Reincarnated as an SSS-Ranked Blacksmith Who Refuses to Forge Weapons-Chapter 46. Legendary Creation

Chapter 46: 46. Legendary Creation
"System, I don’t know what you’re going to give me this time, but I’ll take anything..."
"...and of course, I still refused to forge weapons even if the situation is full of bullshit like this one." Greg smiled even if he was slowly out of breath.
His system pinged, and a soft chime brought the notification to his attention.
[Message from the system]
[Looking at how users act...]
[Looking at what you did in the past and how it affects what you do now...]
[CRITICAL THRESHOLD REACHED]
Greg blinked at the message because he was confused. The system had never looked at him like this before.
[ANALYSIS FINISHED]
[Previous Life: Made weapons that killed and destroyed]
[Current Life: Makes tools that help people live and grow]
[Pattern Recognition: The user has changed their goal in a big way]
[From destroying to protecting]
[From taking life to saving it]
[From weapons that split to tools that bring people together]
More messages came in quickly, filling his vision. "W-What the fuck...? Could you please clarify your intentions beyond bringing up my past and current life...?"
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Path of Redemption]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Creator of Life]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: Protector’s Resolve]
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: One Who Refuses Destiny]
"What’s achievement going to do in this situation?! Please be a little serious, system."
"I needed this!"
[CONDITION MET]
[User has made something with the goal of protecting others, even if it means giving up something important to them]
[User has turned down violence even when faced with the greatest danger]
[User has decided to stand even though the odds are against them]
[NEW SKILL LEARNED]
The words transformed into gold, shining so brightly that Greg had to squint.
[WORTHY FORGER]
[Rank: UNIQUE]
[Description: The forge is not only about making things that already exist, but also about making things that should exist. This skill lets the user fix, improve, and change their creations based on how strongly they believe in them and how pure their intentions are.]
[Effect: Can fix any creation and make it better with just one strike, as long as the user is completely determined]
[Cost: All of your remaining strength and willpower]
[Note: This is not a skill for people who are easily scared.]
[You have to believe that what you make is more important than your own life in order to use it.]
Greg read the description twice, his mind racing with thoughts. He had exhausted all his strength and willpower.
That meant that using this would probably kill him or leave him so weak that he couldn’t do anything. But he looked at Marina, the Crimson Falcons, and the scared villagers hiding behind them.
He looked at Elias’s broken body and thought about how this arrogant jerk had at least tried to fight. Then he looked at the shadowy figure and its three pet Titans and knew he had no choice.
Greg said quietly in his head, "Hey, system," so no one else could hear. "Will this work if I do it?"
"Can I make a difference?"
[Unknown. The Desperate Guardian was made out of desperation and held together by sheer will.]
[What it turns into with Worthy Forger is up to you.]
[What you think it can be.]
Greg smiled through it all. "That’s the most honest answer you’ve ever given me."
[Yes, I know. Stop thinking and start forging, you stubborn bastard.]
"And that’s the first time I see you say that..."
"Alright..."
"Let’s fucking go!"
Greg raised his hammer, the simple tool that had made famous household items and changed lives by accident. It seemed heavier than ever, or maybe he was just too tired. His arms shook as he raised it over his head and placed it over the Guardian’s broken chest.
"Hey Greg, what are you doing?" Marina yelled, her voice full of fear.
Greg said, "Something dumb," loud enough for everyone to hear. "Something that might not work. But I have to give it a shot."
The shadow figure laughed, and the sound echoed through the ruined village. "Oh, this should be fun."
"Please, go ahead and try your crazy plan."
"Let me see you fail one more time before I end this charade."
Greg ignored it completely. He focused all his remaining energy on the Guardian and his vision for what it should become.
And of course, it isn’t a weapon. It’s a shield, a protector—something designed to keep people safe, no matter what. He thought about Marina’s smile, Lylia’s cooking, Seraphine’s interest, Elwen’s hard work, Mira’s happiness, Bork’s determination, and Felix’s excitement.
He thought about the Brotherhood of Peace and his workshop, this strange family he had made by mistake. And he hit the nail on the head.
At first, the impact was quiet. There was no ring of metal on metal or crash of force.
There was instead a pulse, a wave of pure intention that spread out from where the two things touched. Greg’s vision went white as the hammer pulled all of the energy out of his body, through his hands, and into the Guardian.
[WORTHY FORGER TURNED ON]
[Cost: 100% of health, 100% of willpower, and 100% of remaining mana]
[Warning: User will pass out after finishing]
[Calculating new form...]
The Desperate Guardian started to glow, but not with the flickering light from before. Instead, it glowed steadily and warmly, like the sun in the morning. The broken pieces began to move on their own, pulled together by unseen strings. But they weren’t just reconnecting, they were changing.
The church bell that had been its head turned into a real helm, with eyeholes that glowed with a soft amber light. The bathtub chest piece got bigger and stronger, making armor plating that looked like it belonged in both the past and the present. The wheel in the middle of the wagon turned faster, but it was now surrounded by rings of energy that looked like a mechanical heart.
As the Guardian reconstructed itself, new components emerged seemingly from thin air, starting from the chains that transformed into articulated joints, and then metal scraps evolved into fortified limbs. What once was a haphazard assortment of debris became functional, something meticulously designed.
[EVOLUTION COMPLETE]
[NEW ITEM MADE: Guardian Reborn]
[Rank: LEGENDARY]
[Properties: never-ending durability, combat protocols that change based on the situation, a protection field with a 100-foot radius, the ability to stop hostile intent, the ability to make an emergency shield, and the ability to work on its own]
[Special: This Guardian is here to keep you safe. It can’t be used to hurt. It will protect all life in its area, no matter what side they are on.]
[You crazy son of a bitch. You made something that even the gods would be jealous of out of a pile of trash.]
The Guardian reached its full height, and it was beautiful. It was now twenty-five feet tall, perfectly balanced, and moved with a grace that belied its giant size. It looked at the shadow figure and its Titan pets with a glowing gaze.
Then it raised one hand toward the monster, not to threaten it, but to warn it. The shadow figure’s smile went away right away. Greg heard something other than condescension in its voice for the first time.
"Impossible," it said in a low voice. "That’s not..."
"How did you..." Its focus went back to Greg, who was now on his knees and had dropped the hammer from his limp fingers. "What are you?"
Greg tried to talk, but he couldn’t. His vision was getting darker around the edges, and his body was shutting down because he had used up so much energy. He had given everything, and I mean everything, to get the Guardian back.
Before the darkness took him, the last thing he saw was the Guardian taking a step forward and putting itself between the fallen Elias and the shadow figure. Between the Titans and the villagers. Between everything that was valuable and everything that wanted to destroy it.
Then he heard the voice of the shadow figure again, but this time it was different, not mocking or upset, but curious. "Maybe you are worthy after all, Greg Greyson."
"How interesting..."