The red portal opened, and the red slime on Aether's shoulder returned to the mental world.
Aether blew air with the bellows into the furnace.
He let the flames heat the Argentium bricks for a few minutes until the bricks became fiery red.
With the bricks fiery red, Aether stopped blowing air inside the furnace.
With metal tongs, he took an Argentium brick and placed it on the anvil.
He held the Argentium brick with the tongs and took the old, worn-down hammer with the other hand.
Memories flashed before his eyes, and tears welled in his eyes once again.
He raised the hammer above his head.
Clang!
He struck the hammer down.
He started smithing, creating something he never was supposed to.
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of the hammer striking the Argentium echoed throughout the forest as Aether tirelessly hammered.
...
The morning in the academy city.
