Heavy Metal

Rusty stood in front of the material shelves provided by the Soul Forge. For his next creation, he needed mana-enhanced twilight steel. Enchanting without it would be impossible. If the mana wasn't infused into the alloy beforehand, enchantments would usually be rejected. According to the books, it was possible to force enchantments onto almost any metal, but doing so required a high level of skill. Since Rusty was just starting out, it made more sense to take the easier path.

"The Soul Forge will provide you with the metal you need, Rusty. But I recommend reviewing the process. It will help you understand the concepts more clearly and improve your technique."

"That's a good point. I can't always rely on the system to do everything, and my SP is limited," Rusty replied to Alexander, who hovered above him.

The shelves were stocked with the correct mana-infused twilight steel ingots. Regular ones were stored nearby, along with a box filled with sparkling mana stones.

"I wish I could take these out and give them to Gleam..."

He muttered to himself while picking up one of the mana stones. It resembled the kind he had seen in the dungeon cave. The stone was blue, radiating the familiar aura of mana, and felt somewhat brittle in his hand. These crystals were not only used for enchanting but also served as ingredients in mana potions and various alchemical concoctions that required a source of magical energy.

"This should be enough."

After gathering a handful of the small blue crystals, he moved over to the smelter. It had changed again, now adapted to handle the mana crystals alongside iron and steel. He could even start from raw iron, mix in carbon, and then infuse it with the mana crystals to create his own steel from scratch. Still, this was optional. Using pre-forged steel worked just as well for his current needs.

At the center of it all stood the main crucible, connected to several separate channels. These open pathways were designed to hold different materials, which would flow into the crucible once they had been heated sufficiently. Thanks to the Soul Forge, which had provided him with a simplified version of a traditional forge, the entire process was relatively easy to manage.

All he needed to do was place the twilight steel ingots into one channel and the mana crystals into another. Then, by following the instructions from the book, he would heat both materials to the required temperatures and combine them at the precise moment.

"But how do I know when it's hot enough?"

"Look at the color of the flames, Rusty. While you don't have skin to feel heat or cold, you still have other senses you can rely on. Try focusing."

Alexander explained as Rusty continued to observe. His sense of touch wasn't like that of those with flesh. Instead, he had to rely on other methods, such as his mana sense or visual perception, to gauge temperature. The process wasn't simple, but by studying the flames and watching how they interacted with the magical crystals and metals, he eventually unlocked an important skill.