By the end of the second day, Aria was already lying upside-down on a crate.

"Still nothing," she groaned. "This is the most boring guard duty ever."

Sophia didn't relax. She kept her hand on her sword. "Silence doesn't mean safety."

Caria agreed. "Especially from people like that guild."

But Rhys noticed something strange.

Two days…

No ambush.

No scouts.

No spies.

No suspicious movements at all.

For a group that threatened to "come back with more people," the MukeKing members were strangely quiet.

Rhys frowned. "…Something's off."

Lyra nodded. "Yes. They should have come by now."

Puddle bounced once. "Maybe they gave up?"

Aria snorted. "Those idiots? They don't give up. They cheat. And they scream a lot."

Caria paced. "Maybe they're planning something."

Sophia sighed. "Or maybe they're stupid."

But the truth was none of the party expected this:

MukeKing Guild Never Reported Anything

Slasher and his small team had NOT told their guild about Severance Tide.

Not a single word.

They wanted the mythic sword for themselves.

A mythic weapon was enough to jump their ranks, get rich, or even trade it for high-tier class upgrade.

They didn't want competition.

So instead of calling reinforcements…

…Slasher and his team spent the last two days preparing on their own.

And preparing in the worst, most reckless way possible.

Slasher's Backup Plan

At an abandoned boathouse outside Pearl Island, Slasher stood proudly with his remaining teammates.

He held up a glowing blue scroll with shaking excitement.

"A Rank 3 Summoning Scroll… the Aqua Fang Serpent!" he said.

His party members gasped.

"That thing is strong!"

"We can destroy Rhys's party easily with that!"

"He won't stand a chance!"

Slasher smirked. "Exactly. We couldn't beat him normally… so we let the serpent do the work."

One of his rogues asked nervously, "We only get one use, right?"

"Yeah," Slasher said, "but we only need one."

He clenched the scroll in his hand.

"Once Rhys leaves the city, we ambush him.

The serpent kills them.

We take the sword.

Easy."

The others nodded vigorously—full confidence, full greed.

They had no idea what they were actually summoning.

Back at Pearlforge

Lyra suddenly looked up, sensing the distant tremor of mana.

"…It begins soon," she murmured.

Rhys turned toward her. "What?"

"They didn't give up," Lyra said. "They're waiting."

Aria groaned loudly. "I KNEW IT!"

Caria sighed. "But why wait until we leave the city…?"

Sophia answered instead:

"Because inside the city, guards and laws protect us. Outside, anything can happen."

Rhys tightened his grip on Runius.

"So the moment we finish reforging…"

Aria slammed her fist into her palm.

"They'll come screaming like idiots again!"

Lyra's eyes glowed faintly.

"Not just idiots this time. They're bringing something strong."

Puddle shivered. "A monster…?"

Lyra nodded. "Yes. A summoned one."

Rhys exhaled sharply.

"Alright. Then when we leave the city—"

His eyes sharpened.

"—we'll be ready for them."

Pearlforge Workshop

Third Night – Reforging Begins

Back inside the old workshop, the air was warm from the active furnaces.

The craftsman had prepared everything:

• a small pearl-stone anvil

• enchanted hammers

• the Pure Pearl Essences

• the Tidal Mana orb

• and the rusted sword: Severance Tide

The blade still lay on the table like a dead relic—silent, colorless, chipped everywhere.

Rhys stood closest, arms crossed.

Aria whispered, "It still looks like scrap metal."

Sophia elbowed her. "Don't insult a weapon during reforging."

Puddle nodded. "It might hear you."

Aria pointed. "IT'S RUST."

Caria sighed. "Just let him work."

Lyra did not speak.

She simply watched the blade with a quiet expression… almost nostalgic.

The old craftsman rolled up his sleeves.

"Alright," he said softly. "Let's wake you up."

He held his hand over the rusted sword.

A faint blue light spread from his palm, brushing over the metal like a thin wave.

Nothing exploded.

Nothing roared.

No spirit came out.

But something shifted.

A tiny tremble ran through the blade, almost like a breath.

Rhys leaned forward. "It reacted."

The old man nodded. "Good. That means it's still alive."

He lifted one of the Pure Pearl Essences and pressed it onto the blade.

Ssshhhh…

A soft glow seeped into the metal, like water soaking into dry soil.

The rust flaked off in thin layers.

Small cracks filled with white light.

The chipped edges slowly straightened.

Aria whispered, "Okay… that is kinda cool."

Sophia nodded. "Quiet. Let him work."

The craftsman then placed the Tidal Mana orb over the sword's spine.

The orb pulsed—

Once…

Twice…

and then melted into thin streams of blue mana that flowed into the blade.

The whole sword hummed softly, like a tuning fork.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

Just… waking up.

Caria stepped closer. "It's repairing from the inside."

Puddle stared wide-eyed. "It's drinking the shiny!"

Lyra finally spoke, voice quiet.

"No. It's remembering itself."

Rhys tightened his grip on his cloak.

The old man lifted the reforging hammer.

Each strike he delivered was light—almost gentle.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

With every tap, cracks sealed closed.

Color returned to the metal—a soft silver-blue sheen.

The rust fell away completely.

Aria whispered, "It doesn't even look like the same sword."

Sophia watched closely. "It's not finished yet."

After several minutes, the craftsman stepped back, wiping his forehead.

"The restoring phase is done. The blade is no longer broken."

He looked at Rhys.

"But it still hasn't awakened. That will happen on its own—during the next two days."

Rhys stared at the sword.

It no longer looked dead.

It had a clean shape, a sharp line, and a faint watery glow along its edge.

Not powerful yet.

Not mythic yet.

But alive.

The craftsman placed it gently onto a rack.

"For now, don't touch it," he said. "It's like a healing patient. It needs time."

Aria smiled. "So, regeneration mode?"

"Exactly," he nodded.

Rhys stepped forward and quietly looked at the half-recovered blade.

"…Welcome back," he said under his breath.

Lyra watched him, her expression softening.

Outside, the night air was quiet.

The party went back to their guard posts as the reforged sword rested inside, humming faintly like a heartbeat.

Two more days.

Then Severance Tide would fully awaken.

And outside the city walls…

Slasher and his team were sharpening their blades.

Waiting in the dark.

Waiting for Rhys to leave the safe zone.

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