It has been a while since I’ve done training since that [Cooking] stint. This time, I have the luck of training my [Blacksmithing] skill inside the game with an experienced Blacksmith mentoring me on the basics both online and offline. Not only have I gained some [EXP] during his lessons, but he has also given me several kits to help me get started on this [Mastery], which is a big relief since we had to escape the town before I could stop by at any nearby general stores for them. Plus, he also debunked many beliefs about blacksmithing that have been portrayed in popular media. From melting metal and pouring into the mold not being the right way to that forging to forging a broken sword by piecing it together like a puzzle and then hammering the hot pieces back together, will not fix it, I feel like I learned a lot about the real art of blacksmithing.

Once Wallaby calls for a break, I let out a sigh of relief as I sit down on a nearby wooden chair before starting at my new sword.

[Blacksmith’s Short Sword]

[A simple short sword made by an amateur blacksmith. It is used for training, but it might not be a good sword to use for fighting monsters.

Effects: +10 ATK

Quality: 9]

Just staring at the description makes my heart pound at the fact that I made my first sword with my own hands. Well, I did make that bow beforehand, but mastering a skill that I never did before is much more rewarding to experience.

"So, liking your first handmade sword so far?"

I turn to Wallaby when I heard his voice as I notice him approaching me with his usual big smile on his face.

"Yeah. It looks a bit better than I expected. Though I wouldn't make it like this without your help, Mr. Wally."

I mean it. If I build it without his help, then this sword's quality would go down from a decent nine to a measly one.

"Nah, I'm just guidin' you the ins and outs of forging. Your strength and endurance allowed you to create a study sword on your first try. Many players aren’t able to manage that if they try it without that useless menu."

True, but that menu is there for a reason. Then again, he is a professional blacksmith in real life, so I can't correct him for his sake.

"It's nothing, really. I did have my [Physical Enhancement] ability active, so all of the heavy work is thanks to it."

"Ability? Don't you mean [Mastery]?"

I chuckle a bit at his correction.

"Yeah, I know what it is. It's just that saying [Mastery] a lot is a bit mouthful. It's just an easier way to say it alternatively."

"I understand. But don't get too humble. Not everyone can master this hobby in real life. You need enough upper body strength and patience to make something amazing out of iron and wood. If you want to survive this world, you have to take advantage of what you have and seize every opportunity you will gain from it. If you keep on doing the same skill or hobby every day, you won't able to learn anything else. You know what they said: "Variety is the spice of life"."

I understand what he meant. I had originally intended to play the game to keep an eye on Kazuki. But the more I played [Isekai], the more I became just as invested in the game's fantasy world as him. And that's saying something from one month of experience.

"Anyways, now that you know the basics, I'll take that sword off from your hands now. The recruits broke a bunch of our training weapons a few days ago and we kind of need some replacements."

There is no way for me to say no to that. As much as I'm proud of my first forged sword, the description for it makes it weaker than my old one. I even give him my [Carpenter's Hunting Bow] for the same reason as the [Blacksmith's Short Sword], which is better than scrapping it for parts.

"Now you know the drill by now. You can make anything you want here. The limit, for now, is the materials we have in our guild storage and your current [Mastery Level]. Although I think you already know what you're going to make, right?"

No doubt about it. I've been waiting for this moment since I picked up that [Mastery]. But the real question is in regards to what material I should use. Despite what he said, I'm a bit overwhelmed by the number of materials they have here. Maybe I should play it safe and forge it with [Steel Bar]. No, it might not help me in case of attack power and quality of the weapon. Man, I never thought I would be stuck over making a virtual weapon.

"What's the matter, Windy boy? Stuck?"

My eyes widen when I hear Wallaby's voice.

"U-Um... Yeah. Any recommendation for my current [Mastery Level]?"

Wallaby scratches his chin as he hummed in thought.

"Other than the [Steel Bar], we do have some [Copper Bar]. But I don't know if it's enough to replace your old sword."

"How about combining two bars then? Is there a technique to do so?"

"Well, there is if you want to make them into Damascus steel. But that might be a bit difficult in terms of experience in both [Mastery Level] and real-life practice. I can teach you, but not until you get a full grasp on the basics first."

He's got a good point. I might as well hold it off for now.

"But if you're serious about making something unique for your new sword. I do have something that might be perfect for you."

He then opens up a display that I can guess might be [Force Blade's] guild storage. When he taps on one of the icons in the display, a bluish-silver bar appears on Wallaby's hand before he approaches me with it.

"Here. It would be better if you check it with its description first."

I'm a bit confused as I accept the strange bar from Wallaby. It doesn't look like a normal [Steel Bar] to me. In any case, I'll just do what he suggested and opened up the item window to learn more about it.

[Sapphire Iron Bar]

[A mysterious bar made from the ores of Sapphire Iron. Just staring at the glittering shimmers on the bar reminds you of the starry sky.]

"[Sapphire Iron]? I never heard of that before."

