Chapter 27: The Forgemaster’s Gambit
Armed with the memories of his past life, Ryan found the instructor he had been looking for, tucked away in a dilapidated shack at the edge of the settlement.
The man was Ignis Ironhammer, a grizzled veteran and the trainer for the Forgemaster profession. Unlocking the forging path required nothing more than accepting a small errand from him—an unassuming quest that involved collecting four varieties of fine ale. A few dozen silver coins spent at the local tavern was all it took.
Ryan completed the task with ease and returned, handing over the ales. In return, Ignis granted him access to the Forging profession.
Forging itself was structured into three tiers: Novice Forging (0–75), Journeyman Forging (76–150), and Master Forging (151–225). Each tier was locked behind character level requirements: level 5 for Novice, 20 for Journeyman, and 35 for Master.
Ryan was starting from the bottom—Novice Forging. Seventy-five points of proficiency might not sound like much on paper, but he knew better. From bitter experience in his past life, he understood just how grueling earning those 75 points could be.
Don’t be fooled by the number. Every single point had to be earned through the metaphorical blood, sweat, and tears of a blacksmith. It was a test of patience and persistence.
At his current level, Ryan’s forging panel displayed only two basic recipes: Crude Balancing Stone and Crude Sharpening Stone.
Crude Balancing Stone: Apply to your weapon. Increases blunt weapon damage by 2 for 30 minutes.
Crude Sharpening Stone: Apply to your weapon. Increases bladed weapon damage by 2 for 30 minutes.