Chapter 77

  Easy Mode

  With a hiss, the weathered man plunged the glowing steel in a brackish solution of his own making.

  He tapped his foot, keeping time.

  Pulling it out in a cloud of steam, he stared intently at his newest craft, listening for what the metal was trying to tell him.

  Weeks of endless effort had finally provided him the tools he needed…

  Just not enough.

  “AAAARRRG! YOU PUTZ!"

  He threw it into a barrel, where it rattled against other similar lengths of steel.

  “Another failed blade!”

  Jen walked out the back door into the courtyard that held their forge, glancing around worriedly.

  “What’s going on? What's wrong?”

  “Oh, I just messed up again,” he growled and gestured at his barrel of shame.

  She walked up, glancing in, “Dad, those all look nice!”

  Pulling one out, she wiped it with a cloth, “Yeah. These will definitely sell.”

  “I don't care about that! I just want to make a tier two blade, damnit.”

  His intense, crazed eyes scanned his System prompts, trying to find any more clues.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “...Each component gets its own grade… When combined can make a better whole, yada yada.. Materials. It must be the material quality…”

  Rushing over to a table, he picked up a rough bar of bare metal, holding it before his critical eye.

  He turned towards the shop, “HEY JEN! I NEED YOU TO-”

  “DAD! I’m right here!” The small woman had to scream to get his attention.

  “OH- yeah sorry, forgot. I need you to get me better metals, this stuff isn't cutting it.”

  He tossed it into a bin with disdain.

  Jen sighed,

  “I told you, that's the best we can get. The miners are saying the vein is drying out, and with rising tensions…”

  She bit her lip anxiously.

  “Let's just say it does not look likely the dwarves will start working with us anytime soon.”

  He distractedly looked over to his daughter, “Huh? Rising tensions?”

  “Yeah there were a couple of incidents between another human settlement and an elven enclave… There were a couple of deaths on both sides…”

  She drew in and let out a large breath.

  “And now the dwarves are more surly than ever, holed up in their mountain.”

  She shook her head, straight dark hair swaying.

  “Last I met with them it felt so close too…”

  First contact was a shock for everyone involved.

  How is negotiating with alien races my life now?

  Her father hummed.

  “Well what about other towns? It says I need more ‘understanding’ to progress my path of a weapon smith.”

  He stomped around, straightening up the forge.

  “How am I supposed to do that in this environment? With this metal? What does It expect?”

  “You need to slow down Dad, it is not a race. This is going to take time.”

  She stepped up, patting him on the shoulder.

  “Whenever we get out of here, we will find Kenny and Kim, and we will build a real forge. A real town.”

  “Not a race my ass,” he mumbled.

  Jen chuckled, “Tonight, when Erik gets back from patrol, we will discuss our future plans during dinner.”

  She flashed perfectly straight white teeth.

  “And then we will build our empire!”

  Maybe finally get some law and order.

  The short, normally reserved Claire stuck her head out of the back door,

  “IF I HAVE TO CALL YOU TWO FOR LUNCH ONE MORE TIME! IT'S GETTING COLD!”