บท 7: The Sound of Creation

People we reached a thousand connections, I do not know what it is, but a thousand is a big number, so I guess it's good....

....

Note: People, the trailer for Temporary Arcane 2 is out, it's cinema, just cinema.

"You finally got my name right, Sister!"

God, I scream like a fan girl looking at her idol and also when I saw the Furro of Vander.... I mean of Warwick I'm really excited, last it's the final arc, at least of Jinx and Vi. I stopped playing lol a long time ago, but I would come back just to get the Skins.

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Previous Chapter

So this era has come to an end, eh? Heroes returning as villains, adventurers who think they are heroes, gods who think they are omniscient, trials overcome, villains defeated and the evil god vanquished. Gods against gods, heroes endured and saved the world, bringing an end to the darkest age that has assaulted the world since the coming of the gods.

Snapping out of his thoughts and taking one last look at the tombs, Merlin began to descend the hill, determined to continue on his own path but now with a more burning ambition than ever.

And so, with heaven and earth as his only witnesses, the wanderer continued his journey....

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Merlin's Point of View

As Merlin descended the hill, the first rays of dawn began to illuminate the path ahead. The tranquility of the morning starkly contrasted with the tumultuous thoughts swirling in his mind.

-'I will have to try harder. I will triple my training. I will start going out to hunt monsters more often. Additionally, I am almost finished with Ludwig's sacred sword. Once it is completed, I will be able to travel with more ease. From there, I will head to the next village, so my journey can continue.'

Emerging from his thoughts as he reached Melen, Merlin looked back one last time before taking a step forward and continuing on...

...

It has been a week since I buried the late Zald and Alfia. During this time, I have focused on training more than ever, perfecting my skills.

My swordsmanship has reached what cultivators would call a bottleneck, and I can't improve the basics any further. My martial arts skills keep improving, but I suppose it's because they have a higher ceiling than swordsmanship.

I mean, hand-to-hand combat involves the whole body, and I know many techniques of this style. Now that I understand my body control, I am trying to replicate the Rokushiki style from One Piece.

My mana control has improved significantly, and I can now use mana skin without any problems. I can also apply it to objects like my sword.

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Third Person POV

In a forest, one could see a man with long, white hair flowing freely down his back, with a silvery tone that reflects the colors of the rainbow under the sunlight.

His eyes are a deep, bright purple. He wears a long, worn black robe that moves with the wind. Just below the robe is an equally worn outfit that seems to have seen better days.

This man was Merlin, focused as he stood in the Six Elements Sword Stance from the manhwa Blossoming Blade.

His great concentration was due to focusing on his breathing while practicing the concept of Total Concentration Breathing from Demon Slayer.

The technique involves expanding the lungs to inhale as much air as possible, accelerating blood flow and heart rate while increasing the body's internal temperature. This excites the bones and muscles more, enhancing the superhuman strength, speed, endurance, durability, and mental abilities needed to keep up with their superhuman bodies, such as faster thinking processes and reaction time.

As he practiced, Merlin thought distractedly:

-'It has to work. It's a concept since it's something from an anime; therefore, it wasn't real. But right now, I am in an anime, and there is a small possibility that Demon Slayer is real somewhere in the multiverse. Therefore, the technique is possible since it is a bodily and real technique...'

Veins started to appear on Merlin's forehead due to the concentration, but a small mistake caused him to stop abruptly and sit on the ground, gasping for air.

Ezalar

"God, damn it, it's complicated, but I see a light, and it seems possible..." Pausing for a few seconds to breathe, Merlin continued.

"If I can use the Demon Slayer technique, not only could I go days without eating or drinking, which would save me in the dungeon, but it would also open the door to other techniques like the Niko Style, Kure Clan Elimination, breathing techniques from my world like neigong, One Piece's Rokushiki, Tenkashi's Byakuyagan... so many techniques that I can't even count them."

Breathing heavily, not knowing if it was from excitement or exhaustion, Merlin continued.

"The best part is that if I reach an advanced level of Total Concentration Breathing, I could even control my muscles so my organs don't fall out like Sanemi in his fight against Kokushibo. This could save my life, because unlike in Demon Slayer, here there are magical things like Elixirs. If I always carry one with me, I could heal myself from death and be semi-immortal..."