"You could say that again. Leader just brought in some rare materials that I’ve never seen before in real life. One of which is the glittering ore that I just refined into that fine beauty. I asked some of the folks more about it and they said it's very rare around these parts."

"R-Rare?!" my eyes widen at what I just heard. "And you're just going to give it to me despite its rarity?!"

"It's alright. I got three of these to make some special orders for the guild. Besides, according to our lore hunter, you can forge it even in your current [Mastery Level]. I bet you can make a crazy weapon out of it. Just think of it as a gift for listening to my lessons without a sweat. You deserve it!"

Wow... First, Bai Hu's gifts, now this? I'm about to let out a chuckle at the sight of this bar. Though I do want to make something like Kazu's [Plasma Staff], so it couldn't hurt to try.

"I-I don't know what to say but... thank you very much, sir!"

"Don't mention it! Now that I think of it, you need to polish your talents, right. Why don't you be my blacksmithing apprentice in this game? I promise I can help you with your future forges if you like."

Me as his apprentice? Well, I am still a beginner when it comes to this stuff, so having a mentor should alleviate my crafting [Mastery] worries.

"In that case, I'm happy to accept, Master."

"Good. Now get going. The bar won't heat up if you keep standing around.

I nod before I head over to the nearby charcoal forge. Without any hesitation, I place the [Sapphire Iron Bar] inside and let it heat up. Since this is just a game, it only takes about 3-5 minutes for it to turn red, allowing me to prepare a tool that Wallaby provided for me earlier.

[Beginner Iron Hammer]

[An iron saw made specifically for new Blacksmiths.

Quality: 10]

When I check up on the bar after 5 minutes, I notice that it's glowing in deep bright blue instead of the heated red that I saw earlier with that [Steel Bar]. Just staring at it makes me wonder if it actually belongs to the real world. Regardless, I take the heated bar with a clamp that the hall provided before I started to hammer it into shape. This is a bit difficult since the objective here is to stretch it out into a long bar before forming it into a blade and I have to avoid bending it by accident. Otherwise, this material will be useless as proven with my several prior attempts from an hour ago. Not only that, but I also have to return to the forge many times to reheat the bar. It tends to cool down depending on how long and how many strikes I've made onto it, so it's a matter of time management and concentration.

Eventually, after about 8 passes, I've managed to shape the bar into a blade. Right now, it doesn't have a handle, but I'll work on that a bit later since I'm not done with the blade just yet. I take about half an hour to grind it into shape with the hall's whetstones and wait an hour to heat, treat, and temper it in the forge. Once I've done that, I polish the blade with finer whetstones, and using the [Woodcrafting] station, I craft up a customized handle as a finishing touch on the sword. With that, I'm done!

[Experimental Sapphire Sword]

[A short sword made of Sapphire Iron, it is considered as one of the beautiful weapons of . Despite its appearance, it is also considered as one of the potent weapons for anyone to use. This sword is experimental and may experience some problems. Some adjustments may be advised.

Creator:

Effects: +18 ATK, Imbued Arcana Element

Quality: 16]

A beautiful blade, huh? Now that I’ve taken a closer look at this sword, I feel like I'm staring into a mini-night sky etched into the blade. So this is what it's like building my custom sword. I turn back to Wallaby, who whistles as soon as he sees my new sword.

"What do you know? You made a shimmering sword out of that shimmering bar. Who knew?"

"Yeah, and it's all thanks to your tutelage, Master. I'll never forget your gratitude."

"Don't worry about it, kid. Besides, I'm surprised that you've made it out of that rare ore we just found. Guess I’ll have to step up and make something that will wow the whole guild," says Wallaby as he strokes his chin with a grin. "I'll give you a few extra chunks of that [Sapphire Iron] material to help you with maintaining your new toy. Not everyone can create a weapon with an imbued element, though I don't know if this Arcana stuff is an element at all."

He's got a good point. The only person I know who did that is Kazu, and he almost destroyed the whole when he made that staff. At least mine didn't bring the whole building do-

BOOOOMMMM!!!

Without a warning, I feel a rumble on the floors, causing us to fall to the ground and drop my sword in the process. Thankfully, the sound of the explosion seems to recede as Master and I recover our footing.

"Whoa! I heard of festivals in their meetings, but that one is a bit too much!"

"I don't think it came from the main building, Master. Something must have happened upstairs!"

"Huh? Strange... Last time I check, no one has ever used the [Alchemy] stations before. Who could have done it?"

I hum a bit before I have a realization.

"I think I know who. And let's just say he's got some explaining to do."

Damn it, Kazu. What the hell did you do this time?!

Wind's Masteries

[Archery] Level 18

[Woodcrafting] Level 7

[Swordsmanship] Level 16

[Cooking] Level 6

[Wind] Level 15

[Physical Enhancement] Level 15

[Hunting] Level 14

[Blacksmithing] Level 6

Kazu's Masteries

[Arcana] Level 19

[Thunder] Level 15

[Wind] Level 14

[Alchemy] Level 13

[Magecrafting] Level 10

[Magical Affinity] Level 17

[Scribe] Level 4