Chapter 41 - Master Blacksmith's Doubts 

[Hello, my dearest champion!

I hope you're doing well and taking plenty of naps.

I'm sorry I haven't talked to you in a while, but I was a bit too lazy to write.

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I just remembered something really cool that I wanted to share with you.

It's called the Self Transcendence Blessing, I can't recall the specifics, but I think it might be something really fun.

I know it's a bit vague, but I'm too tired to explain the details. Just take it in and make the most of it. I wanted to let you know that I hope you like it.

Take care and enjoy your time of leisure!

-Goddess Akidia]

Broken quickly skimmed through the letter given to him by the Goddess Akidia, and it was evident that he was overflowing with emotion and joy in light of all he had received.

He didn't want to seem careless in Fokil's presence, so he quickly studied the blueprint that had just been put in front of him.

[Warrior's Call Glove Blueprint]

[Grade: Common ~ Elite]

[The perfect accessory for the sword-wielding novice. With its comfy, one-size-fits-all design, the glove is sure to be a hit with any aspiring swordsman.]

[To craft this glove, you would need a few grams of steel.]

[No hidden features were discovered.]

[The production of this item was straightforward, providing a clear and complete understanding right away, and the automatic craft feature was unlocked.]

[Crafting this item requires the skill of a Beginner Blacksmith.]

After carefully examining the blueprint in front of him, Broken was able to clearly read the information it displayed. The appraisal is a skill commonly possessed by all players. However, the appraisal skill he had here was different, as it allowed him to access the hidden feature information of a blueprint or crafted equipment.

Meanwhile, in Immortal Legacy, the Production class has access to Auto Crafting, a feature that enables them to craft items with ease simply by supplying the required materials. However, this feature will only be made available once the blacksmith has a 100% understanding of the items he will be crafting.

But then, the quality of the item produced is usually lower than if crafted manually, and the materials required may be more. Additionally, Auto Crafting eliminates the chance of achieving certain achievements and can be slower for a Production class to increase their rank of craftsmanship.

"Don't ever use the auto craft feature that Players like you have, or I will curse you for the rest of my life," Fokil said firmly, his expression filled with irritation as he looked at Broken.

"No," Broken responded quickly. "I promise to do all the production processes manually. I am absolutely determined to master this class, Master."

"You certainly know how to flatter people, don't you?" Fokil added. "But, I swear that if I die and you go back on your word, I will beg the gods to curse your life."

Fokil paid no heed to Broken's last words, seeming to be unwilling to place his trust in the young man. However, when Broken looked at him, Fokil continued.

"Ask me anything you don't know about blacksmithing."

"Eh." Broken nodded slowly, a slight smile rising to his lips. "Actually, this is all new to me, Master, so I'd be grateful to hear whatever you can tell me."

"Good," Fokil replied. "The difference between each rank of the blacksmith is the grade of equipment they can craft. As the glove I gave to you is of a very low grade, it can be easily worked on by a Beginner Blacksmith like you."

Broken nodded slowly, suppressing his smile as he had just become a Master Blacksmith in the blink of an eye.

Fokil continued, "The success rate of an item produced by a blacksmith depends on many factors, such as the rank and level of their craftsmanship, a combination of your basic stats, your Luck stat, and your Dexterity stat. Have you already unlocked the Dexterity stat? We can talk about it later if you haven't."

Broken nodded and tried to take in all the information. "So, the grade of the item is dependent on the quality of the blacksmith?"

"That's right," Fokil replied. "If you fail to make this glove Elite grade, then you'd be the most failed blacksmith I've ever met."

"I understand, Master," Broken said, nodding in agreement.

Broken was already a Master Blacksmith, which meant he should be leagues ahead of any other Blacksmiths players in the Immortal Legacy. He also had a formidable Luck stat, coupled with a special skill granted by the Goddess Akidia, Quality Enhancement. This combination of privileges gave him a high chance of creating extraordinary items. As he thought of it, he couldn't help but feel optimistic.

