Legendary Shadow Blacksmith

[The pitiful Master of Shadows has decided to give you a second chance at life, Julian Winters. But for two lives to be dug from the grave, many will suffer…

…that is the punishment that has been imposed upon you for failing the penalty.]

Julian stared blankly at the message floating in front of him. The messages that would usually just enter his mind, not registering at all.

“Huh…?” He touched his head. He might not be clear about a lot of things now, but he was sure his head was crushed, and his limbs were torn apart into pieces. But there were no pieces of him anywhere else at all…

And even the crawlers were gone, leaving only an eerie silence behind.

“...What?” Julian whispered as he ran his hand over his scalp, half-expecting to find a large dent or even a hint of blood. But there was nothing. No pain, no crushing sensation. Only the echo of the monsters' laughter still lingered in his mind… like some cruel joke.

The only thing that was in pieces right now was his mind. Was it real? Had he really been killed? Or… perhaps it was just another part of the trial?

“Uh…” Julian sat on the dark, cold ground, waiting for some sort of punchline to reveal itself. But nothing came. Just the oppressive silence and the message still hovering in his vision—and finally, it started to register in his mind.

“...A second chance at life?” Julian muttered, “Does that mean I actually… died? What does—”

[You have failed the penalty, Julian Winters. The class, Radiant Blacksmith or any other class, will no longer be available to you. Your path to becoming the Shadow Blacksmith has been cemented.]

"I never would have won that..." Julian sighed in frustration, "...this whole thing's... rigged."

And before Julian could express all of his thoughts, a familiar door suddenly materialized in front of him—the very same one he had walked through to enter the Mana Chamber. And soon, the dark atmosphere around him began to recede, replaced by the brightness of the door, as if urging him to move forward… or telling him he was overstaying his welcome.

"...I really should ask MEGAN to research more about this entire thing," Julian wondered aloud, still struggling to piece everything together. But after a few more seconds of trying to think about it, he just slowly rose to his feet and let out a long sigh.

There was no use thinking about this now—and so, without any further thought, Julian walked through the door.

“Ugh…” The light from the Tower of Mana burst into his vision as Julian emerged from the Mana Chamber. The vibrant colors, the bustling energy—it all seemed so out of place compared to the darkness he had just escaped from.

But of course, that bustling energy was completely replaced by the people, most of them groveling or lamenting their lack of mana, their voices blending into a low hum of despair.

“And so, Julian Winters?”

“Hm…?” And of course, Jacob’s monotonous voice pulled him back to reality.

“What class did you pick?” And Edward chimed in almost simultaneously.

The twins stood in front of him, their expressions as neutral and emotionless as ever, but their questions came in rapid fire, as if they had been waiting eagerly for his answer.

“A class…?” Julian’s gaze dropped to the floor, his mind still reeling from the experience.

“I… think I failed the trial,” Julian replied, still slightly confused, “The [Guidance of Artemis] asked me to choose, but—”

“Oh, that is alright,” Jacob cut him off before he could finish—a little hint of emotion escaping his tone.

“It happens to most of us. Not us, though. We are lucky,” Edward added, almost in sync with his brother, “My brother is a Battlemonk, and I am a Ninja.”

“It just means your body wasn’t compatible,” Jacob said matter-of-factly, “You do not have to be so jealous.”

“I’m really not jealous. Something happened there that—” Julian tried to explain, but once again, the twins interrupted him.

“You don’t need to worry,” Edward said, a small smile creeping onto his face, “you’re already stronger than most newbies. I have never seen someone dispatch someone who is almost 10 levels above.”

“We have no doubt you’ll do well.”

“But of course, your end game will be limited,” Jacob chimed in as he raised a finger.

“He doesn’t need to know that.” Edward sighed, “But it is a shame.”

“Such a shame,” Edward finished, shaking his head as if Julian had somehow missed out on something grand—well, he most probably did.

Julian still wanted to say something, to ask more questions, but the twins' constant interruptions, that might be impossible—and so, he just opted to say one thing that might get their attention instead.

