“Alright… this sketch should be enough to have the ground idea.”

RIP

Ripping out the extra pages full of information, I placed them onto the designing table and went to the storage to get all the materials I’d need for this longsword.

I had to be very careful with this sword. More than ever! This was going to be a longsword that should be on the border between [Uncommon] and [Rare] grade. This was a great hurdle in itself but what was the important thing here wasn’t the grade but the modifier.

“This needs to be a [Transcendent] rank modifier. Any lower potential is unacceptable… no exceptions whatsoever!”

I was determined to finish this before the 5-day timeframe. This meant that I will not have any time to sleep. But I am fine with that. My plan was to use 10 days and sleep in between but circumstances forced me to think otherwise… if this is something the old man knew then fuck off!

But maybe this is better. This way, I have no other option but to watch over everything that is happening with the sword. It feels like I was a doctor helping a mother that is giving birth.

Weird example? But it was accurate since neither that doctor nor I will be able to sleep tonight. The only difference is the birth inside the forge will take more than 3 nights.

I was sketching on the blueprint paper nonstop for 1 hour, having every bit of information on these little pieces of paper. The degree for the sharp edge, the length and width of the sword, the guard’s shape and weight, the handle’s material. Everything was noted down to the smallest detail. This was obvious because the moment I can make [Rare] grade weapons, I want this sword to jump over that bottleneck easier.

“Huuuh… finished…every little bit of crazy ideas are mixed but I think I was able to make them functional together… now I have to take the materials…”

I’ll use the leather of a monster the old man brought when he was travelling through the different sub-dimensions for the handle. An Ingras. A lizard type with skin that would not slip no matter the amount of moisture it is put into as well as great shock absorption.

The metal for the guard will be an alloy mix of [Ghost Alloy], [Stone Steel] and regular [4041 Steel] for stability between the alloys. Surprisingly, this regular Steel can function as a support alloy that holds different alloys together.

[Ghost Alloy] has the characteristics of gaining and losing weight depending on the amount of energy inserted into it. This effect depends on the potency of that energy so while mana is potent enough to make a great difference at the start, someone that uses Will with high quality can change the weight difference with way less amount of Will than someone that used mana.

[Stone Alloy] is a metal that can make the alloy it is made with become more and more concentrated by compressing itself over time. This would make a weapon smaller but if tempered correctly, can be used to fasten the process of tempering and makes the end result much more solid than I usually would be able to do.

The guard will have a ring at the top of it, going around the blade looking like a crown that levitates around the guard part. The radius will be around 10 cm with runes that will make the levitation extremely solid and contracts the crown when the sword is not in use.

The transition part between the blade and the hilt will hold on both sides a black opal about a thumb big. Crystals are used to store energy or create an effect with special runes inscribed on them. This is mostly seen on accessories like earrings that could make someone’s muscle use more strength than normal or rings that could store items. In these opals, I’ll create specific patterns while inscribing runes around them. These patterns will act as a smarter network for the Will to get channelled through and get stored much more efficient with the blood I’ll use to fill the runes.

I tried to fill runes into a rune that is directly on the weapon and the moment it was filled, the artefacts would always fail. I couldn’t understand it until I was testing with it and found out that the Will inside the blood is too potent, overloading the runes’ power and thus failing the artefact creation. I lost a lot of good artefacts during these tests.

A minute of silence for these brave artefacts.

…

I went into the storage to get the items after a minute of silence and brought every item together. Now I’m ready to start! Some of my ideas were unorthodox ways but I believed in these ideas to make the sword as strong as possible.

The blade will be 95 cm long and 10 cm wide with the sharp parts being 2 cm on both sides. The tip will be as sharp as I can make it since the swordplay it will be used will include thrusting and tip cuts. With these options, I have to make the spine of the sword about 9mm thick. This leaves the sword not too thin in the middle but not too thick to break the balance point. The middle of the blade will be lightly caved inside for the runes inscription.

Now for the blade part, I brought more alloys since what I planned to do for it was something I never made before. So, I brought out [Stone Steel], [Water Vein Ore], [Ghost Alloy] and [Wind Slicing Alloy]. While I already used all the other metals, [Water Vein Ore] is something I’ll be using for the first time.

