RE:FLAME

[p_magno]

jhon from accounting

and nice chapter

Click to shrink...

Thanks for reading!

 

[p_magno]

Jessica couldn't sleep.

Even lying on a comfortable-looking bed with soft blankets and plump pillows, sleep eluded her. Maybe she knew why, but what difference would that make?

She turned to the other side, changing position. That didn't help either. She turned again. Still uncomfortable. In the end, she just lay flat on her back, glancing at the window near the bed. That window hadn't been in this room when she'd first woken up here. Before dinner, she'd walked back downstairs to ask Violet about it, and Violet had told her she'd forgotten about it when she cast an illusion on the room previously.

Jessica stared at the window for a long moment before finally shifting her gaze to the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts.

"I screwed up today, huh?" She muttered calmly, clearly directing the question to the silent consciousness inside her mind.


<< Yes. >>

Jessica closed her eyes, remembering what she'd said at dinner, remembering Jack's expressionless face and Violet's sad expression. She couldn't help but squeeze her eyes tight. 'Oh, gosh. I'm such a fool.'


<< You are. >>

'A big idiot.' She insulted herself again.


<< A very mighty one. >>

'I didn't even think straight before saying it. I'm so stupid.'


<< You don't always think straight... and you've always been stupid. >>

'I'm so—' Jessica paused mid-sentence, a frown showing on her face. 'Wait... were you just replying with my own words?'


<< Sigh... You were clearly saying everything I might have said. So why wouldn't I assist you from the sidelines with some exaggeration? >>

Hearing the system's reply, Jessica couldn't help but smile. If it had been earlier today, she would have replied with righteous fury burning bright. But currently, she couldn't reply, not that she lacked the time or strength to bicker. She had plenty of time for that. But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything else but smile.

Soon she began laughing lightly. Surprisingly, through their shared consciousness, the system also laughed. She could hear the voice of a young girl laughing in her mind. So the system was actually toying with her. She finally realized and couldn't help but muse at it. She continued laughing, laughing out her frustration until there wasn't any left.

After the laughter slowly receded, boredom crept in.

Seeing this, Jessica bolted up from her bed like lightning. She walked to the large mirror near the wardrobe and stopped abruptly, like a car hitting the brakes. She stared at herself.

As always, her figure was... flawless. Perfect skin that seemed to glow with inner light. Features so perfectly balanced they could have been carved by a divine sculptor. She was literally the definition of a jade beauty given flesh.

She tested her smile in the mirror. It was beautiful. She checked her teeth. Perfect in every way. There was nothing wrong with her. Everything was perfect, except...

Her gaze drifted down to one place that hadn't seemed to change in either of her lives.

She stared at her chest for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then she couldn't help but sigh dramatically.

"At least one thing never changed."

She gave herself hope as she continued staring at the mirror. She began making different funny faces out of boredom, and when her multiple expressions seemed to continue for a few minutes longer than expected, the system finally spoke.


<< At this rate, you might just learn a new ability to change your expressions at will. >>


<< Just go to sleep. >>

Jessica sighed as she read the system's words.

'I'm not sleepy,' she replied, but the system's constant pestering eventually made her lie back down on the bed.

"Sigh... I wonder how Violet is? I just hope my words didn't make her too sad." Jessica could only think of that as she closed her eyes. "Good night," she finally said, and soon after, sleep claimed her.

For a moment, she thought she was back in the star where she'd danced with her prince charming. But that dream only lasted a few minutes—at least, that was what she thought, until she felt a bucket of water pour over her like a running tide.


Splash!!

She immediately jumped to her feet with incredible grace, blue flames erupting from her hands, clearly ready to attack the attacker.

But that action only lasted a heartbeat as she recognized the figure before her: a young woman with jet-black hair, sharp features, deep purple eyes, and an expression of pure contentment. She held a bucket in one hand, her other hand on her waist, foot tapping the floor while trying to form a serious face despite the amused 'All Consuming Hell Smug' threatening to break through.

"Are you going to sleep through your first day of work?! Get up and go take a shower! You're running late."

