Kent closely observed the blacksmith's movements. The blacksmith carefully set aside the blueprint, then found several materials and placed them in a specially crafted iron mortar on the charcoal fire.
Soon, the materials melted together, transforming into a crystal-clear, shimmering liquid—a magical rune solution, the essence of rune forging.
The blacksmith swiftly lifted the mortar with tongs, pouring the magic rune liquid onto a heated iron plate.
An invisible aura spread out, and at that moment, the blacksmith's figure seemed as solid and imposing as a mountain.
He raised his hammer and struck down forcefully.
Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang clang…
With practiced ease, the dense hammering sounds fused into a single continuous rhythm.
Following the blueprint, the blacksmith worked at an incredible speed.
Gray Beard strained his eyes wide, his mouth agape. This hammer… it could be wielded like this?
To Kent, the crisp, rhythmic sounds were like a symphonic masterpiece. His eyes never left the hammer in the blacksmith's hand, which looked like… a magic pen.
Yes, a magic pen.
For the blacksmith was using it to pound the magic rune liquid on the red-hot iron plate, slowly crafting—no, drawing a pattern. The design, which seemed unimpressive on paper, was now taking form, resembling ancient totems from a prehistoric civilization or the markings on a divination bone shard.
The relentless hammering continued without pause. As the pattern neared completion, and the final line was drawn, the iron plate briefly glowed intensely before the light vanished. Apart from being reshaped into an oval, no trace was left on the plate.
Kent's heartbeat quickened. His system could sense that the iron plate had undergone a significant transformation, with the pattern faintly resonating with his internal star system.
The blacksmith, panting, set down his tools and used tongs to dip the iron plate into a prepared basin of cold water.
Zzzz… A burst of steam rose, and when the plate emerged, everyone was astonished.
What had once been a hard iron plate now resembled a soft sheet of metal, drooping in the tongs like pliant fabric.
The rune-forging system had finally yielded its first result.
"Amazing…" Kent reached out, ready to touch the softened iron plate.
"Careful, it's still hot," the blacksmith cautioned.
Kent didn't hesitate. He lightly pinched the iron plate, placing it in his hand.
The hot plate seemed as cool as a breeze in his grip.
The blacksmith and Gray Beard exchanged bewildered looks.
Gently channeling his magic into it, Kent watched as thin rays of light appeared on the surface of the plate. Upon close examination, the light formed a complex pattern—the very design from Kent's blueprint.
"Chief, is this… could it be…," the blacksmith stammered, his tongue tripping over itself, "a… rune?"
"You recognize a rune?" Kent asked, surprised by the blacksmith's reaction.
"Yes, Chief. Decades ago, I once assisted my master in creating a piece of rune armor." Seeing Kent's interest, the blacksmith knew he'd guessed correctly. With a complex expression, he glanced between the iron plate in Kent's hand and the parchment. "The crafting process back then was somewhat similar, though the materials were quite different. But this rune here was made with such basic materials… I never would have thought…"
"Thought what?" Kent inquired.
"That a few ordinary materials, when combined, could result in such a marvelous transformation. It's a pity I'm no mage and can't fully appreciate the beauty of it." The blacksmith sighed wistfully, then turned to Kent. "Chief, what effect does this rune have?"
"It's a basic defense rune. Applied to armor, it increases protection by 20%," Kent explained. "Its biggest advantage is that it requires no magic affinity, meaning anyone can use it."
"What? That's impossible!" The blacksmith gasped, and Gray Beard's eyes widened.
Their shock was understandable. Rune forging was a lost art on the Red Soil Continent; few blacksmiths possessed such skills. Rune-enhanced weapons or armor generally required magic affinity to wield. However, the tribes of Red Soil—whether in the Highlander Alliance or the Forest Alliance—lacked any talent in magical affinity, being instead proficient in strength and agility.
Thus, the blacksmithing techniques on Red Soil leaned toward crafting stronger armor and sharper weapons, with increasing demands on ore quality, forging techniques, and physical standards. Heavy armor weighing dozens or even hundreds of pounds became the norm for military units.
If this basic defense rune truly required no magic affinity…
It could revolutionize the continent's forging techniques.
"Don't believe me? Easy to prove. Blacksmith, get an armor piece to test it on."
While no full armor sets were on hand in the smithy, there were several armor plates made from the scales of northern tunneling beasts, which were typically used to repair the gear of northern explorers. Perfect for testing the rune's performance.
Though rune crafting was complex, combining a rune with armor was relatively simple.
The rune's design functioned as a magic array that triggered specific effects. Higher-grade arrays yielded more powerful effects, and the rune's reduced magic affinity requirement stemmed from a design adjustment to accommodate both crafting and usage.
The blacksmith pressed the rune onto the armor plate, and as he applied a bit of force, the rune's magical pattern glowed faintly, fusing with the armor plate to create a piece of armor marked with runic symbols.
Two plates were secured to wooden stakes.
"Splitting Blade!" Kent called.
"Here, boss!" Splitting Blade quickly responded.
"Hit both plates with the same strength using a sword."
"Boss, my sword's too big; let's use this axe instead." Splitting Blade picked up a freshly forged woodcutting axe.
"Axe works too."
"Alright!" Splitting Blade eagerly ran to the wooden stakes, set down his axe, spat twice into his hands, rubbed them together, picked up the axe, then looked back at everyone. "Stand back a bit!"
So much drama… Kent nearly smacked him.
Facing the first armor plate without a rune, Splitting Blade raised the axe, shouting, "Hah!" and swung down hard.
Thud.
The axe landed on the wooden stake below the armor plate, a full thirty centimeters away from it.
Silence enveloped the scene.