Chapter 118: Equipment Talk.

Chapter 118: Equipment Talk.

Corrosive Iron Obsidian

A dark purplish glass created as a result of rapidly heating [Corrosive Fire], followed by cooling it down within a short time period, crystallizing the toxins into glass. A large amount of high-quality mana and iron was injected into this obsidian, removing the brittleness of this glass; instead, its hardy and strong. If melted into sludge and used as a toxin, the obsidian will inflict its target with a large amount of arcane corruption: Toxin included: [Moderate Arcane Corruption Venom]

There had been something that I noticed during our stay at the mansion, specifically concerning gardening. As Ellaine explained, plants and crops grown in soil with high mana concentration not only grow faster, but also they possess a higher quality than plants grown without mana. The downside that prevents nobles from injecting their mana into their farmlands is that it can cause monsters to spawn. Areas with too much mana have a chance to spawn dangerous monsters.

So, instead of waiting for months for our plants and herbs to grow up to harvest them, I increased the mana concentration in the soil with my own Mana. Subsequently, we are now producing fulinoe leaves and fragassa strawberries at a decent rate, though not enough for me to indulge in them every day. A fragassa cake is still a luxury for me.

Anyway, we also tried it with Saoris and Tasiannas mana, as I was sometimes too lazy to inject mana into the soil. The difference was pretty staggering. While plants with Saoris and Tasiannas mana grew at almost the same rate, those with my mana grew faster.

The same thing with the mana water from macula plants. The sports drink I made for Ellaine that I named dragorade requires mana water as one of the ingredients, as it helps mana regeneration, an essential part of the drink. When I was inventing the drink at first, I used the macula plant water that absorbed the mana that I created during my concert, producing multiple drinks with my high-quality mana.

When I noticed the difference in the growth rate of our plants, I wondered if my mana also affected the drinks. Was my mana the main reason why the drink was so effective? Compared to when Ellaine drank my fulinoe tea to recover her arcane corruption, dragorade worked much better. So, what happened when I used the macula plant water that absorbed Saoris or Tasiannas mana? The drink not only tasted more like coffee, but Ellaine recovered at a slower rate during training.Yes, this cant be called a scientific experiment, since our sample size was too low, but it was enough for me to be convinced.

And then I had the idea to make this new type of obsidian. My [Corrosive Fire] allows me to choose the type of toxin that my fire emitted, so I thought, Why not make it more like an ore or mineral? What if I put more iron into the obsidian, what would happen then? What if I inject my pure mana into the obsidian after its created? Well, this is the result.

Obsidian? You mean that lava glass? Wait, let me identify this thing first. Ogni, the dwarf, focused on the obsidian, raising his brows the longer he looked at it. He then placed the hand-size obsidian on the counter and then looked at me directly, more serious than before. YouWhere did you get this thing? [Corrosive Fire]? This thing is filled with mana like arcanuit, but it doesnt seem to absorb my mana like pure euorinium. This mineral is something Ive never even heard of before. Where did you get this?

Its a secret, sorry. I shook my head.

Ogni frowned at me for a moment, but then grumbled, Ha, whatever, no problem. Shame I cant learn the secret of this thing. Forget about it; tell me what you want to make. Im actually motivated to know what this thing can do, so just tell me already so I can start forging!

Saori stepped forward, putting a wooden board filled with diagrams on the table. I would like a dagger like this. I am not sure if there is enough ore for it, but I would also like some claw protectors.

HmmmIs that a tanto? Ogni frowned as he looked at the clumsily drawn illustrations.

You know about it?

Yeah, of course. Every dwarf lad and lass learns about the Revolution Queen. Once you start becoming a blacksmith, you also learn about some of her less popular weapon ideas. Uhm, I think one of them was called a katana or something? Ha, the Queen was a genius of her era, but not everything that came out of her mouth is perfect. No dwarf would want something as thin as a katana. Its too fragile for extended battles, doesnt have enough weight to cut through proper armor, and it cant exert the full power of a dwarf.

