How to Raise Your Skeletons

Chapter 43: Forest and Stone (4)

Up until now, the highest rank blueprint I had encountered was C-rank. I had gifted the sturdy steel hammer to the dwarves. Even so, it seemed a bit much for Boney 6, a level 2 intermediate blacksmith, to handle.

“Here! Take this! It’s a replica, so don’t feel too pressured!”

“Take this one too! It’s been sitting at home collecting dust anyway!”

But today… It seemed like I was about to receive a flood of blueprints. And they were all at least B-rank or higher.

My goodness…

The variety of blueprints was astonishing. They included mysterious tools, weapons, and even elven bows.

How much would these be worth if I sold them?

Of course, I wasn’t naive enough to sell such rare blueprints—the basis of my precious resources. Not to mention that no one could even put a price on these blueprints.

“Hold on, please. Hand them over one at a time. I’ll check each one carefully.”

I hurriedly gathered the blueprints.

“I’ll make sure to create something great from each one. Ah, you can leave them here. Thank you!”

It felt like I was gathering golden nuggets from a goose that laid golden eggs. The dwarves were simple and straightforward. All I did was make one weapon, and they handed over these valuable blueprints as if they were nothing.

And after some time had passed…

“Hey, isn’t that Tonir?”

“Tonir?”

A few dwarves started whispering as they looked behind me.

“What’s Tonir doing here?”

“Wow, is Tonir bringing a blueprint too?”

I also turned my gaze.

What’s going on? Who’s Tonir?

“Tonir comes from a prestigious blacksmithing family! In the past, every elite warrior in the world used weapons made by the Tonir family!”

“Yeah, the Tonir family’s weapons are legendary. Even after all these years, they still shine.”

“And if we can craft something from one of their blueprints?”

“We might just be able to wipe those damned elves off the face of the earth!”

The dwarves began to murmur with hope in their eyes. That little dwarf’s family must be quite famous.

“Hey, you,” Tonir said as he approached me.

He extended a blueprint to me. Even though it was just a piece of paper, it seemed to shine more brightly than any other blueprint the dwarves had brought.

“Do you have the skill to create this?”

“…”

—Gulp!

I swallowed hard as I took the blueprint.

[Item: Titan’s Thunder Hammer]

[Rank: A]

[Type: Blueprint]

[Description: A blueprint for crafting ‘Titan’s Thunder Hammer.’]

[Effect 1: Allows the crafting of ‘Titan’s Thunder Hammer.’]

[Effect 2: Requires 100 iron ingots, 20 silver ingots, 2 mithril ingots, and 30 wooden pieces.]

[Effect 3: Possesses excellent performance due to the complex crafting process.]

…What in the world?

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I was stunned to find an A-rank blueprint. Its value on Earth was unimaginable because it meant the mass production of expensive A-rank items.

But S-rank is out of the question.

S-rank weapons were unique, so I had never even heard of a blueprint for one.

Wait, but it requires quite a lot of materials…

I couldn’t take the stated requirements to be the end of it. I also had to consider the wasted materials during the numerous failures I’d go through in the crafting process.

And… mithril ingots?

With Boney 6’s current smelting skills, extracting mithril ingots was out of the question. Not to mention that I wasn’t even sure if Boney 6’s ‘Intermediate Item Crafting’ (Lv.2) could create this A-rank weapon.

—Creak!

Boney 6 approached me, holding his hammer. His eyes gleamed with the desire to craft.

[Inspecting blueprint ‘Titan’s Thunder Hammer.’]

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

[This blueprint is more difficult than the current skill level.]

[There is a high chance of failure.]

“Ah…”

I stared blankly at the message. Was an A-rank blueprint still too much for me?

—Clack! Clack! Clack!

But Boney 6 vigorously shook its head. It raised its hammer confidently as if to say it could do it.

“You want to try making it?”

—Nod, nod.

It agreed with confidence.

Well.

A high chance of failure meant there was still a chance of success, right? And if we succeeded, Boney 6’s skill proficiency would probably skyrocket.

“Now, the problem is the mithril…”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Tonir, who had been watching me ponder, stepped forward. “Our family has some extra mithril. We’ll provide as much as you need if you’re willing to take on the challenge.”

“Really?”

“Yes, we’re that desperate for this weapon.”

“…”

Okay, well then. With all the materials provided, there seemed nothing for me to lose in giving it a try.

“Alright, let’s do it,” I agreed without hesitation.

* * *

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* * *

“Haha, I hear you’re taking on the challenge of crafting the Thunder Hammer?”

“Give it your best.”

“You’re the Rock Tribe’s last hope.”

The news of my challenge spread throughout Titan. The dwarves stopped coming for the time being and kept their distance, cheering me on. They watched me with hopeful eyes.

“…”

—Clang! Clang!

Boney 6 hammered away with all his might.

[Completion rate: 30%]

—Clang! Clang!

[Completion rate: 35%]

[Crafting failed.]

[Materials used have been destroyed.]

“Darn.”

The crafting process wasn’t easy, as expected. Even Boney 6, who had initially been confident, seemed slightly confused, tilting its head. It seemed that its body wasn’t keeping up with what it intended to do. Even so, Boney 6 persevered. Crafting a high-level weapon required immense time and effort. Even a slight hesitation in hammering resulted in losing everything we had worked on…

[A crack has formed.]

[Crafting failed.]

[Materials used have been destroyed.]

“Boney 6.”

