Charlie gazed at the night sky as the full blue moon finally rose, casting an ethereal glow across the village. The lab shimmered in the moonlight, and without hesitation, Charlie moved toward Kai.
With precision, Charlie made an efficient incision on Kai's left arm and extracted the holy metal—Orichalcum. It gleamed with otherworldly brilliance, reacting fiercely to the moon's divine light.
Kai, panting, stared at the glowing metal. "It's beautiful…"
"Don't get distracted," Charlie said sternly. "Now comes the hardest part."
Kai's face twisted in irritation. "You little bear… if that wasn't the hardest part, then what was?!"
Charlie chuckled. "Are you a baby? It was just an incision. Wait till you see what's next."
Kai clenched his fists, restraining the urge to punt the smug bear across the lab. "Fine. What's the hardest part then?"
Charlie grew solemn. "In this village lives a legendary blacksmith. A man who's hidden himself from the world for more than thirty years… Shifon. He's an old friend of Lady Tamato. She helped him after the Great Crime Incident. I don't know the full details, but ever since then, he's refused to forge another weapon."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "So? Just gotta talk to him, right? Can't be that hard."
Charlie smirked. "You'll see for yourself tomorrow. For now, get some sleep."
The Next Day
Kai and Charlie stepped out of the lab, the morning fog swirling around their feet.
"Shifon lives on the outskirts," Charlie explained. "But to reach his home, we must cross a river. A river filled with deadly alligators."
Kai froze. "You're joking."
The water glistened ominously as red eyes shimmered beneath the surface.
"At exactly 5 PM, they all fall asleep for fifteen minutes," Charlie said calmly. "That's our only chance to cross. We jump across their backs one by one. Miss, and we become dinner."
Kai hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Fine. Let's do it."
5:00 PM
The air was tense.
Kai picked up Charlie and slung him onto his shoulders. "Hold tight."
Charlie gave a serious nod. "I believe in you."
Kai took a deep breath, stepped back… and launched himself forward.
He landed on the first alligator with a thud, then bounced to the second, the third, and fourth—each movement swift and precise.
When he finally reached the seventh, the last beast, its eyes suddenly snapped open.
"Uh-oh," Charlie whispered.
The seventh alligator rose, towering over the others. It let out a low growl, baring its teeth—snapping dangerously close to Charlie's face.
"Run back!" Charlie shouted.
"It's too late!" Kai yelled. "We're surrounded!"
Suddenly—
THUD!
An axe flew from the mist and struck the beast square in the head. It let out a groan and collapsed.
From the fog, a massive silhouette emerged.
A man with a towering, bulked-up frame. A thick, warrior's beard. A long pigtail like an ancient general.
His voice boomed across the riverbank: "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Kai and Charlie froze.
The man stood tall, surrounded by mist and power. There was no mistaking it—
This was Shifon.
End of Chapter 11