We already knew about the fact that the Revolution Queen was an otherworlder like us. Whether she came from our Earth was a different question. Saori has looked up the history of the Queen, but we couldnt learn that much from the library of House Helvas.

One thing we do know was the fact that she was the ruling Ankoran Queen, the dwarven version of a high-queen or empress, of all Kings and Queens of the dwarven strongholds during the era of the War for the Faefolk. In addition, we also learned that the war started in the year 2431 and ended in 2445, roughly 200 years since the end of the war.

Excuse me, but before we continue, I interrupted, unable to hold back my curiosity. We read about the Revolution Queen before, but we barely have information on her. As dwarves, you two must know more about her, right? Could you tell us her name?

I wanted to know her nationality and how she influenced the dwarven mountains. Ogni knew about katanas and tantos, and the dwarves seem to use chopsticks when they eat according to Barathan. Of course, in modern Earth the effects of the Internet has made the world smaller, spreading a countrys culture to another with ease. This might also be the case with the dwarves.

Kraftja, Ognis wife, nodded and began explaining, Sure, lass. We call her the Revolution Queen because its her honorable title. We dwarves rarely speak of her divine name, so not many people actually know it.

Divine name?

Without giving me time to think about that nugget of information, she continued, In her mortal life, she was the Ankoran Queen called Dravlia Kongun. A member of the Kongun clan. She was favored by Goddess Crustacia and is, as most people know, an otherworlder. And then she dropped the bomb. And now she rules over us as the Goddess of Change, Ingenuity, and Ambition called Chihiro. I think her divine name came from the otherworld country she was born in.

Speechless. Thats all that could be said. Tasianna didnt receive as much of a shock, unlike Saori and me, probably cause she was a Peolyncian. However, Saori and I knew how important the name Chihiro was. At this point, we knew for a fact that this Revolution Queen definitely was from Earth. With Aurena informing me that Crustacia was the one who first summoned an otherworlder to Peolynca, there cant be any doubts anymore.

Honestly, it really sounds like a Japanese light novel, no? As this Queen had a dwarven name, it was likely that she was reincarnated as a dwarf. She became a Queen and was involved in the War for the Faefolk and helped end it in favor of the faefolk. She then died and ascended to divinity. There is also the fact that she was probably Japanese, too! Surreal.

I really want to know more about her. To see what her legacy was for Peolynca. I want to experience it for myself.

Its settled. I have to go to the capital of Artorias, Griffonpeak, and meet with Aurena for the next part of her Quest. There is also the chance that I could ask a member of the Morgiana Duchy to fix my mana paths so I can fly again, at least according to Ellaine. There are a lot of things I still need to do in Artorias, but once Im done here, I want to go and visit the dwarves. I am sure Saori would agree too.

Thinking that we had no more questions left, Ogni brought us back to the original intent of our visit. I dont like making these flimsy weapons, but Ill give it a try if you have the proper materials. I dont know how hard this obsidian really is, so Ill need to test it. For the materials, Ill need leather for the handle. Bones or claws to strengthen the blade. Preferably, everything should be D-rank at least, so the tanto can achieve harmony concerning its mana flows. The same thing applies to your claw protectors.

Hehe, this is why we saved up the C rank materials! Huzzah!

Sorting through various monster materials I saved up from my days in the Belzac Forest, I took out all the ones I got from C rank monsters. The three wyverns, the rock-skinned horned grizzly, the various Belzac chameleons, and the panguanas. I was only missing the materials from the garm matriarch as I left them behind. I wanted to show her respect for defending the new-born Saori to her last breath.

W-Wha-Wha-Wha-Ahahahahahh! This is brilliant! Praise Bleidla! Praise the God of Blacksmiths for bringing you three here to me! Wyvern scales, this thick stone-fur, and these long claws. Fantastic.

