Chapter 121: His Disappearance
After Aldrian created the dagger, the next phase was what we could call his ’intensive training’ to become a blacksmith. However, calling it "intensive" might be an exaggeration—at least that’s how Duke Valiard saw it. To Aldrian, it was more like another typical Monday morning activity.
Once Aldrian finished crafting the blade for the dagger and completed the hilt according to the blueprint, Duke Valiard presented him with a new blueprint for a different artifact. This time, it was for a middle sky-grade sword, forged from a mixture of dark steel and blue iron—rare materials that can only be found in icy regions.
As before, Duke Valiard demonstrated the process, showing how to create a more complex, higher-grade artifact. He melted the dark steel and blue iron together in the furnace, using his energy to perfectly balance the materials. The steps after that were not too different from creating the middle earth-grade dagger.
When Duke Valiard finished forging the sky-grade sword, Aldrian followed the same process. The result? Astonishingly, the sword was nearly at the level of a Heaven-grade weapon! By this time, night had already fallen, and Sylphia, Eleine, Xin Haotian and Baek Ji-Min were waiting outside the duke’s mansion.
They had spent the entire day at the workshop, and Aldrian explained the situation to the others, asking them to find an inn. However, Duke Valiard insisted that it wasn’t necessary, as he would provide them with a place to stay.
After Duke Valiard provided Xin Haotian and the others with accommodations in his manor complex, he handed Aldrian another blueprint—this time for a low Heaven-grade shield. Crafting this intricate shield would take Duke Valiard a full day to complete. The shield was designed to be both lightweight and highly maneuverable, offering easy protection for all parts of the body.
Aldrian observed the process with intense focus, absorbing all the knowledge. With the aid of his Eyes of the Heaven, he was able to improve the techniques, elevating them to the next level. He didn’t let a single detail slip by, no matter how small.
Once Duke Valiard finished crafting the shield, Aldrian followed the same steps to create his own. To Duke Valiard’s amazement, Aldrian ended up forging a middle Heaven-grade shield. The duke was moved to tears, overwhelmed by Aldrian’s extraordinary talent. In his excitement and obsession with Aldrian’s effortless accomplishments, he even forgot about Aldrian’s earlier request to craft his sword and he even forgotten about the divine iron.
Days, even weeks, passed as they continued to create a variety of artifacts. The workshop was now filled with swords, spears, daggers, and shields scattered around, each radiating powerful auras. The highest of these reached peak Heaven-grade, turning the workshop into a veritable treasure trove.