bookpower Chapter 115 – Basic Enchanting.
Chapter 115 – Basic Enchanting.
Chapter 115 – Basic Enchanting.
“What do you think?”
“I’m not sure she’ll like the color.”
“The color? Why would that matter?”
“Oh, my dear Rusty, you still have so much to learn - one of those things is the intricacies of a woman’s heart.”
“...”
Rusty stood there, staring at the black wisp of light as it babbled on about something he couldn’t comprehend.
“It’s fine, Rusty. Just ignore him.”
Alexander glanced at the schematics spread before him. The design was for a small suit of armor intended for a monster ant. The focal point was an open-faced helmet with precise openings for Gleam’s antennae. But the schematics went further, detailing a full set of armor designed to cover his companion fully.
The metal was thin yet durable, made from twilight steel and offered reliable protection without hindering Gleam’s mobility or her ability to cast spells. The primary challenge was that Gleam wasn’t present, so making precise adjustments to fit her body was a difficult task. This was why Rusty sought the expertise of Aburdon and Alexander, hoping their insights would help him produce the right dimensions. After considerable effort and collaboration, they had finally arrived at a design that seemed functional but perhaps not very elegant.
Rusty examined the final design once more, ensuring that every detail aligned with the knowledge he had gained from his recent studies. The armor was lightweight yet sturdy, designed to complement Gleam’s agile movements. He had even incorporated a flexible underlayer using the same technique that enhanced the Wraith variant’s mobility.
Despite the well-thought-out functionality, Rusty found himself hesitating. Would Gleam appreciate this? Or would she reject it entirely? Aburdon’s earlier comments about color choices made him uncertain. Rusty had never considered aesthetics when forging his own body - his focus was always on practicality and efficiency. Would Gleam see it the same way, or did she have preferences he had never considered?
“Function comes first. If she dislikes the color, she can request a different finish later. What matters is that it protects her.”
Alexander continued, and Rusty decided to go along with him. There weren’t many ways to change the color here, as everything was made of twilight metals, and he didn’t want to create a lower-quality alloy that would compromise the armor’s durability.
Then there was his other project - the high-quality axe schematic. However, one problem arose: it was a direct copy of the axe used by the Red Orc. Rusty had never trained in axe-wielding, as he had chosen to limit himself to a smaller selection of weapons, primarily swords, maces, bows, and polearms.
"Hm... is it possible to change this?"
He held the schematic in front of him, examining it carefully. In theory, he should be able to modify it - lengthen the hilt, adjust the proportions, and make a few changes to transform it into something closer to a poleaxe than a standard axe.
"Adjusting schematics and adapting them to your needs is something every craftsman has to learn. You should give it a try, Rusty."
The words came from Alexander, who had been a master craftsman in his previous life. Though much of his past remained lost to him, he still had a wealth of knowledge to share. Additionally, a strange phenomenon seemed to be expanding his understanding further as he continued to evolve.
Rusty nodded, taking Alexander's advice to heart. He studied the advanced axe schematic once more, breaking down its structure in his mind. Grabbing a blank sheet of parchment, he began sketching the alterations. The axe head needed to be slightly slimmer to maintain balance, and he opted to add a spike at the top for thrusting attacks. Normally, a poleaxe would have a hammer-like counterweight on the opposite end, but he hesitated to alter the design too much, fearing it might reduce the weapon’s quality. Instead, he kept the double-axe design and focused on extending the hilt to improve balance.
“How does that look?”
“Not bad... but not quite there yet.”
Alexander commented and even Aburdon got involved, his schematic-making skills far surpassing Rusty’s. With his guide’s help, Rusty refined the design. After using Aburdon’s redrawn schematic as a reference, he finally completed his own version. A system message appeared before him:
Basic Schematic Modification
Passive Skill L1
This skill allows the user to alter existing schematics without reducing their grade.
‘Oh, neat!’
Rusty took a step back, assessing his weapon’s performance. The weight distribution was excellent, allowing for both slashing and thrusting attacks. The flame enchantment activated upon impact, burning his enemies while preserving the sharpness of the blade. He tested a few more maneuvers, each swing growing more precise as he adjusted to the poleaxe’s reach.