I was thinking of showing him some of my shed scales, but it seems the wyvern scales have caught his eyes. Yes, Ive been picking up my scales. No, it isnt weird cause its being resourceful. I am a B rank dragon. My defenses arent the best, but just imagine the weapons or armor that can be made with them. The best part I dont have to die to have them made.

Hold onto them for me, lass. I need to first see if I can melt this obsidian first. Dont want to ruin the materials, eh?

I then told him to also be careful with the obsidian as it was the only chunk I could get my calws on. Technically, I couldve made more but the problem was making it with enough iron to make it hard enough for a weapon. After all, [Corrosive Fire] uses up the minerals and resources from my body to create the toxins. In other words, it drains the iron from my body whenever I want to make this chunk of obsidian.

As iron is important for our body to keep our blood healthy, not to mention that my claws and fangs needed iron as well, I had to stop the production once I felt ill. It could be called self-destructive, but I consider creating the ore an investment. If I can help make some strong weapons for Saori, our partys overall strength will increase, meaning we will be more prepared for future dangers.

Ogni then headed to the back of the shop, while I asked Kraftja if she could help me pick out a weapon. She smiled and nodded.

Hmm, come to think about it, lass. Arent you a priestess of Aurena? You look fit from a System standpoint, but I dont think you have the body type for a paladin or templar. Stats dont affect your overall weight, so a light-weight like you would be tossed around by a larger opponent, Kraftja scrutinized me as we walked over to the weapons.

Its to increase my offense when I have to fight in melee, I answered. Im an elemental mage, but I have high Strength and Agility. Only my defense is lacking, but I have skills and spells to cover for them, although not perfectly. A normal mage is vulnerable if a warrior gets to them, but I have no problem fighting against them, as long as they dont overpower me. Thats why I want a weapon.

Whats your weapon and unarmed levels? What are your magic skills?

Sword and spear techniques are level one while unarmed is eight. For magic, I have sacred at six, terra at three, storm

Thats enough for me, Kraftja raised her eyebrow for a moment before scoffing, You know, I might just be a dwarf without much info on magic, but even I know the advanced form of earth magic is terra magic. Crustacia is the patron goddess of us dwarves. Hestia, isnt it better to channel your strength through a magic tool than to focus on close combat? A mage should avoid it in the first place.

I know, I also have spells to prevent people from coming close to me, however, I also know my limitations. My Strength stat isnt as high as my Intelligence, but its decent enough to punch through a tree. Shouldnt using a weapon be able to help me improve more? I was thinking of martial art movies at this point. I wasnt planning on becoming a jack of all trades, master of none, but diversifying my attack plan isnt a problem, right?

Learn how to use your magic better, then. That should be obvious for a mage.

Wow, shes stubborn. She even gave out the same answer the guild master told me.

It was disappointing, to say the least. Farron mentioned, during my spars with him, that I strictly didnt need to learn how to use a spear or sword. A master of the arcane should be able to overwhelm an enemy and a whole army simply with their spells alone. The reason why I wasnt able to defeat him in a spar was a matter of stats, experience, and equipment. I was only able to persuade him to teach me after I gave him the puppy eyes.

And now a blacksmiths wife was saying the same thing? Its disheartening.

As the atmosphere became awkward, Tasianna interjected herself into the conversation, Mrs. Kraftja, arent you managing a smithy? Would it really be bothersome for you to sell a spear or sword to Lady Hestia? She simply wants to train to become stronger.

Im telling this to her because I believe she should focus more on her magic. Ive seen enough adventurers make this opinion. Magic swordsman, magic knight, spellsword; yeah, I can see the thrill behind combining magic and martial arts, but youre only gimping yourself. A high concentration is needed to use both spells and your weapon, and many of the more powerful spells cant be used since youll be collateral.

