One-Eyed Monster

”This was crafted by the Master, naturally it should be named by the Master!”

”I already said I’m just a coarse blacksmith, can’t come up with any fancy names,” Master Lao replied, wiping the sword that had for a hundred years refused Igor.

”But we can’t just leave this sword nameless!” Igor looked at the sword with frustration; how could such a fine sword be without a name?

”How about this, you are the one to travel far and wide with it, so why not come up with a fitting name yourself? After all, it will accompany you for a long, long time,” Master Lao suggested, giving Igor some hints to spark inspiration.

”I’ll call it Death!” Igor blurted out.

”Do you wish for it to accompany you into doom? That’s hardly a good omen!” Master Lao felt the youth was too careless in naming.

”Then, how about Agent of Death?” Igor blurted out again.

”That’s just the same thing!”

”Bloodthirsty? Soul Devourer? Berserk? Transcendence?” Igor rattled off a series of names.

”Hmm, loud and clear, but indeed quite awkward,” Master Lao honestly replied.

”Then Master, what do you think is a good name? From the beginning, I felt the Master would give a better name to this precious sword,” Igor redirected the question to him again.

Master Lao hadn’t expected Igor’s move and felt stuck: ”Oh hehehehahaha, this... cough, haha.”

Igor, watching the Master’s bitter smile, awkwardly joined in the laugh; naming a sword had become quite the dilemma.

”I think you should name it something that resonates with you,” Master Lao advised.

”What name? Anyway, I want to be an adventurer, so why not call it Adventurer?”

”That’s a good name, but isn’t it a bit too straightforward?” Master Lao commented.

”See, I asked the Master to name it, but you stayed silent. The names I come up with are either ominous or too straightforward, Master, give me some advice!” Igor started to complain.

”You are an adventurer, always on the road, exploring, never resting, ever facing the unknown ahead, everywhere lies danger...” Master Lao suddenly became melancholic; the profession of adventurer seemed to remind him of many things.

”Does the Master have a suitable name?” Igor asked.

”When I was young, no, when I was just a brat, I used to follow my master, learning the craft of smithing. Back then, there was an adventurer who came seeking my master to forge a weapon,” Master Lao reminisced.

”Was it a sword too?” Igor asked, curious.

”No, not a sword. He requested an axe, which like yours was quenched with blood; once polished, it always emitted the faint growl of a beast.”

”What was that axe named?” Igor continued questioning, feeling such a magical axe surely had a special name.

”Endless,” Master Lao replied as he began to smoke.

”Endless?” Igor scratched his head, ”Why that name? Does it have any special meaning?”

”I was young then but remembered it as him saying adventurers are always on the road,” Master Lao explained.

”Hmm...” Igor resting his chin in his hand, furrowed his brows and thought thoughtfully.

”He mentioned adventurers have no end, always traveling, thus they are wanderers; hence their weapons should match. Therefore, it’s named Endless.”

”Wanderer Endless... that’s the meaning...” Igor finally understood.

”So, I believe your sword deserves a name that fits your actions,” Master Lao suggested.

”Yeah...” Igor furrowed his brow, saying it like this was easy, but doing it was not, ”Honestly, I don’t even truly know what kind of person I am; I’ve always searched for where we come from and where we go.”

”That’s indeed a profound question,” Master Lao remarked.

”Sometimes, when I see meteors in the sky, I think we are not much different from them. Though we might streak across the sky leaving beautiful trails, ultimately, we do not know where to head,” Igor reflected.

”True, meteors... adventurers really are like meteors, streaking beautifully across the sky yet ultimately knowing no return...” Master Lao mused.

”I think I’ll name this sword Meteor!” Igor decided.

”Meteor, that’s a good name!” Master Lao remarked, finding it quite suitable.

The sword seemed to resonate with this as it lay there, faintly shimmering with flame.

”Then it’s settled, from now on it’s called Meteor!” Igor jumped excitedly, feeling this was all so natural.

”Now everything is perfect, oh hehehehahaha, I’ve forged many weapons, but never been this happy before. This feeling is as fine as tasting aged wine,” Master Lao expressed joyfully.

The flames in the furnace danced leisurely, as if they too felt their mood.

Igor examined the sword carefully; he had previously learned swordsmanship from Nonoa at Border Realm, and now he swung this Meteor as he was taught.

”A true treasure sword!” Igor swung it, and the Sword Qi soared like a rainbow, directly striking the front of the blacksmith shop!

Bam! Bam! Boom! Across the street, the tavern seemed to collapse under Igor’s Sword Qi attack!

”What the heck!” A sharp voice quickly rang out from the shop across the street.

”Um...” Igor immediately sheathed the sword; he knew he had messed up.

A plump middle-aged woman emerged from the tavern across the street: ”Are you done yet? After all that clanging, now you’re smashing things, and though our tavern does good business, that doesn’t mean you can recklessly dislike it. You take one piece of business and grew wings, actually smashing our tavern’s things!”

”No, ma’am, you misunderstand, it wasn’t the Master who did it...” Igor responded nervously.

”If not him then who? Look at him, messy and all, clearly someone up to no good,” she scoffed.

”Oh hahahaha, I’ll come to your tavern and drink more in the evening, and repay all the damage at its price,” Master Lao generously offered, not bothered by the woman.

”Ah gosh, landed one job and grew boastful, normally you don’t even drink, seems the sun rose from the west today!”

”No, the sun didn’t rise from the west—it’s that a Meteor passed by here!”

”In broad daylight, where’s there any Meteor?”

”It’s right in front of you! Ahahaha!”

Igor watched blankly at the exchange between the Master and the tavern woman, realising he truly was like a meteor...