The orc, though wounded, was not defeated. It lunged at Rusty again, this time with more caution. Rusty used the length of his poleaxe to keep the creature at bay, delivering a series of quick jabs before finishing with a spinning strike. The enchanted blade struck true, carving deep into the orc’s side and igniting a trail of flames along the wound. With a final, pained roar, the dungeon orc collapsed into a pile of fading embers, its form vanishing as the training simulation ended.
“This is peculiar... is this how enchanted weapons work?”
He turned his head towards Alexander who was with him.
“Did you notice Rusty?”
“Yes, the magic inside of it seems to be fading...”
After the battle, Rusty noticed that the flaming enchantment wasn’t permanent. With each strike, he could feel the mana draining from the weapon. He wasn’t sure why this was happening, but he knew his guide, Alexander, would have some answers. If enchanted weapons only lasted for a short time, they wouldn’t be very useful.
“Enchanted weapons come in different types, some have permanent enchantments, but those are rare and require high-tier materials and expert craftsmanship. Most, like yours, have temporary effects that drain mana charges with each use.”
“Mana charges?”
Rusty asked, eyeing the poleaxe in his hand.
“Yes. Once the charges are depleted, the enchantment stops working. But that doesn’t mean the enchantment is gone. You just need to recharge it or use your own mana to activate it. Try it now - put some of your mana into the weapon. Even if it isn’t fully used up, you can still use it together with your mana”
Rusty nodded and focused, channeling a small portion of his mana into the poleaxe. The moment his energy entered the weapon, the engraved symbols along the blade pulsed faintly before reigniting with their previous glow. A subtle warmth spread from the weapon’s core, signaling that the enchantment had been activated.
“But... it doesn’t seem that the enchantment is recharging...”
Rusty asked as he noticed that even if the weapon activated by using his own mana, the amount of mana that had been previously stored had not been refiled.
“That’s true, only an arcane craftsman can recharge an enchantment on the weapon or you can do it with a specialized item, like that talisman you used.”
“Oh... but aren’t I a craftsman too? Shouldn’t I be able to do it?”
“Well... probably not at the moment, you lack some core skills like ‘Basic Mana Manipulation’”
“That skill again?”
Rusty knew this skill was essential for casting spells, but for now, he only possessed mana sense. He could see the flow of mana but couldn’t manipulate it. It seemed he would have to hope that his next evolution granted him this elusive ability - or perhaps he could absorb it from a defeated mage along his journey.
With a sigh, he returned to the forge, spending the next few days working on Gleam’s armor. Rusty worked tirelessly in the forge, hammering, shaping, and refining each piece of Gleam’s armor with meticulous care. The twilight steel, though challenging to mold, responded well to his expertise. He constantly referred to the schematics, ensuring every joint and plate allowed for maximum mobility while providing the best possible protection. He had also taken Aburdon’s earlier words into account and decided to add a small aesthetic touch - etching delicate swirling patterns along the plates that resembled some flowers he had seen out in nature.
Soon after the process of reforging began, and while he could smelt down old iron blades, there was no need as thanks to the Soul Forge, which provided him with an unlimited supply of steel ingots. He practiced using the smelter for future reference but soon returned to working with the ingots, knowing he was short on time.
Days turned into weeks as he remained focused on expanding his arsenal. Though he had his enchanted polearm, he wanted a variety of weapons suited for different enemies, along with various shield types to complement them. As Rusty finished the last set of weapons and armor, he took a step back to admire his handiwork. The forge had been both his sanctuary and his proving ground, pushing his skills beyond what he had ever thought possible.
“You’ve improved, Rusty. Not just in skill but in understanding. Crafting isn’t just about function - it’s about intent. You’re starting to grasp that.”
Just as Alexander finished the sentence the Soul Forge started quaking, it seemed that the time had come to an end. He had stayed here a bit longer than previously and the biggest change was the summoning chamber. However, it had not activated again to allow him to gain more rewards now it was time to return and he could not wait to inhabit his new body and resume his real life together with Gleam.
“Well, I’ll see you two outside!”
He said to his two guides before walking towards the three suits of armor that were presented to him. He touched the middle one and his connection to his current form started to fade and transfer to the new steel shell.