Eternal Forge: Starting with a SSS Rank talent and a Myth Rank Class

The next day, all participants gathered at the trial grounds to begin the final round. The grounds were located within the royal smithy of the palace itself.

The judges stood in a solemn line on a raised platform beside the king. The knights were positioned to one side, while the Valkyries stood watch at the back. Fifteen forging tables had been arranged neatly in front of them.

Freya rose to her feet and stepped forward. "This is the final trial," she announced, her clear voice echoing through the silent royal smithy. "The most important round. Only one shall emerge as victor."

A small audience of dukes, archdukes, and other nobles had gathered to observe. Elder Thrain stood as well and joined Freya.

"You have already proven your forging skill, your comprehension, and your character," he declared, his gaze sweeping across the participants. "Now you will prove your true worth as blacksmiths."

With that, both Freya and Thrain stepped back. The king then rose, prompting everyone—including the judges—to stand and kneel in respect.

"Everyone here has demonstrated exceptional talent," the king proclaimed. "I expect each of you to give your all and forge something you will never regret. Forge with passion. As a gesture of goodwill toward you hardworking blacksmiths, I, the King of Asgard, hereby open the palace vaults to you all. Within them lie materials gathered from across the Nine Realms over countless centuries. You are free to choose any you deem fit for your creation."

The king surveyed the participants. "You may all rise. Elder Thrain, you may begin the trial."

As the king returned to his seat, Elder Thrain stepped forward once more.

"By His Majesty’s grace, the palace vaults have been opened. You may forge anything you desire using the materials within. There are no restrictions on the type of item—be it a weapon, armor, shield, or any supporting artifact. The final selection will be based on quality and item rank. Should multiple participants reach the same rank, judgment will consider the item’s stats, forging process, materials used, and overall feasibility."

Elder Thrain turned to the princess. "Princess Freya, if you would do the honor of announcing the rewards."

Freya nodded and stood. She unrolled a scroll and began reading in a resonant voice.

"The top 15 finalists will each receive a Certificate of Participation from the Palace of Asgard, one week of access to the Royal Forge, and 100 gold pieces."

She paused, letting her gaze travel across the competitors. "The top 10 will receive all the previous rewards, plus a rare material from the palace vault and have their names inscribed in Asgard’s Hall of Fame."

"The top 5 will enjoy all prior rewards, plus legendary materials from the royal vault and the opportunity to study a rune stele of their choice for one full day."

Freya noted the sparkling excitement in the participants’ eyes and continued with satisfaction.

"Third place will receive all previous benefits, an additional legendary material, the right to study the divine weapon of Asgard—Mjölnir—for one day, and a standing invitation to return to Asgard as an honored guest at any time."

"Second place will receive all the above, plus a mythic-rank material from the royal vault, the right to study Mjölnir for one week, and an offer to take up a position in the royal forge should they desire it."

"And finally," Freya’s voice rose with dramatic weight, "the first-place champion will receive every reward from the fifteenth to the second position, along with extraordinary opportunities: a rare class evolution, a private audience with King Odin himself, unrestricted and timeless access to study Mjölnir—whenever and for however long they desire—an enchanted Pendant of Asgard that grants daily teleportation to these halls, and the full protection of Asgard’s might. Most prestigious of all, they shall be bestowed the exalted title of Divine Rune Blacksmith of Asgard."

A stunned silence blanketed the smithy. The rewards were far more generous than anyone had dared imagine. Whispers quickly erupted into excited murmurs as the weight of the prizes sank in.

Kai’s jaw tightened as he clenched his fist. "A class evolution opportunity," he whispered. "That’s... priceless."

Lyra nodded, her hands tightly clasped. "And unrestricted access to Mjölnir. That’s the real prize."

Gandalf grunted. "I’d kill for a mythic material alone."

Another participant scratched the back of his head with a sheepish laugh. "And here I was thinking the certificate would be enough."

Freya’s eyes swept across the group, lingering for a moment on Leo. "You have one full day to complete your forging. The judges will inspect your creations at the end of that time."

"Begin!"

---

The massive vault doors groaned open, revealing a vast chamber lined with shelves upon shelves of extraordinary materials—ores, crystals, metals, and stones gathered from across the Nine Realms.

The fifteen participants rushed inside, momentarily dazed by the sheer variety and power on display. Everyone had spent the previous day carefully planning what they would forge, so they quickly moved to gather their chosen materials.

Kai headed straight for the enchanted section and selected a hefty chunk of Frost Iron from the Northern Realms. "This will make a shield that slows any attacker," he muttered, already envisioning his design.

On the opposite side, Lyra discovered a vial of celestial dust—powdered starlight capable of imbuing weapons with divine energy. "I’ll forge a bow with divine abilities," she whispered with a smile.

