Chapter 170: Ten Percent Chance

"So the mortals from that era actually managed to obtain Azryx when even gods would hesitate to go after it?"

[Yes! But it didn’t come without a price. They sacrificed countless lives and spent eons experimenting before they succeeded.]

"How?"

[That is a different story for a different time.]

"Okey, then how did something formed beside a black hole end up inside a portal on Earth?"

[Also a different story.]

"I hate you."

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"When did I... You know what? Forget it." He sighed. "Just tell me one last thing. If Azryx is that absurdly dense, how is that old man going to forge it?"

[Now you’re asking the right question.]

[But don’t worry, the old man already has everything he needs to forge it.]

[The dangerous part is you.]

"Me?"

[Yes!]

[More specifically, what happens after the weapon is finished.]

"I wield it."

[Wouldn’t that be a little too easy?]

"Then what exactly do you expect me to do?"

[You have to bond with it.]

Zac’s expression became more serious. "Is this about the nature of the material Siegfried mentioned?"

[Partly.]

"Then what’s the other part?"

[Did you forget about your suicidal bloodline?]

Only then did Zac remember. "You’re saying my bloodline will cause trouble during the bonding?"

[Of course it will.]

"So you’re saying I can never bond with a weapon?"

[I never said that.]

[Bonding with a normal weapon, even an SS-rank weapon, shouldn’t pose much of a problem.]

[But Azryx exists on an entirely different level.]

[The absurd concentration of mana and stellar matter within it will certainly provoke your suppressed bloodline.]

[And your bloodline will try to take control of your mind and body in order to claim the weapon.]

Zac’s expression darkened.

[And that’s not all of it either. Although Azryx may not possess a fully developed consciousness, there is a strong possibility that it possesses a primitive instinct of its own.]

"So if my bloodline takes over..."

[It will try to consume the weapon. And if the weapon’s instinct resists, the conflict between the two could destroy your body.]

Zac stared blankly ahead.

"So I not only have to worry about my bloodline taking over my body, but also about getting destroyed in the process."

[Correct.]

"And even if everything goes perfectly with the bloodline, the weapon still has to accept me."

[Right.]

[See? Even you can understand everything now.]

"Understanding it is giving me more stress than being ignorant." Zac rubbed his forehead. "Fine. What about the nature of Azryx itself?"

[That is actually rather interesting.]

[Stars do not naturally possess the different elemental alignments your world likes to categorize mana into.]

[The mana within them is fundamentally neutral. It does not lean toward holy, demonic, or any particular element. It remains near the center.]

[In other parts of the universe, people often refer to it as stellar mana.]

"And what exactly is stellar mana?"

[In simple terms, it is neutral mana of vastly higher quality and concentration than what you are accustomed to.]

"This is getting more confusing by the minute."

[Which is why I keep telling you to go with the flow and learn as you progress.]

"Fine," Zac sighed. "Is this neutral stellar mana a good thing or a bad thing?"

[For an ordinary human? Extremely bad.]

[The quality of the mana inside Azryx is incomparably higher than what a normal mortal body is meant to endure. It was born under the conditions inside a collapsing star, after all.]

[Think of ordinary stone and diamond. Both originate from the same world, but their structures and properties are vastly different.]

[The difference here is similar.]

"And for me?"

[For the holder of one of the most notorious bloodlines in the universe, your natural adaptability toward different energies and elements gives you a significant advantage.]

[So the stellar mana itself shouldn’t be your greatest problem.]

Zac released a long breath.

"Finally. One piece of good news."

He rubbed both hands over his face.

"How terrible my chances probably are."

[Ten percent.]

Zac froze. "What?"

[Your estimated chance of surviving the bonding process is 10%. And I’m being generous.]

("...")

[Your bloodline is the primary reason the estimate is even that high. Without its ability to adapt to stellar mana, your chances would be considerably worse.]

A small, humorless smile escaped Zac. What irritated him almost as much as the number itself was the realization that he couldn’t tell Siegfried any of this.

"What am I supposed to say?"

Zac imagined the conversation. "Hey, old man. By the way, I suddenly know the cosmic origin of the metal you’ve spent decades researching, and apparently I have only a ten-percent chance of successfully bonding with it."

[You could phrase it more naturally.]

"That isn’t the problem," Zac sighed. "Siegfried is far too experienced.The moment I reveal that I know anything about Azryx, he’ll start asking questions."

"And if I refuse to explain where I learned all of it..." Zac’s expression tightened. "He’ll become suspicious."

He sighed heavily and leaned back on his bed. "Now I feel like ignorance is actually a great blessing."

[That’s why you shouldn’t ask for knowledge that is over your head.]

***

The next morning, Zac woke up early and left the room, heading straight toward the forge. He was excited and terrified at the same time to finally see what the old smith had planned for him.

Along the way, he saw Shaira walking alone, quietly making her way through the mansion.

