Chereads / Vanguard: Black Hole / Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Forged Through Legacy and Pain

Chapter 9 - Chapter 9: Forged Through Legacy and Pain

I got to thinking before I tackled the assignment Grandpa had given me. It is so amazing to break through level six and reach level seven. He must have had an amazing life story influenced by the tremendous physical and mental strain necessary.

In my previous life, Grandpa had died when I was eleven, while he was out of state. I never got the chance to have a proper conversation with him. It had always been me talking during our time together.

So, I asked him, "Grandpa, why did you become a blacksmith?"

Grandpa stopped, his hammer just above the blazing anvil's metal. His gaze seems to be directed beyond the furnace, into a bygone era. Setting down the hammer, he turned to look at me, a little grin dancing over his lips.

"To be honest, I never intended to become a blacksmith. When I was a youngster, I was placed in an orphanage where we had to perform various activities in order to survive. I was assigned to assist our orphanage's repairman, who was skilled in doing simple tasks like polishing metal and making inexpensive, stylish armour that he sold to raise additional cash."

After a moment of silence, he turned to face me, his eyes heavy with past experiences.

"He took me in to bend the small pieces of metal for the armor at the start, as with my small hands it was easier to do so, and he didn't have the skill to do it himself."

Grandpa took up a worn-out piece of armour, revealing the subtle curves and bends that characterised his early creations.

"Then, everything changed when our state engaged in combat with the barbarians. The repairman was unable to keep up with the explosive demand for armour and weaponry. I found I had a knack for making katanas once he taught me how to build them. I was crafting level 6 weapons by the time I was thirty, and I was welcomed into a guild to work as a knife blacksmith."

"But since I'm already older than eighty, I've decided to retire from my work. Since my Ignis Phoenix is at level 7, I could have continued working for another thirty or forty years at my current skill level."

Grandpa's happy face suddenly turned into sadness, as if he were recalling a past trauma.

He was reliving the heartbreaking instance when he held a child in his arms, the boy's little body damaged by a huge hole through his chest, even if I was unaware of it at the time. The sound of the child's sobs cut through the turmoil and suffering all around them, leaving a haunting sound in their wake. He still feels the warmth of life evaporating beneath his touch, the weight of the child's frail body, and the child's beseeching, frantic eyes staring up at him. The recollection persists, hot and clear, a permanent wound from the cruelty of… 

"Grandpa, did you ever make a katana that you were especially proud of?" I said to lighten the atmosphere.

With a grin, Grandpa's sorrows subsided a little. "I did, indeed. One katana, made during my peak, was highly regarded even by the guild master. It had the flawless balance and a blade strong enough to cut through magic."

"I don't know much about how to use a katana, as my use skill is just level 2, but I can make a level 8 katana."

Since he was the one who taught me how to use a katana in a previous life, I was aware of this portion.

"Dajit, your common skill will be blacksmithing initially. If you merge your star with the talent, you can turn that common skill into a special skill. But keep in mind that there are situations in which you cannot, such as when combining light skills with blacksmithing or when the talent is incompatible with your already chosen job class. For instance, most mages cannot learn to blacksmith, but a person of great build and practice can."

"Us humans have a total of 1 to 10 levels and to level up, we need to take one more than the star level special skills to a higher level than the stars level. For example, if a human is at level 2 and they get three level 3 special skills, he will level up to level 3 and thats why leveling up gets harder with each level."

"Grandpa, I understand," I answered.

Then he said, "Enough of the chitchat. I'll tell you the rest of the story sometime later. Now, get back to your work that i have assingned you."

With a steady rhythm of his hammering, Grandpa returned to his work. I could see he had a legacy of his own as I observed him. Although it would be impolite to enquire, I would really like to know more about Grandpa Kaewon's abilities. Rather, I focused on my own work, thinking that while I was under his tutelage, I may someday equal his genius.

< [Race: Human

Star: Ignis Phoenix: Level 7

Common skills:

Mining: Level 3___*see details*

Alchemy: Level 1___*see details*

Carpentry: Level 4___*see details*

Special skills:

Katana Blacksmithing: Level 8___*see details*

Armor Blacksmithing: Level 7___*see details*

Long sword Blacksmithing: Level 7___*see details*

Knife blacksmithing: Level 7___*see details*

Weapon design: Level 7___*see details*

Ignis Hammer: Level 7___*see details*

Samurai's sword: Level 2___*see details*

Ignis nucleus: Level 7___*see details* ] >