Ezio was passed out since the toll of the technique put on his body was too much. It could be seen as higher grade martial art requiring more Force and Body Strength, but by unlocking limits on his body, Ezio somehow managed to unleash it. Since it was above what his body could execute, it strained his limits, thus he fell unconscious. Would Ezio like to be awake at that moment? Probably no, because he did something impossible.
Of course, there were some things to be cleared first. He had no idea how he had used the long-lost technique of forging. Even he didn't know how he had done it. The reward of the quest flew out of the scroll to his avatar sitting in the Creation room, which later closed its shutters and remained closed since.
Ezio remained unconscious for a week, and after he woke up, he noticed he had broken through to Mana Force Opening Realm, Peak. He was already studying acupoints for Qi Solidification Realm and luckily Mana and Qi cultivations used the same acupoints, thus he only needed to open them once and he could cultivate both essences together.
He was happy with his breakthrough, but the question Aodhfionn asked sucked away his happiness. He didn't know how to explain it either. "Master I—"
"I don't know how it happened either, I swear!" He truthfully explained that he didn't know how he was able to use the technique, after all, he hadn't acquired it due to completing the quest, and when it flew to the Creation Room, he lost the manual.
If I give manuals to the avatars in the room I can use the techniques inside the manuals, but afterward, will the manuals be lost? Then it is a one-time flare I can light by sacrificing the precious manuals. From Master Aodhfionn's reaction to the technique I have used, I can discern the value of the manual is priceless, and I lost it just like that.
But without it, I couldn't have forged the dagger, and I would fail the quest anyway. But I don't think I can do it every time. After all, what is the point of rewards, if I can just acquire them before I can even accomplish the quest. This must be a one-time offer, the room generously gifted. But it gave me other ideas.
Can I use other manuals as well, by sacrificing them can I create deadly attacks? I must experiment on this.
"Ye must have some innate bloodline that allowed ye to use this technique when ye were under pressure. Ah heard it happened before. Some strong cultivators would be able to use techniques they have never cultivated but instead passed through from their ancestors." Aodhfionn reasoned. "Ah was happy to see ye use the technique that has been lost for who knows how long, but it was false hope after all." He said with a sigh.
"It is good as well. At least it means ye have a strong blacksmith heritage in yer bloodline." Aodhfionn said as he tried to cheer up. "Well, ye passed my test. Starting from tomorrow, ah will teach ye everything Ah know. But don't expect me to go easy on ye."
"Yes, Master!" Ezio said happily.
"Oh, and the dagger ye forged. It is yers." Aodhfionn said as he pointed the dagger next to his pillow with a nod. "Ah forged a hilt and a scabbard for ye. Ye better treasure it because this dagger is worth more than half of yer sect."
————
"Ezio, bring me the dagger." Master Aodhfionn called Ezio the following morning.
"Coming right away, Master," Ezio shouted out and dashed to the forge where Aodhfionn was waiting for him.
"Naw lad, this dagger is not half bad. And with this sheath, it will only get stronger over time. It also means people will do everything in their powers to steal it from ye. Do ye get me?" Aodhfionn looked serious as he explained.
"Yes, master. I have already seen how greedy people can get." Ezio shook his head.
"Good. In the future be careful." Aodhfionn patted his shoulder as he went back to the forge. He took a piece of paper with a token and passed it to Ezio, "Go to the market and take these items. Tell them mah name if they make it difficult for ye. The name of the shop is The Rare Cloak."
"On it, Master." Ezio took the list and absquatulated.
He was curious about the city and the beauty it could offer. He already saw Moon Princess and he thought he peaked too early, but Ezio wasn't a half-glass empty kind of guy. He could appreciate all kinds of beauty, all the time.
The Inner City was tranquil and organized. The cobblestone roads, high-class passersby, and random guards around the town all looked classy. Nothing like the first part of the city where hungry people were begging, children running around, poor people committing a crime, and crowded streets.
Miles looked at the shops on each side of the road in wonder until he saw a place with a sign that read, "The Floating Ghost Alchemy."
"Shouldn't hurt to take a look around." He thought and walked in. At the door, a guard looked at his clothes and stood in front of him, blocking his entrance.
"What business do you have in our humble shop, Young Master?" He was polite with his words but his posture and tone weren't anything polite. Although he didn't want to offend an influential person who was wearing rugs, he still didn't think Ezio was anything important.
"I am looking for items my Master asked me to fetch," Ezio said with a smile.
"And who is your esteemed master?" The guard asked with one brow up.
"Oh, he is a blacksmith." Ezio grinned as he showed the token Aodhfionn gave him.
The guard, as soon as he saw the token, took a step back in dread and opened the door. "Please, please Young Master. We are honored to have you in our shop."
"Thank you, sir. You are very kind." Ezio walked in while whistling.
The inside of the shop was glorious. There were all kinds of pills and herbs in protective glasses, and the whiff in the air was rejuvenating his every cell. Ezio took a deep breath and felt amazing.
"Welcome to our humble shop, Young Master." As he was looking around in wonder like a country bumpkin he was, a girl with fancy clothes that revealed her cleavage and long legs walked up to him with a heart-piercing smile. "Is there anything specific you are looking for?"
***
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