Terra took a step inside, her presence seeming to light up the room in a different way. Her blue eyes scanned the space before they landed on the hammock.
"It's been a long time since I visited your home. Do you still use this thing?" she asked, a playful tone in her voice. "How do you even fit in that?"
Rufus chuckled, a low rumbling sound coming from his stomach. "It's stronger than it looks," he said. "And it's surprisingly comfortable. You'd be amazed what one can grow used to when they live in the wild."
After that short exchange, Rufus didn't stay there for long and led Terra and Nox into another room.
The walls in this room were made of blackened metal, giving off a faint metallic smell. Nox's gaze scanned around, and he saw countless crude irons hung all around. There were hammers, tongs, and other forging instruments. There were also several tables with beast cores, metal plates, and sturdy durable bones that once belonged to powerful beasts.
The only source of light came from the corner of the room where the forging furnace was set. Within the furnace, a crackling inferno of red and blue flames danced wildly, casting beautiful lights in the room. Nox found the way the flames burned strange but didn't think much of it.
"Alright." Rufus exclaimed and took a deep sniff of the room as if getting himself familiar with the scent. He then went on to pick up a heavily built hammer, swinging it onto his shoulder easily. "It has been decades since I forged a weapon last. I hope I haven't gotten rusty."
Nox's gaze lingered on the hammer, imagining how many tons that thing weighed.
"This will take some time. You can explore the city and come back later... By the time you return, I'll probably be done," Rufus advised.
Nox shook his head. "I want to watch. I have never seen a blacksmith craft items before."
"I'll stay for some time. I still have some things to attend to," Terra stated.
"Then have a seat." Rufus wasn't shy about showing off his craft and gestured for the two to sit down and watch. He then said in a confident tone: "Your time will be worth it, I promise."
The muscular panda then moved to his forging table, brought out ink, and drew the size and appearance of the dagger, showing it to Nox, who nodded in satisfaction.
A few minutes later...
Sparks of blue and red flames flew about in the air as Rufus's right arm moved up and down as the heavy hammer slammed into the metal pieces. Nox's eyes flashed; the sight was breathtaking, and he felt that he could continue to watch Rufus for hours without getting bored.
Several more hours passed, and Rufus was still busy hammering away. Nox hadn't noticed the passage of time. Because Terra had gone to attend to something important, they were the only ones in the workshop.
Soon, Rufus stopped hammering and moved to a different table where the monster cores were placed on a flat metal plate. Unhurriedly, he put on special gloves that resisted fire and any heat-related energy. His big black eyes were slightly narrowed as he brought the metal plate to the forge funnel, where blazing blue and red flames were burning intensely, ready to devour anything in its path.
As he brought the crystals closer to the funnel,
The flames surged up, seemed to stretch out, and licked the shiny blue core.
'What the heck, does that flame have a life of its own?' Nox was stunned, speechless at this sight.
The figure of Rufus pushing the metal plate into the blazing fire reflected in his black eyes. Beast cores were very sturdy; however, as soon as they were placed into the fire, the flames became several times brighter and, with a roar, devoured the blue cores hungrily.
That roar confirmed Nox's suspicions... the flame seemed to possess a life of its own. It was very difficult to believe but seemed to be the only logical explanation.
Just a few seconds later, the shiny crystal that wouldn't break even if one used a hammer on it completely turned into liquid, and Rufus brought out the liquefied beast core, pouring it into a container.
Nox's gaze continued to linger on the flame, which gradually dimmed down considerably after the crystal was taken out. It was like a baby going to sleep after a meal.
Nox's gaze drifted back to Rufus, who was now making a series of engravings on the hilt of the dagger. His white furry face was extremely serious. Nox noticed that the panda seemed to be engraving some sort of runes on the blade and hilt. A few minutes later, he placed the dagger, which was over 30-35 cm, back into the forge tunnel and brought it back.
Carefully, Rufus then applied the liquefied beast cores to the engravings on the blade and hilt. The unfinished dagger shone with a beautiful blue light as the core energy was channeled into the metal.
"Here. This is an appreciation for preserving my legacy... It isn't much, but it should give you an edge over most humans."
Some time later, Rufus was done forging the dagger. He brought the dagger, which was wrapped in a piece of cloth, to the young boy who couldn't take his eyes off it.
"Thank you." Nox nodded his head, his heart beating wildly with excitement as he received the dagger. Like a kid eager to open their Christmas present, Nox quickly unwrapped the dagger and observed the blade that Rufus had worked on for so many hours without even taking a rest.
The blade of the dagger was dark and had a smooth, polished surface with faint runes etched along its spine, glowing with a subtle blue light. The hilt was ergonomically crafted with a crossguard that curves slightly, providing enhanced control and protection for the user's hand. It was wrapped in black leather that offered both comfort and a secure grip.
After admiring the appearance, Nox proceeded to check the effects of the dagger. The first string of texts that appeared in his retina made his heart skip a beat.
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