disappeared. The dagger, the axe, and even the blade of a spear that Juliet had not completed attaching to its shaft yet.
Yes, Julian did not only make daggers even if it would have been easier. He wasn’t rushing at all, no. The serene smile on his face proved to Juliet that he wasn’t actually just doing this to complete the quest, not at all—he was doing this because he truly loves it.
And with that thought entering Juliet’s mind, a tear could not help but trail across her cheek.
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She made the right decision… she made the right decision to follow this person right in front of her.
“Thank you, Master Julian.” Juliet whispered as she grabbed a cloth, not to wipe her tears, but to wipe the sweat from Julian’s brow.
Hours passed, yet Julian’s hand moved with unwavering precision, each strike sending a deep, rhythmic vibration across the forge that sent a slight tingle crawling up the back of Juliet’s neck. If she could be locked away in this forge with Julian forever, she probably wouldn’t even regret it.
She had fallen in love with his craft, no. She had fallen in love with him, and she didn’t intend to deny it. But not in a romantic sense—no, this was a profound respect for Julian, both as a person and as a blacksmith. It was to the point where she silently promised herself that she would never leave his side, no matter what.
And a few minutes later, the 5th weapon was finished—a beautifully crafted war axe. As she began lightly hitting and fitting it to the handle she’d made while Julian was forging, a sense of longing crept in. She wanted to keep this war axe for herself. But alas, after a few moments, the shadows returned to claim it.
Another hour slipped by, and this time, Julian paused, expecting another glowing orange ingot to be placed in front of him… but none came. He looked over at the pile to see if they’d run out, but there was still at least half left.
He then turned to Juliet, only to see her grinding the last longsword he made; the hilt already attached. The smile on her face, almost chuckling. She then placed the sword on the ground and took a step back, standing beside Julian.
“What’s going on?” Julian tilted his head.
“We’re done, Julian.” Juliet let out a heavy breath, glancing at Julian with a wide, and proud smile on her face, “That’s the 8th one… you actually did it, you monster.”
“That…”
“O… oh?” Juliet almost leaned away as Julian suddenly placed his hand on her face.
“You’re crying?” Julian rubbed the tears in his fingers, “Did something happen?”
“Oh… no.” Juliet awkwardly smiled, wiping the tears on her cheek as she did so, “I’m just… thank you for letting me be a part of this, Julian. I’m learning so much, so… I promise you… I promise you that I am going to improve on my craft so that I can actually be worthy to stand beside you.
“...You don’t need to be worthy.” Julian hummed, “When you were smiling earlier, I feel like that is more important than anything, Juliet. If you love what you’re doing, then being worthy doesn’t matter.”
“You…” Juliet let out a tiny gasp at Julian’s words, before softly chuckling as she nudged his shoulder, “...You’re sounding more and more like a master, pft. You—oh, it’s happening.”
“Hm?”
This was actually the first time Julian was watching it. This was the first time he was watching his baby get taken away by the shadow.
And like Juliet, Julian did not feel any violence or greed from the shadows at all—no. If anything, the shadows felt excited—even though that was the tenth piece of equipment it had absorbed, it still felt excited to claim it, like a little child… like him.
Julian did not have a really great impression of the so-called Master of Shadows, but if he was this excited in obtaining what he made, then perhaps he wasn’t so bad, after all.
“And there it goes.” And now, with the last of the [Epic] grade weapon sinking into the darkness, Juliet was finally able to breathe out a sigh of relief; her chest that had been inflated since the start, now allowed to relax.
And soon, the shadows too, faded away and the light of the forge once again danced across the soft walls of her smithy.
And now, all that remained was the silence—the two of them, still staring at where the weapon disappeared into. The weight of what they had just achieved, finally falling upon their shoulders as the two fell to their butt there and then.
They looked at each other, with Julian once again letting Juliet’s face reflect in his eyes. And after what seemed like a minute, the two smiled at the same time.
“Yes!” Juliet raised both of her fists in the air and screamed, even howling like a wolf due to her excitement overflowing, “You did it, pretty boy! You did it!”
“Yes, we did…” Julian softly chuckled as he let his head fall and relax, the exhaustion finally catching up to him. Although he still crafted more blades the very first time back at the town of beginners, the effort he exerted here was much greater,
“Now… it’s time for the [Unique Epic].”
“Yeah, no.” Juliet quickly lowered her fists, her eyes now black as she glanced at Julian again, “That’s not happening, not here.”
“Hm?” Julian tilted his head, “What do you mean?”
“We’re talking about something that equals a [Legendary] grade equipment here in terms of rarity.” Juliet sighed, shaking her head as she stood up from the ground, “These ingots and my forge won’t be able to make something like that. We’d need a special material and a special fire. You’re the best blacksmith I have ever seen, pretty boy—but with just steel, that’s not happening.”
