Level 3 Subspace Forge

“Subspace Opening.”

A low murmur of command, and the 10 mana packed tight in my dantian drained away in a refreshing rush.

Swoooosh—!

The cramped, dim servant’s quarters warped violently and scattered into the void, replaced by the scorching heat of charcoal fire blasting into my lungs.

Flash—.

When I opened my eyes again, I stood at the heart of my personal sanctuary: the level 2 Subspace Forge, where a roaring crimson blaze filled the furnace and a silver steel anvil gleamed.

A red timer appeared in the corner of my retina, starting its merciless countdown from 10:00. Ten minutes—an overwhelming length compared to before. Yet the heavy weight in my hands made even that feel perilously short, a massive and ominous burden.

Thud—!

I set the Green Dragon Crescent Blade I’d been cradling onto the steel anvil. The anvil groaned dully, unable to withstand its brutal mass. Bathed in the furnace’s red glow, the enormous crescent blade radiated a feral blue killing intent, like a living beast. Before picking up the hammer, I scanned it from tang to tip with the sharp eyes of a master craftsman.

Impressive…

A soft exclamation escaped me. After handling only mundane weapons, facing one forged with a master’s blood and sweat revealed iron of a different grain entirely. Traces of folding and hammering impurities away etched intricate wave patterns across the blade. The ratio of steel shaft to hefty blade was brutishly precise, calculated for Guan Yu’s superhuman strength beyond mortal limits. No chips, no breaks. This wasn’t a weapon needing repair.

Not repair—breakthrough. How to elevate this near-perfect hunk of metal into the ultimate weapon.

My gaze locked on the core: the joint where the massive blade met the “dragon’s maw” ornament.

Found it.

No matter the smith’s skill, this era’s metallurgy had clear limits. The blade and shaft weren’t one solid piece but two metals forced together, pinned by giant rivets. When Guan Yu swung it to shatter an enemy general’s armor, thousands of jin of impact force surged back. That savage recoil bottlenecked at the joint, dissipating as micro-vibrations. Meaning, of his 100 units of power, only about 90 reached the edge—a subtle loss.

“I’ll smash that seam with my hammer, weld it from shaft to tip into one flawless grain without a single crack.”

With my goal set, my movements flowed without hesitation.

I gripped the heavy tongs and clamped the blade tight, thrusting it deep into the bed of boiling charcoal. My left hand seized the leather bellows handle.

Fwoooosh—! Fwhoosh—! Roooar—!

Strength 13 and Agility 11 synergized overwhelmingly. Veins bulged on my forearms as I pumped air into the furnace at explosive speed, incomparable to before. The inferno raged like hell’s maw; the blade and dragon ornament heated to deep cherry-red in seconds, soaking in the fury.

“Hup!”

I yanked the glowing blade onto the anvil and snatched the steel hammer beside it.

Claaaang—!!

The first strike tore through the forge air like an explosion. Dense steel that would defy ordinary hammers yielded to the perfectly balanced tool’s centrifugal force, screaming as it gave way.

Clang—! Claaaang—! Clang—!!

The hammer danced madly. I hammered relentlessly at the tiny seam where dragon maw met blade. The softened steel stretched like taffy inward; I shaved protrusions, forcing two metals into one molecular structure under ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠horrific pressure. Sparks rained like fire. Embers scorched my arms, but pain didn’t register. Only the insane ecstasy of recreating a legendary weapon dominated my mind.

“Become one!”

With a beastly shout, the hammer shifted to the blade face. Delicate taps refined the thick edge into sleeker, deadlier curves that shed impact and air resistance, blending modern fluid dynamics with hammer blows.

Confirming the seam fused seamlessly and the edge honed to razor sharpness, I stopped. I lifted the cooling, dark-red blade with tongs and plunged it into the oil vat beside the anvil without hesitation.

Shiiiiissssh—!!!

Steam and acrid smoke erupted like boiling lava. The quench locked flexible iron particles, granting rock-shattering hardness and unbreaking toughness.

As smoke cleared, I drew the massive blade from the oil. The crude seam vanished; from dragon maw to crescent tip, it was a sleek, ink-black monolith of steel. Then golden system windows flooded my vision.

