Rowen entered the Smithy and began exploring the surroundings to gain a better understanding of the place. After thoroughly examining everything, he activated the seal on his forehead and delved into Cedric's knowledge.
Despite encountering vast and sometimes incomprehensible information, he eventually found the basic information he sought and started comprehending it.
Rowen sifted through the information and discovered a crucial insight: to become a blacksmith or alchemist, one needed a strong soul. The first step one needs to take if you want to become a blacksmith or alchemist is to feel your spiritual energy.
The spiritual energy is the form of energy which is derived from one's soul, just like how one can use aether energy present around the world through one's body by accumulating it in their aether nodes. But the spiritual energy of the one cannot grow stronger through the same way as aether energy.
The souls of blacksmiths and alchemists grow stronger through the refinement and crafting of different items throughout their lives, which in turn boosts their spiritual energy. The stronger one's soul, the more spiritual energy they possess.
Once you are able to sense spiritual energy, you can be considered a first-tier blacksmith. However, unlike alchemists, one can easily reach first-tier blacksmith status without any spiritual energy, solely by forging weapons.
But if one wants to ascend to the second-tier of blacksmithing, one must overcome a crucial step that distinguishes between a regular blacksmith and one who can refine weapons of various tiers.
To become a second-tier blacksmith, one must utilize their spiritual energy and manifest it as a spiritual flame, which will exhibit a unique color and intensity based on one's attributes and soul.
Using this spiritual flame, one must engrave at least one type of marking on the weapon to be considered a second-tier blacksmith. To reach the third tier, one needs to engrave two different markings simultaneously while refining a weapon.
As one ascends to higher tiers, the complexity and number of markings required for refinement increase. Different tiers demand more intricate combinations of markings during the refining process.
After immersing himself in the vast amount of information, Rowen found a moment of tranquility, closing his eyes to focus on sensing his spiritual energy.
Despite the passing time and initial difficulties, he persisted, refusing to lose hope. Eventually, his perseverance paid off, and he successfully connected with his spiritual energy.
As Rowen concentrated, a subtle yet unmistakable sensation washed over him. It was as if a dormant power within him had finally stirred to life, coursing through his being with a newfound clarity and presence.
Rowen's senses heightened as he tapped into the realm of spiritual energy. It was a profound moment as he discerned the subtle vibrations and currents that flowed within and around him, marking the awakening of his connection to his spiritual energy.
After connecting with his spiritual energy, Rowen rose from his seat and kindled the fire in the furnace. He then placed the Frailite ore inside, watching as it melted into a molten state.
Once liquefied, he carefully poured it into the mold, shaping it into the form of a sword. Retrieving the newly formed sword, he grasped the hammer and began to forge it, striking with precise and deliberate motions.
As he began to strike the sword with precise motions, following the techniques outlined in the seal, each impact of his hammer sent ripples through the metal, as if the very essence of his spiritual energy resonated with each blow.
As Rowen continued to hammer away, the waves of energy pulsated outward, their resonance not escaping the notice of Grimm from outside.
Observing the phenomenon, Grimm remarked, "He's truly forging something remarkable. He's indeed a blacksmith, but judging by the energy emanating from his hammering, his technique may be that of a high-tier blacksmith. He must have a great master guiding him."
In the quiet confines of the smithy, Rowen became completely absorbed in the forging process, his focus unwavering as he hammered the sword repeatedly.
With each strike, he poured his energy and skill into shaping the metal, lost in the rhythm of creation. After completing fifteen swords from the twenty sets of ores, he realized that five sets had been wasted in the pursuit of mastery.
Taking a moment to rest, Rowen settled back and centered his concentration once more. Following the instructions from the seal, he directed his entire spiritual energy into his right hand, endeavoring to manifest it in the form of a spiritual flame.
Rowen felt a subtle movement within his body, a gathering of energy focused on his right hand. However, upon opening his eyes, he found no visible flame; only a concentrated spiritual energy that eluded his sight.
Undeterred, Rowen closed his eyes once more and resumed his efforts. After a period of intense concentration, he succeeded in shaping his spiritual energy into the form of a spiritual flame.
Yet, Rowen's spiritual flame bore a unique trait. While most second-tier blacksmiths or alchemists possessed a spiritual flame of a single color, indicative of their attribute and soul, Rowen's flame displayed a mesmerizing pairing.
At its core burned an intense cerulean blue, symbolizing its inherent power and purity. However, as the flame extended outward, it became ensconced in a swirling vortex of chaotic energy. Shades of crimson, violet, and jade intermingled in a captivating dance, representing the untamed and unpredictable nature of Rowen's spiritual flame.
After taking out some Brute-Rank monster cores from his dimensional ring, Rowen used his spiritual flame to extract pure energy from them, preparing to engrave markings on the swords he had forged.
Following the instructions from the seal, he drew a basic marking in the air from the pure energy and engulfed the sword in his spiritual flame, attempting to carefully engrave the floating marking onto the sword.
However, as Rowen worked, the energy extracted from the cores became unstable, resulting in the destruction of the sword he was engraving. Undeterred, he continued forging with unwavering concentration.
Emerging from the room after completing his work, Rowen encountered Grimm, who greeted him sarcastically, and said " So, you finally out mister blacksmith it's already been three days." remarking on the time he had spent inside. Rowen acknowledged that quite the time has passed, attributing it to his inexperience as a first-time forger.
Grimm inquired, "So, what did you forge in three days?" Rowen replied, "I was able to forge five swords of second-tier in this time," while displaying his swords to him.
As Grimm examined the swords, Rowen scratched his head nervously, and continued, "Yes, this is my first time. I know it may not seem like much compared to someone like you, a fourth-tier blacksmith. But I did my best, and out of fifteen attempts, I only managed to forge these five swords."
Examining Rowen's swords, Grimm was astonished. "What? How are all these five swords top-rated second-tier weapons? It's been quite a while since I saw this good second-tier swords. Their energy is even comparable to some of the third-tier weapons. Are you sure this is your first time forging something?"
Rowen replied, "Why would I lie to you, old man? What do you take me for? I'm not someone who tells lies for fun."
Grimm responded, "But then what kind of talent is this that you're able to forge five top-rated second-tier weapons on your first try? Is your master who taught you how to forge, is someone like the legendary Blacksmith Cedric Elderwood or what?" He said this with a loud smile.
Rowen remained composed and replied, "Yeah, you could say that. He may even be much greater than the legendary Blacksmith Cedric Elderwood."
Grimm looked at Rowen and sarcastically said, "Yeah, yeah, if your master is someone greater than him, then I'm also Cedric Elderwood."
Then Grimm continued, "Rowen, I've been meaning to ask you, why don't you wear your blacksmith badge?"
Rowen replied, "I don't have something like that. I've already told you that this is the first time I've forged something."
Grimm responded, "So, you don't have a blacksmith badge. That means you're not an official blacksmith yet."
Curious, Rowen asked, "Where can I get the Blacksmith badge from?"
Grimm explained, "If you want to become an official blacksmith, you need to pass the exam of the Anvil Alliance, which manages all the blacksmiths across the world, similar to how the Arcane Alchemy Assembly manages all the Alchemists and gives them their official badges of their respective tiers." After that he sat off for the inn.
Upon reaching the inn, Rowen had his dinner and went straight to his room.As he settled into his room, Rowen felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness about the prospect of becoming an official blacksmith. He knew that passing the exam would validate his skills and open up new opportunities for him in the world of crafting.
As the night wore on, Rowen drifted off to sleep, his mind filled with dreams of mastering his craft and earning his rightful place among the ranks of official blacksmiths.