“Ah! Where did that thing come from!?”

  “It’s one of my skills. I already told you about it.”

  “Wait… so, that’s from Otherworld?”

  “Yes.”

  A few hours after Julian and Ellie left Humanity Engineering, they returned to their hotel. Somehow, they ended up on the bed for their usual nightly activities—despite it still being the afternoon.

  Julian had expected to be knocked unconscious when they passed through the Radiant Gates, but nothing happened. He hadn’t fainted, nor had he dreamt of his parents again.

  It was a shame. He would have liked to hear their voices once more. He still couldn’t tell whether they were memories or something else. They felt like memories, yet they were far too vivid, far too lucid to be real.

  But there was no point dwelling on it now. He needed to focus on the present—which, at the moment, was the object in his hand.

  “What… is it?” Ellie asked, resting her cheek against Julian’s chest as her eyes locked on the black rock he was holding.

  “It’s coal.”

  “Coal!? You’re going to get it all over the sheets!” Ellie’s eyes widened in alarm. “Why do you even have that!?”

  “...You’re right.” Julian turned his free hand downward and let the coal sink back into its shadow. “I forgot. Sorry.”

  “Wait, wait…” Ellie propped herself up, her curiosity piqued. “You can just bring anything with you from that other planet?”

  “Hm. Only certain things that count as crafting materials,” Julian replied, opening his [Guidance] window. The display still felt strange to him—being blind, yet seeing words appear vividly before him.

  “Crafting materials… like gold?” Ellie’s eyes narrowed, her mind clearly racing.

  “Gold…” Julian tilted his head, recalling the bishop’s blade—the gold-shifting weapon he had encountered. “...I think I could, if I found some.”

  “...Are you thinking what I’m thinking!?” Ellie leaned back, practically bouncing on the bed in excitement.

  As her energy reached a peak, MEGAN appeared in a flicker of light from the holographic display, matching Ellie’s enthusiasm with an animated nod.

  [It would seem you’ve arrived at the same conclusion,] MEGAN said, her voice brimming with pride.

  “I know, right!?” Ellie pointed at MEGAN, grinning ear to ear. “Julian can, like… bring gold back here, and we could sell it! Wait—maybe I should get my own LinkGear so I can handle all the logistics for Otherworld stuff. That way it’d be seamless! But… no… who’d take care of you while you’re there? Never mind, never mind.”

  Ellie cycled through at least five emotions in rapid succession, pacing the bed without a care that she was completely naked. Finally, with a long sigh, she plopped down again, her excitement fading into disappointment.

  “What time are you meeting Cyrus today?” she asked, her tone softening as she calmed down. “You’re going Topside again, right?”

  “Yes,” Julian hummed. “We’re supposed to meet at Talia’s restaurant at five. They also wanted you to come.”

  “Oh…” Ellie blinked, glancing at her watch. “...But I still have some work to finish. Hm… I think I can wrap this up before four.”

  “I’ll wait for you, then,” Julian replied without hesitation.

  “But…” Ellie bit her lip, her gaze drifting to Julian’s bare chest. Her eyes trailed downward toward his waist, but before they wandered further, she shook her head sharply and darted to her desk. Grabbing a pair of glasses, she slid them on and quickly began tapping the air in front of her.

  Julian tilted his head slightly, listening to the mix of sounds coming from her glasses. Ellie had always been passionate about music. Since she was a child, she’d dreamed of becoming a singer. She had the voice for it, and she certainly had the looks.

  But so did millions of others.

  The harsh reality of the industry hadn’t stopped her from pursuing her dream, even if she knew she was past the age to debut as an idol. Instead, she had channeled her passion into sound design, carving out a career as a sound effects artist.

  It was always music for her.

  And the reason was clear as to why.

  She wanted Julian to see the world around him through music. That was what she told him when they were still teenagers, that it was her dream to make music so good that he would be able to see it, figuratively, of course.

  The memory made him smile, as it always did.

  “W-what?” Ellie turned around, her cheeks faintly pink as she noticed his grin. She laughed softly. “Stop being creepy. You’re distracting me. Shh!”

  “It sounds beautiful, Ellie,” Julian said, the warmth in his voice impossible to miss.

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  “You… can hear it from there?” Ellie blinked, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You really are like Superman now.”

  “MEGAN says I’m more like Daredevil.”

  “...That’s a thing?”

  [It’s a very old comic book character!] MEGAN joined in, her voice still cheerful. [Sadly, most people only know Superman and Spider-Man these days.]

  “There’s a Spider-Man?” Ellie glanced back at her, raising an eyebrow. “Wait—stop distracting me!”

  [You’re the one who asked!]

  “Ssh!”

  And with a playful huff, Ellie buried herself back in her work, fingers moving rapidly as she fine-tuned her project. Meanwhile, the other two returned to what they were doing, with MEGAN scouring the Artemia forums, quietly gathering information.

  And Julian, well, he stayed on the bed, listening to the soft hum of Ellie’s sounds mixing with MEGAN’s occasional mutterings. As he waited for Ellie to finish, he considered what to do. There wasn’t much, but one idea came to mind.

  He was going to finally try his major skill, the [Shadow Forge]... completely forgetting the fact that time would not move while he was inside it.

  He reached toward the shadow beside him, his hand vanishing into its depths as he whispered, “Shadow Forge.”

  The world around him shifted immediately. He felt as though his entire body had been propelled into the air, an intense sensation of acceleration coursing through him. But even as the feeling overwhelmed his senses, his body didn’t move.

  The feeling was similar to transferring his consciousness from his real body to his clone in Artemia. And yet, it was distinctly different.

