When Lu Tiechen emerged from Spider Cave, his Glimmer Iron Sword had only twenty-four Durability left.
He didn't linger.
The cave offered plenty of experience and useful materials, but the costs were steep.
He had used two of his three Basic Antidotes and had only one Health Potion left.
More importantly, he had recovered the Blackmarked Forging Hammer Tie Shan wanted.
It was time to go back.
On the way to the beginner village, Lu Tiechen opened his inventory to examine his haul.
[Blackmarked Forging Hammer]
[Quest Item]
[Description: The forging hammer lost by Tie Shan. It has a heavy head marked with black patterns left by fire.]
Besides that, he had Venommarked Spider Silk, Damaged Venom Sacs, an Intact Venom Sac, and a Venommarked Spider Guard Carapace.
The carapace interested him most.
[Venommarked Spider Guard Carapace]
[Material]
[Description: A hard shell shed from a Venommarked Spider Guard's back. Tough and mildly poison-resistant. Suitable for forging armor.]
Forging armor.
Lu Tiechen paused over those words.
So far, he had forged two swords.
A Sharp Iron Sword and a Glimmer Iron Sword.
Weapons certainly mattered.
More Attack meant faster kills and faster leveling.
But after obtaining his Toughhide Tunic, he understood the value of armor, too.
Without it, he might not have survived the Venommarked Spider Guard's repeated attacks long enough to finish the fight.
Equipment meant more than weapons.
In Age of the Ancient Gods, the character equipment panel had slots for the head, shoulders, chest, belt, legs, feet, gloves, two rings, and a necklace, besides the weapon slot.
An entire set of gear.
A weapon was only one part of it.
If equipment drop rates stayed this low, players wouldn't be short of just a sword.
They would need chest armor, shoes, gloves, rings, and necklaces.
They would need a complete set of equipment to hold their own.
Lu Tiechen suddenly realized he had been thinking too narrowly.
Forging's true value wasn't in making one good weapon.
It was in equipping a player from head to toe.
He closed his inventory and quickened his pace.
The beginner village was as lively as ever.
Players crowded the entrance, their offers to buy, calls for parties, and complaints mingling together.
"Level 3 wild dog party needs a healer!"
"Buying white gear! Weapons and armor!"
"Anyone scouting up north? I heard there's a Spider Cave."
"Don't go. Someone just posted on the forums. Level 7 poison spiders. Walk in and die."
Lu Tiechen passed the crowd without stopping.
His Toughhide Tunic and the Glimmer Iron Sword at his waist still drew plenty of looks, but now the players seemed more interested in whether he had more equipment to sell.
Someone recognized him.
"That's the guy who sold the white sword!"
"Hey, got any more gear?"
"Where did you get that sword, anyway?"
Lu Tiechen didn't answer. He headed straight for the smithy on the village's eastern side.
Inside, Tie Shan was drinking water by the furnace.
He paused briefly when he saw Lu Tiechen enter.
"Back already?"
Lu Tiechen set the Blackmarked Forging Hammer on the counter.
Its head landed with a heavy thud.
Tie Shan studied it, a complicated look briefly crossing his eyes.
He touched the black markings on the head. His voice was lower than usual.
"You really brought it back."
"There was a Venommarked Spider Guard in the cave," Lu Tiechen said.
Tie Shan looked up.
"You killed it?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
Tie Shan was quiet for a moment, then smiled.
"Level 4, soloing a Level 8 Elite."
He shook his head.
"You Adventurers get more reckless by the day."
Lu Tiechen looked at him.
That tone again.
When Tie Shan said "Adventurers," he didn't sound like an ordinary NPC reading canned dialogue. He sounded as though he were actually judging the players.
And earlier, he had mentioned the servers just opening.
Lu Tiechen was increasingly certain that the NPCs in Age of the Ancient Gods weren't as simple as they appeared.
But he didn't ask about it yet.
It wasn't the time.
Tie Shan picked up the Blackmarked Forging Hammer and walked to the furnace.
"This hammer wasn't meant for you."
Lu Tiechen said nothing.
Tie Shan placed it in the fire. Flames quickly licked around its head.
"But if you managed to bring it back, perhaps it was meant to find you after all."
The black markings slowly brightened in the flames, as though dormant patterns within the iron were awakening.
Tie Shan took down a smaller hammer and began working along the head's edges.
