Igniting the Forge and the Core's Desperate Plea

I'm back at the Weapon Forge Shelter. It's starting to feel like home now. The familiar dusty smell wafting everywhere is oddly comforting—am I finally losing my mind, with my SAN value dropping? Anyway.

After practicing in the Bi-Wu Field, it's time for the real deal.

"Elf Hater sis! Watch over me!"

First things first: building my own forge. Second housing content after Yoji. Location is key here.

I can't just build it anywhere.

Building a forge takes more care than Yoji. Using the Ley Line Resonance Art to awaken a ley line means erupting magma from bare ground, turning the field into a fire-type zone. One mistake, and it's a disaster.

This isn't Pokémon; I can't just undo a bad terrain pick.

But no need to freak out. I've already scouted a perfect spot. True to its roots as a repurposed abandoned mine, the shelter has tunnels branching everywhere, and I've reserved the ideal one.

"No matter how I look at it, this is prime real estate."

I picked a spot moderately far from my living quarters and deep enough. Spacious too—about 80 pyeong? Big enough for futsal, even if not full soccer.

Moving to the center, I activate the Ley Line Resonance Art.

Rumble rumble rumble...

The basics of Ley Line Resonance Art involve listening to Mother Earth's voice. Focusing my mind, I feel majestic waves surging from the depths.

Feels like crashing waves.

I'm not forcing out a non-existent ley line. I ride the natural flow, drawing just one stream here. As Elf Hater sis put it, borrowing Mother Earth's grace means yielding to the massive current, not resisting.

So, now!

Timing it perfectly—like jumping on a pump-and-dump stock right before liftoff—I activate the Yin-Yang Five Elements Scripture too. Pouring in all my inner energy like mashing the all-in button, the massive flow surges up.

Kurrr rumble—!

A thunderous roar like lightning striking underground. No wonder earthquakes are called subterranean thunderbolts.

Like clouds splitting under thunder, the ground cracks open, hot magma bubbling through.

Kugugugu—

Regular lava would spray everywhere uncontrollably. But a ley line is Mother Earth's grace. It rises nobly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠without flooding outward.

Adding some finesse...

"...Done."

A concave rock swells on the ground, bubbling with magma inside. A well where fire boils instead of water—my personal mini furnace.

Beside it, solid rock erupted with the ley line rises as a small anvil.

"Perfect for an anvil."

Fetch a bowl of cold water from Yoji, set it up, and the forge is complete. Crimson Flame Tempering Art reduces the need for quenching water, but sis says take any edge you can get.

"Alright. Prep's good to go."

More than ready. Nothing left to do.

Double-checking the setup—

"Bang-on."

Now for the ritual that follows every event: hit the live button and invite the gallery.

"Come on in, everyone."

I adjust the screen to capture the whole forge.

"As you can see, this is my makeshift forge. Dug a well with the ley line for the furnace, quenching with water from Yoji. Questions, gallery?"

With broadcast ready, time for Q&A.

First question, as expected: what to make first. I've used whatever was handy before, but crafting my own? Top interest.

And naturally—

The chat ignites, summoning the spicy Sword-vs-Spear Cup.

They're at it again.

Black Sky and Anger Control Good, tied at 62-62 after her last Bi-Wu win in their sword-spear rivalry.

They hijack the chat instantly.

But the gallery has more voices.

The Exotic Weapons Alliance, empowered by their Monster Flower raid performance, chimes in.

Even those fading into irrelevance join the Sword-vs-Spear Cup frenzy.

But they don't know.

"Spot on. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't make whatever I want. I help it become what it wants to be."

Gallery reactions range from baffled to WTF. But what can ya do? Bootleg blacksmithing skills lead here.

Ending the debate in an unimaginable way, I zoom the view on the blood vessel-like thing from the Vessel Devourer, making sure they see it clear.

"Today's content: this."

My first creation's core item. Beside it, assorted ore scraps. Being an old mine, scrap metal's everywhere with minimal digging.

"Boss is nuts. No clue what'll come out, so stick around the channel."

Muttering to vent failure anxiety, I start the Steel Communion Method incantation.

Wooong—

Through the pre-activated Ley Line Resonance Art, Mother Earth's grand presence approaches, infused with my will. Bidirectional real-time comms via her mediation.

Tuning my intent to this bizarre metal—

"...?"

"...????"

"?????????????"

Fuck, what the hell? Does Steel Communion Method only speak Elf Hater's dialect? No Korean?

Something's audible, but noisy like a drunk slurring—gibberish mush.

I stare blankly, then SOS the expert.

"Sis, something's wrong."

"Nothing clear. Or rather, just muffled mumbling?"

Aha. Simple fix.

So, wash off the scabby blood crust around it.

For disinfection? Easy. Grab the massive rebar cutter from the junk construction site, clamp the vessel clump, and toss it into the mini furnace.

Psssh sizzle!!!

Impurities burn off in the ley line heat. Turns out ley lines purify too.

Once the already blood-red clump glows even redder, pull it out onto the anvil rock.

"Hang tight. Gonna refresh you good."

Wrap the prepared hammer in Crimson Flame Tempering Art and smash down.

Bang, kwang, kwang!!

Each cavern-shaking boom flakes off more crud from the clump.

Wormy hell, all that was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impurities?

Thought it was all vessel under ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the gore, but pure core's half the size. Yield that'd make a fish market weep, but now the material gleams different.

"Better talker now, right?"

Hoping, I listen again.

And sure enough, clearer now—

Dripping despair, perfectly fitting this apocalyptic world.