I combine magic with my combat style, Saori argued in my support. Compared to Lady Hestia, I have to rely on my spells to deal proper damage to enemies. Also, isnt the hunters guild master a swordsman and a wind mage?

Youre a dark mage, right?

Guk! Saori flinched. H-How did you know that?

Simple deduction skills. Youre still holding that steel dagger and you commissioned a tanto, a weapon for rogues. Rogues have great synergy with dark magic since it allows them to further strengthen their ability to dodge and scare their targets. As an arcane trickster, you have to cover the weak offensive power of dark magic with your weapon so its more a necessity for you, Miss Saori, Kraftja shrugged, explaining it as if its common sense. The guild master, on the other hand, doesnt rely on wind magic during his fight. You know his moniker, The Wing Ripper? Its because hes used to fighting aerial monsters. Wind magic is a support tool, like a potion that becomes a necessity in niche situations. In any case, he relies primarily on his runes to fight, rather than magic. His Job is closer to a runeslayer than a magic swordsman.

Ok, now I have to admit it; this dwarf knows her stuff. Shes been denying me a weapon, but I cant help but feel wonderment and admiration for her. Shes an expert in her field, after all.

Amazing. You know a lot about the guild master, Mrs. Kraftja, I said, eyes sparkling with respect.

Kraftja snorted but she smiled slightly. Of course I would. He and the mercenary guild master use our smithy exclusively to maintain their weapons and armor. Ha, once you get used to the skills of a dwarf, youll never want to visit a human-run smithy ever again! Tch, well, I understand why not everybody wants to come over here. For good service, we have to ask for a fair price and not everyone can afford it.

The reason why Kraftjas and Ognis smithy isnt filled with customers despite how passionate they were for their work is thanks to the way the other smithies and equipment shops are run. Due to the skills of the Firwood blacksmiths, most of them couldnt compete with the Ognis skill and took various measures to keep their shops alive. So, they not only reduced the prices of their products, but also offered free repairs for an adventurers equipment, so long as the smithy was that adventurers preferred shop.

You know, there is a saying that only a dwarfs wife can stop their bull-headedness. The saying is practically true. However, even I couldnt persuade my husband to drop the fees for repairs. Quality work deserves proper payment, he said, and I had to shut up once I heard it. Kraftja sighed in exasperation but looked pretty unfazed by the measures of the other smithies.

The reason Ognis smithy wasnt truly threatened by the local competitors is the loyalty of a few specific customers. They were able to keep their shop cause Ogni could guarantee quality work due to his mindset to always feel proud about his work. Bleidla is the God of Blacksmithing, and is a dwarf according to what I heard from Tasianna, so as a blacksmith and dwarf, Ogni probably didnt want to anger, or even disappoint, his god. He corrected his attitude quite quickly when we first met after his wife mentioned the god.

Ognis smithy didnt provide free repairs, but they would always produce high-quality work and he would pour his full attention into any commissions. The reason why no armor was sold in the shop was because of Ognis belief that armor should be made specifically for a person to make it more comfortable to wear and increase their combat effectiveness. He would feel proud if his armor could save the life of his customers.

Armor is there to protect yourself, so faulty or loose pieces can lead to death. My husband doesnt want to learn that his customers died because his works failed them, so he always makes the ideal armor for each of his customers. Weapons, on the other hand, are for him to experiment and improve his skills. All the weapons you can find in the store were made in his spare time using his own pocket money, Kraftja explained with pride, pointing at the myriads of weapons. However, that also means everything we sell is expensive in order to recuperate the costs.

Wow, that is the spirit of a craftsman, huh?

You know what, now that I said it out loud, I cant deny you a weapon anymore. Sorry about that; I was so heated up that I couldnt think straight. Come, let me help search out a weapon for you. You too, wolfkin lass! That dagger aint for you!

Without warning, Kraftja grabbed Saoris and my wrist, dragging us in front of a weapon rack. She swiped the steel dagger from Saoris hand and placed it back on a table, before searching and picking up two new daggers.