His movements were nothing like an ordinary NPC's.
There was no mechanical repetition from a system template. He worked to a real blacksmith's rhythm.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The blows were slow, but weighty.
Lu Tiechen watched his technique, his gaze sharpening.
Tie Shan knew how to forge.
Not merely because the system had programmed him to.
He truly understood the craft.
Lu Tiechen could tell that he wasn't reforging the hammer. He was settling the disordered stresses inside its head.
It was much like the hammer-repair technique used at the Lu Family Smithy.
Tie Shan's approach was simply rougher.
Hiss!
White steam rose.
When it cleared, he handed the hammer to Lu Tiechen.
"Here."
Lu Tiechen took it.
It felt heavier than before.
But not cumbersome.
Steady.
System notifications appeared.
[You have completed the quest: Lost Blackmarked Forging Hammer.]
[You have gained: 300 Experience Points.]
[You have obtained: 20 Silver Coins.]
[Quest reward received: Blackmarked Forging Hammer.]
[Your Reputation with the smithy has increased.]
[Tie Shan's affinity toward you has increased.]
Lu Tiechen examined the hammer's stats.
[Blackmarked Forging Hammer]
[Tool/Weapon]
[Quality: Uncommon (Green)]
[Required Level: 5]
[Attack: 12–18]
[Strength +2]
[Forging Stability +8]
[Durability: 80/80]
[Additional Effect: Heavy Hammer] Forging Score +5 when forging hard materials.
[Additional Effect: Blunt Strike] Damage +10% against targets made of shell, rock, or bone.
Lu Tiechen tightened his grip.
A good hammer.
Far better than the ordinary hammers the smithy offered for free.
More importantly, it wasn't just for forging. It could serve as a weapon, too.
Looking at "Tool/Weapon," an idea stirred in his mind.
Ordinary players fought with weapons.
Players with Life Professions crafted with tools.
Yet this Blackmarked Forging Hammer seemed to blur the line between the two.
A forging hammer could smash monsters, too.
As if reading his thoughts, Tie Shan grinned. "Don't underestimate a hammer. Something a sword can't cut might still break under a hammer."
Lu Tiechen nodded.
His grandfather had said much the same thing.
A sword had its edge.
A hammer had its own way.
Tie Shan looked at the Glimmer Iron Sword on his waist.
"Sword's about worn out, isn't it?"
Lu Tiechen checked.
[Glimmer Iron Sword]
[Durability: 24/55]
It really didn't have much life left.
"Repairing equipment is part of a blacksmith's basic work," Tie Shan said. "You know how, don't you?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
Tie Shan pointed at the anvil.
"Good chance to try your new hammer."
Lu Tiechen didn't refuse.
He took out the Glimmer Iron Sword, a small piece of Low-Grade Iron Ore, and a length of Venommarked Spider Silk.
Originally, he only meant to repair the sword.
But with the silk in his hand, he suddenly thought of the Venommarked Spider Guard Carapace.
The carapace could be forged into armor.
The silk could be used in tailoring and alchemy, or as a special supplementary forging material.
The Intact Venom Sac contained poison.
Together, those materials seemed better suited to armor than another weapon.
Lu Tiechen glanced at his equipment panel.
Head: Empty.
Shoulders: Empty.
Chest: Toughhide Tunic.
Belt: Empty.
Legs: Empty.
Feet: Empty.
Gloves: Empty.
Weapon: Glimmer Iron Sword.
Ring 1: Empty.
Ring 2: Empty.
Necklace: Empty.
All those empty slots left him feeling rather bare.
Especially the gloves.
A blacksmith's hands mattered.
He needed a steady grip on his sword.
And an even steadier one on his hammer.
If he could make gloves useful for both combat and forging, that might be worth more than a simple sword repair.
He quickly made up his mind.
Repair the Glimmer Iron Sword first.
Then make gloves.
He tapped the sword's spine lightly with the Blackmarked Forging Hammer.
Clang!
The sound was noticeably deeper than before.
As the hammer's weight pressed down, the tiny distortions combat had left inside the blade were gradually corrected.
Lu Tiechen could feel how steadily it delivered its force.
When finishing work with an ordinary hammer, he had needed to control each blow carefully to avoid striking too hard and damaging the blade.
The Blackmarked Forging Hammer was different. It seemed to press excess vibration into the iron.
A few minutes later, a system notification appeared.
