You must have noticed it too—the closer we got to Sunlight Mountain, the higher the temperature became.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Mote took a sip of water.
And the closer they got to the summit, the faster the temperature rose.
Legend had it that the summit of Sunlight Mountain reached temperatures of several hundred degrees!
Although no one from the village had made it to the summit yet, that did not mean they were useless.
With that, Mote pointed ahead.
At the foot of Sunlight Mountain in the distance were three forks in the road.
Several boulders stood at each fork as markers, while the roads extending beyond them bore countless traces of excavation.
Like earthworms, each path coiled around the surface of Sunlight Mountain and wound toward the summit.
These three roads were the result of generations of Smelting Village residents' efforts, and they were also the safest routes.
Last time, Kogang and I took Route Three. This time, we'll take Route One.
Uncle Mote, you know this place well. You should lead the way.
After a short rest, Mote led Scribe up Sunlight Mountain along one of the paths.
Huff, huff, huff~
The higher he climbed, the more Mote felt the scorching heat.
If you're tired, we can rest for a—
Just as Mote was about to remind Scribe to rest, he choked on his words.
Scribe looked completely unbothered, as if he felt no heat at all.
What was more, Mote could not see even a single bead of sweat on his forehead.
Y-you don't feel hot?!
After swallowing, Mote even began to stammer.
Hm? It's all right. A little.
Hearing Scribe say that, Mote could not bring himself to stop and rest.
He could only grumble inwardly, Comparing people really is enough to drive someone mad.
That ore up ahead should contain Tamahagane!
After walking for a while longer, Scribe suddenly pointed at a chunk of ore.
Really?
Sunlight Mountain might have been enormous, but ores containing Tamahagane made up only a small fraction of it.
Mote did not quite believe him and stepped forward to inspect it.
All right, you were right. There really is Tamahagane inside this ore.
The instant Mote confirmed that Scribe's judgment was correct, the system's voice rang in Scribe's mind once more.
Congratulations, Host. You have obtained the skill: Novice Appraisal Technique (0/1000). Appraisal Technique: Allows the appraisal of an item's quality, structure, internal materials, and all other information. Points required to advance to the next level: 1000. You have successfully used the Novice Appraisal Technique to appraise a piece of ore (containing Tamahagane). You have received 50 points. Novice Appraisal Technique: 50/1000. Points required to advance to the next level: 950. It has been detected that the Host independently unlocked the Appraisal Technique. You have received 500 points. Novice Appraisal Technique: 550/1000. Points required to advance to the next level: 450.
Delighted, Scribe had not expected to unlock a new skill at this moment.
Just then, Mote suddenly spoke.
But kid, I remember you said you could appraise the quality of Tamahagane, not determine which ores contain Tamahagane.
Experienced master smiths in Smelting Village could determine whether an ore contained Tamahagane with a certain degree of success.
As for Mote himself, his success rate was as high as seventy or eighty percent.
But appraising the quality of Tamahagane inside an ore was a skill beyond their understanding.
The Tamahagane in this piece should be worth around two points.
Two points?
Seeing Scribe give an answer so directly, Mote was doubtful.
He set down his pack and took out a pile of parts, intending to build a simple furnace to test whether Scribe was right.
No need to go to that much trouble.
Drawing the sword at his waist, Scribe walked straight up to the ore.
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance!
A crescent slash wreathed in flames flew out and blasted the ore apart.
Kid, what are you doing?! You'll ruin the Tamahagane inside!
Mote hurriedly shouted, trying to stop Scribe.
Don't worry. The Tamahagane won't be damaged.
As he spoke, Scribe walked into the cloud of dust.
A fist-sized piece of Tamahagane flew out and landed directly in Mote's hands.
Uncle Mote, take a look. Is this Tamahagane rated at two points?
Mote froze as he looked at the Tamahagane in his hand.
Th-this really is rated at two points.
After blinking twice and calming his turbulent emotions, Mote clutched the Tamahagane and excitedly shook Scribe by the shoulders.
How did you do it? How could you judge and extract Tamahagane so quickly and precisely?!
Stop shaking me, stop shaking me. It's because of my personal constitution.
Scribe had not deceived Mote. From the moment he saw Tamahagane, he could sense the faint energy within it.
Based on the location and intensity of that energy, he could naturally determine both the Tamahagane's location and quality.
As for using Sun Breathing, Scribe had been completely certain that he would not damage the Tamahagane.
After hearing Scribe's explanation, Mote's mouth hung so wide open that it looked as if he could fit a pineapple inside.
No time to waste. Let's continue.
With that, Scribe walked straight toward another piece of ore.
This one is worth three points.
Explosions continued to ring out across Sunlight Mountain as Scribe excavated piece after piece of Tamahagane.
In just one hour, Scribe had found and excavated more than twenty pieces of Tamahagane.
And his accuracy rate had reached one hundred percent!
Sun Breathing Resonance, Reaching the Summit of Sunlight Mountain
Another explosion rang out as Scribe returned with a soccer-ball-sized piece of Tamahagane.
This one is worth six points.
Tossing the Tamahagane in his hand aside, Scribe turned to look for the next piece.
Enough, enough! Don't keep looking!
Mote rushed forward in a single stride and quickly stopped him.
In less than half a day, the Tamahagane Scribe had excavated had already piled up to nearly a person's height.
Among it were many pieces of high-quality Tamahagane.
There were two pieces rated at seven points, eleven rated at six points, and countless pieces rated at five points or lower.
Yet Scribe showed no intention of stopping.
He had gone completely mad!
Is this enough?
Scribe looked back at Mote, still somewhat dissatisfied.
But I think the quality of this Tamahagane is still a little lacking.
Still a little lacking.
That simple remark nearly made Mote faint from anger.
With this excavation speed and accuracy, it would probably take all the master smiths in Smelting Village working together to rival him.
Moreover, the Tamahagane Scribe excavated required no cooling and could be used immediately.
If Scribe could stay in Smelting Village for a while, Mote felt the village's efficiency would at least triple.
Enough, enough. This is completely enough.
Suppressing his urge to hit someone, Mote suddenly realized something.
There are pieces of Tamahagane rated at seven points in there. You're still not satisfied?
You may have two pieces in your hands right now, but under normal circumstances, our village only excavates one every half year on average.
Scribe shook his head slightly, with no satisfaction on his face.
If I'm doing something, I'll do it as well as possible. That's one of my principles.
Since I've come to Sunlight Mountain, I will definitely take away a piece of the highest-quality Tamahagane!
Seeing Scribe's incomparably determined gaze, Mote knew there was no use trying to persuade him further.
The highest-quality Tamahagane... there probably wasn't even any record of something like that in the village.
The highest rating so far should have been a piece of nine-point Tamahagane produced a few years ago.
I remember that a swordsman also came to Sunlight Mountain then. I think his name was Yoriichi?
After thinking for a moment, Mote shared what he knew.
Yoriichi? Was his name Tsugikuni Yoriichi?
Yes, yes, that's the name.
He clenched his right hand into a fist and struck his left palm, his expression growing excited.
Ah, he's my master.
Oh, he's your master.
Mote nodded and answered instinctively.
The next second, he realized what he had heard.
W-w-w-what? You said he's your master?!
That's right.
His eyes bulged as though they were about to pop out, and Mote looked as if he had been frightened senseless.
You—I mean, he—
Before you continue