92 A Two-Year Strike

"Master Blacksmith Old Zaymore at your service. So young fellow, what type of weapons do you specialize in," said the elderly smith.

"Cursed weapons, the finest weapons in the land, sir," I said.

"Haha, cursed weapons, those lousy things. What have you been peddling them off to some lesser race?" said Old Zaymore.

My face flushed with embarrassment. That's exactly what I had been doing!

"I figured, while you are here you will learn proper blacksmithing skills. Everyone's lives depend on us. Grab anything you see and let's repair it together."

"My backlog never ends, so anything we can get back out to the field helps."

"Come, lad today you will be my striker so I can get an understanding of your skills."

A simple sword was my choice to repair. I placed it on the anvil, then grabbed the large sledgehammer on the side of the anvil. After grasping it, I struggled to even get the hammer to budge. Eventually, I had to channel my devil essence to pick the damned thing up.

"I call her old faithful. Anything you need bent trembles in her wake. All right, strike here," said Old Zaymore pointing to a spot on the sword.

I pulled 'old faithful' up with all my strength. This was a Baron Hammer! I channeled all my Devil Essence to land my first strike.

\u003cStrike\u003e

\u003cMiss\u003e

\u003cDodge\u003e

I missed on my first attempt.

"Lad you almost hit me!" said Old Zaymore as he brushed off his smithing apron.

"Sorry, I'm not used to wielding such a heavy hammer," I said as the ground shook as I threw down the gigantic hammer.

"Well, that's your first problem and why you can only make cursed weapons. A blacksmith's hammer needs to befitting of their realm. Old faithful is almost a Viscount hammer, she's a beaut' right on the cusp," said Old Zaymore evidently proud of his work.

"You need to forge a personal Baron hammer, that can serve you by your side faithfully. Until then you can borrow old faithful."

"We can use a low-fel stone powered drop hammer, but there ain't nuthin' in that. Personal swings make the finest armaments," he said, pointing to the grand machine in the middle of the shop.

'God damn ol' fogey, If we have a drop hammer why the hell do you want me to waste my time swinging this heavy hammer all day.' I thought.

"It's for your own good lad, I can see the look on your face. Once you can wield old faithful like she is a toy, you're barely qualified to walk to the battlefield. You didn't think those demons were pushovers, did ya boy?" said Old Zaymore.

"Practice with old faithful in the coming weeks, I will observe your progress. This shop is big enough to have 10 smiths working in it. So we won't have any problems working side by side. Our lodging is in the back, you can settle in once you can't swing that hammer anymore."

I passed out beside the door of my new room, I was exhausted. This was worse than my 'exercise' with Mira. Every strike with that weapon would take all my devil essence. For the coming weeks, I knew I would be old faithful's dog.

I got up the next day and did my thing.

\u003cStrike\u003e

\u003cStrike\u003e

\u003cStrike\u003e

"Lad you are having a bit of progress, at least I'm not having to dodge you today. Focus on controlling your strikes now that you can wield old faithful," said Old Zaymore.

I tried to gain more control, but it was impossible. I still could barely control this gigantic hammer. I struck the hammer all day until it exhausted me. This became my daily routine.

Seasons came and went as I grew accustomed to my life in the Langsen Rift. Every day I diligently forged by Old Zaymore's side. Two years had passed before I knew it.

My body had grown muscular through constant forging. Before I was a dashingly handsome devil. Now this young lord was brimming with muscles and had a six-pack.

I could barely recognize the man in the mirror as I touched my chiseled face. Hair draped to the middle of my back. A long beard also adorned my face.

My new muscular body had even changed my demeanor. My voice had deepened with my entry into adulthood. To my dismay, I had started to resemble my damned Devil Ancestor. Forging all day really does wonders for the body.

James Hudson was truly no more. In the mirror lay Soulless, the young devil lord.

I had even broken through to the mid-Baron realm with all this exercise. This training was intense. Old Zaymore eyed me differently when he saw I had broken through realms so easily.

'This young lord can not help he is talented old fool. How could a pitiful Baron realm shackle me?' I thought.

My understanding of Metal Dao had formally broken into the Baron realm, and my Fire Dao inched forward closer to Viscount.

I could wield old faithful with one hand now.

\u003cHeavy Strike\u003e

\u003cPrecision Strike\u003e

\u003cLight Strike\u003e

The armament in front of me was repaired in seconds. I had cleaned up the shop in my two years here. No longer did we suffer a debilitating backlog. Now we were a well-respected shop, even able to take on orders for new armaments!

"Boy, you're ready to make your own hammer now. It's time you condense your understanding of blacksmithing into a new hammer and give me back old faithful," said Old Zaymore as he looked at me with pride.

'I have trained this budding blacksmith in my specialty of heavy strikes, my ancient craft would now live on. Few blacksmiths practice the heavy strike technique, they rather work with that new-fangled drop hammer cause its easy. I'm glad he took my words to heart, instead of ignoring me like the rest of the recruits,' thought Old Zaymore.

"You should be proud lad, not everyone can grasp the heavy strike technique!" said Old Zaymore.

"It is an ancient technique passed down through many eons. You are the only one I have passed this to. When you find a good seedling pass on this technique to them."

"I already have an apprentice, she is a halfing I took on while residing in a minor city. I planned to teach her to forge cursed weapons however, this technique has given me a new direction in my blacksmithing," I said.

"I have to thank you Old Zaymore, without your guidance I would have been blinded by my hubris. I once thought cursed weapons were the top of the food chain however, there's always a mountain above the hill."

"Good, you can consider yourself this old blacksmith's disciple in-name. It may mean nothing in the Abyss, but around the Langsen Rift they will give you respect," said Old Zaymore.

"Now, take some time off and plan out your hammer. I can handle the shop. I want to see the beauty you forge!"