The Crafter's Dominion: A Dungeon Core Novel (Dungeon Crafting Book 5) by Jonathan Brooks (e ink epub reader .txt) 📕

it did have an oily sheen to it that it normally didn’t possess.  It was only when he grabbed a hammer and started to beat it into a thin sheet that she saw the difference almost immediately.

It was much more durable than normal.  The Master Blacksmith appeared strong, which was understandable given his profession, but his powerful hits were only having a fraction of the result she would’ve expected.  She’d worked a lot with Copper and knew how relatively soft it was compared to Bronze, Iron, and Steel; not as soft as Silver or Gold, but still flexible enough that a thin sheet could be bent with bare hands if necessary.  This Copper-Mithril alloy, however, was definitely not flexible.

“As you can no doubt see, and Gerry here has told me that you’re a bit of a Blacksmith yourself, the new alloy is much more durable.  Not only that, but its impact resistance has been increased, and it now has a natural resistance to corrosion.  It will never oxidize or corrode over time, and is moderately resistant to heat.”  He placed the sheet aside when he was done, and Sandra was amazed at how quickly he had flattened and shaped the rectangular shape of the Copper-Mithril alloy, especially considering how much stronger it was than normal.  She was also highly intrigued by this new alloy, and couldn’t wait to see what she could do with it.

 “That isn’t the only thing it does, however; it also makes it so that it is more susceptible to manipulation via Earth energy, like this,” he continued, before picking up the Copper sheet again.  He did something that she couldn’t immediately follow, and he bent the metal with his hands as easily as if it were a piece of paper.  “This is the only way we Master Blacksmiths can manage to shape and craft the powerful gear our Shieldmen use; I’m sure you can imagine how strong high-quality Steel can be when made into an alloy with mithril.”  Sandra could, and did – and worried that she wouldn’t be able to replicate the manipulation of Earth energy.

“As for the secret to the armor and weapons we make for the Shieldmen…well, I’m going to see how smart you are.” Jespin smiled again, looking at the forge.  “Tell me what you know now, and how you think they are produced.  I ask the same of all my apprentices.”

Great.  A test.  She would play along, though, because she really wanted to know.  Besides, looking back out at the fight for the area around the Golem dungeon entrances, it was going much better than expected.  With the additional support from the Shieldmen that arrived not too long ago, they were able to push the Golems steadily backwards, and they were gaining ground.  The biggest difference came from First-shield Parten, who tore into the Iron and Steel Golems like they had personally offended him and he was there to exact revenge.  For all she knew, that could’ve been exactly what happened.

Well, I know that each set is customized to each individual Shieldman and cannot be used by anyone else.  They are tied to them in a way that the armor uses a portion of the energy inherent in the wearer to power it, making it even stronger and allowing them to create effects relative to their elements. I thought at first you must have many different Master Blacksmiths that specialize in different elements, but if they are all similar to you, that doesn’t make sense.

Steel seems to be the material the alloy is made from with Mithril, but how it is transformed into what I’ve seen with different elemental colors is the mystery here.  There must be some sort of component I’m missing, one that would allow you to connect the wearer and the armor—

That was the word she needed to figure it out: connect.  There was a connection between them, which only became more pronounced as time went on – which was why the King was in such a state.  Gerold once described the experience of wearing the gear as feeling it as an extension of his body, which was an accurate description, if what she thought was correct.

The Master Blacksmith had a serious look to his face as he waved her onward, somehow understanding that she was working through it.  “Go on.”

The only way I can see to connect the two things together, one an inanimate object and the other a living being, would be to have something in common.  While it’s possible that someone like Gerold might have some sort of Steel or Mithril in his body, I doubt that is the case; more likely, something of Gerold’s is inside of the Steel-Mithril alloy.  There was only one real explanation.  My guess is you put some of his blood inside of the alloy.

Master Blacksmith Jespin clapped his hands abruptly, the smile back on his face.  “Precisely, my dear!  You got it in one try – very impressive.”

Thank you.

“I’m sure you’re wondering if there is any special technique to fuse the blood into the alloy, but I assure you…there isn’t.  As soon as the blood, about a thimbleful is all that is needed, is introduced into the molten alloy, the mithril reacts with it and changes the color of the metal to reflect the elements that the Shieldman has access to, ‘keying’ it to them in particular.  Once that process is complete, there is no changing it from there, as it is virtually impossible to turn the alloy back into a liquid with any amount of heat you can generate.  It can soften and start to melt apart under extreme heat, such as a dragon’s breath, but it will never be able to accept another sample of blood.”

Gerold cleared his throat.  “Wait, how did you get my blood for my armor?” he asked, genuinely shocked.  It was apparent that even the Shieldmen didn’t know how