It belongs to the Vein type of ores that are not existing on earth. Oddly enough, since the other races left earth, the earth was lacking in elements present that would create different materials and plants that could be used to create different effects. To compensate for this lack, the Association created different farming places with barriers of different elements so they could recreate the environment to cultivate these materials.

Vein type ore is a type that has a vein system built depending on the element it was created. [Water Vein Ore] has a system that resembles the flow of rivers with the source of water usually at the centre of it.

My plan is to make such an alloy out of all these metals so that I continue to have the vein with the source connected to the opals, make the blade lose wind friction, be able to decrease and increase its weight as well as be extremely compressed. I wish for too much but I’m greedy here!

The alloy out of the 4 will be %45 [Water Vein Ore], %25 [Ghost Alloy], %15 [Stone Steel] and %15 [Wind Slicing Alloy].

The last thing I designed was the runes I’ll be using in this artefact. [Will Compression] that will do what it means, compresses Will inside the blade as well as store Will inside the opals. [Speed Up] is to basically boost the reflexes of the user as well as boost the muscle function to move faster than before. And this last rune will be the only Ability Rune that I got from the first ring. [Insight].

As I explored the runes I learned from the white space, I found out that every rune is a basic effect with the only different rune, the [Insight] rune, here having an extreme effect and not a smaller effect like the other ones. [Insight] can boost the understanding of the weapon during a fight, giving the user an almost same understanding as I would have. This not only helps with fights but also with training.

This rune may be the most important part as it will be a lifesaver for the user. If I fail in making the rune take effect then I’ll start from the very beginning, having to ditch the training the old man will start in five days. I do not give a shit! If I can’t make this weapon until school starts again, then I feel like I’ll have done a great mistake!

But making a mistake is not a luxury I have. Even the slightest mistake could ruin the whole process, lowering the grade by a large amount or even worse lowering the potential. I will not let something like that happen!

I started by smashing the ores into smaller parts before putting the pieces of ores into a form and putting them with some reduction agent into the furnace. It was piping hot, about 2000 degrees, and I had to endure this heat all while watching the ore melt and get separated from their other parts.

This is too hot! Fucking [Stone Steel] and its high melting point! And after about an hour or two did I finish with about 4.5 Kg of [Water Vein Steel] in my hands that needed to be tempered with first.

I let the steel cool down in a form and after it got hard and became a bar of steel, I now had to repeatedly heat it and strike it with the [Uncommon] grade hammer I made for myself before. It had [Concentration] and [Muscle boost] as runes, helping me during the forging phases. It was my precious saviour sometimes as, without it, I’d have messed up more often than I wished for.

With every strike, impurities were removed.

With every strike, it became more compressed than before.

With every strike, the little bits of air left this steel which would make my forging way easier.

Tempering the steel before making another alloy out of it may sound dumb but the reason I do this is so I do not lose its properties during the making of the special alloy. I inject parts of my Will into this metal with every swing of my hammer, protecting the ‘metal’ with each strike.

Will was a wonderful tool sometimes as it made it incredibly easier to control the amount of fire I want inside the furnace, seep it into the metal so I know exactly where to strike as well as protect the properties by encapsulating the metal in little and as a whole.

I proceeded to heat every other metal like this before striking them, injecting each with my Will. alright! Materials are getting tempered nicely! And slowly, I could only hear the rhythmical sound of metal hitting metal. And now it’s time to create the alloys.

“Where did I put it… ah! Here it is!”

Taking out two larger forms, I poured the molten state of the alloys inside each form. One had the alloy for the blade while the other had the alloy for the crown and hilt. I poured them with Will filling the insides of the alloy. With [Wind Slicing Alloy] on the outside, [Ghost Alloy], [Stone Steel] and [4041 Steel] spread evenly and [Water Vein Steel] between the gaps to create the veins of the alloy.

The other form was much simpler and spread evenly.

I measured everything before even starting and with my high affinity for materials, I could already tell their quality, properties and amount. I must say, if I’m no good as a fighter then I’ll start as an artefact crafter.

CREAK

The door opened and I could see a slightly worried Alyssa with a plate of food and water come in the forge. Since I had to wait for the alloys to cool and I couldn’t really do much, I went up to her.

"Thanks! You can give me the tray."

"Wow! It's hot in here! How can you bear… Oh my!"

“Hm? What is it…”

Oh shit! I forgot that because of the heat, I put off my top since this heat doesn’t really burn my weaponised body and makes the heat only uncomfortable. Well, if it were a heat higher than 3000 degrees, then this action would be foolish but thankfully the heat I needed wasn’t that great.