"Okay, next, we will learn about materials," Fokil continued.

After reading the materials from Warrior's Call Glove, Broken found out that the item can be crafted using small amounts of Steel. But unfortunately, he doesn't have any Steel at the moment, so maybe he can easily purchase it from merchants.

Fokil continued, asking, "Do you know what steel is and how it's made?"

The Dwarf man's eyes lit up with enthusiasm; it was evident that blacksmithing was deeply rooted in his soul; he became excited whenever he discussed it.

"No, Master, I need your guidance," Broken replied.

"Steel is a common metal alloy made from iron and carbon," Fokil explained. "It is strong and highly durable - you can obtain it by melting down iron ore and combining it with carbon to create a hard alloy."

"Understood, Master."

Broken nodded, realizing many new things in this game that he had never known before. Blacksmithing had all kinds of interesting components and seemed complicated, but this was the essence of Immortal Legacy - when one could do various things as if they were doing them in the real world.

"That's why," Fokil continued, "before you start to craft the glove, you need to learn how to smelt iron ore and make steel from that ore."

[Smelting Iron Ore and Carbon into Steel]

Rating: D

Broken has been given the job of transforming Iron Ore and Carbon into strong Steel by the Blacksmith Master Fokil. To satisfy his demanding standards, Broken must make sure the Steel is made to the highest possible quality.

Clear Conditions: Successfully produce steel

Clear Rewards: 500g steel

Quest Failure: You have to keep trying until you succeed in completing the quest.]

Fokil began his explanation, "We start by gathering our materials - Iron Ore and Carbon. The amount of iron ore we need depends on what kind of steel you are aiming to make. For the Warrior's Call Glove, we'll be needing four pieces of iron ore, which will be mixed in with two pieces of carbon."

Fokil asked Broken to pick up the things that looked like lumps of coal in the corner of the room.

After gathering them and stacking them, it was time to get the forge fire started so that it would reach its highest possible temperature.

Fokil took great care to demonstrate to Broken the proper way to arrange the charcoal around the base of the furnace and then blow small amounts of air into it using the bellows, until the charcoal ignited into flames.

"Now, do you understand what needs to be done?" Fokil asked.

Broken nodded, taking in each word as he studied the process for smelting his iron ore and carbon together into steel. "Yes, I'm ready," he replied confidently.

"Good," Fokil smiled.

Fokil pointed to the slag on the smelter and said, "This needs to be removed after each smelt, or else the steel quality will suffer from impurities." He moved around the melting chamber, showing Broken the different areas.

"Some parts need higher temperatures due to their special alloy properties, while others must stay at lower temperatures," he explained as he gestured to a particularly large area of molten metal.

Looking up at Broken, Fokil said, "Do you understand? You'll need to get this right if we want a good product."

Broken nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed, but determined to forge the best steel possible. "I'll do my best."

Fokil smiled in approval and said, "I'm sure you will. Just remember that it won't be easy. Steel-making is not for the faint of heart."

Broken nodded in approval.

"Very good. Now let's get to work."

Broken stepped up to the smelter and began the process of melting his iron ore and carbon together. He had to carefully monitor the temperature as he added the ingredients, making sure that it didn't go over or under what was needed for a successful smelt.

Broken took a deep breath before plunging the large ladle into the molten steel. He heard Fokil's menacing voice from behind, "Let me see how you work." Broken shivered and continued stirring the steel as Fokil inspected every move he made.

Broken continued working until finally, hours later, the perfect steel emerged from his furnace.

After cooling it down and removing any impurities or imperfections with some tools from Fokil's workshop, Broken was left with exactly what they had been aiming for - perfectly pure steel.

[You have successfully smelted a high-quality steel alloy, producing a material with superior strength and durability.]

Fokil took one look at Broken's work and said approvingly, "Well done! You've done something I couldn't even do in my early days!"