A Cliché Multiverse Story

Confused, Hephaestus peered at Asahi and Chiaki. The fairy surrounded herself in bluish-white flames and jumped into the forge, which was carved into the wall. Anyone could see the excitement bursting out of her tiny figure.

Asahi chuckled. "Don't blow this place, idiot."

Hephaestus looked at Chiaki with a nervous look. The temperature of her fire was nothing to scoff at. Even the strongest metal near her would melt like a cube of ice under the sun.

"It's my Familia's main store…"

She couldn't find it in her heart to scold Chiaki, so she used reasoning to coax Chiaki from destroying anything.

Chiaki's flames blew out, and she withdrew from the forge. She sat on Hephaestus's head and gently rubbed her hair.

"Cute…" Asahi muttered to himself, and Astraea nodded along.

The couple watched the one-eyed goddess with soft gazes. From healthy tanned skin to burning crimson hair, Hephaestus and Chiaki looked so similar that one could even mistake them as mother and daughter.

Hephaestus felt like all the flames in the forge had become focused on her cheeks alone. "Get to work..."

"How do I work without tools?" Asahi asked with a grin.

Hephaestus grabbed the tools and piled them on a table near the anvil. All of her equipment shared a vermillion shade.

Astraea covered her mouth and giggled at her friend's strained movements. Before being a goddess, Hephaestus was a smith. In Heaven, she spent the majority of her time either smithing weapons for the gods or discovering new techniques to improve herself. Whether it was because of her eye defect or her cool demeanor, Hephaestus expended little time socializing with others.

Asahi pulled out Rini's gauntlets and Godsteel. A simple name he chose for Biblical God's handmade metal.

"Where did—you have your personal dimension?"

Hephaestus couldn't find where the materials appeared from. She only knew one ability like this—a deity's personal dimension.

"Yes," Asahi said. "Can you point out my mistakes?"

Hephaestus nodded. She had an hour to spare to teach him.

Asahi asked for a new dagger from Klyscha as his previous Frost Bead daggers and Aimi's gift couldn't cut through Godsteel. Klyscha giggled adorably at the opportunity to become helpful. A curved dagger that could snugly fit into his hand.

Hephaestus silently assessed the black spiked gauntlets with her right eye. It was three times heavier than normal steel. She turned her right eye to the ingots. A silvery light flowed inside the steel ingots. It was filled with an energy she had never seen before.

Before she could ask, Asahi began slicing the sheets of the godsteel according to the measurements taken from Rini's gauntlet. His serious, focused expression fascinated Astraea.

(You have fallen into the abyss of love.)

'I know. You're partly to blame for this, Klyscha...'

(Ufufu. I'd do anything to make my love happy.)

'You're starting to sound dangerous.'

While his goddess lovers chatted, Asahi concentrated to the best of his ability. The scenes played in mind before he took his actions as if he could peer into the future. His instincts skill became more and more solid as he progressed further into the task at hand.

His hands became a blur in the goddesses' wide eyes.

"Unbelievable dexterity…"

Hephaestus was half-listening to Astraea. She could see more than Astraea from the flow of energy. Asahi wasn't just swinging his hands, each one of his actions was taken with extreme attention.

'What a monster…'

After what felt like hours, which in fact were over thirty minutes, Asahi put down the hammer and wiped his forehead. It was an instinctive gesture as his body stopped producing sweating after obtaining the Flawless Physique skill. The different parts of the gauntlets such as iron fingers to the vambrace were scattered on the table.

"I need to weld them together. Chiaki, keep releasing flames. I'll control them."

Chiaki nodded and let loose her pale blue flames. Asahi concentrated them at his fingertips and used them to join the parts together. The gauntlets became complete under Hephaestus's observation.

[—You learned a new skill 'Craftsman Arts']

[—Craftsman Arts (Unique): The user has stepped into the realm of crafting. Increases the user's affinity with every tool available in the mortal world.

[—You have accomplished one of the requirements to unlock the 'All Creator' class.]

Asahi stared at the notifications in a daze. The Unique Skill was one thing, the glorious named class made him gulp. He picked up the hammer. However, the feeling was different this time. He felt like he could forge a new sword without any real effort.

'All Creator. Is that Biblical God's class?'

(Eh… no. He isn't talented enough to obtain this class.)

'I see…'

One of the downfalls of the Unique skills was that their ranks couldn't be tracked. Their power solely depended on how they were used.

[—Hephaestus: Affection +5]

The sudden window prompted Asahi to glance at Hephaestus. The goddess was wearing a nostalgic smile on her face.

"It's been a while since I saw that technique."

She used to do the same in Heaven with her flames. However, she couldn't manipulate the flames on earth without Arcanum.

Astraea blinked her eyes in wonder. "Wow. Did Asahi impress you with his technique?"

Hephaestus nodded absentmindedly. Asahi's wide grin forced her to understand the not-so-innocent implication of Astraea's words. Keeping a composed look, Hephaestus looked at him.

"It's an impressive eight out of ten."

Asahi sighed and held up the gauntlet. The gauntlets with demonic spikes were the most beautiful thing in his eyes. If you dyed them black, they would look no different than a demon's claws. He put on his glasses and appraised them.

Claws of Destruction (Rank A): The gauntlets crafted from Godsteel with only one thing in mind: Destruction.

Effects: Strength +50

'A-rank?!'

To think his first attempt at a gauntlet would be so successful! No wonder he gained a unique skill.

(Your hard work and good materials came together perfectly. Be proud.)

'Rini is gonna be happy.'

(I'm sure she will.)

Asahi took a deep breath and put his new creation in his ring. He'd paint them later in God's workshop. It was time to make Maya's light armor.

(Are you sure about armor? You can use enchanted material to make her a magician-like robe.)

'That sounds better.'

(I have sent the Arachne silk to your ring!)

As he was about to sink his consciousness in his ring, a flurry of footsteps echoed outside. The door flung open, revealing Loki. She gasped for air with her hands on her chest.

"I ran from my tower to your place," Loki said, looking at Asahi. "Then I ran back here. That's half the Orario, ya hear?!"

"Pipe down your voice," Hephaestus scolded in a harsh voice. It was her workshop. She didn't tolerate any disturbance while her forge was lit.

"Oh, yeah. I came here for ya, Asahi. Ya gonna carry my Familia with your skill."

"When?" Asahi asked.

"Tomorrow."

"I can do that."

Nothing was set in stone in his flexible schedule. He was free to live however he wanted.

"What carry?" Hephaestus asked.

Loki explained everything to the Goddess of Smithing.