Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

For three weeks, Vahn and Lili continued to train with Tsubaki and hone their skills. Within this time Vahn had managed to increase his [Blacksmith] skill to A after using one of his skill enhancement scrolls after getting it to B. He was also about to impress Tsubaki by displaying some of the otherworldly techniques he had learned from the manuals.Tsubaki was really surprised at the innovative methods and even recorded them for submission and review by other veteran blacksmiths within the Familia. The most notable thing Vahn had shown her was the creation of an 'automated hammering' system. Vahn had grown very familiar with the mechanism behind the swinging bamboo and used the knowledge he possessed to create a rig that could reliably and consistently strike a surface without requiring physical exertion. He even carved mana circuits into the body of the rig so the user could still infuse their mana into the hammer strikes.Almost immediately after she had submitted the designs to the Familia, Tsubaki's workshop started getting barraged with visitors. Everyone wanted to meet the person who had developed such a unique method, as many were even claiming it would revolutionize the process of forging and allow for mass-production of standard-quality items. Unfortunately, Tsubaki wasn't willing to let anyone in and even beat up some of the bolder ones for trying to sneak into her house.Eventually, Hephaestus herself put a stop to the troubles after submitting a patent through the guild using her mark as well as Vahn's on the form. Everyone became interested in the mysterious blacksmith that was being groomed by Hephaestus. Even some gods tried visiting her personally to acquire information, but she was tight-lipped and refused to comment.One of the people that weren't turned away, however, was Welf. After hearing the news, he immediately came by to celebrate Vahn's achievement. Welf considered Vahn someone worthy of respect and even thought of himself as his rival. Seeing the ingenious design in person and many of Vahn's other innovations, Welf was fired up. They spent the entire afternoon talking and enjoying sake alongside the boisterous Tsubaki. Lili, who was the only one to refuse the alcohol, spent most of the time preparing various snacks for the rowdy trio.---After things had calmed down, Vahn and Welf were sitting in the courtyard looking up at the moon. They had been talking about their dreams and how far Welf's research had progressed. Welf shook his head in dismay saying, "I've made some progress in the actual circuit, but I can't seem to make the item preserve the mana for a long enough period of time. The complexity of defensive and healing spells is much higher than attack spells."Vahn nodded before taking out the [Heal] staff he had used last time. Because Welf had a high appreciation and respect for Vahn, their affection level had exceeded 80 which allowed Vahn to 'gift' a single item to Welf with a month-long cooldown. "You'll need to keep the origin a secret, but I want you to use this staff to help in your research. You don't have to worry about returning it, just make sure you don't forget your purpose and I'll be happy."Welf accepted the staff and held it firmly in his hands. With a serious expression on his face, he looked into Vahns eyes and nodded. "I will prove to the world my blood isn't a curse. Thanks, Vahn."---Vahn wasn't the only one to grow in the three weeks of hellish training. Though it wasn't as drastic, Lili had also been making marked improvements. Her training with Tsubaki had begun to show its effects, and she was now able to fight freely without much assistance on the first four floors. Afterward, she had Vahn check her status and confirmed that many of her parameters had exceeded D, with her agility and dexterity reaching C. If she wanted to, she could even level-up, but chose to wait and improve her foundation after consulting both Vahn and Tsubaki.The weapon she ended up choosing was a crimson naginata that was far larger than her body. The overall length was 200cm with the curved-blade comprising 40cm of the total length. Tsubaki was quite proficient in its use and encouraged Lili to learn how to use it since her small stature would actually be a benefit once she increased her mastery. After she tried it out, Lili realized it suited her well and began training alongside Tsubaki to learn the various offensive and defensive forms.Though she still had a lot to learn, Lili was able to use her improving mobility to quickly deal with small groups of enemies. Whenever she was in a pinch, she also carried a dagger which she had Vahn forge. Overall, she was already much stronger than the Lili Vahn had seen in the manga. He looked forward to seeing how far she could progress using her newfound confidence and skills.