Youre a rogue, so we have to maximize your attack power and status application. She handed Saori two daggers and gave us her ring of identification to look at them. As we already had [Identify], we gave her the ring back.

Frog Fang Andurium Dagger

A dagger made from light andurium metal to increase the nimbleness, and steel to increase the durability of the weapon. Toxic-Fiend Toad oil coats the fang of Ambush Frog, as it was applied during the crafting process, increasing the penetration of the weapon and the effectiveness of abnormal status afflictions

Skill

[Increase Abnormal Status Affliction Lv. 4]

[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 3]

[Durability Loss Reduction Lv. 1] L1tLagoon witnessed the first publication of this chapter on Ñøv€l--B1n.

[Dagger Mastery Lv. 1]

[Agility Enforcement Lv. 3]

Assassins Eoriant Dagger

A dagger made from the alloy eoriant, giving it the mana absorption ability of euorinium along with the sturdiness of steel. Able to leech a small amount of mana to regenerate the wielders Mana, due to a lack of foreign materials in the alloy. The daggers form allows it to deal more damage when it strikes a weak spot

Skill

[Mana Conductor Lv. 1]

[Mana Efficiency Lv. 1]

[Critical Damage Enhancement Lv. 2]

[Dagger Mastery Lv. 1]

The power of items!

Our stares of wonderment were enough of a reward for Kraftja as she burst into laughter. The smile she was showing carried the pride she had for her husbands craftsmanship, showing no reluctance to boast about him. They seemed rowdy at first, but her affection for him was no lie.

T-These are amazing. And you said Mr. Ogni made these because he was bored? I can only wonder what he can do if he crafts it to a persons liking. Saori was the one who was the most baffled. She clutched onto them as if they were her most precious toys but frowned as she realized something. Urgh, the reason why I wanted to buy the steel dagger is to reduce the cost. Once the commission is done, I wanted to switch over to my new weapon.

Saoris argument stemmed from her desire to reduce our partys expenditure. We werent rich yet. However, Kraftja could only scold her for her cheap attitude. Weapons protect you as you can kill those who threaten you. If you die because of your cheap attitude, what will you say then? You can always resell the daggers back to me after you got your new blades, but think about your life here. No matter how strong you are, is money really worth having if you dont spend it on something you need to protect your friends with?

Saori gulped as she realized this. She looked over at Tasianna and me and couldnt help but sigh.

[Decrease Durability Loss Lv. 4] [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] [Decrease Durability Loss Lv. 4] [Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] [Increase Abnormal Status Affliction Lv. 4] [Mana Conductor Lv. 1]

According to Ogni, eoriant was an alloy made with euorinium and steel.

Euorinium is a metal with an incredible mana absorption rate that would suck up the mana from the environment until it was full. However, the problem with the metal is that it was incredibly brittle if there wasnt any mana in it, and would even shatter even all its mana was used up in a short time period. Due to this trait, it was ill-advised to make a weapon purely out of euorinium.

This fact changes if steel was mixed into it. A mixture of 80% steel and 20% euorinium would create an alloy that was able to absorb the mana from monster materials with ease while having the ability to hold runes and enhancements without breaking. All the disadvantages of euorinium would disappear. That was the wonder alloy eoriant.

Aside from the corrosive obsidian, we also gave him some wyvern and panguana claws, grizzly hide, and Belzac chameleon scales for Saoris tanto and claw protectors. The obsidian itself isnt enough for everything, but if eoriant is included, everything should be fine. I dont know how long this will take, but a week is the maximum. By then, I promise you that I will make your investment worth it.

For my new spear, Saoris two daggers, and Saoris commissioned weapons, the money Ellaine gave us was just enough to pay for everything. Saori will most likely have to create a dress fit for a princess for Ellaine to repay everything. I will make sure to feed Ellaine tons of cake to try and see if she somehow forgets it, but that is probably just wishful thinking on my part.