I stayed by Boney 6’s side. I didn’t leave everything to them; I tried to endure it together with them.

“Don’t give up. I’ve learned in my life that if you keep trying, nothing is impossible.”

That’s right. Had we ever truly put effort into blacksmithing? Not really, since it didn’t take much effort to just use a skill and instantly produce something.

It was time to build up real skill proficiency, not just a systematic number. Repeating a process hundreds and thousands of times until it became second nature was how one truly mastered a craft. Maybe that’s what Boney 6 needed to do.

—Clang! Clang!

The sound of metal echoed through the mine.

I sat down next to him, crossing my legs. Using the Great Blue Heart Technique, I focused my mind, controlled my energy, and fell into deep thought.

—Clang! Clang!

Boney 6’s hammering gradually slowed along with my heartbeat. It was an act of synchronizing with me, an act of communion.

How should I strike, from what direction, and with how much power? How can I strike to maintain balance and deliver consistent blows?

Boney 6’s thoughts flowed into my mind. At that moment, I felt the pride of a blacksmith radiating from Boney 6.

—Clang! Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, its hammering became more fluid.

Thunder, huh… The designer wanted to imbue this weapon with the speed of a thunderbolt. He wanted to instill fear in the enemy through the roar of thunder.

Lightning was a symbol of fear. The bolt of light that descended from the sky struck unpredictably with incredible speed and intensity.

—Clang! Clang!

The image I had in mind began manifesting in Boney 6’s hammering. The energy of the Great Blue Heart Technique began to pulse like thunder.

“Oh?”

“What in the world?!”

“H-Hey! Would y’all look at that? Lightning is flowing through the hammer!”

The dwarves, who had kept their distance, began to murmur. They were shocked by a sight they had never seen before.

“I’ve heard that this phenomenon would occur when our ancestors worked on their hammering, too!”

“Right! When a smith imbues their work with their spirit, this happens!”

“Spirit?”

“Yes, spirit! We called a blacksmith who could do this a meister!”

The dwarves gathered around, watching Boney 6’s hammering with admiration. This was the lost legacy of the Rock Tribe. Their faces were filled with emotion as they watched.

“…”

I, too, trembled slightly.

Boney 6… What are you?

What on earth could you be… that you could pour such ‘spirit’ into your work with just an Intermediate Item Crafting skill? And this wasn’t even your original will—it was just the lingering traces of a soul in a dead body.

[Completion rate: 2%]

—Clang! Clang!

I sighed inwardly as I watched the scene. The hammering now was much more intense and exhausting than before, yet the completion rate barely increased. I could only wonder what kind of incredible weapon this would be.

—Clang! Clang!

An hour passed, then two hours, and finally, a whole day.

[Completion rate: 21%]

“…”

After 24 hours, the completion rate had only reached 21%.

But there was one consolation: the failure messages had stopped appearing.

—Clang! Clang!

Boney 6 didn’t stop hammering. I kept controlling my energy through the Great Blue Heart Technique.

Instinctively, I had called for the old man, but when he saw me focusing, he nodded and disappeared.

—Clang! Clang!

By now, the entire city of Titan was buzzing with rumors.

“That’s a true blacksmith…”

“He’s the real deal!”

“I can feel the passion of a meister stabbing deep into my heart!”

I entered a state of total immersion. I couldn’t even hear the dwarves’ admiration anymore. Eventually, I realized that blacksmithing was also connected to ki.

As Boney 6 hammered like a storm, I imbued it with my energy. This made his hammering even more graceful. It was like watching a dance.

Indeed, the Art of All Techniques was never wrong. But unlike the old man, my art seemed to have the spirit of a true blacksmith within it.

* * *

“Hmm.”

A ghostly figure watched over Joo Donghoon’s back with a pleased expression. It was an old man with a face full of wrinkles, wearing white robes.

The otherworldly absolute being, the Master of All Techniques, thought to himself:

This is turning out well. As he watches that hammering, he’s getting closer to mastering ki. His mastery of the Great Blue Heart Technique has already reached a high level.

He was pleased. At first, he didn’t like that Joo Donghoon was interested in such trivialities, but not anymore.

Hmph, it seems I have underestimated the Grand Technique of the Celestial Artisan.

He had created the technique himself but never had the chance to use it. It was a secret method that could turn a simpleton into a heaven-sent genius! It truly was an impressive technique.

Joo Donghoon was undoubtedly learning blacksmithing for the first time in his life, with no master to guide him. To observe actions, gain insight, and develop them into one’s own craft—to create one’s own techniques—this was the path of a true genius!

—Clang! Clang!

Indeed, Boney 6 was the one who was hammering. Even the dwarves were cheering for Boney 6 as they watched.

However.

The old man knew that the hammering was not being done by Boney 6 alone. Joo Donghoon’s imagery was being added to Boney 6’s precise hammering.

As the hammer began to take shape, it emanated a power reminiscent of the old man’s own weapon.

Impressive, you tenacious brat.

Yes. This time, he was genuinely impressed. Even though Joo Donghoon was always a bit slippery, he had to acknowledge this moment.

And…

Finally, you are worthy of calling yourself my disciple.

The old man decided to postpone their training. At this moment, Joo Donghoon didn’t need someone to force knowledge upon him. What he needed was to gain knowledge on his own.

“…”

The old man, who had been watching his disciple with satisfaction, quietly vanished after an hour, feeling a sense of pride for the first time.

____