Ludwig stared at the blade. His first forged steel. A moment that felt like he didn't earn something by fighting an evil being, didn't kill someone to obtain their weapon, and didn't lose a life to gain an advantage.
The steel itself was short, imperfect, still carrying a faint sheen of oil and the memory of heat, yet it sat in his hands with a weight that wasn't measured in metal.
There was no corpse behind it, no stolen trophy logic, no system reward window telling him he had done well because something else had died.
This was something that he himself created, with his own effort. With his own ability. Something that was his and his alone, and now he has the knowledge to make it again.
A permanent addition. Far more powerful than any stat or random weapon. Knowledge.
