God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

With the immediate threat of the Dome of Sands now falling apart averted, Cain was now able to shift his attention elsewhere.

The mana cores Azazel had provided him with were mostly elemental mana cores, with a few of them being without an elemental attribute.

Luckily for him, the Dome of Sands seemed to be capable of using mana from any elemental source regardless, which had been quite the relief.

It had been a day since they had left Valestorm, and he was now locked in the temporary room that had become his own.

The room was located on the middle floor of a multi-floor building, one of the only ones still left standing in the vicinity.

It was calm and quiet, far away from the commotion that was ensuing as the soldiers were getting the mundane people ready to make the big transition from here to Valestorm.

As such, he had a lot of time to ponder on a few things.

He stroked his chin as he casually scrolled through his stat screen.

His improvements were nothing short of impressive.

Over a period of what seemed close to a year, he had gone from a powerless student who could only gaze at the bleak skies, wondering and hoping for change, to a Tier 1 being with the power to level a mountain.

And yet, even though his desire for change wasn't gone, it had mellowed down a bit.

He had become a bit more mature.

Sure, he still desired change and progress. But he also considered the costs of those these things now.

Most of the time, change was preceded by a river of warm blood. That was not the kind of change he wished to see.

He sighed,

'For now, I should keep saving up the free attribute points. As for my skills and spells...'

Although he wasn't allowed to use his skills and spells, or mana or Ki or even Demon Matter, he coukd still go through his status screen.

The changes in his skills and spells were even more fundamental than his stat increases.

Their descriptions didn't change, but their very essence were altered. The reason for these changes were still unclear to him however, although he did have a few theories.

With a sigh, he headed to the {Draconic Blast Furnace}.

He had left Haru and the others on Gwendolyn, so none of them were currently present, leaving the forge empty and cold.

But Cain didn't mind. He preferred it this way. He could think better in solitude after all.

With a gentle movement, he retrieved the hammer Azazel had handed over to him.

***

{Burden of Xicina}:

Description: In the forgotten city of Xicina, a lone priestess of the God of the Divine Void, Arkea, forged the Burden of Xicina within a mystical flame. As the city succumbed to darkness, Arkea imbued the hammer with the essence of her life, the city's soul and sorrow, and the weight of forgotten lore.

Hidden within the hammer is a blessing and a curse. The eyes of those who can bear its burden are open, and the truth of the world, veiled by the fog, are revealed.

***

"An odd description, but I have seen worse..." Cain muttered to himself.

Then he decided to check its stats.

He raised a brow.

"Hmm... How odd."

The hammer was certainly unique.

Unlike most items it didn't have a single stat attached to it. Instead, it possessed four unique skills.

***

{Burden of Xicina}:

Skills: Mystic Insight, Revelations beyond the Fog, Metal Soul, Echoes of Xicina

Durability: 1000/1000.

{Mystic Insight}: The wielder of the Burden of Xicina gains increased knowledge and understanding of the world of the arcane, allowing them to uncover its hidden secrets, and perceive subtle patterns and connections when forging.

{Forging Revelation}: When used to forge equipment, the Burden of Xicina reveals hidden properties and potential within the materials, allowing the wielder to craft items with unique and powerful abilities.

{Metal Soul}: The Burden of Xicina holds a spark of the divine, allowing it to nurture its own metal soul. When the hammer's durability falls, it can absorb ambient mana to restore its vitality. As the hammer drinks in the mana, its metal soul stirs, rejuvenating its structure and replenishing its durability.

{Echoes of Xicina}: The wielder of the Burden of Xicina listens to the whispers of the souls lost, granting them access to mumbles of ancient wisdom and cryptic guidance. These echoes provide valuable guide, but woven into the whispers of truth is insanity, driving the wielder mad with the burden of knowledge.

***

Cain was surprised. This item was definitely one of a kind. It's focus was obviously not combat. Instead, the skills were based more on insight.

His eyes narrowed. What this insight was about, on the other hand, was hard to say.

