There is Something Wrong with This Game

A003 – Mainstream Blacksmith’s Way of Forging

A few moments later, Hecate arrived at her destination.

It was a small workshop building with a signboard of 3 swords, a shield and a spear overlapped together above the doorway. There are text of unknown language in the signboard, but Hecate already knew the meaning of the text was "Dalmagna Blacksmith".

This was thanks to many of the Ascension Player base who painstakingly decipher every text languages found in the game.

While Players and Natives can speak with each other freely as if they had the same language, the written text was different. Their alphabet and structure of grammar greatly differs from the real world and it takes a long time to make sense of it.

After a few attempts to decipher the text, the Player found that the language used by the Natives was really different than the real world.

When they asked some Natives to teach them the writings, the Native's mouth and their voice was not synchronized. It seems that the reason why communication was possible because the game system translates the language directly into their ears.

Even after two years since the game was launched, the progress of their language research was only the tip of the iceberg.

Hecate was about to open the door, but her hands stopped as she remembered something.

"Oh, I almost forgot... The gift! Ei!"

It was an unwritten rule of the players in any RPG game to try to earn the favorability of the NPC as much as possible. In Ascension, favorability of the Natives can increase the chance of triggering quests and important events.

Favorability can be earned in many ways, praising and giving a gift was one of the easiest method to befriend the Natives.

She immediately activated a certain skill.

Mana Stone Creation: Basket Shape (40.000 MP)

A white light immediately enveloped her hand and slowly consolidated to a basket shape.

Hecate let out a smile of satisfaction.

Yesterday night, Hecate had downloaded many free-to-use 3D models from the internet.

These models mainly come from 3D software platform websites where users can upload the 3D models they have created and make fortune of it. Each of them have a price which the amount was decided by the creator before these 3D models can be downloaded.

But, since she didn't want to spend money, she only download from the free stuff section, which was mostly just basic 3D shapes that are easy to make, or stuff that the creator doesn't want to monetize. However, that was enough for her current situation.

As long as she had MP to use, and a 3D model to decide the shape, the skill Mana Stone Creation can be used to create items out of thin air without spending any materials!

The only drawback of this skill was the fact that it was a Mana Stone did not change. If the mana in the item created by this method is drained, the item will automatically eroded and eventually crumble. This makes the items cannot be used as parts of complex machinery that used mana as its fuel, nor it can be used to make a building.

However, this skill was enough to create discardable miscellaneous items that have simple use.

Hecate took out 3 bottles of beer from her inventory and placed them into the basket. These bottles of beer was the same one she give to the two guards in the sewer entrance.

"Fortunately I bought many of these bottles before I head out."

She nodded with satisfaction and entered the building.

CLING! CLANG!

The bell attached to the door rang as Hecate opened the door.

"Welcome... Oh, it's you."

"Good morning, teacher. I bought some beer for you."

An old Dwarf greeted her as soon as she entered the workshop. He has long beard that reached his chest. His height was not high, about 147 cm, 2 cm taller than Hecate. There are lots of wrinkles in his face, displaying his old age.

This Dwarf is Hecate's mentor, the Native who teach her and the other Players on the perimeter of the Rosenweil Kingdom about Blacksmith Subclass.

Looking at the bottles in the basket, Dalmagna's eyes lit up.

"Ooh! Splendid! Quick, give to me!"

Like a people who had found a treasure, Dalmagna quickly grabbed the basket in Hecate's hand. It's already a public knowledge that Dwarves are very fond of alcohol. Looking at the excited Dwarf in front of her, Hecate could only let out a wry smile.

A moment later, someone came from the back room, carrying a hiltless blade that still freshly created.

"Teacher, I have completed this part... Oh, Hecate-chan? Good morning."

"Hello, Shuna!"

It turns out there are someone else in the workshop, and Hecate also know this person very well since they are from the same guild.

Shuna the Warmonger, one of the Seven Stars in Genesis Guild.

Her role in the guild mainly was equipment production. Like Hecate, she has Blacksmith Subclass. She shared the same race as Dalmagna, a Dwarf.

"Let me see... Oh, this is not bad, but it seems you're too hasty. This part is still needs refinement.

Look, there still impurities in this wedged area. And this part is..."

