Pain flickered at the edge of his senses—a distant memory now. The battlefield was silent. Not the kind of silence that followed peace, but the kind that came after something impossible.
Kairos stood at the center of it, Nightfall humming in his grip, its SSS-tier blade still crackling with residual energy from the single, effortless swing that had erased the war beast from existence.
A normal person would be shaking, overwhelmed by the absurdity of what just happened.
Kairos?
He was grinning.
His crimson eyes gleamed as he turned his gaze downward, watching the system notifications flicker into view.
SYSTEM UPDATE: ABILITY UNLOCKED!
NEW SPECIAL ABILITY ACQUIRED: Elemental Transmutation
Description: Convert raw materials into weapons, armor, or items of any rank depending on material quality. Restrictions: Must have required elemental components. Potential: ??? (No known limits detected…?)
Kairos exhaled, his heartbeat steady. So this is what I'm working with.
Elemental Transmutation. A skill that, in theory, sounded like high-tier crafting magic. But this… this was different. He hadn't just crafted Nightfall—he had willed it into existence, pulling materials from his surroundings without even thinking.
He flexed his fingers. The air around him shimmered in response.
Let's test this properly.
Kairos knelt, pressing his hand against the war-torn ground. Stone, iron, shattered weapons, fragments of mana-infused armor— the battlefield was littered with resources. He focused, reaching deep into the strange new part of his mind where the ability lived.
The system responded immediately.
ELEMENTAL TRANSMUTATION ACTIVATED!
Scanning available materials…
[Iron] [Steel] [Obsidian] [Monster Core (Fire)] detected.
Potential craftable items:
Blazing Obsidian Dagger (A-tier)
Infernal Plate Armor (S-tier)
Molten Gauntlets of Impact (A-tier)
Unnamed Weapon (Custom Creation)
His lips curled into a smirk. Custom creation? Now that was interesting.
He focused on the last option, and a new menu appeared.
CUSTOM CREATION MODE INITIATED!
Select weapon type…
Greatsword ✔
Spear
Bow
Dagger
Other
Select core enchantment…
Fire ✔
Ice
Lightning
Darkness
Wind
Kairos barely had to think before making his selections. The materials swirled, fusing together in a storm of energy that crackled through the air. Iron turned to liquid fire, obsidian melted into the shape of a blade, the Monster Core pulsed like a heart, embedding itself into the weapon's core.
When the light faded, a new weapon rested in his grip.
WEAPON FORGED: ASHEN VORTEX—RANK: SSS-TIER
ATTACK POWER: ??? EFFECTS: [Fire Affinity Amplification] [Flame Rend] [Mana Regeneration +300%] SPECIAL ABILITY: Consumes ambient heat to increase cutting power indefinitely.
The weapon pulsed with life in his hands, the blade radiating a deep, crimson glow, like it had been carved from the very essence of fire itself.
The knights behind him had barely moved, still frozen in stunned silence. He turned, finally acknowledging them, and found himself locking eyes with the young man in the torn royal-blue cape.
One of them finally found his voice.
"W-Who... who are you?"
Kairos twirled Ashen Vortex once before resting it on his shoulder. "Just a traveler," he said, his tone light, almost playful. "And I think your kingdom just got really lucky."
The young knight's eyes widened.
"Lysvein…" he muttered under his breath, realization dawning. "You're here to help Lysvein?"
Kairos glanced around at the ruined battlefield. "That depends. You guys actually want to survive, or should I just leave?"
The knight's face hardened with determination. "We fight. No matter what."
Kairos let out a small chuckle. Yeah. This place might actually be fun.