Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 1300: Smashing!

---Minas Mar, Blacksmith Workshop---

Sethʼs heart was getting lighter by the minute. If he was honest, he would admit that he was quite worried about trying to implement cultivator technology in the environment of the system. However, his worries were melting away thanks to Rún.

The blacksmith had wanted to start the day after he finished the new golem, but Rún had already started right after Seth left and worked through the night. Not only did Rún not need sleep, but he was also incredibly motivated when it came to researching enchantments.

From time to time, he would mumble things like “truly fascinating” and “Smashing!” as they made progress. Rúnʼs Genius Enchanter trait and classes really showed their powers in the following days as their work advanced in leaps and bounds.

“It really is a very interesting fusion of forging and enchantment,” Rún finally judged, when they managed to decipher the secrets of the heaven-grade blueprint Namʼs master left for the poisoned cultivator.

Of course, that didnʼt mean they suddenly had the master key to understand all Artificer blueprints of the Cloud Continent. Just like the people of the Pathworks, Cultivators had many ways to create, but this one in particular, they came to understand.

As cultivators used a completely different power system, Seth and Rún could only compare it to system terms. A common practice among artificers was something akin to burning an arcane enchantment into the item, during the forging process, a little like forging ballads worked, but using magic or, in their case, “formations”.

This one was even further developed, as it planned for formations to already take effect on the material during the smelting process. With Rúnʼs help, Seth was able to replicate these processes. He needed the golem mostly for the enchantments or “formation” part of the task. Smelting the materials and forging the metal were his daily work.

“Who would have thought we would be able to decipher the blueprint in merely three days? i think it took me longer to make you,” the blacksmith exclaimed excited, finally placing the various papers in his hands down.

Seth was the first to admit that he was not the most intelligent or avid researcher. He was glad that Rún took on this part splendidly and relieved that things had somehow worked out. The genius enchanter had managed to create blueprints for that replicated the effects of the core function of the artifact blueprint.
Although Seth had no business with arcane enchantments, Rún would be able to set them up. All they needed now were the materials for the enchantment formations. This was the big drawback of arcane enchantments.

Unlike magic circuits that created effects by guiding magic power, a magicianʼs enchantment relied on using materials and foci, arranged in a special constellation to create a permanent or semi-permanent effect. In many ways, these enchantments were more useful, but also way more expensive, when compared to what most ordinary blacksmiths were able to create.

As such, the blacksmith swallowed hard when he found the prices of the materials Rún needed in the auction house. Most of the items the golem needed for the enchantments were epic or relic-rated ingredients or materials.

The complete price for one set of materials reached over 200 gold, but Seth didnʼt worry. It wasnʼt because he had a lot of money, but because the bill was covered with Minas Marʼs main funds, not his private funds. After all, Nam was going to work for the guild, not him.

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Seth had another reason why he didnʼt worry about the price. He was looking forward to the rating of the item. Nam had suggested that this was going to be a legendary item, however, a cultivators heaven grade was not synonymous with legendary, as their grading was different.

For the people of the Cloud Continent, even an epic or relic-rated item could count as heaven grade if the performance was judged good enough. Seth believed in Nam and was looking forward to another legendary item.

The reason was simple. Once he succeeded, he would be able to register the effect in his forging catalog. At that point, he would be able to use the skills of his Path to Legend to copy the effect of the blueprint, without needing any of the preparation or materials. It had already worked when he disassembled Elder Gakʼs silver sword, giving him the Soaring Immortal effect.

Seth was able to accumulate quite a good amount of Power of Existence since the tournament and the battle with Spatia and Natina. Enough for him to experiment with it and use it for things like upgrading the pseudo- Tored had created.

Once he was done with these pressing matters, Seth intended to pursue his Path to Legend more diligently and explore his possibilities. But before he could do so, he had promises and legendary items waiting for him.

Seth was satisfied with his current level, there was no need to rush to the blacksmith at this point. The only one who was held back by his level in the past was Angelique, Mirror of Dawn. She was a deity he had revived as a Vassal.

His Vassals, he resurrected using , were capped at his level, and Angelique was the only one above lv.100 at the time of resurrection. With Seth leveling up, she had regained her original level of 118. Now she needed to collect faith as the guardian of TS6 to catch up with him.

“I will set up the enchantment formation around the ordinary furnace,” Rún suggested after the blacksmith bought a set of materials for the enchantment. They decided to use one of the normal furnaces in the workshop, so the special nature of the spirit furnace wouldnʼt get in the way of the enchantment.

For a moment, Seth observed the golem as he started drawing the magic circle and setting up the materials. Looking at all the materials needed to replicate the work of a Cloud Continentʼs Artificer made Seth a little jealous.

“Maybe we should get one of those furnaces when we visit the cloud continent and try to replicate that?” he suggested, thinking of what he had heard from Master Mountain concerning the creation of artifacts on the cloud continent.

Artificers were not stupid. They had also long realized that needing a huge number of materials to set up formations was hardly sustainable. That was why, according to Master Mountain, many cultivators had furnaces and cauldrons that could reduce the needed supplementary materials when creating items and medicines.

It reminded Seth of his own Golem Forge, or the Soul Refinery, which could automatically take over much of the needed effort, as long as the base materials were provided. From his conversations with Yu, he knew that it still took a cultivator more effort, but creating something to improve the workflow simply reminded him of these things.

“Why would that help?” Rún, who didnʼt know about this kind of stuff, asked curiously. When the blacksmith explained what he had heard from the cultivators he knew, the golemʼs gemstone eyes started sparkling.

“So they are something similar to an enchantment disc! Fascinating. I would love to research one,” the genius enchanter exclaimed after hearing the explanation. However, at the same time, he said something that caught Sethʼs attention.

“What is an enchantment disc?” he asked, curious.

“Oh, it is similar in nature. It is an item many enchanters will create after becoming a craftsman. Technically, there are adjustable dials that can be calibrated to display various enchantment circuits, usually the ones the enchanter is most familiar with.

This reduces the work in setting up the magic circle, and the enchanter only needs to place the materials and foci to perform the enchantment,” Rún explained what could be called the system version of an artificer furnace.

“Looks like smart people think alike, no matter where one goes,” the blacksmith mumbled.

“Anyway, letʼs get to work. While you set up the enchantment, Iʼm going to refine the leather. Nädel has been urging me to give it to him since the day before yesterday,” Seth said to the golem and went to the anvil, while Rún continued setting up the magic circle.