Dalmagna took the blade that Shuna created and commented the shortness in various parts.

Actually, the quality of the blade made by Shuna was already a top-tier across the Players current standards. But compared to Dalmagna's standards, it was still lacking.

Shuna only nodded and took a note to whatever Dalmagna says to heart.

"I understand, let me fix this blade fast! Please wait a moment!

Hecate-chan, I'm sorry I can't company you right now. I need to complete this blade before today."

She took the blade and says apologetically to Hecate. Originally, she would love to spend some time to play with Hecate. However, the fact that she had to hurry up finishing the blade was true.

Her original weapon, which has been upgraded into +7 and enchanted with various runes has been "plundered" by Black Phantom. Because of this, she had to forge her weapon from scratch. Thinking about this made her very depressed.

Shuna had spent months and lots of materials to cultivate her weapon until the current state, only to be robbed.

To recreate her original weapon to the present level, she had to take extreme effort. Her current level was 105, to replenish her lost level and advance further, she had to hunt strong monsters. Without proper weapon, she wouldn't be able to do anything!

With her schedule as a university student, her login time was very limited. At this moment, Shuna regretted why she took so many classes this semester and at the same time, her hatred towards Black Phantom soared high.

Because of that, Shuna had to ask Dalmagna for help.

She had to hurry or she would be sorry!

"Don't worry about it, Shuna. My visit here was to ask the teacher about something."

Hecate smiled, and then continued.

"But, since we're here anyway, can I see your forging process?"

"Well, sure! Go ahead if you want to watch. You're always be welcomed!"

Without much thinking, Shuna agreed with Hecate's request to watch her forge.

"But, I doubt you would be entertained. It will be boring, you know?"

The fact that Hecate also learned Blacksmith Subclass was already known by Shuna. As one of Dalmagna's disciple, how could she did not informed about her sister-disciple.

KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!

Hecate watched Shuna hammering the blade silently. Sure enough, as Shuna said earlier, the process was very boring. However, if she move away right now, it would surely affect Shuna's concentration.

Though, because of this Hecate was able to observe once again how mainstream Blacksmiths forged their weapons.

Forging in Blacksmith requires a lot of strength and dexterity. In short, it mainly relies on STR and DEX stats. Shuna's Dwarf racial advantage increased the stat effectiveness of STR, VIT and DEX, making her very compatible with this Subclass.

Without a certain amount of force, it was really impossible to swing the forging hammer. Then the more STR the Blacksmith has, the easier and faster they can expel the impurities inside the metal, purify it, and enhance the quality of the product.

And without dexterity, the accuracy of system correction would be poor. System correction will be triggered each time the Blacksmiths swings their hammer and correct the trajectory. Without it, they would likely to hit the wrong part and resulted to a failure product.

'Haah, but this forging method is already unrelated to me, right?'

Hecate closed her eyes and secretly sighed in her mind.

There is nothing to learn here. Her current build who discarded everything except INT was no longer suitable to forge anything with this method.

Originally, to adjust with this Subclass, she also raised STR and DEX stats. Her battle style also tailored to resembling a battle mage. While most mages cast spells while keeping as far away from the enemy as possible, Hecate prefers close quarter combat. This can be seen clearly from the choice of Acrobatic in one of her Subclass.

But around the time her Metallurgy reached lv5, she discovered metalcasting method by using sand that was mixed with some monster mucus. Unlike forging with hammer, molding the metal using this method did not require any STR or DEX stat at all. And the proficiency required to upgrade the skill increased normally as the same way with the usual forging method. 

From that point on, Hecate abandoned her forging hammer and reset her stat, focusing solely on INT!

As for the metal quality of the items, Hecate never considered it. To begin with, she was a Spellcaster class and did not use swords or armors. For her, Blacksmith were merely a tool for her to help her craft items to be taken to the real world.  

'I never consulted that decision to Dalmagna teacher.

If I do, there is high chance he would break our teacher-student relationship on the spot!'

The Blacksmith's forging hammer was like an identity of a Blacksmith. Abandoning it would be heresy to this Subclass, or at least that's the mainstream thinking of the Natives. There is no way Hecate would disclose about this to Dalmagna.

Hecate decided to keep this secret to her grave.