---Today, the duo had decided to venture into the deeper floors. Lili freaked out when she saw the giant one-eyed frogs, but managed to defeat one after a bit of effort. As her stats weren't particularly high, this was the point where she was unable to fight without support. After discussing it with Vahn, the two continued into the dungeon using their usual method. Lili was acting as a Vahnguard(A/N: I'm leaving this typo because it made me laugh) while Vahn used [Will of the Emperor] to scout for traps and monster spawns.Their progress was much slower than the first four floors, and by the beginning of the sixth floor, Lili began failing to cope against the monsters. She came across a War Shadow, and after a fierce fight only managed to defeat it with Vahn blocking several of its lethal attacks. If he hadn't have been protecting her, Lili knew she most likely would have died. War Shadows were much harder to deal with than she expected."Let's call it for the day. We made it much further than our previous visits and you're quickly improving. In another few months, you'll probably be able to fight on the first seven floors without my help." Vahn smiled while patting Lili's head. It had become a habit between them when Lili performed well, Vahn would pat her on the head while praising her.---They made their way towards the stairs leading out of the dungeon when Vahn suddenly stopped. Lili, confused, asked what was the matter and Vahn shook his head while looking deeper into the dungeon. Though it could have been his imagination, after confirming with Sis, he knew what he had heard wasn't false. Somewhere, further in the dungeon, someone had screamed out.Vahn put on a serious expression and explained the situation to Lili. Though she wanted to accompany him, she knew from all their previous experiences together that she would only get in the way. If Vahn was going to save someone, it would be better to leave the matter to him. Since she wasn't proficient enough to protect herself on the 6th floor, she would just be a liability.There wasn't a lot of time, so Vahn gently pats Lili's hair before leaving her in the relative safety of the stairs. She had decided to stay in the area until he completed his task, and began preparing items for emergency treatment if he brought any injured people to her. One of the skills she had been studying in the last few weeks was how to make medicinal powders and apply basic first aid treatment for wounds.---Vahn ran deeper into the dungeon towards the direction where he had last heard the 'sound'.The reason he had been able to pick up the 'sound' while Lili, who was still in her Cat Person form, couldn't, is because what Vahn had detected wasn't an actual sound. As he always had [Will of the Emperor] active within the dungeon, Vahn was able to feel a ripple of intent pass through his domain and he was able to interpret that as a plea for help. He could feel the fear, pain, and anguish in the cry and thus couldn't ignore it. (A/N: Credit to 'Frozen', my guardian diety~)Vahn was moving at an incredible pace through the sixth floor and had equipped his bow to quickly dispatch any enemies that dared cross his path. Even when he passed a pair of War Shadows surrounded by Frog Shooters, he annihilated the entire group without breaking stride. His training with Tsubaki and using the bamboo weights had enhanced his perception to the point he didn't even have to directly look at enemies within a 10m range.Eventually, Vahn found his way to the site of a battle. There was blood everywhere, much of it belonging to humans. Corpses of monsters were strewn about, signs that the adventurers hadn't been able to accurately destroy the magic cores. But what irked Vahn the most was, the corpses of the fallen adventurers were being torn apart and mutilated by the monsters who had begun devouring them.Among the group of monsters, there was one that stood out from the rest. All of the others stayed far away from it, almost as if they were afraid of being its next victim. Vahn's vision began to turn dark as a coldness started spreading through his mind.The monster, a War Shadow variant with a white coloration was currently torturing the only living adventurer in the area. It was using its claws to slowly impale parts of her body while grating the flesh around her missing arm. Though she would try to scream out, the only sound was an anguished and muffled croak likely due to internal bleeding.Vahn spread his domain to the maximum and locked-on to the White Shadow*. It stopped torturing the girl and she slowly began to pass out now that the constant pain had ceased. Before she lost consciousness, she saw a handsome boy glowing with a golden radiance as a warm heat spread over her body.Due to his rage, Vahn's [Heart of the Eternal Flame] had begun to infuse its effect into the domain of [Will of the Emperor] causing the entire room of the dungeon to glow with a golden light. The monsters within the domain began to sizzle as the 'burning' effect was applied to their bodies. They screamed in pain while trying to protect their eyes, but none of their efforts could alleviate the burning sensation that continued to increase in intensity.The White Shadow was also under the effect of the domain, and it quickly charged at Vahn to tear him apart for ruining it's fun. It was much faster than a normal War Shadow and the claws on its hands were nearly twice as long. It intended to impale the interloper before slowly