An overwhelming force surged back through Ray's arms. The recoil slamd his own hamr into his stomach, sending him flying backward.
In that mont of extre concentration, Ray's mind was crystal clear. He knew that if he continued retreating, the hamr in his left hand would never reach his teacher.
So he made a split-second decision.
He released his grip.
The heavy hamr tore free from his hand and flew straight toward Alfred like a cannonball.
Alfred casually flicked his wooden sword sideways, brushing against the incoming hamr.
His martial soul was a sword. His path was the realm of One Sword Cleaves All Techniques. No matter the opponent or the attack, he responded with a single sword.
This ti, however, that confidence wavered.
The instant the hamr and sword collided, a terrifying wave of force surged through the wooden blade. Alfred hadn't released his martial soul and had only used a fraction of his soul power. Even so, his expression changed.
The sword trembled.
Before he could channel more strength, a second surge of power erupted through the hamr.
Kacha!
The wooden sword shattered.
The Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hamr continued its trajectory, roaring straight toward Alfred's head.
Alfred flashed sideways, narrowly avoiding it.
The hamr slamd into the ground with a deafening boom, the vibration rattling the training hall.
Raziel Phoenix froze in shock.
Ray… had forced Teacher back? Had he even broken his wooden sword?
Ray stumbled backward, raising his remaining hamr defensively in front of his chest.
Alfred halted, staring silently for several breaths.
"Stop," he said, lifting his hand.
Lily and Raziel Phoenix, who were about to rejoin the fight, imdiately froze.
Raziel Phoenix stared at Ray, then at the gray hamr embedded in the ground. A chill ran through his spine.
If that hamr had struck him back then…
Ray hurried forward, retrieving the hamrs one by one and storing them inside his Heavy Silver Ring.
Alfred looked at him intently. "Your hamrs are abnormal."
"They're made of Heavy Silver," Ray replied honestly. "A bit heavier than normal forging hamrs."
"How heavy can they be?" Raziel Phoenix blurted out, curiosity overwhelming caution.
Ray handed him one.
The instant it left Ray's hand, the hamr dropped straight down.
Bang!
Raziel Phoenix was dragged with it, crashing painfully to the ground.
"Aiyoh!" he groaned. "What kind of monster tool is this? It's insanely heavy!"
Alfred stepped forward and picked up the hamr himself. Even he had to exert effort.
No wonder the wooden sword had shattered.
"One hamr weighs about one hundred and fifty kilograms," Ray said.
Alfred narrowed his eyes. "There were multiple waves of force just now. Was that you, or sothing else?"
Ray hesitated, then answered truthfully. "It's the hamr. After Thousand Refinent, special effects can appear. Mine gained sothing called the Stacked Hamr effect."
Alfred didn't understand forging, but he understood value. These hamrs were priceless.
He nodded slowly. "You're talented in forging?"
"Yes," Ray replied. "I'm a blacksmith."
Alfred's gaze grew thoughtful. He extended his hand. "Co. Hold my hand."
Ray grasped it. Alfred's hand was large and cool, smooth and steady.
"Pull with all your strength," Alfred ordered. "Show how strong you really are."
"Oh." Ray inhaled deeply and pulled with everything he had.
Alfred stood firm, as an iron nail hamred into the earth.
Ray's cheeks flushed red as he strained. Beneath Alfred's calm exterior, faint ripples of soul power appeared. He was actually using soul power to resist.
"That's enough," Alfred said at last.
Ray released his grip.
A strange light flickered through Alfred's eyes. He patted Ray's shoulder.
"In the Class Promotion Tournant, the three of you will compete together," he said. "With your strength and proper coordination, it should be… interesting."
That night, Ray and Raziel Phoenix barely made it back to the dormitory. Forging was out of the question. Even ditating felt like a luxury.
From the next day onward, Ray was excluded from physical training classes altogether.
The reason was simple. Alfred's physical endurance couldn't compare to his.
Ordinary physical training was aningless for soone like Ray. Instead, his ti was redirected toward sothing far more difficult.
Control.
Control over Silverfalls Vine.
anwhile, Class Five's remaining students collapsed completely under the brutal training. By the third day, the entire class was sprawled across the ground like fallen leaves.
The schedule was finally adjusted back to half-day physical training and half-day theory classes.
Everyone breathed easier.
Soon after, Ray, Raziel Phoenix, and Lily underwent spiritual power testing.
The results were shocking.
Raziel Phoenix's spiritual power asured at 29. Excellent for his age, bordering mid-level Spirit Origin.
Ray's was 44. Firmly mid-tier Spirit Origin. He kept quiet about his previous result. Just days ago, it had been 38. The growth was undeniable.
Alfred was already impressed.
Then ca Lily.
Her spiritual power: 119.
It surpassed Spirit Origin entirely.
Once spiritual power exceeded one hundred, it entered the second rank: Spirit Connection.
At Spirit Connection, mind and will beca one. True spiritual control began. One could bear two yellow spirit souls or even a single purple one.
Alfred finally understood.
Lily's Elentalist martial soul was likely a rare variant of a spiritual-type martial soul, perfectly synchronized with her imnse spiritual power.
