Christmas is just around the corner and I upload this chapter earlier to celebrate the holiday with all the reader. Please feel free to give me any review or comment. Help me in improving this novel. BTW this chapter is more on technical and I hope all the reader will not feel boring from it. Thanks you all and happy Christmas.
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Chapter 4
Rise of the new Elemental Blacksmith
NPC all over Alter Gaia start talking about the rumors that a player has found Brokkr the Legendary Element Blacksmith remains inside a mine. In Gap the capital of the largest continent in Alter Gaia, Ginnungagap, the blacksmith there is telling player that a new elemental blacksmith is being born and inherit Brokkr legacy and will.
“You know what, a player have found Brokkr the legendary element blacksmith and inherit his legacy, skill and will. Another legend is to be born”
In Briss, Dainn, Azu and Seo the beginner town located at 4 corner of Ginnungagap also have rumors going around. Like how the player manage to find Brokkr after he disappear for 500 years or so.
“Brokkr have disappear after the ancient war and only been found recently by a player. I wish to know how Brokkr end up inside a mine”
Most players felt jealous because they cannot get the chances on the quest or get any information on it.
“If I get the quest I sure will clear it and make a name for myself”
“It’s not fair since no bodies know Brokkr and how the heck does this guy get to know it?”
Those are the chat going around Alter Gaia unbeknown to Phantom who is isolated in Smith Island which is separated from other continent and drift around the ocean.
***
Jefferson log out from Alter Gaia. It seems it’s time for him to eat breakfast and head to work once again. Today is Friday which means there are 2 hours for lunch instead of 1. In his country Friday is a prayer day where majority of the citizen will pray during lunch time. Jefferson is not the 1 who will pray, which mean he have more time for himself.
During his lunch break, Jefferson uses his laptop to search for smithing technique online. His motive was to have some basic knowledge on smithing. The techniques are divided into forging, hammering, quenching and polishing.
The metal need to be shape into a billet before weapon forging can be done. When metal is being shape into billet different metal can be fused together to have different effect on the blade itself.
Traditionally in China they will use a harder metal as the blade as core and sandwich it with 2 softer metals. Japanese use different hardness metal for their blade as well. They will use up to 7 different layers for it depends on technique. Bronze weapon are being cast out instead because you can forge it in liquid form. Some Chinese sword will use bronze on the blade edge.
After the billet is form they will put into forges to heat it up to yellow colored. When the billet is yellow in color, it will be removed from the forge and bring to an anvil for hammering. The thinner part will be the edge.
When hammering, remember to leave room for the hilt to fit in. File to shape and even up uneven spot. After even up the blade, heat it to yellowish and dip it into oil or water horizontally. Dipping the edge 1st will make it hard and durable while the back will be flexible. This process is call quenching. For double edges sword, a vertical quenching is done.
There are many type of weapon can be forge such as 1 handed sword, 2 handed sword, spear, dagger, katar, fist and so much more. Different weapon is use by different job in Alter Gaia. There are also shield and armor. Since he is attending the ‘Kodachi’ class, Jefferson planned to learn how to forge a ‘Kodachi’ 1st.
After work that day, he attends his ‘Kodachi’ class as usual. Today class is about how to develop your own stance. Jefferson starts by showing his own stance to Shino sensei. Since he is the youngest around here, he has to starts from the beginning. Other senpai start to refine their stance.
‘Hyoho Niten Ichi-ryu’ will focus more on develop your own stance, refining it and finally incorporate ‘Hyoho Niten Ichi’ style in it. This will allow student to better and faster since they will help them in their own stance 1st.
Kate is starting the final teaching, that’s to incorporate ‘Hyoho Niten Ichi’ into her own stand. She is further into the lesson than any of the student there. She even incorporate dancing step into her own stance.
After the class, Jefferson goes to see Shino sensei in his office again. This time he tells Shino about his adventure in Alter Gaia. How his advice help him when he is facing FerPitch'e Hound and how he found Brokkr remains.
