The Price, Side Effects, and Sacrifice

Two days later, Azer received the Black Furnace Magic Sword from Claudia.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Black Furnace."

In a relatively secluded corner of Seidoukan Academy, Azer held the pitch-black Activation Device of the Black Furnace Magic Sword. Sensing the excitement emanating from it, he smiled and activated it.

"Clang!"

Crimson radiance shot from the red Omni-Response Crystal. Responding to the Magic Sword's power, Omni-Response Element formed a huge, heavy guard, from which a pure-white blade extended.

"Hummm!"

Azer raised the Black Furnace Magic Sword high and poured Star Power into it, causing black patterns to emerge around the pure-white blade. They coiled upward and gathered within the Omni-Response Crystal.

Intense heat immediately condensed upon the blade, turning its pure-white surface black.

Under Azer's control and with the Black Furnace Magic Sword's full cooperation, the heat did not disperse as it had last time. It was all concentrated on the blade.

"Hmm..."

Holding the Black Furnace Magic Sword with its blackened blade, Azer pondered for a moment and muttered to himself.

"Even though it still feels very easy to use like this, the Black Furnace Magic Sword is too big."

The Black Furnace Magic Sword took the form of a greatsword. Ordinary people might not even be able to lift it, and even typical members of the Star Vein Generation would likely struggle to wield such a weapon nimbly. That would impose many limitations in battle.

"Smaller would be better."

The instant those words left Azer's mouth, the Black Furnace Magic Sword in his hand suddenly changed.

"Clang!"

The red Omni-Response Crystal shone crimson once more, while Omni-Response Element again transformed into black patterns that wrapped around the Black Furnace Magic Sword, endlessly swirling and shifting.

Under those conditions, the Black Furnace Magic Sword came apart.

No, it would be more accurate to say that it was reconstructed.

The heavy guard that had originally formed first nearly vanished, while the broad blade abruptly shrank, compressing its immense heat a second time.

Before long, the Black Furnace Magic Sword, which had once been nearly as tall as a person, became the size of an ordinary sword. It was no longer heavy and enormous, instead looking nimble, light, and dangerous.

Seeing this, Azer smiled as though he had expected it.

"So you really can freely adjust your size, Black Furnace."

With the Ultimate Authority over Anti-Armaments, as long as Azer held an armament in his hand, he could fully control its abilities.

Not to mention that this armament had already acknowledged him through his Authority and become his Exclusive Armament.

Therefore, from the very first time he had held the Black Furnace Magic Sword, Azer had known what abilities it possessed.

He had also known that it could freely alter its size like this.

"Not bad. This is much more convenient and easier to handle."

Azer casually swung the Black Furnace Magic Sword, leaving a distorted current of heat along the blade's path.

"Hummm!" "Hummm!" "Hummm!"...

As he continued swinging, Azer unconsciously increased his speed. With slight movements of his body, he unleashed a wide expanse of black sword light, while the Black Furnace Magic Sword's blade, condensed with extreme heat, hummed with every swing.

If anyone else had been there to see it, they would never have believed that this was Azer's first time wielding the Black Furnace Magic Sword.

That sword dance, in which he was wholly immersed and his body naturally raced alongside the blade, would have looked no different to even a highly skilled swordsman than an experienced user who had fought with the Black Furnace Magic Sword for more than ten years.

Those who knew that Azer had only received the Black Furnace Magic Sword today, and had never wielded it before, would surely have found this unbelievable.

At that moment, there was not the slightest sign in Azer's movements with the Black Furnace Magic Sword that he had never used it before.

Even Azer himself felt as though he had fought alongside the Black Furnace Magic Sword for more than a decade. The understanding and coordination between them far surpassed that of any of its previous users.

Man and Sword as One.

Such a phrase surfaced in Azer's mind.

Unfortunately...

"The Star Power consumption is a little too outrageous."

Azer abruptly stopped without warning. His face turned slightly pale as he gave a bitter smile.

"Is this the price of the Black Furnace Magic Sword?"

Pure Star Radiant Armaments were powerful, but using every Pure Star Radiant Armament required paying a price.