“I died in there,” Julian said suddenly, pointing at the Mana Chamber behind him, "And... has there been any record of someone dying on Earth when their clone died?"

“Die...?" The twins exchanged a glance, their expressions unchanged, and then, almost in unison, they let out a quiet chuckle. "That is most likely just a part of the trial to confuse you, Julian Winters. That sounds too ominous for Artemis, she's not like that. She's a guide; hence, the guidance of Artemis."

“No one dies in the Mana Chamber, pft,” Edward said, covering his mouth with his hand as if to stifle his laughter—his eyes, however, were still blank, "And no one dies on Earth, no one would be buying Otherworld if that was the case."

“The mana chamber is similar to the LinkGear in this instance—it transfers your mind, or in this case, your soul. There’s nothing physical happening inside,” Jacob added while nodding his head.

"Nothing... physical?" Julian held his head again. Everything felt physical enough.

“It’s alright to be a little shaken up since you do not have mana, or a class for that matter, Julian Winters,” Edward also started nodding. “After all, you did pay a lot of money for this.”

They… don’t know? Julian thought to himself. If so, then it was best to truly stay quiet about this, at least for now.

The Master of Shadows did say it was unique to him. Or is it all truly just part of the trial for the Shadow Blacksmith quest?

"...Guidance." His status once again appeared in front of him, and true enough, the Mana Evaluation quest was no longer present... but the Master of Shadows quest was still there.

If all that happened inside the chamber was real, then... wasn’t that dangerous? But at the same time…

…isn’t it also actually quite exciting?

“Hm…” And for the first time in a long while, Julian felt a flicker of excitement in his chest for something other than hammering his time away.

“So...where do we go now?” Julian asked, his voice more grounded than before.

“We are going home.” Edward shrugged, “As for you—”

“Anywhere you want to, Julian Winters,” Jacob answered.

“You’re free to go wherever you want now. But just remember…” Edward’s voice lowered as he and his brother leaned in closer to Julian, “This is not your world. It might seem like a game.”

“It may act like a game,” Jacob added, his tone cold.

“But it’s not. The things you do here have real-life consequences for the people who live here.”

“We are intruders, invaders,” Edward said quietly.

“And you, Julian Winters, have already killed some of them,” Jacob finished, his voice barely above a whisper.

“And You will probably kill more. But don’t worry—the laws of our world don’t apply here. Most think Otherworld is expensive, but it’s not. Not at all. After all…” Edward’s voice trailed off as he looked Julian straight in the eyes.

“…you are paying to do things you’ll never be able to do back on Earth.”

“Good luck, Julian Winters.”

With that, the twins straightened up and gave him a small nod before turning and walking away, leaving Julian just standing there.

And as he watched as the twins walked away, their words lingered in the air.

This is not your world. The words echoed in his mind. Of course, he had known that from the start, but hearing it laid out so bluntly made him feel… something. What, he doesn’t exactly know yet.

“I’ll… remember that.” Julian murmured to himself as he followed the twins out of the Tower of Mana.

The twins did not really say anything else and just left him unceremoniously as soon as they stepped out, saying they needed to let their clones rest. They had suggested that he do the same.

But of course, Julian wasn’t quite ready to rest yet. His body was tired, sure, but his mind was racing, filled with thoughts of everything that had happened—the Order of Artemis, Marcus’s death, and whatever had just transpired inside the Mana Chamber.

All of that happening in just the span of a single day, not even—He needed something to ground himself. Something… familiar.

And, of course… it could really only be one thing.

“I’ll just make one blade,” Julian whispered, his voice barely audible to the passersby in the busy street. “Just one blade, MEGAN, and I’ll go… home.”

He knew MEGAN was watching through his eyes since she mentioned something about a live stream—and although he couldn’t hear her… he was sure MEGAN was already screaming at him to rest and go… home.

Home.

Did he even know where home was anymore?