Jessica stared with wide eyes at Violet. It was at this moment she knew with full certainty that she had been absolutely wrong to think her words might have changed Violet's behavior. In the end, Violet remained Violet.

Jessica even had a premonition that this vile being in front of her, clearly enjoying her suffering, had just become—


Vile Being Pro Max.

And Jessica was her leveling material.


*****



Jessica walked calmly out of the house's exit door, the morning breeze brushing her skin in a cool wave. She inhaled deeply, a smile on her face. She wore a dark green t-shirt with brown knickers, making her look more like a geographer than an Awakened. Her gaze passed through the settlement street, which wasn't bustling with people currently as it was still early morning.

Finally, her eyes landed on a figure in the distance, walking to wherever place she was going. A young woman who strangely looked like someone Jessica knew. She squinted to see who it was.

'Wait... isn't that Violet?' Her eyes widened in realization. 'When did she walk out of the house?' She had clearly, intentionally left without her.

"T-THIS!" Jessica's righteous fury ignited. She could already imagine the smug expression on Violet's face.

"Hey! WAIT FOR ME!"

She sprinted forward, desperate to catch up with the already-distant Violet.

'You VILE BEING!!!'


After what felt like a twelve-hundred-meter marathon, Jessica finally reached Violet's side. She was breathing hard, her lungs burning.

Violet turned. A slight, sinister smile was clearly plastered on her face.

"What took you so long?" The smugness in her tone was unmistakable.

Jessica gritted her teeth. Her righteous fury burned brighter than ever.

'Not only did you wake me up so early I thought it was still NIGHTTIME, you also INTENTIONALLY left me behind?! You VILE BEING! You MONARCH OF EVIL!'

She screamed internally for a full minute before forcing herself to calm down.

'Good thoughts... pure thoughts...' She inhaled. Exhaled. Repeated the mantra inwardly as she followed Violet.


*****



They walked in silence for a while. Then an itch began forming in Jessica's mind, a question that had been nagging her since she first manipulated her flames.

'Can I shape my flames the way Violet shapes her shadows?'

The question wouldn't leave her alone. Finally, she decided to voice it.

"Uhm... Violet."

Violet turned, one eyebrow raised. She'd already noticed the innocent tone, the one Jessica used when she wanted something.

Jessica didn't beat around the bush.

"Could you teach me how to manipulate flames? Like how you manipulate your shadow ability?"

Violet studied her for a moment, then looked forward.

"It isn't anything special." She lifted her right hand, the one still wrapped in bandages. "Just imagine what shape you want it to take."

Shadows began coiling around her hand, dark and fluid. They condensed, solidified, took form, until a short sword made of pure shadow rested in her palm.

A moment later, it dissolved. The shadows receded.

Violet glanced at Jessica with a smile.

"You try."

Jessica nodded, taking a deep breath.

'Imagine...' She repeated to herself, raising her right hand. Blue flames began wrapping around her palm. She focused, imagining her flames taking the solid shape of a short sword, just like Violet's shadow blade.

As she deepened her concentration, she felt a drain of energy from her magic core, and then her blue flames began condensing into the solid shape of a short sword. Just like Violet's own.

Jessica's eyes widened in surprise as she held the handle of the flame sword. 'I did it.' Her heart raced with joy as she stared at the weapon. She glanced at Violet, who was also smiling.

"Good job," Violet said.

Jessica smiled and nodded. She willed the flame sword to dissolve. The sword dematerialized at her command, leaving her hand empty.

Just then, another idea of a weapon came to her mind. She instantly decided to try it as they walked.

Jessica stretched out her left hand, pointing only two fingers. She lifted her other hand, doing the same pose. Then she placed her right pointed finger against her left, upon impact, there was a faint spark of flame.

She smiled as she moved to the next step.
She imagined herself holding a bow in her left hand, her right hand drawing the string back, arrow nocked and ready.

A massive swirl of blue flames erupted, coalescing into a large, blazing arrow, followed by a bow of equal grandeur.

Her smile widened. She pulled the string back further—


Knock!

"Ow!!"