pulling out the intestines while they were still alive.Before the White Shadow could close the distance, Vahn began a charge of his own. The bow within his hands disappeared and was replaced by an ornamental straight sword with the motif of a lion. This sword was the one he had received from Milan, and it was identified by the system as [Lion's Pride:S]. Though the make wasn't as complex as his previous Tamahagane blade, the conductivity of the metal when channeling magic was far stronger as it was comprised entirely of mithril.As Vahn swung the sword towards the White Shadow, it tried intercepting the blade with it's claws. The moment before contact, time seemed to slow for the two as Vahn could see his sword cut through the White Shadow's claws like a plasma blade. It slowly moved through each claw with almost no resistance as each severed finger flew off with a glowing red hue where it previously connected to the White Shadow.Due to the combined effects of his energy and [Heart of the Eternal Flame], his sword had become super-heated which spelled the end for the arrogant monster. It could only look helplessly as the sword continued unobstructed toward its head and core. By the time the blade had passed, there were two separate halves of a White Shadow still left standing with a glowing cross-section. After another few milliseconds, the two halves turned to dust in a small explosion as Vahn continued forward without taking notice.He dispatched the few remaining monsters before approaching the barely breathing girl. He could tell she was a young brown-haired Chienthrope, likely only a few years older than himself. Vahn quickly purchased another [Heal] from the system and began using its effects to try and save the unfortunate adventurer. He noticed that while the skill was active, her wounds began to slowly regenerate, but Vahn stopped channeling because he noticed a problem.Though the staff was healing her wounds, it was only healing the remaining tissue. If Vahn continued using his current method the staff would heal the injury around her arm and leave only a stub behind. As someone that had lived for several years without armor or legs, Vahn knew how difficult it was to live with the loss of a limb.Vahn's thoughts spun rapidly through his head as he tried searching for the lost limb. No matter where he looked he couldn't find anything, and he was quickly running out of time. Much longer and the girl would likely die of blood loss, so Vahn needed to think of an immediate solution. Suddenly, a dangerous thought entered his mind as he quickly read through his skills.Making his decision, Vahn grits his teeth while switching his sword to his left hand...and slices off his own right arm.Title: Progress : Cry for Help(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The Stranger', 'Hold my beer', 'Is it wrong to pick up girls in a dungeon?', 'That's a little too still')

The moment Vahn cut his arm off, the pain receptors in his body began sounding alarms. The pain almost caused him to lose consciousness, but [Rakshasa Body] kicked in and prevented him from passing out. Due to the massive damage he had taken, his form began to change slightly and the stump of his arm tried to seal itself.Before the skill took full effect, Vahn put the second part of his plan into action. He exhaled before sucking in a deep breath and activate his [Wound Transfer] on the unconscious girl. Red strings of light began appearing from her body as the wounds rapidly began to heal. Thankfully, even her arm began to grow at a noticeably fast rate.As the lines began to infuse with his body, Vahn fell to his knees and supported himself with his only remaining arm. Everywhere the light touched, puncture wounds and mangled flesh began to appear. The pain was so intense that, even if he wanted to, Vahn was unable to faint. He couldn't rely on [Rakshasa Body] to divert the pain as intentionally activating the skill would transform his body and close his wounds.Vahn vomited when a hole opened in his stomach. His blood began to flow out rapidly, but he still managed to maintain his awareness. He noticed that the arm was healing at a slower pace and he wouldn't be able to last long enough for the process to complete. Using his final [Skill Enhancement Scroll] Vahn increased the rank of his [Wound Transfer] from B to A.The increase had an immediate effect and Vahn could see the arm regrowing at a much faster pace than before. Fortunately, the increase in the skill level even mitigated some of the pain he was feeling so Vahn was able to withstand the process throughout its entirety. Now was the most important part of his plan, so he couldn't afford collapse yet.He picked up his severed arm from the ground but dropped it as the result of an impact to his back. Vahn coughed a mouthful of blood as he turned his head and saw a Frog Shooter who had just fired its tongue into his back. He could feel that several of his ribs were broken, but he managed to reactivate [Will of the Emperor], which had deactivated when he was wracked with pain, preventing the monster from attacking again.Withdrawing the dagger he obtained when he first entered this