The Hero Forged by the Sacred Fire

Pain!

It really hurts so much!

At this moment, Thaumas's physical body had lost all sensation; he did not know what was happening outside.

Because he was currently in a gray, unknown space, and Thaumas's soul was being burned by the Sacred Fire.

The Heavenly Fire originally intended to reshape the hero had encountered an accident.

At first, the Heavenly Fire that Hestia gave to the God of Fire was meant to assist her in forging.

However, Hestia had secretly mixed in a wisp of Sacred Fire containing a vast amount of her authority, intending to help the God of Fire forge even better.

Yet, even Hestia likely never imagined that someone would use it to reshape a physical body.

Within this Heavenly Fire, the Sacred Fire was intertwined. And the Sacred Fire did not burn the flesh; it burned the soul—or, to be precise, the impurities within the soul.

Although Thaumas was not old in actual age, he had lived three lifetimes. These vastly different bodies and contradictory lives had caused some issues within his soul.

In fact, if he were to reincarnate a few more times, his mottled and chaotic soul would no longer be able to bear his "information," leading to the collapse of his soul.

The God of Fire noticed something was wrong at this moment. The fire patterns on her face shimmered, and flames burned in her eyes as she saw that wisp of Sacred Fire.

She also understood what Thaumas was experiencing right now.

With nine parts Heavenly Fire combined with this Sacred Fire carrying Hestia's authority, the pain of having both body and soul burned was unimaginable; it was hard to believe he was still holding on.

Even with the divine ointment helping him, the ointment acted upon the body, while the problem now lay in his soul.

He was merely a mortal! The pain of such soul-calcination was something even some demigods could not endure!

If he could not hold on, he would truly die—the kind of death where the soul also perishes.

She desperately wanted to intervene and help Thaumas, for this was the God of Fire's own mistake.

To her, Thaumas was currently like a weapon being forged, and she would never allow herself to have a failed work!

Especially since the cause of failure was her own doing! As the God of Forging, this was something she could never permit!

However, Thinking of what Athena had said to her, she ultimately chose silence, then steeled her resolve and transmitted her voice to Thaumas's soul:

"If you cannot hold on, tell me, and I can stop."

Though she lived in seclusion, she was still a deity, and she wanted to see if a mortal could truly create a miracle.

The test of forging had posed no difficulty for Thaumas, so in this trial that could be called desperate, could he create a miracle?

Although the God of Fire did not know that Thaumas could not open his mouth, or even that he had lost consciousness, she mistakenly believed that Thaumas was still struggling to hold on...

What a naive God of Fire she was!

A long, long time passed.

In a haze, The sound of rushing water came to his ears; it seemed as if some liquid was approaching him.

Wait, this feeling—it was as if he were being wrapped in something warm?

Such a familiar warmth! It was as if he had experienced it sometime before?

The pain was gone; instead, it felt so comfortable!

Slowly, Thaumas struggled to lift his eyelids and finally opened his eyes. Although everything before him was still blurry, he could already see some things.

It was a magnificent Monument, recording his life and achievements!

It was this that had lent Thaumas a helping hand at the critical moment.

It allowed him to create this miracle.

No, it should be said that this was also thanks to the accumulation he had made bit by bit over these many days.

Every day, he went to the forging room to face the Earth Fire directly to increase his resistance to these flames; although the two were not the same, they were much the same.

Added to that were the deity's ointment, the foundation of his soul from three lifetimes, the assistance of the Monument, and most importantly, the conviction he refused to abandon even after falling unconscious!

This thought of surviving and holding on allowed his soul to persist unconsciously.

This was what allowed him to miraculously survive! This was a miracle that could not be replicated!

Then...

Then he fell into a deep sleep...

After all, it really hurt! Just let him sleep for a little while!

"You mean? This child endured the calcination of the Sacred Fire?" Athena blinked, looking interested.

