Find a Troubled Girl after leaving the Guild-Chapter 360 - 207: Forging Time

As the elevator descended to the bottom, scalding air rushed up to meet them.

No need to consciously feel it; the Elemental Spirits of Earth and Fire were leaping and soaring.

Beneath the Realm of Excellence, it was impossible to shape ice and water with Magic Power in such an environment; even the Wind Element was extremely weak.

Once you could create Pure Magic Material, this limitation lessened considerably, but it still required more effort.

Li Ang, equipped with the Material Magic Scripture, customarily used Pure Magic Wind for easy shaping, but he could also create water.

Expending more Magic Power, he created a Pure Magic Water Mist Shield that surrounded the group, and he saw that Elaphia’s flushed face from the heat had somewhat eased.

She lifted her chin in satisfaction, showing him a gentle expression.

This was a cavern close to the island’s heart, with a ceiling specially dug upwards, reaching a height of over ten meters. Artisans had specifically set up rails flowing with firelight above, branching in all directions, as if forming a massive Magic Array.

Within the area covered by this Molten Fire Array lay a vast platform forged from bronze-gold metal on the ground.

The circular platform was divided into three rings; the outermost was filled with tables laden with a dizzying array of materials, the middle ring contained workbenches fitted with finely crafted tools and various machinery, while the center held a gigantic Forging Furnace.

This was the Mountain Copper Furnace.

The massive Forging Furnace resembled a towering volcanic crater, golden in its entirety, only a shade darker than dazzling gold. It was cast from Mountain Copper and also melted Mountain Copper at its core.

Within this material, born excellent, dwelled the Mountain Spirit, a particularly strong and active special Earth Spirit. They endowed the metal with the properties of Pure Magic Material, making it scarcely destructible even against power of the same tier.

Apart from being melted for shaping, Mountain Copper was intrinsically resilient; even when crushed with a domain that tore dimensions, it was merely deformed and neither snapped nor destroyed.

Simply adding other high-tier Earth Attribute materials could alter the characteristics of Mountain Copper, weakening certain properties while strengthening others.

Thus, local artisans utilized Mountain Copper to forge a furnace capable of withstanding various magical surges, exclusively for melting Mountain Copper ore.

The rails atop the ceiling centered above the furnace, with several magic-suspended metal rings between them and the furnace; these rings also had magic-preserving rails coursing with various special magic.

Just with Li Ang’s knowledge, he could spot Arcane Energy and Ether, even including Light and Dark Elements, Divine and Power of Nature.

Beyond the Star Soul Light and Creation Equation that his extraordinary experience had allowed him to witness recently, it could be said that the high-tier magic most commonly seen was all here.

These Magic Rails revolved around an invisible central pillar, alternately discharging magic into the furnace below, melting the solid shell of Mountain Copper ore.

When the artisan operating the furnace needed it, the magic infusion would also be adjusted to endow the liquid Mountain Copper with the desired properties when extracted.

Apart from the settings for crafting, there were no superfluous arrangements here.

As Li Ang glanced towards the cavern’s edge, he noticed only a few resting rooms hewn into the rock walls, where artisans used magic-conveying metal rails to store condensed Pure Magic Water, cooling the workplace and living quarters.

To his surprise, a Golem was traversing the area.

This Golem, in stark contrast to the previous one from Cormac, was not a mechanical construct but entirely of liquid Mountain Copper. Engraved Rings adorned its humanoid arms and legs, concentrating high-tier Magic Power to ensure its body could move.

It patrolled among the workbenches, ready to transform as needed by any artisan, to either replenish scarce Mountain Copper materials or to temporarily mimic tools.

When not needed, it would return to the furnace’s center to replenish its body.

Elaphia and Li Ang exchanged a glance, and she evidently recalled the Golem that had been tasked to her earlier.

"Who created that thing?" Li Ang asked.

While other things had broadened his horizons, to him, they weren’t particularly surprising. But the technique used for this Liquid Mountain Copper Golem was truly magical.

No Artifact Manufacturing Method currently existed in the world, and it could be said that this creation was a testament to the pinnacle craftsmanship of a high-tier artisan.

Molaine smiled smugly, "It’s one of the holders of the ’Hammer of the Source’ from the Dome Furnace Association, Master Hephaestus."

Seeing Li Ang’s bewilderment, Falo muffled a chuckle with his hand, "The rankings inside the Dome Furnace Association aren’t understood by the outside world, you see, Mr. Li Ang. That’s the ranking among internal artisans, using hammers as their titles."

Merchant Douding explained, "The lowest is the Hammer of Monopoly—which means simply by taking action, one can monopolize a market sector. You have to have this level to join the Dome Furnace Association. Next is the Hammer of Divine Skill, requiring internal recognition. As for the Hammer of the Source, it means surpassing colleagues, considered the standard for masters even within the Dome Furnace Association."

"This grading is less than I imagined," Li Ang said, "though, Falo, you inviting me to join the Dome Furnace Association suggests you think I could already monopolize the market."

"Exactly so. Mr. Li Ang has elevated Equipment to the Transcendent Realm due to material adaptability and can harness Homogeneous Power resonance to produce Array Effects. Just opening a chain equipment store now could effortlessly topple many shops," Falo laughed.

"Such skill?"

Glancing again at the three rings of the Mountain Copper Furnace, although not venturing to join them, Li Ang could tell from their actions and material choices that each artisan was of the utmost elite standing, which made him unintentionally feel a tinge of unease.