Ttang! Ttang! Ttang!

Hwaruruk!

Chiiiik!

The repetition of smelting and hammering. Grid kept doing this for a full day. But the two White Tiger’s Breaths didn’t yield. They resisted the flames and hammering to the end, becoming more ferocious. Every time they were hit by Grid’s hammer, the thorns spread out faster than before.

Ttaaang!

[You have wounded the pride of the noble White Tiger!]

[The White Tiger is angry!]

[You have suffered 890 damage.]

[You have suffered 844 damage...]

...

...

'This guy is like a yangban compared to the Red Phoenix.’

It was like a hedgehog trying to protect itself. Whenever it was shocked, the White Tiger shot out dozens of thorns and Grid’s face became covered in wounds. He was displeased with the phrase ‘the pride of the noble White Tiger.’ The White Tiger’s Breaths attacked every time its pride was damaged, so it was easy to tell how arrogant the White Tiger was.

'One day in the East Continent.’

Ttaang~! Ttang!

‘If I happen to meet with the sacred creatures.’

Kwaruk! Kwaruruk.

‘It is better not to associate with the White Tiger. No, I shouldn’t meet it at all.’

However, Grid had no time to think about it while hammering. He moved without hesitation to escape the thorns. Grid wasn’t yet aware. The number of times Kraugel fed him potions was gradually diminishing.

‘This was his intention.’ Kraugel’s eyes shone. ‘Why did Grid face it directly without resorting to the God Hands... He’s trying to understand the hidden intent and to analyze the patterns to develop his evasive power.’

Grid thought up to here when creating an item? Grid wanted to make up what he was lacking. Kraugel admired Grid’s spirit.

‘This type of effort made him what he is now.’

Was Kraugel, who looked at Grid with warm eyes, misunderstanding? Wasn’t the reason why Grid didn’t bring out the God Hands was because he was so immersed in making an item that he didn’t use his head? No. It was what he intended.

Grid took the resistance of the White Tiger’s Breaths as a training opportunity. Practicing to avoid attacks when making items was better than easily defending with the God Hands. In other words, he focused on expanding his thinking and mastering control.

He calculated it from the beginning. Kraugel discovered this. However, Kraugel didn’t notice one thing.

That’s right.

[The experience of Tiramet's Belt (Unique) has increased by 0.01%!]

It was raising the experience of his items. The quality of the White Tiger’s Breaths was high and the power was low, so the experience of Tiramet's Belt was steadily rising. It barely rose by 0.01% every thousand hits, but wasn’t it still good?

‘If this was classified as a hit, the experience of Elfin Stone’s Ring could rise as well. It’s a shame.’

That’s right. Grid was aiming at three things while making the item. Improving his control skills, his item experience, and his thinking ability.

Ttang!

Ttang!

Of course, he didn’t intend to make the item roughly. The present Grid wasn’t foolish enough to waste the White Tiger Breaths. The most important part for Grid was the production of items, so he did his best to strengthen the White Tiger’s Breaths. He was in such a state of concentration that he could count exactly how many sparks flew every time he hammered.

But the result wasn’t good.

Kwaruruk.

“Kuk...!”

Time passed. On the third day of the production, Grid was mentally tired. The momentum of the White Tiger’s Breath wasn’t lowered at all.

‘No, how stubborn is it?’

It was too strong compared to other production materials in the same class. Despite the repeated smelting and hammering, the White Tiger’s Breaths kept their original shape. Grid recalled the phrase ‘pride of the noble White Tiger’ and saw the White Tiger’s nature as the reason for the lack of progress.

‘No, wait.’

He realized it only on the third night.

‘Isn’t this a matter of attribute rather than personality?'

The White Tiger had the earth attribute. And earth was strong against fire. As soon as he was reminded of the basics, Grid noticed that this work was wrong from the beginning.

‘The White Tiger’s Breath is the energy of the earth itself... It is a material that can’t be smelted with conventional methods.’

He had a headache. Kraugel, who had been guarding Grid for three days, saw that Grid stopped hammering and frowned as he noticed that something was wrong.

“What's going on?"

"I can’t smelt it.”

“...?"

Panmir was surprised from where he was sleeping on a mat to the side.

"What do you mean by you can’t smelt it?”

In the last three days, Panmir had been watching Grid’s every move. He didn’t want to miss anything about the legendary blacksmith’s work. He saw that there was nothing wrong with Grid’s actions. Grid’s workmanship was the best. Nevertheless, the White Tiger’s Breaths remained in their original form. Wasn’t it because it couldn’t be smelted?

“Then is it impossible to make the item?”

Panmir had no experience in dealing with myth rated materials and was confused. Unlike Kraugel, who was forced to stay silent because this wasn’t his world, Panmir thought about it.

"Is the temperature of the fire lacking? Isn’t the melting point very high because it is a material of the earth attribute?”

“No. The melting point has been reached.”

Minerals were classified as pure substances and mixed substances. As a simple example, iron was a pure substance while steel was a mixed substance. Once iron was heated up, the temperature would continue to rise to the melting point of 1,530 degrees, but the temperature was maintained until the iron was completely melted. On the other hand, steel was a mixed substance and the temperature wasn’t maintained. Even after the temperature reached the melting point, it kept increasing by 100 degrees.

Grid was able to distinguish between a pure substance and mixed substance based on the temperature change.