“Hm…” Julian hummed, listening to her words, “What do you suggest, then?”
“We need to visit the nearest Blacksmith’s guild.” Juliet sighed, “The closest one is in Calydion. If we rent some Seikrobos, we should probably reach it… in 3 days?”
“Wait…” Julian stood up from the ground, “...What do you mean by a special fire?”
“...It’s a different kind of flame with special properties, usually enhanced by mages?” Juliet narrowed her eyes, looking at Julian from head to toe, “You’re an Evil Spirit.”
“Why… are we talking about that again?”
“Because even a kid would know that.” Julian let out another sigh while shaking her head, “You should probably avoid asking strangers those kind of questions, pretty boy—you might get in trouble if a support of the Order realizes you’re not an Evil Spirit.”
“...I’m not an Evil Spirit.”
“Ack, sure. Sure.” Juliet waved her hand, “The name seems tasteless anyway. I don’t think you’re evil at all, Julian.”
“I’m…” Julian did not really know how to answer that as he had already killed people—here and on Earth, “...I try to be a good person, Juliet.”
“Alright then.” Juliet clapped before wiping the sweat on her forehead, “We should probably prepare for the trip. I’ll prepare the supply and the seikrobos… and let’s meet here tomorrow?”
“Don’t you need help in preparing?” Julian asked.
“Psh, no…” Juliet waved her hand as she started unfolding the drapes and airing out the forge, “...I’ll just sell the materials we have left since we can’t bring it. As for my forge, well—I think I’m just going to sell it.”
“What…?” Julian lightly gasped, “Why would you do that?”
“I don’t think we’ll be back here anytime soon.” Juliet shrugged, “It will just be wasting here if I don’t sell it—and would need money for our travels too, I can’t let you pay for everything.”
“B—”
“It’s not negotiable.” Juliet grinned.
Julian wanted to rebuke, but it was not really his place to say anything about this at all. And so, with a long and very deep sigh, he just hummed and nodded before bidding his farewell and returning to the inn.
Once again, Julian felt a small sense of anticipation. The thought of creating something truly unique, something beyond what most blacksmiths could even dream of—it once again stirred something inside him.
“Tomorrow, then…” Julian lay down the hard bed, staring at the wooden ceiling of his room. He was excited to journey to the so-called blacksmith’s guild, but for now…
“...Guidance.”
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[STATUS]
Name: Julian Winters
Class: No Class
Level: 11
Health (HP): 115/120
Mana (MP): ??/??
Stamina (SP): 34/158
Strength: 14+
Agility: 18+
Vitality: 10
Mana: ?
Perception: 21+
Free Points: 15
Skills:
You have no skills yet. Please select a class as soon as possible.
Abilities:
Hyper Instinct - Due to some unknown factor undetected by the [Guidance of Artemis], your senses are highly abnormal. All Skills affected by Perception will have increased effectiveness.
Active Quests:
Master of Shadows
The Flames of Juliet
Explore the world to gain more quests.
[End of STATUS]
image [https://i.imgur.com/WbV9FhH.png]
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“Hm…?” Julian let the information enter his mind, his eyes widening with all the numbers, “I… gained 4 levels? Is it because of the Living Statues?”
More than likely, it was also probably because of all the forging he had done. His Strength and Agility had increased on their own. And once again, his Perception had grown even higher—he probably didn’t even need to assign any points there since it seemed to rise on its own.
"MEGAN, I have 15 Free Points," Julian whispered. "Should we go with what we talked about…?"
"Then… 6 points to Strength, and 9 points to Vitality," Julian said, gritting his teeth in anticipation of the familiar pain that was about to course through his entire body. Once again, he felt his bones and muscles restructuring—it was something he was getting used to, but it still hurt.
"Okay…" Julian took a deep breath that echoed through the room, closing his eyes as he prepared to return to his original body.
After several seconds, he felt his consciousness start to fade.
***
"Where’s Ellie?"
Julian immediately noticed the emptiness of the bed upon returning to Earth, his hand instinctively reaching out to the other side of the mattress as Ellie’s scent was absent from the room.
[I told her you were returning, so she went out to get something for you to eat, Julian,] MEGAN’s voice whispered in his mind. [You seem to be getting more comfortable going back and forth between your two bodies.]
"I… think so too." Julian removed the LinkGear and sat up. "I need you to look something up for me, MEGAN."
[Oh…?]
"What’s that place called…?" Julian murmured, standing up and carefully placing the LinkGear on the bed.
"The place where you learn martial arts?"
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