Fire and Enchantment

The forging process went very smoothly, and Cecia was completely in her element. Her LV2 Forging, combined with her LV2 Fireball, produced a synergy where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Meteoric iron had extremely strict temperature requirements, and the Craftsmen's Guild in Asgard did not possess a furnace high-grade enough for it. This was precisely what made forging meteoric iron so difficult; without high temperatures to neutralize the starlight magic within the meteoric iron, its durability could become even tougher than dragon scales.

Her LV2 Forging level granted Cecia an entirely fresh experience. A certain rhythm emerged within her hammer strikes, captivating her with a cadence akin to breathing.

Clang, clang, clang! The sound was crisp and pleasant to the ear as sparks flew in all directions.

Then came the hammering. The high heat deactivated the starlight magic, and Cecia brandished her iron hammer, striking continuously.

This process took much longer than she had imagined. After all, Cecia was still just a young girl, so her lack of physical strength had to be compensated for with mental power.

Clang, clang, clang. Her arms grew sore.

Clang, clang, clang. Her mind turned weary.

Yet the light and fire seemed to cheer for her, like old friends she hadn't seen in a very long time.

Light and fire...

They twined around Cecia, nourishing her body.

Sweat soaked Cecia's school uniform. Beneath her rolled-up sleeves were slender, fair arms—making it hard to imagine how she was able to swing such a massive hammer. With every swing of the hammer, Cecia mobilized the full strength of her body, allowing mana to flow through her entire form to bolster her physical power.

Time slipped by, minute by minute.

Hilna watched Cecia swing the hammer to that pleasant rhythm. Although Hilna was not a mage and lacked high mana perception, anyone who had undergone a Spirit Realm Excursion experienced a comprehensive enhancement in both soul and body.

She noticed magic circuits actually appearing on Cecia's body. During the forging process, the girl was unconsciously using magic circuits to strengthen her physical form. Though faint, they were undoubtedly operating in a flawlessly correct manner.

Hilna swallowed hard. Cecia truly was an extraordinarily talented child.

Cecia didn't notice the changes in her body. She only felt her mental power draining heavily, yet the rhythm she previously struggled to keep up with suddenly fell right into place.

Clang, clang, clang... Breathing, gasping deeply for air.

Cecia had “adapted.” For the sake of forging, she unconsciously mobilized her mental power to compensate for her physical shortcomings.

With a sizzling splash as quenching finished, a massive scimitar emerged. It possessed a pristine blade and a graceful curve; it was hard to imagine Cecia had forged this from scrap metal.

Hilna quickly took it to inspect.

Weapons forged from meteoric iron possessed three traits: Lightness, Durability, and Purity. That is, perpetually light, sturdier than ordinary steel, and immune to rust.

Hilna ultimately concluded that this was a top-quality blade. Its outline was sharp, its circuits flowed smoothly, and that faint echo of lightness was absolute perfection. It was on the verge of stepping into the territory of a Rank One magic item. On the market, it could sell for 25 gold coins, and if successfully enchanted, the price would be even higher.

Hilna cast a strange look at Cecia.

“What's wrong, Sister Hilna?” Cecia felt uncomfortable being surveyed from head to toe.

Hilna asked suspiciously, “Did a twelve-year-old girl really forge this? Rather than an ordinary human girl, you feel more like a cunning dwarf in disguise.”

Cecia hurriedly defended herself, “Whoever lies is a slime! This is pure, genuine talent!”

“Alright, no need to be so nervous. After all, if an old man without magic wanted to reach your level, it would take him over a decade of painstaking effort,” Hilna said, patting Cecia's head. “I'm just surprised that a girl like you would come to learn forging. After all, pretty girls like you usually prefer places like The Stars for potions, or Fey Whisper's Enchantment Hall.” Hilna's eyes softened, as if recalling something.

“The money comes fast here!”

Hilna hadn't overthought things, appreciating how simple and direct Cecia was, which matched her own personality.

“You greedy little goblin!” Hilna put Cecia in a headlock and laughed loudly.

“Now you still need to learn Enchantment. Our Craftsmen's Guild is relatively relaxed when it comes to Enchantment, but we frequently have to compete with those monsters over at Fey Whisper. Honestly, those Fey Whisper folks ought to just stick to carving scrolls—why do they have to snatch our work...”

And so, Cecia attempted Enchantment for the very first time.

She first used one of the daggers she had previously forged to practice. Enchantment involved carving magic circuits onto a weapon. High-level blacksmiths would specifically forge certain areas to make them easier to enchant during the crafting process. Therefore, equipment where the blacksmith completed the Enchantment independently usually sold for a much higher price.

These intricate circuits were extremely tricky—more complex than any diagrams Cecia had seen before. Still, she traced them out bit by bit, even if her strokes weren't quite fluid.

Nevertheless, she was finally making progress.

Before long, Cecia successfully enchanted it with Sharpness 1. Although the lines were squiggly and plain-looking, she had at least managed to complete it.

【Congratulations to the host for learning skill: Enchantment】

【Enchantment LV1: 1/200】

Cecia's brow twitched slightly as she set about enchanting the meteoric iron scimitar she had forged.

This time, the lines were no longer disjointed and began to flow smoothly. The magic circuits on the scimitar flickered on and off, with crisp echoes constantly emerging before swiftly fading away.

Carving consumed even more mental power. Cecia developed a slight headache, the veins on her forehead pulsing continuously.

When Cecia finally set down her engraving knife, she let out a long breath of relief. Although the enchantment circuit was the most basic kind, it had still sapped a massive amount of Cecia's energy. She was now physically sore and mentally exhausted, clearly having overexerted herself. Her muscles even twitched occasionally.

Sweat soaked her school uniform, and her single ponytail of ash-gray hair stuck damply to the back of her neck.

Hilna inspected the magical enchantment again and tried cutting an object with it.

It sliced through iron like mud. Even when faced with magical creatures, it could easily slice through their hide.

It was a qualified magic item. Hilna nodded in satisfaction. “A scimitar of this quality can sell for 35 gold coins, Miss Cecia. If you agree to sell it...”

Thirty-five gold coins. Added to the daggers Cecia had crafted over the past two days, she now had a total of 45 gold coins. Even after purchasing a Skill Crystal, she would still have plenty left over.

Cecia fell into a dilemma.