He pulled the lever on the side of the metal dispenser and watched as a few nuggets of black iron fell to the ground. Dark Iron was a special alloy of iron formed when the pressure and heat of higher rank planets compressed the material to the point that it fused with other minerals in the vicinity. This made it far harder and more durable than normal iron. At least, that was what his analysis skill told him.
Sam carried the nuggets of metal over to his forge and placed them into a crucible of his Dao energy, before heating the forge to immense temperatures with the bellows. As an E Ranker, he could force the bellows to blow air with such speeds that it heated up before even striking the flames in the forge. It was the only way he could reach the temperatures necessary to melt metals like Dark Iron.
As his chosen metal began to liquify, Sam skimmed the impurities off the top with his Dao, watching as they sizzled against the ground of the forge. Soon he was left with a crucible filled with roiling metal.
Sam carried out the receptacle with his will and poured it into an ingot mold, letting it cool fully. The metal quickly coalesced into a cohesive block, and once it was a dull red in color, Sam lifted it out with his bare hands and placed it on the anvil. He pulled out his hammer, shrinking it to a size more suited for forging. It was a far better piece of equipment than any provided, and he had found himself using it more and more to aid his forging. When one could change the weight of their chosen implement, it made smithing even more efficient. That way, he could alter the weapon to suit the metal he was working with.
As the hammer was already an E Rank armament, it was far heavier than its size would indicate. Even in the relatively tiny form he was using now, the weapon was easily a thousand pounds in weight.
Each strike flattened the highly durable alloy into a plate of metal that Sam then elongated into a sword. Unlike a smith back before the coming of the System, Sam was strong enough to forge his weapons in one go, using his immense strength as substitute for skill.
The sword slowly took shape, and as it formed, he poured his Dao energy into it, imbuing it with his chosen form. The sword glowed with a faint red color as it came to fruition, and as he finished off the crossguard, stretching the metal out with quick and efficient taps of Terra’s Will, something clicked, and the weapon suddenly took on the Dao aspect that Sam wanted.
It blazed with light for the briefest of moments and then went quiescent, laying there on the anvil. Sam picked it up and gave it a few swings. Then he moved over to the loose array of metal plates that he had been using to test his weapons and armaments. He raised the sword and concentrated on the metal plate before him, imagining that it was the source of all evil in the world. His blade began to grow brighter and brighter, and he brought it down with a sharp cry. It buried itself into the metal, cutting deep into its surface. That was merely from Sam’s own strength though, and a pulse of power ran through the blade a moment later, atomizing the metal plate.
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He gave the sword a few swings and watched as the dull red glow faded away. A notification appeared before him a moment later, and he opened it.
You have upgraded your Secondary Profession to Apprentice Stage 1!
The Dao becomes you, and the weapons that you make. The path of Dao smithing is one unique to you, and one that promises great power if you can ever reach its end. Continue to forge wonders, Sam Atlas, and watch as the universe rewards you.
+14 to Wisdom, +7 to Intelligence
A small jolt of power raced through his body, and a smile rose to his lips. With the bonuses of his titles, he had gained forty five stat points.
Sam closed the notification a moment later, and returned to work. He had some gains to make before he attempted the task that he had set out for himself. Namely, making some proper armor.
Time passed quickly in the secluded room that Sam had been sequestered into, and before he knew it, almost a month had passed. His masteries had gained a sizeable boost, with his main Smithing skill at Apprentice 8, and Dao Smithing at Apprentice 3.
It was hopefully a combination that would let him achieve his goal. A few suits of armor had already been made in preparation, but theory were crude constructions, made in haste. The main reason behind their creation had been to give Sam a template for his final design.
On the last day, he finally tried. Pulling the lever on the mithril dispenser was a nerve wracking experience, and his Dao construct almost cracked beneath the weight. Sam girded his construct with his will and carried it over to the forge. A few small nuggets almost weighed five thousand pounds. Sam placed it into the forge a moment later, and started the bellows up. Immediately, he noticed a problem. No matter how fast he pumped the bellows, nothing was happening to the mithril. It was too durable for the searing heat to do much more than make its surface glow.
Sam kept pumping, but he eventually realized that the forge alone was not going to cut it. Instead, he began to snake a tendril of Dao energy into the forge, lending strength to the flames. It was a purely instinctual action, and as he worked, he tried to imbue the melting metal with his power. Fragments of Dao energy soaked into the metal, and it started to glow brighter and brighter as it melted down.