TeddyPicker hammered the metal at the forge. He had spent countless hours folding the metal. It was an advanced application, much more advanced than what most of the new users used – the smelting pot and mould.
Occasionally hint-windows would appear to guide him but he ignored it. He had done this a hundred times a hundred. The only difference was the Mithril metal. He had never made a blade out of pure Mithril. It had proved much tougher to shape.
The metal began to glow, defiantly. The folding process was following by an annealing process, where he basically reset the properties of the metal. The layers introduced by the folding process would properly fuse together in the annealing process, forming the desired microstructure. He had to be careful not to let the Mithril heat up too quickly – the metal had to be heated evenly.
You shit! You think I'll fail?! TeddyPicker angled the blade a bit, making sure the heated part stayed hot, but was not near the coals. Obey me, you cocky piece of crap!
Slowly but surely the entire metal began to show a bright red colour. A grim smile formed on his lips as he watched the forge.
Don't be hasty...
The short exotic blade, only 40 cm long, was his creation, through trial and error. Many dozens of ingots of steel had gone to waste, along with an accompanying drop in fame. Now he saw the fruits of practice pay off.
He now let the blade cool. After that he delicately applied the thick resin to the naked blade. This was required to achieve a differential hardening, required for this specific shape of the blade.
While a clay mixture was good enough for steel, the Mithril required a special resin in order to get varying levels of hardness required for the exotic blade. A jar of the resin had cost 100 Gold in materials, necessary for the alchemist to make it.
He heated the blade up again, taking care not to disturb the costly resin on the blade. The fresher apprentice made sure to keep the coals going, even after over 12 hours of constant burning at a high temperature. The original apprentice had fainted due to heat and exhaustion.
Almost time for quenching...
He watched the heating metal for the exact moment before the Mithril reached a white hot state. Mithril needed a great deal more heat in order to be worked by a metalworker than ordinary steel.
Finally, TeddyPicker pulled the blade out of the forge, and quickly – carefully – plunged it into the water and oil mixture. A great cloud of steam issued, along with the scent of mint. After a while he took the blade out. It now had a gentle curve on its spine, exactly the way he had intended it to go.
"Watch the blade. It must stay like this for two or three hours," He told he wide-eyed apprentice, as he placed the blade near the mouth of the forge. Truth be told, the youth was only about two or three years younger than TeddyPicker, but he had nowhere near the skill or experience he had. "I'll be back after I get something to eat."
The perk of being the 'best apprentice' was that he could order the other apprentices around. Well, mostly there were negatives – he had to help with the training of the newbies, and often he had to do the grunt work, work that the new apprentices weren't able to do.
"TeddyPicker, sit down, you must be tired!" a matronly voice, Mistress Griselda, exclaimed, as he walked in after cleaning up a bit. "I'll get you something to eat in a bit."
TeddyPicker sat down opposite a stout, red-bearded dwarf, called Hinder. "Thanks, I haven't had anything to eat in hours."
"How did it go?" the dwarf asked.
"I almost lost it," he replied, truthfully. "Tough stuff, Mithril..."
"Even for dwarves, boy," the dwarf said. "That metal is not something we will lightly work with. It seems like the Master has become the apprentice."
TeddyPicker laughed, "Seems like dwarves do actually have a sense of humour!"
Griselda set down a large platter or fruit and spiced meat. She returned with two cups of ale and then left the two blacksmith to talk.
**
It was late at night, but the inside of the smithy was still warm.
*sssink*
*sssink*
The only sound in the night was the sound of the metal on waterstone. The waterstone was of particularly high grade, and had cost a fortune. Even the upkeep of Mithril would be high, TeddyPicker realised.
Still, this is pretty light, TeddyPicker thought, inspecting the blade. If this were steel, it would weigh at least 800 grams, but this is barely 200.
He dripped some water on the metal then continued his rhythmic sharpening of the blade. It was a little before midnight when he was properly satisfied with its sharpness. He gently set the blade down, and then began to polish the metal.
When he was satisfied it had a good shine, he put the blade into a soft cushioned case. He now began the polish the wood he had prepared to be the sheath. With a dark varnish, the wood could achieve a glossy effect, which was typical of the decoration.
Since the blade would not be ornamental, he left any designs off of it.
Finally! TeddyPicker sat back, exhausted. Over 32 hours of this... for one blade...
He opened the wooden case and took out the thin Mithril blade.
