Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Hearing Hephaestus ask him to join her Familia, Vahn began seriously considering the idea. He knew if he wanted to grow stronger without drawing too much attention he would need a strong backer, and the Hephaestus Familia was one of the best. There was also a chance that he can convince Hephaestus herself to forge him a weapon since many of the ones within the shop were higher quality than his current sword. If he could get a weapon that can grow, he would have a much easier time in the future when he delves further into the dungeon.He began to consider his other options, such as the Loki Familia. He was really interested in joining that Familia, as it was home to many memorable characters like Finn, Riveria, the Amazoness twins Tione and Tiona, as well as the infamous airhead Ais, who Bell had fallen for in the manga. His main reason for not joining was because he wanted to join the Hestia Familia later, and there was an ongoing discourse between Loki and Hestia.Seeing him in deep contemplation, Hephaestus didn't know why, but she began to get a little nervous. She wanted him to join her Familia, but didn't want to pressure him too hard since he may end up being pushed away if she was too firm. Thinking it was due to how she expressed interest in the whetstones that was causing his indecisiveness, she tried explaining things in a manner that would help alleviate his concerns."If you're worried I just want to use you for your access to the whetstones, then don't be. My reasons for asking you to join the Familia have nothing to do with any of that. I'm just...curious about your potential. I won't force you to reveal your secrets without your consent, I just want to see how far you can go with my support." Towards the latter half of her words, she began to feel her face heat up. This wasn't like her usual self.Hearing the reason she had come up with, Vahn couldn't help but let out a smile. Maybe he was overthinking things too much, as there weren't really any downsides to being in a Familia in the first place. He also knew Hephaestus wasn't the type to divulge secrets about the people she cared about. This would also allow him to get close to people within the Loki Familia, since the two different Familia often teamed up together when going on expeditions into the dungeon."Thank you, Hephaestus...sama. I would very much like the opportunity to join your Familia." He gave the most polite bow he could manage and waited for her response.Staring at the boy bowing before her, Hephaestus felt an uncomfortable feeling in her chest. Though she didn't mind him calling her 'Miss' earlier, now that he was agreeing to join the Familia at her request it felt awkward having him address her with 'Sama'. It was almost like a wall was built between them, and she wanted to smash it down to prevent future complications."Call me Hephaestus." She stated firmly, causing Vahn to look towards her in confusion. Seeing his expression, she turned her head as a warmth crept onto her cheeks. "I said, you can call me Hephaestus. There is no need for sama or anything like that..."Vahn nodded in agreement but found her actions to be very peculiar. It was almost like she was...shy? He knew she had a soft spot for people due to her trauma, but he didn't imagine it had such an immediate effect on their relationship. He actually felt a bit guilty but shook the thought away since he genuinely didn't find her eye to be disgusting. In fact, he wanted to help her heal it, but the only solution Sis came up with was to learn alchemy.Noticing she had started looking at him as if waiting for his response, Vahn smiled while gently calling, "Hephaestus."Hearing the intimate way in which he spoke, it felt like electricity went up the back of her spine. She could feel her heartbeat accelerate, and tried to cover her embarrassment with a cough. "Hmmf, anyways. Let's go ahead an perform the crest ceremony. I want to see how strong you are and if you have any potential in becoming a blacksmith. Don't worry though, even if you can't become one, I'll still allow you to be my assistant...or you can venture into the dungeon and collect materials. Though most of the members in my Familia are craftsman, we aren't completely without capable explorers, else we'd be at the mercy of other Familia to procuring materials."As she spoke she pulled out a chair and positioned it in the center of the room. She was trying to remain calm but still noticed that her heartbeat had yet to normalize. Gesturing for Vahn to sit, the next words actually got caught in her mouth.After waiting for a few seconds without anything happening, Vahn looked curiously towards Hephaestus who seemed to be in a daze. "Hephaestus?" When he spoke he saw her flinch before giving him a weird look."It's nothing...You just need to remove...your shirt." She didn't know why she had such a hard time saying such simple words. Though she appreciated the fact he didn't shy away after revealing her eye, she didn't think she had fallen for him. He wasn't even a fully grown man yet!As she watched him remove his clothes, she could help but have her eyes drawn to his body. He had a very athletic figure and wasn't overly muscular. His physique was likely the result of intense training, and she could see the lines of his muscle drawn into his lean frame. She