'Insight about runes? Or about the secrets of crafting equipment?'

His questions were valid. What did this insight look like? He was definitely curious.

And so, he decided to sate his curiosity.

He gently caressed the metal handle of the hammer.

'Cold...'

He stared at the runes covering it. As he had suspected, he still couldn't comprehend them. The white gold exterior of the hammer seemed to shine under the darkness.

However, nothing was happening.

He frowned, 'Perhaps the skills only activate when I begin crafting.'

And so, he decided to put it to the test.

The forge was a little more organized than usual. He had sectioned the materials based on their magical and physical properties. There were still piles of materials scattered around the entire place, but they were now organized piles.

He lightly tapped his chin as he wondered what to make.

'I'm not currently in need of a weapon.'

He also didn't need any defensive pieces as he had recently created an armor set.

Then...

As his thoughts floated through his head, a sudden thought suddenly arose. He had been working on an original field he liked to call magic engineering for some time now.

To him, magic engineering was a way to make use of the principles of magic with the help of craftsmanship, creating a unique blend of both worlds.

With Magic Engineering, he had managed to create a firearm with the help of magic. However, the sky was the limit. There was so much to be discovered.

Cain's mind spun.

'There are so many methods of application. And the basis of it all, are the runes. Regular engineering would make use of scientific processes to come to logical conclusions it the world that could aid discovery.'

A glint appeared in his eyes,

'But magic... The existence of magic changes it all. The limitationsbandnour understanding of the natural world has become obsolete.'

He subconsciously reached for a piece of a rare magical metal,

'This {Malcromite} has the special ability to resist heat and electricity. This makes it great in creating the frames and hilts of weapons and magic staffs.'

The more he delved into his thoughts, the deeper he fell in. Sucked in by his whirling thoughts, he didn't notice the passage of time.

Suddenly, hus body ran cold and he broke into a sweat.

'This... The voices...'

It had taken him some time to notice, but when he did, he felt an unholy amount of fear envelope him.

'These voices aren't mine.'

The voices whispering and birthing these incredible ideas within his mind didn't belong to him. Sometimes, he heard the voice of a young man, then it was that of an old man. Then the voice of a little girl, and sometimes the eerie mutterings of many, all speaking at once in a disjointed, yet oddly harmonious symphony.

It was terrifying.

He went over the details over the last skill of the hammer, {Echoes of Xicina}, then he shivered.

He silently cursed Azazel in his mind,

"Even his gifts are dangerous, that damn Demon."

He sighed...

Regardless, he did not plan to stop. On the contrary, this revelation, although frightening, only served to further pique his curiosity.

What epiphanies would these whispered revelations lead him to? What madness would he have to face to learn the secrets hidden behind the shrouding fog?

His soul trembled with excitement and he gripped the handle of the hammer even tighter.

Although he couldn't use his mana right now, the forge could absorb mana from any source.

And so, with a flick of his wrist, a mana core flew into the magic circle at the center of the forge.

The eyes and maws of the dragon heads lit up as the prepared to launch their purifying flames.

Since he couldn't use his mana, he had to rely on regular forging techniques. However, he didn't mind.

He grabbed a crucible and placed a few chunks of mana into it.

The placing the crucible under the dragon heads, a stream of flames poured out, and within seconds, the metal was melted.

His eyes shining, he ground a reddish stone to dust with his bare hands and sprinkled it into the crucible.

The slightly silver luster of the molten metal suddenly turned a deep amber the moment the crushed rock was dropped in.

Cain moved carefully, carrying the molten liquid and pouring it into a mold. The molten metal solidified rather quickly, and as it solidified, strangely enough, the liquid's amber hue began to fade away, leaving the metallic residue without any hue or luster. It became transparent.

With a grin, removed the solidified material out of the mold with a pair of tongs.

Raising his hand about his head, he smashed the hammer down.

CLANG!

The resonance...

The vibrations...

...reached his very soul.