[Repair complete.]
[Glimmer Iron Sword Durability restored to: 55/55.]
Lu Tiechen nodded at the result. This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Good.
Time to try the new materials.
He took out the Venommarked Spider Guard Carapace, Venommarked Spider Silk, and Intact Venom Sac.
Tie Shan's eyes shifted slightly when he saw them.
"What are you making?"
"Gloves."
"Gloves?" Tie Shan sounded puzzled.
"Yes," Lu Tiechen said. "For holding a sword. And a hammer."
Tie Shan smiled.
"Good idea."
Lu Tiechen set the carapace on the anvil.
It wasn't metal. He couldn't simply heat it red-hot and hammer it like iron ore.
It was closer to a hard armor plate. He first needed to warm and soften the edges, then press it into shape with his hammer.
The silk could connect the plates to the lining.
He couldn't add too much venom directly, or the gloves might harm their wearer.
He used only a tiny amount, brushing it onto the inner surface of the shell, then slowly drying it over the furnace.
Several players who hadn't left gathered around again.
"What's he doing?"
"Not making a sword?"
"Looks like gloves."
"You can forge gloves?"
Nobody answered.
Lu Tiechen didn't need to.
The Blackmarked Forging Hammer fell.
Clang!
The carapace's edge flattened.
Clang!
The second plate fitted into place.
Clang!
Silk was set into the seams, joining the plates like fine black thread.
This was more complicated than forging an iron sword.
A weapon needed a sharp edge and a balanced center of gravity.
Gloves had to balance protection with flexibility.
Too thick, and they would interfere with his grip.
Too thin, and their Defense wouldn't be enough.
Mishandle the venom, and they could injure the wearer.
Lu Tiechen adjusted them little by little.
He watched the subtle changes in the warmed edges, the silk tightening inside the seams, and the venom drying into faint green patterns along the inner plates.
Tie Shan watched from beside him, his expression growing increasingly serious.
This was well beyond an ordinary beginner.
Every step Lu Tiechen took seemed to probe the system's rules, yet none of it felt random.
He genuinely knew what he wanted to make.
More than half an hour later, a pair of black-gray gloves finally took shape.
Small plates covered the backs, with room left for the knuckles to move. Fine patterns of Venommarked Spider Silk lined the palms.
They weren't flashy, but they were practical.
System notifications appeared.
[Forging complete.]
[Forging Score: 89]
[Special materials detected: Venommarked Spider Guard Carapace, Venommarked Spider Silk, Intact Venom Sac.]
[Uncommon-quality tool detected: Blackmarked Forging Hammer.]
[High-quality manual forging completed. Special assessment triggered.]
[You have obtained: Spiderweave Irongrip Gloves.]
[Quality: Uncommon (Green)]
[Equipment Slot: Gloves]
[Required Level: 5]
[Defense +3]
[Strength +2]
[Agility +1]
[Forging Stability +5]
[Durability: 50/50]
[Additional Effect: Spiderweave Grip] Attack Speed +5%, Forging Stability +5.
[Additional Effect: Minor Poison Resistance] Poison damage over time -10%.
The smithy fell silent again.
Green equipment.
Another piece of green equipment.
And this time, gloves rather than a weapon.
The player who had asked whether forging could make gloves stared at the stats, his throat dry.
"Those gloves increase Attack Speed?"
"Strength and Agility, too. And they reduce poison damage."
"Put those on the market and the big spenders would go crazy!"
Lu Tiechen ignored them.
He glanced at the level requirement and frowned slightly.
Level 5.
He was still one level short. He couldn't wear them yet.
He would have to reach Level 5 next.
His eyes brightened.
These gloves suited him even better than he had expected.
Tie Shan looked at the gloves in his hands and said quietly, "Forging isn't just about making weapons."
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"I understand now."
Only then did he truly realize how much larger the equipment system in Age of the Ancient Gods was than he had imagined.
Players had eleven equipment slots.
Every one of them might need a blacksmith's work.
Just then, a familiar voice came from the doorway.
"Brother Lu."
Lu Tiechen turned.
Golden Abacus stood there, beaming.
"You didn't answer my friend request, so I had to come find you myself."
His gaze swept over the Spiderweave Irongrip Gloves in Lu Tiechen's hands, then the lingering sparks beside the anvil. His eyes brightened further.
"How about we discuss a long-term business arrangement?"