began to feel like she was developing a devious tendency as she struggled to pull her eyes from his body.After removing his shirt and cloak, Vahn sat with his flesh exposed to the air while leaning against the backrest of the chair. Waiting a few moments, he began to turn around as a voice interrupted him."Stay facing forward, I'm going to begin. Try to relax, since the ceremony can sometimes cause discomfort." Hephaestus couldn't understand what her own expression might be, and she didn't want Vahn to see the look on her.Staring at the well-developed back muscles, she slowly placed her finger to his back after pricking it with a needle. She began to mutter an incantation as she draws the crest of her Familia onto his back. Though she is a bit distracted by the physical contact she manages to complete the ceremony without incident. Throughout the entire duration, she noticed Vahn was able to maintain his posture without flinching in the slightest. 'He must have good tolerance', she thought as she began to inspect his new status board.What she saw just about sent her soul back to Heaven.==========================================================Name: [Vahn Mason]-Level:1-Power: SS1001-Endurance: SS1108-Dexterity: A887-Agility: S940-Magic: SSS1611Skills: [Bow Mastery:C], [Stealth:D], [Chainbreaker:S], [Yggdrasil's Favor:S], [Veil of the Traveler: S]Magic: EmptyDevelopment Skills: [Wound Transfer:B], [Spirit Healing:B], [Blacksmith:F]==========================================================His lowest parameter was A, and even possessed three stats over the limit!? And how did he have so many skills related to stealth and concealment!? She remembered he claimed to come from the Western Forests, so it wasn't too much of a stretch to have a way to survive, but his current skills seemed a bit obsessive. He even had three skills she had never seen before, and each of them had incredible effects that would incite jealousy from other gods.However, what she didn't expect was that Vahn still had skills she couldn't even detect through reading the status board. Had she known, she may have passed out on the spot due to the sheer ridiculous of the situation.Though she desperately wanted to ask what kind of circumstances he had, Hephaestus decided it could wait till a later date. He had already joined her Familia, and there would be plenty of time to question him when he opened up on his own."Vahn, your stats are incredible for a Level 1. They're some of the highest I've ever seen, and your magic stat is probably some kind of record...When I infuse my Falna into you to complete the ceremony, it'll consume all the exilia you've obtained from slaying monsters and increase your level. Are you okay with that?"Vahn thought for a moment before nodding. Ever since he rescued Lili earlier, there had been an ache within his body even after the full recovery from the effigy. After asking about it, Sis told him it was due to overtaxing his body as a result of his rampant growth. Without leveling up it would become increasingly difficult to increase his parameters, and even if he could it may result in his body exploding due to the stress.Hephaestus dripped another drop of blood and updated Vahn's Status board. She looked for any changes that may have appeared as a result of the increase and was surprised to see he had gained an additional two skills, bringing the total to seven normal and three development.Vahn could feel the change in his body as his pressure in his abdomen broke through some kind of floodgate that had been preventing the energy of his body from properly dispersing. It felt very refreshing, and he could see the two new skills that had been obtained through the system.---[Swordsman:D]Increases comprehension of sword skills and techniques. Provides a slight increase to the kinetic vision and spatial awareness of the user.[Featherfoot:E]Increases comprehension of movement abilities and footwork. Provides a moderate increase to stealth related abilities.---As he was reading the newly acquired skills, Hephaestus had used some kind of parchment to transfer his information. When she was finished she handed the paper to Vahn with a tired look."I knew there was something special about you, but you're really something else. I don't even know what to say when you've managed to acquire so many skills while still being level 2. Even with my eye, I can't see the limit of your potential. Fortunately, you have the [Blacksmith] development ability, so I can at least guide you with that. I can also introduce you to a swordsmanship instructor later if you want."Vahn dressed while listening to the Hephaestus speak. He looked over the paper she had given him and saw that all his parameters had reset to I10, which was also reflected in the system. Fortunately, he had the advantage of seeing his hidden stats, so it wasn't too sorry a sight.He turned towards Hephaestus while giving a slight bow. "Thanks, Hephaestus. I look forward to your guidance." Vahn could see her look away, and couldn't help but smile.Seeing how Vahn was seemingly taking advantage of her, she got a little annoyed but decided to ignore it. She grabbed a hammer from the wall next to her desk before triggering a mechanism which revealed a secret workshop. Gesturing for Vahn to follow, he began to trail in her direction before they both stopped next to a forge that burned with an eternal flame."You might have a monstrous level of talent for combat, but let's see how much potential you have as a blacksmith." She turned towards Vahn with a unrivaled confidence on her face. Unlike all the emotions she had shown to him previously, this was what Vahn felt to be her most suitable expression.Vahn nodded, taking a seat next to the forge to observe her actions. It wasn't every day a person had the chance to watch an actual 'Goddess of Smithing' display her skills. He began to focus on her every word and movement as she began to process of teaching him how to forge.

