As they won the challenge and got the notification, the center of the platform started trembling, and eccentric patterns appeared over it, glowing lavatic red and golden.
The patterns spread and soon formed a circle with complicated markings inside.
Almond and Lily moved away from there as they got another notification.
[The Synthesis Forge of Eternal Power is being summoned. Please move away from the center of the platform.]
The eccentric circle glowed, and a structure gradually emerged. A triangle-shaped header with metallic texture and gold-plated patterns, but as the entire structure emerged, it looked like a strange mix of anvil and an altar, which had three circular slots on it.
The material was shining metallic black with gold plated and lavatic patterns, looking fancy and otherworldly.
Almond and Lily stood before it as a misty black window panel with golden words appeared in a holographic manner above this mysterious object.
[Synthesis Forge of Eternal Power]
-Mode: Weapon Art.
-Details:
—> Infuse 1 Mana to activate the Synthesis Forge.
—> Create any three skill runes of your choice and put them on the three empty slots for the synthesis of a Weapon Art Token based on those three skills and an extra bit from your desire and inspiration.
—> You may use the token and enter a mysterious realm to learn the Weapon Art.
“I’ll go first,” Almond said, visibly excited for this reward. In his previous life, he went through the same thing, but his heart was heavy at that time as everyone aside from him had died.
The Weapon Art he had acquired at that time became his most powerful move and a cornerstone of his rapid rise in his past life.
Almond infused 1 Mana into the forge as it activated, and a window popped up in front of him from the object, asking him for the weapon base of the Weapon Art he wanted.
Almond wrote [Sword] in the blank space before it vanished, and the three empty slots slightly glimmered.
[Please proceed with slotting the skill runes.]
Almond closed his eyes, his mind drifting into his past life’s memories.
He wanted to add an S-rank skill from his past life into one slot first. He had acquired the A-rank class Vegabond Swordsman as his primary class, and for his specialized class, he had an SS-rank class called Zenithpath Swordmaster.
The skill he wanted to add was his only SSS-rank class skill of Zenithpath Swordmaster at that time that he had created in enlightenment at this exact place by using the last skill insight of his specialized quest.
Sword of Impermanence—SSS rank, buff-type skill.
It had the entirety of his joy and sadness within it. The joy he remembered with his parents when he was small, even though it was short, the void it created in him after they passed away, and how that void was slowly filled by his friends, but then all of them died during this challenge in front of him.
By imbuing the concept of impermanence, nothing was permanent in front of his slash. Upon using this buff-type skill, his sword slashes could ignore defense and break everything, be it an illusion or magical construct like other skills’ effects.
Almond also remembered that important part in the construction of a skill rune that he had discovered when he created this skill. He remembered that since he gained the memories of his past life.
That part of the skill creation was…concept infusion. Sword of Impermanence was a concept-based constructed skill. He had accepted the lonesome concept of impermanence and comprehended it, which resulted in the creation of the Sword of Impermanence.
But as Almond was re-creating this skill, he suddenly paused. His thoughts were not the same as before. His desire was the same, but his fire was bigger.
He could make it better!
‘I refuse to believe in the utterness of impermanence! It is not absolute,’ Almond’s eyes blazed. ‘My sword will not be a part of impermanence, but it must be the carrier of it!’
‘My sword must remain eternal. It must remain everlasting even if everything turns to void!’
‘My blade must cut through the void and stand alone in the sea of impermanence!’
‘For eternity, it will stand!’
In the eternal darkness with everything gradually dissolving in it in his mindscape that displayed the concept of Impermanence, a single sword manifested, floated, radiantly glowing in regal gold.
The destruction of the world surrounding it, the unthinkable powers, and monsters that fueled this sea of impermanence attacked his sword, but it resisted.
It glowed radiantly, resisting the evergrowing impermanence.
It glowed radiantly, everlasting, eternal, undying!
‘My sword is the….
Sword of Imperishable Zenith!’
In front of Almond, a mystical round rune manifested. A black rune with dark gold patterns glowed and wiggled towards a single bright golden sword etched in its center.
[Congratulations. You have created a buff-type Legendary-rank skill—Sword of Imperishable Zenith, on your own.]
[You are the first one to create a Legendary-rank skill in your world. Your name is etched onto the Grimworld Leaderboard of Legendary Realm.]
[You have acquired 1000 Grim Fame.]
Almond blinked a few times as he read the notifications.
“What happened?” Lily asked as she sensed a change in Almond as he was no longer in focus. Experience new tales on empire
“Well…here, you can see it yourself.”
Almond shared the notification with Lily, causing her eyes to gradually widened before she blurted, “What the fuck…”
“How?!” Lily asked, her eyes brilliantly sparkling as she looked at Almond with excitement.
“Well…” Almond rubbed his nose as he proceeded to tell her about how he created Sword of Impermanence and now when he shifted his mindset and inspired himself, gaining enlightenment of sorts.
“This is so cool, darling!” Lily was thrilled like never before. “Concept Infusion…so this is a part that also affects skill creations. I have to keep this in mind from now on.”
“Yep. As long as we properly comprehend a concept and are able to imbue it, it will affect the skill creation when we use Skill Insight of our specialized class quest, and also the resulting effect when we create skill runes in the future.”
“I am going to think of something since I also have a concept in my mind and I want to test it,” Lily grinned as her eyes glimmered. Excited, she sat down on the ground cross-legged. “Tell me when you’re done.”
She closed her eyes and entered meditation.
“Alright,” Almond smiled and turned to the Synthesis Forge.
Looking at the two empty skill rune slots, Almond rubbed his chin, thinking of suitable skills to imbue in them.
But while thinking of that, his mind also wandered off as he realized the impact of this information.
People didn’t know about all the details regarding how to create skills. The Labyrinth didn’t give any such information, but old monsters were bound to discover it sooner or later.
And they had solid concepts and philosophies that they could shape and wield, creating superb skills.
He was sure the old monsters could do better given their long life experience and how they were already more attuned to Mana than most others, especially Admiral Rudra.
The old monsters would be able to create some crazy skills for sure.
‘I should tell him about this later, and we can also brainstorm together,’ Almond thought. He glanced at Lily and nodded. ‘Lily is smart and also talented as she shapes her style herself.’