First, he had to prepare the tal. Arthur stoked his furnace, watching the flas climb higher.
As the iron began to glow cherry-red, Arthur focused his mana into his fingertips, letting the energy flow through him and into the tal. The raw power sent visible ripples across the molten surface, his mana accelerating the bonding process between molecules.
"What are you doing, Davis?" Master Forge's voice bood across the forge. "That's not clay you're playing with! Heat it properly or get out!"
A panicked student hurriedly adjusted his technique.
Arthur remained locked in concentration, using tal tongs to transfer his glowing ingot to the anvil. Each hamr strike wasn't just physical—he channeled pulses of mana through the hamr, perfectly tid with each impact. Blue energy flashed on contact, driving deeper than re force could reach, compelling the tal to reshape according to his will rather than just beating it into submission.
Sweat trickled down his temple as he worked, the forge's heat intense even for those accustod to it. From the corner of his eye, he could see Elara working with equal focus.
"No, no, NO!" Master Forge shouted, snatching a hamr from another student. "You're brutalizing that tal! It's not an enemy to be beaten into submission—it's a partner to be guided!"
The student winced as Master Forge demonstrated the proper technique with three precise strikes before moving on.
Arthur returned his iron to the fire, this ti adding the trace amounts of mithril. This was the tricky part—mithril was notoriously magic-reactive, either accepting or violently rejecting the maker's power.
He closed his eyes, channeling a steady stream of mana directly into the crucible. The blue energy surrounded the molten tal, gently stirring the mithril particles so they'd align along what would beco the blade's edge and core.
"What are you doing, Elara?" Master Forge appeared beside Elara. "Your mana is setting too quickly. The tal needs ti to accept the enchantnt."
"I'm trying sothing different," Elara responded calmly, with a smile on her face. "Layering the enchantnt rather than infusing it all at once."
Master Forge grunted, neither approving nor dismissing her explanation before moving on.
Arthur's tal had reached perfect temperature, evidenced by the way his mana made it resonate with a subtle high-pitched hum. He returned it to the anvil and began the delicate process of folding and hamring, each strike punctuated by a flash of blue energy that drove the mithril exactly where he wanted it.
The surrounding forge faded as he entered a state of perfect focus—hamr strike, mana pulse, fold, repeat. The rhythm beca hypnotic, each cycle bringing the sword closer to completion. Other students began glancing his way, but Arthur barely noticed—his world had narrowed to the glowing tal beneath his hands and the power flowing through his arms.
Master Forge continued his circuit of the room, his criticisms growing increasingly colourful.
"Are you trying to make a sword or a fishing hook, Zenfield?"
"That edge wouldn't cut warm butter!"
"If you strike that tal one more ti while it's that colour, I will use your head as an anvil!"
When the instructor finally reached Arthur's station, he fell uncharacteristically silent. Arthur continued working, not stopping.
The sword taking shape under his hamr wasn't fancy or ostentatious. It lacked the obvious magical flourishes of Elara's creation or the elaborate guard of Sarah's. Instead, it was clean, functional, just like his katana, chaos.
The tal—infused with his mana—had a unique pattern reminiscent of flowing water, the mithril creating subtle silver streaks throughout.
"What are you doing with the mana?" Master Forge finally asked, his voice quieter than usual.
Arthur kept working as he answered. "Directing the tal at the molecular level. The mana pulses create resonance points where the mithril can bond more completely."
Master Forge's bushy eyebrows rose. 'Mana-smithing at your level? This is...unexpected.'
'The blade will channel power more efficiently, with minimal bleed-off.'
The instructor studied the half-ford sword with new interest. "Continue," he said simply before moving on.
For the final stage, Arthur needed to integrate his mana signature permanently into the blade.
He placed the nearly-completed blade into the forge one last ti, heating it to just below lting point. Then, holding his hands over the glowing tal, he channeled a continuous stream of mana into its structure.
The blade drank in the energy, the mithril streaks beginning to pulse with a subtle blue light. Arthur wasn't creating an enchantnt in the traditional sense—he was preparing the tal to beco an extension of himself, a conduit for his power rather than just a weapon.
When he finally plunged the blade into the quenching oil, the liquid hissed and bubbled violently. Blue flas licked across the surface for a brief mont before extinguishing. Steam filled his station montarily, and when it cleared, the completed sword waited, its surface darkened by the quenching but still showing those distinctive flowing patterns.
Arthur lifted it, testing the balance.
'Hopefully...It's good enough. I couldn't do better, even if I wanted to. Unless I used my Space talent, but it's not worth the risk.'
He ran a thumb carefully along the edge, sharp enough to draw blood without pressure. The blade humd faintly when he channelled a trace of mana through it, as if greeting an old friend.
He placed the sword down and let it cool for ten minutes.
"Ti's up!" Master Forge announced. "Bring your creations forward for judgnt."
One by one, students presented their work. So received grudging approval, others scathing criticism.
Sarah's sword earned her a gruff acceptance, whilst Elara's was slightly more praised.
"You've done alright, Elara. Still, it barely passes as a sword to be used in training bandits. You need to improve on a few things."
When Arthur's turn ca, he placed his creation on Master Forge's anvil without comnt. The instructor picked it up, studying it with narrowed eyes. He tested the edge, the balance, the flexibility. Then, to everyone's surprise, he channeled his own mana into it.
The blade responded, the mithril patterns glowing more intensely than before.
Reviews
All reviews (0)