Hephaestus started the process by taking a rough piece of metal that had been soaking in solution to remove the impurities contained within the ore. She then inserted it into a heat-resistant container that could withstand the heat of the 'eternal flame' within the forge. She would periodically remove the super-heated metal before inspecting before hammering away any slag buildup.Vahn watched the process and marveled at how methodically she performed each step. She seemed to be extremely relaxed, but there was an intense focus in her eyes which created the illusion they could see through anything. Every small change in the metal was easily noticed by her gaze, and she used the magical hammer within her hands to beat out the imperfections within the ore. After what seemed like several hours, which was in fact only a few minutes, she finally withdrew the purified metal and began shaping it into the shape of a bar."This is the process for refining an ingot. The metal you saw me use is the magisteel alloy used in some of our higher end products. We use mana to force out any impurities within the raw iron ore and then enhance the structure of the resultant material using pressure. During this phase, you can use your hammer to reinforce the structure of the metal and give it a magically charged nature. This allows it to conduct mana for use in skills, and with enough practice, you'll even be able to incorporate special qualities into the metal."Seeing the befuddled look on his face during her explanation, she began to laugh before setting the metal on a nearby platform to cool. "You don't have to worry about it too much, Vahn. What you just saw was the process of countless hours of effort and experimentation. As long as you understand the basic principles, you'll get the hang of it as you accumulate more experience. Here, give it a try. I'll walk you through it step-by-step."She offered the hammer she had used to refine the magisteel, and Vahn took it into his hands. His first impression was that it was much heavier than he expected. If not for his increase in strength the past week, he may not even be able to lift it. He was half tempted to put it into his inventory for analysis but decided to focus on the task at hand.Removing a piece of raw iron from the solution, he began trying to replicate the process of creating the ingot. He noticed it was very difficult to position the ore within the flame, and even small miscalculations would result in the loss of iron to the fire. Understanding this was probably the reason why Hephaestus would often remove the ore from the flame, he began trying to look for any change in the metal to indicate it needed to be removed.Hephaestus watched and gave an appreciative nod seeing his progress. Though it was very obvious he was a beginner, his attention to detail when making mistakes showed he possessed the observational prowess to become a blacksmith. She continued to watch as he processed the ore and offered him words of advice when necessary.Vahn's focus began to increase to it's maximum allowance, and he began to struggle while trying to handle the raw iron. Whenever he removed it from the flame to beat out the impurities, he noticed it was actually very difficult to shape the material. The hammer's weight aided in the effort, but he was unable to shape the metal as he desired."Remember Vahn, you need to focus and channel your mana through the hammer strikes. It will make it easier to shape the metal." Hephaestus understood why he was having difficulties. Because of his monstrous stats, she had decided to pressure him by allowing him to use a hammer from her personal collection. Without proper control, he wouldn't be able to shape the metal, but she believed that his SSS magic stat would allow him to adapt to the situation with practice.Hearing her advice, Vahn took a deep breath and tried to relax. If it was an issue of control and focus, he just had to use his trump card. He activated his [Will of the Emperor] and his domain spread throughout the entire forge.Hephaestus frowned a bit at the act, but once she saw him continue working the metal she gave an appreciative nod. The moment he activated his pseudo-divine state, she noticed his control over his mana increased exponentially and he was able to easily infuse it into the hammer. She was surprised since the internal mana conduits of the hammer are typically impossible to use without an understanding of their internal structure. She believed his aura allowed him to perceive the flow of mana within the field he generated, and she wasn't that far off from the truth.Vahn used his enhanced perception and control to finish removing the impurities. It took nearly five times the duration required by Hephaestus, but he still