Author’s corner: HELLO HELLO! WHOLE FREAKING LOT OF CRAFTING TODAY! OMG!

ALSO, so, from yesterday to today, Cygnas church has gained around one hundred followers! CYGNAS BE PRAISED! Now, my newfound brothers, I welcome you all and hope that her Naiveness bless you all!

ALSO(2), I’m so going to hate myself for making all the tables in this chapter.

ALSO(3), for the next weapons (not the ones from the blazing/freezing tails) I’m going to start taking some suggestions from you guys for names/descriptions, since it’s very difficult to come up with these by myself. I will probably put a spoiler window with the description of how I see the item, and then have you guys post your names/descriptions. Whoever gets chosen earns a cookie on the following chapter. But this is only for the next weapons, so no need to get excited. Yet.

Have a good read!

------

As I poured out the steel into the crystal-powder dirtied mold, I would start adding some extra ores into the forge to keep the alloy pumping out. And yes, I know that adding even a tiny bit of crystal powder makes it brittle, but we are still very early in the crafting, so bear with it, ok? I do have a perfectly functional plan!

I should not have said that. Let’s hope I didn’t jinx it.

After finishing the ingots, I started to heat them up and use the scissor thingy to cut them into fine slices. Actually, they are even thinner than the ones I made earlier, and I didn’t forget to start tempering them since I needed some more flexibility than usual.

According to Torg, tempering the metal manually is the act of quickly cooling it when it is still hot, so I planned on using a basin of cold water he kept nearby. It was kept with some kind of magic circle, so the water had always a temperature colder than the air around it. However, Cygnas had a sudden idea and formed a layer of ice around the metal. Although she messed up a bit and cooled it a bit too much, the other times she got it just right, and even earned the Auxiliary tempering skill, which increased the chance of tempering correctly an item.

As soon as I decided that I had made enough of them, I started making some chain-mail rings. These ones were a bit more troublesome at the start, since I had to go and hammer the five or so initial rings together. And for me to do that I had to get some really small pieces and forge then in a small wire, followed by forcing them into a circular shape and then linking the five of them together in an X shape.

Luckily, after making this first set, I could simply go and use a special skill to copy this at the expense of a bit more steel, without the loss of quality. I loved this part. After making somewhat of a large square of chain-mail, I asked Torg to start teaching me about how to craft with the claws.

He took out an oddly shaped mass with the size a bit bigger than my hand. It had an alternating yellow-reddish color to it that reminded me a bit of the Red tails. I took it and heated it up using fire ignited with some kind of magic circle. It seemed that this one was immune to normal fire, so using the forge is kind of useless. As always, blame magic.

As it heated up, Torg warned me that I only got one shot at forging with this, because after it cools down again, it will earn an immunity to the magical fire and be unforgeable again, so I need to keep re-heating it before it would cool down and settle in its final shape.

Since this was made with red-tails materials, I decided to make some simple weaponry only for testing. I quickly heated it using magic and as soon as I felt it becoming soft, I took it to the anvil where I started hammering it into a dagger-shape. It was surprisingly softer than iron, so I was sure that it would get done faster than usual, however I kind of got excited crafting it and ended up taking too long to re-heat it. After it’s temperature got below a certain point, it suddenly started dropping fast and quickly hardened.

Since it was still too far from the ideal shape I had, I had to discard it and start again. This time, I didn’t mess it up and made a dagger correctly.

Wild dagger of the Fire-fox.

(requires level 12) Attack: 9-11 Extra: 0.5 Fire damage Quality: good Durability: 30/30 Description

A dagger with the soul of a Red-tail. It’s edge burns as well as it cuts.

AGI+5 MND+2 Attack speed +10%

(Made by Wargon)

Well, isn’t this one shiny dagger? And that is what the extra is for? Shiny! And this is made with Red-tails! Can you guess what I can get if use Blazing-tails? This is bloody awesome!

Actually, it should be Fangy awesome! Because it uses fangs, get it? Yeah. Let’s make that a new expression, FANGY AWESOME!