“Sensei, after all that, I inherited Brokkr will and legacy. I have to lead the villager to a new era but I have no idea on how to do it”
“You don’t have to worry anything. Since it’s a game everything will be fine”
“Maybe. I think I will start to mine deeper into Element Mine and travel the world and look for Brokkr creation and learn his technique”
“That’s the right thing to do for starter. Should I teach you some ancient katana forging technique as well?”
“Please enlighten me Shino sensei”
“It’s a teaching pass down by our school founder and only pass down words by words and no written copy on this. So you must promise me that you will not written it down”
“I promise sensei”
“A katana is forge from tamahagane (jewel steel), which is produce from iron sand. A tamahagane is make by putting iron sand into a tatara, a clay tub furnace. The clay tub is about 4’’ tall, 12’’ long and 4’’ wide. The tub is then dried and heated to 1000°C. Then charcoal is added to give tamahagane hardness. This process will take around 36-72 hours. Iron sand will be added every 10 minute and the mixture is frequently turned over”
“I see. It require a long process just to make the tamahagane”
“Yes. The process after that is not easy as well. After the tamahagane is ready and chosen by the blacksmith, they will hammer it into sheet and some into pieces. They will lay the tamahagane sheet and pieces into a few layers to form a billet. The billet is then flattens and bend to form a new billet.”
“How many times the billet is being bend?”
“7 bend for soft steel and 12-16 bend for hard steel. After all the bending we proceed to forge the blade using the billet. The blade structure normally is form by combining different steel together to get property of the steel. Our teaching is using a 7 layer lamination method call Soshu Kitae. The edge, back and side is form by hard steel while the inside is by soft steel. The soft steel is sandwich by 2 layer of medium steel”
“Then only come the hammering and shaping process?”
“Yes. The billet is then hammered to shape, blade length is about 60cm – 73cm and Tsuka(hilt/handle) is about 22cm – 30cm depends on the user height. The quenching technique is a little different from other sword. A katana only quench its edge and not the back. This will give you the flexibility you need for a katana”
“I read about the quenching technique this afternoon but I do not realize it’s different for us”
“A katana tsuka is make from leather. The whole process will take a week or so”
“Thank you sensei for your teaching. I shall take my leave now.”
“You are welcome. Since it’s in a game you might forge it faster and better than the real world. Tell me your tales when you forge the blade.”
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After the explanation Jefferson goes to the changing room and change back to his usual wear and goes back to his home. He bumps into Kate on his way home
“Hey Jeff, how is my favorite ‘Kōhai’ talk with our sensei going?”
“Please don’t tease me ‘senpai’. Everything is good. I know what to do now. Thank for your concern”
“Hahaha…. You are fun to tease. By the way are you on your way home?”
“Yes. I live at Prima Condo just down the street”
“That’s good. I also move in to Prima Condo this morning. Now we can be neighbor. Which floor and block are you in?”
“3rd floor on block A. Don’t tell me you are the 1 who move in this morning”
“You are correct. That’s me. Please take care of me”
“Then let walk together”
On their way home they chat about each other life. Kate is the same age as Jefferson and she is the only child. She move away from her family due to some argument. She is now living alone in her new condo.
They reach the condo after 10 minute walk or so. Jefferson escorts Kate to her unit before returning to his own unit. An act he learned from a close friend of him. Always escort a girl back to their home and wait until they get in to their home.
Jefferson takes a bath and then log in to Alter Gaia.
***
Phantom plans to learn more about smithing in the game. How the skill works and what he needs to do. He had no idea where to start and what to forge. Suddenly he remembered that he had a Beginner Knife with him. He can use Equipment Decompose to learn how to forge a Beginner Knife.
“Use Weapon Decompose on Beginner Knife”
System Message
Beginner Knife is being decompose and disappeared
You learn how to forge a Beginner Knife
Material Required: 1x Iron billet, 1x wood
‘This is easy and fun. I suddenly know how to forge a knife. Since Special Smithing is a passive skill is that mean I need to do all the process by myself rather than the system forge the weapon automatically? If that the case I need an anvil and furnace’
Phantom goes to the nearest blacksmith workshop and look around. The workshop has a big anvil at the front of the shop and you can see various smithing tools hanging around. You can feel the heat from the furnace just by standing at the counter.
“Excuse me”
“Oh, it’s Phantom. Welcome. What do you need?”