A hard blow landed squarely on her head. Her flame arrow dissolved instantly. She rubbed the sore spot in slow motion, turning to face Violet.

Violet stared at her with barely contained rage.

"Brat!! We are walking in the STREET. Where exactly were you planning to shoot that arrow?!"


Jessica paused for a moment. Realization dawned. 'We are really in the street.' She glanced around and noticed intense stares directed at her from several directions.

A sheepish smile formed on her already reddened face. "Sorry... I totally forgot." She apologized to the small crowd of onlookers.

Without waiting any longer, Jessica instantly walked faster than she had ever walked before. She began mentally recalling the direction to the workshop, she clearly didn't want to remain here any longer.

Violet watched her speed-walk away, a slow smile forming on her lips. She shook her head and resumed her normal pace.

Then she paused.

"Brat!! You're going the wrong way!"

"Ooh... Sorry!!"

Violet sighed deeply, one hand rising to massage her forehead. A slight wave of headache was already creeping in.

****



Jessica stood before the entrance of the workshop. The sign hung above the door, carved wood painted in elegant script:

'Violet Workshop'

Jessica smiled as she read it. 'First day at my first job in this world.' She mused. 'I wonder how it'll be?'

They walked inside, moving through the main hall. The workshop was busy, just like last time. People moved with purpose in every direction, carrying equipment, swords, incomplete armor pieces, all kinds of objects that could be forged.

Violet and Jessica walked past them until they reached the end of the main hall.

Upon reaching the far wall, without turning toward the direction that led to the manager's office, Violet pivoted left into a passageway. Jessica followed closely behind.

As they walked deeper, Jessica began feeling a faint heat. She smiled. 'So this is the forge area.' As she thought that, she began hearing the clanging sounds of smithing, confirming they were close.

Soon they arrived at a thick iron door, as thick and strong as the one in the training center. Jessica couldn't help but frown. 'Why would they use a door like this for the forge room? It isn't a training area.' She was confused by the level of protection. It wasn't like they'd be tanking nuclear bombs or anything... right?

Violet turned to her, an 'All Consuming Hell Smug' plastered on her face as she spoke. "It's a bit hectic and loud inside, so you'd best be careful."

Jessica immediately felt a sense of déjà vu.


'Flaming Hell!! Don't tell me I'm doomed here too?!'



******


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[Despacitoleo]

"Are you going to sleep through your first day of work?! Get up and go take a shower! You're running late."

Click to shrink...

smelly fire girl failure lol

 

[p_magno]

smelly fire girl failure lol

Click to shrink...

Thanks for reading!

 

[p_magno]

Jessica stared deeply at the door as a wave of déjà vu flooded her mind. Her imagination ran wild. What might be waiting for her on the other side.

Her gaze landed on Violet, who wore that familiar 'All Consuming Hell Smug.'

She steeled herself immediately. No way was she letting this vile being mock her any longer.

Seeing Jessica's expression harden with boldness, Violet couldn't help but be more amused. She shook her head, letting out a long sigh, before casually opening the thick iron door that shuddered with a heavy groan as it swung open.

Jessica closed her eyes, bracing for impact. She fully expected to be bowled over by someone rushing out, just like her first day at the workshop entrance.

'Eeh?'

No collision came.

Instead, something entirely different hit her.



Dong! Bong! Bong!

A barrage of smithing sounds exploded through the doorway, the heavy, rhythmic crash of hammer against anvil, each strike sending shockwaves through the air.

The moment the sound reached her, Jessica felt it. A force like a nuclear blast slammed into her, lifting her off her feet and hurling her toward the afterlife. Or almost.

She was caught midair by Violet, who had a 'Devil's Grin' on her face. "I warned you, didn't I?"

Jessica stared at Violet in bafflement. How was she still standing? That breeze alone could have clearly and absolutely leveled a mountain if not contained. Jessica's gaze turned back to the forge room. It was a long hallway with thick iron doors on each side, each door clearly a separate room where forgers were currently doing their work.

Jessica's heart instantly dropped. '...How the hell am I going to survive this?' She was definitely doomed at this rate.


