Fated Adventure.

As the golden light of my Martial Spirit continued to pulse gently around Hephaestus, steadily purifying the remnants of Zeus' curse, the goddess of smithing had quickly become completely enthralled by the treasures within my pagoda.

Her single visible eye darted across the room, flickering with a mix of awe and barely contained jealousy. It wasn't just admiration—no, Hephaestus was genuinely envious of what she was seeing. She ran her fingers over the handles of unfamiliar tools, the fine craftsmanship evident in every piece. Some of these were beyond even what she possessed in heaven, and the realization clearly stung.

"This… this is ridiculous," she muttered under her breath, trailing her fingers across a set of chisels that hummed with power. "These tools alone are nearly at a divine level—some of them might even surpass what I had back home."

Tsubaki, standing beside her, whistled low. "Gotta admit, Boss, this place makes even our workshop look like a beginner's forge."

But it wasn't just the tools. Hephaestus' gaze soon landed on the stacks of metal arranged meticulously along one of the walls, and her breath hitched.

"What—what are these?!" she demanded, stepping forward as if drawn by an unseen force.

Her fingers hesitated over a stack of Heart-Chilling Iron, the metal emanating an unnatural cold that seemed to sink into the bones, yet remained smooth and polished as if it had been forged in perfection. Beside it was Deep Sea Sunken Silver, its surface shimmering like the depths of the ocean itself, constantly shifting and rippling despite being completely solid.

Then there was Life Gold, a metal that practically pulsed with vitality, radiating warmth like a living being. It was metal—but alive.

"I've… I've never seen these before," Hephaestus murmured, a hint of frustration creeping into her tone. "Even in heaven, even among the gods… metals like these don't exist!"

Tsubaki, standing next to her, reached toward the Life Gold but immediately flinched back as a strange warmth pulsed up her arm, like the metal itself had acknowledged her presence. "What the hell—this thing's alive?"

"And that's not even the best part," I said with a smirk, gesturing toward the workbenches, where various weapons lay waiting to be admired.

Hephaestus turned, her eye widening again as she took in the legendary arsenal scattered across the workspace. Some weapons seemed ancient, others brand new, yet each held a power that was undeniable.

Her hand hovered over a goblin-forged knife, its dark metal surface shifting ever so slightly, absorbing the surrounding energy.

"A weapon that grows stronger… by devouring other things?" she whispered, utterly fascinated. "Even among the divine, something like this would be considered… unnatural."

But then her gaze landed on something else. Something far more interesting.

The Keyblade.

She reached toward it, but the moment her fingers brushed against its hilt, a faint golden barrier flickered, rejecting her touch. Her eye narrowed as she withdrew her hand, studying the weapon.

"This isn't normal metal," she murmured. "It feels… bound. Not just to you, but to something greater."

Her analysis was accurate. The Keyblade wasn't just a weapon—it was an extension of my very will. And beside it, resting against the table, was another sword that immediately caught her full attention.

The Asauchi.

A blade that was not yet complete, but rather waiting to become something more. It resonated faintly, as if acknowledging Hephaestus' presence, but also recognizing that it was not hers to wield.

Hephaestus exhaled slowly, carefully tracing a finger along the edge without actually touching it. "This… this isn't just a sword," she whispered, her voice carrying an almost reverent tone. "This is… a soul, waiting to be born."

Her gaze flickered to me. "Do you even realize what you have here?"

I chuckled. "Oh, I do."

But her amazement wasn't finished yet. Her eyes roamed across alchemical metals she had never heard of, experimental alloys that had yet to be named. Then, finally, her gaze landed on something that made her completely freeze in place.

The Hate Ground No Handle Set.

A weapon that was unlike anything else in the room—no traditional hilt, no standard blade shape, just raw, untamed destruction given form. Yet, despite its savage appearance, Hephaestus stared at it like it was the most divine thing she had ever laid eyes on.

She didn't touch it.

She simply admired.

"This…" she breathed, barely above a whisper. "This is divine craftsmanship."

