Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

Chapter 269 - 269. Mina’s Gear Solid

<Ding! The item has improved due to a synergy between the item and your trait "Olympian myth"!>

With a surprised look on his face, he pulled the finished dagger back out of the water. He HAD taken some symbolism from Greek mythology, but he definitely had not planned for this.

<Asclepius' Needle

Relic

Damage: 1075

Durability: 2000

1. 25% Chance to inflict Strong Malady on hit

2. 35% chance to cause mental disruption on hit (Effects: Stun/Confusion)

3. Elufsiv the Esurient will feast on targets Mana for 10 seconds, preventing any magic or active skills from being used.

4. Active Skill: Down with the Sickness

5. Active Skill: Plague Strike

A powerful rendition of the God of Healing hidden weapon by the hands of Journeyman Smith. Just because he invented a medicine that could even bring the dead back to life, didn't mean he was somebody to mess with. He who can cure the sickness can also bring it.

Once rumors of the dagger's effects spread or it plays a role in the user's ascend to a legend, the item might become legendary.

>

His <Blacksmith> proficiency shot up by almost 10%. The improvement a relic brought could not be underestimated! After making the accessories for Jonah his <Goldsmith> had also easily leveled up.

He had expected the first three effects. The synergy had improved the first one to "strong malady" and added two active skills.

<Active Skill: Down with the Sickness, No Cost, Cooldown: 1h

Health Regeneration and exterior healing is reduced by 50%

Choose One:

Inflict a target in sight with a random disease. 10% chance that it's contagious and infects nearby enemies.

Heal an ally in sight by 20% of their health over a span of 30 seconds 10% chance that nearby allies are also healed by a small amount >

<Active Skill: Plague Strike, No Cost, 24h

Inflict a deadly disease on target.>

Seth wasn't sure about the last one. Was it like a death sentence? Or could the disease be cured by high-ranking magic or items? Well, one thing was for sure, the item had turned out even meaner than he had expected.

Even the Lichicon could not give a clear answer. He would leave it to Mina o find out how effective the last option was.

He put "Asclepius' Needle" into a weapon rack on the side. Looking at the time he realized that he had already been working for over 4 hours. Even with his smithy's speed boosts it took a good while to make a Relic item.

He got himself some food before continuing. Mina liked to dual-wield daggers or at least switch between weapons.

Seth brought out the billet made from two bars of epic <Olympian Silver> and forged the single-edged blade of a fine short sword similar to a Yatagan. The one-handed weapon had a length just in between where some people would call it a long knife and others a short sword.

He integrated a small guard and wide pommel to keep the user's hands from slipping. For the smithing ballad, he chose the Soulbind. It was important nobody else would be able to use this short sword.

While he was forging the epic metal, he could feel a change happening in "Charon's Obol" but refrained from checking to keep his focus on finishing the weapon.

After forging everything out, he took a small break and inspected his hammer.

Charon?s Obol

Epic (Growth)

Damage: 970

Durability:4000

1. The damage is raised in dark places.

2. +15% dark damage Mana Cost: 10 per minute

3. Slow Digestion+

4. +Elemental affinities (+)

5. 15% Chance to imbue an item with a magical effect (+)

6.-50% Resource Cost of all Skills and Abilities

Like the coin needed to pay the ferryman Charon, to bring the souls to the underworld, this hammer is needed for a Soul to find a new purpose in the hand of a Spirit Smith. Charon?s Obol is used to directly forge and damage souls.

+50% chance to stagger +20% damage to armor

The Hammer grows by feeding on souls and materials. Charon's Obol can forge ANY material but consumes mana corresponding to the change in the structure of anything that is not metal. Only works on the Anvil of Tartarus.

-Other options will be unlocked upon growth-

The hammer had finally grown to an epic rating! And the growth was impressive. The list of affinities the hammer granted was collapsed but encompassed every element at various degrees.

The magic effects it could imbue were based on all the materials he had used until today. The list was quite long.

He checked the blade, but the 15% chance had not triggered on Mina's short sword.

Using the grinding wheel and files, he ground and filed everything into shape before adding the handle scales made of <Arcane Oak>.

Fitting the soul he chose; he used a poem called Frost Bitten talking about the relentless cold of the night. It did not aim for a specific frost demon so the effect varied greatly depending on the talent and skill of the bard.

With four verses it was on the longer side and Seth had to place two verses on each side of the blade. He used the epic ink to etch the runes into the metal and could feel his power drain. It seemed like had the attention of a big wig.

Sweat covered his forehead when he finally finished the inscription. Taking a look at the clock he decided that he would be able to finish the sword today and still have time to contact Neeco Boos.

The last step was the reason why he had to make the weapon soul-bound. With the new level in <Spirit Forging> and <Soul Infusion> the infused soul armament could now keep the hidden attribute to inflict direct damage to a soul.

With the followers of Zarkon appearing more often lately, Seth saw it fitting to have his people own such weapons. But Soul damage was a scary topic.

The sorceress had told him, that the Soul could only heal very slowly, if at all. As they knew from the reconstruction of Evee's hands, healing magic was based on the soul.

It would make healing wounds hard and dismembered limbs almost impossible to recover.

He forged an exact copy of the short sword from the rare <Frigid Soul> he had repaired and upgraded with two of the <Cold Soul> from the ice trolls. On the soul weapon, he carved the complex circuit for strength twice.

Seth finished the weapon by infusing the soul armament into the sword and dunking it into the water barrel.

<Shard of Biting Ice

Relic

Damage:1400

Durability: 4000

1. Active Skill: Ice Field

2. Active Skill: Cursed Frost

3.+30% Affinity to Ice

4.+ 30% Affinity to Darkness

5. +80 Strength

6. Soulbind

A bitter cold weapon created by Journeyman Smith imbued by strong demonic power.

Once rumors of the dagger's effects spread or it plays a role in the user's ascend to a legend, the item might become legendary. >

Another relic bringing him almost 10% proficiency in <Blacksmith> and <Enchantment>. His approach proved to be successful.

The two skills were quite terrifying.

< Active Skill: Ice Field, No Cost, Cooldown: 20 minutes

Creates an Ice Field within a 25m radius around the user. Enemies within the area will be slowed and weakened over time. >

<Active Skill: Cursed Frost, No Cost, Cooldown: 1h

A hit enemy is encased in a carapace of cursed ice. The ice will absorb life force for up to 5 minutes or until the shell is broken. >

Seth nodded satisfied. If this wasn't some overpowered gear, then what was? He did a little victory dance, sure nobody would see him, and put the sword into the weapon rack.

"It's great you are happy, Boss," Mary said, standing in the door with a frozen smile.

"M-Mary... How long did you stand there?"

"A while."

"Please forget what you saw."

"I would love to."

"Anyway. Why did you look for me?"

"I need you to look over the preparations for the exam. Also, Neeco Boos asked to meet you."

"Neeco? Great timing! I was planning to meet him afterward. Let's go."

With that, the two vanished from the smithy.