Congratulations on completing the task.
Would you like to leave the Dungeon Instance?
"Yes!"
In the next moment, Uehara Soma's figure vanished from the white palace.
When he reappeared, he was back on Forging Island.
In front of Uehara Soma, there appeared a huge metal ingot and a white bone.
Obviously, these were the materials of the Skeleton Emperor.
Uehara Soma quickly stored them away.
Instead of immediately going to sleep, he lay on the bed and started to think.
Before entering the Dungeon Instance this time, Uehara Soma had always thought that the Dungeon Instance was deliberately constructed by the system, referencing content from other dimensions.
Akame, Dr. Stylish, Yume Tsubakuro, the Zenin sisters... they were all replicas.
But this time, Uehara Soma clearly felt that something was off.
Especially the look Aizen gave him, it felt very real to Uehara Soma.
It didn't seem like the reactions that could be produced by replicas within a dungeon.
A guess flashed through Uehara Soma's mind.
"Could it be that Dungeon instances are real?"
"Will my actions in the Dungeon Instance world affect that real dimensional world?"
"Will the friend of Akame really survive?"
"Will Dr. Stylish still become a member of the Empire government?"
"Has Alice's fate changed?"
"Will Yume Tsubakuro be able to live well?"
"What will happen to the Zenin sisters in the future?"
"If the Dungeon Instance I enter in the future is in the same dimensional world as the one I entered before, and if the timeline aligns afterward, I can find relevant individuals to verify."
...
The next day.
After finishing training, Uehara Soma entered the forging room.
There weren't many materials for forging the Skeleton Emperor, just two kinds.
However, this didn't mean that forging the Skeleton Emperor was simple.
On the contrary, it was very difficult.
In previous ninja tool forging, Uehara Soma was more concerned because there was only one set of materials. Once failed, there would be no materials left to complete the forging. But this time, the overall forging process was relatively simpler. There were only two steps.
The first one was to forge the metal ingot into the shape of a double-bladed axe. Then, finely grind the bone into powder and integrate it into the double-bladed axe.
This would complete the forging. The second step was straightforward. With Uehara Soma's current Forging Technique and experience, it wasn't a problem. However, the first step had extremely high requirements for Forging Technique.
First, the metal ingot had to be forged to the level of refined steel through a hundredfold forging process. Each forging session meant progress. Uehara Soma could imagine that a Ninjato made from refined steel, even without any special abilities, would surpass many others solely in durability. Moreover, the metal ingot in Uehara Soma's hands was already of excellent quality.
However, there is an intermediate process between the metal ingot and forging.
That is smelting.
Previously, Uehara Soma only relied on high temperatures from magma and charcoal to smelt the metal ingot.
Then proceeded to forging.
But now, the degree of refinement required for refined steel cannot be achieved through this method of smelting alone.
"A more thorough smelting is needed."
"Additionally, for refined steel, ordinary Lava Forging is somewhat insufficient."
"Perhaps it's time for me to summarize my Forging Technique."
"The techniques I'm using now are only at the Good level of forging proficiency."
"But in reality, my forging proficiency, under the enhancement of Forging Island and God's Hand, has already reached the Proficient level."
"In other words, I can now use more advanced Forging Techniques."
Afterward, the forging of the Skeleton Emperor requires a single molding.
That is, it cannot be done in separate parts like blade, shaft, and handle.
Instead, it must be a complete axe head with no seams in the middle.
Uehara Soma opened the furnace.
Below, magma flowed.
Waves of heat, mixed with the smell of sulfur, assaulted the senses.
This furnace represented a crucial step in forging, smelting.
"Sensei mentioned before that using the high temperature generated by magma and charcoal to smelt metal materials is much stronger than the usual method. That's why Forging Island is built here."
"Because there is magma here."
"The smelting process can absorb the power of magma."
"However, for the Skeleton Emperor, this is not enough."
"A more advanced smelting method than magma and charcoal is to introduce Chakra into the smelting process, specifically fire attribute Chakra, or Chakra containing fire attributes, such as Kekkei Genkai Chakra."
"For example, Scorch Release or Lava Release."
"I have fire attribute Chakra."
"But my talent in Fire Release is not strong enough."
"And introducing Chakra into the smelting process is a dangerous act. If mishandled, it could cause an explosion, no less lethal than an Explosive Tag."
"If only I could have an Excellent level talent in Fire Release."
"Even a Good level would suffice."
"But, I'm afraid it won't be possible for the time being."
"Here in the Hidden Mist Village, there are very few ninjas who possess fire attribute Chakra."
The only one Uehara Soma could think of was Terumi Mei, whose Kekkei Genkai contains fire attribute Chakra.
Therefore, Terumi Mei's talent in Fire Release is bound to be outstanding.
Generally, bloodline ninjas do not choose to use single attribute Ninjutsu.
But that doesn't mean they won't.
The reason they don't use it is simply because, in their case, using bloodline Ninjutsu is more cost-effective.
"I can't temporarily improve my Fire Release talent. At least, I need to learn a few Fire Release techniques."
"Otherwise, I won't be able to use this Chakra Smelting technique at all."
Uehara Soma planned in his mind.
"Next is forging."
"The most basic forging method on Forging Island is Lava Forging. To step up, it requires a higher level. And above Lava Forging, there's the forging technique that requires coordinated breathing."
"Swinging the hammer with each breath."
"It's like it has a life of its own."
"Adopting this forging method can impart additional properties to the metal being forged."
"Making it feel like the forged ninja tool has a sense of being alive."
The ninja tools Uehara Soma currently forges all have this feeling.
However, this feeling of these ninja tools doesn't come from Uehara Soma's forging, but from the materials themselves.
"Breathing Forging Method!"
"Unfortunately, sensei passed away early, so he didn't teach me about this."
"But it seems like sensei didn't learn it himself either."
"I can only rely on myself to figure it out."
Suddenly, Uehara Soma remembered something.
This Breathing Technique, used in conjunction with forging, Uehara Soma had only heard of on Forging Island.
However, the Breathing Technique used in conjunction with swords is quite common in another world called Demon Slayer.
"Both are Breathing Techniques, maybe I can refer to that?"
Biwa Juzo seemed skeptical of Uehara Soma's idea.
"You want to learn Fire Release?"
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