Her fingers twitched slightly, as if fighting the urge to take the weapons apart just to study how they worked. Tsubaki, standing beside her, arched a brow. "Boss, I don't think I've ever seen you look at something like that before."

Hephaestus swallowed hard, then turned to face me, her expression caught between absolute jealousy and pure admiration. "You… You have to let me work here," she said suddenly, the intensity in her voice borderline desperate.

Tsubaki nearly choked. "Wait, what?!"

The goddess of smithing ignored her, her single eye locked onto me. "I don't care what it takes," she continued, stepping forward. "These materials, these tools, these techniques—I need to study them. I need to forge with them!"

I grinned, crossing my arms. "So, let me get this straight. The great Hephaestus, goddess of smithing, is asking me for permission to use my workshop?"

She clenched her fists, clearly swallowing her pride. But her hunger for creation outweighed her ego. "Yes," she admitted through gritted teeth.

Tsubaki looked at her like she had just declared war on the heavens. "Boss, are you seriously—"

"Shut up, Tsubaki, I'm negotiating!"

I laughed. This was going to be fun.

"I can allow that but I want you to teach me. I mentioned that in a blacksmith but I haven't really had any proper teacher, just blueprints and winging everything."

Hephaestus' single eye narrowed as she scrutinized me, processing my request. The hunger for knowledge and craftsmanship still burned behind her gaze, but my words had caught her off guard.

"You… want me to teach you?" she repeated slowly, as if testing the idea on her tongue.

I nodded, standing firm. "Yeah. I mentioned before that I'm a blacksmith, but I've never had a real teacher. Everything I've done so far has been through trial and error, blueprints, and just winging it." I gestured toward the equipment surrounding us. "I've made a lot of powerful things, but I know I can do better—with actual guidance."

Tsubaki let out a low whistle. "So, you're telling me all these insane weapons and materials—" she pointed at the Keyblade, the Asauchi, the Hate Ground No Handle set, and then at the wall of exotic metals, "—were just you winging it?"

I shrugged. "Most of these I didn't make they actually came to me on their own or I gather d them."

Hephaestus didn't reply immediately. Instead, she turned, her fingers brushing over the tools on the workbench, lingering on a finely crafted hammer that shimmered with latent divine energy. Her lips pressed into a thin line, her mind clearly racing.

Then, a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.

She smiled. "You have raw talent, no doubt about it if you managed to get the blacksmithing skill. If you get teaching under me then you're a monster in the making." She turned back to me, her single eye glowing with renewed intensity. "Fine. I'll teach you. But I'm warning you—I don't go easy on my apprentices."

A grin spread across my face. "Good. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Tsubaki snorted. "Hah! Oh, this I gotta see. The great Hephaestus taking on an apprentice for the first time in who-knows-how-long?" She smirked at me. "You better be ready, kid. Boss is gonna grind you into dust."

I crossed my arms. "I think I'll manage."

Hephaestus studied me for a moment longer, then let out a soft chuckle. "We'll see," she said. But before she could say anything else, a golden light pulsed from beneath her eyepatch, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.

The Martial Spirit's healing aura was still working, purifying the remnants of Zeus' curse. Black mist continued to seep from beneath her eyepatch, but instead of writhing like before, it was slowly dissipating, unraveling like a long-held wound finally beginning to heal.

Her breath hitched, her fingers instinctively reaching up to touch the eyepatch. "...It doesn't hurt as much," she whispered, more to herself than anyone else.

I smiled. "That's part of the deal too. I'm going to get rid of that curse completely."

She stiffened slightly but didn't protest. Instead, after a brief silence, she let out a slow exhale and nodded.

"Alright then, Ryan," Hephaestus said, a fiery determination returning to her voice. "Let's get to work."

[Here's the next chapter another whopping 1400 words. Wrote this shit in under 20 minutes from the last chapter. Anyway send Powerstones, donations for my hard work and anything else. Cashapp $Ryantheholy ]