FWOOSH—!
Shinhwa Workshop grew scorching hot.
The furnaces had been lit.
It was only natural, with Flamewood Charcoal made from the finest Flamewood and Firestones containing the power of flame both being used.
And it was not limited to a single furnace.
"Move, quickly!"
"We need to break down the Mithril in ores and equipment!"
"These minerals are essential for this project, so gather as much as possible!"
Mithril.
It was a Unique Grade material that could greatly affect a weapon or piece of armor even when only a small amount was used.
Its effect was simple.
It allowed the user's energy to flow more smoothly and made it more powerful.
However, because of that simple effect, Mithril was among the most difficult Unique Grade materials to collect.
As a result, equipment containing even a small amount of Mithril, as well as scrap steel mixed with Mithril, was traded at high prices.
And right now, preparations to extract as much Mithril as possible were in full swing.
That was not the end of the preparations.
"From this moment on, we forge Thousand-Refined Steel."
"Phew, we will have to prepare ourselves for death."
"All right, let us do this."
Thousand-Refined Steel.
True to its name as steel created through a thousand rounds of refinement, its strength alone was the greatest among Unique Grade materials.
It was one of the few Unique Grade materials that could still be made by human hands, so its value was a little lower than that of other materials. However, that did not mean Thousand-Refined Steel's value could be underestimated.
CLANG! CLANG! BANG! CLANG!
The sound of hammering rang out madly.
Iron was placed into the hot furnace, taken out and hammered, then placed back into the furnace again.
Only after that process was repeated a thousand times would Thousand-Refined Steel be created.
CRACK!
"Damn it, again!"
"Again!"
If they failed partway through, they had to begin again from the start. Its grueling nature was beyond description.
The people responsible for filling the entire workshop with searing heat were considering a single material.
"How should we melt this Demonic Steel so people will say we melted it well......?"
"Should I wrap the Demonic Steel in Divine Power?"
"Oh, that is not a bad idea. If we melt the Demonic Steel after causing a clash between demonic energy and Divine Power, the reaction might turn out quite well."
Demonic Steel.
Along with Holy Steel, it was one of the handful of finest Unique Grade materials.
Demonic humans mainly used it, and a person could become corrupted into a demonic human if they used it incorrectly, so few people used it. Even so, its value was more than enough to call it among the best.
Because it was Demonic Steel, the two finished an in-depth discussion on how to handle it.
"Mithril and Thousand-Refined Steel. Are you not using too much?"
"If I lack the skill, I need to make up for it with materials. I am not you, Se-jin."
"Three Unique Grade materials, including Demonic Steel. There are also quite a few Rare Grade and Rare+ Grade materials."
"Yes, I will use them as auxiliary materials."
"......Something truly incredible will come from this."
After their discussion ended, Se-jin clicked his tongue as he watched Shin-hyeok pour in materials with firm resolve.
The materials before them were worth enough to buy a building and still have money left over.
However, Shin-hyeok did not care.
'Too much is as bad as too little. If this had not been enough, I would have taken out more.'
Shin-hyeok wanted to create the best equipment.
For the growth of his Metallurgy skill and for his own strength.
As he watched the materials prepared for him gradually come together, Shin-hyeok stood before the Workshop Master's private furnace.
"Let us begin."
"All right."
FWOOOOSH!
With Se-jin's nod, Shin-hyeok immediately poured Divine Power into Demonic Steel.
It was an immense amount of Divine Power, enough to instantly heal even a serious injury.
Combined with Shin-hyeok's uniquely fine control, it was so precise that not a single thread of Divine Power was wasted, all of it poured into the demonic energy.
When the two energies that could never mix collided, a change capable of remaking heaven and earth soon occurred.
RUMBLE—!
Demonic Steel shook violently and let out a deafening roar.
At the roar created by the collision of demonic energy and Divine Power, Shin-hyeok coughed up a mouthful of black, congealed blood.
It was an internal injury caused by the backlash from the collision between demonic energy and Divine Power.
"......Ghk!"
"You cannot stop pouring in Divine Power! This is the moment of decision!"
"I know that!"
FWOOOOSH!
