Brain bloom

Mori suppressed a laugh and continued helping the man forge iron.

Her forearms were too small to swing a hammer, but her agility was exceptional. She abandoned the traditional method of removing impurities and instead used her hands. This ore was very easy to process; the outer layer wasn't actually stone, but pure wood.

Now that they are being refined, the carbon content can actually be increased. This natural carburizing property is its greatest advantage.

In other words, what comes out after firing is already carbon steel.

Mori used magic to protect his hands as he painstakingly reached into the molten steel to manually remove the slag from the furnace. Then he added other trace materials to enhance the properties and continued heating.

Soon, she obtained a basin of perfectly molten steel, white and red.

She silently donned the title of Master, immersing herself completely in the process, her mind undisturbed. Using a mold, Mori forged the molten steel into thin, elongated strips. As the temperature decreased, the molten steel slowly solidified, but still retained its bright red color, Mori separated them.

She first left some of the soft steel, while the rest was quenched in multiple stages in a magical quenching liquid that she had prepared beforehand.

Quenching gives steel its hardness, while Senshi's quenching fluid permeates every element, nourishing it and giving it the most crucial element.

Self-repairing and self-sharpening properties.

This is the element that the shameless woodpecker master demands to maintain its sharpness forever.

Mori studied black walnut ore and roughly deduced how this plant survived. He discovered that this principle could be used as an enchantment on weapons. The weapon would then consume any iron it came into contact with to repair any parts that were damaged.

The ability to grant self-sharpening is something that existed in the game era; it's an enchantment that can be unlocked when forging reaches the Master level.

Mori simply retrieves knowledge from his mind and then applies it.

The world of magic is so convenient; just apply a layer of magic and many problems can be solved.

Subsequently, these quenched steel bars were reheated by Sen Shi, intertwined, twisted, and repeatedly folded and forged. Then, they were forged into the shape of a kitchen knife using intermediate wind magic, Air Bombardment.

This step can harmonize the hardness and toughness of the steel, bringing them into a relative balance.

More importantly, with each intricate fold, the steel is forged together, creating patterns that are expressed through the folds. This was a strong request from Master Woodpecker, who hoped the kitchen knife could possess the same aesthetic appeal.

Senshi folded it a total of a hundred times, but it also turned black due to repeated burning and forging.

During the forging process, carbon content is also lost, which significantly reduces the steel's properties. Therefore, she has to add an appropriate amount of carbon during each hammering process to repeatedly carburize the steel.

Finally—Senji heated the furnace, polishing the forged blade blank until it was bright, and slowly placed its cutting edge into the quenching liquid.

This is the most crucial step.

Even with her discerning eye, she couldn't predict the outcome.

There must have been some oversight that led to the quenching failure, resulting in the blade blank cracking, deforming, or becoming too brittle...

The quenching liquid boiled, and thick smoke billowed out through the chimney. Sen Shi kept his eyes fixed on the knife blank, which had turned from red to gray and settled down peacefully.

A quenching mark subtly distinguishes the soft and hard parts.

"Is it ready?" Dandelion's voice came, and Sen Shi felt as if a very long time had passed.

"Not yet, just a few steps away, but this thing is worth five thousand gold coins."

"Hmm, Mori, would you like something to eat? It's getting dark, and we can't find any other rooms... We'll have to stay here for the night. So... I was wondering if you'd like something to eat? Something made by that woodpecker."

"Huh, is it already dark?" Because the fire in the stove was always burning brightly, Mori didn't notice it.

"Yeah, you're too focused. That guy came over to mock you for causing trouble, but you completely ignored him..."

Dandelion was overjoyed to see Mori starting to talk to people, and immediately launched into a long-winded monologue. Mori listened quietly as she recounted how many small cakes she had sold as a shop assistant.

Meanwhile, his hands didn't stop; he used magic to refine the shape of what he had forged, in order to meet the requirements of Master Woodpecker.

Finally—grinding.

Those ugly, blackened, and dirty forging marks were gently smoothed away by wind magic, and the most beautiful person shed their dirty clothes.

What was revealed was a stunning blade pattern, as fine as a thread, that held a faint, ethereal light.

Night fell, and dark clouds swirled, obscuring the moon. But the moonlight remained bright, casting a soft glow behind the clouds and illuminating their outlines.

This is the scenery on that knife.

For all blades forged from steel, this beautiful scene nestled on the steel-colored surface represents everything.

Volume 1, Chapter 273: The Time to Demand Rewards Has Arrived

The furnace room was stifling, the air was stuffy, and I felt utterly exhausted...

Before I knew it, most of the day had been wasted.

This was the first time since Mori arrived in this world that she felt time passed so cheaply... or rather, this was the way she was used to living her life. It was like playing a few dungeons every day, getting really into it, and then looking at the time and thinking, "Oh wait, it's time to eat again."

At this moment, even the dandelion's gentle words sounded more pleasant.

"There was this really annoying customer who kept nitpicking about trivial things, like how there couldn't be even a tiny bit of burnt bits, or how much cream had to be spread..."

"So how did you deal with it?"

