FANTASY LIBRARY

Two days later, Erend obtained the Black Furnace Demonic Sword from Claudia.

"I kept you waiting, Blackforge."

In a relatively remote corner of Durmstrang Academy, Erend held the pitch-black activation body of the Black Furnace Demonic Sword in his hand. Feeling the excitement coming from it, he smiled and activated it.

"Emima!"

Bright red radiance shot out from the red Clean Crystal. In response to the power of the magic sword, Clean formed a thick and huge sword grid, allowing the pure white sword body to stretch out from the open sword grid.

"Buzz!"

Erend raised the Black Furnace Demonic Sword high and injected it with star power, causing black lines to emerge from around the pure white sword body, spiraling all the way to the Omnipotent Crystal.

Super heat suddenly condensed on the sword, causing the pure white blade to turn black.

Under Erend's control and the powerful combination of the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, this time the heat did not dissipate like last time, and all the energy was concentrated on the sword body.

"Um..."

Holding the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, whose blade had turned black, Erend pondered for a while and spoke to himself.

"Although it feels like it can be used very easily, the Black Furnace Demonic Sword is still too big."

The Black Furnace Demonic Sword looked like a massive greatsword. Ordinary people would struggle even to lift it. It would be difficult for most Baby Boomers to swing such a large weapon flexibly, which would impose many limitations in combat.

"It's better to be smaller."

As soon as this thought left Erend's mouth, the Black Furnace Demonic Sword in his hand suddenly changed.

"Emima!"

The red Omnipotent Crystal emitted a bright red light again, and the Omnipotent Element once again turned into dark lines, wrapping around the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, constantly circling and floating.

Under such circumstances, the Black Furnace Demonic Sword disintegrated.

No, it should be said that it was rebuilt.

The thick sword grid that had originally formed almost disappeared, and the broad sword body suddenly shrank, compressing the ultra-high heat twice over.

After a while, the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, which had once been almost as tall as a human, was now the size of an ordinary sword. It was no longer heavy and massive, but instead looked flexible, light, and dangerously sharp.

Seeing this, Erend smiled as if he had expected it.

"You can indeed adjust the size freely, Black Hearth."

He had the ultimate authority over weapons. As long as he held a weapon in his hand, Erend could fully control its abilities, 100%. Not to mention, this weapon had already been recognized by his authority and had become his exclusive martial instrument.

Therefore, from the moment he first held the Black Furnace Demonic Sword, Erend knew what kind of abilities it had, including the ability to freely adjust its form.

"Yes, this is much more convenient."

Erend waved the Black Furnace Demonic Sword casually, leaving a twisted stream of heat in the air where the blade had passed.

"Buzz!" "Buzz!" "Buzz!"...

As he continued swinging, Erend unknowingly increased the speed of his swordplay. With the slightest movement of his body, he cut out large arcs of black sword light, causing the blade of the Black Furnace Demonic Sword—condensed with super-high heat—to hum with each swing.

If anyone else had been present to witness this, they would not have believed that this was the first time Erend wielded the Black Furnace Demonic Sword.

Completely immersed in the sword dance, his body naturally moved in harmony with the blade. Even to the eyes of a seasoned swordsman, his proficiency would seem no different from that of a warrior who had been wielding the Black Furnace Demonic Sword for over a decade.

Anyone who knew that Erend had only obtained the Black Furnace Demonic Sword today—and had never used it before—would be shocked to see this sight.

At this moment, Erend and the Black Furnace Demonic Sword moved as one. There was no hesitation or unfamiliarity in his movements.

Even Erend himself felt as if he had been fighting with the Black Furnace Demonic Sword for more than ten years. The connection and coordination between him and the sword far surpassed that of any of its previous wielders.

"Man and sword become one."

Such a phrase surfaced in Erend's mind.

Unfortunately…

"The consumption of star power is too exaggerated."

Erend suddenly stopped, his face turning slightly pale. He smiled bitterly.

"So this is the price of the Black Furnace Demonic Sword?"

Although Pure Heavy Colour-style weapons were incredibly powerful, each use of such a weapon came at a cost.

The nature of this cost varied depending on the weapon.

This was both a side effect and a threshold.

The price of using the Black Furnace Demonic Sword was its massive consumption of star power.

And the term "massive" was not just an exaggeration.

For an average Baby Boomer, activating the Black Furnace Demonic Sword even once would drain all their star power instantly.

"The protagonist in the original story has far more star power than others. In terms of measurement, among all the characters in the book, there are probably only two or three who can surpass him."

"The fact that he was able to wield the Black Furnace Demonic Sword was largely due to this."

"Compared to him, my star power is far too weak."

Erend's abilities in all aspects were average among Durmstrang Academy students, including his star power.

Someone with his level of star power would be drained dry in an instant if they tried to use the Black Furnace Demonic Sword.

If not for the fact that the sword had already accepted him as its master, it would have sucked him dry within seconds, leaving him with no chance to even swing it.

The only reason he was able to use it for a short time now was that the Black Furnace Demonic Sword was deliberately restraining its hunger for his energy. Additionally, upon recognizing its master, the sword had been strengthened by Erend's authority. Its power had increased, and the cost of its side effects had been reduced.

But even so, Erend could only use the Black Furnace Demonic Sword for a few minutes at best.

This was despite the fact that the sword was holding back the majority of its power.

If Erend wanted to unleash the Black Furnace Demonic Sword's full potential and push its output to the limit, he might only be able to manage a few attacks before his energy was depleted.

"In the end, my star power is simply too low."

Erend sighed helplessly.

At that moment—

"Buzz!"

The Black Furnace Demonic Sword suddenly trembled, releasing a massive surge of Clean Elements from the Clean Crystal.

"Black Furnace?"

Erend was stunned, confusion written on his face.

The Black Furnace Demonic Sword did not respond to him. Instead, it concentrated the released Clean Elements and injected them into his body.

Then, to his shock, Erend felt his star power and physical abilities rapidly strengthening.

"This…"

His eyes widened, first in disbelief, then in excitement.

"The Black Furnace can actually help me grow stronger?"

This had never happened in the original story!

"Wait."

Erend suddenly realized something.

"The Baby Boomers exist because of the influence of Clean Elements."

"And the Clean Crystal is a highly pure condensation of the Clean Elements."

"In other words, by manipulating these Clean Elements, it might be possible to stimulate the growth of Baby Boomers, increasing their star power!"

This was not something easily done.

But because the Black Furnace Demonic Sword had already recognized him as its master, it was able to channel its power through their bond, actively enhancing Erend's abilities.

"This is truly a pleasant surprise."

Feeling his star power and strength continuously rising, Erend's smile widened.

However, his smile did not last long.

Because soon, he realized—

The Black Furnace Demonic Sword itself was growing weaker.

"Black Furnace! Stop!"

Erend's face changed, and he hurried to stop it.

But the sword did not heed him. It continued releasing Clean Elements, its luster dimming.

It was sacrificing its own power… to make him stronger.

"Stop!"

Realizing this, Erend quickly exerted his control over the Black Furnace Demonic Sword and forcefully halted the energy flow.

The Clean Crystal stopped glowing, withdrawing its light.