• Dwarven Territory
• Scandrag
Gallus, Hermoine and I arrived at Scandrag the City of Dwarves. It took us a day to arrive there, the Nedveded Region wasn't far off from the city.
After we got the go ahead from Gabura we set off immediately. Naturally, I wasn't okay with Hermoine coming with us. In my opinion, it'd be better if she stayed back and allowed us to handle visiting the blacksmith.
...
Scandrag was so amazing, everything was so advanced compared to other cities we'd gone to. Several short men and women, with the former having thick beards; these were the Dwarves.
Aside from their supernatural powers, they were also skilled in crafting and metalworking. Sometimes known for clashing with the elves.
"Don't get lost now.." Gallus told Hermoine and I, we were still caught in amazement of the beauty the city had. The architecture was a treat and their display of personally crafted weapons and armors had this magical luster that easily caught the eye.
"Wow, there's so much incredible detail in every piece! Look at these swords!" I pointed at the set of sparkling swords that stood out in the other less impressive ones. The thought that it was actually shining is what made Hermoine astonished.
The knight nodded, "You have a good eye Sir Nyx.." he didn't doubt that my eyes would catch that piece of metalwork. But why wouldn't it? It shined as if by magic. "It belongs to the blacksmith we're looking for.."
Those words gave me a sense of assurance that my sword would be an excellent piece of metalwork.
...
• Omyujinʼs Weaponworks
Here we are.
We walked into the abode of the master bladesmith. It was dimly lit inside but the luminescent, red-hot colour of the coals give the room some lighting.
Pounding on a flattened piece of metal, the famous weaponsmith did his work, a dwarf as expected and with large throbbing veins on his muscles. Muscles which were built by years of hardwork and experience in this field, "Yeah, one second.." he uttered.
Taking initiative, I walked forward and approached the man who was diligently working. 'This dude looks tough, look at those muscles!' I said in my mind as I watched him work.
"Okay, I'm done..." he placed the sword he was crafting atop the heap of smoldering hot coals.
Hermoine admired the interior beauty of the place, it looked simple for the most part but the weapons was what made it special. Both the finished and unfinished works of metal.
It was easy to get her hooked on something, you just have to make sure it was something worth studying. Her studious behavior was much like my own but focused outside magic.
Wiping the sweat off his body, he asked me "So how can I help you?"
...
I'd already explained the situation to him and also informed him that we were the ones Gabura the merchant had told him about. He saw the design specifications I wanted for the sword, but what was more important was the kind of metal used.
"I'm sorry, I'm just too occupied to help you.." he bowed as a way to apologize. He was doing it as a favor to Gabura, but he didn't know I didn't want the usual kind of sword.
As a result of the increase in the armed forces of the Nation, the demand for longswords had increased. Every weaponsmith had their weekly quota increased from 5 a week to 30 a week.
"What? Isn't that a bit too much for you guys? How does one make thirty longswords by the end of the week..?" it was strictly a rhetorical question so I wasn't expecting him to give me an answer.
Worse enough, he was short on materials he'd use to make his sword. I actually admired him, any other weaponsmith would've made whatever and handed it to the military. But he knew his reputation was at stake, giving it his all in every weapon he made wasn't unusual.
His pride was on the line, "What kind of materials do you need though?" I asked him, there was a theory I had in mind.
"A special mineral called manasteel.." he told me.
I was unfamiliar with the ore that I was told of. However, it was logical that this continent would have a unique soil composition and mineral richness. Based on my understanding, the polymorphic crystals found in my continent should be identical to manasteel.
He walked past Gallus to shut the door which we didn't close behind us when we walked in. "Even if I had these materials it'd take half a month to meet my weekly quota.." such an impossible proportional share he was assigned.
He and his fellow weaponsmiths were under immense pressure to complete their orders in just five days, or risk losing their certifications. The looming deadline was a constant source of worry for them all.
"That's awful.." Gallus remarked.
"Wait!" upon realizing the possibility that the material could be manasteel, an idea quickly formed in my mind. Without hesitation, I knew exactly what action to take.
