Dwarf Blacksmith's Test (Please Support with Tips and Recommendation Votes)

After that meal, Lin Yun had finally performed without mishap. A simple stir-fried broccoli and pork dish made the Dwarf Blacksmith eat as though he had never eaten in his life. It was terrifying. Even more terrifying was that the guy had eaten nearly a bucket of rice in one go. A genuine rice bucket.

After showing off a little of his skill, it was time to show off the real thing. Seizing an opening, Lin Yun ran to the restroom, took out the Forging Master Gloves, and washed them clean. Though a few grimy black patches remained, they at least no longer looked quite so filthy.

Once he put on the Forging Master Gloves, Lin Yun felt both hands warm up. Yet, strangely enough, they did not feel hot at all. It was quite marvelous.

After telling the Dwarf Blacksmith directly, Lin Yun headed to the forge amid the dwarf's impatient calls.

It was a semi-enclosed room. The Dwarf Blacksmith's house differed from ordinary human houses. Human homes were generally built from wood and earth and could catch fire, whereas the dwarf's house was almost entirely made of earth and stone, full of dwarven style, and not easily flammable.

When Lin Yun entered the room, he could even feel a wave of heat rushing at him. Squinting, he tried to inspect the forge before him, which continuously radiated heat.

"D20+2+3=16, success." Lin Yun quickly noticed that there were actually clusters of patterns around the forge. He briefly examined the markings, and then...

"D20+2=5, failure." ...Well, he could not identify them. He could only tell that they were related to magic, but clearly, he had no idea what they were.

But at that moment, what puzzled Lin Yun was that another skill check appeared.

"D20+2=7, failure." Well, that was utterly hopeless. Still, what exactly was this skill check for? Lin Yun was very curious. If he had succeeded, he could at least have learned a little, but now... mm-hmm.

At last, the Dwarf Blacksmith followed Lin Yun into the room. He did not see the helpless and curious expression hidden behind Lin Yun's helmet. Instead, he stood proudly with his hands on his hips and said, "This is a magical forge made by one of my cousins. As long as I forge here, I'll be in much better condition. Most of the finest goods in my shop were made here. I hope you won't tell anyone, Master."

Dwarves really were straightforward. But under normal circumstances, dwarves were rather suspicious. They were straightforward, but not stupid. It could even be said that, normally, to earn a dwarf's friendship, you might have to wait until your son was nearly grown.

But this was different. Lin Yun held a Clan Artisan Badge and had reluctantly demonstrated craftsmanship bordering on the miraculous, so it meant something different. To dwarves, anyone with a Clan Artisan Badge, even if they were of another race, was a true brother of the dwarves, someone worthy of respect. That was why this dwarf craftsman had brought Lin Yun here so easily and spoken so frankly.

"Mm." Though Lin Yun had no idea what was going on, he nodded with a solemn expression. "All right, assist me. Watch carefully, and learn carefully." He had just suffered a humiliating setback, but now that everything was ready, even if he had to crawl on his knees, he had to keep up the act.

"Yes, but Master, what are you planning to make with this forge?" the Dwarf Blacksmith asked in confusion.

"I want to forge a new breastplate. Today's adventure made me feel that scale armor's protection still wasn't enough, so forging a Flexible Breastplate would be safer. Besides, as a blacksmith, you know that a dedicated blacksmith cannot possibly wear weapons and equipment made by another blacksmith. You understand." Lin Yun was completely talking nonsense, speaking as if he had not been the one using that Heavy Mace picked up off the ground today.

"D20+2=14, contested check successful." Even this needed a Bluff check?... Well, at least the bluff had succeeded. Lin Yun wore a helpless smile, fortunately hidden perfectly by his helmet.

"Yes, I understand that feeling." Well, Lin Yun's words had perfectly struck the Dwarf Blacksmith's sweet spot. In an instant, the dwarf craftsman became as excited as an Alaskan malamute.