****



Violet watched Jessica's face pale as the pressure waves kept rolling over her, even while she still held onto her.

She sighed. Her free hand rose, shadows coalescing into a simple pitch-black bracelet. Pure shadow given form.

"Put this on."

Jessica forced herself to turn under the crushing pressure. She stared at Violet. Then at the bracelet. Then back at Violet, her expression clearly screaming: 'I wonder when I mentioned needing an accessory while I'm about to DIE.'

She took the bracelet anyway. She wasn't about to get smacked for refusing.

She slid it onto her left wrist.

Violet promptly dropped her.

Jessica nearly landed butt-first on the floor, she would have, if she hadn't already expected Violet to pull something like that.

After being satisfied with her accomplishment, Jessica stiffened in realization.

Upon standing still, she noticed the nuke-like breeze didn't affect her anymore. It only felt like a heavy breeze before an upcoming rain, making only her blood-red hair flutter. She smiled to herself. 'Nice.' Turning to Violet, she said, "Thanks."

Violet nodded in response as they began walking through the large hallway.


***



From each room, the sounds of forging echoed. Hammer against anvil. Metal clashing with metal. The rhythm of creation.

In her previous life, Jessica had developed an interest in blades through a video game—a single-player action RPG that had made her rage-quit more times than she cared to admit. The difficulty was brutal. How was she supposed to beat a boss that called down lightning with every sword swing? Yet she kept returning, drawn by the challenge, by the promise of reward when she finally succeeded.

The game had a famous quote.

'What was that quote again...' She began searching through her memories for the common saying in the game.

'Ah... I think I remember.' She phrased the quote in her thoughts: 'Hesitation means death. Or defeat... something like that.'

She shifted the thought away after not being able to fully remember it. But anyways... Her interest in the game had led to real interest in blades. She'd watched countless tutorials on sword techniques. She'd even enrolled in a samurai class once, but life got in the way. MMA classes. Work. There was never enough time


They stopped before one of the iron doors. Violet paused for a heartbeat, then opened it.

A simple, spacious room greeted them. Forging equipment lined the walls, a massive oven, an anvil so sturdy Jessica instantly calculated it could tank nuclear strikes, racks of hammers in every size and shape, and dozens of tools she couldn't name.

She was still taking it all in when a door at the corner of the room swung open.

A man walked out. He looked to be in his late forties, with a thick beard and a helmet strapped over his head. A heavy apron stretched over a large belly. His face was set in a deep scowl.

"Another failure." He muttered in a low growl.

Then he stopped. His frown deepened for a moment as his gaze landed on the people in his forge room.

Recognition flickered. The frown smoothed into neutral acknowledgment.

"Good morning, Miss Violet." He grunted, already moving toward his destination.

"Good morning, Hector." Violet watched him walk to the massive oven and adjust the temperature with a press of a button.

"Is that the girl?" He didn't turn as he asked.

"She is," Violet verified.

He grunted in reply. "I'll be sure to groom her well,"

The words were low, matter-of-fact. To Jessica, they sounded like a threat.

'G-groom?' Her thoughts stumbled. 'Don't tell me he's WORSE than Violet?!'

She imagined it instantly: one mistake, and a massive hammer would come crashing down on her head. She shuddered.


'My life... it's all over...'


*****




Violet smiled at Hector's words. She already knew Jessica's face had paled—the girl always misunderstood things, leaping to the worst conclusions with remarkable speed.

And yes. Jessica's face had gone pale.

But Violet noticed something else. No matter the expression on that pale face, Jessica's eyes never lost focus. Already calculating. Already analyzing. Already calm beneath the surface.

Most people wouldn't see it. But Violet had dealt with cunning, unpredictable people long enough to recognize the signs. Was Jessica acting? She couldn't tell. That was what made her interesting.

"Please groom her well. She needs it." Violet decided to add fire to Jessica's already pale expression.

She turned to Jessica with a smile on her face.

"Enjoy yourself." She patted Jessica's shoulder as she leaned closer to her ear. "And don't get on his bad side. He might actually be worse than me," she whispered, noticing Jessica immediately stiffen.

