Record of a Thousand Lives c10

Author: Flatter

The Author of this story, Flatter, has full rights over this story, and I am translating this work with his permission.

Chapter 10. Salamander Creation (1)

A small workshop in the fief of Kellin.
Kang Yoonsoo got the permission to use this place from Hermia.
He took out all the ores in his bag, and put them on the table.
He then began to sort them.

23 pieces of gold ore.
14 pieces of impure strengthening stones.
6 pieces of mithril ore.
4 pieces of moonstone.

Although the tools in the workshop were of low quality, the furnace was well made.
Kang Yoonsoo put the ores into trays based on their type, and heated up the furnace.
The ores melted down into a malleable semi-solid.
Kang Yoonsoo purified the ores.
Soon enough, the purified objects were completed.

12 gold bars.
5 pieces of strengthening gems.
2 mithril bars.
1 pure moonstone.

It was an amazing result.
Especially since moonstones were extremely hard to purify.
The pure moonstone let out a beautiful moonlight.
That was how amazing Kang Yoonsoo’s skill in purification was.

[An amazing result has come out of skillful handling.
A new skill, ore handling has been created.]

[Ore Handling]
Skill Level-lv1 (00.00%)
Purifies an ore, so that it has no impurities within it.

A new skill was created.
Normally, it’s really hard for a skill to be created from doing a certain action.
It was only possible if one strived for it, or did something miraculous.
Kang Yoonsoo put the minerals into his bag.
He then took out his machete.
After the battle with the Spartoi, the sword became chipped and scratched.
He put the machete into the furnace.
When the sword turned red from the heat, he took it out and put it on an anvil.
Kang Yoons...o...b..gan to strike at the sword with a hammer.
He hammered for a long time patiently.

Kang-! Kaang-!

After he finished hammering, he cooled the sword by quenching it.

[The steel machete has been strengthened.]
[Your skillful handwork has created an amazing result.
A new skill, Repair has been created.]

[Repair]
Skill Level-lv1 (00.00%)
Strengthens a tool, or repairs it.

After this, Kang yoonsoo put the sword on a grinding stone, and started sharpening the sword.
Although his actions weren’t a.s.sisted by any skills, his actions were still smooth and skillful.
He sharpened the sword for a while.

[The killing strength of the steel machete has been upgraded.]
[The skill level of the skill Repair has risen.
The speed of repairing has risen.]

Kang Yoonoo put the hardened sword back on the anvil.
He then took out five strengthening gems from the bag.
They were strange gems that emitted blue light.
Kang Yoonsoo took his hammer, and broke all of them mercilessly.
Crack!
A blue energy rose from the gem that got absorbed by the hammer.

The surface of the hammer began to emit a blue light.
It was possible to raise the power of a tool when striking with a hammer imbued with the power of the strengthening stone.
Striking a sword edge would strengthen its killing power, striking the handle would improve its comfort. Striking the tip would improve its piercing power.
But if one failed the control the strength and speed in which he struck the sword, the strengthening would fail.
Tools that failed in getting strengthened would get their attack strength and durability damaged greatly.
Not even a blacksmith with about 20 years of experience could strengthen something in one try.
It was possible to strengthen something without the stone, with the skill ‘Tool Strengthening’, which was a skill unique to Upgraders.
It was possible for users of that cla.s.s to use the strengthening stone to modify tools, even.
Kang Yoonsoo struck the machete with his sword.

Kangkang-! Kang-! Kaang-!

The five strikes were completed.

[You have succeeded in strengthening the machete.]
[You have succeeded in strengthening the machete.]
[You have succeeded in strengthening the machete.]
[You have succeeded in strengthening the machete.]
[You have succeeded in strengthening the machete.]

The result was an astounding success.
Kang Yoonsoo checked the stats of the machete.

[Steel Machete]
Rank-Normal
Killing Strength: 29
Solidity: 4
A giant machete made of good steel.

The killing strength of the machete more than doubled.
A new stat called solidity was created as well.
Just sharpening and strengthening the weapon made it very powerful.
A normal blacksmith would’ve been satisfied at this point.
But that wasn’t the case for Kang Yoonsoo.
The real work began now.

“Excuse me.”

Kang Yoonsoo turned.
He could see a woman with messy hair standing outside.