managed to keep more than 70% of the initial amount. He immediately started shaping the raw metal into the shape of an ingot, but only managed to form it into a lumpy oblong shape.Hephaestus saw the final product and laughed a bit on the inside. Even though he seemed to have an incredible talent for refining the metal, it would still take a lot of experience before he was able to control shaping the metal. She could see the reason he failed at the end was due to how he let the metal cool while observing it. If he had begun immediately shaping the raw metal after removing it from the forge he would have been able to generate better results.Seeing the dissatisfaction on his face, she decided to cheer him up. "Don't worry Vahn, you did very well for your first time. Remember that this is the material we use in our higher-end products, as well as your first time forging. If you had succeeded in your first try, that would have been abnormal."She grabbed the malformed ingot before reheating it using the 'eternal flame'. "Watch closely, I'll demonstrate again. You have to begin shaping the metal the moment it reaches its critical state. Due to the conductive nature of the material, it will quickly cool down by absorbing the elements from the air. You only have a brief window to shape the metal before reheating and repeating the process."This time, instead of immediately forming the shape of the ingot, Hephaestus showed him the normal process a blacksmith had to go through. She repeated the process of shaping and reheating the magisteel a total of seven times before it had taken the same shape as her previous ingot, albeit smaller in size.When she was done, she set it on the shelf before turning towards the observant Vahn. "That'll be it for today. I can tell you have a lot of latent ability when it comes to forging. I'll have someone teach you the basics in the future, and when I have free time I'll give you some personal lessons. Make sure you pay attention when the time comes because my time isn't cheap."She gave him a playful grin while speaking the words, but ended up losing her smile after seeing his reaction. Though he was obviously listening, and even nodded when she spoke, he seemed more focused on the metal within the solution than her words.('Does he want to try again?') She appreciated his motivation but understood it was dangerous to overexert yourself, especially when first starting out. The build-up of physical and mental exhaustion would just make the process more difficult. As she was about to try and convince him, she stopped after seeing his current state.Vahn had picked up the hammer and grabbed a piece of raw iron. The aura that had spread throughout the entire forge had converged to an area of three meters around him. Perhaps it was due to his embarrassment at his previous failure, or maybe the emergence of his competitive nature, but Vahn decided to purchase manuals on blacksmithing within his mind to absorb the teachings within.He spent a total of 17,000 OP to purchase all the manuals he could use at this current soul tier. As his brain processed the veritable tidal wave of information, Vahn almost lost consciousness but managed to hold on by pushing his [Will of the Emperor] to the limit.From the outside, Hephaestus could see an actual fluidlike energy forming a bubble around Vahn. Though she could sense it originally and make out its area using her eye, this was the first time she had seen a physical representation of his mana. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it took a god-like level of control to reach such a state. She worried that anything she said or did would break the mysterious state Vahn entered, so she remained silent and continued to observe.After his brain had finished sorting all the information, Vahn suddenly felt as if he had been a blacksmith for decades. He knew his practical skills were a bit lacking, but with enough effort, he would be able to quickly improve in the future. Since the information he obtained included a variety of 'records' outside of Danmachi, he very likely had more theoretical knowledge in the basics than even Hephaestus. He might not be able to match her in actual skill or experience, but he would be able to innovate and master his 'otherworldly' techniques given enough time.Vahn entered a state of absolute focus and began refining the metal. Though there was still a bit of loss, he managed to retain around 83% of the total raw material. After he removed the newly created magisteel he quickly began forming its shape, this time using his mana to forcibly mold the basic structure of the ingot as he hammered away.He repeated the process of reheating the metal and shaping it until an idea popped into his mind. ('If I can use my mana to hold the shape of the ingot, can't I do the same while heating it up?') He immediately attempted to verify his conjecture, but quickly understood the difficulty involved. While the influence of the flame was negligible when he was just refining the metal normally; when he exposed his energy to the flame in a concentrated amount he was able to feel an actual burning sensation within his body, almost as if the energy of his body was on fire.Hephaestus had been closely observing as he worked the metal, and immediately noticed the change. Through her eye, she could see that he was using his mana to 'cast' the