Without time to heal his internal injuries or even catch his breath, Shin-hyeok continued pouring in Divine Power.
After wrestling with demonic energy for quite some time, Shin-hyeok's eyes flashed.
"Now!"
"I know!"
FWOOSH!
Demonic Steel, whose demonic energy had been enhanced to its limit by Divine Power, was thrown into the blazing furnace.
However, that was not the end.
Rather, the true beginning started now.
RUMBLE—! RUMBLE—!
"We need to control the flames! Demonic Steel is resisting the furnace's fire!"
"What should we do?"
"......Spirits. Right! Let us use spirits."
"Spirits?"
"Yes, I have thought about this for a long time. If a mana-infused force like Mana Wind helps when crafting equipment, then surely there will be incredible synergy if spirits, nature itself, directly participate in crafting."
"Not an item imbued with a spirit's power, but making the spirits themselves participate in the crafting...... That is not a bad idea."
The two put their heads together to capture the Demonic Steel, which had begun to run wild, and soon reached the answer: spirits.
Making spirits themselves participate in crafting was an idea anyone could have.
However, there was one reason it had not been put into practice.
"Kasa, go inside the furnace and help suppress the Demonic Steel."
-SKREE!!!
"As expected, it will not listen so easily."
The spirit did not like the idea.
There was a reason other Spirit Masters sold earth imbued with spirit power instead.
Of course, Shin-hyeok had a way.
"If you go in now, I will give you this."
-......SKREE?!
"It is only a Lowest-Grade Fire Spirit Stone, but it is a Fire Spirit Stone. What do you say? Do you feel like going in now?"
-SKREE!
When the other party refused, the first thing to determine was whether the offered price was insufficient.
Shin-hyeok offered Kasa the Lowest-Grade Fire Spirit Stone he possessed.
Without saying a word, Kasa gobbled up the Fire Spirit Stone and threw itself into the furnace.
"That takes a weight off our minds concerning the Demonic Steel."
"If Demonic Steel is imbued with the energy of a Fire Spirit, I look forward to seeing what kind of work it will become."
The moment Kasa entered the furnace, Demonic Steel's rampage calmed somewhat.
It had not vanished completely, but they no longer had to worry about the furnace collapsing.
"Now, shall we melt these down as well?"
"Phew, I am already breaking out in a cold sweat."
"Are you tired? I can do it if you are."
"No, of course not."
Leaving Demonic Steel behind, Shin-hyeok wiped away cold sweat as he looked at the Mithril and Thousand-Refined Steel gathered by the other artisans, then waved Se-jin off.
He was nearly exhausted from Demonic Steel alone, yet there was a reason he greedily intended to handle Mithril and Thousand-Refined Steel as well, even though they were materials of the same grade.
[You are handling materials above your ability.]
[Metallurgy is growing.]
[The more materials you handle, and the more perfectly you handle them, the more it will aid your growth.]
[The final extent of growth will be determined when the equipment currently being crafted is complete.]
'After seeing this, I would be a complete idiot to leave Thousand-Refined Steel and Mithril to Se-jin. I am taking all of it.'
As if showing why he possessed the Trait, Lord of Devouring, Shin-hyeok's eyes were filled with greed to raise his Metallurgy skill substantially.
Se-jin's skill would not rise merely from handling a few Unique Grade materials, so there was no problem with it.
Thus, Thousand-Refined Steel and Mithril fell into Shin-hyeok's hands.
FWOOSH—!
The Mithril carefully selected by the artisans and the Thousand-Refined Steel forged through blood and sweat were drawn into the furnace where Kasa resided.
Once the fully melted Demonic Steel was added as well, Shin-hyeok began generously investing Rare Grade materials.
Thus, three Unique Grade materials and dozens of Rare Grade materials became one inside the furnace.
HISSSSS-
Shin-hyeok and Se-jin carefully poured the red-hot molten metal into a mold made from earth imbued with spirit power. They met each other's eyes and nodded.
"Sylph, wind."
-Hmm~ Should I~ Or should I not~
"I will give you a Spirit Stone."
-Heehee! Of course I should do what my contractor wants!
WHOOOOOSH!
