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And we have reached second world there, it being Cultivation Online.
***
Another notification appeared.
[ Trial Objective Updated ]
[ Forge the Sword: Ancient's Echo within 24 hours ]
[ Quality of the forged item will determine the outcome of the trial ]
Alan nodded as he read it.
"So that's how it works…"
He didn't look at the golem again.
Instead, his focus shifted completely to the forge.
Time limit. Quality-based result. Fixed blueprint.
It was simple.
Make the best sword possible.
Alan placed the raw ore into the furnace. The flames rose steadily, heating the metal until it began to glow red. He watched closely, not rushing the process, making sure the temperature remained even.
Once it was ready, he pulled it out and placed it on the anvil.
Clang.
The first strike landed.
He didn't aim to shape it immediately.
First, he refined it.
Each strike removed impurities, compressing the metal, making it denser. He rotated the piece slowly, hammering from different angles to ensure even refinement.
Clang. Clang.
Sparks flew with every hit.
The Iron Golem continued to move in the distance, but slowly—almost as if waiting.
Alan ignored it.
His attention remained on the metal.
After several rounds of heating and hammering, the ore began to change. The surface became smoother, the glow more stable. The impurities were nearly gone.
Only then did he begin shaping it.
He stretched the metal, forming the rough outline of a blade.
Clang! Clang!
His hammering sounded like a melody as he worked.
Every strike had purpose.
He followed the blueprint in his mind, but didn't rely on it completely. Instead, he adjusted based on the material in front of him.
If the metal resisted, he changed the angle.
If it softened too much, he cooled it slightly before continuing.
Hours passed.
The shape of the sword became clearer.
A straight blade, clean edges, and a solid core.
Alan reheated it again, then hammered along the spine, strengthening the structure.
Clang.
Each strike increased its density.
Each adjustment improved its balance.
He didn't waste a single motion.
When the blade reached its proper form, he moved to the next step.
Refinement.
He heated it one more time—carefully controlling the temperature—then began lighter strikes.
Removing flaws that weren't visible at first glance.
Finally—
He quenched it.
The heated blade entered the cooling liquid with a sharp hiss.
Shhhhhh—
Steam rose instantly.
Alan watched closely, controlling the timing so the structure wouldn't crack.
After cooling, he lifted the blade.
Then came polishing.
He refined the edges, smoothed the surface, and sharpened it carefully.
By the end, the sword was complete.
Alan held it in his hand, examining it.
The blade was clean, balanced, and steady.
"…This should be enough," he said quietly.
Behind him—
The Iron Golem finally stopped moving.
And turned toward him.
Alan looked at the sword in his hand which was completed and then ignored him.
Alan returned to his work.
The blade was complete—but not finished.
He turned back to the anvil and picked up the prepared handle. Carefully, he aligned the tang and secured it in place, tightening every fitting with precise adjustments. No looseness. No imbalance.
Only when the grip felt perfectly stable in his hand did he stop.
At that moment—
A notification appeared.
[ You have successfully forged: Sword – Ancient's Echo ]
[ Rank: Legendary ]
A faint smile appeared on Alan's face.
"…Not bad."
Before he could inspect it further, the ground in the center of the room shifted.
Rumble…
Two additional anvils rose from the floor, standing side by side.
Another notification appeared.
Alan walked forward without hesitation and placed his sword on one of the anvils.
Across from him, the Iron Golem stepped forward as well.
In its hand—
A sword.
Rougher in appearance, heavier, but still well-forged.
The golem placed it on the second anvil.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then both swords began to glow faintly.
A soft humming filled the room as the evaluation process began.
Cracks of light ran along the surface of both blades, scanning every detail—structure, balance, density, refinement.
Alan watched quietly.
Then—
A sharp sound echoed.
Crack.
The golem's sword trembled.
A visible fracture spread across its blade.
Another second—
Crack—!
The entire sword broke apart, shattering into fragments of light that quickly faded away.
Silence followed.
Silence followed.
Then—
A notification appeared.
[ You have cleared the 2nd Trial of the All Knowledge Cave ]
[ All Blacksmithing skills have increased by 1 level ]
[ You have obtained: Ancient Steel Ore ×300 ]
Alan exhaled slowly.
His grip on the sword loosened slightly as he looked at the result.
"…Looks like I won."
Behind him, the Iron Golem stood still for a moment—
Then its body began to break apart, turning into particles of light before disappearing completely.
The forge hall fell silent once again.
For a moment, he didn't move.
Instead, he thought back to the process.
The blueprint.
The method.
"…It wasn't perfect," he muttered.
At first glance, the forging method had seemed complete—detailed, precise, and structured. But while following it, he had noticed small inconsistencies. The temperature ranges were slightly off. The sequence of refinement steps didn't fully match the nature of the material.
If he had followed it exactly—
The result wouldn't have been this clean.
Alan glanced at the sword in his hand.
The trial hadn't been about copying a method.
It was about understanding it.
About knowing when to follow—and when to adjust.
The golem had likely followed the blueprint exactly.
That was why its sword failed.
Alan, on the other hand, had relied on his experience. He refined the process, corrected the flaws, and adapted each step based on the material in front of him.
That was the real test.
Not just forging—
But judgment.
He gave a small nod to himself.
"…Makes sense."
With that, he turned toward the next door, ready for whatever the next trial would demand.
Alan stepped toward the next door and pushed it open.
The moment he entered, the environment changed again.
The heat of the forge disappeared, replaced by a calm, open space. The room was wide and circular, with faint glowing runes carved across the floor and walls. In the center stood a tall stone platform, surrounded by floating orbs of light.
A notification appeared in front of him.