“The White Tiger’s Breath is a pure substance. There are no foreign materials added. The evidence is that the temperature hasn’t risen since it reached 7,230 degrees.”

Yes, the temperature wasn’t lacking. The system recognized the melting point of the White Tiger’s Breath as 7,230 degrees. In fact, just after the White Tiger’s Breath was taken out of the furnace, it was reduced to a clay-like intensity.

"But in this state, the shape doesn’t change despite the repeated quenching and hammering?”

"Yes. So I noticed a bit late. The material was so strong that I thought I needed to repeat the smelting and hammering many times to change shape gradually.”

But not now.

"The smelting itself was wrong. I need to completely dissolve it to strengthen the White Tiger’s Breath.”

The fire was enough. Nevertheless, the fact that it wasn’t melted meant he needed another way. Grid judged and asked Kraugel and Panmir, "What attributes is the earth attribute weak to?”

"It is naturally water and ice.”

"If you go into the detailed classification, it is also vulnerable to plant-based skills.”

"Soaking, transforming, freezing, cracking from the inside...is it?”

Grid guessed. In order to strengthen the White Tiger’s Breaths, it was necessary to weaken the White Tiger’s Breaths first. But a blacksmith was related to fire. Water, ice, and plants weren’t Grid’s areas.

‘Then is it impossible for a blacksmith to strengthen the White Tiger’s Breath?'

Strictly speaking, it was impossible for him to do it alone and needed the cooperation of others. Grid had no choice but to miss Braham.

‘If there was Braham...’

“Bah! It is a simple matter. With the magic in this body, I will drown the bead like a rat. Or what if I turn it into ice and smash it?”

He would say something like this. There was the illusion of Braham’s voice ringing in his ears.

“...Ah.”

Grid smiled bitterly as he realized. His greatest strength was other people. He immediately sent a whisper to Lauel.

-Is there a magician in our guild who specializes in water magic?

-I don’t know why you’re asking, but there’s one person who can use powerful water attribute magic.

Lauel’s vision was high. He was in a position to seek able people, but he always placed Grid in the center. He wouldn’t use the word ‘powerful’ for someone who wasn’t. Grid’s expectations were heightened.

-Who is it?

-Euphemina.

-Ah!

Duplicator Euphemina. Right. She could duplicate the best water attribute magic. Grid started to see the solution but it was only for a second.

‘Is it that easy to duplicate the best magic?’

She had to find a caster and watch in real-time how the magic was used. He didn’t know how many days it would take Euphemina to copy the best water magic. Grid needed to strengthen the White Tiger’s Breaths now.

Lauel sent a whisper to the disappointed Grid.

-Hasn’t Euphemina learnt Mumud’s magic? I heard that she has Mumud’s water attribute magic.

-That’s right! It was like this!

Grid’s face was filled with joy. Braham, who was one of the strongest among the legends. Mumud, one of the greatest talents who survived a one-on-one fight with the fire dragon Trauka. It was natural that Mumud’s magic would be equal to Braham’s magic.

The excited Grid immediately sent a whisper to Euphemina.

-Euphemina! Can you come to the smithy right now?

-Of course. You’re the one calling.

She didn’t even ask why. Euphemina was the representative of the Grid loyalists. Thanks to Mumud’s magic, she was devoted to hunting without the limitations of the Duplicator class. Now she immediately returned to Reinhardt.

***

"This is?”

A white bead. Unlike a pearl, it was just white. It was a deep color. But the surface was shiny and there was a mysterious spiritual energy.

"Yes, that's right. Hit it with the water attribute magic. Continue until just before it breaks."

"Yes, I'll try."

Euphemina nodded and gathered both hands together. It was only a moment.

'What?'

Both Grid and Kraugel were surprised at the same time. There was a blue intangible aura that occasionally occurred when magicians used magic. The so-called mana in the smithy started to gather at Euphemina’s fingertips. It was different from ordinary usage. Normal magicians ‘emitted’ their mana while Euphemina seemed to ‘absorb’ the surrounding mana.

Peeeeong!

Euphemina shot the mana gathered at her fingertips. It became a stream of water that struck the White Tiger’s Breaths. Then...

“Heok!”

Strong...”

Grid and Kraugel’s faces turned white at the same time. It was because the White Tiger’s Breaths, which had maintained its complete shape despite Grid hammering it for three days and nights, was dented with a single blow.

Peng! Pepeng! Pepepeng!

Euphemina kept shooting the magic. She hit the two White Tiger’s Breaths until Grid told her to stop. The water she fired was as fierce as waves and his momentum was like an angry beast.

'The magic resembles the master...’

Grid had been afraid of Euphemina in the past and trembled from the momentum.

"Stop! It’s enough now!”

“Yes.”

Euphemina stopped the magic and Grid immediately took the White Tiger’s Breaths. The White Tiger’s Breaths were cracked, like a glass bead on the verge of breaking.

‘Good!’

Grid didn’t delay. The white phosphorus wood was used as firewood and the white beads placed into the furnace that had been heated up to 7,230 degrees. Then...

Tatak! Tak.

In the flames, the cracks on the White Tiger’s Breaths grew bigger. The smelting was finally over. It was the moment when Grid and Kraugel’s knowledge, skills, and experiences were added to Euphemina’s magic.

Grid sensed it. The strongest sword would be born.