But now…I’m only giving this hungry hyena fan service…

"Nothing! But this view is definitely making me hungry!"

"Begone, Harlot! You don't belong in this forge!"

"Come on! One bite at least!"

Is she really that desperate? Stop having the eyes of a predator and get back to the ‘usual’ Alyssa! I mean the sweat and slight tan from the heat doesn’t help in this situation either but hold back, you Harlot!

"No biting while there is hot metal here!"

"So you DO let me bite if it was another time?"

"I wouldn't but would you listen to me even if I said no?"

"I wouldn't but today is special so I think I'll try to hold myself back. But please..."

She took my now empty hands, looking directly into my eyes with a worried look, making me slightly startled. This isn’t a sight I see often. Those bare hands…

"I know forging is important to you but please take care of yourself. Don't overwork yourself to the bone, okay?"

"You just want to cling to me while you sleep, right?"

I tried to bring a bit of fun into the conversation but the look on her face didn’t even flinch. Come on! This is too awkward for me…

"Laith, I'm serious…just… please…"

I am speechless. This was the first time she was showing such a serious and worried side of her. The Alyssa I knew so far would worry but knew my capabilities as well as trusted me, even if a bit too much. But now… she most likely didn’t know what I will do but fears I will overdo it…

Sighing, I grabbed the hands in my hand harder. This most likely reassured her as I gave her a slight smile. But no words left my mouth. I couldn’t lie but I could try to make her less worried.

It was routine for me to stay for a long time inside the forge but this time, I’d not just stay ‘a long time’ but far longer than that. And now, I had to choose. Was I going to lie to her, reassure her that I’ll be fine or tell her the truth? There was no middle, so I said the truth.

"I'll try my best but I can never promise that. I have an idea how strong this sword is going to become and if I achieve that it's going to be a lifesaver."

I could see a slight tear in her eye, but no words left her mouth. She most likely expected me to be a piece of shit this time as well, not caring about my own health. But no matter what you say, I’m determined to do this. I have to one day. So, I’ll do it today.

She sighed while closing her eyes. Maybe I was not only tiring for the old man but also for her.

"I'll bring you breakfast and dinner every day so don't worry… If you need me, I'll be sleeping in the hut… again…"

I could see the disappointment in her eyes but I stayed silent until she finally released my hand and left the hut with the door shut.

BANG

I looked at the tray filled with food. It wasn’t greater than what we usually had since the old man was someone who cooked for 700 years but...

'so much care… Everything has enough nutrients for me to go all out without sleep… She already guessed my answer beforehand…'

“I’m a piece of shit for doing that…”

Holding her hand… I used this opportunity to feel her hand carefully and design a handle in my head. The worry she had while holding my hand… I…completely ignored it. But no matter what, after I’m finished with this, I swear I’ll make it up to you. somehow…

So I ate the food while watching the steel cool down. Slowly, everything will start once that steel is cooled down. Once that piece of metal is ready to be tempered, I’ll hammer on it like never before.

I picked up the two bars, inspecting each of them carefully. Fair enough, they seemed perfect for what I was going to use them for. Thank god… thank god they are perfect.

So I took my hammer while heating these bars. My grip only became stronger with each passing second. And then the moment came. The moment the metal was ready to be tempered.

CLANG

With every hit, the impurities got out of the metal; making it better and better.

CLANG

With every hit, the metals became better and towards their peak form, further expanding their possibilities

CLANG

With every strike, I pushed forward my care for weaponry and for the sword itself inside the metals.

CLANG

But with every strike, I pushed forward even more care for the one who will wield this blade with unmatching strength in the future. She will be the one that uses this sword and will stay safe.

CLANG

Knowing that with the perfect sword for her, she will have more chances to stay alive as well, made me grateful that I could protect her in some way. I’m not always there for my junior.

CLANG

I may not be open to her now. I may be a bad senior later on or even get hated by her.

CLANG!

But I swear. I swear on my hammer, on my forge, on my weapons and on my very own Will.

CLANG!!

With this weapon, you will be safe! I will protect you! One way or another! So that I won’t regret it later on!

CLANG!!!

So that I can be responsible for my own mistakes! And so I will be there for you even if I am not!

CLAAAAAANG!!!!