“Looks good. Good. Made from some ordinary alloy, it must be sharp thanks to its shape. Do you want to continue with forging? I don't think you will have time for some kind of hobby. For mortals, it is far more than enough, but if you want to reach the higher stage, there is a similar situation, like energy pathways. Weapon and armor making is very hard and complex.” 36 said in a strange pattern of truth, while stating the facts he knew about the forging.

Allan's way of forging did not seem shabby, but he was not here when it was made. Not like he would be surprised anyway, since the mortal forging is different than the one he knew about.

“Of course! I have no hesitation about it. One of the reasons I believe this is a good idea is hidden in that bandanna. I suppose you remember it, mister 36.”

“A little. It needs some time before I will think of a solution.”

“I want to do it as fast as possible. If there are some ideas, you have in mind. Please, tell me.”

“Heh! Now, you are an impatient one? How hilarious. It has some kind of array to keep its content hidden. It could either be completely destroyed, overwritten, or stabbed to make a passage so we could reach inside without further work.”

“So you wanted the second option?” Allan asked, after understanding his intentions.

“Yes. It is the safest. Destruction and that 3rd option can pose some stress and risk. ”

“What could be most likely to succeed?”

“I have no means of overwriting it myself yet. I suggest waiting.”

Before Allan talked back, 36 grunted. “But, if you can't. then the other 2 options are similar. Destroying is easier after all. Although the damage can endanger the loot inside, it is still acceptable if you know what is in there.”

“How to destroy it?” Allan asked, without hesitation.

“You are that impatient? Do you think what is inside will dramatically change your fate?”

“Yes.”

“Even if it's something your father left for you?”

“I would rather open it myself, but it will not be possible anytime soon. I need your help with that, mister 36.” Allan continued with firm tone. He really wanted to make this work, so the things inside were way too hard to no pass.

“Alright. Since this is your forgery, have you thought of something yourself?” 36 asked.

“I tried some methods. It can't be removed from the bandanna, so I could only try to destroy it physically.”

“I don't know the material it's made of, but I bet it is not something from the metals in your boxes.”

“I am well aware of it. Do you have an idea what sort of method I should look for?”

36 remained in silent thoughts. Occasionally asked some questions to Allan.

Sarey remained standing by aside. She reached a point of impatience, so she finally stepped forward. Reaching her hand in front of her. She opened the box in her hand, which she previously put on the table, while no one questioned a normal-looking wooden box.

“Could this help?” She asked while presenting a wooden box in front of 36.

It startled 36, who did not expect to see what was inside.

“Where in the world did you find this?” 36 asked in frustration and question. Unsure which emotion was more prevailed, but that did not matter when 36 is such a strange lunatic.

Inside the box was a shard. Blue with a purple sheen. It had many small spikes around the bigger one, which was around 20 centimeters long. It had the texture of metal and the smoothness of gems. While not polished, this shard was the natural resource of a higher plane.

Sarey willingly went out of her way to get something that she thought would help Allan with his problem. She remembered a lot of things her father had left out there. With enough work, she retrieved this piece of extremely pointed and sharp shard. Of course, she did not know what it was, but the way she thought, it could be used as a forceful tool to use with a hammer. Shove it into the hammer emblem and break it apart. It was not a bad idea at all, even when she did not know anything about it.

“Won't tell.” She shook her head in disapproval and a self-assured smile at her smart idea.

“This is a Living Shard. Part of a universe of resources that are very rare and valuable. Even I've seen her a few times in auctions what took place between some sects and particularly powerful organizations.” 36 frantically explained.

Allan stretched his arm inside the box. Sarey was too late to stop him, as 36's words surprised her a little. She finally got confirmation that the massive treasure out there is truly valuable beyond measure.

“What is this for? It is very light in its shape and mass. I bet it is not used for forging.” Allan slowly felt the shard in his hands. It felt cold and smooth and there was nothing impressive about it at first hand.

Sarey took it from his hand and stored it in the box once again.

“So? If it is so impressive, is there some way to use it to break it apart?” Sarey kept going. Unwilling to tell anything more.

“I suppose. Try it, press it on the emblem, and force it down. Let's see if there is some change.” 36 no longer wanted to know more. If she was unwilling, how could he force her? It bothered him that she just revealed such material. He knew some usage for it, but it all come down to his experience. 36 was no expert in anything in particular. Perhaps combat would be the most proficient way of his life, but he could not use it to his advantage yet.

Sarey glanced at 36.

“Sarey, we won't ask you where you got it. Can you hand it to me? It is only right if I do it myself.” Allan said, while facing her side, not caring too much about its origin.

Calming down a little upon hearing him, she tossed the shard from the box to his hand.

Allan took a few steps to his right and found the familiar cloth. Placed the tip of the Shard on the distinct crack across the hammer emblem. He tried to press it down a little with no reaction, so he pushed himself down with his full body weight.

Screeeeechhh!

Allan flew from the sudden shock of some sort of screeching impact. Like a metal against metal. There was now a small dot on the hammer's surface. Wider than the small crack.

Allan's fall was stopped by Sarey who was in a way. She had no time to react before he ended on top of her on the ground.

