Cultivation Through Artifacts

*Clang!*

A sharp metallic sound resonated throughout the smithery while small sparks flew everywhere in the air only to vanish without a single sign in the next second.

Khal raised and swung his hammer powerfully from time to time, making the thin rod before him on the anvil shine with a brighter orange hue every time he stroked it successfully.

*Clang!*

Bazz who was standing exactly a meter away from Khal with his bulging arms crossed before his wide chest he showed an indifferent expression from start to finish; even when Khal accidentally missed the rod several times, resulting in his hammer hitting nothing but the anvil’s side, did he not show any reaction but continued to look at Khal without a single word.

“This is excellent. First I accomplish something that needs years of hard work and practice and now I can’t even hit a fucking rod properly! I suck at this and Bazz definitely thinks the same!” exclaimed Khal inside his heart sourly as he wiped the thick, bean-sized sweats off his forehead.

But of course, Khal missed his target not because he was a retard and couldn’t aim properly, but couldn’t control his hammer with perfection because of his shaking arm! His right arm trembled so much that it seemed it was on the verge of collapsing! His right arm felt extremely numb from the hammer’s weight and the continuous swinging.

“It seems the Creation Mode not only controlled my body during the forging process but also healed my arms too. This pain… Not even once did I feel it when I forged the Star Steel!” thought Khal as he hit the rod one last time and lowered his hand to his side.

Stepping away from the anvil and glancing at his ‘masterpiece’ which looked almost like a piece of shit, which in fact was created after one full hour of nightmarish struggle, Khal smiled wryly and laughed, “Haha… This… It didn’t turn out to be as bad as I have first thought…”

This statement of his made Bazz’s eyebrow flinched slightly while his eyes flashed with a bitter light.

“Didn’t turn out to be as bad as you have first thought? This? This piece of crap that even a toddler could create under less than half an hour?” was what Bazz thought, unknown whether he should laugh or cry right at the moment; never in his entire life would he have thought that he would meet someone who could create such a pathetic thing out of a piece of rod! 

If it weren’t for the fact that he saw Khal successfully create a Galaxy Steel out of a Star Steel with a single try, he would have already kicked him out of this room without a second thought! That ‘thing’ he just created was the sole embodiment of disgrace of blacksmithing!

Just the thought alone that a piece of rod could end up in such a despicable state was way too humiliating let alone seeing it in person!

But naturally, Bazz wouldn’t say all these things to Khal even though he knew they were the harsh truth because he knew that Khal was way better than this. Someone who was able to forge a Star Steel to the point where they could pull its Soul Essence out with nothing more but years of observing from the side in Moon City were nothing short of a so-called genius. That’s why, he knew that Khal needed not only loads of practice and a good teacher on his side who taught him the perfect ways of forging, but a lot of time too.

He was sure that with time and diligence, Khal will be able to reach heights that currently not even he himself would be able to fathom!

Clearing his throat after collecting his thoughts, Bazz stepped closer to Khal’s ‘masterpiece’ and picked it up, “Well, to tell the truth, I have waited for better results than ‘this’, but at least I can see what level you are currently on. And as far as I can see, you are extremely far away even from a beginner’s level! That is why…”

As he reached that point, Bazz threw the crap Khal just made to the side without giving it a second glance and taking out another rod with the same appearance from below the desk, he said, “Try it once again.”

Khal: “…”

***

While Khal was lectured quite heavily inside the Blacksmith Department by Bazz, a fight was currently ongoing in the exact same arena where Khal has just fought a few hours ago.

But the only difference that could be discerned from Khal’s and this battle was that instead of shouts or loud cheers all over, what one could hear in the entirety of the arena was sheer silence… Nothing more but bead silence. 

*Swish!*

“Eh?”

*BAM!*

With a loud ‘boom’ sound that held a bit of bone-cracking sound, a figure was blasted onto the arena wall on the side, burying the figure under huge pieces of debris that fallen down from the cracked wall above.

And while this happened, a girl that looked extremely glamour us but at some time terrifying stood up straight while exhaling deeply; this individual was none other but Liza, who just defeated her opponent that was on the Third Cultivation Stage, exactly a whole Stage above her!

“…” 

But even after she has won, no one dared to utter a single word because the way she just won was simply… Stupefying! No, it couldn’t even be said as stupefying but something else that words couldn’t even describe… This… This…

“She just beat her opponent with the exact movements as that guy named Khal used?! She was like a phantom! But how? Are they from the same family and learned the same Secret Art or what?”

“Certainly not… Khal is from the Nevio Family while she is from a family called Skyfall. They are definitely not from the same family!”

“Then how?”

“I don’t know… But don’t you think the way she used that movement skill was… A bit… Sluggish?”

“I don’t care if it was sluggish or not, the point here is that she used the same Secret Art and crushed her enemy in a flash! Not even 5 seconds went by since the start of this challenge! Khal and now her… These two are freaks!”

Thus, people whispered between each other quietly, fearing that with their voice alone they will be the next one who will be challenged by Liza and end up just like her opponent a few moments ago.

“Congratulations, you were great,” exclaimed Jane calmly as a glint of merriness flashed deep within her delicate eyes.

“Thank you Master but I still have a long way to go.” bowed Liza politely, cupping her hand before her chest in a gracious manner.

“Your behavior… Never forget this, with great power comes great responsibility so never let yourself be arrogant and be always humble. Though, your current performance shocked even me… It’s not the first time for you to imitate a Secret Art you just saw, so tell me… how were you able to do it?”

Flinching slightly, Liza raised her gaze at her Master and pondered slightly. Only after a small while later did she straighten her back and reply without the slightest lie behind her words, “Even myself don’t know why or how, but whenever I see someone utilize a Secret Art before me the Essence inside my body starts to move automatically. Though, if the Art is complex or high in Level, the way I can copy it becomes harder too. As far as I can discern it, I can copy perfectly Secret Arts only if they are on the Novice Level or the lower part of the Moderate Level. Anything else above that just simply impossible for me to replicate.”

As Jane listened to Liza’s explanation her face remained indifferent from start to finish, but the awe deep inside her eyes was visible while her heart beating hastened each passing second. Hence, at the end of Liza’s story, her heart pounded so fast and loud that it could be mistaken for several war drums!

“This… A Hidden Talent? A powerful Talent, a Natural Born Talent, and now a Hidden Talent? Did she save a God from death in her previous life that she was blessed with such fortune or is she the reincarnation of Lady Luck herself?” wondered Jane deeply, unknown how she should react to that statement.