Chapter 8

In the distance, a magnificent city came into view, nestled among three hills, emanating a distinctive metallic lustre. This was the Iron Fist Sect—an expansive territory that rivalled the size of three capital cities combined. Though smaller in scale compared to empires, the sect possessed unrivalled might, capable of challenging and crippling entire empires. This delicate balance kept the sect and empires at a tenuous peace, knowing that any conflict would result in mutual disadvantage.

Within a towering pavilion, a young woman stood before an exquisite counter. Before her lay a box adorned with ornate gold and brown decorations. With a slight tremor in her hands, she proceeded to open the box, releasing an earthy yet metallic scent. Inside, she beheld her most cherished possession—the gauntlet that had been her weapon of choice throughout her time in the sect, the embodiment of her dreams.

Her name was Syabella, the daughter of one of the sect's esteemed elders. In her earlier years, she led a relatively charmed life, blessed with exceptional parents and enviable talents. However, her world was shattered when her parents were schemed against and met with a mysterious demise. Since then, she had been thrust into a tumultuous existence, navigating treachery, conspiracies, and deadly situations. She believed that showing even a momentary weakness would invite the world to consume her.

The pinnacle of this threat arrived when she was crowned as the best disciple of her generation. Just as she reached this milestone, she received an unexpected summons from one of the sect elders—an indication that this mission held exceptional significance. With anticipation building, she anxiously awaited the arrival of her specialized weapon before the mission's commencement. Checking her token regularly, today was the day she had longed for—the arrival of her weapon.

Carefully removing the gauntlet from its box, she donned the loosely fitted gloves and channelled her energy into them to establish her imprint. Imprinting was a necessary step when using energy-based weapons, acting as a safeguard to prevent unauthorized usage. As she infused the gauntlet with her energy, the once loosely fitting gloves transformed to perfectly contour her hand. It was then that she realized the remarkable comfort the gauntlet provided, a reassuring sign as she prepared to embark on her mission.

After some time, all the inscriptions on the gauntlet suddenly glowed, indicating their activation. Syabella was eager to test them out. As she glanced back at the box, she discovered a letter addressed to her. She reached for the letter and began reading.

"Dear Syabella,

Congratulations on becoming the number one disciple. I hope you like the gauntlet. I added something special for you, and I hope it proves useful.

From Crafter Zen."

As Syabella finished reading the letter, she felt a deep sense of gratitude. It had been a long time since she had received a letter with genuine intentions, as most of the letters she received were filled with hypocrisy and sugar-coated words. Without hesitation, she found herself within the woods surrounding the sect, eager to try out the gauntlet.

For the next seven hours, she explored and tested every skill the gauntlet possessed. The concealment ability surprised her the most. Throughout her life, the sect had drilled into its students the doctrine of direct confrontation, discouraging retreat or hiding. However, Syabella no longer cared for the sect's doctrines, having lost any attachment to it after her parents' mysterious deaths.

After experimenting with the gauntlet, she reached for her token and sent a message to the pavilion, confirming the receipt of the weapon.

Meanwhile, Zen was relaxing in his workshop, engrossed in reading his mentor's journal when a ringing sound interrupted his tranquility. On the table, a card-shaped crystal emitted a hologram.

"Your order has been confirmed, and the review is exceptionally satisfied. Your payment has increased by 40%. Your current balance is 150 million EC."

Zen had modified the token during his spare time, finding the original design boring and bulky. EC, or Energy Crystal, was a globally accepted currency approved by the Craftsman Association.

"Nice," Zen exclaimed, satisfied with the news. After enjoying some downtime, he decided to move on to the next project, understanding that fewer ongoing tasks would allow him to focus better on future research.

"Alright, my little prince, what do you desire?" Zen mused, rereading the contract's request details. The prince had requested a staff primarily focused on defense but with moderate attack abilities. He also desired intricate plant-patterned engravings on the staff.