Of course, it would be silly for Julian to consider Artemia his home since he had only been here for a few days—but he felt… alive here.

“Ha…” Julian let out a small breath as he shook off all the thoughts he was having. If he could just make one more blade, he would feel like himself again.

He would let his clone rest after that, and then learn more about Artemia and Otherworld back on Earth, but for now, he just needed to feel the weight of a hammer in his hand.

Julian began walking, letting his instincts guide him through the streets of Ethaca. The city felt different now, smaller, almost insignificant after he had seen visions of Earth and the buildings that almost felt like prisons locking the sky.

And yet, despite its smallness, there was something about Ethaca that felt… freeing.

As Julian walked, his hands very slightly hovered in front of him, palms facing forward. And though he could see perfectly in Artemia, his body still moved as if he were blind. It was instinctual, a habit formed from a lifetime of darkness.

His other senses had always been his true sight, and so, he wanted to "see" everything this city had to offer.

“Oh…?” It wasn’t long, however, before his ears caught a familiar sound—the unmistakable clanging of metal being hammered into shape.

Julian’s steps quickened as he followed the noise, weaving through the bustling streets until he reached a plaza. His eyes widened as he took in the sight before him.

A smithy.

“W…what the…?”

No—Smithies. A whole plaza filled with them. Tents were set up all around, and the air was filled with the sound of hammers striking anvils, the heat of forges, and the unmistakable scent of molten metal. It was hard to breathe, but Julian took it all.

There were at least a dozen smithies, each one different. Some were simple setups with just a few tools and an open flame. Others were more established, with full shops and displays of their work. Weapons, armor, chainmail, axes, swords—everything a warrior could dream of was on display here, forged by the hands of different blacksmiths.

“W… wow. Just… wow.” Julian couldn’t help but smile.

He wandered through the plaza, his eyes wide with wonder as he inspected the various weapons and armors being crafted. For a moment, it was like nothing else existed—he had forgotten the trials, shadow monsters…the penalty.

It was just the sound of metal, the heat of the forge, and the beauty of craftsmanship.

But as he continued to walk and started to look closer at all the items, the smile on his face very slowly faded.

“They’re… wasting precious metals,” Julian whispered under his breath, humming his breath slightly. “I… think I can do better than this.”

“Huh…?”

Unfortunately… his voice wasn’t as quiet as he thought.

“What did you say, pretty boy?” a voice snapped from behind him.

Julian turned around, only to see a female blacksmith standing near a grinding wheel. She was glaring at him, her muscles incredibly tense as she adjusted the bandana wrapped around her head.

“Did… you just say you can do better than me?” she demanded, leaving the wheel and stepping toward him.

“What…? No.” Julian blinked, raising his hands in a placating gesture. “I… didn’t mean you. I meant just… in general, everyone—”

“What?” The woman’s eyes narrowed even further, her glare intensifying.

“So you’re insulting all of us, then?” she growled, stepping closer, her arms bulging as she flexed her grip on a hammer…she wasn’t going to use that on Julian, was she?

“N-no,” Julian stammered, feeling a sudden tension in the air. He wasn’t used to confrontations like this. After all his social life only consisted of Ellie… and MEGAN.

“I’m sorry if I offended you. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’ll just… go now.”

“Wait… hold on,” the woman said, grabbing his wrist with surprising speed and strength. Julian winced slightly at her grip—why does it feel like his wrist was being locked by a vice?

“Let me see your hands.”

“Huh?” Julian was caught off guard as the woman pulled his hand toward her and inspected it closely. Her eyes narrowed again, but this time with curiosity instead of anger.

“Interesting…” she muttered, tracing a calloused finger along the lines of Julian’s palm. “Now that I’m looking at you, you have some meat on you too. And here I thought you were just some pretty boy. ”

“Uh… I… I guess not?” Julian stammered, unsure of how to respond. His gaze flicked nervously to the hammer still in her other hand.

“Huh…” The female blacksmith squinted her eyes.

