As they heated the metal, Elena gathered other materials. "Crawler chitin will enhance the quantum entanglement," she stated, presenting Jin with crystalline shards. "This will be a simple enhancement only—we're not yet prepared for advanced molecular integration."

Jin nodded, his crimson-flecked eyes tracking her every action. There was something instinctual about this process, as if he was awakening latent knowledge encoded in his very being.

"Now we start the forging," Elena declared as the steel reached the right temperature. "We'll use traditional hammer techniques, but with quantum-field manipulators for enhancement."

She demonstrated fundamental striking methods—draw, upset, bend—while Jin watched the metal progressively transform. Each strike was purposeful and precise, shaping not just the metal, but the patterns of quantum entanglement as well.

"Now it's your turn," Elena invited, handing him the quantum hammer.

Jin felt a slight tremor as he grasped the tool. The instant he made contact, the knowledge inherited from his bloodline surged within him.

**[GENETIC MEMORY ACTIVATION: Quantum Smithing Techniques]**

**[SKILL PROGRESSION: Apprentice Quantum Weaponsmith 15%]**

His initial attempts were awkward, but with time, his body's instincts kicked in. Strike, twist, strike again.

"You're improving," Elena encouraged. "Tap into the patterns of quantum entanglement. They'll guide you on what the metal needs at the molecular level."

Jin's forehead glistened with sweat as he focused, fueled by the endurance of his Phoenix Core. The red in his eyes flared slightly brighter with each strike of the hammer.

*You will want my power soon,* the entity chimed in softly. *I can create weapons linked to quantum entanglement capable of cutting across different dimensions."

Jin brushed aside the voice, focusing intently on Elena's instructions as they formed the blade. They worked for hours, stretching the steel, and starting to outline the blade's geometry using quantum-field manipulators.

"Now, we'll perform quantum quenching," Elena explained as the blade began to take shape. "We'll cool it rapidly in a quantum-stasis field to secure its molecular structure. We must be exact—cool it too fast and it will result in quantum decoherence, too slowly and we risk losing the entanglement stability."

She set up a quantum-stasis chamber, while Jin marveled at their creation. The blade was rough and unfinished, but its potential was visible. More importantly, he felt a bond with it, as if it was becoming a part of him at a fundamental level.

"Ready?" Elena asked.

Jin nodded, using specially designed quantum-tongs to lift the glowing blade. At Elena's signal, he immersed it into the quantum-stasis chamber.

**[QUANTUM STASIS FIELD ACTIVATED]**

**[MOLECULAR LOCK: INITIATED]**

Steam erupted with a sharp hiss as the blade's glow dimmed to black. Once the steam cleared, they had their initial result—a basic katana blank that was properly quantum-entangled yet still needed a lot of finishing.

"Fantastic!" Elena beamed. "For a first attempt, this shows real promise.."

Jin inspected the blade, taking note of its rough texture and unfinished edges. "It doesn't seem like much right now."

"Every great weapon starts off this way," Elena reassured him. "Next, we'll do quantum-tempering—reducing quantum decoherence while safeguarding entanglement stability, then we'll move to molecular grinding, nano polishing, and the construction of the quantum handle..."

"How long will everything take?" Sera asked, having watched the process with keen interest.

"Two more days for everything to be finished," Elena estimated. "Three, if we incorporate the crawler chitin for proper quantum reinforcement."

Rosa hopped with excitement. "Jin is really becoming a quantum swordsmith! How awesome is that?"

Elena tempered the enthusiasm with a reminder: "It's just basic apprentice level for now. But with consistent practice, there's a lot of room for growth."

As Jin gripped the blade blank, he felt the familiar crimson tinge in his eyes stir once more. The entity's voice returned, more pronounced this time.

"Elena," Jin asked curiously. "what would it take to upgrade all our gear?"

Elena swiftly assessed the situation, her cybernetic eyes whirling through data. "If we establish regular work routines and optimize quantum fabrication, we could produce one upgraded weapon every three days. We'll start with basic C-grade, then move to B-grade as our techniques evolve."

**[UPGRADE ESTIMATE FOR TEAM EQUIPMENT]**

**[TOTAL TIME REQUIRED: 42 DAYS FOR COMPLETE UPGRADE]**

**[MATERIAL COST: 1,247 UNITS]**

"Let's set up a solid crafting rotation," Sera proposed. "Everyone deserves better gear before we face any serious dangers."

Jin nodded in agreement, though he couldn't shake the feeling that the entity was oddly pleased with their progress. It had mostly remained silent during the forging.

"Jin," Asha's voice broke in through the speakers, laced with concern. "I need to talk to you about those strange neural readings in private. Whenever you get a chance."

"After we complete the blade," Jin answered. "I want to see this first."

As they started the quantum-tempering process, Jin caught a glimpse of himself in the blade's surface. His eyes appeared to have shifted more towards crimson, the change becoming increasingly striking.

**[TSURUGI BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 15% → 18%]**

**[EYE MANIFESTATION: 25% CRIMSON]**

Shūmei appeared beside him, offering a damp cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Your bloodline is awakening," she murmured with admiration. "You're turning into what our ancestors envisioned."

Gratefully accepting the cloth, Jin couldn't help but notice how her words triggered another whisper from the entity.

*Soon, everyone will grasp your true potential.*

"It's just a trait of the bloodline," Jin replied firmly, speaking more to himself than anyone else. "Nothing more than that."

Yet, deep down, he couldn't ignore how natural the quantum crafting felt, or the way the weapon mirrored his enhanced abilities at a molecular level.

As Elena prepared the quantum-tempering oven, Jin cleaned the blade blank. "Tomorrow, we'll finish your first creation," she declared proudly.

Jin grinned, his eyes shimmering with shades of red as they caught the energy from the quantum forge. "I appreciate your help Elena."

**[SKILL PROGRESSION: Apprentice Quantum Weaponsmith 35%]**

**[TSURUGI BLOODLINE AWAKENING: 18%]**

**[ENTITY INFLUENCE: Growing (Eyes: 25% Crimson)]**

**[WEAPON IN PROGRESS: Basic Quantum-Enhanced Katana (C-Grade Potential)]**

**[QUANTUM-ENTANGLEMENT LEVEL: 12%]**

---

**[SYSTEM NOTIFICATIONS]**

**[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: QUANTUM SENSING]**

**[PASSIVE ABILITY: DETECT QUANTUM ENTANGLEMENT IN OBJECTS]**

**[RANGE: 10 METERS]**

**[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: FIRST FORGE]**

**[REWARD: 200 EXP | QUANTUM-CRAFTING MASTERY +5%]**

**[RELATIONSHIP PROGRESSION]**

**[ELENA Kozlov: +15% (MASTER-APPRENTICE BOND)]**

**[CLARA VANCE: +8% (TECHNICAL ADMIRATION)]**

**[SCARLETT KENDRICK: +5% (TACTICAL APPRECIATION)]**

**[WARNING: ENTITY INFLUENCE INCREASING]**

**[NEURAL SYNCHRONIZATION