I Became A Zompirewolf

Chapter 763 Side Stories 07: Thanatos

The forge... well, it wasn't an ordinary place that much was clear to Ashton. Why? Because instead of a furnace like any regular workshop, the damned place used Euphoria's core as its fire source.

Ashton toiled in the divine forge, a place that could only be unlocked by those with the blood of Precursors flowing in their veins. The doors leading to the place the Guardians called 'The God's Forge' couldn't be opened by mere force or a key.

In order to enter the place, one would have to prove themselves... by sacrificing their blood. Ashton thought the guardians were talking about a few drops and didn't imagine just touching the door would siphon off more than half of his blood and push him to the verge of death.

Ashton managed to survive by quickly reverting to an undead being, and the door immediately let go of him. Although the Guardians assured Ashton the forge wasn't trying to kill him but decipher his identity, he refused to believe them.

Instead, he instructed them to return to the surface and salvage whatever precursor tech they could find, as it would help him fight against the looming threat.

All of that happened a couple of months ago based on Earth's time. It was also the last time Ashton was seen outside the forge.

Sweat poured from Ashton's brow as he relentlessly hammered the weapon to perfection. It had been long since anything had made him sweat, and it was a strange feeling.

Ashton had never been so tired in his life. Not even when it came to feeding Anna's, the succubus queen's, appetite. But operating the forge, a place of divine creation, demanded every ounce of Ashton's strength and determination, leaving him running on fumes.

Even with the protection of Seraph's crystal, Ashton could feel the effects of the relentless heat. How could he not when the forge was but a hollow space Euphoria's core?

Ashton couldn't imagine anyone but him surviving in such a place at a temperature of 7,200° Celsius. No wonder even Seraph's crystal was having a tough time saving Ashton's butt.

"Fuck... this isn't easy..." Ashton panted.

He stood bare-chested in the forge as wearing a shirt was like living in hell. Taking a breath, Ashton looked down and realised his muscles got more defined by weeks of relentless labour.

"Can't take a break now..." With that thought in his head, Ashton got back to work.

The rhythmic pounding of the forge echoed through the chamber as he worked tirelessly to forge a weapon of unimaginable power. Ashton can't even recall how many times Ibis had called him to know what kind of weapon Ashton was making.

But he didn't budge on saying anything to anyone. If he had, they would all have called him mad and done anything they could to stop him. Ashton couldn't blame them. After all, only someone as mindless as him would try merging Balmond and Raphael into a single, unprecedented creation.

Merging a Soulblade with a Mournblade was akin to forcing the opposite end of a quasar to meet. Yet Ashton was dead set on making it happen.

The atmosphere crackled with energy as Ashton immersed the swords in the molten core of Euphoria. The very essence of death permeated the air, and the intense heat made the metal blades glow like dying stars.

Months had passed since Ashton began this demanding endeavour. He had spent countless sleepless nights and endless days in a blur as he sculpted, hammered, and refined the swords.

Each strike of the hammer carried the power to reduce entire countries to dust. Such might was required to meld the essence of life and death into a weapon that could defy the Precursors.

Ashton's body glistened with sweat; his breaths became heavy and laboured. The forge pushed him to his limits, but the challenges only made the fire within him burn brighter. Ashton continued his work with a focused gaze, driven by a will to break through the boundaries.

Finally, it felt like the forge had acknowledged his efforts and decided to lend him a helping hand. The very core of Euphoria pulsated strangely as it helped Ashton create a weapon that would redefine the meaning of the word 'power'.

In a moment of respite, Ashton paused, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, only to evaporate as soon as it fell to the floor. Taking a little break, Ashton's eye scanned the partially formed weapon.

"Father created a weapon from scratch in this place," Ashton whispered, massaging his hands. "Crafting the Grim Reaper's scythe in this place... I never truly understood the magnitude of your strength until now."

The flames danced while Ashton took a break, casting flickering shadows on the forge's walls. Ashton's hands trembled, not from weakness but the overwhelming energy coursing through him.

The weapon he was creating would eventually become an extension of his very being, representing his will to protect those he loved.

With that, Ashton plunged the blades into the heart of the forge once more, the molten metal now responding more readily to his command.

The intense heat bathed him in a strange glow as he continued to shape the weapon. The divine essence of Balmond and Raphael intertwined, creating a harmonious fusion that defied mortal understanding.

Days turned into nights, and Ashton's relentless pursuit of a perfect weapon showed no signs of waning. Eventually, the weapon began to take shape – a symbol of life and death, proof of the godlike skill in his veins.

Ashton's hands moved with precision, guided by an instinct beyond mortal comprehension. It almost felt like the souls of his father, and Vulcan were guiding him to achieve perfection.

Exhaustion weighed heavy on Ashton, but his spirit remained unbroken. The sweat-soaked moments and the unrelenting heat became part of his being. As the final strokes fell, Ashton withdrew the new creation from the heart of Euphoria's core.

The glow of the divine forge dimmed the pulsating energy subsiding. Ashton was filled with energy as he lifted his new weapon. It was a double-ended sword with a grip in the middle.

While it was an unconventional weapon, one couldn't expect something conventional to fight the Precursors.

"Thanatos... yes. From this moment on, you shall be known as Thanatos." Ashton announced, admiring his new weapon.

***

Author's note: I'll include a picture of the new weapon here so you don't get confused about the sword. Thank you!