The morning after the mass awakening found Jin in the expanded common area of the Command Wing, observing how his newly formed family was settling into their first full day together.

**[HP: 280/280] [Stamina: 285/285]**

**[Status Effects: Phoenix Vitality (+20% all resistances), Death's Embrace (Immune to fear), Enhanced Pheromone Production (Active)]**

Jin rubbed his temples as he sensed a familiar whisper in his mind.

*Let me in, I can protect them better than you ever will..*

"Not now," he muttered, choosing instead to concentrate on the lively conversation between Elena and Clara about the vault's technical features.

"Jin?" Clara glanced up from her engineering tablet, her Mk-VIS-RG glasses reflecting the data scrolling across its screen. "Are you okay? You seem... unusual today."

Jin felt a warm sensation building behind his eyes—more striking than painful. As he looked at Clara's tablet screen, he realized that his usually brown eyes were now dotted with deep crimson, resembling glowing embers in a dark room.

**[TSURUGI BLOODLINE: AWAKENING PROGRESSION - 12%]**

**[OCULAR MANIFESTATION: CRIMSON FLECKS DETECTED]**

"Wow," Rosa exclaimed, bouncing over enthusiastically. "Jin, your eyes! They're awesome!"

Shūmei appeared at his side almost immediately, her own crimson eyes studying him with awe. "The eyes of our ancestors," she said softly. "It had started your Tsurugi blood is awakening."

*Yes,* the entity purred. *Embrace my power.*

"I'm fine," Jin quickly responded, though he could feel the crimson flecks pulsing in sync with his heartbeat.

A spark of eager professionalism lit up Elena's expression suddenly. "The vault's quantum fabrication systems, we could develop enhanced weaponry. It wouldn't be experimental yet, but we could make significant improvements to standard gear."

"Could you... teach me?" Jin asked, his voice a little uncertain. "I know it sounds odd, but I feel like it's something I need to learn. It feels important somehow."

Elena's eyes brightened. "I can do that.! But first, we need to find the appropriate manufacturing facilities."

Clara perked up behind her glasses. "I-I stumbled upon something.... interesting while I was updating the power.. grid mapping last night." She gestured toward her holographic display, where a section glowed with vibrant blue energy signatures. "There's a hidden chamber in the Command Wing, and the energy readings suggest it's filled with advanced manufacturing equipment."

"Hidden how?" Sera asked, suddenly alert.

"The blueprints don't reveal it, but the quantum flux patterns do. There are molecular assemblers, nano-fabrication units—there's even some sort of energy-matrix enhancement chambers."

Elena jumped to her feet. "Let's see it."

---

As Clara interfaced with the Command Wing's security system, a concealed entrance appeared. A smooth wall panel vanished, revealing a corridor illuminated by soft blue lights.

**[SECURITY OVERRIDE: TURUGI GENETIC MARKER CONFIRMED]**

**[HIDDEN CHAMBER ACCESS: GRANTED]**

"Emergency systems activating," Asha's voice announced through the speakers. "Jin, this area holds pre-collapse Tsurugi Zaibatsu technology—quantum-grade manufacturing equipment."

The sight before them left them breathless. Manufacturing bays sprawled across the chamber, each designed for a different crafting discipline. Material storage units lined the walls, stocked with various substances—carbon-nanotube alloys, fragments of crawler chitin, and crystallized energy cells.

**[MATERIAL INVENTORY ANALYSIS]**

- **Basic Materials**: 2,847 units

- **Advanced Materials**: 1,156 units

- **Exotic Materials**: 342 units

- **Legendary Materials**: 12 units

"This is... amazing," Elena whispered, approaching a weapons fabrication station with utmost care. "These are high-quality quantum forges made by artisans. The craftsmanship is exceptional."

Jin moved toward the central console, and suddenly he felt warmth surging through his Phoenix Core.

**[BLOODLINE RESONANCE DETECTED]**

**[TSURUGI HERITAGE: Basic Crafting Protocols Available]**

**[SKILL UNLOCK: Apprentice Quantum Weaponsmith]**

A sudden, intense pain lanced through his head. Bits of understanding surged within him as if a forgotten memory was coming back to life. He imagined his ancestors using molecular assemblers to manipulate quantum-entangled metals, creating weapons designed for purposes beyond their mere utility.

"Jin!" Sera exclaimed, catching his arm as he swayed. "What's going on?"

"I can... I can understand some of this," Jin replied, blinking as the crimson in his eyes briefly brightened. "Not everything, but... the basics. It's like a muscle memory I never knew I had."

Elena examined a material analyzer, her cybernetic eye connecting with the systems. "This is fascinating. With these materials and your inherited knowledge, we could create C-grade quantum-enhanced weapons. Maybe even B-grade with the right technique."

**[QUANTUM CRAFTING SYSTEMS ONLINE]**

**[AVAILABLE TIER: C-GRADE WEAPONRY]**

**[REQUIREMENTS: BASIC MATERIALS + ENERGY CELLS]**

"What about my mono sword?" Jin asked, gripping the weapon at his side.

"D-grade at the most," Elena replied, her tone clinical. "It's functional but basic. You'll need something that resonates with your enhanced abilities."

*Indeed,* the entity murmured softly. *You need a blade to conquer.*

Jin brushed the voice aside, redirecting his attention to Elena's enthusiastic explanations. "What does that mean?"

"Combining quantum forging with traditional methods," Elena clarified as she approached a fabrication station. "We'll use a base matrix of carbon nanotubes, reinforced with quantum entanglement, and enhance the edges at a molecular level. It's not too complex—we just need to master the fundamentals first."

"Let's get started then," Jin replied, surprising himself with his enthusiasm.

---

Elena showcased her teaching skills, breaking down intricate procedures into simple steps. "The first step is selecting the right materials," she said, opening various storage units. "For a basic quantum-enhanced blade, carbon nanotube steel will be our base."

Jin observed as she picked up a metal ingot, the fragments of knowledge from his lineage offering him a faint understanding. "Why choose carbon nanotubes?"

"The structure of nanotubes influences molecular stability and the capacity for quantum entanglement," Elena responded, igniting the quantum forge. "If there aren't enough, the blade will be structurally weak. Too many, though, and the entanglement could become erratic. Finding a balance is crucial."

**[QUANTUM FORGE ACTIVATED]**

**[TEMPERATURE: 1,200°C (OPTIMAL FOR MOLECULAR BONDING)]**

**[ENERGY CONSUMPTION: MODERATE]**

The forge came to life with a familiar buzz, quantum fields swirling at meticulously managed temperatures. Elena displayed the proper techniques as Jin watched closely, his heightened perception absorbing every nuance.

"The temperature has to reach 1,200 degrees Celsius for effective molecular bonding," she explained, utilizing magnetic manipulators to adjust the position of the steel. "Observe the fluctuations in the quantum field—when they shift from orange to bright yellow, it signals that we're ready."

Clara kept an eye on the energy used via her tablet. "Q-Quantum flux patterns look stable. The vault's systems can easily manage this level of crafting."