After that moment, he stood up for a second, and as if a light bulb turned on, a dangerous thought assaulted his mind, worthy of a soul feared by others.

"I would be almost immortal... if I got Falna, I could go to the dungeon with an elixir, let the monsters attack me, and stop just near the limit until I consumed an elixir. This would improve my abilities super fast since I would be escaping death every second. I would be like Ban from NNT coming out of Purgatory... ! I would be hacking the Falna system!"

Shaking himself out of his state of excitement and madness, Merlin hit his head with his palm to calm down.

-'Calm down, Merlin, you are not immortal, and the Elixir, I think it doesn't restore the blood I lose, and a moment of distraction could end in my death. There are also cursed weapons like Valletta's that inflict wounds that don't heal...'

As Merlin calmed down and organized his thoughts, he stood up from the ground and looked around.

The forest was dense and mysterious, the tall, leafy trees creating a natural canopy that barely let sunlight through. The serenity of the surroundings contrasted with the crazy ideas that had just swarmed his mind.

"Well, enough distractions, back to training."

Without wasting more time and feeling better, Merlin continued training with great diligence.

...

|In the Afternoon|

In the tranquility of Melen, life went on with its usual rhythm. The villagers went about their daily tasks, unaware of the storms happening in Orario and the changes in the world.

Walking down the street of Melen, Merlin could be seen, wearing a mask and carrying a huge backpack on his back. Greeting the villagers who greeted him, he continued on his way to Gorim's Smithy.

Gorim was working when Merlin entered the smithy. Sparks flew, and the sound of the hammer resonated in the air.

"Merlin," Gorim said in his deep, gravelly voice, "I've prepared everything so we can make the sword. I'll help you. Do you have all the materials?"

Merlin, smiling, pulled out a series of minerals from his backpack. Seeing the surprised look on Gorim's face, Merlin grinned and explained.

"Gorim, these are the minerals I've been gathering for the sword: Lightweight Metal, Red Iron left over from the book, surface coral which is less resistant but easier to handle for people without Falna, Mithril which is easy to work with despite its strength, and…"

Noticing Gorim's utterly surprised face and his desire to ask something, Merlin paused to let him speak.

"Mer... Merlin, man, how much did all this cost you? ... Pardon my language, but how the hell did you manage to buy all this? Even though these aren't the strongest materials in the world, just the Mithril must have cost you a fortune, not to mention the others... at the very least, they allow you to make a weapon for a second-level adventurer..."

Pausing to catch his breath, Gorim continued, "But Merlin, you have to know that handling these materials will be very complicated for us. Even though they are good materials, both of us are smiths without Falna and without the smithing development ability. Therefore, the material might not reach its full potential... Wouldn't it be better to take it to the great smithing families? We don't live far from Orario, and there are good smiths there."

Merlin looked at Gorim with a calm smile, fully understanding his concerns.

"Gorim, relax. You just take care of the fire. I'll handle making the sword. I trust you with that position because I need to be 100% focused on the metal. If we want it to come out perfect, nothing can go wrong."

After hesitating for a moment, Gorim, with his renewed confidence, responded to Merlin, - "Understood, boy. I'll do my best."

Smiling, Merlin began to prepare everything. From his backpack, he pulled out the last material, a jar that seemed to contain stone dust, and then he began to organize the tools.

He placed the "Closed" sign outside, took off his mask, and tied his hair with it. Then, he put on a smith's apron made of salamander skin.

"Merlin, the first material is already melted..."

Entering a state of maximum concentration and following a specific breathing rhythm, Merlin ignored everything around him and began working with the first materials. The combination of Lightweight Metal and Red Iron was the first step.

Trank Trank

The sound of the hammer striking the hot metal began to echo in the forge. Noticing that the metal was not fusing perfectly, Merlin activated his Mana Skin, enhancing his strength, and used his mana control on the metal to ensure a flawless fusion.

