"Raged Dance of Mad God!" Aodhfionn, who was spying on Ezio, dropped the teacup he was holding. "How did that lad learn that technique that was lost eons ago?" He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The long-lost technique of smithing appeared in the hands of a kid who had just started to learn. When he wanted Ezio to forge a dagger, he wasn't expecting anything, he just wanted to teach the genius boy some humility.
Aodhfionn was a master blacksmith. There was no kingdom that hadn't heard his renowned name, of course, all the materials he had in his smith were for a master smith. There were no molds for an apprentice to use. All he wanted to achieve was to teach Ezio modesty. There were mountains above the mountains, heavens above heavens. There was always someone better, even the proclaimed geniuses were better than the folk they were compared with. Which one of the sons of heavens of the high-tier empires was trash if brought to this low-tiered kingdom?
But the thing was, this kid really had trick after trick he could pull out. First, it was his knowledge about forging which wasn't that exaggerated per se, but afterward, he used Force above his level, but it wasn't that important either. Using the Umbra Neque was even he didn't dare to do since creating something with the nefarious metal most of the time ended in failure. Still, he was able to forge! But to use the long lost hammering technique was more incredible than all of the above.
This lad is a genius. Aodhfionn was excited. He never thought the kid left in his care by his best friend would be a real blacksmith genius.
"His body is not strong enough to use that technique." Aodhfionn vanished from the spot he was peeking and appeared behind Ezio like a phantom as Ezio started to fall on his back. Aodhfionn was right, the technique put a great toll on his body. He wasn't strong enough to use the technique.
Aodhfionn held Ezio in one hand and the dagger in the other, but a shiver went through his body as soon as he touched the dagger. "It cannot be! It's a quasi-Marquise tier. How can a snooty 13 years old brat forge this tier dagger? This is impossible!"
Ezio was feeling sore all over his body at the moment. The Mysterious Room shone with golden lights when he finished forging, but the reward was already claimed thus only the quest vanished and nothing else happened. His consciousness left the room and he fainted. Oblivious to him, this strain also helped him loosen the last bottleneck of his cultivation and he was about to break through.
Aodhfionn carried Ezio inside the house and laid him on a bed. He was still holding the dagger and his questioning eyes were looking at every inch of it. "What a piece of work." He couldn't help but praise the work the lad created. It was black, as black as the ingot it was made of. The light of glowing stone illuminating the house was absorbed by the dagger. He could see the light had vanished as soon as it was approaching the dagger. The pink veins on the dagger looked like rivers reflecting stars on a dark night.
"Shame it is still unfinished. If he could finish it by givin it a hilt, maybe it would be Marquise Tier. Shame really." Aodhfionn couldn't help but sigh. He left the house and walked to the forge. He was a weaponsmith, thus he could make a hilt and scabbard as well. He had to create his best for a fine piece of a dagger like this. He walked to the warehouse and searched inside. When his eyes lay on a dry wood not bigger than his palm, he sighed again.
"Who would have thought Ah would use this treasure on this brat? But he may inherit mah skills after all. So Ah have to give him a present as his Master."
This piece of wood was found in a secret domain when he was still young. He almost died once when he tried to acquire it and again when he was hiding it from coveting eyes, and for a good reason. It was a piece of Withered Oak. Withered Oaks were treasures for creating rods and wands. As a magical tree, the Withered Oak could store mana. This particular tree also had Time Magic inside helping those holding it to comprehend Time Magic easier, which was one of the hardest to learn.
"That brat may awaken Mana Force if that bold bastard is right. This Withered Oak will suit and help him." Aodhfionn smiled as he started to carve the wood. Of course, it wasn't easy to carve this tree. It was a magical oak after all. Still, after arduous long hours, Aodhfionn was able to finish the hilt and with his Qi force, he merged the dagger with the hilt. "Now for the scabbard, Illumi Sun Stone should suffice."
The dagger Ezio forged was too precious. Aodhfionn was aware of it. Thus with a scabbard forged by Illumi Sun Stone, he could hide the effects of the dagger forged by Umbra Neque. After all, Illumi Sun Stone was almost as precious as Umbra Neque.
Illumi Sun Stone could only be found in thousands of years old volcanos and at the heart of them. The second the stone was removed, the volcano would erupt for the final time and would die. The stone was one of the best Light Elemental Mastery items cultivators used. With its Light Attribute, it could hide Umbra Neque's Dark Attribute and vice versa, preventing others from going after the dagger.
After Aodhfionn finished the scabbard he inserted the dagger and brought it near Ezio and left it next to his pillow. "What a fine piece of iron. I will make ye the greatest weaponsmith!"
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