Hephaestus pondered for a moment, looking at Thaumas, who lay on the bed wrapped in bandages. The god's eyes stung slightly from the brilliance of Thaumas's soul. Only after looking away did she finally speak:

"As far as the result goes, that is the case. Although I don't know exactly what happened—souls aren't my specialty, after all.

But you can see it too, can't you? This child has always been shrouded in mist; no god could discern his future fate. Yet, we can all sense the essence of his soul beneath that fog.

In the past, while not ugly, it was incredibly murky.

But now, after being forged by the Sacred Fire, what remains is his own 'essence,' and it is truly dazzling.

It is just like a perfect work of art!"

Athena nodded slightly, then smiled as she stroked Thaumas's head. Her slender fingers acted like a comb, smoothing out his newly sprouted hair.

After all, under the calcination of the Heavenly Fire, such things as hair had been incinerated. But fortunately, the divine ointment seemed to promote growth.

Athena was very satisfied with Thaumas now. If not for Hera running over to cause trouble every few days, she wouldn't have waited until now to see this hero she had set her sights on.

Previously, Thaumas's soul had been rather mixed, which to the gods was considered quite "filthy."

This was a major reason why Athena hadn't thought highly of Thaumas at the beginning.

It must be said, Hera's eye for talent is truly unique!

The Goddess of Wisdom felt a wave of emotion once more.

But the more she thought about it, the less Athena wanted to let go; she wanted to snatch him for herself.

Such a hero should belong to her, the Goddess of Wisdom, Athena! This child had miraculously survived the dual torment of physical incineration and soul forging!

If he had shown even the slightest bit of hesitation, he would have been doomed beyond salvation!

Thaumas, you have presented the gods with a miracle!

"By the way, where is Hera?"

The question came from Hephaestus, but unlike before, she spoke without resentment, asking Athena in a calm and peaceful tone.

"The Queen of Heaven? She is likely fretting over Thaumas right now!

She hasn't even gone to catch Father in his affairs lately, which is the only reason Father was willing to issue the oracle.

If not for Father, I doubt anyone could have stopped that Queen of Heaven.

Though, she wouldn't dare come to see you, that's for sure."

Athena said playfully, as if recounting something highly amusing.

"Is that so? She still won't come?" Hephaestus said with a hint of loneliness.

Seeing her like this, Athena, as her close friend, felt a pang of sympathy but was helpless; if she could have helped, things wouldn't be as they were now.

However, as Athena looked at Thaumas lying on the bed, she suddenly thought of something, and an irrepressible smile curled her lips.

How about...

"Tell me, Hephaestus, look—you've done such a great favor for Thaumas by forging this Bracelet that can contain the power of countless gods. That is a massive boon.

So, if we ask him for a small favor in return, surely Thaumas wouldn't mind, right?"

"Eh? Is that alright? He is just a child; can he do it? Besides, he has already passed my trial."

"Haven't you already seen it? He created a miracle! Surely, recreating another miracle isn't impossible, is it?

Even if it seems truly impossible, challenging these desperate odds is exactly what the gods love to see.

As for the trial or whatever, why not just give him another reward?"

After listening, Hephaestus thought for a moment, tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and then said:

"Then let us trust this child! If he can do it, the power of the Weapon Ship shall be his to command!"

So, can you bring a miracle to the gods?

Athena was filled with anticipation!

PS: Today's extra updates are all delivered. I keep my word; honesty is a rare and precious quality!

First, the three daily chapters.

I promised an extra chapter yesterday, originally intended for Monday to boost recommendation votes, but I was too busy on Sunday to post it.

One chapter is dedicated to the big shots who work tirelessly to help me correct my mistakes every day.

I was very moved to see a reader send a red packet to help me boost recommendation votes, so I added another chapter.

Also, my new book has caught the attention of an editor, which is cause for celebration. Everything is slowly getting better, so I decided to add one more!

In summary, today's update is—seven chapters!

Burn! My Cosmo!

Alright, I've burned out for today. If there are any more extra updates in the future, it will likely be when I sign a contract or go live on the shelves, if I am so lucky...