After around a month, it was nearing winter. Kate had reached the third level in the Mortal Realm while Shui had returned to the second level. As a witness to Kate's cultivation speed, Shui thought that she was truly a genius. Among those in their age group, only a few had comparable results, but Shui knew that she would soon reach the fourth level and surpass all of them. Every cultivation realm before King Realm could be split into early, mid and late stages, each comprised of three levels. Every breakthrough to the next stage would come with increased difficulty and higher quality energy as a reward.
He considered teaching her the breathing technique he knew, but since she had already started with the 'Azure Cloud' cultivation method, she would have to release her cultivation to get the full benefit from using the breathing technique, and he couldn't tell her to make such a sacrifice.
Besides increasing his cultivation and mastering the aura-restraining art, Shui made significant progress in blacksmithing. If he only had the twenty four hours of a day, it wouldn't have been so quick, but with the Primordial Library, Shui could increase his knowledge of metals and forging at a ridiculous pace. Now, he finally got the chance to properly wield a hammer.
Before actually trying to forge something, he watched from the side, got used to the weight of a hammer and helped with the forging done by his seniors.
When he first tried his hand at it, though he got something out of the process, it could hardly be called a success. However, Bartos was already proud of his progress so far and told him that he just needed more practice. Even during his session in the Library, he focused his time on raising his forging skills. Though he couldn't actually practice in the Library, he could learn more and simulate the process in his mind. There were differences in the process based on what was being made, but there were more similarities.
'I've watched them for so long I've already memorised their movements, and even their breathing to the level where I could draw them. I just need practice.'
Once Shui was focused on something, he wouldn't stop until he completed it, so he ended up in a state where even eating was something only done reluctantly. Instead of wasting time eating he would rather refine his craft.
After a few weeks, he could finally churn out something that could be called a tool, but it was far from success for him. In his heart, this was no longer about creating a tool, it was about putting his everything into the creation.
He spent more time in the forge, pressuring himself to improve, much to the dismay of Kate and Lilia. Kate was spending more time cultivating so she wanted to play with Shui whenever she was free, and dress him up. While Lilia wanted him to be like a full member of their family, and dress him up. However, though the two wanted Shui to be at their home more, Bartos was the one who allowed Shui to use his forge. It did get him ignored at home, but the sight of Shui working in the forge made up for it.
Besides the time spent sleeping, eating and going to the Library, Shui spent all of his time in the forge. Though his products were all the same in his eyes, with each attempt he was getting better, but not in terms of appearance; the tools he made were useful but crude looking. Instead of appearance, their sturdiness and quality were increasing. During the process, Shui's mind was always focused on the task, with his concentration nearing the level of Gus. Not only his eyes and hands, his ears were also being utilized. He knew how to breathe, he knew how much force to use, he knew how to apply the force, he knew when the use the materials, everything was already apart of him. And yet,
'Why do I feel stuck?'
In one of his Library sessions, he was in the rare act of contemplating, something he would normally never waste time in the Library doing. But he felt like he had to, he felt that he had to overcome this before he could make any further progress.
"Uncle Bartos already said that besides appearance, my stuff is at average quality, and I don't think I can pass average quality easily. But, it's still there! This feeling that I'm not giving my all."
Shui had considered asking Bartos about his problem, but didn't bother. Maybe if he asked, the problem would be solved, but he couldn't do that. A little kid he might be, but he had his own pride. As fit for a child, he was unbearably selfish when he wanted to be.
"I need to change my approach. There must be something I'm not remembering."
Shui closed off his vision and focused on himself. He imagined the most engaging process of blacksmithing, hammering. He imagined himself wielding a hammer, slamming a piece of molten metal over and over again. Soon he could hear the ding from the collision, the heat blasting at his face, the itchy burn that came from his muscles. He immersed himself so far his body started to sweat.
In his imagination, he felt the same, his body was working its hardest yet, he still felt like he had more than enough room to breathe. There was still something he hadn't poured into the craft.
'Why? It should be my everything. Everything I've learnt so far! My every,thing...?'
His imagination faded and he turned on his vision. Realising what he had forgotten he felt the urge to laugh.
"I can't believe I forgot."
It was something that started his cultivation journey. The thing that led him to find out about the Library, something he had grasped, but not fully mastered. He finally recalled it.
After using the rest of the time to ready his body and flip through a few history books, Shui confidently made his way to Bartos' forge. When he arrived, Bartos was wiping off his sweat with a towel, probably just finishing up an item. With one look at Shui, he knew it. The boy was ready.
There was no need for words between them, Bartos stepped out of the forge and Shui walked in.
"Is he ready?"
Yur came to Bartos and asked while looking at Shui putting on his gloves.
"We may have something to auction."
"That good?!"
Yur knew Bartos' standards wouldn't drop even for his future son-in-law, so he was surprised his junior might make something of such calibre.
"I don't normally use this word but, the boy's a genius."
It was time for him to prove what he had figured out. This time, he chose to make a knife, something he was most familiar with making. As he delved into the process of hammering the metal, he filtered out everything outside the forge as if he was in a separate space. While slamming down the hammer, Shui didn't use the nature energy inside him, this wasn't a matter of increasing his strength. Instead, he added something else to the hammer, his martial intent.
He was still in control of the hammer, but once he injected his martial intent in it, he felt like he was almost there. He was finally feeling a euphoric drain from his soul. He was putting his everything into the craft. He was sure that this wouldn't be common goods, it would be his first true creation.
It was the last strike, as the hammer headed down and was about to hit the metal, Shui couldn't feel it anymore. He was no longer swinging the hammer of his own will, he was borrowing the force of something greater. For that moment, he felt like the world itself had held the hammer.
DING!
The sound from that last ding would have reached the entire clan if it wasn't for the sound dampening array that was set up around the forge. Shui was so exhausted that he couldn't complete the rest of the process, and he didn't need to either.
The knife didn't have a handle, the blade simply shone with a light grey gleam. The knife in front of him was different from anything he had ever seen, just the sight was enough to stun him.
"Well done."
At this point, Bartos came beside Shui and put his hand on his shoulder, then, as if signalled to, he fainted from the fatigue. Unknown to Shui, the sky had already turned dark while he was in the forge so it was no surprise that he couldn't hold on any longer.
"Bring him to Lilia."
Yur picked up Shui but he didn't leave. He looked at Bartos' back as his master caressed the knife that Shui had created.
"Master, that, he..."
The scene he had just witnessed made him so shocked that formulating sentences was difficult.
"I shouldn't need to tell you not to say anything, right?"
For a brief moment, Yur felt a chill down his spine. Without any more questions, he went away, leaving Bartos behind with a proud expression.