“Will you get off me?” She unwillingly groaned.

“S-sorry, that surprised me.”

“Keep going, Allan. There is a small effect on it.” 36 confidently said, while chuckling inside.

“Bloody path...It works!? No fucking way. I only assumed it. I have no way to know what sort of material or defense is behind this sealed storage emblem.” 36 freaked in his mind. Now, there was no going back. It had some effects!

“Alright.”

Bang!

Another hit. This time, Allan flew not that far away, while the force sounded much more firm. Sarey's hands stopped him on his back.

“Can you support me when I strike it some more?”

“Ugh... fine.”

Bang!

Allan backed away from it. Sarey supported him back.

Another hit after the other, Allan, failed to do any wider crack than the very first one.

“Why not use the hammer?” Sarey complained. It was already the 13th hit so far, and small changes began to reveal themselves from the defense formation of the hammer emblem. The force from the impact was rather strange after the 10th hit. It was like a gust of hot wind. It punched them in a split second. Hammer had a noticeable creak on its surface now. There was also a narrow point from the Shard's tip.

“I planned to after a few more tries.” This heat feels rather peculiar to Allan, and he began to guess the reason why. The Soul-fire!

“Don't waste time. Do it now.” Sarey insisted.

Sighing and reaching the furnace, Allan held his hammer and Shard in each hand.

“You should do it with some spare one unless you want to destroy your best hammer.” 36 added.

“I guess.” He happily agreed.

Pressing the Shard on the anvil, against the small dot in the hammer emblem he found through his touch, Allan swung a robust hammer at the back of the Shard.

Bang!

His hands flew to the air, but his body was steadily standing. In his left hand, only a piece of wood remained. The fate of the metallic hammer is unknown as it flew through the roof.

Shard was now standing still, without Allan's hand.

“See? It worked,” Sarey said behind his back.

“Again!” Allan says while almost shouting.

Bang!

It shattered another hammer beyond common sense.

“Ugh. I had only 3 of them.” Allan complained, but still tried one last time.

He spread his arm, and the swing struck the back of the Shard.

There was no sound, nor they were forced back. Without motion and vision, the crack widened, and the hammer broke into two pieces. It now resembled two vertical lines of a hammer. That was not that noticeable to anyone in the room.

A gust of red spread within the cracks as well as a dim light that accompanied orange flames. It spread in a circle beyond the Shard. It was flung away without any damage on its surface.

Not so much could be said to the pair who tried to break this emblem apart. Allan's body involuntarily shielded Sarey, who remained behind his back. Allan did not see any light or heard anything. It went like a sudden strike with a hammer to the head.

Raging flame circled around the emblem before it exploded around it. Flames spread across the room. It struck Allan, who was forced by this force, to the opposite side of the room, while Sarey followed. Any clothes on him survived such an explosive strength, but Allan's body flew away in a forceful way.

These were the flames that knew their enemies and friends. It did not destroy without a thought. Remnant of the soul-fire, to be exact, as there was no Soul-Fire inside since the attack from the near-immortal figures in the plain beyond.

All of this was visible in a not-so-clear fashion to 36. His wooden body had no sight of damage amidst this close explosion that was forced upon him as well. Flames left a few scorching marks on the wooden surface, but he is not the figurine itself, so it matters nothing to him.

Not like he could be bothered with anything. He was just speechless at what had happened.

“Who in their right mind is leaving living flames inside their storage with no protection or seal? Did his father want to kill him or what? What sort of bad luck is it?” He thought to himself, while obviously not expecting this outcome. 36 did not believe the Soul-fire could be stored in the space storage. They are too fierce to his knowledge.

Upon discovering the haggard-looking pair laying naked in the corner, he sighed in relief. The forceful explosion enveloped Allan completely, while Sarey was not spared from the flames as well. Her home clothes were in shambles and burnt, she fell unconscious amidst this tremendous shock.

36 did not notice, the indistinct pattern of scorching marks on the surface of Allan's chest. All he assumed was that no actual damage was done to them as far as he can tell. Perhaps... that in itself was more shocking than being damaged or scorched to death. Flames disappeared to the unknown amidst the last-second shock of light. Not even 36 saw anything. There was not much he could have done. His vision was static and colorless. It was as limited as The Ones intended.

Silence prevailed, 36 was carefully sizing his line of vision. He still had plenty of a field of view to work with. In a center of that explosion, the clutter of mess was around the furnace and anvil. Few boxes, black whetstone, and a slightly curved sword without a guard were laying there.

“He actually succeeded! Impressive. I was not sure myself. They broke the seal of that barrier, but what about that flame? Was it a real soul-fire or some defensive countermeasure?” He thought after considering the facts.

This explosion could all be a fault of the mistake, or the defense of the seal. 36 could only guess at this point, but it was not common to leave a seal without damaging the formation. It could prevent certain people from peeking inside. 36 had no idea what sort of background this seal could have, but he went along with Allan, who was very eager to destroy it, so he had no problems with going with the flow.

It seemed everything exceeded 36's small expectations, and the source of anything... well. 36 had no idea about the majority of things today, to begin with, apart from common ideas of breaking the formations and Living Shard.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.