Tie Shan stepped aside from the anvil.
Several players in the smithy stared.
They had been struggling here for ages, and Tie Shan had barely seemed willing to spare them a glance.
Beyond the system's basic instruction, he had hardly volunteered a word.
Yet Lu Tiechen had only taken out a piece of Glimmer Iron Ore, and the blacksmith had yielded the anvil to him.
"This NPC plays favorites?"
"What's that ore he's holding? It looks different from ordinary iron ore."
"Glimmer Iron Ore? I don't think I've seen it before."
The players murmured among themselves.
Lu Tiechen ignored them.
He held the Glimmer Iron Ore in his palm and examined it carefully.
A faint silvery-white sheen covered its surface. Subtle, but clear.
Unlike the free Low-Grade Iron Blanks in the smithy, this ore contained far fewer impurities, and its internal structure was denser.
Of course, it was still a low-grade material.
First, he bought an ordinary wooden handle from the smithy. Then he took a length of coarse hemp wrapping and selected a low-grade whetstone.
These supporting materials were all ordinary.
The Glimmer Iron Ore would determine how far this forging attempt could go.
Tie Shan stood nearby, watching him select materials without interrupting.
Only when Lu Tiechen placed the Glimmer Iron Ore in the furnace did he narrow his eyes.
Flames licked the ore.
Its silvery sheen slowly vanished beneath the fiery glow. Dark red seeped inward from the edges, as though something was awakening within.
Lu Tiechen watched.
Soon, he saw the familiar changes.
The patterns inside the ore slowly unfolded in the fire. Impurities lay scattered along the edges like tiny black specks.
Compared with a Low-Grade Iron Blank, its interior was much cleaner and more responsive to force.
But there was a problem.
It was too light.
Or rather, too thin.
Forged into a sword on its own, it would produce a sharp blade without enough substance. Its Durability might be poor.
Lu Tiechen considered that, then added a small piece of Common Iron Stock to the furnace.
A watching player couldn't help asking, "You can add materials yourself?"
Another shook his head. "No idea. The tutorial didn't teach that."
Lu Tiechen acted as though he hadn't heard.
To him, system instructions were for people who didn't know how to forge.
Real forging had never meant swinging at glowing dots.
The heat was right.
Lu Tiechen lifted the glowing metal with his tongs and placed it on the anvil.
Clang!
The first blow fell.
The ring was clearer than when he'd forged the Sharp Iron Sword.
The Glimmer Iron Ore was quite ductile. Rather than crumbling under the impact, it stretched in the direction of the hammer's pressure.
Lu Tiechen's eyes stirred.
The material was more cooperative than he'd expected.
Clang!
The second blow.
Clang!
The third.
The smithy gradually quieted.
The players who had been complaining about how difficult forging was stopped working and turned to watch.
They couldn't understand the details, but they could see the difference.
They were all holding hammers.
When they swung, they frantically hit whichever spot the system illuminated.
Their blanks bent or cracked, and the constant failure notifications drove them mad.
Lu Tiechen was different.
Every strike was steady.
Not fast.
But unnervingly steady.
Each time his hammer fell, he seemed to know exactly how the iron would deform.
Tie Shan's eyes grew brighter.
He said nothing, simply folding his arms and watching Lu Tiechen return the metal to the furnace and hammer it again, over and over.
The sword blank gradually took shape.
Compared with his previous sword, this blade was longer and slimmer, its edge carrying a faint silver gleam.
Lu Tiechen didn't rush to quench it.
Glimmer Iron Ore was more sensitive than the Low-Grade Iron Blank. Cool it too early, and its internal patterns would fracture. Too late, and the glimmer along the edge would dissipate.
He watched the blade.
The furnace fire reflected in his eyes.
Red.
Orange-red.
Bright yellow.
Wait.
One more instant.
Now.
Hiss!
The sword blank plunged into the quenching tank.
White steam billowed up, carrying a scattering of faint silver motes.
Tie Shan raised an eyebrow.
Several players leaned closer.
"Did it just flash?"
"I saw it, too."
"Is he actually making something good?"
Lu Tiechen withdrew the blank and placed it back on the anvil.
Now came the finishing work.
Flatten the spine.
Set the balance.
Hone the edge.
Wrap the grip.
The low-grade whetstone made a soft, clear sound as it passed along the blade.
Lu Tiechen worked more and more slowly.
Not because he was tired. The closer he came to finishing, the less he could afford to rush.
