-357- Heavenly Steel Ingot

The idea of adding more materials was just something Rozen mentioned jokingly.

It wasn't because Rozen couldn't provide advanced materials anymore, but when forging a weapon, more materials didn't necessarily mean a better result.

Certainly, for weapon enhancement, players could increase the success rate by adding additional materials. While forging a weapon, the main material would only be the used metal, but players could also improve the weapon's performance and effects by adding other materials.

However, it wasn't as simple as just adding any materials.

Some materials did enhance performance and effects, but others could become a hindrance.

For example, since Rozen's requested weapon leaned towards strength, adding materials that focused on agility would likely result in a haphazard performance for the final weapon.

Therefore, Rozen provided an S-rank metal as the main material, and the other materials he offered were also carefully selected. They weren't chosen randomly.

"If my calculations are correct, forging a sword with these materials in this proportion will best meet my requirements and also achieve the highest level of performance."

Based on this thinking, Rozen brought out the materials he could use.

As for the materials he didn't bring out, it wasn't that Rozen didn't want to, but adding them wouldn't further enhance the performance. Instead, it could be counterproductive.

As a result, even if Rozen had other forging materials, he wouldn't bring them out.

Lizbeth and Asuna, who didn't know this, could only look complexly at the materials piled into a small mountain on the workshop floor.

"I haven't even used this many materials to forge my 'Lambent Light,' have I?"

Asuna murmured to herself.

"Anyway, this time, I should be able to showcase my skills."

Lizbeth quickly recovered and adjusted her mood. With excitement in her eyes, she extended her hand and tapped the S-rank metal in her hand.

An interface immediately opened in front of the metal.

————"Heavenly Steel Ingot."

That's the name of this S-class metal.

Lis confirmed the information about the metal ingot and marveled at it.

"What an advanced metal. It truly lives up to being a drop from the 55th-floor Boss."

As Lis spoke, her excitement grew.

Originally, Lis was prepared to give Rozen a hard time for Asuna's sake, to see what kind of person he truly was.

But now, looking at the pile of rare materials in front of her, Lis's identity as a blacksmith began to burn within her, and she completely forgot about that intention.

But can anyone not be excited about the situation in front of them?

Lis was certain that players who could make such a grand gesture probably couldn't be found anywhere else in SAO.

Wait...

If that's the case, who is this player in front of her?

Could he really just be a player from the clearing group?

Lis had served other members of clearing groups before, but she was sure no other player could produce as many rare materials as this.

And yet, he seemingly effortlessly accomplished it. Lis began to wonder about his true identity, but she quickly dismissed those thoughts.

Who cares who he is.

Use the material first and think later.

Lis casually brushed aside the important question and picked up the pile of rare materials in front of her, carrying them with some effort to the deepest part of her workshop.

There was a decent-sized furnace there.

Lis pulled the control lever, setting the attached waterwheel in motion, and operated the bellows to introduce air into the furnace.

"Boom!"

With an explosion-like sound, flames ignited in the furnace.

"Hei-sho!"

Lis exclaimed happily as she threw the rare materials into the fire.

Then, Lis carefully picked up the S-class metal ingot and brought it to the furnace.

Rozen immediately stepped forward to observe the situation in the furnace.

Even Asuna couldn't resist moving closer, her beautiful eyes fixed on the scene.

Under the gaze of the group, the pile of rare materials began to melt and cascade onto the S-class metal ingot, creating a dazzling light.

"Perfect!"

Lis took the glowing ingot out of the furnace and picked up an iron hammer hanging nearby. She sat in front of an anvil and placed the glowing ingot on it.

Then, Lis's expression disappeared.

No, it was replaced by an incredibly serious expression.

At this moment, Lis was no longer the carefree girl she was before; she was a true blacksmith.

This blacksmith stared intently at the ingot on the anvil, took a deep breath, and raised the iron hammer high.

"Clang!"

With each strike, the iron hammer fell heavily on the ingot in Lis's hand.

"Clang—clang—clang—clang—"

Following the rhythmic strikes, the iron hammer hit the ingot over and over again, producing crisp sounds of impact and sparking dazzling fireworks.

Watching this scene, it wasn't just Rozen; even Asuna began to count the number of strikes with complete focus.

In SAO, forging weapons didn't require a complicated process. Depending on the type of weapon and the level of metal used, forging could be completed by striking the ingot a corresponding number of times.

In other words, when Lis stopped striking, a new weapon would be born.

And the more strikes, the higher the performance of the resulting weapon.

So, Rozen and Asuna stared at Lis's forging process, counting each strike with full attention.

Especially Rozen; even he couldn't help but feel his heart race.

For this weapon, Rozen had gone all out like never before.

Let alone the only S-class metal on the entire server, even the other rare materials weren't easy to come by. Even with Rozen's skill, he could only make such a grand forging attempt once.

As a result, Rozen couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Clang!"

Unaware of Rozen's emotions, Lis continued to strike the ingot with the iron hammer.

"Two hundred strikes..."

Asuna whispered, making the tension even stronger.

"No less than two hundred and fifty strikes, I guess, for a weapon at the same level as Kirito's 'Elucidator'?"

Rozen made this estimation and stared closely at the ingot being struck.

Not long after, the two hundred and fiftieth strike fell from Lis's hand.

But Lis didn't stop; she kept striking.

"Two... two hundred and seventy strikes...!"

Asuna couldn't contain her surprise and exclaimed.

"Two hundred and eighty strikes...!"

Rozen also became excited.

And Lis continued to strike the ingot, stopping only after the three hundredth strike.

"Ching!"

In that instant, the ingot lit up again, emitting a dazzling white light.

In the white light, the ingot that had been struck three hundred times gradually changed shape, finally transforming into a sword.

When the light faded, the full appearance of the sword entered everyone's view.

Everyone looked at the weapon before them, collectively holding their breath.