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Chapter: Hadiya Blacksmith Shop

After carefully scrutinizing hundreds of magic gems, Forseti finally made his choice. "The Alfheim Sapphire, priced at 2920 large gold coins with a 74% substitution rate for Cole's gem, offers the best cost-performance ratio," he concluded.

Of course, the price still stung Forseti, effectively halving his savings with just one gem.

After completing the purchase and stepping outside, Forseti couldn't resist taking out the Alfheim Sapphire again to admire it under the sunlight.

Crystal clear, as blue as the sky, with shimmering light dancing within, the gem appeared almost dreamlike. Judging by its beauty alone, it was well worth the price.

Leaving Norvi Magic Shop behind, Forseti headed straight for Hadiya's blacksmith shop.

Upon entering, he was greeted by the same quiet, sturdy young man as before.

"Hello," Forseti greeted.

"What do you need?" replied the young man, showing no recognition of Forseti.

"I want to commission a custom warhammer. Here are the blueprints," Forseti said, handing over several pages copied from Sanqi's design for Verrigan's Fist.

Copying the forging blueprints for Verrigan's Fist had been a considerable effort for Forseti. The textual parts were manageable, but the patterns were challenging to replicate without prior drawing skills.

The young man took the blueprints, studied them for a while, and then said, "It's quite intricate. I'll need to consult my father. Please wait here."

With that, he took the blueprints and disappeared through a small door nearby.

As the door opened, the distant clangs of forging grew louder in Forseti's ears, suggesting the workshop lay beyond.

After some time, a middle-aged, robust man emerged from the same door.

Sporting a beard and a tall, burly frame, his arms bulged with muscle from years of forging armor. Despite his physique, a round belly hinted at a softer side beneath the hardened exterior.

The middle-aged man approached, blueprint in hand, a sheen of sweat on his brow, exuding a furnace-like aura.

"Hello, I'm Hadier. That was my son Brunnok just now," he greeted with a smile.

Forseti returned the greeting and asked, "Mr. Hadier, what do you think? Can this warhammer be forged?"

"Certainly, though it won't be simple," Hadier replied thoughtfully. "These designs introduce some novel concepts I've yet to encounter. I'll need time to study them before beginning. Alternatively, you could consult the dwarves in Nidavellir. They're renowned as the finest blacksmiths in the universe and may handle this better."

Thor's Hammer and Stormbreaker of future generations hailed from the hands of Nidavellir's dwarves, and Forseti harbored a desire to visit them as well.

Yet, aside from the challenge of reaching Nidavi, even if he made it there, affording their forging fees would likely prove daunting.

"When can we start forging?" Forseti inquired.

"At the earliest, it'll take five days," Hadier estimated.

Forseti nodded.

Hadier continued, "Have you gathered the materials for the warhammer?"

Forseti presented the Alfheim Sapphire he'd recently acquired and handed it to Hadier, explaining, "I have the gem ready—this Alfheim Sapphire from Norvi Magic. I intend to use Asgardian bronze for the rest. Could you procure seven bronze ingots? I'd prefer the hammer to be slightly smaller."

Considering his current stature and age, wielding an overly large warhammer would prove challenging. Should his future melding of talents significantly alter his physique, he'd have plenty more weapon options to consider.

Hadier studied the blueprints, then nodded slowly. "Certainly."

Forseti hesitated, "And regarding the cost?"

Hadier smiled reassuringly, "You need only pay for the bronze. Your designs have inspired me greatly, so I won't be charging any additional fees."

Forseti found this pleasantly surprising. After all, he'd allocated a substantial budget for manual labor in constructing Verrigan's Fist.

That said, he now regretted not investing more, knowing manual fees wouldn't be incurred.

"Thank you very much," Forseti expressed his gratitude.

Several days later,

With anticipation, Forseti returned to Hadiya Blacksmith Shop. "How's it going, Brunnok?"

Brunnok nodded, "You're just in time. My father's about to start. You're welcome to come in and observe if you like."

"Alright," Forseti agreed. He was curious about the forging process, so Brunnok led him into the shop's forge room.

In addition to Hadier, another young man was present. Equally robust, with muscular arms, he was Brunnok's older brother and Hadier's assistant.

In the center stood a massive anvil, its surface marked by years of hammer blows.

Adjacent were several furnaces, their flames casting a warm glow that suffused the forge room. Forseti soon found himself wiping sweat from his brow; the heat was intense. Had an ordinary person ventured in, they'd likely succumb within moments.

Hadier and his eldest son studied the blueprints while beside them lay the Alfheim Sapphire, seven Asgard bronze ingots, and various other minor materials.

"Alright, let's begin!" Hadier announced.

With that, he took the seven bronze ingots, bound them together with bronze wire, and set them in a furnace to heat.

Meanwhile, his assistant extracted a jar of clear gelatin, applying a uniform layer onto the Alfheim Sapphire.

After allowing the gelatin to solidify on the gemstone, he retrieved a substance akin to red clay, applying another layer.

As the clay neared solidification, the seven bronze ingots within the flames turned a fiery red, emitting a brilliance akin to sunlight.

Hadier removed the bronze ingots, sprinkling an unknown powder over them before wielding a sledgehammer.

"Clang!"

Sparks erupted as the sledgehammer struck, flattening the seven fiery Asgard bronze ingots in one blow.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

With swift, forceful blows, the ingots fused together amidst a shower of sparks.

Forseti instinctively stepped back, feeling the air grow hotter, once more wiping sweat from his brow.

The assistant returned the fused bronze ingot to the furnace, sintering it again before retrieving it and placing it back on the anvil.

Hadier brandished a pointed sledgehammer, aiming it at the center of the bronze ingot and striking with all his might.

"Clang!"

The pointed sledgehammer caused a concave depression in the Asgard bronze.

Swiftly, the assistant took the now-red lump of the Alfheim Sapphire, setting it within the concavity of the Asgard bronze.

"Hiss—" A cloud of white mist billowed from the fiery bronze.

Hadier and his son took turns wielding hammers, their strikes swift, forceful, and rhythmic, sparks cascading like rain.

"Clang-clang-clang-clang..."

Wrapped in Alfheim Sapphire-embedded Asgard bronze, the material twisted, stretched, gathered, and continually morphed under the relentless hammer blows of the two craftsmen.