The Refiner's Touch
Kellin's remote workshop stood on the edge of the territory.
With Hermia's permission, Kang Yoonsoo had claimed the space for his work.
He emptied every raw ore from his pack onto the shelves, then sorted them by type.
Twenty-three gold ores. Fourteen reinforcement stones. Six mithril ores. Four moonstones.
The workshop's tools were old, but the furnace was excellent.
Kang Yoonsoo loaded the ores into their respective molds and heated the iron furnace until it glowed.
The ores melted into a thick, semi-solid state. He refined them until every impurity was gone.
Soon, clean ingots sat before him.
Twelve gold bars. Five reinforcement stones. Two mithril ingots. One moonstone.
The yield was exceptional compared to the raw amount he had started with. Moonstone in particular was notoriously difficult to purify.
The finished stone gave off a soft, silvery glow. It was proof of his skill.
Through exceptional craftsmanship, you have produced an outstanding result.
New skill acquired: Mineral Refining.
Mineral Refining
Skill Level: Lv1 (00.00%)
Purifies ores cleanly, removing all impurities.
A new skill had been born. Normally, actions only became skills after relentless repetition or extraordinary results. Kang Yoonsoo stored the refined metals back in his pack.
He drew his machete. One of its teeth had broken during the fight with the dragon soldier. He placed the blade inside the furnace until it glowed red-hot, then laid it on the anvil.
With steady, patient strikes, he hammered the wide blade.
Clang! Clang!
When the hammering was done, he quenched the blade in cold water.
The Steel Machete has become significantly harder.
Through exceptional craftsmanship, you have produced an outstanding result.
New skill acquired: Equipment Maintenance.
Equipment Maintenance
Skill Level: Lv1 (00.00%)
Improves equipment performance or repairs damaged gear.
Kang Yoonsoo then sharpened the blade on a coarse whetstone. His hands moved with practiced ease even without any skill assistance. After a long time, the edge was keen.
The Steel Machete's attack power has reached an excellent level.
Equipment Maintenance skill level has increased.
Your hands move faster when tempering or repairing.
He set the sharpened machete on the shelf and took out five reinforcement stones. The blue-glowing gems pulsed with power. Kang Yoonsoo smashed them with his hammer.
Crack!
Blue energy surged from the broken stones and flowed into the hammer, coating its head in a faint azure light. When he struck equipment with the empowered hammer, its performance would rise. Striking the blade increased attack power. Striking the hilt improved grip. Striking the tip improved penetration. But if the force or timing was wrong, the reinforcement would fail and the item would be ruined.
Every piece of equipment could be reinforced up to fifteen times. The more times it was reinforced, the lower the success rate became. Reinforcement-class users had an advantage with their unique skill that allowed reinforcement without stones.
Kang Yoonsoo brought the hammer down on the machete without hesitation.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel Machete reinforcement successful.
Steel Machete reinforcement successful.
Steel Machete reinforcement successful.
Steel Machete reinforcement successful.
Steel Machete reinforcement successful.
It was a complete success. He examined the results.
Its attack power had more than doubled from fourteen. A new stat, Durability, had appeared. Any ordinary blacksmith would have stopped here, satisfied. Kang Yoonsoo did not. The real work was only beginning.
“Excuse me.”
Kang Yoonsoo turned. A woman with tousled reddish-brown hair stood in the doorway. Shanette. She wore a dress that left her skin more exposed than before. Without her helmet, she looked far more natural.
When Kang Yoonsoo continued staring, Shanette deliberately looked away.
“Hermia made me wear this. It wasn’t my idea.”
She held out a plate with a slice of apple pie.
“Hermia asked me to bring this to you.”
Kang Yoonsoo accepted the plate and took a bite. The pie was moist and crisp, yet he tasted nothing.
“Um…”
He looked up. Shanette hesitated, cheeks faintly pink.
“I really wanted to thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be covered in burns. You’re my savior. The other soldiers look at me differently now. It feels strange, but wearing clothes that show my skin… it feels good. And also…”
“That’s enough.”
“Pardon?”
Kang Yoonsoo took another bite of pie.
“You made this yourself. Hermia didn’t order you to.”
Shanette’s face flushed crimson.
“H-how did you…?”
Kang Yoonsoo regarded her quietly. Most of her burns had faded, but the scar on the left side of her face remained.
Even back then, that one never disappeared.
It was the mark left by the Ignus Dragon’s flames. In a past life he had tried every method to erase it, but nothing worked. The proof borne by those who inherited a Fragment of Power could not be removed by magic or medicine.
As expected, this time too.
Suddenly Kang Yoonsoo stood and grabbed Shanette by the shoulders. Startled, she stared at him.
“Sit.”
She sank into a wooden chair. Kang Yoonsoo fetched a pair of scissors from the corner. Shanette was undeniably beautiful, but her hair was wild and unkempt. She waved her hands frantically.
“You don’t need to cut my hair! I like it the way it is!”
“I’m crazy. I don’t listen to other people.”
The strange reply made Shanette give up. Resisting would only make the result worse. After a while, Kang Yoonsoo tossed the scissors aside.
“Done.”
Shanette peered into a bucket of water. Her reflection stared back.
“……Huh?”
It looked far better than she had expected. No, it looked wonderful. The style suited a noble lady. Her bangs were neat, her large eyes fully visible. The length was still long, but now it framed her face naturally. The burn scar running from her left ear to her cheek was not completely hidden, yet the ends of her hair covered it elegantly.
She pressed both hands to her flushed cheeks.
“Isn’t this hairstyle too extravagant for someone like me?”
“No.”
Kang Yoonsoo answered without looking up and finished the last piece of pie. The plate was empty. Shanette blinked in surprise.
“Shall I bake more?”
“No.”
The reply was curt, yet Shanette found she did not mind. Kang Yoonsoo gripped the newly sharpened machete with both hands and looked at the thick spear lying on the floor. It was the weapon left behind by the dragon soldier’s clone, its shaft now secured with iron hinges.
The spear possessed tremendous penetration, but it was too large and heavy for a human to wield. Kang Yoonsoo raised the machete and brought it down hard on the spear’s shaft.
Crack!
The blade and shaft separated. He thrust the spearhead into the blazing furnace. Strangely, the furnace’s heat intensified. The dragon’s breath sealed inside the spearhead had spread through the flames.
Kang Yoonsoo turned to Shanette.
“Help me.”
“Me?”
Shanette’s eyes widened.
“I don’t know anything about blacksmithing.”
Kang Yoonsoo slowly shook his head.
“I’m not making equipment.”
His fingers brushed the black ring on his hand. The unique-grade item left behind by the last necromancer, Nakron. The Ring of Life Oppression. Besides the four uses of Soul Harvest, it possessed another ability.
Spirit Creation.
“I’m going to create a spirit.”
“A… spirit?”
Shanette tilted her head, certain she had misheard. Yet Kang Yoonsoo nodded without expression. A spirit summoner might borrow power from spirits, but no ordinary human had ever created one. The idea was difficult to believe, but Shanette decided to go along with it. After all, this man had erased the burns that had defined her entire life. She wanted to help him with anything.
“What should I do?”
Kang Yoonsoo pointed at the roaring furnace.
“Get in.”