Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

But the problem is...

Zuo Chang doesn't understand the principles at all.

His ability to forge was purely due to his level 15 talent, "Divine Craftsmanship".

All his previous actions stemmed from "feelings" and "I think"—he knows nothing.

Even if Zuo Chang wanted to answer Master Hu's question, he couldn't. He could only pretend to be profound and say, "There's no secret to it, it's just a matter of practice makes perfect."

"Heh, heh... Master Zuo, it was my presumption to pry into the secrets of heaven..."

Master Hu cupped his hands in greeting, but did not leave.

His eyes were wide open, intently observing Zuo Chang's every move, eagerly absorbing every possible detail.

Chapter 19 Is this emotion jealousy?

Lu Li greatly admired Master Hu.

He also wanted to get closer and observe Master Zuo's every move.

but……

"no!"

Lu Li now suspects that Zuo Chang is here to cause trouble!

He came for me!

If that weren't the case, how could a blacksmith of his level suddenly appear at your door and ask you to forge a magical artifact?

I'm just afraid...

Zuo Chang wanted to slap him in the face and take his place as "Master Chef"!

"We must never show weakness."

Lu Li took a deep breath, suppressing his thirst for knowledge and ambition: "I must remain calm. If I show any interest here, my career will be ruined!"

The clanging of metal being struck continued for about twenty more minutes.

Zuo Chang carefully examined the sword blank in his hand and saw its specific attributes:

"Magic Steel Sword": Attack power 50 (0~5).

Inside the workshop, there was complete silence.

The magic steel sword was just a blank, without a guard or hilt, and was far from being considered beautiful.

But the chilling glint it emitted unabashedly and undeniably declared one thing:

Excellent!

Those who knew about swordsmanship and those who didn't fell silent. Master Hu and Lu Li's pupils dilated in shock. The shopkeeper's hands trembled slightly. Even Lychee, who was usually carefree and seemed to care about nothing, pursed her red lips, quite surprised.

Just by feeling the sharpness of the blade, everyone understands—

An exceptionally fine product!

The shopkeeper stepped forward and asked, "Master Zuo, are you selling this sword? Name your price."

Zuo Chang shook his head: "I'll use it myself."

For personal use...

Master Hu followed up: "Master Zuo, I think this sword should be kept in its case and treasured, not used in battle! Such a fine piece would be such a waste to get it bumped or scratched. If you need a weapon for self-defense, come to my shop and pick one out. You can take whichever one you like!"

The shopkeeper was taken aback, then quickly said, "What are you saying! Master Hu, it's too much trouble to go to your shop. Our casting workshop is right in front of us. Master Zuo... how was the dragon-slaying piece I showed you before? I can give it to you for free!"

Zuo Chang looked at them suspiciously: "What's so great about collecting magical steel products? Magical steel is only slightly valuable; it's not a particularly precious material."

That's not how it works.

Magic steel may not be expensive, but the technology used in this sword is very advanced!

Master Hu was about to offer some more advice when he suddenly saw Zuo Chang unfold a piece of tanned leather and draw something on it with a special magic solution: "Master Zuo, what are you doing?"

Zuo Chang replied, “To create a magical artifact, each magical material must be accompanied by corresponding runes to fuse with the equipment. I want to create the ‘Crown of the Moon’ series, and now I need to draw the moon runes to upgrade my sword into a magical artifact.”

what!

They're actually going to create a magical artifact!

Suddenly, Mr. Hu felt all the blood rush to his brain, and he felt dizzy.

Of course, there are masters in 96511 who can make magical artifacts, but such skills are so exquisite that they would not be shown to others for no reason.

The blacksmith profession has a very strict knowledge barrier. If you're not their own son, and you don't have to serve them tea and water and care for them day after day for ten years, who will teach you the real skills!

Master Hu clasped his hands together and looked at Zuo Chang earnestly: "Master Zuo, I know this request is a bit excessive, but... could I be allowed to watch from the sidelines? Please, this is my lifelong request."

"can."

"Thank you! Thank you! You are so generous!"

You actually agreed?

You can actually watch?!

Lu Li's expression changed, and his already wavering heart became even more precarious.

He is only twenty years old this year, but he can already chat and laugh with seniors in their forties and fifties. Besides his own talent, it is mostly due to his interest and passion.