ingot within the forge. As the 'eternal flame' was a mystical fire that could burn anything, it was very dangerous to concentrate mana directly into it. If he were unlucky, it could lead to a rebound within Vahn's spirit and cause harm to his foundation.Though she wanted to stop him, she feared that interrupting at this moment would hasten the arrival of the worst case scenario. Hephaestus began to feel helpless as she watched him struggle. Had she known he was such a hothead, she would have prevented him from taking action earlier.A tense atmosphere began to permeate throughout the room. On one side there was a boy, Vahn, focusing his mental energies beyond what he thought to be his previous limits. But no matter how much he pushed himself, it seemed as if failure was close at hand. On the other side of the room was the veteran Goddess, Hephaestus, who began to blame herself for the current situation. She held her breath and began to feel a strange emotion tugging at her heart.As the pressure continued to increase, Vahn began feeling as if he was teetering on the edge between consciousness and unconsciousness. He had long noticed something had gone wrong but refused to give up after seeing how close the ingot was to taking shape.Finally, after several painstaking seconds which seemed to stretch for an eternity, the ingot had been formed. Its surface had a flawless metallic luster and each edge was well defined. Unfortunately, Vahn didn't have time to celebrate as he found himself unable to remove his energy and awareness from the flame. It seemed intent on consuming his energy to the brink, almost as if it possessed a spirituality of its own. And on a very rudimentary level, it did...The so-called 'eternal flame' had been a unique possession of Hephaestus since she obtained her divinity. It had even accompanied her to the mortal world to continue aiding in the production of thousands of peerless items. But during that time it had begun to grow bored of the tedium of the mortal world. It longed for the days when it could process celestial metals and create artifacts fit for use only by the gods themselves.When Hephaestus allowed this novice to work metal using its flame, the 'eternal flame' began to focus all its resentment on the foolish human in front of it. He made almost imperceptible adjustments to the balance in the flame, which resulted in a greater loss of the materials. It even mocked the boy for his inability to adapt to the changes, completely ignoring any blame owed to itself.After the boy had completed his shoddy product, the 'eternal flame' watched as he failed to convert it into an ingot. At that moment, if it could laugh, it would have done so uproariously. After Hephaestus had reheated the ingot in its flames, it allowed her to demonstrate what true mastery was so as to discourage any hopes he may have about being a blacksmith in the future. But what did Hephaestus do? She slowly worked the metal and demonstrated the process of forging used by novices. It had to reheat the same piece of bland metal over and over until the ingot had finally taken shape.The 'eternal flame' had begun to resent the human child even more, for dragging its master down to his miserable level. When he saw the boy try to work another piece of metal, he tried to get revenge but was unable to because of the control the boy showed. The 'eternal flame' began to burn with a vengeful fury seeing that the boy had managed to retain so much of the metal even with its interference.As the boy began shaping the ingot, its rage had begun to peak...until the boy made a foolish error! The idiotic child had the audacity to try and infuse his mana directly into the flames internal energy structure. The moment the 'eternal flame' realized this, it attempted to create a spiritual lock around the invading energy but was surprised at the result. The energy possessed by this human seemed to suppress its pure elemental nature, causing an instinctual fear within the flame.The fear it had felt caused its rage to reach the absolute pinnacle of its meager intelligence. It began trying to consume the energy of the boy and convert it into its own, and was surprised by the absolute purity of the energy. It seemed to be able to nourish its 'core' and make the flames even stronger. All the hate it had built up for the boy turned into jubilation as it greedily tried to consume the energy.Vahn could feel the suppression of the flames grow increasingly stronger, and began to grit his teeth till his gums bled. He tried forcibly removing his energy, causing his 'soul' to scream out in protest. Every failure brought him closer and closer to collapse, but he adamantly refused to yield to the flame. His desire to escape the flames imprisonment grew, and he could feel his spiritual strength compound.Within Vahns eyes, the image of a warrior appeared. If the unfortunate kobolds that had experienced this previously were around, they would note that the illusion had grown far more tangible than before. The figure raised an awe-inspiring sword towards the heavens before cutting down with an unstoppable might.Vahn could hear the resonating sound of chains being shattered as he finally wrested control of the ingot from the flame.He held the flawless ingot and gazed at it in a fervent manner before presenting it to the befuddled Goddess who had observed