Whoosh!
The furnace was already in a preheated state.
The protective screen over the flas rattled slightly.
In an instant, the interior of the workshop was bathed in an orange glow, shadows dancing on the walls before the space dimd again.
Powdered coal, crushed mana stones, and reagents... right?
I examined the interior of the furnace.
Inside, a layer of burning coal was evenly spread, mixed with powdered mana stones and reagents that influenced the properties of the flas.
It seed this setup was part of the furnace’s standard configuration, given the preheating.
Alright.
I took a seat on a nearby chair and opened the protective screen.
Fwoosh!
A wave of hot air burst out, causing my hair and clothes to flutter. The searing heat seeped through the gaps in my clothing.
However, I didn’t feel particularly hot.
With Guhwa Flas already activated, I wasn’t bothered by such trivial heat. At most, my skin grew slightly warm, and a few beads of sweat began to form. Even that was rely a physiological reaction.
What about Baek Arin...
Glancing over at Baek Arin in the now-orange-hued, heated workshop, I checked if she was affected by the heat.
Despite her earlier assurance, I wanted to confirm she wasn’t uncomfortable.
There she was, sitting with her legs crossed, maintaining a composed deanor.
Not a single bead of sweat adorned her skin. Upon closer observation, I could feel the cold energy emanating from her body, stronger than usual. She was actively channeling mana to block the heat.
No need to worry, then.
Reassured, I turned my focus back to Guhwa Flas for one last check.
Although the output had felt different earlier, now that I had started controlling it, the flas had stabilized.
A detailed observation revealed no abnormalities. The flas were more turbulent than usual, but that was typical of Guhwa Flas, which were inherently volatile.
I extended my hand toward the furnace, letting the flas engulf it.
To an ordinary person, it would be a shocking and horrifying sight, but I calmly let the fire lick my hand.
Whoosh!
The Guhwa Flas burning on my right arm flowed into the furnace. They rged with the coal, mana stones, reagents, and existing flas, swelling in size and intensity.
Calm your emotions and focus...
Given the output of Guhwa Flas, they could easily incinerate the entire workshop along with the furnace. Proper control was crucial.
I carefully regulated the flas to prevent them from destroying the furnace, suppressing any stray embers that might escape.
ntally, I steadied myself, reigning in the rising impulses and emotions that threatened to overtake .
The Guhwa family’s training had emphasized emotional control above all else.
I had absorbed nearly two centuries’ worth of accumulated knowledge through their rigorous crash course. This task was nothing beyond my abilities.
Gradually, the ferocious flas settled, adhering to the furnace’s interior.
Satisfied with the result, I withdrew my hand, observing the subdued flas. Like a docile puppy, the fire obediently burned without threatening to overtake the furnace.
Done.
The preparations were complete.
Nodding in satisfaction, I grabbed a black iron ingot from the pile I had prepared.
I shoved the ingot into the furnace with my bare hand.
After all, it was my Guhwa Flas, and ordinary heat wasn’t enough to harm .
Crackle...
The Guhwa Flas within the furnace flickered and writhed.
The fiery waves embraced the black iron ingot, steadily heating it.
I carefully adjusted the flas’ output to prevent the tal from lting too quickly—or burning entirely.
When the ingot had softened to the right consistency, I removed it from the furnace.
The tal glowed white-hot, its surface shimring. Placing it on the anvil, I picked up the hamr.
Clang!
The hamr struck the ingot. Sparks flew as a resonant sound filled the workshop.
Clang!
Again and again, I hamred the tal, shaping it. Each strike elongated and flattened the softened ingot.
Though modern magical tools and automated systems could assist in forging, I deliberately chose to work with my own hands.
In this world, many traditional techniques and inventions had been lost during the upheaval of the Great Cataclysm and the chaotic periods that followed.
Countless chanical devices were destroyed, and the brilliant minds behind them perished. Written records of their knowledge were lost as well.
Even so, chanical devices persisted in this world, augnted by magic and the existence of Towers.
Clang!
There were tools right next to —advanced ones like pneumatic hamrs that automatically hamred tal, grinders for smoothing surfaces, and other mana-powered auxiliary devices.