As for now every villager know Phantom for his deed in finding the remains of Brokkr.
“Can I borrow your anvil and furnace? I want to try to forge a Beginner Knife”
“Sure. Come in. I will show you the way. Do you have the material for it?”
“Yes I have”
He uses his Equipment Projection Skill before he starts to works on the iron. This is to ensure the shape and design of the Beginner Knife.
“Equipment Projection for Beginner Knife”
A faint shape of Beginner Knife appears in front of him. He modifies the shape as he please and save it as another weapon design. For now he will uses the original design for testing.
Phantom walks into the blacksmith workshop and goes near the furnace. He then put the iron he have into the furnace. He heats it until the iron become yellowish in color and uses a tongs to hold the iron and pull it out from the furnace.
The iron is then hammered using Brokkr hammer at the anvil. He hammered the iron into shape and flattens it using a flatter that transform from Brokkr hammer. After he satisfies with shape and compared to what he have in his Equipment Projection Skill. He pokes 2 holes at the end of the blade which will fit with a handle using a punch.
He carves his own make emblem at the end of the blade to indicates that he make the knife. He finished the knife by fitting the handle at the end of the knife blade with pins. The 2 holes he poked earlier will be use to position the pin. The handle is makes from wood and carves into shape. The knife looks sharper than the 1 he used to have.
System Message
You have successfully forge Beginner Knife+
Fame +150
“Weapon Status”
Weapon Status
Name: Beginner Knife+
Attack: 10 - 15
Durability: 50/50
Rank: Common
Description: A beginner knife forges by Phantom the blacksmith. Its attack and durability is surpasses a normal Beginner Knife.
‘Wow. I turned out to be better than the old Beginner Knife. I should do more of this’
Upon his 1st creation, Phantom decides to sells all his loot and buys all the weapons he can get from the village blacksmith shop. He will then decomposed all the weapons and learns on how to forge them all.
He manage to get a beginner dagger, a beginner short sword, a beginner long sword, a beginner 2-handed sword, a beginner bow, a beginner staff and some armor. He proceeds to decomposes all the weapons and armors. He manages to learn on how to forges all those weapons but since he sold all his loot and material, he have to gather everything again if he want to forge weapon or armor.
Phantom goes and looks for Stephan. He wants to bring some villagers and explore the Element Mine together and hope to gather more material this way.
“Stephan my friend, how are you today?”
“I’m fine and how about you?”
“I’m better than good. Can I have some villagers come with me to the Element Mine and help me explore the mine?”
“You are our leader now. You do not need my permission to do that. Take as many villagers as you want. I’m sure they are more than happy to help you. I will help you gather everyone at Brokkr Statue”
“Thank you very much for the help”
Stephan proceeds to sound the bell to gather everyone at Brokkr Statue. He then explains the situation to everyone and asks for volunteers to help Phantom in his exploration. Around 10 youngsters volunteer to help him within the crowd.
“Thank you for volunteered yourself. Please prepare yourself and meet me here in an hour time”
Other villagers go back to resume their works while the 10 volunteer go back to their home and prepare necessary equipment for the exploration. They bring pickaxes, rations, fresh water and weapons. They gather at Brokkr Statue after they done with their preparation.
Phantom leads them to Element mine and this is the 1st time any of the villagers reach Geest Forest. They camp inside Geest forest and make a temporary base there. 1 of the volunteers, Tim pulls out a portable anvil from his bag and hand it to Phantom.
“This is a portable anvil that I always use when I’m out from village. It will be useful on your journey”
Tim, a blonde lad around 24 in age and have a strong body build. He wears a leather apron and a shirt and leather pants. It looks like he is a blacksmith. Another volunteer, by the name Jones, red hair, pale skin and wearing a shoulder guard with leather pants. He is carrying a bow and arrow at his shoulder. A hunter I must say.
“This is a magical furnaces that been pass down by my ancestor. It will heat up any metal anywhere without charcoal as fuel. With this you and the portable you can forges weapon here or anywhere you want”
“Thank you both of you, Tim and Jones. This means a lot to me”
“It’s our pleasure to help you”
Item Receive
Portable Anvil x1
Magic Furnace x1
***