Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1916: Divine energy product (4)

"What is this flame? Why have I never seen it before?"

Every contestant in the forging tournament echoed that same sentiment.

While the opening round had been a straightforward evaluation of fundamental techniques requiring the creation of a basic dagger, this second round was different.

The fact that it was a free-build round was peculiar enough, but the forges provided to them were even more startling. The flames burning within these forges were unlike any they had ever encountered.

These fires were significantly more powerful than any they had worked with previously, yet they also carried a sense of mystery that the smiths couldn't quite place.

It felt as though something resided within the heat that made them feel inherently inferior, though the source of this sensation remained a mystery to them.

However, the dwarves sensed the unique nature of these flames immediately.

Being a forging competition, this was the dwarves' natural domain, and they made up the majority of those who reached the second round. A handful of humans and other races remained, but their craftsmanship simply couldn't compare.

To these dwarves, forging was their entire existence.

Consequently, when this new element was introduced to them...

"I can feel all kinds of new ideas flowing into me."

"This flame... it would be strong enough to melt that thing..."

"I can actually use this flame to make the thing that I’ve wanted."

Witnessing the fire emanating from the forges, the dwarves were quickly consumed by excitement.

Unlike the chefs, these dwarves viewed the situation as a legitimate challenge to their craft.

It was a testament to their high level of skill that they could all adapt and rise to the occasion when faced with a flame so different from their usual tools.

Yet, raw skill alone wasn't the deciding factor.

The specific talent needed to truly master a forge was only present in certain dwarves. Back when this world functioned as a game, these individuals were classified as hero units.

Having previously requested a list from the Dwarven King, I already knew exactly who these individuals were. Such are the perks of being in-laws with the ruler of the Dwarven Kingdom.

Because of this, my attention was fixed on them.

From my understanding of forging, I knew that those lacking the talent of hero units could still produce something. However, their work was destined to be inferior to that of the elites.

Even if their work wasn't necessarily bad, it lacked a certain essential quality.

In the world of forging, a single second is enough to create a vast divide. That is simply the reality between the talented and the ordinary.

It was as if these hero units possessed a sixth sense, allowing them to perceive the exact moment an item needed to be pulled from the heat.

This intuition was what enabled them to produce superior goods.

I watched with anticipation, eager to see how they would manage to trap the divine energy of the flames within their steel.

When the work was finished, a collection of glowing weapons emerged.

Even the non-hero units managed to create weapons that emitted a glow, but the gap in talent was unmistakable.

The radiance surrounding their blades was far dimmer than the light coming from the hero units' work.

The difference in luminosity was like comparing a glow stick to a high-powered flashlight.

This glow served as a direct measurement of how much divine energy had been successfully captured within each weapon. There was no room for error regarding the quality of these items.

The visible light certainly seemed to simplify the task for the judges.

Still, these were seasoned professionals who had been recruited to scrutinize every detail.

They examined each weapon with great care, attempting to uncover any possible flaw. This was a difficult task from the start, considering the weapons were crafted by dwarves.

Finding faults in such craftsmanship was nearly impossible.

I wasn't concerned with their judging, however, as my focus was elsewhere.

My attention was locked on the aura surrounding each blade, which was the entire reason I had supplied the divine energy flames. More specifically, I was watching the rate at which that glow might fade.

Divine energy is not native to the mortal realm; it typically dissipates unless a specific medium is used to contain or control it. This is why divine energy usually only manifests when relics are used to channel it.

But in this instance, the divine energy had been infused into these weapons...

"They aren’t disappearing..." I whispered to myself, my eyes fixed on the blades. I refused to blink, terrified of missing a single detail.

Ultimately, it was undeniable: there was no divine energy leaking out.

Whether looking with my eyes or sensing it with my heightened perception of divine energy, I could tell that not a single trace was escaping the steel.

This was true, at least, for the weapons forged by the hero units.

As for the pieces made by the other dwarves, a slow leak was detectable.

Even so, the leakage wasn't severe enough to make the weapons unusable.