Mass-produced armants are all made in factories, anyway.
Most mass-produced weapons on the market fell into two categories:
Handmade weapons crafted by novice blacksmiths aiming to recoup costs.
Factory-made weapons produced by mana-powered machinery, ensuring consistent quality.
Even superhumans couldn’t forge weapons endlessly without rest.
Factory-made weapons, produced around the clock, were cheaper and widely available.
They were the go-to option for underfunded or unsupported superhumans. Though disposable, such weapons were affordable and functional.
Clang! Clang!
However, high-grade equipnt was almost exclusively handmade.
It wasn’t just about the craftsmanship—it was because the performance of handmade gear far exceeded mass-produced counterparts.
Clang!
I struck the tal again.
Clang!
Mana flowed from the hamr into the molten tal, slowly rging with it.
As I finished one piece, I grabbed another ingot, dipped it in a catalyst, and placed it into the furnace, feeding it more Guhwa Flas.
Once the tal glowed red-hot, I transferred it to the anvil, sprinkled reagents over it, and resud hamring.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Mana infused the tal. Guhwa Flas seeped in, augnted by catalysts and reagents.
And...
With every strike, I embedded my unique essence into the weapon.
This world really places enormous importance on uniqueness.
A single extraordinary trait could grant powers far beyond normal comprehension.
Creations made by individuals with such traits carried their own distinctiveness.
It was like the old saying: "Beco famous first, and then anything you do will be celebrated."
In this world, a work made by soone unique inherently surpassed the ordinary.
Clang...
I paused, flexing my stiff fingers.
So ti had passed.
On the anvil now lay a black sword, its surface smooth and polished.
The weapon had no distinctive features—a simple, crude design. From the hilt to the blade tip, it was forged entirely from black iron.
I inspected the finished product—a creation born from several ingots, reagents, and catalysts.
‘Hmm…’
I made a strange face.
I wasn’t dissatisfied with the quality. It could have been better, sure, but it t the minimum standard. It was good enough to use. I’d just store it in my subspace and pull it out when necessary.
But unintentionally, the sword I’d crafted looked nearly identical to the one my second iteration wielded.
‘…No, that’s only natural.’
For a mont, the resemblance left feeling unsettled. But upon reflection, it wasn’t odd at all.
Its design was crude, so there wasn’t much room for deviation. And I had intentionally tried to replicate the sword my second iteration used, so it was only natural that the appearance would end up similar.
“Wow…”
As I mulled over this, a presence approached.
“Whoa, how did you manage to make sothing like this in such a short ti?”
It was Baek Arin, who had been sitting behind .
She walked over gracefully and knelt beside , her sparkling blue eyes fixed on the freshly forged black iron sword.
[Hehe.]
Her reaction made puff out my chest a little.
I felt a sense of pride in crafting sothing decent. The emotional intensity fueled by Guhwa Flas only amplified my satisfaction, leaving in a slightly euphoric state.
And then…
“With quality like this, it’s not just technical skills—you’re practically a master craftsman, Hayul—”
As I worked the hamr furiously in front of the furnace, her cool breath brushed against my overheated ear.
[Ugh! Hwahhh—!]
“Whoa—! Hey! Are you okay?!”
Caught off guard by the sudden sensation, I spasd and nearly sprung backward like a coiled spring.
I hamred away at black iron ingots, producing an abundance of weapons.
Swords of all types, spears, staffs, shields, hamrs, blunt weapons, axes... Even exotic weapons like teor hamrs and spiked whips that my second iteration had used—I forged them all, one by one.
I had worried that crafting each weapon might take too long, but the process was easier than expected, allowing to work efficiently.
The weapon forging was complete.
‘Next up is…’
“Hayul~ I’m sorry, please don’t stay mad at ~”
As I was about to move on to the next task, Baek Arin’s teasing voice ca from behind . I pursed my lips in response.
Just as I suspected, she was poking playfully on the shoulder with a mischievous grin.
[I’m not mad.]
“I didn’t expect you’d be so startled! I thought you’d sense it, especially since you said your detection ability was active. My bad—I apologize.”
[No need to apologize. It was my fault.]
[And I’m not mad.]
