Chapter 674: The Forger
Northern sat down on the small stool, pellets of sweat streaming down his face. His eyes were half-closed, as if he was dozing, his face stilled like waters from the rivers of a frozen time.
After a while, he slowly lifted himself, not much could be noted about his change in expression. Everything about him stayed the same as he moved towards the anvil.
Northern carefully flipped the partially formed hammer head and struck again, focusing on balancing its weight.
A soft blue light in his eyes pulsed faintly, revealing subtle imperfections in the structure. With precise adjustments, he corrected these flaws, shaping the hammer into a weapon that exuded dominance.
Once the basic shape was complete, Northern retrieved a chisel from the workbench.
He etched shallow grooves along the sides of the hammer head, creating channels for essence flow. These grooves, when imbued with soul essence, would amplify the weapon's destructive power, making each strike devastatingly effective.
This was possible because of the nature of material he used in creating it. In essence, it was a weapon that could discharge lightning strikes with every attack.
The process was a meticulous one, requiring a steady hand and unwavering focus.
Northern worked slowly, his movements almost meditative. With each groove he carved, he infused a fragment of his intent into the weapon, gently and without rush guiding it towards his proposed theory of perfection.
And since the will of the mineral itself consented wholly to this path, the synergy in
construction was amazing.
He looked like he wasn't just making a weapon-it was like he was giving physical form to an extension of his will, a manifestation of his ambition.
When the etching was complete, Northern placed the hammer head back into the forge, heating it until it glowed an intense, radiant blue.
He retrieved a small vial from his pocket, filled with a liquid imbued with chaotic essence. Uncorking it, he poured the liquid over the hammer head, watching as it sizzled and hissed upon contact.
The reaction was immediate. The liquid seeped into the grooves, creating faint, pulsing lines of energy that seemed to dance along the surface of the hammer.
Northern's eyes allowed him to see the connection forming between the essence and the metal-a bond that would make the sledgehammer more than just a weapon.
"This is it," he murmured, a grin spreading across his face. "This is what I've been searching for."
Satisfaction tugging at the edge of his lips, Northern quenched the hammer head in a vat of oil. Steam erupted in a violent hiss, filling the smithy with the sharp scent of heated metal.
He watched intently as the sledgehammer solidified, the glowing grooves dimming to a faint, steady pulse.
With the hammer head complete, Northern turned his attention to the shaft.
He selected a piece of reinforced wood from the workbench-imported all the way from Sassex kingdom. It was the only wood that could be durable enough to withstand compatibility with the Atherium.
He measured the length carefully, envisioning how the finished weapon would feel in his hands.
Using a plane, he smoothed the wood, shaping it to fit comfortably in his grip.
He then began carving symbols along the shaft. Since the special woods of Sassex had that ability to propagate essence through woods, this better served as a way to make the best of the weapon.
The runes he carved would help stabilize the essence coursing through the hammer. Each stroke of his blade was precise, the patterns flowing seamlessly down the length of the shaft. This was the best thing they could get closest to what an item had to offer.
When the carvings were complete, Northern coated the wood with a thin layer of resin. The resin hardened quickly, creating a protective layer that enhanced the shaft's resilience while maintaining its flexibility.
Finally, he attached the hammer head to the shaft, securing it with metal bands forged from the leftover Atherium.
The bands glowed faintly, their energy syncing with the grooves in the hammer head. Northern tightened the bindings, ensuring the connection was solid and unyielding.
When the sledgehammer was fully assembled, Northern stepped back to admire his work.
The weapon was a masterpiece of smooth craftsmanship; no one would ever suspect that the person who created this happened to be a student learning blacksmithing for just a couple of weeks.
He gripped the shaft and lifted the hammer, feeling its weight settle comfortably in his hands. The energy coursing through the weapon resonated with his own, a subtle hum that filled the air.
As if it recognized the Void essence in him despite being a weapon coursing with soul essence in its veins.
"Perfect," he said, his voice low but filled with satisfaction.
To test the hammer's power, Northern turned to a thick slab of stone propped against the wall of the smithy.
He raised the sledgehammer high and brought it down with a force that shook the ground.
The stone shattered instantly with a vicious discharge of lightning sparks, fragments scattering in all directions. The grooves in the hammer head pulsed brightly, the soul essence within it amplifying the impact far beyond what should have been possible.
Northern chuckled, his grin widening. The sledgehammer wasn't just a weapon-it was a statement, a symbol of his relentless drive to push boundaries and break through limits. "This will do nicely," he said, resting the hammer against his shoulder.
As he extinguished the forge and tidied up the smithy, Northern's mind began to race with possibilities.
The sledgehammer was only the beginning. With other minerals within his jurisdiction, he couldn't wait to find out the arsenal of weapons he would create.
And with the Milhwa festival approaching and his plans for the academy's upheaval in motion, he needed every advantage he could get.
Creating magnificent weapons like this, he could even take it as an opportunity to sell them during the academy festival. All he just needed to do was showcase it.
But before all of that, Northern first wanted to know how using the weapon would feel.
"Black Mamba..."
The lithe, silhouette-like being rose from the shadows as if he had always been there. "You will lead me to the dungeon..."
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[A/N]
I apologize for the long talk about blacksmithing, it was to create a flow of the story. Also make it realistic, did not just want to say Northern is now a good forger, preferred to let you
all be the judge.
Thank you for your support and I hope you never stop supporting.