Let's hope this was worth it.
He gently slid the blade into its sheath.
*ding*
- Please set the name of the blade
"HAHAHA, I really am the best!" he cried, not caring if he woke the others.
After a moment, when he had calmed his excitement, he thought about the name. The best memory he had of the blade was the white metal being folded, again and again and again, and the coal's red hot cinders deep in the heart of the forge.
"Set blade name 'White Cinders'!"
*ding*
Masterpiece created!
White Cinders (lit. Shiro Moegara):
Durability: 75/75
Damage: 45-65
A deadly work of art, produced by an incredibly talented blacksmith, using a first class material. The exotic shape was crafted by a method believed to have been forgotten. The metal has over 2 million layers, making the blade both strong and ductile.
Effect:
Agility +150
Strength +50
2% chance of casting Flash Fire
Never loses its cutting edge.
Restriction:
Nobility Stat
Intermediate Sword Mastery
Level 300.
Can only be repaired by a blacksmith of excellent skill.
Number of Masterpieces created: 13
*ding*
Blacksmith Skill has Improved!
Sculpting Skill has Improved!
Sharpening Skill has Improved!
Polishing Skill has Improved!
The Following skills have leveled up:[list=3]
Blacksmith reached Advanced Level 6!
Sculpting reached Beginner Level 7!
Handicraft reached Advanced Level 3!
Fame Increased by 500!
Strength increased by 3 (STR +3)
Endurance increased by 3 (END +3)
Vitality increased by 2 (VIT +2)
All stats have increased by +1 for using a Tier 1 Material!
"HA HA HA!!!" he cried out.
"What is the matter, boy?!" the dwarf master and mistress appeared in the smithy.
TeddyPicker turned to them. "It's done," He said, simply. He held the sheathed blade out to the dwarven mastersmith.
"Inspect," Hinder inspected the blade for any impurities. After 5 minutes of inspecting every inch, he handed the blade back. "It's a beauty," he said, awe in his voice.
TeddyPicker couldn't help but keep the grin off of his face. After putting the blade away carefully, he quickly cleaned the smithy up, and banked the last of the coals.
Finally he logged out of Royal Road.
**
"Whew!" Mark said, stretching. The muscles in his body felt particularly stiff.
Good thing I'm not doing any work. I've been playing for almost ten hours straight!
Mark frowned and made a new rule for himself.
From now on, every 4 hours in real life, I'll log off and walk around, just to stretch my body, or to eat. That way gaming for such long periods of time won't take such a toll.
He checked the time – 22:23.
Enough time to eat, shower and sleep.
He quickly grabbed a small meal and took a relaxing shower, before heading to bed. He set his alarm for 04:00 AM for the usual early morning.
**
Duke Establin was the ruler over a relatively small piece of land. However, within this land, he trained the best Archers in the kingdom, and perhaps the entire continent. So one could understand his shock when his only son, and heir, showed absolutely no aptitude with the bow.
After going through many archery masters and trying different teaching methods with no progress, he abandoned the bow as the weapon of choice for his son. Instead he sought out renowned sword masters to teach his son the way of the sword.
Now it was the child's twelfth birthday, his coming of age. At Establin's coming of age, his father had presented him with a family heirloom, a superb recurve bow made of a mystical animal's bone, whose name had been forgotten.
Since he couldn't very well give the boy a weapon he couldn't use, he commissioned a relatively famous blacksmith to create a Mithril blade for his son. The blacksmith, a dwarf, had been sick, but had instead recommended the task to his best apprentice.
The youth, a Freedman, knelt in front of the Duke now. Under his arm was a large thin box, and on his back was a thin but long cloth bag. The Duke examined the youth. He was well-built and although slightly lean, he had broad shoulders. His attire was that of an artisan, not an adventurer.
"Very well, young man, present the weapon you have crafted," the Duke commanded.
An assistant walked forward to stand in front of TeddyPicker. He handed over the ornate box. The assistant returned to the king, and opened the box.
The Duke nodded. "Certainly the blade looks beautiful. However," he said, "I am no blade master. Looks may be deceiving. Come here, Jacque!"
A tall, regal man approached the Duke. "This man is Jacque LeFleur, arguably the kingdom's best duellist and blademaster. Please inspect this blade."
The blademaster inspected the blade carefully, examining every single part of the blade. TeddyPicker held his breath, but at last the man nodded.
"You Grace, this is a perfect blade," he said.
