Chapter 124 - Steel Forging

Chapter 124: Steel Forging

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
The blacksmith shop was very busy.
The Elven Blacksmith’s eyes were bloodshot, but his face had energy. He shouted at the apprentices who were busy working and even urged them to raise the temperature of the furnace from time to time. There were all kinds of unusual materials there, but not all of them were rare grade items, many of them were just less-common minerals. Forging wasn’t just about following a certain recipe. Forging in this world was a superb craft, and absolutely one of the most difficult basic skills to master!
In some ways, it was even more impressive than space-age steel forging!
Special materials were used similarly to `carburizing materials’. Rare minerals were used to add other elements (similar to the making of spring steel) when hammering. The holy water next to them was the core material used for secondary quenching. There were some more unusual items that Soran himself was also not familiar with. Rare grade weapons in this world were hammered out by hand. Magic was only an add on enchantment craft. Even the equipment of the Abyss was forged from the volcanic furnaces.
Soran observed for a while, and found out that he really was not good at it!
The Elven Blacksmith tapped with a hammer. He was full of strange rhythms. After a hundred taps or so, he sprinkled a little grinding powder and then repeated the beating process. These powdered elements would infiltrate into the fish scale pattern steel and then remove impurities. Combine that with the hundreds of folds that was needed to forge a rare-grade weapon.
That was how the weapon would remain flawless in battles.
Since there was no Adamant or Mithril, which were rare materials, this was the best way to forge the best weapon.
This kind of steel ingot also existed in ancient times. It was called Wrought Iron in China, Wootz Steel in some areas, and Damascus Steel in many other areas. Its forging process was basically similar to that of the Elf’s fish scale patterned ingot and the Dwarves’ Titansteel Ingot, which they often boast about. There were very few people in the world who could afford to forge using Adamant or Mithril. Often, it took the strength of a country to gather such materials, so, these special ingots were used most of the time for forging.
For no apparent reason, Soran was thrilled to see the Elven Blacksmith forging with great enthusiasm. He had a feeling that the weapon being forged was not just a rare grade 1 item.
The average steel might be pushed to its limits!
There were also some Blacksmiths who could make the average iron close to Mithril. Soran felt that the Elven Blacksmith must have had more than 200 in Smithwork. Looking at his hundred folds technique and his concentration in forging, it was possible the Elven Blacksmith had 300 in Smithwork.
He may even be close to the level of a master blacksmith. The only disadvantage he had was his lack of Alchemy!
The Elven Blacksmith probably also does not know that he was approaching the master level because it looks like he has been forging in this village for many years.
Soran stayed for a while and then left without alarming the dedicated Elven Blacksmith.
The Elven Blacksmith seemed a bit crazy and looked quite fanatical. It was as though he also felt that his skills were about to reach another level.
After decades of hard work, it was an unexpected forging of a rare-grade weapon that would bring his skills to the other level.
Soran went back to the inn and began to learn some spells.
The more Spell Nodes and Spell Circuits he mastered, the faster he would be able to learn other spells and also comprehend higher grade spells.
The average weapon could only reach a certain level of forging.
Anything upward would require magic enchantments and the very scientific, Compressed Elements. Everything in the world had a lot of gaps, atoms and molecules had a lot of space in between them, protons and electrons had even more space. Compressed Element was an element that had removed all these spaces, making it a very dense element. During the period of the Arcane Empire, they were studied very thoroughly as they were able to make the legendary Neutron Star Golem, constructed from Compressed Elements. Soran once discovered some strange minerals at the edge of the Abyss, a point between its plane and space.
He found something the size of a fingernail that weighed almost three kilograms!
That was the Compressed Element, an important material in making legendary weapons, weapons which were almost indestructible!
It was also the only material that could go head on against weapons with enchantment.
Pure Fighters would often forge their own weapons when they entered the realm of legends. Compressed Elements were the core material in their weapons. Until now, there was still an ax in the Abyss, which even the Hecatoncheires could not pull out. The Strength needed, if Soran remembered correctly, should be around 45.