Violet felt amused as she began walking to the iron door. She turned for a moment to see Jessica staring at her with wide eyes that clearly said, 'Please don't leave me here after dropping that bomb. I'm too young to die!'

Violet shook her head as her smile widened. She opened the door of the forge room and walked out, closing Jessica's dramatic character inside.

She began walking through the large passageway, but before she could take another step, she paused. A frown appeared on her face. "Zet... What's wrong?" The question lingered in the passageway for a while, it felt as if she were talking to herself, which she clearly wasn't.

Just then, a shadow began to pool under her feet as a crow flew out before landing on her shoulder.


Caw! Caw!

It cawed, then spoke. "The Valkan settlement has been destroyed. Its direction has changed." The crow's voice was low, urgent. "I repeat: direction has changed."

It turned to meet Violet's gaze, its voice dropping to a crow's low growl.

"Eurukad the Terror... is coming here."

Violet's gaze hardened.

Eurukad the Terror. An [Ascendant Terror] creature on the verge of becoming [Triumphant]. Rumors even suggested it was close to gaining a fifth core, which would make it a [Triumphant Destroyer].

She ran through the calculations. The creature had slept for five years, avoiding confrontation with settlements. Then yesterday night, it woke. Two settlements were already destroyed, unable to handle a fire giant leading an army of flame creatures.

Now it was coming here.

Violet's suspicion crystallized: the creature was about to advance to [Destroyer].

She stifled a laugh. Why wouldn't she? It couldn't be helped. Slowly, a smile began crawling across her face. "Perfect. Just what I need." Her smile widened as she turned to the crow on her shoulder, who shook its head in dejection.

"Sigh..." it sighed deeply, making Violet laugh slightly.

"Let's go now." She began walking through the hallway as her last words resounded silently.

"So we can prepare..."



"A perfect welcome party."


*****



Jessica stood motionless inside the forge room. Ever since Violet had left, she had simply stood there without moving, like a soldier waiting for orders. Why wouldn't she? Violet had basically traded her to someone that even Violet herself said was worse than her. Jessica suspected Violet was lying, but that didn't mean she'd still act carelessly.

She squinted from behind as the man Hector still had not turned to her. He was just busy doing whatever he was doing.

Jessica wanted to sigh, but before she could, "Get me the hammer on that table at your left," Hector spoke, still without turning.

She immediately snapped back to her senses. "O-ok!!" She rushed to the table like a car without brakes, stopping by it with a full drift.

Her eyebrows rose subconsciously. 'Which one?' She couldn't help but think as she stared at the numerous hammers.

Just as she was deciding to ask, "The round one with a flat front," he confirmed, and Jessica's gaze found the exact one. Round hammer with a flat front.

'Got it.' She smiled as she picked it up, zooming with speed to where he stood and handed it to him with as much courtesy as she could muster.

Hector didn't even bat an eye to look at her. He simply collected the hammer in a calm manner, spinning it in his hand as if to test its weight, before grunting in approval.

Then he asked Jessica to retrieve another thing. "Get me the tongs at the end of the table to your right."

Jessica immediately rushed to the end of the table and retrieved the so-called tongs; an object that looked like a giant clip for holding onto things. Jessica's mind currently imagined it like that. She wouldn't have known what it looked like had she not seen it on the internet in her previous life.

She proceeded to hastily hand him the tool. After collecting it, he finally moved from where he stood and walked to the anvil, placing the hammer on its surface as he walked to the oven he had heated earlier. Jessica didn't miss this opportunity. She walked with him wherever he went. She stood alongside him when he reached the large oven.

Hector finally spared a glance at her before grunting, which Jessica already took as approval. "It's best you shift to the side. Unless you're immune to heat."

"I am immune," Jessica confirmed, and Hector nodded without sparing another glance.

He opened the oven, and an unknowable degree of heat erupted from within. Since the heat wasn't a problem for Jessica, it even seemed to make her feel stronger.

He used the tongs to bring out a blade, its texture glowing seething red, clearly in the smelting stage. Using the tongs, he walked to the anvil, placing the raw blade on its surface. He picked up the hammer with ease and prepared to strike.

