Free Web NovelChapter 43: Sword Forging
While the main body of the sword heated in the kiln, Bron picked up a smaller piece of a harder metal and began to heat and shape it.
Sparks flew as his hammer struck the metal with masterful precision.
"Whoa..." Alex whispered.
Seeing Bron’s strikes was no different than witnessing a swordmaster’s swordplay.
Alex instinctively stepped back to avoid disturbing him.
Soon the smaller piece was shaped into what would become the hilt of the sword and the main body also reached its fiery orange state.
Bron carefully pulled it out of the kiln and placed it on the anvil.
After leaving one part untouched for the tang, he drew out the length of the blade, keeping the center thicker for a center ridge.
Then he placed the blade at the edge of the anvil and angled the twin sharp edges with similar precision.
As the blade was now forged in a rough shape, Bron let out a deep breath and a colorless glow covered his hand and hammer.
So he is using aura to draw out the mana channels of the sword. Alex remarked inwardly.
But that wouldn’t help with mana conductivity... unlike mana, aura flows through our blood veins and the only reason these weapons have some mana conductivity is that a few of those veins have a similar passage to mana channels.
Although he knew the result was going to be no different than the sword he had held inside, Alex stayed silent.
He wasn’t in a position to interrupt a master blacksmith and tell them that their forging method was flawed.
The strikes of the hammer clashing with metal once again filled the forge, and slowly the sword began to take its final shape. However, just as it was about to reach its final form, Bron stopped his hammer midswing and turned his head toward Alex.
"What’s wrong?" Alex asked with a confused expression.
"Come here," Bron muttered in a husky voice.
Alex immediately stepped closer and asked while looking at the sword with an attentive expression, "What do you want me to do?"
Bron lifted the shaped blade and said, "This child is thirsty, quench its thirst with your mana." frёewebηovel.cѳm
Hearing that, Alex blinked in bafflement and tilted his head. "How am I supposed to do that?"
Bron smiled and pointed at a dark steel bucket placed in the far corner.
Alex looked at with the same confusion and curiosity and mumbled under his breath, "I still don’t understand what I am supposed to do..."
Original Alex mostly used purchased weapons so there wasn’t much knowledge on forging or anything similar. The few bits that he knew were because of the few things the Demonic Hammer, Valthazar, a three-star villain had told original Alex.
The two of them walked over to the bucket and it was then that he noticed.
None of the blacksmiths were trying to stop Bron from forging a sword for him. Even Yoru who had shown clear hostility to him was silent.
Well, it makes sense... He looked at Bron from the corner of his eye and added, He was once a paladin after all.
Now that I think about it... he is the strongest person I’ve met. Ystella is probably weaker than him but she also has a Blessing of Shadows so I can’t be sure.
I don’t even know what ability her blessing has.
"Do you see that magic circle at the bottom of this bucket?"
Bron’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts and his gaze landed on the magic circle in question.
The bucket had metal pieces welded inside in the shape of an adjustable holder and at the bottom was the magic circle drawn with concentrated mana crystals.
"I do," Alex responded with an intrigued look.
Bron grinned and placed the sword within the holder.
"Sit down," he muttered as he adjusted the holder to grip the sword perfectly straight.
Alex followed his words on beat and sat down beside the bucket.
"Place your hands onto the bucket and channel your mana into it," Bron stated as he waved his hand up and down toward one of the blacksmiths.
Alex frowned and looked at the bucket before asking, "What would that do?"
The blacksmith came over with a steel water bottle and a towel.
Bron took them and wiped the heavy sweat clinging to his brows and said, "It will tamper as well as pull out the mana channels of the sword." frёewebnoѵēl.com
"Oh!" Alex muttered and nodded, "Alright."
He then placed his hands onto the bucket and channeled his mana into it.
The mana slowly left his body and Bron stepped away while grinning.
Seeing him like that, the other blacksmiths frowned and Yoru mumbled, "Sir?"
Bron placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "It will take him at least three days to finish tempering it with the size of his mana pool."
As all of them finally understood that while being a necessary step it was also a punishment, they began to chuckle and looked at Alex with amused gazes.
Meanwhile, Alex had his eyes closed and was channeling his mana into the bucket without any other thought.
Although Bron was right about the time it would normally take E Players what he didn’t know was that Alex could amplify the amount of mana he had and because of that Alex had triple the amount of mana than the size of his mana pool.
As he channeled his mana into the bucket, the magic circle at the bottom began to glow faintly and a large portion of his mana came out of the circle like heavy mist.
Gradually, more mist filled the bucket and after a few hours had passed, the sword was completely covered by it.
Alex who had been continuously channeling his mana into it was already tired. His eyes were heavy and his lips were dry but even then he didn’t stop.
"No matter what... I’ll have the best sword I can..." he mumbled as his mana pool was slowly reaching its supposed limits.
