Ethan held the blade in his hand and examined it.
Sword (Gold) ★★★★
Attack – 1,191
Magic Conduction – 999
Skills – Rising Rupture, Counter
It was the first four-star sword Ethan had ever forged. Even without the hilt, he could already sense the perfection of the weapon. And the skills... it was the first time he had seen abilities that were a little more "elaborate."
[Rising Rupture] – Each consecutive strike against the same enemy increases the damage dealt by 5%, stacking up to 30%. If the swordsman goes 4 seconds without hitting the target or switches to a different enemy, the bonus is lost.
[Counter] – After performing a perfect block or a precise dodge, the sword's next attack gains:
+20% damage.
30% chance to inflict Bleeding, dealing moderate damage over 5 seconds.
Ethan read the effects of both skills and smiled in satisfaction. He completely ignored Hephaestus's presence and began crafting the sword's hilt from a piece of dark-colored wood.
The process took a little longer than usual because Ethan was nervous. He didn't want to make a single mistake with this sword.
Once the hilt was finished, Ethan raised the sword and carefully examined the blade.
"This is definitely the best sword I've ever forged," he muttered.
Hephaestus, who had been nearby, overheard him and said,
"Let me take a look, please."
She held out her hand.
Without giving it much thought, Ethan handed the sword over to Hephaestus.
She gripped the hilt and gave the sword a few swings. She fell into deep thought.
*The weight is perfect. It fits my hand perfectly as well. Everything about this sword is exceptional.*
Of course, Hephaestus could forge a better sword than this one.
Just not so easily...
Ethan's ability... she wanted to study it further.
She handed the sword back to Ethan and asked,
"Your ability... do you only need to touch the blade? You don't have to say or think anything?"
"I do think about a few things, but nothing important. There's nothing particularly special about it."
"I see. Fascinating. I could actually see the blade changing in real time. I've never seen anything like it before. It makes me want to study your ability."
"I'm sorry, but I won't cooperate with that."
"You don't have to. It's simply something I'd like to do."
After saying that, Hephaestus smiled.
Then she decided to leave Ethan alone and walked out of the forge.
As soon as she left the forge assigned to Ethan, she ran into Tsubaki.
"So? How was he? Is he any good?"
"He's even better than I expected. He knows how to forge a sword, but what impressed me the most was his special ability. I've never seen anything like it."
A broad smile spread across Hephaestus's face.
It was rare to see her so excited about something.
"It's the first time I've seen you this excited. Is he really that special?"
"Yes, he is. I need him to become a member of the Hephaestus Familia."
"You'll manage it. You always get what you want."
####
After Hephaestus left the forge, Ethan set the sword he had just forged aside and thought,
'So far I've only forged swords... but they're the only thing I know how to forge.'
The knowledge he possessed was limited to swords.
It felt strange.
The original owner of his body had learned blacksmithing, yet he had forged nothing but swords. His knowledge was extremely limited.
He started silently demanding that the system provide him with more knowledge.
Of course, no message appeared, nor was any new knowledge placed in his mind.
'I'll have to study if I want to forge other weapons or armor. Maybe forging different types of weapons will earn me some sort of bonus.'
Ethan sighed.
'I'll have to ask Hephaestus or that girl, Tsubaki, for help.'
Then he picked up more iron to forge another sword.
Right now, what mattered most was earning points.
However, when he reached the storage area for the materials, he paused.
'Should I try forging with a different material?'
Up until now, Ethan had only used iron, the cheapest metal and the one most commonly used for beginner weapons.
That was exactly why his swords had become famous.
Iron swords with plain appearances but exceptional quality?
Of course they would attract attention.
Suddenly, several system windows appeared before him.
[Iron] – Durability ★ / Magic Conductivity ★
The moment he looked at the iron, the transparent window appeared.
Iron had its own ranking.
He then looked at the other materials on display.
[Steel] – Durability ★★ / Magic Conductivity ★
[Mithril] – Durability ★★★ / Magic Conductivity ★★★★★
[Adamantite] – Durability ★★★★★ / Magic Conductivity ★★★
[Orichalcum] – Durability ★★★★★ / Magic Conductivity ★★★★
He was surprised by the variety of materials available for him to work with.
Of course, the amount of Mithril, Adamantite, and Orichalcum was very limited—just enough to forge a dagger or, at most, a single sword.
There was, however, a plentiful supply of iron and steel.
"Steel has greater durability. Will that make any difference? Will the gacha odds change if I use a better material?"
Since the system hadn't said anything, Ethan concluded that nothing would change.
He picked up some steel and began forging another sword.
He was eager to see what he could create with it.
Fortunately for Ethan, the temperatures at which steel and iron began to melt were very similar.
However, steel required a bit more care.
If it became too hot, the sword's quality could decrease.
And if it was too cold, it would crack very easily.
But would that really matter to him?
He had the system on his side.
Once Ethan finished the same forging process he normally used with iron, he touched the sword with his hand.
The coin appeared once again and began to spin.
Several colors flashed across it, but gold was the dominant one.
A new Gold-rank sword was forged.
Ethan looked at the sword's status and felt disappointed.
He tossed the sword into storage, then left the forge and headed toward the building next door.
'I want to learn how to forge other things. I'm starting to get bored.'