"That was unusual," Zac thought. "Where was she going this early in the morning?" Curiously, Zac silently followed her.

[Don’t be a creep. She’s just a child.]

Zac’s face immediately darkened. "It’s not what you think it is, okay? I’m just curious about where she’s going."

[Yeah, yeah. That’s definitely what creeps say when they’re following their prey.]

"Can you stop making it sound worse than it is?"

[I’m merely describing your actions.]

Zac ignored the system and continued following her.

She stopped in front of a room further down the corridor and briefly glanced around before opening the door and slipping inside.

Zac also stopped a short distance away and waited for a minute, expecting Shaira to come back out.

But after a few more minutes, he couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer. He walked toward the door and carefully pushed it open.

Inside was a quiet study, with an entire wall filled with books. Shaira was sitting there by herself, completely absorbed in one of them.

Sensing Zac’s presence, she nervously looked up. "Big brother?"

"Sorry, Shaira. I didn’t mean to disturb you."

Shaira quickly shook her head. "No, no, it’s okay."

"I was heading to see your grandfather and saw you walking this way. I just got curious about where you were going so early."

He then followed Shaira’s gaze to the book in her hands. "Are you reading?"

[Aren’t you already supposed to know that?]

Shaira nodded.

"Can I see?"

She hesitated before saying, "You probably won’t like it, big brother."

"Why not?" Zac reached toward the book, but she quickly pulled it closer to herself.

"Come on, Shaira. Just let me have a peek."

[Again with the creepy phrasing.]

"I’m talking about the book," Zac said, raising an eyebrow.

[So am I. You’re the one whose mind is wandering somewhere else.]

"Did you just play me with my own words?"

[Perhaps.]

After hesitating for another moment, Shaira finally handed him the book.

He took it and flipped through the first few pages. "A detective novel?"

Hearing this, Shaira’s nervousness immediately disappeared and her eyes brightened. "Yes!"

Zac looked at her, surprised by the sudden enthusiasm. "You’re into detective stories?"

"I love them," the shy girl said, suddenly full of enthusiasm. "Mysteries, clues, figuring out who did it. I like all of it."

Zac handed the book back to her, and she hugged it tightly.

"When I grow up, I want to become a detective too. The greatest one ever. Just like Sherlock Holmes."

Zac blinked. "You know Sherlock Holmes?"

[You know Sherlock Holmes?]

The system sounded just as shocked. "Why are you surprised that I know him?"

[You don’t exactly radiate extensive knowledge of ancient entertainment.]

"I read too, okay? I may not know much about old movies, comics, and all that stuff, but I know some things from the old world too."

[Ha. What a scholar.]

Shaira, completely unaware of their argument, nodded enthusiastically.

"Sherlock Holmes is the greatest detective ever."

[That’s debatable. A certain billionaire with lots of issues might disagree.]

"A billionaire with issues?"

[Oh, come on. You know Sherlock Holmes, but you don’t know him. How is that even possible?]

"Who are you talking about?"

[Never mind. I’ve lost the will to continue.]

Zac turned his attention back to Shaira. "If you like the book that much, why don’t you just keep it in your room?"

The excitement immediately faded from her face. "Mary won’t let me. She said if I keep books like this in my room, I’ll read them all day and won’t do anything productive."

"Would you?"

Zac glanced at her, and Shaira looked away without answering.

Zac smiled at her cute expression. "So Mary keeps them here?"

Shaira nodded. "She lets me read for one hour every day."

"So the first thing you do every morning is come here?"

Another nod came from her.

Zac couldn’t help smiling. Without thinking much about it, Zac reached over and gently ruffled her hair.

Shaira immediately froze in place, her cheeks turning red as she ducked her head slightly.

[Hands to yourself, creep.]

"She’s just adorable. I can’t stop myself."

[That does not improve your defense.]

"She’s like a little sister to me, okay?"

He then looked back at Shaira. "Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. You only have one hour, after all. I don’t want to steal it."

Shaira nodded again.

"Enjoy your mystery." With that, he closed the door behind him and continued toward the forge.

As he reached the forge, he walked toward the furnace where Siegfried was. But before he could reach it, voices drifted from the forge ahead.

"You didn’t actually blabber anything to him, did you?"

He stopped for a moment.

[I think I recognized that voice.]

"Of course not," Siegfried replied. "Who do you think I am, woman? I only told him about the things involving me and his father."

"Why is she here?" Zac thought.

[Well, well, well. If it isn’t your sugar mommy herself.]

[It seems she couldn’t survive an entire week without seeing you.]

Zac then followed the voices toward the furnace. When he reached it, he saw Siegfried and Armani seated near the furnace, each holding a cup of tea.

She had already sensed him and slowly turned toward him without saying anything. Siegfried, following her gaze, looked at Zac and said,

"Well, it’s about damn time you showed up, kid."