world, Vahn threw it directly into the eye of the monster. The shockwave created a large cavity as it passed through the body of the monster, and the dagger continued until firmly rooting itself into the dungeon wall. Due to the exertion and his current state, Vahn nearly collapsed, vomiting another mouthful of blood.He quickly reached the location where he dropped his arm and attached it next to the mangled remains of his right shoulder. As he couldn't continue without a spare hand, Vahn ended up having to lay on the ground next to the severed arm. He withdrew [Heal] from his inventory and began channeling his energy full force into the staff.The magic circle expanded to an area of 5m around Vahn and began to mend the wounds on his body. His arm, that was still detached, was also within the area of effect and the two disconnected parts were slowly trying to reattach themselves. The moment the flesh started to mend, he began to channel the full effects of all of his abilities including, [Yggdrasil's Favor], [Rakshasa Body], and [Heart of the Eternal Flame].The three skills, in conjunction with the use of [Heal], began to rapidly regenerate his damage tissue while also modifying his body. Vahn could feel the muscles in his body become stronger as the 'molten' bloody pumped through his veins. Hair began growing on his arms and legs, including the previously severed arm. The hair on his head grew slightly longer and he could feel all of his senses increase in efficacy. There was even a strange discomfort coming from his lower back.After several agonizing seconds, the pain slowly receded and Vahn became far calmer. The pain was relieved by [Rakshasa Body]'s effects and he managed to stand upright. He tried moving around his right arm, and even though there was a strange numbness, he was able to move and feel all of his fingers. After that, he inspected the source of discomfort on his back and found that likely due to his skill, he had actually grown a light grey tail with white stripes.Vahn didn't have the type of pants that allowed for a tail to run through, so he bought a pair from the system. Luckily, the system seemed to account for the change in his natural state and allowed him to purchase the same type as his current pair, but they had an elastic band allowing a tail to pass through.Inspecting the rest of his body, Vahn noticed his forearms and legs had grown a dense assortment of light grey and black striped fur. His hands had turned into claws, though they still retained their human shape. The thing he found most peculiar, every so slightly, he could see a subtle pad-like skin emerging on his palms and the tips of his fingers. The pads were soft to the touch and turned out to be more sensitive than he expected.Suddenly, and without warning, an arrow had entered Vahn's detection range. He managed to evade it before following the path of the arrow to find it's origins. A group of adventurers had just entered the room and, seeing the bloody carnage and Vahn's transformed state, they determined that he was the cause and began attacking.The group of five immediately split to surround the 'monster'. One of the adventurers, an elf that had fired the first arrow, began to rapidly attack Vahn from a distance. Due to his enhanced attributes and [Will of the Emperor], Vahn was able to evade the incoming attacks and tried speaking out."Why are you attacking me!? I'm the one that killed all the monsters and saved the girl!" Vahn continued dodging the attack. At this point, the other members of the team had created a formation around him and were trying to attack his blind spots.The man from his front, a tall brown-haired man with a muscular physique wielding a combination sword and shield, shouted in response. "Silence you vile creature! You expect us to believe the words of a monster!?" He swung his sword at Vahn's legs, trying to force him back towards his allies.Due to his training with Tsubaki, and the fact he could sense the men in his surroundings, Vahn decided to advance instead of retreat. He used his gauntlets to deflect the blow before trying to disarm the man. In response, the man used his shield and slammed it into Vahn's upper body to force him away.The man's companion, a short female cat person with purple hair, used the opportunity when Vahn was off-balance to try and stab him in the side with her daggers. Without a better means of response, Vahn swiped his left hand and impacted the girl directly in her face. He could feel a small distortion in his hand that made him feel uncomfortable.After receiving the blow, the girl was flung back and landed unmoving on the ground. She was still breathing but had been knocked unconscious by Vahn's counter. The three remaining melee fighters shouted and simultaneously charged Vahn who had blanked slightly after sending the girl flying."You bastard, you killed Tallim!!!" A young man with red hair, similar in age to the cat girl, used a skill and stabbed towards Vahn using his spear while shouting out the demise of his still living companion. The other two men used their swords to try and cut off Vahn's path of escape.Vahn was seriously pissed off. Even though