Unlike usual, where Christian was working on his androids, surrounded by the soft hum of cooling fans, the chrome arms of assembly bots, and the sterile glow of monitors lighting his face, alongside the occasional interrupting voice of Iris.
Now... now he stood in a silent room, breathing smoke and sweat.
The air pulsed with heat!
In front of him blazed a glowing forge, built not with bricks and coal, but with advanced technology hidden beneath a medieval shell. Flames flickered gold and orange, their heat so intense the fire could reach over 3,000 degrees Celsius. So, the very air shimmered.
The stark contrast between this and before made it feel as if he, who had lived in a science fiction world, had suddenly returned to ancient times. Because, despite everything in this forging room being crafted with the most advanced techniques known to Earth.
The act of blacksmithing, in itself… it felt ancient.