  It felt like stepping through a doorway—and then, he was there. For the very first time, Julian stood inside the [Shadow Forge].

  He had expected a simple mindscape, a space with limited interactions and vague impressions. While it was a mindscape, it felt far more real than he’d imagined. And perhaps it is real, he was truly inside a forge.

  And he could actually see.

  The forge itself was not what he expected, either. It had a sleek, modern design, though he wouldn’t actually know what a modern forge looked like. Still, this felt like one. A terminal with a glowing screen stood to one side, its faint light cutting through the darkness.

  A workbench sat nearby, flanked by a wall where the tools he had stored in the vault were neatly displayed. Beside it was a large, empty podium that seemed to serve some unknown purpose.

  Everything else, however, was nothing but darkness. The floor, the walls—if there were walls—the ceiling, and perhaps even the horizon, were all a deep, impenetrable black.

  But the most striking detail wasn’t the forge itself.

  No, it was the fact that he wasn’t alone.

  The Avatar of Searadyn was there, her form wreathed in cold blue flames that danced gently around her body. She stood near the forge, watching him approach.

  “Greetings, Master,” she said, bowing her head slightly.

  Julian paused, his surprise well-hidden behind his casual tone. “Hello. I didn’t think I’d be seeing you again so soon.”

  “I have been with you throughout your journey,” the Avatar replied, her gaze fixed on him. Her movements were minimal, almost statuesque, as though she existed separately from the world around her.

  “...You should sit somewhere,” Julian said, breaking the silence.

  “We have no chairs, Master,” she replied, her head tilting slightly as she glanced around the forge. “And I do not mind standing, as I am not truly standing. I am a spirit—I exist, yet I do not.”

  “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable sitting?” Julian pressed.

  “I do not know.”

  “Let me make you a chair, then,” Julian hummed, walking toward the forge’s terminal.

  The screen lit up as he tapped it, displaying a user interface. Instinctively, he understood its functions—the [Guidance of Artemis] had already fed him the knowledge, after all. But of course, the process of using it was still completely foreign to him.

  He tapped the screen several more times, examining the options. The glowing interface fascinated him, and he found himself wondering if this was what others saw when using their holographic screens.

  And soon, his gaze eventually landed on an icon labeled Materials.

  He tapped on the icon, and as he did, a list of items from the [Shadow Vault] appeared—different types of ingots, wood, and various miscellaneous materials. He selected one of the listed woods, and with a faint shimmer, it materialized on the large podium.

  “Hm…” Julian studied it for a moment. He was about to approach and gather what he needed, but the Avatar of Searadyn stepped forward, her flames flickering softly.

  “How many would you like, Master?” she asked.

  “Take them all out for now.” Julian responded casually. As the Avatar removed the wood from the podium, he scrolled through the list and selected a steel ingot, gesturing for her to retrieve it as well.

  While she worked, Julian continued exploring the terminal. After a moment of tinkering, he found the application to control the fire. With a simple motion, he raised a virtual dial, and flames roared to life within the forge, casting warm light across the black expanse.

  “What are you making, Master?” the Avatar asked, her curiosity evident.

  “Some nails to build your chair,” Julian replied, his tone matter-of-fact. “I didn’t bring any nails because I wasn’t expecting to make furniture. I should’ve gotten some rods—they’d make this easier—but Artemia doesn’t stock those in the shops.”

  “You… are truly making a chair for me?” The Avatar’s white, flickering eyes widened in surprise. “You do not need to do that, Master.”

  “I want to make something,” Julian said, his voice calm as he heated the ingot. “What better to make than something we need right now?”

  The Avatar of Searadyn remained silent, watching intently as Julian began shaping the metal. A faint smile crept onto her face as she observed the precision of his movements.

  Yes, she had chosen the right master.

  Even though he was merely making nails, his craftsmanship was leagues beyond any blacksmith she had encountered in her long existence. The very fact that this space—the Shadow Forge—existed was testament enough to how extraordinary he was.

  Even she didn’t fully understand what this place was.

  In no time, Julian had crafted a simple chair. When the Avatar attempted to sit, however, her presence immediately began to scorch and freeze the wood simultaneously, forcing Julian to create a protective plate to cover the seat.

  “Next time, I’ll make you a bed,” Julian said, stepping back to inspect his work.

  “There is truly no need for that—I do not sleep,” the Avatar replied, waving her hand dismissively. “Rather, you should focus on making more seats… for the other flame spirits you will conquer.”

  “Hm? I can have more spirits follow me?” Julian asked, his brow raising slightly.

  “Yes. But my place will always remain special.” The Avatar gestured toward the tattoo at the back of Julian’s hand. “I am the first spirit bound to you, after all.”

  “Hm…” Julian glanced at his hand thoughtfully. “Where can I find more of your kind?”

  “We are everywhere, Master,” she replied with a soft smile. “And you already have one close to you. I can feel it… here, in the forge with us.”

  “Here?” Julian tilted his head, puzzled.

  The Avatar of Searadyn stood, her flames flickering brighter as she moved to the terminal. “May I?”

  “Of course,” Julian said, stepping aside to let her access the screen.

  She navigated the interface with surprising ease, selecting a specific material. Moments later, a faint shimmer marked the material’s appearance on the podium. Julian frowned in confusion as he recognized it.

  “The Dodona Coal?” he asked, staring at the single lump of blackened rock. “That’s a spirit?”

  “I am certain you felt it, Master,” the Avatar said, her voice low as she approached the podium. “That is why it is with you now.” She leaned closer to the coal, her flames casting a soft glow over it. “It is quite small…

  …but there is an ember persevering weakly within. A spirit, dying.”

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