Armor Completion
-Clang!Ka-kang!! Inside the dark workshop, only the roaring flames from the furnace pierced the shadows, while heavy metallic clangs reverberated endlessly.
-Kang!Clang!! Each swing of the hammer shaped the glowing red metal, and when it began to cool and harden, it was swiftly thrust back into the forge to heat up again.
"Good. Heat it until it glows orange, then... that's it. Keep your left hand steady and locked in place."
The one swinging the hammer was none other than me. And standing beside me, Brina watched with a serious expression, adjusting my stance.
Thanks to my superior physical abilities and stamina, I was absorbing the basics of hammering that Brina taught me, and she smiled in satisfaction from the sidelines.
"Nice. Nice. A guy blessed by the Forge of All Things can't afford to suck at hammering."
'This is exhausting...'
This was Brina's workshop. After we'd mined all the metals needed for crafting in the mountains last time, she'd immediately started on the armor I'd commissioned.
But why was I, the one who'd placed the order, the one pounding away with the hammer? It all started when I came to watch her dive straight into production at the workshop.
"You're starting production right away?"
"You said it had to be done in two weeks, right? Time's tight, so we jump in now."
While she processed the leather I'd brought—removing impurities like fur and fat, then soaking it in a special solution to soften it—Brina lit the furnace and smelted the ores we'd mined together.
"This goes here. This one's... for making rings. And this..."
"What's the criteria for sorting them?"
In the process, Brina didn't just sort by ore type; she even classified similar ores by certain standards. No matter how I looked, they seemed identical, so I couldn't help but ask about her sorting method.
"This? I separate the ones that look like they have lower purity at a glance. Even after removing impurities and refining, if the base ore's like this, the quality suffers."
With that, Brina shared a bit of her personal ore classification technique. Things like a slightly dull sheen, faint cloudy spots, or subtle color differences...
I'd felt it in the mines too, but her overwhelming insight—humbling even someone like me who thought he had decent observation skills—left me in awe. Casually, I tossed out a question.
"Your eye for this stuff is incredible. Can I learn it too?"
"...You want to learn?"
To make the most of my replication ability, I inevitably needed to build 'understanding' of the replication targets. But if I could learn Brina's sharp insight?
'It's not just talent. That's definitely a skill she's honed.'
Not mere eyesight, but a systematic eye born of knowledge and experience to accurately gauge an object's state. That was a technique, and if it was a technique, I could learn it.
If I could acquire that skill and knowledge, wouldn't my replication ability—based on 'understanding'—leap forward dramatically?
"...Reeeally?"
Hearing my question, Brina grinned... and that's how we ended up here.
"...How does building that eye connect to learning to hammer? What the hell!"
Sweat pouring down my face, I kept swinging without pause, firing the question at Brina.
"Hey now. You grasp metal best by hammering it yourself. Don't slack off."
"Ugh..."
"Plus, I have your commission to finish, but teaching you too? Hands-on like this is the quickest and most efficient."
My body ached, but when Brina put it like that, I had nothing to say. I'd asked to learn equipment appraisal in the middle of commissioning armor from her, after all.
'Still...'
Lifting the lopsided, crude lump of iron compared to Brina's work, I nodded inwardly.
'Definitely. My understanding is building fast.'
Maybe because I'd shaped it myself? Even without much time invested, I felt confident I could replicate this sword-like lump anytime I wanted.
'No, not just this lump—my grasp of the raw 'materials' is growing too...'
"Hey. Daydreaming again."
-Smack!!
"Gah!!"
"Focus. I'm only teaching you like this because you got the Forge of All Things' blessing. Normally, dwarven teachings aren't handed out lightly."
"...I'll focus."
Rubbing my stinging butt where Brina had whacked it, I barely managed a reply.
'No, I knew she was rough around the edges, but my ass...?'
Stunned that she'd actually spank me, I stared at Brina with a dazed look. She scowled and raised her hammer again.
"Hey. Not focusing? I told you—if you begged to learn, I wouldn't hold back for customers or anyone!"
"...Yes, ma'am."
Averting my eyes slightly, I lifted the hammer and struck the iron again.
After watching my form for a bit, Brina stepped to her anvil, pulling ore from the furnace and smelting it in one fluid motion.
'...Damn, that's cool.'
Unlike me, just starting out and still awkward as hell, her movements were refined. Who knew watching someone hammer could evoke a masterpiece painting?
Brina's athletic allure, the way certain parts jiggled with each swing, and the flickering forge flames blended into a stunning scene.
'Maybe Brina's understanding too...'
Recalling another reason I'd sought her tutelage, I observed her intently before shifting my gaze back to my anvil.
Was it the habit of deeply understanding things for replication? This act of hammering while probing metal's depths was starting to grow on me.
...
After hammering away for a good while, Brina paused to catch her breath and cool off, glancing at Yuseong struggling beside her.
'Talent... not bad. Outstanding for a human, really.'
The talent she meant was as a blacksmith. For a beginner on his first hammer swing, his progress was remarkably quick.
It was possible thanks to his exceptional physique and stamina, but his base senses were sharp too—especially his eye for detail.
'About on par with an average dwarf's talent?'
Of course, even that praise dimmed before true dwarven prowess... Still, sensing Yuseong's potential, Brina pondered why the Forge of All Things might have blessed him.
'I like him.'
Beyond gauging his talent, Brina was growing fond of this man. She'd taken a liking just from seeing him handle the Forge's blessing, but...