I’m going to forget it in a couple of lines, who wants to bet on that?

Anyway, this was not the only thing I got here!

For crafting a weapon using beasts parts, you have unlocked the Blacksmithing Sub-Skill: Beastsmithing. Sub-Skill: Beastsmithing [intermediate] [lvl1]

(level increases with blacksmithing) Using unique methods you crafted equipment using parts of defeated monsters. These equipment boast a higher elemental affinity than metal equipment, but results depend heavily on the quality of materials used.

Crafting weapons and armors using monster materials is easier now. Passive

And this, my friends, is why I’m starting to love this game. MONSTER HUNTING, HERE I COME! I’m going to kill you, skin you, and use your body as armors and weapons to kill your friends! MUAHAHAHHAA (Thunderstorm ensues)

As I laughed away, I heard someone knocking on wood. When I turned back, I saw Sol stading there while carrying a large leather sac filled to the brim with something.

“And here is the best alchemist in the world bringing her brand new exclusive product to her irresponsible apprentice.” She said proudly while sticking out her near non-existing chest.

“Oh, thanks granny.” I said while quickly picking up the sac from her and opening it in the ground, looking at what I had. These ones had an even denser coloration to the one from the red-tails, with the yellow parts being almost pale golden, and the red having a livid coloration.

And there was one that had a pale blue to marine blue coloration amidst all of them. I picked it up and looked at it with a bit of mixed feelings. For now, I had eight from blazing tails, and two from aura’s. So it’s around two for each one? That is a whole lot for each one. The fangs and claws I gave her weren’t even enough to make things of this size.

Well, I’m not complaining.

“So, will I have to pay you for this?” I asked her knowing it probably wouldn’t be cheap.

She made a pensive pose while smirking, leaving me a bit worried about that.

“Well, I did have to use a few dangerous alchemical, got blown up thrice, had my hands frozen once and probably inhaled seven different kinds of poisonous fumes…” I paled at all that, for some reason it simply didn’t sound like a joke. “I guess you can show-me what you are doing for payment.” She said playfully.

I sighed relieved, at least it wasn’t anything too expensive. However, there was still one question I had to make.

“And… Are you alright after all that?”

“Oh, no need to worry. I got my poison resistance maxed a hundred years ago, and my blast resistance is already at expert level.” She said waving it off. For some reason I felt a lot of pity for her after hearing that.

After the items, I decided to think on what to do with them. For now, let’s start making some tests. I started to heat two made from Blazing tails, and this time I made extra sure that I wouldn't mess it up. I heated the two molds together and they fused when I started hammering the two together, Every ten times I hammered it, I would bring it back to the magic circle to re-heat it.

Since this was a test run, I didn’t delve too much into the shape of the sword and made it a simple straight edged sword.

Fierce sword of the burning soul.

(requires level 12) Attack: 18-20 Extra: 1 Fire damage Quality: Excellent Durability: 20/20 Description

A sword made with Blazing-tail fangs and claws. A raging fire burns within, wishing to be freed.

However Its size and material nature gives it a low durability.

AGI+6 INT+5 STR+6 Attack speed +15%

(Made by Wargon)

Wow. Now this is one heck of a sword! I’m sure that even if I used this one I would be dealing one hell of a beating into whoever comes against me.

But the durability doesn’t makes me happy. Since I still had some more materials left, I decided to try again, but this time doing something about the durability. I asked Torg if he had any idea on what to do, and he said that making the middle-part softer should do the work, however he had no idea on how to do that.

Sol gave us an idea that we thought could work. She quickly ran to her house and brought back a small pot with a white paste.

Her idea was to hammer the middle part only enough to meld the two together, and then cover it with an anti-thermic paste so that it would cool down while I hammered the edges. This way it would keep more of the elasticity, by being less compact, while I could still hammer the edge without affecting it.

Torg and me thought it was as good of a shot as we had and did it. I quickly melded the two masses together with as few hits as I could, and quickly covered it with the paste before heating it back up.

After doing that, I received a sword very similar to the first one, but with fifteen more durability.