he hadn't done anything and tried to explain the situation, the party of five completely ignored him and kept attacking with the intent to kill. A coldness spread through his mind as all the inhibitions he had begun to fade away into nothingness.His domain began to spread out and started glowing with a golden light which caused the men to wince, but didn't stop their attack.Without dodging, Vahn allowed the spear to penetrate his gut while he used his hands to block the blades of the men. He used the moment immediately after the collision to perform an instep and grab the two men by the neck. The spearman twisted his spear and pulled it back to prepare for a second strike, but Vahn spun and slammed the body of his companion directly toward the spearhead while using the second man to block an incoming arrow.At this point silence completely overtook the atmosphere as Vahn continued holding the struggling man in his right hand to block the line of sight of the archer. The red-haired boy who had inadvertently stabbed his own ally let go of the spear and they both fell to the floor. The victim of the stab, a blond-haired Boaz with a lean figure, clutched the spear in his stomach to try and stimy the flow of blood.Vahn, using the momentary silence, spoke once again. "I said I didn't kill anyone. Don't make me have to take back my words." He coldly looked at the man in his hand and then dropped him to the ground. The man struggled for breath as he motioned for his elf companion to cease the attack. They were no match for this 'monster', and if he was willing to spare them, they would be better served to stop the fight.After seeing the men stand down, Vahn approached the collapse cat girl. The red-haired man tried to say something, but the man Vahn assumed was their leader had him deal with their companion with a spear penetrating his body. The elf was still keeping an eye on the situation, and he seemed to be waiting for Vahn to drop his guard before beginning the attack anew.Vahn arrived at the girl's side and saw that her jaw had shattered from his attack. Her pretty face had been completely distorted by his counter and he felt slightly guilty about it. Removing [Heal] from his inventory, he began treating her injuries. After the bones had been reset, Vahn stopped healing her to prevent the party from recovering their full strength. He expected that, if he helped heal them completely, they would probably try to attack him again with more caution.The men had relaxed somewhat after seeing Vahn heal their ally. They began to suspect he had been telling the truth and thanked their lucky stars he was compassionate enough to spare them even after their accusations. The leader, who had been trying to treat his own wounds, spoke up to try and ease the atmosphere."We're sorry for wrongly accusing you stranger...but if it isn't any inconvenience, could you use your magic to heal Jared? A wound that pierces the body isn't easy to treat. He could die if we're unable to get to the surface fast enough..." As he asked the question, his voice became lower and lower as the 'monster' began glaring towards him.Vahn walked towards the writhing man and then glared towards the red-haired boy. The boy, seeing the terrifying look of the 'monster', immediately abandoned his ally and made his way towards the still unconscious cat girl.Staring down at the man named 'Jared', Vahn bent down and grabbed the spear from the front and back side of the wound. Using a twisting and jerking motion, the spear snapped and Vahn was able to pull the two halves out of the wound. He had decided that yanking it out the full length would just complicate things so he took a more direct route. This way the enemy had one less weapon if they tried attacking him again.Jared immediately writhed in pain and vomited the contents of his stomach. A foul smell began to spread in the air, and Vahn noticed the man had pissed himself due to the pain. Grimacing at the disgusting sight, Vahn quickly used [Heal] until the wound had mostly closed. The man was still laying on the ground in immense pain but tried to show a thankful smile after Vahn's treatment.At this point, just as the atmosphere began to turn tense, the sleeping female chienthrope awoke. She looked around at the chaotic scene before staring lazily at her right arm. Before she had passed out, she had given up all hope and was certain the limb had been lost. Looking around once again, she spotted a figure that looked similar to the boy that had saved her. The only difference was, instead of dark hair and a handsome face, he now had white hair with black undertones. His arms and legs were both covered in fur, and he seemed to be fighting a party of adventurers.After a few seconds, she realized what was going on and tried moving her body. She was surprised to notice the expected pain never came and she was easily able to stand. After giving herself a cursory glance, she turned towards the group and shouted at the top of her lungs."STOP! That boy is the one who saved me!"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I'm not a furry, it's just a phase', 'Try me bitch', 'You got knocked the F*ck out!')

