Blacksmith vs. the System

Chapter 162

a quick trip to the surface confirmed that things were in order. the core of the defenses was set, with the first set of steam cannons already up and in place, and the first ring of metal walls and retractable ceiling in place, workers busy with the second wave.in the same vein, the training of the spear corps was going well, a glance enough to confirm that their proficiency was ranging between seventy and ninety under harold's lead.

the only true problem was the beast wave, which was showing no sign of moving, confirming that they would arrive in a deadly wave.

the only silver lining was that i didn't know who was getting stronger faster: the beast wave, or our defenses. i guessed it was to be seen.

a quick trip to the center allowed me to absorb the extracted claws, which enhanced the mana reserves of the dungeon even further. "make sure to spread the metal floors even further," i asked after a brief visit to the cannon installments before i went back inside.

though, i was surprised to learn that the dungeon had yet to start dropping uncommon repair skills. either copying my skills was a one-time event, or there were some conditions to be fulfilled — and, considering the dungeon stopped dropping other skills with very suspicious timing, i couldn't discount that condition to be triggered externally either.

"tough decision," i said once i returned to the fourth floor, checking my prospective re

i maintained this conceptual focus as i delivered blow after blow, each strike of the hammer shaping both its physical form and its conceptual nature. the blade began to take shape, long and slender, with a subtle curve that hinted at agility and speed —

until it started to actually rust.

"it seems it's not exactly easy," i said as i examined the result, took the notes, and forged the next set. then the next one.

after ten failures in a row where i failed, i decided to stop. "alright, corrosion might not be the best way to experiment," i admitted. i didn't even know if an offensive variant was possible, but even if it was, corrosion wasn't an easy concept to combine with metal.

pity. i had been hoping to use my familiarity with the dungeon operations to my advantage.

there was no immediate success when i repeated the same tactic with fire, but it wasn't too bad. at least, the failures didn't occur as quickly, and each repeat brought me closer to success. "now, the last step," i said and stood in front of the barrel of water, ready to quench the sword.

experience tales at empire

i sank the blade, only for a cloud of steam to cover the area. it wasn't entirely shocking.

[-19 health]

i ignored the burns from the steam, focusing on the blade as it slowly settled on its final form, its hilt too hot to hold without insulating gloves. the entirety of the blade, including the hilt, had been radiating an uncomfortable amount of heat, cooling down slowly.

curious, i pushed a few points of health into the blade, only for it to heat up again, treating it as fuel. the same was true for mana. i pumped more and more mana, but at some point, it started melting under its own heat.

"not a bad start," i admitted, taking the necessary notes. i then used reformation on it, curious if it could be used to make it more effective. it did. under the application of my wisdom-based repair, not only was the weapon restored to its pristine state, but its flame concept got stronger, and more flawless.

lifting the sword, i observed it carefully. the metal was smooth, almost mirror-like, but as i moved it through the air, faint ripples of haze appeared along its edge, like waves distorting the reflection. "beautiful," i admitted as i finished examining the outlook.

then, i plunged the heated blade into the water again, testing its heat output and other qualities, and taking copious notes. then, i sealed the weapon to a mana-resistant box, with a layer of earth around it, and put it inside a different storage.

i didn't want to melt down the other products by accident.

"it's an interesting result," i admitted. the product was not in a usable state, at least not directly. without a way to direct and channel the heat, the sword could hurt its owner just as much as its enemy, if not more. even as a composite weapon with some adjustments, it wasn't exactly usable.

that didn't mean it was useless. even in its uncontrolled state, there were dozens of different ways to integrate it into steam engines, making them more compact and mobile. and, if i could actually figure out a way to add controllable limits.

unfortunately, i didn't have any time to properly explore it. when i checked the dungeon entrance — something i had made a habit of doing every five minutes — i realized harold was giving me the signal.

the beast wave was on the move. just as dawn was appearing, which was an interesting choice.

i created another portal.