the series of events. "I did it..." As the words left his lips, Vahn entered a state of 'Mind Zero' as he continued holding out the result of his efforts.Hephaestus stared at the unconscious boy who stood proudly displaying his achievements. She slowly relieved him of the ingot before carrying his body to a couch within her office workshop. After laying him down, she continued to stare with both of her eyes for several minutes."What kind of kid did I accept into my Familia...to be able to contest against the will of the 'eternal flame' and pull away as the victor...." As she continued to stare into his sleeping face, an anticipation for the future began to build within Hephaestus."His sleeping expression is very cute~. He looks like he worked so hard~"The cool Goddess began to smile and laugh like a fool, completely contrary to Vahn's impression of her. Sadly, it would be a long time before he was able to see this adorable side of her for himself.

Vahn had begun to regret his decision. His thoughts began racing a mile a minute through his mind as he tried coming up with a believable story."He died several months ago. He was a hunter in the Western Forests where he raised me. When I was younger he would tell me stories of his youth and his travels as an Adventurer. I came to the City after his death to follow a similar path."Before he could continue further, Hephaestus began questioning him again. "Oh? And where did these adventures of his take place? How long ago was this? And have you used this sword at all after he left it to you?" She continued pressuring him to find holes in his story.Vahn began to get visibly flustered, and his [Will of the Emperor] began to activate subconsciously. Hephaestus noticed this and began to smile like she had obtained victory. "These should all be relatively easy questions to answer Vahn. Unless of course, you're planning to lie and can't come up with a viable story?"Hearing her words, Vahn looked directly into her eye. "Miss Haphaestus, everyone has things they want to protect. I thought you were just going to ask about the sword, not my family and background. I don't think that was part of our original agreement at all." He decided to take a firm stand to prevent himself from divulging too much information. [Will of the Emperor] seemed to affirm his stance as it began to emit a subtle pressure on Hephaestus's body and mind.She squinted her eye and looked seriously at the boy in front of her. Perhaps she did overextend her boundaries by asking so many personal questions. She couldn't really fault him for his anger and her trying to divulge his secrets. Sighing, she eased her expression a bit before continuing. "My bad. I won't ask about your past, but I'm still curious if you've used the sword since obtaining it. That should be an easy enough question to answer."Vahn calmed down and began to repress his [Will of the Emperor] a bit. He thought about the question a bit before deciding it wasn't too far outside their original agreement. "Yes. I've been using the sword in the dungeon for a few days now."Hearing his words, Hephaestus felt her curiosity grow exponentially. She had determined the blade was a composite iron that had been reforged more than one-hundred times using a variety of unique techniques. Though the blade was carved with a powerful enchantment, she could infer it only increased the sharpness of the blade and not its durability. Given the low quality of the materials, there would be no way to prevent the blade from accumulating the signs of use. However, the blade before her was in a pristine condition...almost as if it had been forged and polished hours ago."And how far into the dungeon have you ventured? What level are you? Since you have a temporary pass, I'm assuming you are a freelancer, right?"Vahn noticed she had begun to deviate from the topic again, but since the questions didn't ask about his past he decided to respond. He didn't want to offend her by avoiding questions that most people would be willing to answer. "I've gone down to the 7th floor alone, and I'm still level 1 since I've never joined a Familia before."Hephaestus's eyebrow shot up hearing his response. He was still lv 1 but had gone into the 7th floor of the dungeon alone? This confirmed her suspicion that the boy was keeping a secret, and she began to wonder how to get him to divulge it before a plan began to form in her mind."Vahn, I've understood the composition of this sword and know that it isn't made of a very durable material. How are you able to keep the blade in such pristine shape if what you've said is true? The blade should wear down after cutting through so many monsters, and their body fluids should dull the blade after continued use. I can tell there is an enchantment to enhance the sharpness, but it still wouldn't explain the current state." Instead of looking directly at him, she began to closely inspect the runes on the blade, pretending she was only mildly interested in the answer.Vahn didn't think the question was abnormal, so he told her that he maintained the blade using whetstones.Hephaestus couldn't help thinking, 'he maintains the blade himself using whetstones?'