Though the principles of Spiral Forging seemed complex to explain, One-Eyed Dragon – being a master blacksmith – grasped every nuance Kael described with instant clarity. He soon mastered the essence of this forging technique.
"Ah! So that's how it works! Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!" The cyclops murmured in fascination, his single eye gleaming as he caressed the golden nanmu wood blank. His tender strokes resembled a lover's touch, that obsessive devotion revealing to Kael why this man had reached such heights in smithing – obsession and focus defined One-Eyed Dragon's very being.
Once comprehending Spiral Forging's secrets, the blacksmith plunged into his craft. Kael observed from a distance as the workshop erupted in activity.
Metallic clangs resonated endlessly. Sparks cascaded like pyrotechnic spells with each hammer strike that fell like meteor showers. Gradually, intricate spiral patterns emerged across the golden nanmu's surface, the wood itself beginning to emit an otherworldly radiance.
Kael nodded in approval as he watched.
Next, One-Eyed Dragon carved twin sockets at the staff's crown, embedding both the Equilibrium Gem and ninth-tier magic crystal. The inert wood suddenly pulsed with vitality – like a dragon granted eyes, the staff awakened with primal energy.
With the gems secured, the artifact neared completion. Final polishing lasted until sunset.
"Done. Take it." The blacksmith handed over the staff, pride evident in his bearing. This stood as his finest recent creation.
Kael's fingers closed around still-warm metal, the residual heat welcome rather than bothersome. Even through mere contact, he felt ambient magic amplifying – spells seemed ready to leap forth at a whispered incantation. Simultaneously, the Equilibrium Gem's influence soothed his mana channels, keeping the enhanced elements lively yet controlled.
"Truly exceptional," Kael affirmed. This artifact far surpassed his investment.
"I modeled it after the legendary Starfall Scepter of Archmage Stellaris. Given its fiery essence, let's name it the Sacred Flame Scepter." One-Eyed Dragon's gaze lingered on his masterpiece, satisfaction coloring his tone.
"The Sacred Flame Scepter?"
Kael nodded approvingly at the name.
With this staff enhancing his power, his confidence for the upcoming Martial-Magic Tournament soared.
"Young man, drop by my forge anytime!" One-Eyed Dragon declared with uncharacteristic enthusiasm, his earlier aloofness replaced by a scheming grin. "Bring any gear needing reforging!"
Kael suppressed a sigh at the blacksmith's abrupt mood shift – the man flipped attitudes faster than pages in a spellbook. Waving casually, he hurried toward the academy, eager to test his new artifact.
Finn soon became the unwilling test subject under Amelia's observant gaze.
Chaotic magic erupted as Kael unleashed blinding arrays of debuffs and containment spells. Finn staggered under suffocating crowd-control effects, his brute strength rendered useless. "Enough! Damn it, this is impossible!" The sweaty warrior collapsed dramatically. "Pray I don't face you in the tournament, Kael – you'd better be fighting last year's top five!"
Kael chuckled. Those previous finalists had been sixth-tier experts at minimum – and surely stronger now. Moreover, Amelia's absence last year had skewed the rankings. With the Holy Parliament's involvement, this year's competition would be brutal.
"Just keep me clear of you two!" Finn amended, eyeing Amelia warily before dragging himself back to dorm.
Alone on the training grounds, Kael produced a crystalline vial. "Amelia, this is for you."
Frost Lotus Nectar's crisp fragrance made her eyes brighten. "The legendary physique enhancer!"
"Zorath the Silent provided it. Should aid your sixth-to-seventh-tier breakthrough."
She accepted without pretense. "Combined with your earlier Sapphire Ice Crystal, my ascension seems assured." Her voice carried winter's clarity, matching her glacial aura that repelled casual acquaintances – explaining her solitary status despite campus fame.
Yet Kael noticed Amelia's smiles blooming more frequently in his presence – still cool as mountain springs, yet undeniably genuine.
...
Time flowed onward until the Martial-Magic Tournament's eve arrived.
The event had dominated campus discourse for weeks. With Emberfire Academy's ten thousand students, participation required preliminary qualifiers across eight zones, each crowning a champion before the final octet clashed.
This annual spectacle drew continental attention. Envoys from four human kingdoms crowded observation decks, while delegations from the other three Great Academies – Emberfire's eternal rivals – conducted thinly veiled reconnaissance under "scholarly exchange" pretense.
Emberfire Isle thrummed with festival energy. Locals mingled with mainland visitors across academy grounds transformed into grand arenas. Each of the eight repurposed training fields now held tens of thousands.
"Unprecedented scale," students murmured awestruck.
Amelia walked beside Kael with regal poise while Finn fidgeted, craning his neck at the swirling crowds.
"Attention all."
The command resonated through magical amplification just as Kael's trio became adrift in the human tide. Every head turned instinctively toward the source – a raised platform where Archmage Austin, Emberfire's dean, stood flanked by fifteen dignitaries.
Kael recognized three figures among them: Ethan, Zorath the Silent, and the Herbal Sovereign. The rest radiated authority through either martial aura or aristocratic bearing.
"Competitors," Austin continued, levity warming his voice despite the ceremonial staff in hand, "the tournament commences with these rules..."
Silence descended.
The structure proved straightforward: 512 pre-qualified participants (mercifully culled from tens of thousands via earlier trials) would battle across eight sectors. Only two prohibitions applied – no lethal strikes, no strength-enhancing elixirs.
Kael couldn't suppress a smirk of anticipation.
"Bracket assignments shall be randomized!" Austin's staff flared. A hundred-meter Mirrorstone Crystal materialized overhead, its surface rippling with real-time views of every arena. "All matches monitored herein."
The magical equivalent to broadcast technology drew chuckles from Kael – even across dimensions, spectating crowds demanded their shows.
"Let the lottery commence!"