Ah, oh right. Dont you need armor, too? Kraftja commented as we were about to leave. Hey, Hestia, have you remembered to pick up your scales?

Yes?

Good! Once you got enough, bring them to us and Ogni will make you some mail.

Using my dragon scales to make armor would be smart, but

I have a skill that protects me from attacks and Im also creating a custom spell that allows me to fortify my defense even further. I dont think Ill need armor.

Nonsense, lass. Mage or not, youre still a dragonewt. Making armor from dragonewt pieces has a positive effect on you, so you should take us up on our offer. Looking at your pink thighs, your scales probably dont cover up your whole body. Take precautions so you dont regret it later. Scalemail would be a great help to you.

With that final advice, we said our goodbyes to the dwarf couple and made our way to the gate. On the way, I explained to Saori and Tasianna that my [Mana Eyes] somehow merged with [Identify] and gained the benefits of [Blacksmiths Appraisal (Incomplete)].

I am becoming a bit envious, but it is nice to see us becoming stronger. It is a good feeling.

My Lady is extraordinary, indeed.

Those were responses.

As we left the gate of Firwood and gazed at the snow-filled entrance, I couldnt help but smile. Its been a while since we left for an adventure. Staying in town was nice, but that wasnt our goal. Saori wished to learn more about this world and I wanted to become stronger. Our goals required us to get back to work as adventurers.

The ruins were there before this kingdom was founded. My fur is tingling from excitement, Saori exclaimed with a smile.

I nodded, agreeing with her statement. I activated my party bracelet, set our party up, and set the experience distribution to one-third each, before checking the name of the Quest one more time. C rank Quest, Investigate the ruins close to Rashan Village and subjugate all threats to the villagers.

*********************

In the depths of a cold, dark ruin, the wailing of numerous creatures could be heard. None were pleasant to hear. Growls of anger and screeches of pain flooded the halls and room as their footsteps tapped onto the stony floor. Their eyes glowed red as their deteriorating flesh was patched up by a strange living shadow.

Vvvvvveeeengeeeeencetaaaaaaaaakkkkemaaaannaaaaaa. Giiiiive meeeeeeemaaaanaaaaaa. Liiiiiiveeeeee

An eerie voice echoed through the ruins, none could ignore it as the snarling of the beasts intensified. Four shadows rose. Exposed bones, foul stench, flesh hanging loosely as only a veil of shadow was keeping the creature together. Their four legs tapped on the floor in front of an army.

Awrooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!

The howls vibrated through the air like a war horn. It was a call to battle. The pain-filled cries exploded as a wave of creatures ran through the halls. Their destination?

Huuuummmaaaaaans! Veeeeengenceeeeee! Giiiiiveeeeeemeeeeee.yyyyyyyourmaaaaannaaaaaa!

The damned do not forget.

A note from AbyssRaven

Happy new Years to everybody! Let's make the next years a good year!

Oh yeah, Saori's artwork is scheduled to be released soon.

If you guys want to support me, Hestia and "A Dragon Idol's Reincarnation Tale" (or just read up to 12 advance chapters + any Patreon-only chapters) please check out my Patreon: Rawr!

If you guys enjoyed this chapter then, please follow the story. If you guys want the story to grow, then giving it a rating or a favorite will do wonders: Rawr

Thank you for reading this chapter.

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Friday, January 1, 2021 1:30:45 AM Germany [Member of Zard Skwad]

Bio: Hey there, AbyssRaven here. I'm just an avid Light Novel and Fantasy story reader who randomly thought of a story and began writing about it.

I eventually found out that I've been spending a bit too much time with building, planning, and researching for the story, that I've decided to just share it with others.

Writing is mostly a hobby for me, but I would still love any kind of criticism to improve on it.

I'm also german, so please excuse anything that sounds a bit weird...I wouldn't mind you pointing it out though.

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