This time, Shin-hyeok used Sylph, the Wind Spirit, to solidify the molten metal, then rapidly hammered it.
CLANG! BANG! CLANG! BANG!
Se-jin, who was drenched in sweat from the searing heat before the furnace, could not help but smile as he watched Shin-hyeok swing his hammer as though possessed.
'Yes. That is it, Shin-hyeok. A blacksmith must pour that kind of affection into his work. You have become a fine artisan.'
Shin-hyeok had held a hammer only twice, but his talent and affection for his work had already reached the level of an artisan.
Having confirmed that, Se-jin stepped back and flopped down in his chair.
"Blue comes from indigo...... If I do not want that to truly come to pass, I need to work harder as well."
Thinking that Shin-hyeok might one day truly surpass him, Se-jin fell into serious thought.
The All Master's talent had stirred the Hand of God.
Thus, without Shin-hyeok realizing it, Se-jin, the Hand of God, moved toward becoming the Hand of God Shin-hyeok remembered.
***
"Phew......"
After several hours of hammering and blade grinding ended, Shin-hyeok finally let out the breath he had been holding and collapsed.
Even Shin-hyeok, who possessed physical abilities approaching those of an ordinary Gold Tier player, had his legs give out. That proved how exhausting the process had been.
Se-jin brought him cold water and inspected the spear.
"At least its appearance is perfect, right? The combination of black and red...... It has a certain classic appeal."
The long spear shaft and spearhead were beautiful enough to be mistaken for a work of art.
Moreover, the black spear accented with red was attractive enough to draw in even someone who did not wield spears.
"We need to look at the options."
"Ah, right."
However, appearance was not what mattered most.
Since he would need to use it at least until he reached Platinum Tier, Shin-hyeok could not overcome his nervousness and handed the Demonic Spear to Se-jin.
"You look first, Se-jin."
"Me? Is that all right?"
"I am too nervous to look."
"Then there is no helping it. Let us see...... Oh!"
"Did it turn out well?"
"See for yourself."
"......Tch, would it hurt to tell me?"
At Se-jin's reaction and answer after checking the Demonic Spear handed to him, Shin-hyeok grumbled but could not hide his anticipation as he checked it himself.
"......Oh!"
Shin-hyeok's reaction was no different from Se-jin's.
The reason was simple.
[Choi Shin-hyeok's Well-Made Demonic Spear]
-Unique+ Grade
-All Stats +42
-Attack Power +1,000
-Bound Equipment
-Grants the bound owner Stat: Demonic Energy.
-Unique Skill: Black Flame
[Skill: Metallurgy [D] has grown to Metallurgy [B].]
The Demonic Spear Shin-hyeok had made was, quite literally, a jackpot.
Like the Holy Sword Se-jin had made, it was Unique+ Grade, and its All Stats bonus was four higher.
Moreover, its Attack Power was 1,000, the highest value possible for a Unique Grade weapon.
Finally, it possessed a rare Unique Skill. The Demonic Spear Shin-hyeok made was a weapon not too costly even for a fortune.
The fact that his Metallurgy, which had been D Grade, rose all at once to B Grade said it all.
"This...... is truly a jackpot."
"Blue really did surpass indigo. How is someone who has held a hammer his whole life supposed to live when it makes him this jealous~?"
"I will buy dinner today."
"Korean beef, right?"
"1++ Grade!"
"That sounds good! Let us invite Su-a and your parents to eat with us."
"You're better than me, their friend and son. Let us do that."
"Phew, then we are finally done?"
"Yes, we are done."
Only after checking the Demonic Spear's information did the two finally slump down.
But only briefly.
Grip!
Shin-hyeok tightly gripped the Demonic Spear he had forged himself and completed its binding, smiling.
"Now, all that remains is the Global Top 100 Promotion Match."
"Come to think of it, you will be entering as well. What place do you think you will get?"
Se-jin sat in his chair and gulped down cola filled with ice as he asked. Shin-hyeok smiled as though there were no need to answer.
"First place, of course."
The Global Top 100 Promotion Match.
A place where the strongest Silver 1 players in the world gathered.
However, to Shin-hyeok, it was simply a place to collect the first place that already belonged to him.
Thus, several days passed.