Being pumped up, I decided to start working on the next thing. And that was a brand new bow for me. I could go aiming for a new weapon, but since I was about to go on a dungeon which is group content, I better make some equipment I’m used to. Now, with the boss wolf? I’m certainly doing a brand new weapon out of him.

Since the compound was a hard material, I thought that I should use some steel to make the flexible part of the bow. Before starting on hammering, I thought that it would be better to think of a nice shape to it, since it will be made with the parts of a strong monster, so following Monster hunter logic, it should have some of its personality to it.

I decided to go a bit overboard with how I would craft it, so taking three of the compounds and leaving one behind, I started hammering then with my idea in mind. Firstly, I would improve the idea on my first bow and make it recurved, which basically means that each side of the bow bended in an S curve, which seems to improve power.

Before you ask, I researched this last time I logged out.

However, I didn’t stop there. I took each one of them and fused together in a Y shape, before starting to give it the shape I had in mind. I made the lower part simply curve naturally in the S shape, making it thinner in the middle, then widening as it went out before thinning suddenly at the end.

For the upper part, not only I shaped then in an S shape, I made them start close together, while separating before joining together right at the top, giving the two the same shape as the first one. On the three edges of the bow, I put on some deep indentations using a chisel. Much to my surprise, as I hammered the whole organic part into shape, the yellow started to become more present and the red spots gathered together at the three tips.

Still not satisfied, I took some of the remaining crystal-steel alloy and molded it into a shape that would fit into the inner part of the Y and S shaped bow and then stuck it on the indentations I made earlier, before fixing with some rivets. Finally, I added the bowstring to the bow.

By now you guys should already have understood what kind of shape the bow had. I made it similar to the shape of the blazing-tails tails, and the place where I nock the arrow is between the two upper tails.

In real life, this kind of bow would probably be impractical, I guess, but this is a magical and fantastic world. SO DEAL WITH IT!

Also, the system agrees with me!

(Insert the name of your creation)

Bow

(requires level 15) Attack: 5-30 Extra: 1.5 Fire damage Quality: Excellent Durability: 30/30 Description

A bow made in the honor of the majestic Blazing-tail, its shape reminiscing of their most iconic trait, the three large tails. Their fiery soul reside within, granting it immense power.

STR +6 AGI+6 VIT+2

Extra fire damage increase over distance.

(Made by Wargon)

This bow is bloody amazing… I mean, Fangy amazing! Hey! I remembered that!

Since I was going to use this one, I decided to give it a name of my own, since those generic names were a bit corny for my epic equips.

Let’s go with…

TAIL BLAZER!

…

..

.

Yeah, I was joking.

As I started giving it a thought, Sol gave me an idea.

Blazing Grace.

I must say that I liked that name. Kind of abstract, but gives an idea of how the Blazing tail is.

I immediately named the bow that and couldn’t help but feel proud of myself for doing such a fine work. As I looked at the bow, I quickly decided to test it, so I equipped ad immediately pulled the string.

This bow was clearly much heavier than the first one, as I had to make a fair bit of effort to pull the string all the way back. And when I tried firing it, the arrow dug deep into the stone while some little sparks came from the arrows as it burned down.

I think I just met my true love.

Shaking my head to wake myself up, I decided to go and start working on the sword and the shield now. For the sword, I decided to use Aura’s parts, but before I had to think of a way to shape the sword. After some thought about it, I decided to make something similar to the bow, in a tail-y shape.

But Aura had an Ice attribute, so will it change the way I have to craft it? I gulped loudly as I thought about it, but shook my head and decided to go with it. No pain no gain.

I put the shapeless mass into the fire and waited for it to heat up, and in this part alone I almost lost the whole mass at once.

Aura’s claws and fangs almost overheated in a matters of a second, and if it wasn’t for Cyg covering the mass with a layer of ice at the last moment I would have lost everything.

I gulped loudly while starting to hammer it away. It cooled slower than the Blazing tail, but it heated up way too fast. If I’m not careful enough I may just miss it on the completely opposite way.

