'Come on! You better fucking work!' Lone shouted in his mind as he began attempting to enchant the blade he had just forged, a blade that looked similar to the blades he had forged endlessly the past seven days. This was maybe the thousandth one. 'This is my last chance since the deadline is literally in five minutes! You had better fucking work!'
Lone poured all of his concentration, all of his being and all of his effort into the one sword he was holding as he created the runes with his Enchanting skill.
Eolande was hovering nearby watching him with awe in her eyes. 'I can't believe he learned the Enchanting Skill... he still doesn't have the Blacksmithing one... but still... is he more inclined towards magic? That would make sense since he's a Foxkin. I hope you succeed, Lone. I really do, for both our sakes... ' she thought.
Both the furnace, Red'Klata, and the Anvil, Kal, we're watching Lone in anticipation. 'It was a struggle to get him to stay here for the remaining six days... I imagine he'll leave immediately after his success or failure,' Red'Klata thought.
Suddenly, a blinding light filled the room and forced Eolande to avert her gaze. "Ha... ha... .HA... HAHAHAHAHA FUCKING YES! I FUCKING DID IT! WITH MY OWN TALENTS!" Lone immediately began shouting and jumping around like a child. He calmed down after a few moments and looked at the sword he had created with love and care. 'I doubt I'll ever use you since I have no need for swords, but perhaps Sophie can find a use for you? One thing's for sure, though. I'll treasure you for my entire life. A sword that I enchanted purely with my own talents... not even using the boost from my title... ' Lone thought in glee.
Eolande quickly flew down to the ground and looked at the sword with a scrutinising gaze. "Hrmm, barely C-Ranked. Congratulations, Lone Immortus, you have successfully become the very first person in the history of Altros to pass my tests. Do you still wish to apprentice yourself to me?" Eolnde asked in a sagely manner, befitting of her age.
Lone looked at his creation with a warm gaze once more before he stored the weapon in his dimension. Eolande didn't even bat an eyelid at him doing so. 'I'm glad she was so accepting of my creation skill and spatial pocket, really, could I even force a being like her into a contract of secrecy, I wonder?' Lone thought before he turned to face her.
"I am more than willing. Please, Eolande, teach me the ways of enchanting and smithing," Lone asked with as much sincerity as he could muster up. He then slightly bowed his head to the three-foot tall Tylwyth Teg.
"I'm a woman of my word. I'll teach you, but despite your overwhelming talent, it will take many years I suspect for you to learn my craft. Are you willing to stay here for that length of time?" Eolande asked in a firm tone.
"I'm not," was Lone's immediate response. 'Overwhelming talent, huh? I wonder about that,' Lone thought, allowing his self-doubt to grow.
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"Oh? Really now? And why would that be?" Eolande asked in shock. 'I offer him the teaching he wanted, but now he refuses to stay the duration required to learn? Not that it matters since... ' Eolande thought.
"I have business outside of this dungeon and fully plan to conquer it within the next ten months. If required, I'll come back here to finish my studies with you, but you need to understand, my life isn't meant to be used as a simple crafter, no matter how great at it I might become. It's just a means to an end," Lone explained honestly.
Eolande held her chin in one hand and pondered over the matter for a few moments. "What you say does make some sense. I don't have the ability to peer into one's fate, but you are certainly capable of more than just crafting, and several years could indeed be better spent developing your growth in other areas. It matters not, everything will work out in the end," Eolande agreed with a mysterious smile.
'What's up with her smile? Does she know something that I don't? I thought me refusing to stay in Hope would be a struggle to persuade her about. No way my Persuade Skill influenced her, so why?' Lone thought before he bowed his head again. "Thank you for understanding."
"It is now time to tell her of our choice to join you, Lone. Don't worry; she will understand," Red'Klata, the Furnace, stated.
"Eolande," Lone called as he looked right into the girl's eyes with a serious gaze. 'This should be interesting. I wonder if she'll kick up a storm, or will she just accept it? I can't figure out her thoughts at all,' he thought.
"Yes? Was there something else you needed? I thought you were immediately going to go visit the Lemurian Chieftain after this to talk about last week's incident," she replied with a knowing smile.
"Right," Lone said, "I will, but first, the Furnace, Red'Klata and the Anvil, Kal, have apparently subordinated themselves to me and wish to become my possessions due to my talent in smithing, even though I've told them my heart isn't really into blacksmithing. Do you mind if I take them?" Lone asked honestly and a bit too frankly for either of the Cosmos-Ranked tools' liking.
"Hmm? It was something as insignificant as that? Of course, take them, don't worry about my opinion on the matter, hehehe," Eolande giggled in response, confusing not only Lone, but the tools as well.
"... Well then... thank you? I'll take them when I leave the city..." Lone said in an unsure manner. 'What on Earth is she planning? No way she'd let me just take her Cosmos-Ranked forging tools without at least some resistance, right?' Lone had thought in suspicion.
However, after that, Eolande didn't mention it at all and simply hovered away to another part of the workshop or perhaps her home, so Lone left the Glade and began walking towards the Lemurian's tribe.
'Soph, I'm going to go meet that Lizard Chieftain and see if I can find that vendor who attacked you. I need to thank the Chieftain, but the cretin that hurt you emotionally needs to apologise to your face,' Lone telepathically said to Sophie with some anger in his voice.
Sophie sat in the summoning room watching Lone through the viewing screen with the fluffy Kyuubi peacefully sleeping in her arms. 'Thank you, Lone,' she replied. Perhaps another person might have dissuaded Lone from wanted to force the already punished Lemurian to apologise, but Sophie was simply happy that Lone cared and she was glad that he wasn't after the person's life. That showed a growth of his character that Sophie couldn't be more pleased with.
After receiving no complaints from her, Lone doubled his pace as he sped through the city and he finally found himself looking up at the gate made entirely out of some sort of twine, or perhaps branches? Either way, Lone had arrived at the Lemurians tribe.