Chapter 10: The Gatekeepers (1)

Blake stoked the furnace and added the materials to produce more steel.

He stood attentively before it, hands on the bellows. Various notifications flashed across his retina, which he sorted through subtle eye movements.

Meanwhile, Vargar examined a blueprint Blake had drawn.

It wasn’t truly a blueprint, lacking crucial details and steps to craft the helmet that resembled a mask. It was simply Blake's vision of the design, which Vargar summed up as a demonic skull.

“He can draw well,” the old dwarf muttered.

This boded well for Blake’s future as a blacksmith or even a craftsman. He needed to learn more about blueprints and their specifics, and once he did, he'd become a craftsman who could effectively translate his vision onto paper.

Reviewing the sketch, Vargar stole glances at Blake managing the furnace. He had no critiques about his work there.

They had spent a week here already, which was ample time for someone like Blake—a man born with a silver spoon—to grasp heat management and the intricacies of the furnace.

“Check the blueprint,” Vargar told Blake before taking over his task.

Using long tongs, he lifted the malleable steel and brought it to the anvil.

Meanwhile, Blake analyzed the shortcomings in his blueprint.

He said, “So, a curved dome shape first.”

Picking up the hammer, Blake placed the steel on the horn of the anvil and began hammering it from the center outward.

“BLAKE!”

“Ye, here we go again.”

Although forging the armor wasn’t as demanding as crafting a katana, it still needed to be reheated.

Vargar had reminded Blake of this many times, but the young blacksmith had internalized that rule by now.

Vargar’s other guidance was still essential.

The old dwarf said, “Flatten the front now.”

“BLAKE!”

“Dis is amusing and bizarre at the same time.”

After hours of hammering, it was time to introduce chiseling. This tool was used to sculpt eye slits, a nose, and other facial features of Blake’s mask—naturally, in a demonic skull style for maximum intimidation and coolness.

“Reinforce the edges now,” Vargar instructed.

That meant hammering the edges to enhance the helmet's durability.

The final steps involved polishing the helmet, adding padding, and securing it with leather straps—all straightforward tasks thanks to the smithy's abundant resources.

Blake used wool for padding and secured it inside with leather straps. This not only provided comfort and a proper fit but also helped absorb impacts.

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Leather straps also ensured it stayed securely on his head.

That said, this feature wasn’t necessary, as the inventory system magically affixed the helmet to Blake’s head. He could only lose it if someone cut through it or forcibly removed it.

<+35 VIT, +30 DEF>

Cradling the helmet and naming it, Blake felt as if another part of his soul had awakened within it, awaiting the completion of the other pieces for his true resurgence.

The helmet turned out perfectly, just as Blake had envisioned and drawn.

Only the bright steel sheen on its demonic skull design didn’t appeal to Blake, but Vargar reassured him they could paint it black with his oil paint.

With this in mind, Blake focused on crafting the other pieces.

He spent six days in total, dedicating each day to a single piece.

It wasn’t that Blake needed that much time, but half of his day was consumed by other responsibilities and rest.

The last day was more relaxed, as he only needed to paint his steel armor black following Vargar’s instructions.

Entitled to rewards for continuous progression, players could receive items entirely unsuitable for their current path or, like Blake, items that could only enhance their abilities.

Not only did he receive a handle for his katana to replace the makeshift one he'd crafted with Vargar, but he also obtained two empty enchant scrolls.

These scrolls seemed like items that could become any enchantment he desired. If not, his Limitless Enchantment skill should ensure he acquired what he wanted.

This combination seemed incredibly potent and exhilarating!

Blake licked his lips and rubbed his hands together.

It was time to enchant his katana and armor set, claim a new reward, and dive into his first battle of the game’s official release!