Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Crafting a Weapon Infused with the First Soul
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“Huu, huu.”
My breathing was ragged.
Even for me, who had experienced all sorts of bizarre things in this world.
Right now, I just wanted to set everything aside and rest.
To collapse.
[Completion: 100%]
Tremble.
My entire body was shaking.
Every muscle fiber ached.
How long had it been since I swung the hammer while sensing the ‘ki’ intertwined with Boneflesh?
Roughly estimating, it had been over seven days.
“I really... pulled an all-nighter! No, days!”
“To hammer away for a whole week without sleeping...”
The surrounding dwarves were looking at me with eyes full of astonishment.
“I have to admit what’s worth admitting! Yeah, this is what the soul of a blacksmith is!”
“Even if it was common in our ancestors’ era... that’s some incredible passion.”
They let out exclamations.
Yet they stared at me as if I were some mysterious creature.
Clunk!
Boneflesh set down the hammer.
As if it had exhausted all its energy, it slumped against the nearby wall.
“You did well, buddy.”
Even my voice was trembling.
It had to be.
Because the ‘masterpiece’ I had poured my heart into over the past week was greeting me with a brilliant glow right before my eyes.
‘This is... Titan’s Thunder Hammer.’
I gently grasped the hammer’s handle.
Then, a message only I could see filled the air.
[Congratulations!]
[A ‘soul’ has been infused into the crafted weapon.]
[The weapon’s grade has been upgraded!]
[You have acquired ‘Titan’s Thunder Hammer’ (S-Grade).]
“...?”
What?
Did I see that wrong?
My body froze with my hand still on the hammer.
I rubbed my eyes with my other hand.
‘S-Grade?’
Even checking again, it was the same.
The weapon crafted from an A-Grade blueprint was indeed S-Grade.
[Item: Special Titan’s Thunder Hammer]
[Grade: S]
[Type: Hammer]
[Description: Infused with steel, mithril, and the power of thunder. Though its realm is low, this hammer, forged with passion, proudly displays its form.]
[Effect 1: Strength +50.]
[Effect 2: Attack Speed +200%.]
[Effect 3: Damage to race ‘Elf’ +100%.]
[Effect 4: Usable only by race ‘Dwarf’.]
[Effect 5: Thunderous sound on impact.]
“Aah...!”
I couldn’t close my gaping mouth.
First off, the performance was insane.
On par with the ‘Fire Dragon’s Staff’ that Bone Ogre was holding!
The restriction that only dwarves could use it was a bit of a downside, but it didn’t matter anyway.
I had made it for a dwarf from the start.
‘This thing...’
Did I really make this with my own hands?
Something wriggling in my chest washed away the fatigue accumulated throughout my body.
[‘Boneflesh’s status is being adjusted.]
[Proficiency +5.]
[Proficiency +4.]
[The level of skill, ‘Intermediate Item Crafting’ (Lv.2), has increased by 1.]
[Proficiency +11.]
....
[Proficiency +8.]
[The level of skill, ‘Intermediate Item Crafting’ (Lv.3), has increased by 1.]
[Proficiency +7.]
[All stats +2!]
For crafting just one weapon, I had gained an enormous amount of proficiency.
The ‘Intermediate Item Crafting’ skill had leveled up to 4, and various stats had grown as well.
“...”
This was an incredible achievement.
Just from leveling up?
It wasn’t about that.
‘Boneflesh made an S-Grade item at just Intermediate level 2.’
Then.
What would happen if I accumulated more proficiency from now on?
If the skill leveled up to Advanced, or even Supreme?
If it hit Lv. MAX?
“...”
Words failed me.
Perhaps performance surpassing S-Grade.
An SS-Grade that had never appeared in ten years of history, or even higher-grade items.
‘Probably couldn’t make another one for a while even if I tried.’
Immersion works that way.
It’s not something you enter consciously because you want to.
It happens naturally before you know it.
In that process, there must be no greed or stray thoughts.
Only pure intent toward that ‘soul’ must exist.
This past week’s journey...
I had poured everything into it.
‘Still.’
From now on, I planned to definitely participate in weapon crafting.
I had to try.
“...My friend.”
Tonir approached and grabbed my hand.
“Truly, thank you. To think I’d see a hammer just like my family’s heirloom again in my lifetime. This Thunder Hammer you made will be gripped by sturdy dwarven hands. It will reveal its presence amid lightning on the front lines. Every time, we will think of you. You are truly... a true benefactor to our Rock Clan.”
[The Rock Clan feels gratitude toward you.]
[Affection has changed.]
[Rock Clan: 75]
[Forest Clan: 25]
‘Hm.’
Affection had changed again.
The Rock Clan’s affection rose by 5, but the elves’ dropped by 5.
No, why on earth was the unrelated elves’ affection dropping?
‘This...’
It felt off.
There seemed to be some kind of balance effect acting on the two races’ affections.
Likely totaling 100.
Did that mean it was impossible to max out both races’ affections?
‘Hmm.’
It was tricky.
This dungeon’s final quest was to resolve the conflict between the two races.
To do that, logically, I needed to raise both races’ affections at the same time.
‘I need to start moving soon.’
No matter how good production jobs are.
I couldn’t stay in this area forever.
Bluntly put, this was inside a dungeon.
A place I had to clear and exit.
As my excited emotions slowly subsided.
“Summon order! A summon order has come down!”
Someone’s voice flowed in at that moment.
A new dwarf from the village.