Often, that final little detail was what made a sword good.
After a while, he stopped.
Its blade was brighter than the old one. The metal had a slightly dark iron color, but a faint silvery-white sheen ran along its edge.
There were no extravagant visual effects or ornate runes. One glance was enough, however, to tell that it was far sharper than an ordinary iron sword.
At last, the system chimed.
[Forging complete.]
[Forging Score: 91]
[Special material detected: Glimmer Iron Ore.]
[Player has not learned Basic Forging and cannot gain normal skill experience.]
[High-quality manual forging completed. Special assessment triggered.]
[You have obtained: Glimmer Iron Sword.]
[Quality: Uncommon (Green)]
[Required Level: 4]
[Attack: 16–23]
[Strength +2]
[Durability: 55/55]
[Additional Effect: Glimmer—Attacking a target's weak point deals a small amount of additional armor-piercing damage.]
The smithy fell silent.
Green equipment.
How long had the servers even been open?
Most players hadn't assembled a full set of gray equipment. A single white item could draw a crowd. Yet Lu Tiechen had forged a green weapon right here in the beginner village smithy.
One player swallowed.
"G-Green Gear?"
Another immediately opened his equipment panel and glanced at the Beginner's Wooden Sword in his hand. His expression froze.
[Beginner's Wooden Sword]
[Quality: Crude (Gray)]
[Attack: 2–4]
Then he looked at the Glimmer Iron Sword.
[Attack: 16–23]
This wasn't merely a gap in stats.
They might as well have been playing two different games.
Tie Shan picked up the Glimmer Iron Sword and gently flicked its spine.
Hum.
The blade gave a clear, sweet ring.
He was silent for a long time before handing it back.
"A fine sword."
He spoke slowly.
Coming from a blacksmith, that was high praise.
Lu Tiechen took the Glimmer Iron Sword and tested its grip.
The weight was right.
The edge was stable.
It was far better than the Boar-Fang Iron Sword.
And far better than his old Sharp Iron Sword.
He equipped it immediately.
[You have equipped Glimmer Iron Sword.]
Lu Tiechen glanced at his old weapon.
[Sharp Iron Sword]
[Quality: Common (White)]
[Required Level: 1]
[Attack: 8–12]
[Strength +1]
[Durability: 33/40]
This sword had helped him kill Grayhide Boars and Fanged Hounds, and had taken part in defeating the Grayhide Boar King.
Now it was time for it to retire.
The game had only just launched. White weapons were still scarce.
Rather than leave it gathering dust in his inventory, he could turn it into money for materials.
Forging was the most expensive profession of all.
He could borrow a furnace and use the smithy's hammers, but he couldn't rely on drops for materials forever.
Lu Tiechen put the Sharp Iron Sword in his inventory and nodded to Tie Shan.
"I'm heading out."
Tie Shan looked at him and chuckled, apparently guessing his intention.
"Selling the sword?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"I need money."
Tie Shan laughed.
"What blacksmith doesn't?"
Lu Tiechen couldn't argue.
That was true enough.
He left the smithy and went straight to the village entrance.
That was where the most players gathered.
Some were forming parties, others buying equipment or selling materials. A few had just died in the field and were sitting on the ground, cursing how hard the monsters were.
Lu Tiechen stood beside the gate and opened the trade chat.
"Selling a Level 1 white iron sword. Attack 8–12, Strength +1."
He didn't raise his voice.
But the words "white iron sword" immediately made nearby players turn.
"A white weapon?"
"How much Attack?"
"8–12? Seriously?"
"With these drop rates, white weapons aren't easy to get."
Someone quickly squeezed through.
"Hey, can we see the stats?"
Lu Tiechen displayed the equipment information.
[Sharp Iron Sword]
[Quality: Common (White)]
[Required Level: 1]
[Attack: 8–12]
[Strength +1]
[Durability: 33/40]
The crowd stirred.
A player wearing a Beginner's Cloth Tunic stared eagerly.
"Holy shit, you can use it at Level 1?"
"Its Attack is higher than a gray short blade's."
"And it gives Strength."
Soon, a slightly plump player named [Golden Abacus] squeezed through the crowd.
He didn't look like someone focused on leveling. His equipment was ordinary, but his eyes were bright. He was clearly a trader.
"I'll take it."
Lu Tiechen looked at him.
Golden Abacus held up five fingers.
"50 Silver Coins."