. As a master blacksmith, she had used hundreds-of-thousands of whetstones during her time, and nothing would be able to emulate the result of the blade in her hands. "Can I see one of the whetstones you use? I'm quite curious what material can bring out so much luster in a sword."Without thinking too much, Vahn decided to hand over one of the whetstones. As far as he knew, there wasn't a difference between the ones he used and normal stones. When he passed the flat piece of rock to Hephaestus, both of their eyes lit up when the stone launched itself out of her hand of its own volition.They both stared at the stone that had fallen to the floor with blank expressions. Hephaestus looked incredulously towards Vahn for an explanation as Sis began speaking in his mind. (*Vahn, you can't give items to people that were obtained through the system without activating the 'Gift' function. That is especially the case for items obtained from other records.*)Vahn remembered that this was indeed the case, and moved to pick up the stone. He returned an awkward smile at Hephaestus who continued to stare at his movements. "Sorry Miss Hephaestus, it doesn't seem like others can use the stone."Hephaestus was very curious about the implications behind his words and asked that she be allowed to examine the stone while he held it. Nodding, Vahn moved forwards and extended his hand holding the stone. Hephaestus used her eye to look as closely as possible but was unable to see anything unique about the whetstone in his hand. It seemed to be made of Novaculite and other dense minerals, and she was unable to sense any enchantments or curses that would prevent others from holding it.As a test, she tried using her tools to interact with the stone without making physical contact, but there seemed to be a small rebounding force repelling the tools on contact. She was more confused that she had ever been and began to develop a powerful curiosity about the origin of the stone. "Vahn, where did you obtain this whetstone? It seems like a common stone, but has a mysterious force even my 'god's eye' can't detect."Vahn began to realize he had made a mistake. What he thought was a simple whetstone ended up drawing unnecessary interest from the Goddess before him, and he was unable to think of an explanation. While he was thinking, Hephaestus reached towards one of the weapons that had been displayed near her desk. She used a strange cloth to mar the surface of the blade and reduce the luster it emitted.Turning to Vahn, she handed him the blade. "I want to see your skills. Show me how you use that whetstone. Since I can't handle it myself, I want to see how it affects a high-quality item."Since Vahn didn't know how to dig himself out of his current predicament, he decided it would be best to just move forward without stepping back. If he retreated now he would feel pathetic, and he didn't want to create friction between himself and the third most powerful Goddess within the City. He grabbed the blade and began using the whetstone as he had done many times before.Hephaestus stared closely, and the first thing she noticed was that he had no idea how to properly handle a whetstone. She began to suspect he had been lying to her the entire time, but as the stone came into contact with the blade her concerns vanished. The moment the whetstone touched the marred blade, it began to glow with a subtle white luminance that only a god would be able to see. Each successive stroke of the whetstone increased the luminance until the third stroke, where the blade flashed a bright light before being restored to its pinnacle state. Even the nick in the blade she had left had completely vanished.She grabbed the sword as he handed it to her, and began to inspect it from every conceivable angle. The blade was in perfect condition! It was even polished to a state unattained by the previous sword, as it had yet to be sharpened properly since it was just a display piece. Now the blade had a cold gleam that seemed to be able to cut anyone that stared at it too intensely. As a test, she used another one of the display pieces and crossed the two blades and inspected the result. The first sword had easily cut into the blade of the second, even though their materials and construction were of similar qualities...She looked towards the stone in Vahn's hand with intrigue but noticed that it had turned into dust. "What happened to the whetstone?" She couldn't understand how the stone turned to dust when it was previously in a whole, unused, state.Vahn shrugged at the question and gave what he thought was an obvious response, "They always break after one use."She could tell he was speaking the truth and lamented at the loss of the godly tool. Even if the whetstone was a single-use item, it could be a powerful asset to any familia adventuring into the dungeon. If it could restore the state of damaged weapons to their optimal form, it would be an incredibly useful tool for long expeditions. "Can you tell me how you found that stone Vahn? It could save a lot of lives in the dungeon if people didn't have to worry about their weapons breaking down from overuse."Vahn shook his head and decided to speak the truth. "I can't really tell you where I got them since it is an important secret I can't divulge to anyone..."