When I fused the two parts into a suitable piece, I tried applying the same paste I used earlier, but I found a problem. The whole part of covering the middle part with an anti-thermic paste? Well, it seems that it didn’t work well enough for Aura’s, since the whole blade heats up all at once.

I almost went into despair mode here, but suddenly I had one of my unusual GOOD ideas.

I slammed the middle of the blade-to-be until there was an indentation and asked Torg to prepare the last piece of the burning-tail for me. It seemed that he understood, because I didn’t even need to ask him to hammer it into the shape of a rod and helped me to slot it in the middle of my project.

If I couldn’t make the middle of the ice one flexible I would have to make another part separately and fuse it to the blade. Fusing the two elements together surprisingly nicely, I made a sword with the middle made of flexible Blazing tail, and the blade made of hardened Freezing tail material.

I finally shaped it into a longsword with some slight S curves on both sides, making it take the shape of a tail. When I was done with the blade, all that I needed now was for me to make a handle for it, and for that, I think I would need to go back to Melinda’s where the remaining of my crafting was left.

I stretched myself a bit after having hammered so much in a single day, and started to gather my things to go to Melinda’s. At least the tests for the armor were already made, so all I needed to do was to craft it into shape.

Now, for my shield, I planned to use the remaining blazing-tail piece to make an iron-beast shield, but it seems that my plan backfired.

“Cygnasdammit, this is difficult.” I said out loud as I prepared to leave. Cyg looked at me surprised for a moment before snickering slightly.

“Well, you are trying to make something brand new, so it’s normal for it to have unexpected things to happen.” Sol said while patting my back.

“So, was it entertaining enough to watch me?” I asked while moving my shoulders.

“Hmm. I must say that the bow was really interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised if you are the first one to make something like that.”

Hmm… Then will I earn a title for that? I’ll check later. For now I have to finish my crafting, later I’ll check it.

Our whole group left the forging sector after some final adjustment and went towards Melinda’s. When we reached the general industries sector, I took a look at the sky and saw that it was around afternoon now.

As soon as we reached Melinda’s house, I sent Cyg to he kitchen where she started to fix some grub for us. Torg said that he would take the other way around to reach the workshop since he couldn’t fit through the doors, while Sol and Me went straight to it.

Melinda was a bit shocked to see so many crafters gathered, but didn’t say anything.

Now, it’s time to start working on my armor.

You see, I had the small problem that, if I were to follow my original idea of crafting the armor only with the monster’s leather and material, I would end up almost always wearing leather armor, so I had an idea to overcome that.

Firstly, I took two of the Blazing-tails hides and started cleaning them from all the fur it had. Every last piece of it until it was perfectly clear.

Taking the cleaned hide to the table and started cutting it into the shapes I wanted, making it a bit thinner than usual. Being done with this part, I spread the piece and took out the scales I made back at the smithy and sewed them to the leather, but only around the chest part.

Afterwards, I took the chainmail and separated a piece of it from the large square I had and started to link them to all the remaining parts of the armor, making so that the leather worked as a padding for the chai-mail. However, it was still not enough.

I took the other two remaining hides and started to carefully cut it into shape similar to the previous one. As I laid the scaled-leather into the table, I carefully lined the new cut with it before sewing the borders of the inner and the outer layer of leather together, this way the scale and the chain-mail would work as the padding from the armor.

This last part was the trick me and Torg tested before I left.

If we stopped at sewing the scales and the chain-mail to the inner layer, the game would consider it just and improved mail armor and wouldn’t give it the characteristics of the monsters and would simply add a bit of fire resistance to the armor.

But when I cover both sides with the hide of the monsters, it does the opposite, and consider the chain slash scale-mail the addition to the monster’s armor, giving it the characteristics of the monster but upgrading it to the respecting mail armor.

However, adding a bit of crystal powder of the corresponding element seems to increase the effect significantly.

And this is what I got.

(Insert the name of your creation)

(Chest) (Scale-mail)

(requires level 15) Def: 20 M. res: 13 Quality: Excellent Durability: 50/50 Description

A martial arts robe made with the hide of blazing tails, wearing this armor makes you feel empowered by the raging inner flame.