"This is the almost-perfection stage." He positioned himself. "After shaping the blade comes refinement. I reheated it to soften the metal. Now we refine."

He turned to her. "Understand?"

Jessica nodded as she watched Hector grunt. He then shifted his focus to the unrefined blade, raising his hammer to begin refinement.



Bang! Bong! Bong! Dong!

Jessica stared wide-eyed in amusement as she watched the refinement process. The impact of the hammer created heavy gusts of wind that, if not for the bracelet Violet had given her, she would have definitely been flung to the afterlife of flames... Or would she?

She couldn't help but wonder as she saw the gusts weren't doing much to her except fluttering her clothes and blood-red hair wildly.

Curiosity gnawed at her as she decided to check what level Hector was. She knew it was a little improper on her part to check other's levels. She had even given herself a rule that she wouldn't check anyone's level unless it was a monster, a human who posed a threat, or someone she was about to fight.

She hadn't added checking someone's level just out of curiosity, but she proceeded to check anyway.



[STATUS]
+

Name: Hector Bradley

Level: 41 [Ascendant Rank]

Species: Human

Rank: [Beast]

Magic Cores: [2/2]

+

.........



Jessica's face paled, unnoticeably. Her heart dropped.

'It really IS the bracelet keeping me alive!'

She refocused on Hector's demonstration, watching the hammer rise and fall with new understanding. The quiet thought burned in her mind, a small flame of terror beneath her composed exterior.



*******


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Get access to 20+ advance chapters on Patreon!

 

[Despacitoleo]

Lol hope that BUTT violet gets caught lacking when THE FLAME comes out way stronger


cause ya know letting a living flame near possible BS heat/fire/magic and forging really ain't a good idea of they have a possible grudge against you lol

 

[p_magno]

Lol hope that BUTT violet gets caught lacking when THE FLAME comes out way stronger


cause ya know letting a living flame near possible BS heat/fire/magic and forging really ain't a good idea of they have a possible grudge against you lol

Click to shrink...

Fr lol.
Thanks for reading!

 

[p_magno]

A figure calmly walked into a room with a bucket in her hands. Her deep purple eyes stared down at a young girl with blood-red hair who seemed to be sleeping peacefully, as if the world revolved around her, probably dreaming of a prince charming or something related to that.

The figure walked a few steps closer and was about to release the water from the bucket when, just then, the young girl with blood-red hair opened her molten gold eyes and bolted up from the bed.

"Ahaa!" She laughed as she turned to the figure who was about to release the water but ended up pausing after seeing this.

"That's 16–1." A wide smile of pride plastered all over Jessica's face.

Violet stood with the bucket of water in her right hand, which no longer had any bandages wrapped around the arm, except for the faint, barely visible burn marks on it.

Her expression was currently unreadable for a moment. But soon after, she couldn't help but sigh. This was the first time she hadn't succeeded in waking Jessica up like she always did.

"Sigh... I wonder what made you this full of energy today?" Her left hand rested on her waist. She was clearly intrigued by what actually made Jessica wake up this early.

Jessica, however, didn't give her the luxury of explaining. She could only grin as she zoomed away to the bathroom. "Today is the day I'll forge my first ever blade..." That was the only thing Violet heard from her as she entered the bathroom happily and shut the door.

Violet stared at the bathroom door for a moment, clearly hearing Jessica's hum from inside. She sighed deeply again, but underneath the sigh, a faint warm smile touched her lips.

Her gaze drifted to the bucket of water in her hand, and her warm smile widened slightly into a sinister one that, if Jessica were here, she would have recognized as the 'Devil's Grin'.

"I guess a change of approach is needed, huh?"

She was definitely not letting Jessica off yet. Another day awaited.

*****



Jessica bolted out of the house's exit door in a rush. The morning breeze brushed her skin in cool waves as she ran through the streets. She wore black leather jeans, a dark purple jacket, and a black sleeveless shirt beneath. Her gaze swept the street ahead.

She was almost late.

