Several days passed in the blink of an eye. Ever since Grandmaster Boulder had handed him the black metal block, Morgan had barely stepped outside his office. His divine sense swept through the seemingly ordinary piece of metal countless times, examining every forging mark, every minute imperfection, and every line engraved upon its surface until the details blurred together. Yet the more he studied it, the more he realized how shallow his previous understanding had been.
At first glance, it appeared to be merely a bar of refined metal. Beneath that superficial simplicity, however, lay a completely different philosophy of forging. Every tiny mark left behind by its creator carried profound meaning. Every imperfection had been deliberately preserved rather than removed. Even the order in which the metal had been refined challenged many of the firm conclusions Morgan had reached during his own experiments. Only after studying it continuously for several days did he finally understand why Boulder had chosen to give him the block instead of simply explaining the concepts with words. Some knowledge had to be seen with one's own eyes, for only then could it truly be understood.
Without wasting any more time, Morgan summoned a servant and instructed him to invite Grandmaster Boulder over. Not long afterward, the chained room welcomed its visitor as Boulder stepped inside at an unhurried pace. His gaze casually swept across the room before finally settling on Morgan.
"I assume you've finished studying the block," a faint smile appeared beneath his veil. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have called for me."
Morgan nodded, his eyes turning toward the black block resting on a nearby platform. "I've gone through every inch of it more times than I can count. The more I studied it, the more I realized how far-fetched my own understanding actually was."
He stretched out his hand, causing the black block to float gently through the air before coming to a halt directly in front of Boulder. The Grandmaster accepted it without a hint of surprise, lightly brushing a hand across its smooth surface before returning it to Morgan.
"I expected as much. Giving you this block was the right decision. It seems you've understood enough for my explanations to make sense now." As soon as his words fell, two chairs materialized from his spatial ring. "Sit."
Morgan quietly took his seat while Boulder sat opposite him, leaving the black metal block floating suspended between them. Another wave of his hand caused a thick pane of transparent crystal to appear above it, hovering silently in midair to separate the two men from what was about to unfold.
Morgan watched without speaking as another object appeared in the Grandmaster's hands. This time, it was an ordinary grey metal bar, its surface rough, uneven, and covered in tiny impurities along nearly every inch. Boulder raised it slightly, breaking the silence.
"Tell me, Morgan. What do you see?"
"An ordinary metal bar," Morgan replied after observing it for a moment.
"Precisely," Boulder smiled, gently tossing it into the air.
The bar floated beneath the crystal before a bluish flame suddenly ignited underneath it, wrapping around the metal without touching anything else in the room. Slowly, the grey surface began to change. Dark impurities seeped out little by little, evaporating into nothingness before they could even hit the ground. Morgan's eyes narrowed instantly. He had refined countless metals before, yet Boulder was intentionally slowing every step of the process to allow each minute change to become perfectly visible.
"This," Boulder began calmly, "is the human body. The body of every unawakened person resembles this impure block of metal. The potential already exists within them, meaning the problem has never been a lack of talent. It is everything covering that potential that causes the issue."
Morgan's eyes remained fixed on the floating bar as the impurities continued disappearing, the dull grey color growing brighter with every passing moment.
"What happens during awakening is no different from what you see before you," Boulder continued. "The Awakening Pool removes impurities, cleansing and reconstructing the form to prepare the body to step onto the path of power."
As the analogy clicked, Morgan's expression gradually changed.
"So... awakening is refinement."
"Exactly," Boulder smiled, clearly pleased that Morgan had reached the conclusion himself. "The quality of the original metal determines how great a weapon can ultimately become, and the same principle applies to humans. A person with extraordinary talent resembles high-grade metal because they require less refinement, endure greater forging, and possess vastly higher limits. As for someone born with poor talent..." He lightly shook his head. "The impurities are simply too numerous."
Morgan slowly nodded, finding the analogy surprisingly easy to grasp. Compared to the countless abstract theories recorded inside his inheritance, Boulder's explanation felt far more intuitive.
The flames beneath the bar gradually faded, leaving the once grey metal transformed into a brilliant silver. Then, without warning, a translucent hammer descended from above with a resounding clang. Its first strike echoed throughout the room, followed immediately by another, and then another. The silver ingot slowly shrank beneath each precise blow. Not a single strike landed carelessly, and every movement carried absolute purpose.
Morgan found himself unconsciously comparing each strike to the countless forging techniques hidden inside his inheritance, only now realizing that Boulder wasn't merely forging metal. He was teaching. Every strike was a deliberate lesson.
Minutes later, the silver ingot had become much smaller, prompting Boulder to finally raise his hand. The hammer vanished into thin air, leaving the silver piece floating quietly before it began folding upon itself. The movements were so smooth they appeared almost unnatural. Edges formed and curves appeared until, moments later, a perfectly forged silver knife rested upon Boulder's open palm.
Morgan stared at it with deep interest.
"Once refinement is complete, the forging truly begins," Boulder said, gently turning the knife in his hand. "The refined metal no longer possesses endless possibilities, as it now follows only the specific path chosen by its forger. The same applies to awakened humans. Once a person awakens, their path has already been chosen for them. Some awaken flames, some awaken ice, while others awaken blood, healing, or lightning. Regardless of the path, it becomes theirs uniquely."
Morgan instinctively thought of the Vonte Family, whose abilities had revolved around water for generation after generation. Whether manifesting as ice, mist, rain, or snow, all those different forms belonged to the exact same ancestral lineage. The Orenvast Family controlled blood, while the Veyne Family excelled in the healing arts, and their abilities rarely strayed from those core foundations.
Then another family appeared in Morgan's thoughts: the Starborn Clan.
A slight ripple crossed his expression at the memory. Unlike every other great family, their abilities had never been bound by bloodline restrictions. Vexer possessed authority over space, Sigil wielded both fire and light, and others displayed completely different powers without any fixed pattern. That unpredictability alone made them terrifying to the rest of the world. If the secret behind their freedom from bloodline restrictions ever spread, every major family across the world would descend into absolute madness to claim it. Perhaps, Morgan realized, that had been one of the primary reasons they were ultimately destroyed.