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nAs he checked through the blueprint he had created once more to make sure nothing was wrong, the volunteer proctor he had asked earlier had returned to his forge, carrying along the items Valyr requested. Nodding in response as he received the items, Valyr thanked the man for taking the time as he redirected his attention once more to the equipment he was going to craft.

nHowever, just as the proctor was about to head to another part of the area to help other participants, Valyr opened his mouth and asked the man a question, stopping the former from his tracks. “I’ve only thought about it just now, but I am kind of curious. What happened to the spear tip I forged during the second round?”

nListening to the question for a bit, the proctor went silent before retrieving a small tablet from their pocket, infusing it with mana. After interacting with the tablet for a bit, a look of understanding appeared on the proctor’s face as he returned his gaze to Valyr in front of him. “Well, as the host has mentioned earlier, you’ll be able to keep the equipment you’ve forged during the second round. With that in mind, the equipment you’ve forged shall be given to you once the final rankings have been announced. I hope this eases your worries.”

n“It does. Thank you.” Letting the proctor return to what he was doing, Valyr shifted his gaze back to the forge surrounding him, chucking in the metals he had specified on the blueprint into the furnace. With a solemn expression, he attentively watched the metals with Gambler’s Discerning Eyes active, fanning the furnace’s flames from time to time to make sure the metals were reaching the optimal temperature smoothly.

nEventually, he took out the metals from the furnace, hammering them into the parts he needed in order to craft Red Blossom. Finding a rhythm within minutes, it did not take long for the two major parts of Red Blossom to be forged, prompting him to grab the items the proctor had given him earlier as he started to combine the two into a single piece of equipment.

nThanks to the knowledge he had obtained from the Technology Tree, as well as his copious amounts of experience tinkering with mechanisms more intricate than the one he was currently making, it did not take long for Valyr to complete the new piece of equipment, looking at what he had done with a light smile on his face. ‘I guess this is the first piece of equipment I can consider I’m proud of forging.’

nWith that, he grabbed a whetstone he had been soaking in water ever since the round began, placing it on the desk before using it to sharpen the edges of the weapon’s outer blade. Once he was done sharpening the outer blade, he then proceeded with the inner blade, making sure to not bend the inner blade too much to the point that it would crack.

nAfter he was satisfied with how sharp the inner and outer blade was, he placed the whetstone to the side before returning the weapon to its initial form, waving it around the way a dagger user would use it. Then, after feeling that there were no problems with the initial form, he changed his grip on the dagger, pressing down on the button on the end of the handle as he thrust the weapon forward. In an instant, the outer blade split into two as the inner blade quickly extended out of it.

nSeeing Valyr test out his new piece of equipment in their peripheral vision, some of the other participants that surrounded his forge could not help but take in a breath of cold air at the sight, feeling as if all hope was lost. As for the others, the sight of Valyr testing his weapon’s effectiveness sparked a new idea in their minds, causing blueprints to come into fruition. Of course, there were also those who looked at the sight with jealousy, thinking of ways to make the original piece of equipment they were crafting even better.

nNevertheless, Valyr ignored all of the looks he had gotten, returning the dagger into its initial form as he went ahead and identified it with Analysis, nodding in satisfaction not long after.

nDing!

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nRed Blossom (Level 10)

nRarity: Common

nAttack: 12 – 20 (outer blade) | 15 – 25 (inner blade)

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nA piece of equipment that has taken inspiration from the whimsical stories of fiction and fantasy. This dagger allows the user to deal more damage than they should, with the initial form of the dagger being akin to any common dagger. However, once the user presses on the well-disguised button on the tip of the handle, the dagger blossoms, revealing a far deadlier blade that would turn any injury grievous.

nThe blacksmith that crafted this piece of equipment has placed great care and attention into every step, allowing the materials making up the weapon to show more of its hidden potential.

nRemarks: It’s surprisingly good… but of course, it could always be better.

n————𝗈𝗏𝒍xt.𝒸𝗈𝕞

nClosing up the screen before him, Valyr then called for a volunteer proctor and gave the dagger to the person, telling them to be careful with it. Nodding, the volunteer proctor responded back by telling him that since he had finished the third round of the tournament, he was now free to leave the premises and return when the final rankings were announced.

nThanking the man, Valyr soon left the designated area for the tournament, only to be greeted by a familiar person at the very moment he had finally squeezed his way out of the crowd that surrounded it.

n“Care to tell me where you learned all that stuff?” In front of him, Tristan had a wide yet proud grin on his face.

nSeeing the man’s grin, Valyr grinned back, deciding to use the same excuse he came up with back then. “Learned all of that while I was gone from the village. Surely you didn’t expect me to only learn how to forge equipment according to a blueprint while I was gone?”

n“Why would I?” Hearing Valyr’s response, Tristan could not help but let out a chuckle, wrapping his arm over the former’s shoulders. “In any case, you’ve definitely showed what you’re capable of out there.”

n“You think I have a shot at getting one of the top spots?” Inwardly sighing in relief that Tristan did not pursue the matter of his skills any further, Valyr posed this question to him.

n“Well, I don’t see why not.” Tristan shrugged his shoulders. “After all, you’ve definitely surprised the crowd with what you did during the second round, including me.”

n“In any case, you’ve reached the end of the tournament on your first go at it.”

n“That alone is already something to be proud of.”

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