“Vitality up!”

A tingling thrill shot up my spine. Vitality hit 55; forearm and back pain from hammering melted away. Boiling vitality reset me to peak. I caught my breath and glanced at the timer.

Exactly five minutes. Mana 10’s luxury. Normally, I’d sprawl on the bench, resting. The D+ blade alone would earn Guan Yu’s praise tomorrow. But I couldn’t release the cool grip.

Unsatisfying.

Despite the brilliant D+ rating, a vicious thirst boiled in my chest like a volcano. The reflected blade was far deadlier, perfect. But its owner? The war god Guan Yu, who’d charge through enemy lines on his steed and claim heads. Symbol of overwhelming might.

This blade can’t settle for necks. It must deflect arrow storms, endure insane weight—a true monster’s weapon.

The artisan’s greed. An arrogant, insatiable drive for perfection swallowed my reason, beyond any tyrant’s control.

“Five minutes left. I’ll burn them to shatter your limits once more.”

I clamped the freshly quenched D+ blade and rammed it back into the furnace heart.

Fwoooosh—! Fwhoosh—!!

My arms blurred in frenzied pumping. Agility 11 reaction, Strength 13, Vitality 55 fueled explosive bellows. Flames whitened to blue, hellish heat.

Reheating hardened steel was madness—wrong temperature could shatter it like glass. But E-Grade artisan senses and subspace corrections gave ironclad certainty.

“Now!”

I hauled the transparent-glowing blade and slammed it on the anvil.

“Hyaah!”

Claaaang—! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Clang—! Claaaang—!!!

Second upgrade: violent hammering. Beyond joining—I compressed blade density to a singularity. Narrow hammer face hammered sides hundreds of times, forcing molecules inward insanely.

Anvil screamed; forge shook like an earthquake. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Blisters burst, blood slicked the handle; embers burned cloth and flesh. But I didn’t stop—my hands danced autonomously, squeezing iron’s life force.

Blade narrowed microscopically; thickness and density condensed impossibly. Pitch-black grain absorbed light. Sweat- and blood-soaked, ragged breaths, I readied the final strike.

“This… is my limit!”

Claaaang—!!!

Every ounce of weight, strength, soul hammered into the tip. Steel surrendered with a crystalline snap. I flung the hammer down, seized tongs, lifted the crimson blade.

At 30 seconds, I plunged it into the clear water vat.

Shiiiiiiissssh—!!!!!

Explosive steam pierced the ceiling, dwarfing the oil quench. Pure water temper—riskiest gamble, steel could shatter. But this twice-forged, compressed monster devoured the shock.

Steam settled; vat stilled. Trembling arms hauled the legend from the depths.

Whoosh—.

Water beaded down the blade.

“Insane…”

A rough curse slipped out. No mere metal. Ink-black surface shimmered blue killing intent like heat haze on fangs of a living beast impaled on the shaft—violence incarnate. Then blinding golden windows carpet-bombed my vision.

“C-Grade…! And mana up!”

Joyous roar nearly escaped, but the system continued.

“Wh-what…!”

The narrow dirt forge quaked like an earthquake.

Rumble—!!

The clay floor cracked and reshaped into smooth, sturdy gray stone tiles. Ramshackle mud walls became thick red brick, space doubling in grandeur. A towering chimney sucked smoke clean; bellows evolved to massive, tin-plated twin mechanical pumps.

Above all, the environment and tools transformed. Mundane charcoal became purest white charcoal, blasting hellfire. Murky vats turned to crystal-clear purified water and premium hog fat oil. Silver anvil gleamed as flawless alloy; rusted tools vanished, replaced by custom high-carbon steel sets gleaming softly. Metal stocks appeared too.

“This… is the level 3 forge!”

I stared dumbly at my majestic sanctuary. From leaky shack to imperial forge any capital smith would envy.

My heart pounded. Better tools meant more: precise strike correction, temperature control, iron density intuition exploding into my muscles.

The red timer hit zero. Grand stone walls and crimson blaze warped and vanished.

Flash—.

I stood in the cool night air of my quarters. But in my hands, the freshly C-Grade reborn legend, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, weighed heavy and chill with ominous presence.