That was enough Strength to move mountains and seas!
There was a documentary record in the underwater relics, which records details of the Neutron Star Golem. It was only five meters high and about the size of a Steel Golem but it weighed 300,000 tons. It was immune to almost any physical and magical attacks. Only one was ever produced during the Arcane Empire. Due to some mistakes, which caused the sinking of a continental shelf plate, the Neutron Star Golem eventually disappeared completely. It was only in the records of the making legendary Golems would some of the Neutron Star Golem information be recorded.
Soran definitely had to go to the Abyss again because the material he needed to forge a supernatural weapon was only available in the Abyss.
Since magic could not penetrate Compressed Elements, weapons made from this material could block many magic attacks!
Time went by slowly.
Soran had good patience. He practiced the White Raven Sword Style regularly every day and then learned spell structures. Occasionally, he would also practice his casting abilities. He had a hunch that he was about to master the skill of [Spell Control]. The innkeeper’s attitude towards him was also much more cordial. Perhaps it was because of the Dearahls he paid. Perhaps it was because she was more familiar with him and thought he was not a dangerous person.
In fact, Soran was very good-looking.
As long as he was not in combat, he looked quiet and somewhat scholarly.
The Elven Blacksmith’s eyes became more and more bloodshot as he got more and more excited. Soran was even asked to buy an item which was more than 100 Derahls. It was extracted from the combination of divinity and Alchemy arts and was an unknown material used to forged weapons with divinity. In any case, Soran bought it without doubt, because his custom made curved sword was about to take shape.
Three days had now passed.
The Elven Blacksmith had hardly closed his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot red and two of his apprentices were tired.
When Soran came on the fourth day, he finally showed a slight smile.
Majestic!
A curved sword with tiny fish scale patterns was presented in front of Soran. The handle was very simple, unlike the style of the elves. A line was left on the handle, a unique signature of the Blacksmith. The blade had been sharpened by the Elven Blacksmith all night. He looked at Soran, smiled happily, and then aimed the sword toward the metal felt beside the furnace.
Tang!
The metal felt lost a five-centimeter thick corner.
The Blacksmith did not seem to use too much force, but he had easily cut off the corner of the felt. The sword’s edge was snowy-white without any defect. It had retained its original brilliance.
It was Armor-Piercing!
Soran’s pupils shrank sharply, and his demeanor changed dramatically. He ran toward him quickly.
“Hahaha!” The Elven Blacksmith laughed crazily and then held the curved sword in his hand in front of Soran.
Soran solemnly reached for the curved sword and leaned slightly to show respect.
It really was steel that had been forged to perfection!
Only weapons which were forged to perfection could have Armor-Piercing effects. This was nearly the strongest grade 1 weapon.
“Item Type: Curved Sword +1 [Not Enchanted]
Item Grade: [Rare (Grade 1)]
Description: Weapon made from 100-fold steel. Infused with other substances during forging. Elven fish-scale ingots were used as material. Secondary quenching was carried out. The weapon surpasses other weapons in all attributes.
Requirements: 12 Strength or above.
Effects: Fish scale pattern steel. +3 Sharpness, +3 Penetration, +1 Toughness, +1 Armor Piercing.”
Soran became more excited.
He stretched out his finger and caressed the sword’s exquisite body. He could feel the tiny fish scales on his fingertips. Soran raised his finger and flicked it lightly. He could hear a crisp sound as if it had a trace of magic. He could not help but murmur, “This sword definitely qualifies to slaughter Dragons!”
The tired eyes of the Elven Blacksmith suddenly brightened, and he said excitedly, “That’s right! It can absolutely break the Dragon scales of pure blood Dragons! ”
“That’s why it is named, Dragonslayer!”
Soran was dumbfounded for a brief moment.
As the maker of this curved sword, the Blacksmith had the privilege of naming it, but the name was somewhat weird in Soran’s opinion.
He suddenly had the urge to slap himself on the mouth for mentioning Dragon slaying.