It was long known that there was one thing that was impossible while forging, even with the use of magic.
Intent.
It was not that you could not make something out of intent, in fact there were many spells that made swords from the very willpower and intention of the user. But that was not what we were talking about.
Intent in forging is a complicated subject. One that many still argue to this day is impossible.
But in order to know why it was impossible we need to know the nature of what intent really is. In essence it was simple, the experiences of the blacksmith imbued into mana which then takes hold of the [essence of steel] in order to enforce their will onto it.
Hence the name intent.
Many at first conception thought that it would be a breeze to do. Something that they would be able to accomplish as they had done with runic forging but it had shown to be impossible.
It was in the last step. Anyone could fuse intent with their mana. It was in fact one of the basics for even casting any spell.
But in order to enforce the intent onto the metal you would need to be so attuned to it that you could hear all of its woes. Something that had only been accomplished once by a famous smith.
To this day his works are still renowned, though none were able to use them. It was as if they were made with the [Intent] of a wielder. Like the sword that I had grasped earlier this evening.
It was one with a particularly strong will and if I had not seen it in full and only felt its power I would have assumed it to be a particularly strong runic sword.
One that had been in play for hundreds if not thousands of years but no, I had seen it and couldn't have helped myself from gaping and grabbing it.
Runes were not scratched onto it, instead they were imbued into it, as if it was made using intent based forging.
I had taken it from him but was overpowered. Me, one of the greatest blacksmiths the tower had ever seen.
It was the spirit of the sword. I could tell that it was young and it was the only reason I left the boy alone. Maybe if I stal- ahem- followed him then I could find where he had obtained it.
But no, he insisted that he forged it. It was then that I found myself hatching a plan.
He came her for ores, yes, then he could forge using my personal workshop. If he was telling the truth then I would bite my tongue.
Yet now that I was right here, staring at the boy, I couldn't help but stagger back.
It was impossible, it was… it was… Why? I couldn't help but cry to the heavens as I watched the boy play around with his armor.
It had barely been half a day and although he had many, and I mean many places that he could improve. He trumped me in one aspect. The very thing that I had spent decades searching for.
Intent based forging.
I snarled as I truly took a good look at the boy in front of me. He was talented. So talented that it made me look like a fool waving a plastic hammer.
I may trump him in experience and technique but he would surpass me in years.
For someone to be born with that level of talent in blacksmithing, it was truly a miracle.
It truly was a miracle.
I sighed as I found myself almost jealous.
Even now minutes after the hours-long forging process, I still could not believe it. He had done the impossible.
I tried to step back a bit further and hit the wall with my head. A slight hiss of pain echoed from my mouth. It drew the attention of the child.
"Get out… just go. There's no need to pay."
He nodded before leaving. I made sure to activate the formations and chase away the vagrants living outside so as to discourage them from trying to rob that boy.
Once I was done with that I picked up my hammer and some cold steel, a variant of steel that I had invented.
The sight of the boy forging still sharp in my head.
Every stroke of the hammer tried to imitate him, yet it just could not feel right. It was as if I kept making some basic mistake.
…
"Fuck this shit!" I yelled for the hundredth time.
I had been at this for who knows how long but no matter what I had tried there was no imitating what that damned bastard of a kid had done.
The fucker had done something impossible and left without explaining.
I threw the breastplate that I had recently made to the ground.
Despite the thousands of points I had wasted in materials I was no where near close to where I needed to be.
There was just nothing that worked.
Nothing at all.
I stomped away from my workshop. Throwing my hammer at the wall as I go and see what was happening at the counter.
I had turned the protection array in meaning that no one but the rankers could break in here.
I grimaced as I thought of those bastard faces.
They were so smug that they thought they were above us.
Ruling as if they were gods.
And they expected me to make them stuff.
I looked to the counter and saw him.
A blonde bastard. To anyone else he would be handsome but that was just an illusion that he played at.
His true for was an ugly short goblin looking bastard.
He had this complex where he would kill anyone that could see his true self.
It was why I hid my feeling of disgust at his true self and instead closed my eyes as I asked what he wanted.
"C'mon dude… all I need is a simple sealing spear. It should be easy enough for you."
I grunted and looked up.
"1.5 million points plus materials."
He widened his eyes in surprise before narrowing them into a facade of a snarl.
"Fine, but you better make this worth it."
He transferred the points and I immediately used them to snag myself a rune from the auction system.
It was only one but it was an improvement.
Judging by the bastard's smile he probably just received his points back.
After all, he was the only seller of rainbow runes.
"Two days." I burnt out before going back to my workshop.