Chapter 78: New Gear (2)

The forge was already burning when Emeric arrived.

The hearth roared in the lower district and anvils rang in all directions.

Emeric showed up to the smithy to see sparks flying with every strike of Bjorn’s hammer. He was shaping something—a small piece of steel, small. His movements were measured as that of a seasoned blacksmith.

Emeric watched from the doorway.

"You’re early."

"You said tomorrow."

"I said come back tomorrow. Not at dawn." Bjorn didn’t look up. "You always were impatient."

Emeric stepped inside. The heat wrapped around him like a blanket, insulating him from the cold outside. He found a stool near the wall and sat.

Bjorn worked in silence for a while. The hammer rose and fell. The steel took shape. Neither of them spoke. They didn’t need to.

As the work continued, Bjorn asked Emeric to hold a piece of metal while he worked. He measured Emeric’s hands. His reach. His grip. He grunted. Made notes. Muttered to himself.

Then, without looking up, he spoke.

"I heard rumors."

"What rumors?"

"About you. They said you won a duel and a hunt. I hadn’t heard from you in years and you rushed me with a shabby piece of steel." He paused. "They say you awakened."

Emeric didn’t answer.

Bjorn set his hammer down and turned to face him.

"Last I checked, you had no magic. You couldn’t light a candle or move a pebble. You were the Unblessed one."

He studied Emeric. "Now they’re saying you have magic. That you killed a Thornback Wyvern." He paused, breathing inward. "Word gets around."

He crossed his arms.

"Is it true?"

Emeric met his gaze.

"Something like that."

Bjorn didn’t blink.

"Something like that," he repeated. "That’s not an answer."

"It’s the only one I have right now."

Bjorn stared at him, then, slowly, his expression shifted to something that looked like relief.

"You’re different."

"I know."

"No, I mean it." Bjorn stopped hammering. "You’re not the little wimp I used to know. The kid who let elves push him around and would cry all over the academy."

Emeric’s jaw tightened. "I didn’t cry."

"You wanted to." Bjorn clapped him on the shoulder. "But you didn’t. You held it in. You always did."

He stepped back and picked up his hammer again.

"Now look at you. Killing Wyverns. You’ve become something."

Emeric didn’t answer.

Bjorn turned back to the anvil.

"Good. It’s about time."

Before noon, he was done with Bjorn’s requirements.

The forging for the other members of the party began the next day.

Bjorn worked with each party member individually. He watched them move. How they fought. How they held their weapons. He took notes. He sketched. Then he began.

After observing Collin, he took the shield apart piece by piece.

"The rim was your weak point," he said, holding up the cracked metal. "Every impact stressed the same spot. I’ve reforged it with layered steel. Mana-treated. The rim is now the strongest part."

He handed him the already forged item.

[ITEM: REFORGED BULWARK SHIELD]

[RANK: D+]

[TYPE: HEAVY SHIELD]

[DEFENSE: +35]

[DURABILITY: +40]

[SPECIAL: IMPACT ABSORPTION — REDUCES KNOCKBACK BY 25%]

[SPECIAL: MANA-TREATED STEEL — RESISTS MAGICAL CORROSION]

[WEIGHT: REDUCED BY 15%]

"Whoa! The stats have come even better," Collin said as he gripped it. "It felt lighter than before but now it’s stronger and more balanced."

"Yes. I did all that." Bjorn said as a matter of fact.

"What else?"

"The boss—the center—was too thin. I thickened it. Added a layer of shock-absorbing leather underneath. You’ll feel impacts less."

Collin nodded slowly. He raised the shield. Tested its weight. It was perfect.

He turned to Mira.

He had asked her about her herbs, how she arranged bandages and what she needed in an ideal pouch during their time together.

Then he showed her the new satchel.

"Water-resistant leather. Treated with a compound that repels moisture. Your herbs won’t spoil. Your bandages won’t rot."

He opened it. Pockets lined the interior with different sizes meant to serve different purposes.

"Small pockets for vials. Larger for bandages. A hidden compartment for valuables. And here—" He tapped a reinforced section. "A protective layer. If you fall, your supplies won’t shatter."

He paused.

"But that’s not the real surprise."

He reached into the satchel. His hand disappeared—up to his wrist. Then his elbow. Then his shoulder.

Mira’s eyes widened.

"What—"

"Magic bag," Bjorn said. He pulled his hand out. It was holding a small vial. "I can’t take credit. I know a tailor in the lower district. An elf that specialises in spatial enchantments. I gave him the design. He did the weaving."

The party stared.

An elf. In the lower district.

"You know an elf?" Collin asked.

"I know a lot of people." Bjorn shrugged. "He owes me a favor."

He handed the satchel to Mira.

[ITEM: SPATIAL SATCHEL]

[RANK: D+]

[TYPE: HEALER’S BAG]

[STORAGE: 10X NORMAL CAPACITY]

[SPECIAL: SPATIAL ENCHANTMENT — CONTAINS A POCKET DIMENSION]

[SPECIAL: WATER-RESISTANT — PROTECTS CONTENTS FROM MOISTURE]

[SPECIAL: ORGANIZED — REDUCES TIME TO FIND ITEMS BY 50%]

[WEIGHT: FEELS 80% LIGHTER THAN CONTENTS]

---

Mira ran her fingers over the leather. She opened it. Closed it. Opened it again.

"It’s... incredible."

"It’s practical," Bjorn said. "Now you can carry twice as much without it weighing you down."

Mira smiled. It was a small thing. But it was real.

-Bjorn asked Maynard to channel his fire—even though the bow couldn’t handle it.

Maynard hesitated. "It’ll burn."

"Try anyway."

Maynard drew the string and channeled a spark of fire. The string smoked. The wood cracked.

Bjorn nodded. "That’s what I thought." He said during the session.

Now, he was handing Maynard a bow that looked completely different from the one he had turned in.

"Composite recurve. Heat-resistant wood. Steel reinforcements. A string woven with fire-resistant thread." He said, casually handing him the bow.

[ITEM: COMPOSITE RECURVE BOW]

[RANK: D+]

[TYPE: FIRE-ENCHANTED LONGBOW]

[DAMAGE: +28]

[RANGE: +70 YARDS]

[SPECIAL: HEAT-RESISTANT — CAN CHANNEL FIRE WITHOUT BURNING]

[SPECIAL: FIRE-ENCHANTED STRING — ARROWS IGNITE ON DRAW]

[SPECIAL: COMPOSITE CORE — REDUCES DRAW WEIGHT BY 20%]