Two weeks passed.
Kael began training.
But the results were disappointing.
His Soul Power increased slowly.
His body was still weak.
The Broken Sword had only one Rune.
Meanwhile, the other participants had already begun acquiring their second Runes.
Kael did not complain.
Because Metal Sense allowed him to understand something.
A weapon's strength did not come only from the number of Runes it had.
Its structure.
Its material.
Its balance.
Everything had an influence.
That day, the academy announced its first mission.
The students would enter Ironfang Valley.
The place was home to Metal Beasts.
Monsters whose bodies were formed from metal and minerals.
The instructor explained.
"Don't think of them as ordinary beasts."
"They possess mineral cores."
"If you manage to kill one, its core can be used to strengthen a Weapon Spirit."
Kael listened intently.
This was his first chance to obtain material for the Broken Sword.
The group entered the valley.
Not long after...
DANG!
Something moved behind a boulder.
DANG!
DANG!
A monster emerged.
Its body was shaped like a wolf.
But its entire body was made of Black Iron.
Ironfang Wolf.
The students immediately prepared themselves.
"Attack!"
Fire.
Ice.
Lightning.
Every attack struck the monster.
But the Ironfang Wolf merely shifted aside.
Kael used Metal Sense.
At a glance...
the monster's entire structure appeared in his mind.
Its core was located in its chest.
But it was protected by a thick layer of metal.
Kael examined it more closely.
There was a weak point.
The neck.
He shouted.
"Attack its neck!"
Darius struck with the War Hammer.
BOOM!
Lyra fired an arrow.
WUSH!
The monster staggered.
Kael advanced.
The Broken Sword trembled.
Metal Sense revealed the path of his attack.
Kael thrust.
CRACK!
The broken blade pierced through a gap in the armor.
The Ironfang Wolf fell.
Everyone fell silent.
Kael stood over the monster's body.
A metal core emerged.
The Rune on the Broken Sword trembled.
Then...
a voice rang out.
Suitable inscription material detected.
Kael froze.
What?
A symbol appeared on the monster's core.
Ironfang Rune.
Kael reached out.
But before he could touch it...
A red arrow pierced the monster's core.
WUSH!
The core shattered.
Kael immediately turned around.
Atop the cliff...
a group of men in black robes stood there.
The Blood Armament emblem was clearly visible.
Their leader smiled.
"Don't celebrate too soon, Kael Ardent."
Kael gripped the Broken Sword.
"Why are you after me?"
The man raised a red sword.
"We're not after you."
He pointed at the Broken Sword.
"We're after something inside it."
The wind swept through the valley.
Kael stared at his sword.
For the first time...
he began to understand that none of these events were coincidences.
The Broken Sword.
Heavenforge.
Blood Armament.
The Forging Sect.
Sword Tomb.
Everything was slowly leading toward a single point.
And Kael had just taken the first step.
Behind him, Darius's voice sounded.
"Kael..."
Kael did not answer.
Because inside his mind, the old voice appeared again.
Don't let them obtain the second Rune.
Kael froze.
"Who are you?"
There was no answer.
Only one final sentence.
Because the second Rune would awaken something that should have remained asleep.
Kael stared at the Broken Sword.
The crack in its blade...
had just begun emitting a blue light.