Gandalf, ever bold, claimed a massive ingot of Thunder Stone that crackled with latent lightning. "Perfect for the head of a hammer," he declared, then added a sturdy bundle of Ironwood for the handle. "Simple, strong, and devastatingly effective." A wide grin split his bearded face.

The other competitors made similarly obvious but powerful choices: rare ores that hummed with latent power, crystals glowing with inner light, and metals that sang like bells when struck.

Leo, however, remained still.

He didn’t rush forward like the others. While the rest scrambled, his passive effect of foresight was already scanning the vault.

[System: Forge-Sight Passive scans on going]

[Scanning vault...]

[Materials detected: 847 items]

[Analyzing energy signatures...]

Leo was seeing a different vision. The vault’s contents blazed with vibrant colors—blue for cold, red for fire, purple for arcane, and white for divine energy. Each material emitted its own unique frequency.

Most signatures were strong and unmistakable, but his gaze drifted toward a quiet corner where a large, dull grey stone—nearly half his size—sat covered in dust. It looked like ordinary granite, the kind used for garden decorations.

Why would the palace keep something like this in the royal vault?

Curious, Leo approached. The other competitors paid him no attention, too focused on their own selections. He lifted the stone. It was far heavier than it appeared. No hum. No glow. No obvious power.

Just a normal stone?

He pushed his Forge-Sight deeper.

[System: Forge-Sight Analysis]

[Material: Unknown]

[Core Composition: Unknown material detected]

[Energy Signature: Dormant]

[Warning: Material contains ancient energy. Requires Soul Resonance Forging to awaken.]

[Property: Zero inherent attributes, yet capable of adapting to all attributes. It can harmonize with any other material to achieve perfect balance.]

Leo’s eyes widened.

He delved even further. Within the stone’s core, faint points of light shimmered like constellations in a night sky. At the center pulsed a slow, steady rhythm—the heartbeat of the universe itself.

[System: Material Identified]

[Starfall Iron — Primordial Grade]

[Origin: Fell from the heavens during the universe’s creation.]

[Properties: Memory of Creation, Universal Resonance, Soul Attunement. Can change shape and size once its true nature is awakened.]

[Warning: Material has remained dormant for centuries. Requires Soul Resonance Forging to activate.]

[Historical Significance: Used in legendary forge works of the Pre-Pantheon Era]

[Warning: Requires extreme heat to melt.]

A thrill ran through him. This is it.

He had found the material he needed: Starfall Iron—a relic from the age of legends. He would forge the greatest forging hammer the world had ever seen.

Gandalf, returning for another ore, spotted him and shouted, "Oi, boy! Are you planning to stare at the walls all day? Quickly grab something useful before the good stuff is gone!"

He paused briefly, eyeing the stone. "That’s just granite, for god’s sake! Useless for forging weapons. It’s only good for decorating a garden. No strength whatsoever. Find something else!"

Gandalf hurried away again.

Leo simply shook his head with a small smile. He carefully selected the so-called "granite" along with several other high-ranking materials of various attributes that his Forge-Sight had identified. Pushing a cart loaded with the massive stone and his chosen components, he made his way toward his forging table.

The other competitors laughed and boasted about their rare finds. Kai proudly held up his Frost Iron. Gandalf slammed his Thunder Stone onto a table, sending sparks flying.

Leo smiled quietly to himself, a spark of excitement hidden behind calm eyes. They had no idea what he had just discovered. While the others celebrated their flashy, obvious treasures, he had uncovered something far older and infinitely more profound.

Pushing the heavy cart loaded with his chosen materials, Leo made his way to his assigned forging station. The royal smithy was already alive with energy. The rhythmic clang of hammers striking metal rang out within the smithy as the other participants had already started to forge.

The king had already departed, leaving the judges to oversee the proceedings with keen, experienced eyes.

Most of the competitors were fully immersed in their work, their faces glowing with determination under the flickering light of the forges.

Freya’s gaze lingered on Leo with visible concern. He was the only one who had yet to begin, still carefully arranging his materials—most notably the massive, unremarkable grey stone that drew a few puzzled glances from nearby forges.

Undeterred, Leo rolled up his sleeves and approached the hearth at his station. With a focused breath, he channeled a thread of his mana into the forge. The Eternal Flame responded instantly, roaring to life with a deep, resonant whoosh.

Hungry golden-orange flames surged upward. The heat washed over him, intense yet perfectly controlled.

Leo placed his hands on the cold surface of the Starfall Iron, feeling the faint, dormant pulse beneath its ordinary exterior.

A quiet smile touched his lips once more.

"Now," he murmured under his breath, eyes gleaming, "let’s forge the greatest hammer the world has ever seen. Shall we?"

....