It was Shanette.

She was wearing a one piece that exposed quite a bit of skin.
She looked much better than the time she was wearing armor.
When Kang Yoonsoo stared at her, Shanette looked away embarra.s.sedly.

“M, Miss Hermia made me wear this.”

Shanette looked down in embarra.s.sment, and gave Kang Yoonsoo a plate with an apple pie on it.

“Miss Hermia told me to give you this.”

Kang Yoonsoo took the plate, and ate a piece.
The pie was moist with fruit juice.
Biting into the pie allowed him to feel its crunchy texture.
But Kang Yoonsoo was unable to taste anything.

“U, umm…….”

Kang Yoonsoo turned.
Shanette hesitated a bit, then spoke with a blush.

“I wanted to say thank you. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be a mess, after all. You really are my savior. And…….”
“This is enough.”
“What?”

Kang Yoons...o...b..t into the pie once again.

“You made this. This is good enough.”
“Eh? What? Huh? H, how……?”

Shanette stuttered with a red face.
Kang Yoonsoo stared at her emotionlessly.
He suddenly stood up, and grabbed her shoulders.
When Shanette made a confused face, he spoke.

“Sit.”

Shanette sat down.
Kang Yoons...o...b..ought out a pair of scissors from the back of the workshop.
Shanette was truly a beauty, but her thick hair covered it all up.
She widened her eyes, and began to try and wave him away.

“T, there’s no need. I’m fine like this!”
“I’m crazy. I don’t listen to people.”

Kang Yoons...o...b..gan to roughly chop Shanette’s red hair after throwing her a strange response.
Shanette tried to resist, but soon gave up with a frown.
She felt her hair would get weirder if she made him stop in the middle.
Soon, Kang Yoonsoo threw the scissors back to its place.

“Done.”

Shanette hesitated, then looked into a bucket filled with water.
She could see her face from the water in it.

“…….Eh?”

It was much better than she thought.
No, it was extremely satisfactory!
Her hair was cleanly organized, and allowed her eyes to be shown.
It looked much more natural than before.
It looked like a type of hair that only the n.o.bles would have the luxury of having.
She pressed on her reddened cheeks with her two hands.

“I, isn’t this too much for me?”
“No.”

Kang Yoonsoo responded carelessly, and bit into the pie again.
The pie was gone in an instant.
Shanette spoke with a surprised voice.

“Shall I bake some more?”
“No.”

Shanette wasn’t annoyed by his short responses.
She wasn’t bothered by him speaking rudely to her, either.
Actually, him speaking to her in a lax tone like this rather than a polite tone made her happier.

Kang Yoonsoo held his machete with his hands.
He then looked at the thick spear that was on the ground.
It was a spear that the Spartoi left behind.
It was currently fixed in place with iron.

[Spartoi’s Spear]
Piercing Strength: 43
A spear made of the Ignus Dragon’s tooth. Contains a piece of the dragon’s inexhaustible fire. It is a weapon that a Spartoi uses for life.

A spear with a powerful piercing strength.
But because of its size and weight, it was too much for a human like Kang Yoonsoo to use.
Kang Yoonsoo held up the machete up in the air, and struck the body of the spear.

Split-!

The spearhead was removed.
Kang Yoonsoo threw the spearhead into the furnace.
Then, the temperature of the furnace somehow increased.
The dragon’s fire that was in the spearhead had spread into the furnace.
Kang Yoonsoo turned to Shanette.

“Help me.”
“Me?”

Shanette widened her eyes.

“H, how? I don’t know much about a blacksmith’s work.”

Kang Yoonsoo shook his head.

“I’m not trying to make a weapon.”

He fondled the black ring on his finger.
The unique item that the necromancer Nakron left behind.
The Ring of Life Suppression.

“I’m making an elemental.”
“What…..? Make an elemental?”

Shanette tilted her head in confusion, unsure if she had heard right.
Kang Yoonsoo nodded.
Make an elemental?
It might be possible for an elementalist, who communicated with elementals. But she had never heard of a normal human create an elemental.
It was hard to believe, but Shanette agreed to help.
He was a man who erased her scars.
She wanted to help him.

“What should I do?”

Kang Yoonsoo pointed at the burning furnace.

“Get in.”