//Optional Quest Triggered//[Quest: Convince Hephaestus to Reveal her Eye]Rank:(G)Rewards: Development Ability: [Blacksmith], 1x Hephaestus' FavorFailure Conditions: Death, 30 seconds pass [0:19S]Penalty: 100 KarmaVahn was surprised at the notification that appeared mid-sentence and became shocked after seeing the failure conditions. He had less than 20 seconds remaining!? Since he was unable to come up with a viable excuse, he decided to repeat his last sentence. "I can't really tell you where I got them since it's a secret, but I can use them to assist the Hephaestus Familia if..."Though she was disappointed he was unwilling to divulge the information about the whetstones, she became curious seeing the hesitation in his body as he slowly trailed his words. "If what Vahn?""I will use the whetstones to aid your familia if you let me see what is under your eyepatch. Since its something deeply related to my secret, it would only be fair to reveal something of your own..."Hearing the continuation of his words, all the curiosity she had previously faded away. Now there was a melancholic and sad expression on her face, and Vahn almost blurted out an apology by reflex. He kept trying to think of how to convince her to reveal her eye and began to panic as the timer counted down.Hephaestus sighed but noticed that Vahn had begun to panic when her mood changed. She thought he was just curious and hadn't meant to offend her. He was right; she had tried time-and-again to pry out his secrets without exchanging anything even after offending him earlier. If he wanted to see her eye in exchange for those magical whetstones, it was a fair trade considering the benefits she could gain for her Familia."Very well Vahn...but know that what lays under my eyepatch isn't something interesting or mysterious. In fact, it might even disgust you...do you still want to see whats underneath?" She looked into his eyes as he began to calm down. She could see his eyes were clear as he returned her gaze before giving a gentle smile."Please. I really want to see." Vahn knew she was often looked down on by the gods in heaven, and that was the reason she had become friends with Hestia. Hestia was the only Goddess that had seen her eye without showing fear or disgust. Though he hadn't thought to ask before the quest triggered, he was genuinely curious what made so many gods ostracize one of their own, especially when she was such an accomplished blacksmith.Hephaestus saw he didn't waver, so she removed her eyepatch. After a brief hesitation, she slowly looked at the boy to gauge his reaction. Though she tried to pretend she wasn't worried, her eye had been a trauma to her for so long that she subconsciously lost confidence whenever anyone gazed upon it. She looked towards him, expecting to see the familiar disgust or contempt that everyone except her best friend Hestia showed...but it wasn't there. He still had the gentle smile on his face as he gazed directly into her disfigured eye. There wasn't any disgust or feigned calmness, only an undisguised intrigue, relief, and even...concern?As various thought began circulating through her head, Vahn continued to observe the eye. The white sclera had turned completely black, surrounding the glowing crimson eye at its core. The eye looked almost demonic, a thought that would only be emphasized when seeing the malformed skin around the socket. It seemed like the skin had dried into a wrinkled red mess like a bloodstain surrounding her eye.Vahn was actually relieved seeing the eye since it wasn't nearly as bad as he expected given the mentions in the story. If anything, he even thought it looked kind of cool...but he could see by the expression on Hephaestus's face that it brought her a lot of pain. He began thinking of ways to cure it and started inquiring with Sis for a solution.Hephaestus continued to stare into the face of the boy and noticed that he was able to easily look directly at her for such a long period of time without changing. Her interest in the boy began to grow, as he was only the second person in her several-million-year lifespan to react this way. She almost felt the urge to cry as she continued to enjoy the kindness in his gaze."You aren't afraid of my eye Kid? Isn't it disgusting like a monster?" She saw his expression change for the first time since removing her eyepatch. He seemed confused at her question."That's a dumb question. Though your eye might be different, it doesn't change who you are. Why would I be afraid of you after all our interactions so far?" This was genuinely what Vahn thought since he always respected the actions Hephaestus took in the anime. She was always kind to the people she cared about and even forged Bell a 200,000,000V dagger just for her friend Hestia. She didn't deserve to be looked at like a monster by those around her since she was actually a kind and gentle girl.Hephaestus was shocked. She couldn't see any falsity in his words and could tell that he was actually offended not by her eye, but the fact she thought he would be afraid of it. She decided she had to re-evaluate this kid and began to examine his features a bit and noticed that he was actually quite handsome, albeit a bit young...Given a few years, he would likely grow to be a capable Adventurer, and he was currently without a Familia. There was also the unique aura he possessed which likely meant his "Grandfather" wasn't a simple adventurer turned hunter...A lightbulb went off inside her head as she looked towards Vahn with both her eyes gleaming. "Vahn, would you like to join my Familia?"

Chapter 36: Decision; Hephaestus' Surprise