The room fell into absolute silence.
Morgan's eyes remained fixed on the silver knife resting in Boulder's open palm. After a tense, brief moment, Boulder slowly curled his fingers around the handle.
Crack!
The crisp sound echoed sharply off the walls. When he opened his fist, the knife had snapped cleanly in two. The broken halves slid across his skin before clattering onto the platform below.
Morgan frowned slightly.
"What do you see?" Boulder asked.
Morgan looked down at the shattered blade before answering coldly.
"A ruined weapon."
"Exactly," Boulder nodded, bending down to retrieve one of the jagged halves. "Once a weapon has been forged, its path has already been been decided. If someone attempts to reshape it into something entirely different, they must first destroy what was originally created." He raised the broken blade slightly, his gaze piercing. "The same principle applies to awakened humans. Once a person awakens, their body has already accepted a single path. Attempting to force another nature upon it is no different from trying to reforge this knife."
Morgan remained silent as a cascade of thoughts flashed through his mind.
"So... my experiments failed because I tried forcing awakened people onto another path."
Boulder looked at him with quiet approval.
"You've understood."
"Then why did they die so quickly?" Morgan's eyes narrowed. It was a question that had haunted him countless times over the years. Every single awakened subject had collapsed before the process could even truly begin. He had originally believed the inheritance itself was incomplete, but now, he wasn't so sure.
With a wave of Boulder's hand, the broken knife vanished, replaced instantly by another grey metal bar floating before them.
"This answers your question."
A scorching blue flame erupted beneath the metal. Unlike before, Boulder didn't bother refining it. Instead, he forced it straight onto the anvil, and the hammer descended.
Clang!
The rough metal cracked immediately under the pressure. Another strike followed, sending a web of fractures spreading violently across its surface. On the third strike, the entire bar shattered into countless fragments.
"They break because their paths have already been forged," Boulder said calmly, watching the scattered pieces. "The moment you force another transformation upon them, their bodies instinctively reject it. You described it perfectly several days ago, comparing it to forcing lava through ordinary water pipes."
Morgan's eyes widened slightly.
"So that's why... the vessel cannot withstand the pressure."
"Precisely," Boulder agreed with a nod. "The problem isn't the power. It's the vessel carrying it."
Morgan lowered his head, lost in deep thought. Countless failed experiments flashed through his mind: every failed subject, every corpse, every grotesque mutation. All of it suddenly made perfect sense. But then, a contradiction arose.
"The Starborn," Morgan continued, looking up. "They shouldn't have suffered from this problem. Their bloodlines allowed abilities that weren't confined to a single family. They should have been capable of accepting different paths. They were... different."
Boulder remained thoughtful for a moment before answering.
"They are an exception. Or perhaps, they were," he corrected himself deliberately. "Their bodies were unlike those of ordinary humans. Their meridians possessed an adaptability beyond reason. If the records surrounding them are true, they were far more suitable for such experiments than anyone alive today."
Morgan's thoughts involuntarily drifted toward the inheritance. Had its previous owner known this? Was that why the Starborn Clan had been targeted in the first place? He quickly suppressed the thought. Now wasn't the time. He needed answers.
"If awakened people are unsuitable... then is there another way?"
"There is," Boulder answered without a shred of hesitation. He raised his other hand, materializing a brand-new metal bar. Unlike the others, this one was dull, raw, and full of impurities. He pointed toward it.
"An unawakened person resembles this. Their path has yet to be decided; they are still raw material. As the forger, you may shape them however you wish."
Morgan slowly nodded, the explanation aligning perfectly with his own research.
"It is the very reason I abandoned awakened subjects. I've spent years experimenting on the unawakened instead, and I noticed they survived longer."
"They did," Boulder agreed. "But only longer. Not long enough."
Morgan sighed.
"Their bodies simply collapse before the process finishes. They're too weak to endure the refinement."
"Exactly." Boulder extended his hand once more, summoning a second block. Unlike the others, this one was pure white, almost resembling polished jade.
As Morgan observed it carefully, Boulder picked up one of the broken knife fragments and pressed it against the white metal. A pale blue flame ignited, and the two materials slowly melted together. Neither overpowered the other. Instead, they fused seamlessly.
Morgan watched without blinking. Several moments later, the molten metal cooled, and Boulder lifted his hand. The knife floated upward once again, whole, without a single crack.
Morgan's pupils contracted.
"The vessel."
Boulder smiled.
"You've learned quickly. The problem was never the path. It was always the vessel carrying it. If you strengthen the vessel first, the refinement becomes possible."
Morgan stared silently at the restored blade. The countless failures inside this room suddenly felt entirely avoidable. His inheritance had shown him what to do, but Boulder was finally teaching him why. That difference alone made inviting a Grandmaster worth every effort.
He slowly raised his head.
"Then... if the vessel is strengthened first, my chances of success increase dramatically."
"They do," Boulder replied calmly. Then, his tone shifted, growing weightier. "But there exists another method."
Morgan locked eyes with him. Boulder's gaze remained fixed upon the restored knife resting in his hand.
"It is far more difficult. Far more dangerous, and almost impossible to reproduce," he paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "But if successful, the results far surpass the first."
Morgan leaned forward ever so slightly, his curiosity piqued.
"And what is that method?"
A faint smile appeared beneath Boulder's veil.
"I'll explain it. But first, I want to see whether your current understanding is sufficient."