I hold my right palm outstretched and small particles of energy begin to surround it. They quickly combine, forming a large [Polymorphic Crystal] that's about the size of a basketball. This crystal has the incredible ability to upgrade or enhance magical products, making them even more powerful.
My smirk was as a result of the impressive feat I'd just shown off, "Is this what you need?"
As soon as he laid eyes on it, I could tell he was surprised. It wasn't manasteel, but something similar. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. I quickly informed him that it was Endlave's polymorphic crystals, which were even better than manasteel.
Gallus and Hermoine were totally taken aback. They had no idea that I had the ability to conjure up magical minerals out of thin air. I mean, who even knew that was a thing?
Apparently, it's not supposed to be possible because you need to use your own magicube to make minerals. But thanks to my mad skills in the [Oracle Engine] sub-skill [Analysis and Control], I can make it happen.
This sub-skill is seriously cool because it could reproduce the form and features of any object. And get this, it only worked once the object has been fully analyzed.
"This crystal is insane! I mean, seriously, it's so pure that it's almost blinding. I can't wait to get started on making some swords with this bad boy.." Omyujin was so excited, this was the first time he'd gotten to work with magic mineral so pure and reactive.
He closely observed it "The value of this crystal is off the charts, I'm telling you. It's like finding a diamond in a haystack. I'm beyond excited to see what I can create with it." his body was vibrating like a generator.
But nothing comes for free, almost everyone knows that. "I mean, you can have it, but it is a lot to give for free.."
'As expected from Young Master! He's bargaining!' Gallus was impressed with my business tactics. However, being the only son of the Besimios house, I had to educate myself in these procedures.
Even Hermoine could see through what I was doing. It wasn't fair but that's just business.
"Tell me what you want, I'll give it you!" Omyujin pleaded.
My eyes ran around the shop, I acted like I hadn't heard a word to say, just to build some suspense. Then finally I spoke "I was hoping you'd say that.."
There was a deafening silence while I built the suspense to revealing what I wanted from him. Omyujin looked at me for a long time, in fear of what I'd request.
"I just want you to make me a sword by the end of the month..." that was cutting it close, but I needed the sword before I returned to Endlave. I wasn't being selfish, I was weighing my options carefully.
He hesitated, knowing that refusing would result in losing the valuable polymorphic crystal. With a deep breath, he forced himself to agree, uttering the words "Alright, I'll do it."
"Are you sure? Even if you started now could you finish the longswords and also make his?" Hermoine didn't appreciate me adding more work to his already exhausting schedule. But she didn't know how important the sword was to me either.
Sigh. I decided not to look inconsiderate, so I asked "Can you finish on time?"
Omyujin wore a determined look, "I won't know until I try!" he then turned to resume work, there was hope for him yet.
...
While he worked on the swords we were resting in the workshop. I left the main area to the back, it was there I came across the beautiful longsword he'd made. It was the only one he'd crafted of the thirty he was assigned.
Which meant he need to make thirty more like these.
"Woah.." I said.
The blade glimmered with an otherworldly shine, portraying the presence of a manasteel core. This type of sword possessed the unique ability to adapt and transform based on its wielder, making it a coveted weapon among warriors.
While considering Omyujin's task of creating thirty swords, I came up with a plan to alleviate their workload. I utilized the [Oracle Engine] to conduct an [Analytical Appraisal] on the sword, carefully examining its components.
[>> Note! One longsword; sword with a long, straight double-edged blade, a cruciform hilt, and a grip for two-handed use. <<]
[>> Analysis complete! Utilising polymorphic crystals to produce fresh copies. Numerical value: 30. <<]
In progress...
[>> Extracting magicubes from surrounding <<]
In progress...
[>> Using magicubes to produce polymorphic crystal via sub-skill Analysis and Replication. <<]
In progress...
With ease, the longswords passed through the gate, creating gold-glowing energy ripples in the air. Thirty of them were mass-produced within seconds, thanks to my analysis and complete grasp of the materials used.
Gallus, Hermoine and Omyujin were alerted by the bright light and rushed into the room where I was. They were amazed by the thirty longswords I had created in a very short time.
"You're welcome.." I said.
All three of them shouted at the same time "Whaaaaat?!"