"Good. Then assist me." Normally, forging a piece of equipment required time, which had to be calculated, and that time was generally measured in days. But Lin Yun truly wanted to forge something and experience that feeling. Whether as rent or for practicality, it was necessary. Do not underestimate the difference of just 1 AC over scale armor. Many times, that 1 AC might let Lin Yun negate even more attacks.

(In fact, during the Goblin battle alone, it could have negated at least three attacks.)

Forging took time, but with sufficient conditions—and most importantly, a dwarf craftsman helping as an assistant—Lin Yun's speed would increase considerably.

The Dwarf Blacksmith already had Metal Ingots in his house. Note, Metal Ingots, not ore. In other words, they had already been refined, which saved even more time.

Then, perhaps because Lin Yun's words had hit the Dwarf Blacksmith's sweet spot, the fellow somehow carried over a pile of Iron Ingots from some corner. They were supposedly iron ingots, but they were black. Clearly, they were not ordinary iron ingots.

Lin Yun picked up one of the ingots and examined it briefly. Mm, it seemed somewhat lighter than ordinary iron.

"D20+2=18, success." Mm, he had finally not embarrassed himself this time. With the successful check, information about the metal before him began to appear in Lin Yun's mind.

Black iron possessed hardness and heat resistance, making it highly suitable for crafting armor. Lin Yun even learned some methods for speeding up its melting and making black iron ingots more malleable.

But this probably could not be used.

"Black iron? Do you have Lava Heart?" Lin Yun stroked his chin and asked with the mindset that it would be good if they had it, and fine if they did not.

"Lava Heart? As expected, your Clan Artisan Badge isn't fake. You really do know our dwarven secret formula. Lava Heart? Of course I have it. Otherwise, why would I bring it out? Hahaha!" Was this what it meant to be a dwarf? Alongside their straightforwardness was a streak of suspicion. Clearly, if Lin Yun had not known that Lava Heart could speed up the melting and shaping of black iron, this Dwarf Blacksmith would probably have doubted him.

Clearly, the Dwarf Blacksmith had not completely trusted Lin Yun. Though Lin Yun had displayed his skill, skilled people were not unheard of. But while the title of Clan Artisan was not unique, it was still distinctive. The Dwarf Blacksmith had clearly remained suspicious of Lin Yun, but now Lin Yun knew the dwarves' special method for handling black iron in this world. So there was only one possible answer.

Upon hearing the Dwarf Blacksmith's words, Lin Yun would have wiped the sweat from his forehead if not for his helmet. Fortunately, he had finally passed this time. If he had failed again and the Dwarf Blacksmith turned hostile, that would not have been fun. Sure enough, he could not get carried away. The moment he did, something would go wrong.

Still, Lin Yun had at least passed this test. What came next was the real challenge. Lin Yun truly did not know what black iron was, though he knew that in modern times, black metals were iron, manganese, and chromium. If his guess was right—well, at least according to the chemistry he had learned—this was probably an alloy of iron and chromium. And if he remembered correctly, chromium was the hardest metal in the periodic table he knew.

"Come on, light it up." The Dwarf Blacksmith once again brought in a clump of something from who knew where. It looked like furnace ash, but in reality possessed terrifyingly high temperatures.

"Mm." Lin Yun nodded slightly. Following his body's instincts, he rather skillfully pulled open the bellows above, raising the temperature of the forge that had been maintained at a certain temperature all year round. Though they called it lighting the fire, the fire had actually been burning the entire time. Mm, what a mysterious magical world.

Watching the forge's temperature rise at an astonishing speed, Lin Yun found it somewhat frightening. Then something magical happened. His body could feel the intense heat, yet his hands, protected by the Forging Master Gloves, did not feel hot at all. It was truly incredible.

To ensure the forging went smoothly, while the forge continued heating up, Lin Yun finally removed the armor on his body and the helmet on his head, revealing a face that still looked somewhat youthful.

"You really do look young. I truly don't know how you obtained the Clan Artisan Badge." Seeing Lin Yun's appearance, the Dwarf Blacksmith said with a displeased expression.