Gorim watched in awe as a bluish aura began to appear around Merlin while he applied mana to the materials. Each hammer blow was precise, and the materials started to take shape under his expert guidance and the mana that forced them to unite.

'It's beautiful. It's like watching a god create his masterpiece, a painter shaping his world, or a conductor leading his orchestra,' thought Gorim.

Gorim didn't know it at the time, nor did Merlin, but Merlin had entered "The Zone."

In Merlin's view, there was no one around him, just him, the hammer, the fire, and the materials. There were no Gorim, no smithy, no floor, no ceiling. Only him and his creation.

Trank Trank

Only the sound of hammer blows could be heard in the area. All the villagers around could hear the sound, a testament to the concentrated and almost divine work Merlin was performing.

The atmosphere in the smithy was electrifying. Gorim kept the fire steady, following Merlin's instructions with almost religious precision without him saying a word.

The glow of the fire and the blue radiance of Merlin's aura filled the forge, creating a hypnotic spectacle.

Merlin worked tirelessly, moving with a fluidity and purpose that seemed superhuman. In those final moments, he took out the last material needed.

Without looking, he opened the jar and poured out the 'Stone Dust.' It fused with the molten material with the help of mana.

Trank Don ~

Each hammer blow synchronized with the beat of his heart, with the rhythm of his breathing. His body moved with total freedom as he poured everything into the sword.

Don ~ Don ~

The sound of the hammer synchronized with the sound coming from his heart. His chest moved with the rhythm of the metal, and his mana shone with the glow of the fire.

Tank ~ Don ~ Don ~ Tonton ~

It was like a note in a perfect symphony, resonating with a power and beauty that left Gorim breathless. Gorim wasn't the only one; a few entities in the world stopped to listen to the sound.

Trank Don Tototo ~ dan dan ~ Don don ~ Trank ~ Trank

...

|A Certain Smithy in Orario|

Trank ~ Don toton ~

A certain goddess with red hair reaching her waist and a crimson eye while the other is covered, stopped what she was doing as she looked toward the south of Orario.

Beside her, another beautiful woman with dark skin, long black hair, red eyes, and wearing a patch on the opposite eye to the previous one, stopped what she was doing upon seeing her goddess stare into the distance. She asked.

"Hephaistos-sama, what's happening?"

Hephaistos, still staring into nothingness, asked her follower.

"Tsubaki... can you hear it?"

Trank ~ dan dan ~ Don tonto ~

"Eh! ... What do you mean, Hephaistos-sama?"

Still with a distant look, Hephaistos asked again.

"Tsubaki! Can you hear it?"

Don tonton ~ dan dan ~ Trank ~

"How long has it been..."

Tsubaki, not hearing or understanding anything, asked in bewilderment.

"What can you hear? What do you mean by 'how long.' Hephaistos-sama! What are you talking about?"

Trank ~ Don tonton ~ dan dan ~ Trank ~

Gazing fixedly to the southwest of Orario, with her eyes lost, Hephaistos spoke in an ancient and powerful voice, unknowingly releasing some of her divinity.

"I can hear the tremors of creation... I'm hearing them for the first time in 400 years... I'm sure it's here."

"What are you talking about?!"

While still looking towards the southwest, a glow began to be seen from under her eye patch.

"A miracle has been created!"

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POV Merlin

Hours after relentless work, Merlin delivered the final blow.

The sword was created, and its sheath as well. Grabbing the sword and infusing it with his mana, it began to shine with a glow akin to the stars. Merlin held it in front of him and looked at it with love.

"Your name is -Gladius Patris- " (The Father's Sword)

[Imageen]

It was a beautiful weapon, divided into two parts: the sword and the sheath.

In its sword form, Gladius Patris is a long and slender blade, similar to a greatsword, with a shining and polished blade adorned with intricate engravings along its edge. The hilt is elegant, with smooth curves and detailed designs, and the pommel is also decorated, adding to its appearance of a sacred artifact.

When fused with the massive sheath, it transforms into a greatsword. In this form, the sword not only becomes significantly larger and heavier but also changes its appearance drastically: the weapon gains a much more imposing and destructive presence.

