Chapter 77 – A Better Edge
The core didn’t stay on the workstation after the shaping process finished, because once its internal structure stabilized, Lira moved immediately into the next phase without needing to explain what she was doing, her actions guided by familiarity rather than hesitation.
“Now we build around it,” she said, already pulling materials from the organized racks nearby.
Jack didn’t interrupt her.
He watched.
That mattered more.
The materials she selected weren’t random, and even without Identify, the difference between them and what Sanguina had been using was obvious, because the metal carried a consistency that suggested refinement rather than raw extraction, its surface smoother, its density more uniform.
Lira placed them onto the workstation one by one, her attention never leaving the space in front of her as the system interface responded again.
[Crafting Interface — Core Integration]
Component Selection:
- Refined Alloy (Common+)
- Stabilized Binding (Common)
- Refined Beast Core (Elite+)
Jack noticed the last line.
She had already chosen.
He almost smiled.
“Scythe,” he said.
Lira glanced at him briefly.
“You use them,” she replied.
Not a question.
Jack nodded.
“Yeah.”
She returned her focus to the interface.
“Then we don’t waste time building something you won’t use properly,” she said.
That made sense.
Sophie crossed her arms lightly, watching the process.
“Good,” she said. “Because I don’t feel like watching you learn a new weapon from scratch.”
Jack ignored that.
Mostly.
Lira initiated the process.
[Crafting — Initiated]
Success Rate: High
Quality Projection: Uncommon+
The materials responded immediately.
The alloy softened first, not melting, but shifting into a more malleable state under system guidance, its structure aligning as Lira adjusted the interface with precise movements, shaping the base of the weapon before integrating the core.
The shaft formed first.
Long.
Balanced.
Reinforced at key points without adding unnecessary weight.
Jack watched the proportions carefully.
She knew what she was doing.
The core came next.
Instead of being embedded directly into the blade, it was set slightly lower along the shaft, integrated in a way that allowed its energy to flow outward rather than remain locked in a single point.
“Distribution,” Jack said quietly.
Lira nodded.
“Better control,” she replied.
The blade formed last.
Curved.
Clean.
The edge refined through repeated system-guided adjustments, each pass sharpening not just the surface, but the internal consistency of the metal itself, removing imperfections before they could become weaknesses.
Jack stepped closer without thinking about it.
This wasn’t just crafting.
This was precision.
The interface shifted.
[Core Integration — Stable]
[Finalizing Structure…]
The weapon solidified.
The faint glow that had accompanied the shaping process faded as the energy settled fully into the structure of the scythe, leaving behind something that looked deceptively simple.
Clean lines.
White-silver metal.
Subtle red veins running faintly through the blade.
Not decorative.
Functional.
[Item Created]
Name: Blood-Reinforced War Scythe
Quality: Uncommon+
Bonuses:
- +12 Strength
- +10 Agility
- +8 Endurance
Lira stepped back.
“Take it,” she said.
Jack didn’t hesitate.
The moment his hand closed around the shaft, the difference became immediately clear, because the balance was exact in a way that made adjustment unnecessary, the weight distributed perfectly so that the weapon felt like an extension of his movement rather than something he had to compensate for.
He moved it once.
A simple motion.
The blade cut through the air with a smoothness that required less effort than his previous weapon, not because it was lighter, but because it was aligned better.
Sophie watched.
“…Okay, that’s better,” she said.
Jack didn’t respond.
He tested it again.
A wider arc this time.
Controlled.
Precise.
The edge held cleanly, the movement natural in a way that confirmed what he already felt.
This wasn’t just stronger.
It was efficient.
Kael stepped closer, his gaze settling briefly on the weapon before shifting back to Jack.
“That should increase your output noticeably,” he said.
Jack nodded.
“It will.”
Lira crossed her arms lightly.
“You can push it further later,” she said. “The core wasn’t fully consumed.”
Jack glanced at her.
“Scaling,” he said again.
She nodded once.
“Exactly.”
That mattered more than the immediate gain.
Sophie stepped slightly to the side, giving him space.
“Go on,” she said. “Try it properly.”
Jack didn’t need to be told twice.
He stepped toward a cleared section of ground, his grip adjusting slightly as he shifted into motion, not rushing, not overcommitting, but letting the weapon move the way it was meant to.
“Blood Scythe.”
The skill activated cleanly.
The arc extended.
Sharper.
More controlled.
The energy followed the blade instead of dispersing outward unevenly, the strike landing with a precision that made the difference immediately obvious.
Jack stopped.
Not because he needed to.
Because he understood.
He looked down at the weapon briefly, then back up.
Better.
Not by a small margin.
By enough to matter in every fight going forward.
Sophie nodded once.
“Yeah,” she said. “That’s going to change things.”
Jack didn’t disagree.
He turned slightly, his attention shifting between Lira, Kael, and the rest of Silver Vale.
This hadn’t been a favor.
It had been an exchange.
And for the first time since arriving—
He had something here that Sanguina couldn’t provide yet.
That alone made this trip worth it.