In a large dark brick room underground, weapons hung on the walls and the stone furnaces burned with fire. Metal clanged on metal, and sparks flew into the hot air. With goggles over my face and gloves over my hands, I stood forging an object on my anvil. In my left hand, I held tongs to hold the object in place. In my right hand, I held a rectangular-head hammer made of enchanted mithril, a rare metal imbued with magic.

I pounded the bright orange metal in front of me with my hammer, bending its structure and shape. Behind me, off to the side and on a steel table, there laid a humanoid body made of wood and metal—a puppet forged by my hands.

The puppet was made out of Yggdrasil wood, which I obtained from the legendary tree Yggdrasil and trees that sprouted from its soil. Inside its body, there was a metal skeleton made from God Titanium, a unique alloy of titanium mixed with a drop of a god's blood. For this mixture, it had the blood of the Metal God, which was fit for my creation. Alongside the skeleton, there was a mana engine—a device made from mithril and orichalcum carved with magic runes. Its purpose was to take in magic particles from the surrounding area and empower the puppet, giving it the ability to use spells and magic. And there was the essence of wisdom, which I retrieved from the elves, giving the puppet intelligence and basic knowledge.

With the body and skeleton, assembled with the other parts, they resembled a young woman with long brown hair and blue eyes. The puppet remained lifeless on the table as I worked to finish the final piece.

As I pounded the metal, it eventually became a spherical shape. Once I checked and made sure the surface was smooth like I wanted, I carefully grabbed the sphere using some tongs and placed it into basilisk oil to quench it. While submerged, smoke rose from the trough and spread through the room. A couple seconds later, I pulled the sphere out of the oil and placed it into the furnace to temper it. As it was tempering, I checked and turned the sphere every now and then, evenly cooling to ensure it maintains its structure.

Once it was completely tempered, I moved the sphere to a second furnace to heat it again. I was going to repeat the process of heating it, quenching it, and tempering it two more times. Triple quenching was risky and difficult. However, it was worth it to achieve a stronger and more durable state for the sphere.

After quenching it for the third time, I placed the sphere onto the table. I grabbed a chisel and carefully carved a few runes on the sphere. By doing this, it would give it a magical property.

Once the runes were placed, I was ready to add the finishing touch. From my pocket, I grabbed out a mithril flask carved with runes and enchanted with magic. Opening the cap, a white colored flame leaked out. The flame was known as the White Flame of Life. It was a divine flame created by the Life Goddess, which I had to go through many challenges and obstacles to get. I only managed to obtain a small amount of it within this flask, and I saved it just for this.

I leaned the flask just a little. The White Flame drifted out from the flask and entered the sphere, lighting up the runes. I took off my goggles and stared at the glowing sphere. I had finally completed the puppet's core.

It was a beautiful silver gray sphere with radiant gold streaks. Runes were carved all over the core, and they were lit up in a bright white color thanks to the White Flame of Life within.

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

I grabbed the core with my hand and looked at the puppet in front of me. Gently, I carefully placed the core into the center of the puppet's body and closed it up, then backed away as the core did its work.

"...!"

Suddenly, a glowing white aura appeared around the puppet. It was blinding and very warm. The puppet began levitating from the table and the white aura instantly turned into a white fire, engulfing it entirely.

"No!" I rushed in to get close, but it gave off an intense heat, burning and pushing me away. "Aagh...!"

The pain was quick and searing hot. The flesh on my arm had turned completely white and black, and I could almost feel nothing anymore. As for the white fire, it covered the entire puppet, and I could do nothing but stand back and watch.

What is happening...? I thought to myself.

The puppet's hair started to change. The brown color slowly faded away, and its hair turned pure white. Then, the white fire surrounding the puppet completely vanished. The puppet slowly came back down and laid itself on the table as if nothing happened.

"..."

I stared at the puppet, shocked and fascinated by what happened in front of me, unable to put anything into words. I have never seen anything like that before. That white fire and that white aura. The core must've reacted with the puppet's body. That was the only explanation.

Of everything I've made, this was the most difficult and dangerous to forge. I can see that clearly. However, by far, this was my greatest creation.

As I stared at the puppet, its still body bothered me. Something about it wasn't right. Confused and worried, I went up close to the puppet to examine it. It showed no sign of moving. Assuming what I saw earlier was what I thought it was, the core should be properly functioning. So why wasn't the puppet waking up?

I placed my hand to my chin. "Perhaps it's going to take some time before it awakens..."

The puppet wasn't destroyed nor broken in any way, so I don't see any need to worry about that. Since the puppet was fine, waiting for it seemed to be the most logical choice at the moment.

I turned my attention to the burns on my arms. The White Flame of Life. It was as anybody would think of it. A fire that brought life. However, it doesn't mean it was safe. Anyone who dared to touch it with their bare hands without permission or reason will be burned by its searing flames as punishment. It was divine after all. It was never meant for mortals such as myself.

As I stared at my arms, a purple aura appeared and enveloped my wounds, hot steam rising as they slowly healed. I let out a sigh of disappointment, and turned away to gaze into the fire of the furnaces.

As a blacksmith, I have forged many weapons, tools, and equipment during my life. Some I forged myself. Some I forged with my blacksmith family and friends. Our creations were spread throughout the world, each creating their own stories and legacies, carving their names into history. As artisans, we were proud of our crafts. But...although we had the greatest intentions, those who wielded them did not.

Every single one of our creations always ended up in failure. Not because they were useless. Not because they weren't powerful. Rather, it was because they ruined everything.

Greed, war, control, power, death. Whoever wielded them always brought chaos and destruction wherever they went. Whether we were involved, guilty, or the ones who forged them, it did not matter. We blacksmiths were the sole reasons for all of it, and this was the curse we all had to bear.

I clenched my fist, then I turned back to look at the puppet. My creation here, this puppet, is my hope of redeeming and freeing myself from this curse.