'That VILE BEING! She nearly made me late by forcing me to eat breakfast!' Righteous fury burned in her chest. 'I'm not a child! I'm thirty-four years old, for flame's sake!'

Violet had insisted, and Jessica had caved the moment she heard those fingers crack. She didn't want an early spanking on a beautiful day like this, and that caused her to be almost late.

Hector had grunted his usual warning: if she was even a minute late, the forging session would be cancelled.

'I SHALL NEVER FORGET THIS!'

Even as the fury raged in her mind, warmth bloomed in her chest. A smile tugged at her lips. Violet always got what she wanted, often through violence. But everything she did came from care. In the two weeks Jessica had known her, she had never seen Violet act for her own benefit. Beneath all that fury, warmth always hid underneath.

Jessica pivoted through the next street and, far in the distance, she could clearly see the workshop building up ahead. This was the shortest route she'd discovered after nearly getting lost her first week. A few kind strangers had pointed her in the right direction, and she'd never forgotten it.

Upon reaching the entrance, she immediately entered as the main hall greeted her.

Without looking too much, she instantly began running through the hall. The workshop was slightly busy because it was still very early. A few people Jessica had come to know, moved through the hall.

"Jess." A young girl greeted. She had twin bun purple hair and an orange eye reflected underneath big glasses, which made her look nerdy. She was currently carrying a box of rare raw steels as she walked in the same direction Jessica was going.

Jessica's face brightened. "Hey, Bun Bun." Her name wasn't actually Bun Bun, it was Burnie, But with her hair woven in twin buns, Bun Bun had stuck.

"You came early today. Is something going on?" Burnie asked while trying to keep up with the rushing Jessica.

Jessica smiled, not reducing her speed in the slightest. "I'm forging my first blade today."

"That's wonderful." Burnie smiled. "I hope you succeed."

Jessica nodded as they kept walking until they reached the end of the main hall.

Upon reaching the far wall, they pivoted left into a passageway until they arrived at a thick iron door, as thick and strong as the one Jessica had seen in the training center.

She sighed while grumbling as she walked closer to the door, opening it while cursing under her breath. 'What the hell was this door made of? And why the hell do they have to make it so heavy!!' She screamed internally as the thick iron door shuddered with a heavy groan as it swung open.

Burnie laughed lightly as she watched Jessica struggle with the door. "You definitely need to level up."

Jessica cursed again as she shut the door after Burnie entered. Just as she was done, she turned and before she could say anything


Bong! Bong! Bong!

Consecutive numbers of smithing sounds exploded in a resounding manner through the doorway, the heavy, rhythmic crash of hammer against anvil, each strike sending shockwaves through the air.

The moment the sound reached them, Jessica felt it. A force like a nuclear blast slammed into her, but the effect was reduced before it reached her, making only her hair flutter widely. She smiled as she saw this, then stared at the black bracelet on her hand. This was the bracelet Violet had given her, and it had been helping her escape going to the afterlife of flames ever since she started working here.

She turned to Burnie and nodded as they resumed walking. "I really need to." She definitely understood that part. If she didn't level up, she'd just end up becoming more of a burden to Jack and Violet. She didn't want that, and besides... 'I'll try to activate that Lever when I reach [Level 10].'

She had not forgotten her two-way trade with Arafel.

She glanced at Burnie. "Our boss promised he'll set me up with an expedition team next week. I'll definitely have a chance to level up then." Jessica smiled as she remembered Jack's words when he told her she will be going with a team to clear out a slime-filled sanctuary.

She was a little confused when she heard that, not because he was letting her join the expedition, but because why would he send a full team to clear a slime sanctuary?

That was Jessica's thought when she heard it. Through the video games she'd played in her previous life, she had always known slimes to be one of the weakest races. Well... except for that one slime.

Anyway, she didn't push further to ask any of the questions on her mind. In fact, she was eagerly waiting for that day to come. She'd definitely use the journey to level up.

After quickly walking through the large hallway for a moment, Burnie finally bid farewell to Jessica as she entered one of the iron doors.

Jessica returned the farewell and instantly increased her speed as she ran through the hallway, until she finally stopped before one of the iron doors like a car pulling the brakes.

