An overwhelming force surged back through Ray's arms. The recoil slammed his own hammer into his stomach, sending him flying backward.

In that moment of extreme concentration, Ray's mind was crystal clear. He knew that if he continued retreating, the hammer in his left hand would never reach his teacher.

So he made a split-second decision.

He released his grip.

The heavy hammer tore free from his hand and flew straight toward Alfred like a cannonball.

Alfred casually flicked his wooden sword sideways, brushing against the incoming hammer.

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 time, however, that confidence wavered.

The instant the hammer 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 hammer.

Kacha!

The wooden sword shattered.

The Thousand Refined Heavy Silver Hammer continued its trajectory, roaring straight toward Alfred's head.

Alfred flashed sideways, narrowly avoiding it.

The hammer slammed 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 hammer 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, immediately froze.

Raziel Phoenix stared at Ray, then at the gray hammer embedded in the ground. A chill ran through his spine.

If that hammer had struck him back then…

Ray hurried forward, retrieving the hammers one by one and storing them inside his Heavy Silver Ring.

Alfred looked at him intently. "Your hammers are abnormal."

"They're made of Heavy Silver," Ray replied honestly. "A bit heavier than normal forging hammers."

"How heavy can they be?" Raziel Phoenix blurted out, curiosity overwhelming caution.

Ray handed him one.

The instant it left Ray's hand, the hammer 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 hammer himself. Even he had to exert effort.

No wonder the wooden sword had shattered.

"One hammer 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 something else?"

Ray hesitated, then answered truthfully. "It's the hammer. After Thousand Refinement, special effects can appear. Mine gained something called the Stacked Hammer effect."

Alfred didn't understand forging, but he understood value. These hammers 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. "Come. Hold my hand."

Ray grasped it. Alfred's hand was large and cool, smooth and steady.

"Pull with all your strength," Alfred ordered. "Show me how strong you really are."

"Oh." Ray inhaled deeply and pulled with everything he had.

Alfred stood firm, as an iron nail hammered 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 Tournament, 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 meditating 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 meaningless for someone like Ray. Instead, his time was redirected toward something far more difficult.

Control.

Control over Silverfalls Vine.

Meanwhile, 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 measured 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 came 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 became one. True spiritual control began. One could bear two yellow spirit souls or even a single purple one.

Alfred finally understood.

Lily's Elementalist martial soul was likely a rare variant of a spiritual-type martial soul, perfectly synchronized with her immense spiritual power.

Spirit System Battle Soul Masters were among the rarest and most coveted existences in the modern era, especially compatible with mechas.

Alfred's attention toward Lily grew even sharper.

Of course, that only meant harsher training.

A week passed in the blink of an eye.

Ray hadn't even found time 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 chimed.

For a moment, 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 time to go to the workshop. I was planning to come 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. "Come 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 moment. "So that ridiculous strength of yours… it's because of forging?"

Ray nodded.

"A blacksmith?" Raziel Phoenix asked. "The kind that refines metals?"

Ray nodded again.

Raziel Phoenix stroked his chin. "That's not bad at all. I remember my father once bought a mecha core component that had been Thousand Refined. It cost a fortune. When you reach Grandmaster rank, help me refine some metals."

Ray blinked. "You want to become a Mecha Master?"

"Of course," Raziel Phoenix said proudly. "My family has produced Mecha Masters for generations. It's only natural."

At the mention of mechas, Miel and Lucius immediately climbed down from their bunks, eyes shining.

"Tell us!" Miel urged eagerly. "What's a real Mecha Master like? What do you need to become one?"

Raziel Phoenix leaned back, clearly enjoying the attention. "After countless years of development, soul mechas have gone from small to massive, and then back to compact again in modern times. Their size may be smaller now, but their power is far greater. A true Mecha Master's mecha is about the same size as their body. With martial soul fusion and amplification, they become walking super soldiers. I've even heard that divine-rank Mecha Masters personally create their own mechas."

Ray asked, "Doesn't that mean all divine-rank Mecha Masters are blacksmiths?"

Raziel Phoenix rolled his eyes. "Not exactly. 'Create' means personally inscribing arrays to make the mecha compatible with themselves. Of course, if they also know forging, the compatibility becomes 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 Refinement," 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 exclaimed. "You're only nine, and you're already second-rank?"

Even without deep knowledge, they understood what that meant. A second-rank craftsman could already support themselves through their profession. Compared to them, Ray's future suddenly looked very different.

Once someone crossed into the third rank, they stepped into a completely different social tier. Fifth rank meant 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 become my personal blacksmith in the future? I'll pay market price."

Ray frowned. "Why me? 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 mean someone will take it. Grandmaster-level blacksmiths are rare, and those willing to Thousand Refine are even rarer. My father spent four years replacing his mecha'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 me, I could get a fully Thousand Refined mecha 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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