The Duke clapped and was about to congratulate the youth, when the blademaster spoke again. "However, I see a few problems with it," he said.
TeddyPicker froze. "What do you mean 'problems'?!" he said, indignantly.
"Peace, sir blacksmith," the blademaster said. "The craftsmanship is borderline magical. The actual problem lies in the style of the blade."
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
"Ah yes, that," TeddyPicker said, with relief. He had foreseen this problem when he had chosen the design.
"Overlooking the understandable fact that a twelve-year old boy does not have the skill to wield such a blade, it's obvious to me that the use of this blade requires a particular style, of which I have no knowledge of," the man explained.
The Duke looked upset at the news, "What is this madness. You?!" the Duke pointed at TeddyPicker, "Why have you brought this, this 'ornament' into my court?!"
"Peace, your Grace, allow me to explain," TeddyPicker said nervously, looking at the nearby guards.
The Duke nodded, the upset look faded from his face.
He must be truly bored, if he is looking for some sport from me, TeddyPicker thought, before speaking.
"If you look inside the storage box, I have included the basic training manual, listing the training and style," TeddyPicker was glad he had thought to have an Illustrator make the appropriate drawings. "It would simply require a skilled blademaster to interpret the moves, and then teach them to the young lord."
The Duke checked inside the box for the manual then passed it to the blademaster. He browsed through it for a few moments, nodded in agreement.
"In addition, as a gift for the young lord, of my own," TeddyPicker said, "I have prepared these for his use, until he is able to properly wield Shiro Moegara." He took off the cloth bag and lay out the contents in front of him.
In addition to the Mithril blade, he had made seventeen 'Fine Piece' blades, out of high quality premium steel. The requirements and effects were much lower though, but they had been much easier to make. They were still, however, excellent blades.
He laid out two of the blades, as well as two wooden replicas – bokken – for practice use. The blademaster walked forward and again carefully inspected the work. He nodded finally and stepped back to let one of the aides collect the weapons.
"Excellent, Excellent!" the Duke said, clapping. "You have completed my request, and have gained my thanks!"
*ding*
'A Young Lord's Blade' quest has been completed.
The Duke Establin is very pleased with the blade created.
- You have received 1500 reputation points with the Establin Ducal Family.
- Your fame has increased by 750.
- You have leveled up…
- You have leveled up…
- You have leveled up…
Seeing he wasn't needed anymore, TeddyPicker bowed and nodded at the blademaster and the Duke, "By your leave, your Grace."
The Duke waved him away, more interested in the exotic blade.
TeddyPicker laughed to himself happily, as he left the castle. The quest had originally provided him with 50 000 Gold pieces, for the cost of the blade. He had spent 5 000 Gold on as little Mithril as he could get, which was why the blade was about 20 cm shorter than the average Katana. He had spent another 5 000 Gold practicing and making the dud blades, as well as for the miscellaneous materials.
So in total, he had only using 10 000 Gold out of the given 50 000! And he had fifteen blades remaining, which he would sell in the Auction House, since they wouldn't fetch a decent value with the Royal Road merchants.
Fufufu! 40 000 Gold, and 15 premium unique steel blades left! TeddyPicker laughed. And I received more fame than I lost, learning to make those damned swords, as well as 3 levels!
He walked briskly to the smithy where he was living and plying his trade, which was only about 30 minutes walk from the castle gates.
"I see it went well," Hinder said as TeddyPicker entered the smithy.
TeddyPicker frowned. "What makes you say that?"
"Well, you're alive, aren't you?" the dwarf cracked a wry smile before continuing his work.
He went inside to find Mistress Griselda, and left her 10 000 Gold, which she gratefully accepted. Then he logged off.
**
Mark spent an extra 20 minutes posting his new items on the trading forum.
Selling – Premium Steel Katana:
Damage: 35-45
Durability: 40/40
Superb craftsmanship; ancient Japanese crafting method.
Effect:
Agility +50
Strength +25
Restriction:
Strength 200
Agility 200
Level 100
Minimum Bid: US$5.00
With the 15 blades on the forum, with the auction period set for two weeks, he would probably make around US$5000.00 at a minimum. It was good work for a hectic week, in Royal Road, at least.
Ever since a certain incident, that happened a month before he turned 18, his mom had cut him off of all his spending money, so he was forced to use this method to bring in some extra cash.