If he hadn't been close to the furnace and enjoyed the process of forging a piece of stubborn iron into a weapon, how could he have achieved what he has today?

just now……

A golden opportunity for advancement has presented itself!

Lu Li let out a soft breath, but in the end, his thirst for knowledge prevailed and broke his noble back.

He stepped forward, pushed past the shopkeeper, and squeezed next to Zuo Chang, a shrewd smile on his face: "Um... Master Zuo, I've always been curious about the methods of forging spiritual weapons! Unfortunately, I'm young and inexperienced, and I haven't had the chance to witness the birth of a spiritual weapon yet... If you don't mind, would you... let me see it for myself?"

"Tsk!"

Master Hu clicked his tongue and said, "Master Lu, I heard you clearly earlier. Your words were sarcastic and disrespectful to Master Zuo!"

"Ayo!"

Where was Lu Li's arrogance now?

He clasped his hands in a fist and palm salute, his face beaming with smiles, and said repeatedly, "I'm so sorry, so sorry! I was blind to your greatness and didn't recognize your true face! Master Zuo, please forgive me and don't take it to heart!"

These two people were singing and acting in harmony, and they even put on a show.

The shopkeeper, standing to one side, also lowered his tone: "Young Lu is good in every way, but he's young and impetuous, and lacks social skills. Master Zuo, he was quite impolite just now, but he is also the youngest and most talented blacksmith in 96511. How about... you're magnanimous enough to forgive his rudeness and condescend to give him some pointers?"

Zuo Chang pondered for a moment.

He hasn't decided what to do next. His plans will depend on how things develop.

If he decides to focus on adventure activities, or even intends to become a general again and take control of the community, then maintaining contact with the blacksmiths of Phoenix City will be necessary.

Reality is not a game.

You can't just click with the mouse and get everything.

Zuo Chang can craft magical artifacts himself, but if he has to do everything himself, how many hours a day would be enough?

Putting everything else aside, just the process of collecting qualified materials alone is enough to exhaust him.

He smiled slightly and said, "What young person isn't impetuous? A youth without arrogance is a wasted youth! Master Lu, Master Hu, feel free to look around, and ask us anything you don't understand."

"oops!"

"So generous! Master Zuo is truly generous!"

In front of everyone, Zuo Chang began his performance.

He first drew the moon rune on the leather, and then placed the "Quiet Moon Heart" at the core of the rune array.

As soon as the Heart of the Moon was placed correctly, the runes on the leather reacted immediately, igniting one by one.

The moon's heart shimmered with a soft, radiant light, like melting ice and snow, transforming into flowing blue water that seeped into the leather.

In the blink of an eye, the dark brown leather shimmered, like a pond rippling under the moon, or like the tranquil moonlight clinging to it, dazzlingly beautiful.

Before anyone could ask, Zuo Chang took the sword blank and wrapped the leather around the blade in circles.

Then, he grabbed one end in each hand and pulled hard—

The brown leather had lost all its spirit and become tattered and worn.

The eerie light transferred entirely to the sword's blade, and inexplicably, intricate engravings appeared on the gleaming blade, as if it were a sculpture.

Zuo Chang turned his gaze and stared intently, seeing the information:

"Crown of the Moon - Magic Steel Sword": Attack power 120 (0~20).

• Tranquility: Communicate with the moon to restore your mana to maximum. This skill can only be used once; it can only be used again when the next moon rises.

•Holiness: With the blessing of the moon's power, you gain a certain amount of spell damage reduction.

• Dim: In low light conditions, people a certain distance away cannot see your figure.

• Tide: When attacking enemies continuously, the weapon's attack power will not be lower than the previous attack, until the fluctuation limit is reached.

The magical artifact is complete!

Chapter 20 You Can't Afford Me Now

After looking at it, Zuo Chang thought he was lucky.

In the game, crafting spirit weapons is largely based on luck. The Moon Crown series has a total of four attributes, and Zuo Chang tried crafting it a few times before, but he only ever got a maximum of three attributes.

Now, a casual typing—

All four entries are there!

After a brief moment of excitement, he calmed down and thought to himself, "It might not be luck. I crafted the Moon Crown in the early stages of the game, and back then, 'Masterful Craftsmanship' was only level two or three. Now it's maxed out, so it's normal for it to have all the stats on it all at once."

"Beautiful! So beautiful!"

Lu Li looked at the sword blank in Zuo Chang's hand and exclaimed in sincere admiration.