STR+4 AGI+6 MND+5 INT+4 FIRE RES+4

(Made by Wargon)

(Insert the name of your creation)

(Legs) (Chain-mail)

(requires level 15) Def: 18 M. res: 14 Quality: Excellent Durability: 45/45 Description

A martial arts pants made with the hide of a blazing tail. The soul inside burns with the desire to run wild.

STR+5 AGI+6 TGH+3 VIT+3 FIRE RES+4

(Made by Wargon)

(Insert the name of your creation)

(feet) (Leather)

(requires level 15) Def: 16 M. res: 15 Quality: Excellent Durability: 45/45 Description

A martial arts footwear made with the hide of a blazing tail. The ground trembles at your very steps with the potential contained within.

STR+6 AGI+4 MND+2 VIT+4 FIRE RES+4

In combat move speed +10%

(Made by Wargon)

(Insert the name of your creation)

(hands) (Chain-mail)

(requires level 15) Def: 18 M. res: 14 Quality: Excellent Durability: 45/45 Description

A martial arts arm protector made with the hide of a blazing tail. You feel the very flames are at your reach when wearing these protectors.

STR+8 AGI+5 INT+4 FIRE RES+4

(Made by Wargon)

(Insert the name of your creation)

(Shoulder) (Chain-mail)

(requires level 15) Def: 18 M. res: 14 Quality: Excellent Durability: 45/45 Description

A martial arts shoulder protector made with the hide of a blazing tail. They fill you with the strength of thousand burning souls.

STR+2 AGI+2 TGH+5 VIT+5 FIRE RES+4

(Made by Wargon)

(Insert the name of your creation)

(Helmet) (Light Leather)

(requires level 15) Def: 12 M. res: 18 Quality: Excellent Durability: 40/40 Description

A martial arts bandana made with the hide of a blazing tail. The might of the Blazing tails flow through these simple protectors.

INT+3 AGI+3 STR+4 MND+3 VIT+3 FIRE RES+4

(Made by Wargon)

Wow.

Just that.

Really, I have nothing else to say about it.

Other than FANGY AMAZING!

I didn’t think much with all these souls and whatnots in the description, and immediately named everything along the lines of Robe of the Burning Soul, or Bandana of the Burning Soul.

And soon after I immediately equipped everything, not wasting a second more of wait.

I don’t think I told you guys about the visual of the armor, did I?

Well, basically, I took the fact that they are mystical foxes, which takes us to oriental themes, and from there martial arts.

The chest looks like a yellow fur kimono, but instead of being tied with a sash, I made it so that I close it with some buttons on the front. It’s long enough to reach up to my thighs and I left a small opening on the lower part so it wouldn’t bother too much my movement. Also, I only made the right sleeve of the armor, leaving my left arm uncovered. The logic behind this was because I thought that having a large sleeve like the ones I planned could trouble me with my archery or holding the shield.

Instead, I had a one-sided shoulder protectors on my left arm, and a leather glove that covered my whole left arm, from the wrist to a little below the shoulder. The leather on these two I died a bit darker to make some contrast with the yellow fur of the kimono. The pants were fairly simple, simply being wide enough to not bother with my movements.

Lastly, for my feet I made a thin sandal with straps going high enough on my ankles to lock it in place and not keep sliding off. And lastly, a bandana. Because they are reserved for badass people.

And I’m the badassest of them all.

However, when I thought that things couldn’t get better, they did.

Your current armor formed a set.

BURNING SOUL SET (6 pieces)

Set Bonus: Increase Energy regeneration by 10%

All equipment-generated fire damage can now land critical hits.

You can use the following skill while using this set: [Ignite Weapon] Congratulations, you are the first player to create a set. Would you like to disclose your name for other players? (Yes/no)

I’m pretty sure I can die happy now.

---

(dead) Author's corner: Well, i don't know about you, but i AM dead. WHY DO I KEEP MAKING SO MANY TABLES?