"What just happened? Did I go into some kind of berserk state? Is it true that you can't achieve greatness without madness?"
His head still ringing, Tetsu no Sosuke sat on the ground for a long while before finally managing to stand. His limbs felt weak and shaky, as if his body had been completely drained.
Yet as he gazed at the iron ingot on the anvil, an indescribable sense of accomplishment welled up within him.
"The impurities have been completely removed. Tomorrow, I can begin shaping the blade. Speaking of which, what was that notification about?"
He remembered that it was the [ Resilience +1 ] notification that had snapped him out of his frenzied state.
He had a vague feeling that this might be related to the final attributes of the sword after it was successfully forged.
A sharp pain shot through his head. Tetsu no Sosuke shook his head. "I can't think about this anymore. I need to eat and rest. I didn't even have dinner. Forging iron since noon—even a real iron man would be exhausted."
He turned and stumbled back into his house, found the rice balls he had prepared earlier in the cabinet, and devoured them. Only then did he feel some strength returning to his limbs.
He collapsed onto his bed, still fully clothed, and immediately passed out.
He slept soundly until dawn.
That night, Tetsu no Sosuke slept like a log. As he was about to wake up, he had a dream: he was still forging iron...
He opened his eyes, his arm still raised as if gripping a forging hammer. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Looks like I'm destined to be a swordsmith."
Waking up refreshed and invigorated, Tetsu no Sosuke felt his body and mind were in better condition than ever before. He stepped outside, took a deep breath of the crisp mountain air, and felt his head and body were in perfect harmony.
"Yesterday, while I was in that state, I faintly heard notifications about my strength and constitution increasing by one point each. So it really was because my physical attributes improved?"
In the courtyard lay a flat, smooth stone—a natural whetstone.
This thing was incredibly heavy; it was hard to estimate its exact weight, but Tetsu no Sosuke had previously strained every muscle in his body just to barely lift it.
Now, approaching the stone, he wrapped his arms around it, braced himself, and with a sudden surge of effort, whoosh, the stone shot into the air, yet Tetsu no Sosuke still had strength to spare!
"It really has improved!"
With a slight exertion, he hoisted the stone above his head and held it there for ten breaths before his grip faltered and he lowered it back to the ground.
"Even with this improvement, I'm still far behind a true swordsman. But after just one day of blacksmithing, I've already gained this much. If I keep at it consistently—for a week, a month, a year—how much further could I progress?"
A strange excitement welled up within him. Glancing at the iron ingot on the anvil, he felt an irresistible urge to test his newfound strength.
Despite his excitement, he suppressed the urge to rush ahead and decided to first appease his "Five Viscera Temple" (his stomach).
Yesterday's lesson had starkly demonstrated the human body's limits. Without sufficient energy replenishment, progress was impossible.
He immediately returned to prepare breakfast, and after a hearty meal, he finally returned to the anvil. Adjusting the Fireman Mask on his face, he lit the furnace.
The markings on the iron ingot remained unchanged from yesterday, but the completely cooled metal now exuded an extraordinary aura.
As the furnace temperature rose, the ingot gradually glowed red and softened.
Confirming the current mark, Tetsu no Sosuke retrieved the ingot and placed it on the anvil.
"Refining impurities and shaping iron are two distinct processes. What I must do now is mold the metal into the form of a blade. Its length, thickness, and overall shape will all be refined through the relentless hammering that follows. The weapon's durability will also be determined during this forging process! This is the true critical moment!"
Tetsu no Sosuke clamped the iron firmly in his tongs and, without hesitation, brought the hammer down with a resounding clang!
Sparks flew as a notification chimed in his ear:
[Resilience +1]
"Just as I thought!" he muttered to himself, his mind racing as the hammer continued to fall rhythmically.
The [ Resilience +1 ] notifications kept chiming.
Under this relentless hammering, the square piece of iron gradually stretched and elongated, faintly taking on the shape of a blade.
But then, the notifications shifted:
[Resilience -1]
[Hardness +1]
"...Hmm?"
The change startled Tetsu no Sosuke. "So, the first stage removes impurities, the second accumulates resilience, and the third grants other properties while constantly eroding resilience?"
A theory began to form in his mind. Ignoring the notifications, he continued to hammer and refine the iron according to the techniques he remembered.
This stage of the process proceeded more quickly than the previous one.
By late morning, the sword's shape was nearly complete.
Sosuke had also identified four key attributes: Resilience, Hardness, Impact Resistance, and Wear Resistance.
Consistent with his initial observations, the second step after removing impurities was to build Resilience. Each hammer strike during this stage increased Resilience.
However, just as the sword's form neared completion, its Resilience began to steadily deplete, while the other three attributes increased.
After a morning of hammering, Tetsu no Sosuke discovered that different hammering techniques produced varying results.
In essence, focusing on a single hammering method allowed him to continuously enhance a specific attribute, such as Hardness, while the depletion of Resilience remained constant.
Notably, quenching also boosted several attributes, including Resilience.
"So, forging a sword ultimately comes down to finding a balance between these four attributes?"
He gazed at the nearly finished blade in his hand, his mind racing with possibilities. While the metal was still glowing hot, he delivered the final few hammer blows, completing the shaping of the blade.
Tetsu no Sosuke carefully placed the sword into the furnace.
"Heat the blade to the proper temperature, then let it cool naturally. After that, it's time to grind the edge."
His expression was intensely focused. Though the progress bar offered assistance, he dared not let his guard down.
The final performance of a sword depended entirely on the swordsmith's dedication and skill throughout the forging process.
Every step he took now would determine the blade's future.
"Though you'll never become a Nichirin sword—since you're made from ordinary iron ingots—to me, you're the first sword I've ever forged. That makes you incredibly special!"