After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at a narrow alley on the left. When they turned in, a modest one-story building came into view. Despite lacking any luxurious or intricate architecture, it radiated a profound and dignified aura. Not the aura Aurans use, but a sensation.
"Here it is," Arthur said, stopping in front of the building.
Above the entrance, the words "Sword’s Heaven" were elegantly carved into the wall, crafted in a way that would draw anyone’s attention, even without knowing the true significance of Sword’s Heaven.
Daisy and Martha came up beside Arthur, standing quietly.
And then, Derek. The moment he turned the corner and his eyes fell upon the building, a wave of nostalgia washed over him.
’It’s good to be back here,’ he thought, as a haunting memory flashed in his mind.
In that memory, he was standing before the same building, but it was nothing more than ruins. The walls had crumbled as if an earthquake had reduced them to dust. Yet the lifeless bodies lying half inside and half outside were telling a far darker story. Follow current novels on 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Derek! Let’s go, shall we?" Daisy called out, noticing him standing silently, lost in thought.
Derek blinked, snapping out of his daze. "Yeah... let’s go."
The four of them walked forward. Arthur pushed the door open, and as it swung inward, a small bell hanging above the frame rang softly, producing a clear, melodic chime.
Inside, they found a wide room with a counter at the front. All around them, weapons were neatly displayed, swords, spears, lances, some mounted on the walls, others resting on stands or locked inside glass cases. Despite its name, Sword’s Heaven wasn’t limited to swords alone, it was a workshop dedicated to all kinds of weapons.
Behind the counter stood a man in his forties. Upon hearing the bell, he looked up.
"Welcome to Sword’s Heaven," he greeted. "How can I help you?"
Arthur stepped forward. "Hello. I’m Arthur Hale, a D-Class Hunter. I’m here to buy a sword for my younger brother."
There were a few other customers inside besides the owner, men and women browsing through the displayed weapons, carefully examining them as if trying to find the one that best suited their hand. Among them was a young boy standing with his parents, one of the participants from today’s test.
When Arthur spoke, several people instinctively turned their heads, simply curious about the new arrivals.
The boy did the same but the instant his gaze landed on Derek, his eyes went wide.
’W-Wait... isn’t that the participant who shattered two boulders with a single punch each? What’s he doing here? And his brother just said he’s buying a sword for him? But he’s a cultivator, right? Why would a cultivator need a sword?’
His parents weren’t any different. They were just as shocked. While their son had only witnessed the second phase, they had witnessed the third as well, the phase where Derek made the impossible possible.
Meanwhile, the shopkeeper behind the counter turned his eyes toward Derek, and then again back at Arthur.
"You want to buy a sword for this kid, huh? Which family are you from again?" the man asked, his tone polite but laced with doubts.
"Well... um, we’re not from any prominent family," Arthur replied nervously. "My family lives in a village."
The man’s expression hardened slightly. "Sorry, young man, but unless you’re from a well-known family, we can’t just sell you any weapon. We have a reputation to uphold. If your brother truly wants a sword, he’ll have to prove his worth." He paused, then added, "He’ll need to visit the blacksmiths one by one and show his potential. Only if one of them is impressed will they agree to forge a weapon for him. That’s the only way."
He then turned his gaze toward Derek. "Have you developed your dantian already? Can you release aura? You look awfully young."
Derek met the man’s eyes calmly. "Yes, I’ve developed my dantian," he said confidently. "But no, I can’t use aura. And it’s not because I haven’t comprehended it yet, it’s because I’m not an Auran. I’m a cultivator."
"What?!" The shopkeeper’s face twisted in disbelief. "Are you here to make fun of me?" he snapped. "It’s one thing if you’re not from a powerful family. If you had talent, Sword’s Heaven would still welcome you. But a cultivator looking for a sword here? What do you take this place for?" His voice rose sharply, anger flashing in his eyes. "Get out before I lose my temper!"
The sudden outburst echoed through the room, leaving the other customers glancing over in startled silence.
’That’s why I didn’t want to come here,’ Arthur cursed inwardly. "We’re sor...." Arthur began to speak, but Daisy’s voice cut him off sharply.
"Hearing about this place’s reputation, I thought it was run by reasonable and talented people," she said coldly. "But now I see it’s the exact opposite. You just said any blacksmith would forge a sword if my brother proved his worth. So why won’t you let him try just because he’s a cultivator?"
Her words struck like a whip, and it was clear from her voice that she had no intention of backing down.
The man’s glare deepened. "I’m being unreasonable?" he scoffed. "You come here to buy a sword for a cultivator and still have the nerve to call me unreasonable? Where do you even find the courage to spout such nonsense?" His voice boomed through the room, unshaken and full of disdain.
Daisy opened her mouth again, ready to shout back in frustration but before she could, Derek gently clasped her hand.
"Let me talk, sister. I can handle this," he said, looking into her eyes with calm determination.
"You! You can’t talk sense into people like him, Derek. Let your sister handle it," Daisy protested, unwilling to step back.
"It’s okay. He’ll listen to me," Derek said quietly but firmly. "Just give me a moment."
Seeing the confidence in his eyes, Daisy was startled, but then she slowly exhaled. "Alright," she said at last, stepping aside to see what her little brother would do.