But of course, it wasn’t just the woman who actually felt something—Julian did too, even more so.

He felt it, he saw it—just how much time and effort the female blacksmith had spent in mastering her craft as she held his hand. Julian felt each crevice, each crack, and each blister, calluses—all of it weaving a story that Julian was very much familiar with. And now, he was actually seeing her for the very first time.

“I’m…really sorry,” he said again, his voice more sincere this time. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I know how much work goes into this… these are your precious babies.”

“...Babies?”

“You… you worked hard for them…” Julian’s words trailed off, emotion catching in his throat. “If someone told me what I said to you, I would also probably…”

“W-wait, wait…” the female blacksmith quickly let go of Julian’s hand, her eyes wide with confusion. Was this guy seriously about to cry? She stared at him for a moment, taken aback by the raw emotion on his face. For a guy who looked like he could take on a dozen soldiers… his reaction was surprisingly soft.

“You’re… you’re good,” the woman said, her voice awkward and uncertain as she took a step back.

“Ugh…” She scratched the back of her head, clearly unsure of how to handle this. “Look, we get heated up sometimes, okay? There’s just been a lot of competition lately.”

“Competition?” Julian asked, his curiosity piqued as he glanced around at the other smiths.

“Yeah,” the woman replied, crossing her arms over her chest. “Ethaca wasn’t always like this. But now? It’s filled with metalworkers and vendors, all trying to make a name for themselves. With the monsters breeding like crazy, there’s plenty of demand for weapons, so trade’s booming.”

“Huh…” Julian looked around the plaza again, seeing it with new eyes. Now that he was thinking about it clearly, his words really did sound almost like a threat.

The female blacksmith’s eyes followed Julian’s gaze as he surveyed the plaza, and as soon as he saw her looking at a certain forge, she let out a loud breath.

“I used to work at that smithy over there,” the female blacksmith said, nodding toward one of the large forges with its own establishment, prominently set apart from the tents. “It was one of the most respected shops in Ethaca. But ever since they decided to only make weapons for the aristocrats and the pompous elites, I left.”

“Hm…?”

“Yeah. They only care about money now,” the woman continued, her voice laced with frustration. “It’s all about status now. Who’s buying the weapons, not how they’re made. So I struck out on my own. I prefer working for real warriors anyway, not those fancy lords who’ve never seen a battlefield. Ack… why am I even telling you this!? It’s all because you… ack.”

“Hm…” Julian nodded, though he didn’t quite know what to say.

“Anyway,” the woman said, shifting her attention back to him. “What are you in here for? You don’t seem like a local. Wait… don’t tell me you’re planning on setting up a shop too?”

“That…” Julian scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to answer. “I was actually just planning on renting a forge and some ingots. I just want to craft a blade or two.”

“Ugh… no.” The woman groaned, rubbing her temples. “We don’t do that here. Most of us are independent workers, and we own our forges. No one’s going to let some skinny lout touch their… babies, as you called them. But…

…Hm.” She glanced at him again, her eyes narrowing as if sizing Julian up again.

“What…?” Julian took a step back as the female blacksmith continued to appraise him with a critical eye.

“I am in need of a striker,” she finally said, crossing her arms again. “And you look like you know your way around a hammer. Work for me for a bit, and I’ll forget you ever insulted my… babies. I can pay—”

“Sure,” Julian said before the woman could even finish her sentence.

“Huh?” The female blacksmith raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by how quickly he agreed, “You’re… okay with that? I… I mean, right. Why would you even refuse? Ha… hahaha….”

She had been prepared to offer him payment since he clearly had some experience judging by his hands and build, but if he was fine not getting paid, well…

“My name’s Juliet,” the female blacksmith finally introduced himself, “You sure you don’t want pay?”

“I’m Julian,” Julian replied with a small, earnest smile. “And yeah… I’m just happy to work.”

“Well, would you look at that—Juliet and Julian. We’re already off to a great start!” The woman chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief. “Okay, then…

…let’s get to work, pretty boy.”