And it seems that using mana had an effect that Merlin did not expect. Now, when he uses his mana on the blade, it begins to absorb it and glow, unlike other weapons where his mana simply surrounds the blade.

[Imageen]

.....

Gorim, still marveling, couldn't help but comment, "It's more than I could have ever imagined. Even though I didn't do much, I'm happy to see the creation of such a precious weapon."

Merlin, with a satisfied smile and shaking his head, replied, "No, you did a lot. If it weren't for you controlling the fire while I focused on the creation, this weapon would never have been made. Not to mention that the foundation of my smithy was yours. So, we did it, Gorim. This is our masterpiece."

His final words caused Gorim to let out a tear, quickly turning away and saying, "Don't get it twisted, boy. It's just sweat from the heat, I'm not crying out of pride or anything..." trying to hide his emotion.

Smiling amusedly, Merlin didn't say anything and continued looking at his weapon. "You will be my companion for a long time. I hope to have beautiful adventures with you, Gladius Patris."

Now calm and watching Merlin speak to his sword, Gorim remained silent and simply smiled.

......

Merlin left Gorim behind, now wielding his new sword, and headed to the hot springs to bathe and cleanse himself of the day's sweat.

Inside the hot springs, Merlin leaned back in the water, his semi-naked body supported by the warm water, gazing at the moon. He thought to himself,

' I'll have to leave soon. I should buy something to cover the sword; it's too good and could attract unwanted attention. Though I'm confident I could defeat levels 2 or 3 if I catch them by surprise, they're human and have human weaknesses...'

He paused for a moment to adjust in the water before continuing his thoughts, '...but I don't think I could take on a level 4 or higher. Even though I haven't seen them in action, I assume they're very strong and can react to the slightest sound... but well, those things don't matter right now. I'd better focus on preparing the rest of what I need, training, and earning money... I'm broke right now, but I'll easily make some coin when I perform at an inn.'

Finishing his thoughts, Merlin rose from the water, droplets cascading down his trained body. He manipulated threads around his wrist, controlling them to gather his clothes and belongings towards him.

[imagen]

-'These threads are so useful. If only they were special threads, they could be my main weapon. But at least I can use them all the time, and they're quite handy when you understand the human body... although they lack attack and defense for now. I'll improve that in the future. For now, I don't have 'that' mineral to make it happen, so I'll make do with what I have.'

Dressed in a kimono and a fox mask, Merlin headed towards the inn.

-' It's embarrassing to have to wear this mask to perform, but it's a concert at an inn with a Far Eastern theme. The owner hired me because there's a party tonight, and from what I've heard, some gods from Orario will be there. If I play well, it'll be easier to earn... I mean, get some extra cash.'

...

|Location: Okko Inn|

[Wano Theme - One Piece]

As one approached the inn, the sound of a shamisen being played with masterful skill could be heard, producing a beautiful melody.

"What a beautiful tune," commented a god dressed in a kimono.

"Hehe, that sound reminds me of my homeland," remarked a human man.

"What a lovely sound, much like the sound of the woman playing it," commented a effeminate man.

Upon entering, one could see various beautiful decorations all around, creating an exotic and elegant atmosphere. On the main stage stood an enigmatic figure: a man wearing a fox mask. The only distinguishable features were his beautiful white hair and a tail that seemed wolf-like. He was dressed in a kimono and seated on the stage with the shamisen in his hands.

[imagen]

The music resonated with perfect harmony, capturing the attention of everyone present, whether gods, humans, or demi-humans, dwarves, pullum - all were immersed in the melody.

Behind the fox mask, Merlin observed the audience as his fingers gracefully moved across the shamisen strings. With each chord, he felt he was weaving a musical spell that mesmerized his listeners.

He knew this was his chance to earn some extra money and perhaps gain valuable information.

And so, with a beautiful melody playing in the background but dark thoughts on his mind, the curtain of this stage closed.

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[End of chapter 7]

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[3276 words]

Note: While writing this I suffered a desk lock, I didn't know how to continue or what to do, I didn't like how it's turning out, but I just let myself go and ended up with this, and I like the result, although it seems like a common day to day chapter, it shows many things to make one stop and think...