Spirit System Battle Soul Masters were among the rarest and most coveted existences in the modern era, especially compatible with chas.
Alfred's attention toward Lily grew even sharper.
Of course, that only ant harsher training.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
Ray hadn't even found ti to visit Gilbert's workshop.
Needless to say, his forging task remained unfinished.
Didi!
Just as Ray lay back on his bed, his soul communicator chid.
For a mont, he almost forgot he even had the thing. As a Soul Master, he didn't need to buy soul electricity to recharge it. By circulating soul power, he could keep it running indefinitely.
A familiar number flashed across the screen.
"Hello," Ray answered.
"What are you doing?" A voice rang out from the other end.
Ray jolted upright. "Master."
It was Gilbert.
"What's going on with you?" Gilbert snapped. "A whole week has passed, and you still haven't completed the second-rank task?"
Ray hurriedly explained, "That's not it, Teacher. I've been caught up with training and studies these past few days. I really didn't have ti to go to the workshop. I was planning to co tomorrow, on my rest day."
There was a brief silence on the other end.
"You're only in first grade," Gilbert said slowly. "And you're already that busy?"
Ray explained everything that had happened since entering the academy. As he spoke, Miel and Raziel Phoenix leaned over from their bunks, ears perked, clearly hungry for gossip.
"Mm," Gilbert finally said. "Co over tomorrow then. I'll be there."
With that, he hung up.
"Hey," Raziel Phoenix said sourly, "didn't you say you were broke? How do you suddenly have a soul communicator?"
Ray replied honestly, "It's a benefit from joining the association. I didn't buy it. There's no way I could afford one."
"Association?" Miel asked curiously. Lucius also turned his head.
"The Blacksmith's Association," Ray said. "My martial soul's talent wasn't high, so I started learning forging when I was young."
Lucius thought for a mont. "So that ridiculous strength of yours… it's because of forging?"
Ray nodded.
"A blacksmith?" Raziel Phoenix asked. "The kind that refines tals?"
Ray nodded again.
Raziel Phoenix stroked his chin. "That's not bad at all. I rember my father once bought a cha core component that had been Thousand Refined. It cost a fortune. When you reach Grandmaster rank, help refine so tals."
Ray blinked. "You want to beco a cha Master?"
"Of course," Raziel Phoenix said proudly. "My family has produced cha Masters for generations. It's only natural."
At the ntion of chas, Miel and Lucius imdiately climbed down from their bunks, eyes shining.
"Tell us!" Miel urged eagerly. "What's a real cha Master like? What do you need to beco one?"
Raziel Phoenix leaned back, clearly enjoying the attention. "After countless years of developnt, soul chas have gone from small to massive, and then back to compact again in modern tis. Their size may be smaller now, but their power is far greater. A true cha Master's cha is about the sa size as their body. With martial soul fusion and amplification, they beco walking super soldiers. I've even heard that divine-rank cha Masters personally create their own chas."
Ray asked, "Doesn't that an all divine-rank cha Masters are blacksmiths?"
Raziel Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Not exactly. 'Create' ans personally inscribing arrays to make the cha compatible with themselves. Of course, if they also know forging, the compatibility becos even higher. So—how good is your forging, really?"
Ray hesitated. He didn't like lying, especially to people he considered friends.
"I can barely manage Thousand Refinent," he said.
Lucius and Miel didn't fully understand forging, but Raziel Phoenix did. His eyes widened.
"Are you saying you're already a Grandmaster?"
Ray shook his head. "Not yet. I'm only a second-rank blacksmith."
"Wow!" Lucius exclaid. "You're only nine, and you're already second-rank?"
Even without deep knowledge, they understood what that ant. A second-rank craftsman could already support themselves through their profession. Compared to them, Ray's future suddenly looked very different.
Once soone crossed into the third rank, they stepped into a completely different social tier. Fifth rank ant elite status, earning the title of Master Craftsman.
Raziel Phoenix's eyes spun as realization dawned. He threw an arm around Ray's neck. "Ray, we're brothers, right?"
Ray shot him an annoyed look. "You're smiling like that again. Just say what you want."
Raziel Phoenix chuckled. "Nothing big. How about you beco my personal blacksmith in the future? I'll pay market price."
Ray frowned. "Why ? Can't you just issue a request at the Association?"
Raziel Phoenix stared at him. "You really don't understand the industry. Issuing a task doesn't an soone will take it. Grandmaster-level blacksmiths are rare, and those willing to Thousand Refine are even rarer. My father spent four years replacing his cha's components with Thousand Refined ones, and that was with connections."
He leaned closer. "You can Thousand Refine already. In a few years, you'll be a Grandmaster. If you forge exclusively for , I could get a fully Thousand Refined cha way earlier. That's the symbol of true nobility."
Lucius and Miel's eyes lit up.
Ray sighed. "Fine. I'll help when I reach that level."
"Good brother!" Raziel Phoenix hugged him tightly. "From today onward, Ray is under my protection! Anyone who dares touch him will face my Light Dragon Dagger!"
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