Several people gasped.
Fifty Silver Coins.
That wasn't a low price.
The currency conversion in Age of the Ancient Gods was straightforward.
1 Gold Coin equaled 100 Silver Coins.
1 Silver Coin equaled 100 Copper Coins.
In other words, 1 Gold Coin equaled 10,000 Copper Coins.
By now, ordinary players were doing well if they had a few dozen Copper Coins.
The unlucky ones might not have even twenty left after repairing their equipment and buying medicine.
Lu Tiechen had a few Silver Coins only because he'd been killing higher-level monsters and had defeated a minor field boss.
Ordinary players had no such income.
Fifty Silver Coins was an enormous sum this early in the game.
Golden Abacus clearly knew that. Smiling, he said, "That's a serious offer. White Gear may be rare, but this is only a Level 1 weapon, and the Durability isn't full. You won't lose out selling to me."
Many around them nodded.
"That really is a high offer."
"Fifty Silver Coins buys a lot of potions."
"This guy's willing to spend."
Lu Tiechen didn't agree immediately.
He didn't know much about market prices.
But he knew this sword was scarce right now.
The price of something scarce was often determined by demand rather than its stats.
Just as he decided to wait a little longer, a voice came from the back of the crowd.
"1 Gold Coin."
Silence fell.
Golden Abacus's smile stiffened.
The crowd parted.
A young player in gray leather armor approached, his name clearly visible overhead.
[Azure Edge Bladesman]
Lu Tiechen recognized him.
The leader of the four-person Azure Edge party from earlier.
Azure Edge Bladesman glanced at Lu Tiechen, then at the Sharp Iron Sword.
"One Gold Coin. I'll take it."
Golden Abacus frowned.
"Come on. You don't raise an offer like that. It's just a Level 1 white weapon."
Azure Edge Bladesman's reply was calm.
"But we can use it now."
That silenced Golden Abacus.
Yes.
They could use it now.
Right now, most players were still carrying Beginner's Wooden Swords.
Right now, few dared enter the Level 4 and 5 areas.
Right now, a white weapon with 8–12 Attack and 1 extra Strength could noticeably increase a damage dealer's leveling speed.
More importantly, this sword could be equipped at Level 1.
No waiting.
Buy it and start killing monsters immediately.
Was 1 Gold Coin expensive?
Of course.
But for an organized guild like Azure Edge, one more good weapon early on could let them advance quests, fight bosses, and establish an advantage ahead of everyone else.
Lu Tiechen looked at Azure Edge Bladesman.
"You're sure?"
Bladesman nodded.
"I'm sure."
Lu Tiechen wasted no words. He opened a trade.
[You have gained 1 Gold Coin.]
[You have lost: Sharp Iron Sword.]
As the gold coin entered his inventory, something stirred in Lu Tiechen's heart.
One Gold Coin.
Ten thousand Copper Coins.
After all that hunting, all those higher-level Grayhide Boars and Fanged Hounds, and even the Grayhide Boar King, he had only managed a few Silver Coins.
Now an old sword made from free materials had sold for 1 Gold Coin.
Lu Tiechen suddenly understood something.
In Age of the Ancient Gods, forging could earn him money.
A great deal of money.
After receiving the Sharp Iron Sword, Azure Edge Bladesman didn't equip it immediately.
But the crowd was already looking at him differently.
Some were envious. Others regretted not bidding. A few muttered quietly.
"One Gold Coin for a Level 1 weapon? Is he crazy?"
"Crazy? He's a guild player. They're buying an early lead."
"I should've raised my offer."
Golden Abacus looked at Lu Tiechen with a complicated expression.
"Do you have any other equipment?"
At that question, everyone's attention returned to Lu Tiechen.
He didn't answer.
He simply glanced at the gold coin in his inventory, then at the newly equipped Glimmer Iron Sword at his waist.
Then he turned toward the smithy.
The conversation behind him grew louder.
"Where did that sword come from?"
"Wait. Didn't he come from the smithy just now?"
"The smithy?"
Someone seemed to realize something and abruptly turned toward the eastern side of the village.
Lu Tiechen heard them, but his pace remained steady.
There was no need to shout about a reputation.
If his swords were good enough, people would come looking.
And now he had 1 Gold Coin.
He could buy more materials.
Make more equipment.
Perhaps, before long, the business the Lu Family Smithy had never found in reality would arrive first in Age of the Ancient Gods.