"Well, this one seems relatively easy, and the required ingredients are readily available," Zen concluded. With the order confirmed, he made his way back to the warehouse to gather the necessary materials.

In his workshop, Zen began the process of crafting the Green Iron for the staff. The composition consisted of 60% spiritual iron and 40% pure crushed jade. The spiritual iron provided the material with the ability to harness energy, while the jade bestowed a wood elemental affinity. It turned out that the prince possessed a unique elemental affinity for wood, resulting from the perfect harmony of earth and water energy within his body.

"This will be quite challenging," Zen thought aloud. Crafting a weapon for a unique energy holder was trickier than for normal energy holders, as the inscriptions needed to be harmoniously mixed between earth and water to achieve the wood element.

Before starting the Green Iron fabrication, Zen first created the molds for the staff. Instead of crafting an ordinary staff with inscriptions, he wanted to design a staff that could extend in length. Although it wouldn't have infinite extension like the Monkey King's staff, it could still double in length. Zen employed a folding technology, enabling the staff to extend from its middle section, resulting in a hollow interior. While the diameter of the extended section would be smaller, the hardness would remain unaffected.

To ensure stability when extended, Zen incorporated a magnetic effect that would firm up the extended section. Magnetic fields would lock the extended portion in place, and the hollow section would be filled with earth energy, creating a near-solid state. An additional advantage was that the impact vibrations would be reduced due to the hollow section.

Zen also planned to incorporate long-range attack capabilities into the staff, allowing it to shoot projectiles from the extended part. With the molds completed, he began working on the Green Steel mixture.

Once the mixture reached a molten state, Zen poured it into the molds. Instead of traditional forging, he utilized a hardening technique. When the metal in the mold reached a semi-solid state, he plunged it into cold water, rapidly solidifying the metal and increasing its hardness.

The process continued as Zen meticulously crafted the staff, ensuring that it met the prince's specifications for defense, moderate attack, and the engraved plant pattern decoration.

"Ah, this one seems relatively straightforward, and the ingredients are easily obtainable," Zen remarked as he confirmed the order. He made his way to the warehouse once again to gather the required materials.

Entering the workshop room, Zen began the process of crafting the staff. The composition for the staff was a mixture of 60% spiritual iron and 40% pure crushed jade. The spiritual iron would grant the material the ability to harness energy, while the jade would imbue it with a wood elemental affinity.

It became apparent that the prince possessed a unique elemental affinity for wood, a result of the perfect harmony between earth and water energy within his body. Zen knew that creating a weapon for a unique energy holder was more challenging than for a normal energy holder. The inscriptions required a different approach, necessitating a harmonious mix of earth and water inscription types to achieve the wood element.

Before commencing the creation of the Green Iron, Zen first fashioned the mold for the staff. The mold consisted of multiple sections, as he had no intention of crafting an ordinary staff with inscriptions. Instead, he aimed to design a staff capable of extension. Although it wouldn't possess infinite extension like the Monkey King's staff, it would still be able to double in length.

Employing a folding technology, Zen ensured that the staff would extend from its middle section, resulting in a hollow interior. While the diameter of the extended part would be smaller, the overall hardness would remain unchanged. To prevent any wobbling in the extended section, Zen planned to incorporate a magnetic effect, ensuring the firmness of the extended segment.

As the staff extended, the magnetic field would lock the extended section in place, and the hollow part would be filled with earth energy, achieving a near-solid state. The advantage of the hollow section, being filled only with energy and not fully solid, was a reduction in impact vibrations.

Zen also intended to equip the staff with the ability to shoot projectiles from the extended part, giving it long-range attack capabilities. With the mold completed, he began the process of creating the Green Steel mixture.

Once the mixture reached a molten state, Zen carefully poured it into the mold. This time, forging was not necessary. Instead, he opted for a hardening technique. When the metal in the mold reached a semi solid state, Zen swiftly plunged it into cold water, rapidly solidifying the metal and increasing its hardness. This will be resulted in the increase of hardness of the stick.