"I want to learn that eye for appraisal."
Unlike other adventurers who demanded powerful gear blindly and swung it around, Yuseong wanted to cultivate the 'eye' to appraise such gear and ores.
That desire to start with insight aligned perfectly with dwarven values.
'And above all...'
Brina recalled Yuseong's prowess in the mines. Not a swordswoman herself, but as a smith who forged blades, she had an eye for a swordsman's skill and talent.
'Not fully ripened yet... but that talent is real. And from his swings, he probably has a proper master.'
In dwarven society, the most revered were master craftsmen. Who came next? Those who could draw out the full potential of their creations.
To Brina, Yuseong seemed like a lottery ticket guaranteed to hit big—raw now, but destined for greatness.
Even if the Forge blessed him for that talent alone, it made sense.
'...Gotta advertise too.'
As she evaluated him, another thought bubbled up.
Why had she accepted him as a client before confirming his skill? Since opening her workshop under her own name, not a single customer—unable to repay her loans. Desperate for cash.
The 100 gold from this commission would put out the immediate fire, but debts lingered, and maintaining the place cost a fortune.
To turn things around, she needed customers—and customers meant promotion.
The surest promo for an armorer? ...
"Hiss... if we did an exclusive contract..."
Brina recalled the greed sparked in the mines upon seeing his talent.
No amount of bragging worked like a famed powerhouse wielding your gear.
Just look at Steel Fortress' popular workshops—they thrived on outfitting celebrities.
That method in mind, Brina coveted Yuseong.
'Polish that talent, and this adventurer's hitting A-rank someday. Better than finished powerhouses—publicizing how my gear helped him grow...'
Raw gems growing with your equipment promo'd even better. Talented, no shady crimes (famous crooks hid in shadows, got eaten by Beast of the End cultists or joined them), obediently grabbed the hammer—dwarven personality approved. Blacksmithing aptitude too. Prime stock.
'Wish I could contract him... how to convince?'
To keep other workshops from snatching him, she pondered an 'exclusive contract.' But...
'No money. Custom gear? Ugh, no decent materials. Handing over off-the-shelf stuff? My pride won't allow it...'
She wanted to propose, but broke enough to slash prices for quick commissions—what cards did she have? Brina mulled her options.
-Clang!!!
Swinging amid her worries—
-Jiggle♥
Her breasts bounced heavily.
'Ugh. Annoying.'
Other races' women might envy them, but Brina just scowled. As a hammering smith, oversized tits were nothing but a hindrance.
.....Thus, oblivious to her greatest asset, she stewed on.
...
About ten days later.
"It's done."
"...Whoa."
Brina, weary but beaming proudly, showed me the suit of armor first thing in the morning when I arrived at the workshop.
"It's black."
"Your hair's black, sword's black—figured I'd match. Whaddya think?"
Black leather base, silver metal reinforcing vital spots. Not flashy, but with a subtle allure that drew the eye. Clutching my pounding heart, I tried it on.
-Shk.
'Ooh...'
The moment it settled, chills ran down my spine—in a good way.
My old armors were off-the-rack generics; this was tailored to my build, fitting without a hint of awkwardness.
"Fixed your sword too."
"Color's a bit lighter?"
"Had leftover ore after the armor, so I reinforced it while repairing. Matched the weight so no weird feel. Stronger now too."
Strapping on the returned sword at my waist, my all-black look—hair included—was complete.
A touch edgelord, but it screamed seasoned pro—no more rookie vibes anywhere.
"Test it."
"With this?"
"Trust me and swing."
Appearance, weight, fit: all passed. For defense, Brina handed me a small dagger from the workshop.
Hesitating a tad, I squeezed my eyes shut and slashed at the armor.
-Thud!!
"...Huh?"
"Solid, right? Non-mana attacks like that? Ignore 'em."
Even with decent force, the dagger bounced off without a scratch. Inside, I barely felt the impact.
'...Now I could solo that mutant ogre from before.'
With mana handling and geared up, confidence surged—I could take that monstrous twin-headed ogre solo now.
"Thanks, Brina."
Verifying the performance, I grinned and bowed in gratitude.
Not just killer armor—she'd taught me hammering basics, gear maintenance, and appraisal eyes these past days.
"Glad to work premium materials for once. Haven't made something I'm this proud of in ages."
Brina, beaming herself, tapped the armor here and there.
And then she made an offer I'd bite on.
"Turned out better than expected... you free now?"
"No plans... why?"
"Wanna hit the Creation Forge?"
"Creation Forge... the dwarves' temple to the Forge of All Things?"
"Yeah. Coming?"
"......!!"
Dwarven temple. Creation Forge. Ears perking at the mention—especially after researching the 'Manifestation' blessing from the Forge these days.
"...Can I come?"
"Going to get that armor appraised. Owner's you, so yeah. Plus, you're blessed by the Forge too—what qualification issue?"
'........'
Truth was, my 'blessing' was a lie—replication instead. Risky going to the temple, getting exposed...
'God. A god.'
"Uh... Brina, when you mentioned artisan ranks... top gear gets appraised by the god directly, right?"
"Yep. My best work—a helmet—got divine thumbs-up, made me first-grade."
A god. Still alien in this world I was adapting to.
And yet...
'Reason I transferred here...'
Most likely to know why I ended up here, my replication ability.
'God appraising gear... descending in person?'
Details unknown. But a chance to unravel lingering mysteries since arriving.
"Let's go."
I accepted Brina's offer.