Mad? ? What a strange thing to say. There was no reason for to be upset.
Sure, she had startled so much that I jumped and scread—loud enough to briefly experience the curse of silence again—but that didn’t an I was mad.
Why was she making out to be so petty guy who’d hold a grudge over sothing so minor?
“Hmmm…”
As I repeatedly denied her claim, Baek Arin let out a curious hum.
What was with that unsettling reaction?
“Then how about this?”
[…What?]
“Since we both made mistakes, let’s call it even and forget about it.”
[?]
Call it even?
Suspicious, I tilted my head, and she smirked before pointing at herself.
Specifically, at her chest, partially hidden by her windbreaker.
“You know, when you barged in with that horn on your head and started grop—”
[Aaaghh!]
The enchanted necklace of confession rattled harshly.
A mory I wanted to bury forever resurfaced.
I shot up like a rocket and lunged at Baek Arin.
[Fine! Fine!]
[It was my fault! I’m sorry!]
[So please, just stop!]
“Okay, okay, I accept. Let’s forgive and forget~”
…Finally, I received forgiveness for that incident.
“You’re planning to make magic tools next?”
[Yes…]
After receiving so care from Baek Arin and her Changae, I slumped my shoulders as I replied.
The next task after the black iron weapons was accessories—in other words, magic tools.
Magic tools were, simply put, devices inscribed with magical formulas.
Technically, even carving a shockwave formula onto a rock would make it a magic tool.
Of course, such a crude tool wouldn’t be very practical.
The weaker and more brittle the material, the harder it was to inscribe the formula. Even if you managed to inscribe it, the tool would break after a few uses.
Thus, the base material had to be strong and durable enough to withstand the formula—ideally, sothing both expensive and robust.
Even then, magic tools weren’t permanent.
Over ti, the formula would wear down through use, and since it was artificially imposed, it was prone to damage from external shocks.
This was why weapons rarely had formulas inscribed on them.
Inscribing formulas required significant effort, ti, and money, yet a few clashes could render them useless.
Proper maintenance was essential to extend the lifespan of a magic tool, but even with ticulous care, it would eventually reach its limit.
‘That’s why artifacts are so highly valued.’
Artifacts were permanent.
Unlike artificially inscribed formulas, artifacts derived their unique properties from the material’s inherent traits.
They didn’t lose their effects after a few clashes, and even if broken, they could often be restored.
‘Artificial artifacts… Maybe I could create one soday, given my mana affinity.’
I didn’t expect to make one imdiately.
But the possibility was there. With the black iron weapons complete, I figured I could practice during my spare ti.
‘For the formula... maybe a basic protective barrier.’
Typically, crafting the base and inscribing the formula were done separately.
However, I planned to do both simultaneously this ti.
Whoosh! The Sky Wings extended.
Like a peacock spreading its feathers, the countless extensions of the Sky Wings sharpened into spiked tips.
I directed mana into the Sky Wings, concentrating it at the sharpened edges.
…It looked like so sort of tentacle monster, but this thod was efficient.
“That artifact really is amazing every ti I see it. The Sky Wings, right? Officially registered as mid-high grade, but it seems closer to top grade now.”
[It’s a perfect match for .]
I replied briefly to Baek Arin’s admiration and refocused.
Though the side effects of Guhwa Flas had unsettled earlier, I had cald down significantly with her help.
Still, it was getting late, so I decided to make just a few tools and call it a day.
With that thought, I picked up a silver ingot to use as the base.
Gold was an option, but it felt wasteful to use sothing so valuable for practice, so I opted for the cheaper silver.
‘Let’s start with a ring.’
I ignited Guhwa Flas in my right arm.
Fwoooosh!
The dim surroundings were bathed in red light.
Suddenly, my mind felt oddly subdued.
An incomprehensible scene appeared before .
“What the hell now?! Are you insane? Why are you losing it all of a sudden?!”
Lee Jiyeon, her fists pounding on her chest in frustration, shouted with exasperation.
And...
“You knew I was bipolar before following here, right? If you’re pissed, just leave alone.”
A man with a face eerily similar to mine waved dismissively, his expression rebellious.
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