Cultivation Through Artifacts

What Khal was looking right at the moment in his hand, was nothing else but a big fan.

The dagger in his hand could no longer be seen, but instead a single fan, which was made out of the same abyss black crystal.

And even though it was made out of that strange crystal, Khal found out that the weapon was surprisingly flexible while insanely light.

Also, its edges looked unexpectedly sharp, but what surprised Khal even more, was the tiny gaps next to each other at the top of the fan's edge.

There were 5 tiny, hair width holes next to each other on the top of the fan's blade, making Khal to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

If it weren't for his Heaven's Eyes, he would have missed these details for sure. But now that he found them, he was curious if they had any special usage at all or they were just simple designs.

However, after thinking about the fact that how complex and strange this weapon was, Khal knew that they definitely must have a role.

But no matter how hard he tried to figure their use out, he was unable to find it.

"Can I turn it back into its dagger form?", thought Khal after a small while and looked at the bottom of the fan.

There, just like how there was a small hole previously, this time there was a small gap at the bottom of the fan too.

Without thinking about anything, Khal put his thumb into it and with a gentle motion pushed his finger downward.

*Swish!*

*Clang!*

Like closing the blades of a scissor with a powerful motion, the fan closed together and turned back into the dagger-like form once again.

"Interesting.", thought Khal as he examined the strange weapon in his hand with great curiosity.

He did meet with several strange weapons in his past and learned about a few more from movies and books, but this one was his first.

He never did meet or hear about a weapon that was as bizarre but intriguing weapon as this one.

"A dagger that can be used as a fan. If it can be used well, it can give a great surprise to enemies in close combat for sure."

While Khal was examining the weapon with great inquisitiveness, suddenly Logan appeared behind him and hummed slightly.

"So you want that one? It's a Hybrid Weapon, specially created for close combat. However, as I can see, it is made out of 'that' special material, so it can be also used for a bit of defense."

"Made out of 'that' special material?", asked Khal instantly as he glanced up at his teacher.

Khal has already noticed that the weapon was made out of some kind of flexible black crystal, but as to where it was from it was unknown to him.

But not for Logan. He clearly knew what kind of crystal was used when this weapon was created, and that is why he knew it was a very powerful but at the same time risky to use weapon.

Whoever crafted that weapon, especially in a way that it worked in two different ways, was definitely not a no one.

That individual certainly was a powerful and well-known blacksmith in the world for sure!

"It is called Ocean Stone. It is a special crystal that can be only found in the deepest parts of the oceans."

"Ocean Stone?", asked Khal as he glanced at the abyss black dagger in his hand.

"Yes. It is a very rare and tough stone type with a bit of flexibility that not all blacksmiths can refine and use. However, once one succeeds and creates a weapon out of it, its durability will become terrifying. However..."

As Khal heard Logan stop talking, raised his head again and asked, "However?"

"However, as I said, that weapon is a Hybrid one. While its usage could become quite powerful because you can use it in more ways, it has a bigger possibility of crumbling apart too. No matter that it has been made out of Ocean Stone or not."

Logan knew that Hybrid Weapons were rare. But it wasn't because they can be hard to create, but because they were created in a very complex manner where even a slight error could make the weapon to be destroyed.

Let it be outer or internal, once a mistake arises in or on a Hybrid Weapon, it is as good as a useless piece of metal.

However, it is not his business to decide, so he didn't really care. He warned Khal about the risk of a Hybrid Weapon, so from this moment on, it was completely on Khal what he will choose.

"Do you want this weapon or will you choose another one?", asked Logan and waited patiently for the answer.

After Khal heard the risks of fighting with a Hybrid Weapon, he knew it wouldn't be a wise option to select this weapon, but unfortunately, he didn't have a choice.

Because this weapon was trapping a Core he has never heard about and used before, he needed to choose it.

To find out what an Ember Core's real value and use was, Khal had to take this weapon away with him no matter what.

"Yeah. I want this.", nodded Khal after thinking over things for a while.

Logan heard Khal's answer and as he raised his eyebrow, asked again.

"Are you sure? There are several other weapons here which can be much better for you than that one."

"I am 100% sure.", said Khal with a serious expression as he stood up.

Glancing at those determined eyes that Khal had, Logan grinned and chuckled quietly.

"Just as I have thought. You never cease to surprise me. Your taste for things is... Unique, if I can say so."

As Logan said that, he nodded and clapped his hands gently.

"Well then..."

*Tremble!!*

Following the clap, Khal watched as the whole room which was filled with thousands of weapons around him vanished in one go, and what arose before his eyes was a huge dense forest.

"!?"

However, what made Khal worried was not the forest, but the fact that next to the huge trees around them, several creatures, similar to wolves emerged from the shadows one by one.

"Let's start your Cultivation, shall we?", asked Logan with a wide grin, completely ignoring the approaching danger around them.

***

While Khal has finally started his journey on his cultivation path until then Liza was calmly standing on a huge platform in a massive arena.

Before her, a girl with a ponytail could be seen, while in her left hand a katana next to her slim waist could be discerned.

The girl had brown hair, as brown as the most beautiful nut in the world. She had a pair of ocean blue eyes that showed incredible calmness and deep but obvious determination.

Her body was neither fat nor slim. She had the perfect body curves that could make any women get jealous and any men fall for her.

Yet, the most notable trait of her wasn't her appearance or body, but her posture. Just with her dominant stance alone could she make anyone believe that she was able to slash a mountain into two.

She stood still like an ancient dragon, ready to attack at any given moment.

As the two stood in one place in silence, Jane, Liza's teacher was also standing calmly on the side of the platform and raised her hand.

After verifying that both of the two were prepared, she closed her eyes and started to lower her hand.

"Get ready... Fight!"