Chapter 62 - Hitting the Base

Translator: Exodus Tales  Editor: Exodus Tales

Abel was a man of his word. He began to apply his power of the will to the base of a hundred skills. Since there wasn’t a normal method to initiate a hundred skills, under Abel’s power of will, he felt that he was able to continue to forge. Abel then lifted the 100 pounds hammer higher and forged layer on top of layer as he threw the base into the furnace again and again.

101 skills, 102 skills, 103 skills….. 120 skills.

When Abel had reached 120 skills, he realized this base was no longer viable and he could no longer strike it with his old method. The structure was much more compact than those normal base of hundred skills. As the stiffness was much higher than he had expected, Abel decided to name this base as the base of 120 skills.

From the process of base to shield forming, all Abel had to do was tap slowly. When a typical knight shield was forged by Abel, he always did a cut on the handle which allowed him to place a gem inside.

For the selection of the runes, Abel decided to proceed with the intermediate attribute rune ink. This particular rune ink was very easy to draw. Abel had a lot of experiences in transforming them. This time, Abel decided to not modify the rune body but instead decided to add an energy rune circuit that was connected to the handle. This type of rune drawing can only be successful once. However, there were 4 examples that he could use it for reference.

Abel placed the diamond into the handle as a source of energy. The diamond served as a spiritual power to incite the rune. When the rune was successful, there was a burst of white light and although the shield had not been tested, the production process at this time was very successful.

As Abel placed the shield onto the ground, he then struck the shield using his hammer with 1/10 of his power and struck it with the power of around 200 pounds. When the hammer hit the shield, there was a flash of white light on the surface and it was immediately gone.

Abel proceeded to use 60% of his power. This time it was roughly the strength of an intermediate knight’s combat qi power. But the same as last time, the surface was flashed with white light and immediately disappeared.

When Abel realized he had made such a powerful shield, he was beyond excited within his heart. He couldn’t help himself but used his full might to strike the shield. As more than 2000 pounds struck the shield, there was only a loud noise and the shield was struck so hard it went into the boulder-paved ground. Turns out, this attack was not completely mitigated.

Abel wasn’t quite sure what level of knights were capable of dishing out 2000 pounds of power, but he was certain that this shield was more than enough for the knights to use in a battle. Also, Abel discovered this shield made out of the base of 120 skills resistance was beyond his expectations. It was even capable of withstanding these powerful strikes. Even though most of the physical damage was gone from the place where the hammer struck. The sword did not even show any traces of battle scars, showing just how tough this shield was.

A magic weapon was powerful due to its’ magic effects. This magic effect could resist physical damage. They were a match in heaven for the shield. As long as the diamond was not fully used, the magic effect would always be there. Although the shield was not able to resist magic attacks, Abel had never actually seen any actual magic attacks being made by someone, other than the ones he had forged.

The shield that was built to absorb the physical impact was complete. However, it was ugly. Its surface was empty with no leather lining.

Abel a doubt in his mind. Although he had forged a base of 120 skills today, it was a little bit different from the method Master Bentham had told him. According to the master, the highest skills that the base of iron could reach was 100. Therefore, Abel decided that he would take it to Bentham to take a look. On top of that, he also needed to ask The Master to identify the material used on that black armor he acquired from Fowler earlier.

Abel went back into his room, took that black armor and rode off towards the blacksmith guild.

“Is this your new work?” Master Bentham looked at Abel’s shield on his hands and took it curiously.

“What’s this material?” The first thing Bentham realized was the difference in the material. He then looked up at Abel and asked, “Is this made with ordinary iron ore?”

“Yes, I use the best iron ore in the mine,” Abel replied.

“Impossible, although this material is inferior to an iron meteorite, it exceeded the common 100 skills, what method did you use to forge this shield?” While Master Bentham knew that it was not polite to ask someone so directly about the forging method, even if it was his nominal disciple. But, he still blurted out the question out of sheer curiosity and love for his profession as a blacksmith.

“This was the materials obtained from a 120 skills base.” Said Abel, he told Bentham everything he knew except for that little secret about himself.

“120 skills? How can it be 120 skills?” Master Bentham immediately felt deeply in himself that everything he had learned had been shattered. But he did not doubt what Abel said, firstly Abel did not need to lie to him and the materials of the shield did seem different.

“Alright, let me forge one in front of you.” Abel quickly saw the change in Bentham’s expression as Abel requested to forge in front of Bentham.

“Come, come to my workshop.” Master Bentham then grabbed Abel and dragged him into his workshop.

Afterward, Master Bentham picked through a pile of iron ore for a while and took the best piece of iron out. He then placed it on the put it on the operating table and said to Abel, “This is the best iron ore I have. Check if it’s good enough. If it’s not I will go back to the mine to get better ones..”

“Nah, it’s fine, this will do.”

Abel then stretched his hands throw in iron ore furnace, when he took the large 100-pound hammer from the side, Bentham’s eyes were buckled. Using a 100-pound hammer to extract essence, this was something that he had never heard anyone has done. The 100 pounds hammers were only used for flattening tools but not for extracting the essence.

Normally it would take more than a few thousand strikes until it became a 100 skills, how could anyone persist for so long with such a heavy hammer?

But when Master Bentham saw Abel pulling the iron ore out of the stove for forging. He realized that Abel was using the 100-pound hammer with more ease than himself using his 30-pound hammer.

And by listening to the hammering sound between the hammer and the base iron, he could tell that Abel was using a tremendous amount of force. Master Bentham always knew that Abel had enormous strength, but from his memory, it was never this powerful. Abel’s strength must have increased tremendously these past few days.

From 1 skill to 80 skills, Bentham nodded as he looked at Abel’s forging method as he had he was using his method that he taught. When he saw Abel striking the base until 81 skills, he knew that Abel’s abilities had already exceeded his. Abel no longer needed to use his power of the will, which was not how his old method had suggested. Abel only increased his strength and continued to strike.

By this point, Master Bentham felt like he was no longer watching a man forging the base of the iron. Instead, he was watching a stone monster hammering the ground, and with each strike, the master felt the ground trembling below him.

Normally, the base should not longer be refined with so much force at this point, yet, it continued being struck violently, over and over again.

When it had reached 100 skills, Abel began to use his power of the will. This was because he was not experienced enough. If he had enough experience, he would’ve been able to continue without his power of the will.

With Abel’s last hammer strike, the base iron on the table had been refined 120 times. When Bentham saw the outcome, he looked at it silently, completely speechless.

“How strong are you?” Master Bentham finally remembered this important question. The reason he had asked Abel this question was because If this technique is to be used by others, they had to first acquire a tremendous amount of power. But what kind of power can be achieved to make such a base, with 120 skills?

“About 2,000 pounds,” Abel whispered. When master Bentham heard what Abel said, he was shocked and frightened.

“2000 pounds?” Master Bentham said to himself, “Monster!”

“How much power is there if you don’t use your combat qi?” It suddenly occurred to master Bentham that Abel was a knight and that his strength was increased by fighting.

“2,000 pounds was when I don’t have to use my combat qi,” Abel explained, but he didn’t dare say the figure that was included with the combat qi as he was really afraid to frighten Master Bentham.

“Aiya!” master Bentham sighed and shook his head in frustration. Not to mention blacksmiths, there were not even many knights who could obtain such power. It seemed like Abel was the only one in this world who could forge a base of 120 skills.