“Chairman, Vulcanus has issued a summon order! Targets are representatives from each village, Dagnal! And you!”
The dwarf pointed at me.
“Me?”
“Yes! You! Deadline is until the sun reaches midday tomorrow! Titan Central Conference Room!”
“...”
Chairman Vulcanus was summoning me?
I could guess.
That I was finally stepping into the heart of the incident.
“Understood. I’ll go.”
I slowly nodded.
* * *
“My friend.”
Dagnal blinked beside me.
“Don’t you grasp how monumental it is to be received by the Chairman!”
He talked about the summon order.
Spouting fervently.
“Even if you’re a different race from us, I thought you’d at least know this much. No! If you don’t, you must learn. Who the Chairman is. And what it means for the Chairman to summon!”
“...Yes, yes. So the Chairman is a very powerful figure. And doesn’t issue summon orders lightly, right?”
“Not just that? It’s been a full 50 years! Fifty years! He who normally doesn’t even show his face! That means he’s taking note of your existence that much!”
“...”
It was definitely impressive.
Of course, impressive in a different sense.
The leader of a race.
In the midst of war with another race for hundreds of years, and he’s never once shown himself?
What kind of messed-up clan is this?
Did my expression show too plainly?
Dagnal sighed deeply.
“I can see exactly what you’re thinking.”
“Frankly, yeah. If Chairman Vulcanus is that strong, he could just join the fight himself and end the war, right?”
“That’s impossible.”
He shook his head.
“Why?”
“It’s a pact with the opposing High Elf Queen.”
“Huh?”
What was that supposed to mean?
Elves are the enemy team.
Keeping a pact with the enemy team and not fighting?
What kind of nonsense is that?
“Hoo, what do you think the meaning of war is?”
“War? Just fighting. A fight with lives on the line.”
“Exactly. We wage war to gain something through that fight, right? But if Vulcanus and the High Elf Queen join in...? It would leave nothing for either to gain.”
“...”
“Just the two of them fighting would exterminate not only the two clans but all races in the world. No, the world itself would crumble. They are existences that strong.”
“That much?”
“Vulcanus alone is a powerhouse whom every existing elf and dwarf united couldn’t defeat. Same for the High Elf Queen.”
“...Gulp.”
“So they’ve agreed not to use their power.”
This.
Was a world where balance was more broken than I thought.
Well, Earth is the same if you think about balance.
Like how America and the Soviet Union went to war but agreed not to use nukes?
Chairman Vulcanus.
He was like the Rock Clan’s nuclear bomb.
‘Then.’
He was practically at the level of this world’s absolutes.
Suddenly, the Thousand Arts Elder and Solar Spear overlapped in my mind.
Who would win if they fought?
‘I can just check.’
There was a simple way to find out.
Tomorrow, when I meet the Chairman.
I’ll summon the elder.
* * *
The parliament in Titan Central was incredibly grand.
Just looking at the architecture showed how great the ancestor dwarves’ construction skills were.
“Wow, to think I’d step foot on this land in my lifetime. It’s all thanks to you.”
Dagnal seemed more excited than usual.
“A place no one below village representative level can enter. Heh heh, you see all sorts of things living long enough.”
“...”
He chattered beside me, but I couldn’t focus.
No, precisely, my whole body was rigid.
‘Insane.’
The dwarves I met in the village were nothing.
One by one.
The power of the representatives gathering at the building was at least Ranker level, roughly estimated.
Whether because my Taiqing Heart Method had improved lately, their power felt even more chilling.
‘Their power is no joke, and yet.’
Even all of them together couldn’t take down one Chairman?
Vulcanus.
I grew curious what kind of being he was.
“My friend, what’s wrong?”
Dagnal tilted his head beside me.
“Your face looks awfully pale.”
“No, it’s nothing. We just follow them in, right?”
“Probably. Don’t think I know more than you. As I said, this is my first time here too.”
Ah, right.
I shook off my thoughts and moved my feet.
At the same time, I summoned the elder.
[Using skill, ‘Thousand Arts’ Teachings’ (S-Grade).]
[Ki 20 used.]
[‘Thousand Arts Master’ appears.]
“Hm, kid. Finally done with the hammering?”
‘Elder.’
“Hm?”
Suddenly, the Thousand Arts Elder’s brow furrowed.
I asked inwardly.
‘What’s wrong?’
“Where is this place now?”
‘A place where this world’s big boss equivalent resides, they say. Summoned me, so.’
“You fool.”
‘Yes?’
“Be careful.”
Huh?
I was startled.
The elder is usually extremely arrogant.
Claiming to be the strongest, and even when meeting Solar Spear, his momentum didn’t waver.
He even said he’d win for sure.
‘But.’
Be careful?
“I sense a chillingly powerful aura nearby. Wow, at this level, even prime me would want to test it...”
“...”
Vulcanus.
That level of existence?
If he’s that strong.
And prefers training over smithing, from what I heard.
Boneflesh’s lifetime definitely wasn’t like that.
‘Anyway.’
No need for me to worry.
[Rock Clan: 75]
Affection with the Rock Clan was high.
Besides, dwarves are a race that knows gratitude.
They’d help rather than harm me.
Step, step.
I walked toward the magnificently built door.
After walking quite a while.
Boom!
A vast space opened up.
In its center was a low table filling the area.
A place only reachable by dwarves who had attained a certain realm.
The holy of holies.
It was the Rock Clan’s Upper Assembly Hall.