The three continue to eat breakfast in silence. Vahn was eating much slower than usual, while Lili had hardly touched her food. She just kept fidgeting in her seat while periodically eyeing the door as if trying to come to a decision. Tsubaki, who was the closest to the exit just gave her a 'gentle' smile while enjoying the meal.After the meal concluded, Tsubaki collected all the dishes and told Vahn and Lili to wait in the training area. Vahn nodded mechanically in response. Once Tsubaki had left the room, Lili got close to Vahn and urged him, "Vahn, we have to run! We can flee into the dungeon until the storm passes. It's safer than staying here!" Lili seemed to be very fearful of Tsubaki, and Vahn wondered what had happened between them.---The previous night...Two voices echo loudly, breaking the silence brought by the nights' stillness.One voice sounds like the laughter of an evil creature as it revels in the suffering of its 'victim'.The second voice cries into the night, hoping to find release from its tormentPassersby stare in horror towards the tall bamboo walls, urgently fleeing the horrifying soundA boy sleeps contentedly in a nearby room...(A/N: The Author is confused.)---Vahn ends up moving to the training area with Lili following behind while dragging her feet. So as not to get caught off guard, Vahn find an area where he can easily see the connecting corridors and begins performing light stretching exercises. After watching for a moment, Lili sighs and begins following the routine. She determines that escape is impossible, and believes Vahn's precaution is the best course of action for the time being.After ten minutes, Tsubaki shows up and nods after seeing the two seriously preparing. The dark aura from earlier has faded, and her carefree smile has returned. Vahn and Lili are elated to see she has 'calmed' down, but after hearing Tsubaki describes their next training, even Vahn wants to run away...Tsubaki has Lili assume a horse stance atop small bamboo platforms with both arms spread to her side. In each hand and on top of her head, she has to balance small metal disks that hold several small cups of water. Her assignment is to transfer each cup from one disc to the other without spilling anything in the process. To make the process even more difficult, Tsubaki is asking her questions about various monsters and their ecology. If Lili fails to answer or takes too long, Tsubaki uses a brush to tickle the underside of her arms.For Vahn's training, Tsubaki has him stand in a strange formation of bamboo and ropes. Each bamboo is weighted on the inside and attached to a rope. The ropes are attached to a mechanism that slowly pulls the weighted bamboo to a specific height before releasing them towards the person inside. To increase the difficulty, Tsubaki has Vahn wear a blindfold while restraining both of his arms. She tells him to restrain his domain to the smallest possible size and places various rocks along the ground around his feet. He not only has to focus on evading the random attacks from the bamboo but has to avoid stepping on the jagged rocks with his bare feet...For Vahn, the training was slightly 'easier' than expected, though he still suffered minor setbacks on occasion. He was quickly adapting to sensing the unseen attacks and had been able to evade more than 10 in a row. It was at this point his ears picked up on a subtle 'clink'. After the strange sound, the bamboo seemed to increase in number and frequency causing Vahn to begin to sweat while desperately evading around the small area...Tsubaki, who had just finished tormenting Lili, saw that Vahn was adapting much faster than she expected. She moved to an area connected to the training device and added a weight to the mechanical components driving the swinging mechanism. This made the gears that only increased tension periodically begin to spin faster. Of the total 10 stages, she had just increased the degree of difficulty to 2.---After what felt like an excruciatingly long hour, Vahn and Lili were finally allowed to cease their training. Lili ended up running towards the bathroom in a panic, while Vahn simply collapsed onto the floor. His body was covered in bruises, even with the healing component of his combined skills. Halfway through his training, just as he was beginning to adapt to the new speed, a second 'clink' was heard and he began to get hit much more often.Tsubaki walked over to the collapsed Vahn and offered him a container of water. "You did well. At that level, you should be able to evade attacks from someone that just reached Level 2 without having to see the attack coming." Vahn took the container and drank while she gave him the compliment. After finding out the mechanism had 10 stages, he wondered how strong he would be if he was able to master dodging them all.After a short break, Tsubaki showed Vahn and Lili, who had returned somewhat pale from the bathroom, to her actual workshop. It was dim, like most forges, and had a variety of tools and materials neatly arranged on shelves. On the side of the workshop nearest to the door, there were several bookshelves that contained a host of different topics including herbology, monster ecology, material, blacksmithing, and even some lore related books regarding gods and legends."Every day, from now until 2 pm, you'll both be within this workshop developing your knowledge and skills. Vahn will primarily focus on learning the fundamentals of blacksmithing, while I'll have Lili act as an assistant when she isn't researching the subjects I assign her. After 2 PM, you'll be free for the remainder of the day. I may have closed my workshop to new customers, but there are still various contracts I have to uphold. Just make sure if you go to the dungeon you are able to return before 10 PM. From now on that will be the curfew for both of you." Tsubaki had been carefully explaining things to them while arranging a stack of books on the table. When she got to her final words, she looked towards both of them