Ryza unwrapped the white cloth covering the nichirin blade, revealing the scarred blade within.
The original scabbard had long been completely destroyed, so when she found cloth to wrap Esdeath, she had taken an extra piece to wrap the blade.
Holding the blade and examining it carefully for a moment, Ryza said, "No problem. I can sense traces of ascension on it, but there may be internal damage to the blade body, so it needs a detailed inspection."
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Mm! Leave it to me!" Ryza then brought the two of them over, placed the nichirin blade on a platform, and activated the magic formation on it.
At the same time, she took a bag of crystal-like objects from a nearby drawer and continuously fed them into the machine.
As the light of the magic formation brightened, the nichirin blade shone with the same light. A moment later, the light gradually faded, and Ryza took out a stack of beautiful parchment and spread it onto a board nearby.
With a strange sound, writing began to appear on the parchment, and before long, several sheets were filled.
"Hmm, let me see." Ryza picked up the papers and began to read them carefully. "This is truly impressive. All three types of ascension are present, though the internal damage might be a bit serious. Let's take it one step at a time."
She then led Shiraori and Jean to a reception table, took out the first three sheets of paper, and said to Jean, "As I just mentioned, this blade now possesses three types of ascension. Ah, do you need me to explain what ascension means?"
"Then I'll trouble you for that," Jean replied.
"Ahem!" Ryza cleared her throat and began to explain, "Ascension is the crystallization of the adventures this blade and you have experienced, which can ultimately be manifested as enhanced performance through the processing of us Alchemists or transcendental craftsmen. Usually, ascension is divided into three stages: Mythic, Epic, and Legendary. These three are just different directions and do not have a hierarchy; furthermore, they can coexist simultaneously."
After generally understanding Ryza's explanation, Jean picked up the three sheets of paper in front of him:
[Mythic Ascension] In ancient times, there was a nation that had stood for a long time. Human hearts had decayed, and evil demons descended upon the world, herding and devouring people, causing heaven and earth to wail. Consequently, 'white wind' was sent down to cleanse the world, freezing it for a thousand feet and slaughtering all the demons.
[Epic Ascension] The empire's thousand-year fortune had run out. The young emperor was incompetent, and evil spirits usurped the throne. The entire nation rose up to form an army of a million, yet they were defeated in a single night. The remnants hid in the mountains and wilds, visiting famous craftsmen and hermits, obtaining the white wind swordsman, who, together with the old nation's general, struck at the imperial capital. The two fought against thousands of troops and demons, finally destroying the Demon King there, and their traces were never known again.
[Legendary Ascension] The sword-bearer came from a western nation, one person and one sword. Through thousands of tribulations and endless hardships, they destroyed Demon Soldiers, fought the Demon King, and finally attained a clear sky, known as: the 'white wind' blowing through the new empire.
The three passages described Jean's previous story from three different angles: the Mythic from a transcendental perspective, the Epic from a national perspective, and the Legendary from Jean's personal perspective.
The soul-stirring sentiments of home and country revealed between the lines made Jean's blood boil.
Wait, what? This is written about me? Never mind then.
He hadn't thought that much at the time; he was purely taking it one step at a time. Perhaps many legendary achievements were like that too.
Seeing that Jean had finished reading, Ryza continued to explain:
"The three types of ascension represent: Mythic—weapon power, Epic—special effects, and Legendary—holder buffs. The specifics can be customized without deviating from the content on the paper, and the strength depends on the depth of influence on that world; the more profound the influence, the higher the strength."
Ryza then placed the remaining sheets of paper in front of Jean and said, "But the problem now lies inside the blade. The ore originally used was likely for a special-purpose blade possessing solar power, and the cost was insufficient strength. Although some other materials were used to correct this, multiple fractures eventually developed inside. Even though it looks fine on the outside, it is already approaching a state of being broken into pieces inside."
After re-confirming the data on the paper, Ryza continued, "Usually, in such cases, it is advised to re-forge a weapon, but the simultaneous appearance of three types of ascension is rare, and it is clear that this blade has a deep emotional connection with you; it witnessed the most arduous paths you have walked."
Jean nodded. He did indeed have strong feelings for this blade; after all, it was his own blade, and it had accompanied him through life-and-death struggles.
"Then is there a way to repair it?" Jean asked.
"Repairing it is very simple, but it has no meaning, as this strength will certainly not keep up with future battles." Ryza straightened her posture and said to Jean seriously, "As a professional consulting Alchemist, with an attitude of responsibility towards my client, I must analyze the specific situation for you with complete rationality."
Jean nodded. Although Ryza looked nervous at the moment, that aura of professionalism was indeed coming through. In his own work, what he feared most was people talking about feelings right off the bat, followed by all sorts of compromises, only for it all to end in a mess.
"First, although this blade is indeed of extraordinary significance to you, it was originally a blade extremely specialized for a certain situation, and it is hard to achieve much with it. Even if you spend points to activate the three ascensions, it is highly likely to be weaker than re-forging it with the same number of points."
"Is the price of nostalgia sacrificing strength? Is there no way to have the best of both worlds?"
"Where would there be so many ways to have the best of both... Wait a moment." As if remembering something, Ryza ran to her desk, rummaged through it, finally found a piece of scratch paper, and after confirming it was correct, returned to Jean's side.
"There is indeed a way, but I need to explain the costs and benefits to you first. Regarding the cost, first, you need to sacrifice the Mythic Ascension; to be precise, set the content of the Mythic Ascension to 'Re-forging'. This way, you can keep the other two ascensions to re-forge this blade. Secondly, the material for the new blade must be a Mythic Material, and this re-forging has a probability of failure; at this stage, it is certainly more cost-effective to use this material to forge a new blade. Then there are the related benefits."
Ryza held up one finger: "1. Although it can be said that the vast majority of it has changed, like the Ship of Theseus, its essence remains this blade; this is proven by the ascension items, as if the essence changed, the ascension could not be established. 2. A blade forged through this method can incorporate the properties of other weapons or special materials in the future; in the long run, its growth potential is very high."
Jean looked at Shiraori, who was sitting to the side drinking tea. Finding Jean looking at her, Shiraori also expressed her opinion: "This plan seems very reasonable, but the probability of failure is unknown, though the benefits are justifiable."
"Sorry, the probability of failure cannot be estimated because there is no data to support it, but based on the specific success rates of past Mythic Materials, the success rate is around 70%."
"Then how do you obtain Mythic Material?" Jean asked.
"You don't need to worry about that; I actually have one here, but... Let me bring it for you to see first." Ryza ran to a cabinet, carefully took out a box from a special compartment, and placed it in front of Jean.
This was a piece of silver-white metal with a perfect luster; just looking at it gave a sense of beauty.
"The price of this material is a bit high; including other fees, it will cost at least 30,000 T-points, but I guarantee it will be worth it. Al... Although as my first client I should give you some discount, my cash flow is..."
"That's the one!" Jean agreed immediately.
Because in Jean's eyes: [Item Appraisal] Mythic Metal: Divine Iron · Ruyi.
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