WebNovels

Chapter 29 - Crafting a sword (2)

The doors slammed shut behind him as he stepped into the room. He had transformed the whole section into a forge since he got his class, getting top-class equipment for it.

He took a moment to sit and study the blueprint, noting the pattern and requirements while making his own deductions.

'Indeed. Creating a sword is quite simple. I wonder if extra additions can be made too...'

With the basic understanding he had gained, he decided to practice.

Operating the hot furnace, he raised the heat to about 2400°c; double the standards. This was because the enchanted steel had a far higher melting point than that of normal steel, making him double the flames intensity.

Orange light reflected on his face as he watched the steel melt into a softened state. Not enough to melt but enough to shape.

He cut away the unnecessary length and width, throwing them into oil to cool, then placed the billet on the anvil.

He hoisted Old Pipe's hammer; a One-Star weapon from the ground and struck the metal.

Clang!

A loud sound reverberated through the large room, accompanied by a faint hum. If anyone had been present, they'd have covered their ears from discomfort.

However, Leon wasn't affected at all. Instead, he swung the hammer repeatedly, striking the metal into the shape of a sword. When it showed signs of cooling, he reheated it in the furnace, then continued striking it after placing it on the anvil.

The process continued for thirty minutes before Leon was satisfied. By now, the enchanted steel really resembled the blade of a sword. The impurities in the metal had been removed, making it flash a silver glint.

Immediately after, he implemented the folding process, distributing carbon evenly and creating signature wave patterns in the blade's structure. At this point, an idea popped into his head.

What if he infused essence into the pathway created by the wave patterns?

Deciding to trust his intuition, he allowed his essence energy to flow into the blade. Gold light flickered along the patterns, making the pathway more visible to Leon. After filling the pathway with essence, he felt the blade shimmer, then hiss.

Smoky steam escaped the pathways and dispersed into the air. When he lifted the blade with the metal prongs, he realized it had grown lighter.

'Oh? This is interesting...'

Ignoring the weird phenomenon, he reheated the blade until it glowed, then dipped it into oil to cool off. The blade released a loud hiss as soon as it touched the oil, a result of thermal shock.

After almost half an hour, he removed it, then reheated it to a lower temperature and restore its flexibility.

Using the Two-Star Steel Blades he purchased earlier, he began sharpening the blade. Very quickly, the edges of the blade turned sharp, emitting a dangerous aura.

Leon smiled in satisfaction, then began to create a leather hilt for the sword. After he was done, he attached it to the sword, thus completing the creation process.

[Ding! User has completed their first Spirit-Infused Forging]

[Name your creation brand_____]

'Name the brand...?'

Leon took a moment to ponder, then decided.

"Red Wings."

[Decision received. Brand Name - Red Wings]

[From now on, every creation you make will be imprinted with the Red Wings sigil]

A mark appeared on the hilt of the sword, resembling the wings of a dragon spread wide. Leon didn't care, instead, he wanted to check the properties of the sword. Thankfully, the system helped with that.

[One-Star Red Wings Sword]

[Enchantments: Essence Augmentation - When infused with spirit essence, it becomes sharper and more durable]

[Skill: Clone - When used, the sword creates another illusory sword that holds 60% of its original power]

[Worth: 20 Colorless Essence Crystals]

'Oh? It surely is astonishing.' Leon was pleasantly surprised by the information he saw and he had to rethink about the wave pattern from earlier. Perhaps this was a feature of the weaver aspect of his class? He wasn't too sure.

However, there were still many kilograms of enchanted steel left so he had the resources to continue. Without hesitation, he began forging again, his movements more controlled and refined than earlier.

...

In a flash, two days went by and Leon still hadn't exited the forge. Anna and Cassie had come to visit him several times, but he didn't even notice, too deep in concentration. It felt like he was in a trance, and time was just a blur.

At last, he used up the enchanted steel to create two short swords. Staring at the ten swords on the anvil and the two short swords, Leon felt a flicker of genuine satisfaction.

[Ding! User has created a pair of Short Swords. Congratulations!]

[You have been awarded with Short Sword Blueprint]

A blueprint appeared in his hands, shimmering under the radiance of the florescent lights. He shelved the blueprint. It wasn't very useful for now, not when he didn't have materials to create more.

"Leon? Are you done now?"

It wasn't until she called out to him that he finally noticed that someone else was in the forge.

"Anna? Since when we're you here?" He asked, his voice tinged with exhaustion. He had been working for two days straight after all.

The blonde girl gave a helpless smile.

"So you didn't notice. It seems you're truly exhausted. Perhaps a little rest would help."

Leon pondered a bit. She was indeed right. It seemed his relentless work had dulled his senses from exhaustion. Shaking his head, he sized her up.

"You haven't consumed the potion yet?"

Anna looked confused.

"Wasn't it prepared for Cassie?"

"Silly you. While I do agree that Cassie has grown, she hasn't reached the peak of the First Level. So it's obviously you I got it for."

"Ah? I didn't really think that much."

"You still have time. Use it while I rest because once I'm back up, we're heading out."

"Hmn."

After saying that, Leon returned to his personal chambers to rest. No matter how strong an evolved was, occasional rest was needed.

Meanwhile, Anna went ahead to use the potion after informing Cassie.

The next day, the white-haired zombie woke up refreshed while holding... someone?

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