and shouted. "Understood!?""Yes!" "Yes, Tsubaki-sama!" Vahn and Lili both responded loudly due to the tension. Tsubaki nodded and began teaching Vahn how to process materials while Lili was required to read the books that had been laid out.As she had yet to see Vahn forge anything, Tsubaki had him refine a piece of normal iron. Vahn nodded before reaching towards the dark greyish-brown lump of metal. He sat down next to the forge and began trying to refine it, but quickly noticed it was much different compared to working with magisteel like his previous three attempts.The biggest difference was the quality of the 'flame' he was using. Since he had only ever forged anything using the 'eternal flame' which could easily melt ores, Vahn had never experienced working with a normal fire. The temperature seemed inconsistent within the furnace and he struggled to evenly heat the iron even after using his [Will of the Emperor].Tsubaki, from the side, nodded while speaking in a low voice. "It seems you really are a novice. Even though iron is much easier to process, because it is somewhat inert compared to magisteel, it is far more difficult to refine using your current techniques. You need to learn the properties of different metals from the very beginning and how to shape them using normal forging methods."Vahn slowly nodded as he continued refining the iron. He had a lot of theoretical knowledge from the manuals he had obtained but was severely lacking in experience. Since the 'eternal flame' was much stronger than normal fires, even when it had resisted him it still had much higher efficacy than a normal flame.Remembering the 'eternal flame', Vahns heart began to throb as if to respond to his thoughts. Noticing the phenomenon, Vahn began to listen to his heartbeat and felt the blood in his body begin to heat up considerably. His mind calmed and all the heat of the forge seemed to vanish in an instant.As Vahn opened his eyes, he could feel a powerful energy radiating from his arm holding the hammer. He lifted the hammer and noticed that the magical circuit had become fully active and the crystalline sections of the hammer glowed with a warm, slightly golden, luminance. He smiled, basking in the calming glow and enjoying the feeling present in his bloodTsubaki was shocked seeing the sight, and even with her high tolerance to the heat, she began to sweat slightly. The temperature from the hammer Vahn was holding was incredible. It was much hotter than the flame within the forge, and she remembered Hephaestus saying he had somehow subordinated the 'eternal flame'. She removed the eyepatch from her left eye, and a scarlet glow began to emit from the red iris.Vahn began to focus and started using his hammer to refine the iron. Each strike traced a red path through the air and imbued fire elemental energies into the iron. The metal began to heat up rapidly, and Vahn was able to have much greater control over the process. He continued until the ore had been refined to 80% and then quickly shaped the ingot. Due to the 'burning' properties in the hammer, he didn't even have to put it back into the forge and was able to quickly mold it into the shape of an ingot.After he was finished, he waited for Tsubaki's input before doing anything else. Vahn turned towards her and saw that she was staring at him with both eyes instead of just one. Noticing he had finished the process, Tsubaki gave him a cheerful smile and reset her eyepatch. "Excellent Vahn! Really, you have an incredible talent for forging! Was that glowing in the hammer an effect of the 'eternal flame' that merged with your body?"Vahn nodded, returning a smile due to the praise he had received. He began explaining the functions of the 'eternal flame' and how it allowed him to imbue fire elemental properties into all of his 'attacks'. Since the hammer was also capable of channeling mana, it enhanced the effects even further and made it so that he could almost forge without even relying on a furnace. (A/N: This only applies to VERY low-grade items. The purpose of a furnace is to keep heat uniform and prevent it from escaping and dispersing throughout the room. If Vahn tried to forge an item from start to finish without using the proper tools it would waste the metal! Consistent temperatures lead to much higher quality products~! I'm not the best, but done machining/blacksmithing/metalworking before~)After his success, Tsubaki started demonstrating how to work with different materials other than metal. There were various types of monster drops like bones, fangs, and talons. Each required their own unique process, and Vahn was able to quickly learn. Some of the manuals he had acquired from the shop related to forging within Danmachi, so he was able to match the practical methods to the theoretical ones within his mind. Tsubaki was surprised seeing how quickly he 'learned' and how well he 'retained' the information.She continued mentoring him and watching him process each item with varying degrees of success. The most amazing thing was, even if he didn't refine an item well, he didn't make any mistakes that resulted in failure. At this rate, the only thing Vahn would need is time and he would become a great blacksmith. Tsubaki couldn't wait to debut his items and brag about being the master of such a talented student.From the side, Lili sat reading books and writing down as much information as she could about important factors to consider in the dungeon. Even though she had no experience with forging, she could understand after observing Tsubaki's excitement that Vahn had incredible talent. If she wanted to keep up and stand at his side, she needed to do her best using her own strengths. For now, she would memorize all of these books and learn as much as she could to be of use in the future.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You call that a flame?', 'Two-eyed Cyclops', 'Eternal-Flame is Bae', 'Be still my right hand!')

Chapter 62: Progress : *Spoilers*

Chapter 62: Progress : Spoilers