She paused for a heartbeat, then began to open it, still cursing under her breath about how heavy it still was.

But a few steps away from fully opening it, she paused for a moment, a frown appearing on her face as she glanced at the hallway. It was empty. No one was there, as it should be.

'Did you notice anything?' She asked the silent consciousness in her mind.


<< ... No. I didn't. >>

The system confirmed, making Jessica's brows furrow. 'But why did I feel like someone was just there?' She couldn't help but ask herself. Through the corner of her eyes, she had seen a figure standing there, staring at her. The only memorable feature she had caught was the color of the hair, and it was blood red, like her own.

Her frown deepened for longer than she expected, but just then she heard a grunt inside the forge room, and she instantly forgot about the strange occurrence and bolted right inside. She was definitely late at this point.

Hector's forge room greeted her as always. A simple, spacious room. Forging equipment lined the walls: a massive oven, an anvil so sturdy she knew it could tank nuclear strikes. Racks of hammers in every size and shape. Sets of files and dozens more she kept learning about.

"S-sorry I'm late!" Jessica instantly said in a stammered tone.

Hector, the man with a thick beard and a large belly, covered in a heavy apron underneath his casual clothes, a helmet on his head, was currently standing near the oven. His back faced Jessica as he grunted. "Let's begin."

Jessica took off her dark purple jacket and placed it on the cloth stand beside the corner of the door, leaving only the sleeveless black shirt.

She walked to the table on the left and picked up a thick apron Hector had left for her. She smiled as she wore it. Though Hector seemed to always be a gruff man who didn't talk much, he was in no way similar to that vile being. Violet had been lying when she said Hector was worse than her.

Jessica felt the thick apron wrapped around her body. She could feel the slight heaviness as she walked to where Hector stood and stood beside him, awaiting his guidance.

As he was preheating the oven, "What process of creation are we using today?" He didn't look at her as he asked.

"Uh... right. It's the primitive creation."

Hector grunted. "What does it entails?"

"Well, the process entails the turning of raw earth, steels, ores, and all kinds of materials, both received from nature or collected from monster parts, and in return we transform them into what we want."

Hector grunted again, and though unnoticeable to Jessica, his lips curled up.

He finally turned to her. "As an Awakened, how does creation works for us?"

Jessica didn't answer instantly. She thought deeply, searching through her memories of what she had learned while watching him work.

After a few heartbeats, she still didn't remember. "Sigh... I think I forgot that." Her lively expression dimmed slightly.

Hector nodded. He walked to the anvil and picked up a steel arrow, which Jessica knew he had clearly created before she arrived.

He casually threw it to her, and she caught it before glancing at him as he nodded.

She stared at the arrow as a screen appeared before her.



[ITEM]
+

Name: Dark Piercer Arrow

Rank: Junior

Description: An arrow forged from a [Junior Fighter] Swamptile

Usability: ×××

Trait: [Melting Iron] [Piercing Darkness]

+

............

Jessica stared with wide eyes at the arrow. "This is clearly an arrow forged from the scales of a [Junior Fighter] Swamptile." She beamed. "Not only did it gained two traits from the abilities of a Swamptile, you also edited the traits so it's completely the weakness of their strength, which is [Melting Iron] and [Piercing Darkness]."

She looked up to Hector, who calmly awaited her to finish.

She continued. "[Melting Iron] was clearly created with the attribute of flames, so I think there was a mix with a flame creature. While [Piercing Darkness] was created with a material or monster part that has relation to the attribute of light."

Her smile widened. "With all these in mind, the 'Dark Piercer Arrow' was formed."

Hector stared at her for a moment. Finally, he grunted. "Good deduction."

Jessica pursed her lips to a curl as she heard it. She was clearly happy she could learn about all this. It would definitely be of help to her in the future.

Just as she was pleased with herself, she heard Hector's voice. "What do you think we use to create the traits?" He asked, glancing at her for a moment.

Jessica smiled in pride, clearly already knowing the answer.

"Weaving Magic."

Her smile widened.



"The Magic of the Gods."



*******

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