The forge was alive with heat, light, and the steady rhythm of iron being shaped.
Lan Zhen stood barefoot on the stone floor, eyes wide and curious, his hands trembling slightly as he held a pair of tongs. The blades in them glowed bright orange, radiating intense warmth.
Lan Hai's hammer struck down—clang! clang! clang!—each hit precise, measured, and purposeful. Sparks burst into the air like tiny stars, dancing across Zhen's cheeks and hair.
"Don't blink," Lan Hai said gently, voice calm but firm. "Steel doesn't wait."
Zhen gritted his teeth and steadied the tongs. The blade trembled between the grips, but he held on.
Lan Hai glanced down and smiled.
"You're doing well," he said. "Better than most grown apprentices I've seen."
Zhen blinked, surprised. "Really?"
"Really," Lan Hai said. "You're strong for your age. And more than that, you see. You don't just look—you observe. That's the mark of a true craftsman."
Zhen's chest swelled with pride. His father's words meant more than any praise he'd ever received.
After a few more strikes, Lan Hai set the hammer down and motioned to the bucket. "Cool it."
Zhen stepped forward and plunged the blade into the water. A hiss of steam rose as the metal cooled.
Lan Hai wiped the sweat from his brow. "That's enough for today."
Zhen looked at the blade resting on the rack, now a dull silver color but shaped with clean lines and subtle curves. "It's beautiful…"
"Not yet," Lan Hai said. "But it's alive now. We gave it form. Over time, it will gain a spirit of its own."
Zhen looked at his father in awe. "You're amazing…"
Lan Hai smiled and crouched beside him. "I'm not amazing. I've just walked the path longer than you. We all start somewhere. And you—you're already stepping onto the path."
Zhen blinked. "Path?"
Lan Hai tapped the center of Zhen's chest with one finger. "The Path of Bond Masters."
"Bond… Masters?" Zhen echoed.
Lan Xin entered just then, carrying a jug of cool water, and overheard them. She set it down and wiped her hands. "Bond Masters are those who form deep, spiritual connections—with weapons, tools, or magical beasts. It's not just about using power… it's about understanding it. Harmonizing with it."
Lan Hai added, "Most people just wield a blade. A Bond Master becomes one with it."
Zhen's eyes sparkled. "Is that what you are?"
Lan Hai nodded. "I'm a blacksmith-type Bond Master. My strength comes from forging weapons and empowering them with flame. I've reached Rank 54, and my title is Holy Tyrant Blacksmith Master."
"Whoa!" Zhen's jaw dropped. "That sounds like a hero from a legend!"
Lan Hai laughed. "Not quite. But it does carry meaning. Each title represents the trial I've overcome and the bond I've built."
Zhen looked curious. "Can you tell me all the ranks?"
Lan Hai thought for a moment, then took a piece of charcoal and drew a list on the nearby workbench:
The Path of the Bond Masters
Rank - 10
Title - Spirit Forged
Key Challenge - Ashen Flame meditation
Powers Unlocked - Body/sense enhancement, flame sensing
Rank - 20
Title - Soul lord
Key Challenge - Soulfire Illusion Trial
Powers Unlocked - Breath techniques, energy shaping
Rank - 30
Title - Holy master
Key Challenge - Echo Vein Ritual & Soul Synchrony
Powers Unlocked - Sense spirit imprints, enhance bond clarity, summon echoes of bonded forms
Rank - 40
Title - Holy Shifter
Key Challenge - Resist Abyss Well Corruption
Powers Unlocked - Voidwalk, Phase Shift
Rank - 50
Title - Holy Tyrant
Key Challenge - Heartfire Trial (desire vs ego)
Powers Unlocked - Tyrant Veins, flame soul, ancestral sense
Rank - 60
Title - Holy Spirit
Key Challenge - Calamity Bridge Trial
Powers Unlocked - Command chaos essence, minor law control
Rank - 70
Title - Holy Lord
Key Challenge - Thunder Skyfall Tribulation
Powers Unlocked - Skyfire storms, gravity domain
Zhen whispered each name like he was tasting the words for the first time. "Spirit Forged… Soul Lord… Holy Spirit…!"
He looked up, face serious. "What about after Rank 70?"
Lan Hai shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe there are higher ranks… maybe not. There are old legends, of course. Stories about those who went beyond. Holy Monarchs, even... Holy OverLords."
"Could I… reach there someday?"
Lan Hai smiled and tousled his hair. "If anyone could, it might be you."
Just then, Lan Xin's voice turned teasing. "But before he reaches the stars, this one needs to finish his breakfast."
Zhen's stomach growled in agreement, and they all laughed.
That evening, while they were sitting at dinner, Zhen asked another question. "What kind of Bond Masters are there?"
Lan Xin smiled. "So many. Some bond with swords—Sword Masters. Others with flame, shadow, beasts, water… you name it. If someone has a snake bond, they might be called Snake Master. If they control the wind, they're Wind Masters."
Zhen thought deeply. "So… it's like their bond shapes their identity?"
"Exactly," Lan Hai said. "That bond is the source of their power and their path."
Later that night, Zhen lay in bed, staring at the ceiling.
A new fire had sparked within him.
He wanted to be a Bond Master—not just to gain power, but to understand it. To be worthy of his father's teachings. To forge a path no one else had walked.
Outside the house, the forge had cooled, but within the heart of a child, something far brighter had been ignited.
The first flame of destiny.
The beginning of the path.
The Rise of a Bond Master.