Free Web NovelChapter 169: A Familiar Place (2)
Wasting no time as he got out of the water, Shinon decided to get to work. With a wave of his hand, Shinon summoned a rift that led to his shadow domain.
With another swift motion, the domain vanished, leaving a tangible manifestation—a forge in its wake. It was one of the many forges the military had set up in Shinon’s workshop back in the settlement.
Shinon being the wise man he was, stored one of the forges in his domain. A Place where the flow of time differed from that of the real world, as forging inside his domain gave Shinon twice the time to forge his creation compared to the real world.
Thanks to his domain, he could craft enough weapons for everyone in such a short time. However, there was an issue with Lunarisite that his domain couldn’t solve on its own.
"I can’t deny the efficiency of the shadow domain for my craft," Shinon muttered, his voice echoing through the surrounding forest. "But Lunarisite demands a unique fusion of fire, earth, water, and wind. Elements that can’t be stored inside the domain."
Recalling Mei’s enigmatic guidance, Shinon understood the necessity of utilising the natural elements in his surroundings to tame the unruly Lunarisite.
He needed fire’s heat to soften its stubborn nature, earth’s grounding stability to shape it, water’s fluidity to mould it, and wind’s gentle breath to infuse it with essence.
Thus, with resolute purpose, Shinon brought forth the forge from his shadow domain. It materialised beside the fireplace the system had presented him long ago, which he had left in his base before joining the settlement.
With the fireplace providing a constant source of warmth and the forge emanating its enigmatic glow, Shinon was ready to embark on the arduous task of taming Lunarisite as quickly as possible. But before that, he needed to answer the obvious question. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
"I need to find a way to combine these elements to create an environment where Lunarisite can be moulded," Shinon mused, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames of the fireplace. "But how can fire, earth, water, and wind harmonise to soften this elusive ore?"
His mind raced through countless possibilities, searching for the perfect solution. It was a puzzle that demanded creativity and innovation. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration ignited within Shinon’s thoughts. He had an idea—a plan that could potentially unlock the malleability of Lunarisite.
"That’s it!? Maybe I’m dumb, but it’s the first that came to my mind."
With an idea now in his head, Shinon set to work, his skilled hands reaching for the needed materials.
He gathered clumps of moist soil, and although he had no prior experience in pottery, he had seen the art a few times and hoped his photographic memory would guide him through the process.
However, actual pottery was much more complicated than he had expected. He tried repeatedly, only to fail to create the one thing he had in his mind every time.
Undeterred by the string of failures, Shinon refused to let frustration consume him. He understood that mastery often required persistence and resilience.
With each failed attempt, he learned valuable lessons about the behaviour of the clay, the balance of pressure, and the precision of his touch.
After countless iterations, Shinon’s hands moved with greater purpose and finesse. He could feel the tangible progress in his technique as he skillfully shaped the moist soil into a boxed structure.
The edges were carefully smoothed, and a holder was sculpted within the box to cradle the precious Lunarisite securely.
"This should do nicely... I think." Shinon said as he let the newly formed container next to the fireplace to dry nicely.
Once the container was dry enough to hold its weight came the crucial moment—combining the elements to bring the Lunarisite to a malleable state.
Shinon approached a nearby stream, collecting a vessel of cool, clear water. He poured the water into the earthen box. Thankfully there were no leaks, so Shinon could proceed to the next part of his plan and combine the third element into the mix... fire.
Turning his attention to the fireplace, Shinon stoked the flames, encouraging them to grow in intensity. The crackling fire responded, casting dancing shadows against the earthen vessel.
"Now for the final part..."
There was one missing element—air. Shinon took a deep breath and leaned closer to the vessel, gently blowing upon the water’s surface.
But he knew it won’t work, so he created fan-shaped shadows to blow the flames and the water above and placed the Lunarisite into the holder.
At first, the reaction was subtle, imperceptible to the naked eye. But Shinon’s senses, sharpened by the time he had spent in the apocalyptic world, detected a shift in the atmosphere.
The water within the vessel began to stir, its surface displaying minute ripples. At first, Shinon thought it was just the water boiling, but there was more to it.
Suddenly, he saw a spark. Shinon didn’t pay much attention, thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. As Shinon watched intently, he discovered something happening to the ore.
The Lunarisite within the vessel started to yield to the elements. Its surface shimmered, softening under the influence of fire, water, earth and wind. The once stubborn and unyielding ore gradually began to take on a malleable form.
"Holy shit!"
A surge of joy surged through Shinon’s veins as he witnessed the Lunarisite’s response. It was a moment of triumph for him. The alchemical fusion had worked. The Lunarisite had succumbed to the fusion of fire, water, and air, revealing its hidden potential.
"No wonder Marcus was able to figure it out," Shinon murmured, his voice filled with a tinge of surprise. "Who would have thought that an ore like Lunarisite would soften upon boiling?"
Gently removing the vessel from the fireplace, Shinon marvelled at the molten Lunarisite. It glowed with an ethereal luminescence, its vibrant light reflecting the power it held. Carefully, he poured the liquefied metal into molds, allowing it to cool and solidify.
"Finally..." Shinon wiped the sweat off his forehead. "Time to start designing the gear."