He checked the time – 05.25 AM. Grabbing a prepared shake, he left for the local gym. At this time, no one would be at the gym. It was convenient for him, since he would not run into her at this time of the morning. A restraining order was a legally binding document, after all.
A short 50 minute, high intensity workout was all he did. At that time, the gym became extremely full and he lost any interest in being inside the building. By 07:00 he had had breakfast and was ready to log on again.
**
TeddyPicker sat at the table, opposite Master Hinder.
"Look, TeddyPicker, you've been here for about seven years, learning this trade," He said, solemnly. "You're easily the best apprentice I've ever trained, human or dwarf."
TeddyPicker frowned. "So what is this about? Is it the money? You want a bigger share?"
"What? No, no, I have enough Gold as it is. No, the problem is you're wasting your talent."
"What do you mean?" TeddyPicker asked.
"I'm a simple blacksmith," he held up his hand as TeddyPicker was about to protest. "In truth I have a great deal of skill, no need for false modesty. But my talent ends there."
Hinder sat quietly for a moment.
"In my clan's records, we have scripts that talk of dwarves creating weapons with its' own mind. Weapons that think and provide the wielder with whatever experience it had gained," He said, seriously.
TeddyPicker's eyes widened. "Such a skill doesn't exist!"
On the forum, there weren't any mentions of it.
Well, if anyone had discovered the skill, certainly they wouldn't tell anyone... TeddyPicker reconsidered.
"I never believed it until I saw your Shiro Moegara," he said, carefully. "There is an old tale, of a dwarf who reached the limits of his craft. So he went to the top of the mountains, and began practicing his trade. He created his best work up there, and then destroyed it in as an offering to the Gods. When he came down, he was a transformed dwarf."
"What do you mean 'transformed'?"
Hinder shrugged. "That's all the tale says. But this is what you must do. You must leave now."
"Now?" TeddyPicker looked at the dwarf's face. He wasn't joking.
**
TeddyPicker had finished polishing the blade. He had used the highest quality iron and refined it from there. After that he had completed the sharpening and polishing process.
It was day number 59. It was the last day he was going to be on the mountain. Every day for the two months he had practiced his trade to the best of his abilities. The blades made from iron and steel required about 6 to ten hours to make. He had already produced over a hundred blades, and had lost count.
The only difference had been that at around day 30, he had received the 'Faith' stat. He had been doing a lot of praying – Our Father, Hail Mary, and one or two others he could remember. Since he didn't know who to pray to, he prayed to all of them.
The Faith stat was a curious stat, and he had no idea how it would affect him.
Faith Stat
Praise and devotion to God will create special abilities, generated by God. Increases your intimacy with the respective deity.
Requires prayer and dialogue to increase.
Since he wasn't a priest, he couldn't use holy spells. So he had no idea what to expect from it.
Dammit, this was a waste of time! TeddyPicker thought, angrily.
In addition to all the food costs, he had spent close to 2 000 Gold on material supplies to last him a month. He had purchased high quality stuff, but now got no return for the investment.
TeddyPicker glanced around. The sun was setting, casting an amber glow to the mountain face. Around him the silence was suffocating.
I always imagined myself watching the sunset with my girlfriend, he thought, sourly. Isn't it creepy if I go 'sunset watching' on my own?
And then, all of a sudden, the loneliness was unbearable.
"Dear God, whichever one of you is watching me throw my finest work into the fire," he paused, looking at the blackening blade in flames of the fire pit he made. "For 19 years and 2 months, I've been a good guy. A really good guy! I mean come on, I've even been praying here for two freaking months, without a break!
I help people out when they need help, never bad-mouthed anyone. No, I've had enough!" He stomped his foot down, in anger. "Take pity on me! Send me a girlfriend!"
TeddyPicker spoke to the mountains, he guessed, as his voice echoed between the different peaks Hearing his pleas multiple times sounded incredibly pathetic. He waited for a few minutes for the echoes to disappear. Nothing further came to mind, though.
"Uh, yea, so help me out here, thanks... Amen." He finished, lamely.
Everything went quiet.
*ding*
Faith Stat has increased by 30! (Faith +30)
Conversing, through prayer, to your deity has led to an increase in intimacy!
Wtf!
*ding*
You may convert to a Hidden Class!
If you accept it, you can use exclusive skills related to the nature of the class. Do you want to convert now?
What! The! FUCK!!!
"Yes?"
*ding*
Class has been Changed!
**
:arrow: Chapter 2