Chapter 106: Lumenite Plate
The first human to successfully mine Lumenite Ore.
Yao Shen realized he might very well have claimed that accomplishment for himself. His hands were trembling as he inspected the chunk of Lumenite Ore in his hands. The sheer amount of Qi contained within the small aquamarine crystal ore was a marvel to witness through touch and were it not for the seal and unchange properties imposed upon it by Runebound Oresplitters hammer, the volatile ore would have long since exploded in his hands.
Do not worry so much, Vondar advised. While Lumenite is violent, it is not unpredictable. It adheres to the laws of this science you have revealed to me and there is hundreds of years of empirical evidence to back it even if most of it has been passed down through word of mouth. Us Dwarves would not have utilized such a metal if the price for forging a single suit of armor was paid in the blood of our prized craftsmen.
I understand, Yao Shen replied half-heartedly. Knowing that all the evidence pointed towards the seal and unchange runes being completely effective could only count for so much assurance when he was working with the Earth Equivalent of a live grenade held in stasis.
He gingerly walked towards the large, reinforced anvil that had been placed in the center of the Lumenite Mine at his instruction by Wenjun Long. His expression was strained as he placed the chunk of ore closer to himself than the center of the anvil.
Remember, the instruction you have received in the forge only applies to regular metals, Vondar reminded, his tone stern. You are not forging Lumenite Ore, in the traditional meaning of the word, no you are affecting change onto its very nature by invoking the corresponding greater rune. Do not apply additional force when none is needed.
Thank you, Yao Shen replied, as he gazed upon the delicate chunk of ore. Vondar had lectured him at length on the intricacies of working with Lumenite, but nevertheless he was grateful for the reminder. There need be no dearth of precautions whilst working with a metal that could result in countless casualties if the mine was destabilized.
His gaze firmed and Yao Shen allowed himself to fall into a state of complete focus as all his worries, his desires and his insecurities faded into the distance. All that was remaining was his objective as he entered a near meditative trance that he had only mastered after decades of cultivating, often in seclusion.
It was no longer a question of if he could or could not forge a set of Lumenite Armor.
He would.
Yao Shen switched the baton over to his right hand, whilst the hammer was held to the side with his left. He raised it high in the air, allowing himself to feel no anticipation as moments ticked by him.
Then, he willed it to fall.
A light tap sounded out as his baton made contact with the chunk of Lumenite, instead of the clinking noise he had expected. The ore sunk inwards, as if its texture and make was rubbery instead of brittle, rigid crystal that he had expected.
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Another tap followed and the chunk of Lumenite further deviated from its original shape.
The process continued for an entire day as Yao Shen continuously tapped along the ores surface, exceedingly careful not to apply even an iota more force than required. His own craftsmanship or the lack thereof was made apparent throughout the process, circumvented only by Vondars harsh critiques and his own willingness to dedicate time and effort to improve on his mistakes.
In the end, the vaguely tetrahedron-shaped chunk of ore had been reshaped into a rectangular sheet of metal, its thickness and length requiring Yao Shen many hours to perfect in accordance to Vondars standards.
Good, Vondar approved. Now set it on fire, He boldly declared, clearly not finding anything bizarre about igniting the most volatile metal on Ionea.
Is that necessary? Yao Shen asked, uneasy at the proposition. Vondar had mentioned it before, but he had disagreed even back then. Would it not be better if I used the hammer to invoke the unchange rune first?
Preposterous, Vondar replied. While Lumenite is an exceedingly pure metal, no ore can entirely be free of corruption. The seal aspect of Runebound Oresplitter is what insulates its properties from outside forces, whilst the unchange rune solidifies it as a whole. To put it simply, Lumenite Armor can be forged because its Qi has been sealed internally, a source of energy that can be called upon when needed. If you applied the unchange rune now, its impurities will become a part of its exterior and you will not be able to cleanse it of them.``
Hesitatingly, Yao Shen replied, For both your sake and mine, I hope you are correct.
He focused his Fire Qi and directed it towards his hands, letting a few minutes pass by him as he observed it. Fine-tuning the stream of flames was done with Vondars guidance and only after he was satisfied did he begin the heat-treating process.
Yao Shens expression progressively paled as he saw the aquamarine crystal ore turn deeper and deeper shades of reddish-orange, but not once did he let the stream of flames he was applying fluctuate in the slightest.
Stop! Vondar finally issued the command and Yao Shen immediately cut off the supply of Qi. The impurities should have been cleansed by now. Let the metal cool, we shall resume in an hour.
Yao Shen gladly stepped away from the heated Lumenite Sheet, choosing to spend the next hour cultivating at the entrance of the Lumenite Mine.
When he returned to the anvil, the half-forged Lumenite Sheet had thankfully returned to its aquamarine brilliance.
Yao Shen had to admit that if there was one process he had been cautiously looking forward to, it was the rolling process. He had not heard of a forging method remotely as odd or unique as it, but it was rather fascinating to know how intentional every aspect of Runebound Oresplitters design was.
First, he placed the cylindrical baton on the anvil, a little distance away from the Lumenite Sheet.
Then, true to the process name, Yao Shen began to roll it to and fro with incredible speed, the entire process lasting a minute or so.
The originally flat sheet of Lumenite was now curved, so Yao Shen carefully reached for it with his hand and flipped it, forming a miniature hill on the anvils surface. He then, under Vondars guidance, proceeded to roll the armor subsequently at two different angles to form a crease that ran just below the chest region.
It over twenty four hours for him to just manufacture the center piece of a Lumenite Armor, but Yao Shen had done it on his own, as a novice craftsman.
A loud, resounding sound echoed out as Yao Shen brought his hammer down, applying the unchange property on the center piece.
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