The nature of that price differed completely depending on the Pure Star Radiant Armament.

It was both a side effect and a threshold.

The price of using the Black Furnace Magic Sword was the consumption of a massive amount of Star Power.

And "massive" was not merely a figure of speech.

At the very least, if an ordinary member of the Star Vein Generation used it, their Star Power would be drained dry in an instant.

The original protagonist's Star Power far surpassed everyone else's. In terms of sheer quantity, among all the characters in the entire story, probably only two or three could definitely exceed him.

The Black Furnace Magic Sword acknowledged him largely because of that.

Compared to him, my Star Power reserves are far inferior.

Azer's abilities in every respect were average within Seidoukan Academy, including his Star Power.

With Star Power at his level, even if he could use the Black Furnace Magic Sword, he would still be drained dry in an instant.

If it had not acknowledged him as its master, the Black Furnace Magic Sword would have mercilessly sucked Azer dry within two or three seconds, leaving him no chance even to swing it.

The reason he could maintain its use for a while now was, first, because the Black Furnace Magic Sword was deliberately restraining itself and not absorbing its master's Star Power too aggressively.

Second, after acknowledging him as its master, the Black Furnace Magic Sword itself had been strengthened by Azer's Authority.

Not only had its power increased significantly, but even the price of its side effect had lessened.

Yet even so, with Azer's utterly mediocre Star Power, he could probably only use the Black Furnace Magic Sword for a few minutes.

And that was with the Black Furnace Magic Sword deliberately holding back most of its power.

If Azer wanted to unleash the Black Furnace Magic Sword's power completely and raise its output to the limit, he would probably only be able to launch a few attacks.

"In the end, I just don't have enough Star Power."

Azer spoke helplessly.

Just then—

"Hummm!"

The Black Furnace Magic Sword suddenly trembled, releasing a massive amount of Omni-Response Element from its Omni-Response Crystal.

"Black Furnace?"

Azer froze for a moment and called out in confusion.

The Black Furnace Magic Sword did not answer Azer. Instead, it gathered the vast amount of Omni-Response Element it had released around him and even injected it into his body.

Then Azer discovered in astonishment that both his Star Power and physical abilities were rapidly growing stronger.

"This..."

Azer's eyes widened. He was first utterly stunned, then delighted.

"The Black Furnace can actually help me become stronger?"

What was going on?

This had never happened in the original story!

"Right."

Azer suddenly realized something.

"The Star Vein Generation came into being because humans were affected by Omni-Response Element in the first place."

"And Omni-Response Crystals are high-purity crystallizations of Omni-Response Element. They are themselves condensed Omni-Response Element."

"In other words, if the Omni-Response Element within an Omni-Response Crystal is used to interfere with the human body, it may be possible to give rise to the Star Vein Generation, or even enhance their power!"

This was not something that could be accomplished merely by wanting it.

But the Black Furnace Magic Sword had already acknowledged Azer as its master and become his Exclusive Armament, becoming one with him.

That was why, through their connection of Authority, it could actively release its own power to enhance Azer's abilities.

"This really is an unexpected delight."

Feeling his Star Power and physical abilities continuously rise, the smile on Azer's face grew wider and wider.

However, before long, Azer's smile disappeared.

Because he could sense that the Black Furnace Magic Sword's own presence was growing weaker and weaker.

"Black Furnace! Stop!"

Azer's expression abruptly changed, and he hurriedly tried to stop the Black Furnace Magic Sword.

But the Black Furnace Magic Sword had no intention of stopping. Instead, it continued releasing vast amounts of Omni-Response Element, causing the Omni-Response Crystal's glow to grow dimmer and dimmer.

It was sacrificing its own power to make Azer stronger.

"Stop!"

The moment he understood that, Azer swiftly seized control of the Black Furnace Magic Sword and forcibly cut off the release of Omni-Response Element.

Having fully mastered the Black Furnace Magic Sword and turned it into his Exclusive Armament, Azer could forcefully control it regardless of its wishes.

Only then did the red Omni-Response Crystal stop releasing Omni-Response Element, its light gradually fading.

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