"I chased him away, huh. Anyway, losing one customer is no big deal. He only bought a few loaves of bread, which is only one silver coin. But being a waiter is quite interesting; you can sneak cookies whenever you want."

Since her pockets were filled with gold coins, Dandelion had unknowingly become more confident. Sen Shi smiled, because of the existence of the Trillion Star Spectrum Book, Dandelion's pockets would only become fuller in the future.

Giving it to her is better than letting the gold coins fly around and fall into the hands of some unknown person.

Mori continued to grind the finished blade blank. At this stage, the task was considered complete. All that was left was to polish it to a nice finish and then attach a suitable handle and sheath.

"And also, the cookies here are really well-made... Hmm? Your knife is quite pretty."

"right."

"It was all dark before, like it was shrouded in Evil Mist. I thought you were secretly raising Evil Mist. But looking at it now... it's quite beautiful."

"Of course." Although being praised was taken for granted, it still made Morito happy.

However, this is actually a very small knife—so small that it's only about the length of Moritoki's index finger. It's also thin and light, with a very compact blade; some people might believe it if you told them it was an ear pick or a large toothpick.

After all, it was designed for a master woodpecker; for it to wield such a large knife was already quite impressive. Mori tried to visualize it: the creature proudly hooked the knife with its claws and laboriously began cutting the vegetables…

Hopefully, the knife won't cut through the cutting board along with it.

Not long after, Mori found some wood, attached the strange handle that Master Woodpecker had requested, and the job was done.

Weapon: [To the Woodpecker]

Base attack power: 450-512

Level requirement: 100

Item Description: This miniature kitchen knife, painstakingly forged by the master craftsman, the Coffin Carrier, will be sold to Neil Moss, the god of cooking and deliciousness. It is exquisitely crafted and imbued with the Coffin Carrier's desire for gold.

"This guy... possesses godhood?" Mori Toki was a little incredulous.

Would a so-called god be as arrogant and conceited as this?

Sen was somewhat lost in thought, only hastily confirming that the kitchen knife possessed the two special effects of "not dulling" and "self-repairing" before finishing the crafting. Next, each skilled blacksmith would test the blade they had forged.

She did the same, washing away the dirt left on the knife from the sharpening process. Then, Morishi found a breadstick in the oven. She didn't know how many years it had been stored, but it was definitely made from unleavened dough and baked to a hardness comparable to an iron rod.

Before she even had a chance to cut it, the breadstick was sliced ​​in half with her knife, without even a crumb.

The mirror-like blade reflected Mori's bright and charming smile.

"Let's go and claim our reward from this great chef."

"Don't rush, wait a moment."

Dandelion gently pressed down on Mori, who was trying to get up, with her two slender fingers, then wiped away the sweat that had poured out of her, and used magic to clean the dirt off her hands.

"Let's leave it at that for now. Come on, remember to take a shower after you finish eating."

……

"So much, so many..."

When the woodpecker master saw the kitchen knife that Sen had shown, it immediately started flying all over the house, shaking off many fine feathers, and there was a fresh smell of grass.

"I mean, it's alright."

"Did you pass?"

"Hmm, barely passable, usable... the size is just right, oh dear... I need to hurry and get my main body to fly over, I'm so eager to try it out, it's been so long since I've felt this way... this way about cooking right away!"

It had long forgotten about putting on airs, and was simply circling the miniature kitchen knife on the table, trying to admire it from every angle. It kept spouting praise, and indeed, this fellow wasn't just empty boasting; the things it praised were things that Sen Shi was truly proud of.

Know your stuff.

This satisfied Mori, and he forgave Mori for all the past offenses.

"Shall we talk about the payment?"

"No problem! You wait here, my main body will be here in five minutes. The ingredients at your house are very fresh, and although there aren't many, I promise to cook you a good meal so that you can... be as excited as I was just now! I'm not some ordinary chef."

Mori shook his head: "Let your real body bring the money."

Master Woodpecker clearly hadn't expected that Mori would want this.

"money?"

"Yes, money, gold coins, gold. To me, this word is more delicious than any dish."

"You... with such excellent craftsmanship, and being a terrifying Four Seasons Master, would you also lack worldly currency?"

"I'm short of money, after all, I'll be able to eat your cooking sooner or later. Let's exchange it for money now. Don't brag about how great you are, I just want money."

When Sen Shi stretched out his little hand to ask for it, and it kept shaking its head, Master Woodpecker's expression turned sour.

"I have no money."

"...Hmm? But didn't you write 5,000 gold coins in the notice?"

The woodpecker master's claws suddenly hooked onto the kitchen knife, and somehow it flicked it up, as if it were holding it in its beak.

It spoke with a clear, melodious bird song—

"I don't have any money."

"Say it again?"

"My culinary skills are priceless, they don't need the burden of heavy worldly money, and I don't associate with vulgar people."

"Then what will you write?" Sen Shi felt his face getting hot, and when he touched it, he realized that the veins on his face were throbbing.

"Foolish. That's for comparison, to let everyone know that my meals are worth so much, which is a fact. Besides, those who can meet my quota are there because of my cooking skills, how... how could they be like you?"