C10 Kusanaginotsurugi

The blueprint for the primary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi materialized in Tenno's mind.

Name: Primary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi

Difficulty: Two stars

Required Materials: Ink Crystal, Goldwood Sand, Ruby, Hundred Refined Star Steel, Sky Scarlet Copper, Darkgold Stone.

Skills: Randomly enhances 1 to 3 Chakra attributes.

Here was yet another two-star forging blueprint!

The last time Tenno forged a two-star primary storage ring, he learned from the system that weapons forged at or above the two-star level would recognize their owners.

Once the weapon was forged, Tenno simply had to smear his blood on it to sign a contract, claiming ownership of the blade.

Only the weapon's owner could unlock its full potential.

Conversely, if the weapon ended up in someone else's hands, it would be nothing more than an ordinary object.

This was the key distinction between two-star weapons and regular ones.

With such a contract, Tenno felt much more secure.

Even if he faced a stronger opponent in battle and his weapon was lost to the enemy, there was no cause for concern.

"The craftsmanship involved in making this Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi is incredibly intricate," Tenno quietly estimated to himself.

While this Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was a two-star weapon just like the storage ring, its complexity in forging was on another level.

Six different materials were required for this sword, with Sky Scarlet Copper and Darkgold Stone being particularly costly.

A mere hundred grams of either material commanded a price of two hundred thousand silver taels, equivalent to the reward for a Level C mission in the village.

After scouring his shop, Tenno barely managed to scrape together these six ores.

The combined cost of these ores exceeded one million silver taels!

Tenno was taken aback by the expense. Becoming a blacksmith was proving to be a costly endeavor.

Luckily, he was well-off and could shoulder the expense of a million silver taels.

In the forge, three sets of materials lay before Tenno.

This meant he had only three attempts at the experiment.

Should he fail to craft the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi within these attempts, the project would have to be shelved until his parents returned from the Iron Kingdom.

Tenno closed his eyes, channeling all his mental energy into the forging table before him. After mentally reviewing the entire process of crafting the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, his eyes snapped open, fixated on the glowing red ore.

With a surge of Chakra, Tenno infused the iron hammer with his energy. Gripping it firmly, he struck the ore repeatedly, his demeanor steady and composed. The rhythmic clanging filled the air.

Then, the system's voice announced, "Forging failed. Result: Ordinary Long Sword." A second attempt yielded the same disheartening message.

Had he failed yet again? Tenno's brow furrowed as he ceased his work, confronting a critical bottleneck. The fusion of Sky Scarlet Copper and Darkgold Stone was the most challenging step in creating the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. They required different temperatures, yet had to be forged together, a task that had led to repulsion and shattering in his previous attempts.

"Why is this happening? Why can't these ores merge successfully?" Tenno pondered, replaying each detail of the process in his mind. His understanding seemed sound; he had followed the blueprint precisely, without error. "Could the blueprint itself be flawed?" He dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it arose, suspecting instead that his method of Chakra infusion was at fault.

Then it struck him. "I've got it!" An idea sparked in Tenno's mind, a potential solution to the puzzle that had stumped him. He glanced at the materials left—his last chance to forge a primary Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi was slipping away.

But Tenno was resolute. Without testing his new approach, he'd never know if his revelation held the key to success.

Tenno meticulously reviewed the entire forging process and strategy in his mind once more.

With renewed resolve, he declared, "I'm starting now!"

Inhaling deeply, he lifted the hammer and commenced his work at the forge.

Ores were methodically placed on the forging table, one after another.

As they melted, the ores blended into one another.

Throughout the process, Tenno maintained a serene composure.

With the iron hammer in his grasp, he relentlessly struck the ores before him.

In under two hours, Tenno had fused the first four types of ores together.

He paused to take another deep breath.

There was no room for complacency, especially now as he approached the most challenging part of the process: the fusion of Sky Scarlet Copper and Darkgold Stone.

This time, Tenno refrained from acting hastily.

Instead, he retrieved a previously forged clone kunai from his storage ring and channeled his Chakra into it.

Abruptly, a puff of white smoke appeared.

Beside Tenno stood a Substance Clone, an exact replica of himself.

Though this clone didn't possess as much Chakra as a Shadow Clone, it was sufficiently capable of assisting him in his forging task.

Everything was set for the critical phase of the process.

Tenno concentrated, purifying his Chakra.

Simultaneously, he directed his clone to infuse the Chakra into the two glowing ores.

Gradually, the ores began to merge.

The success of their fusion hinged on their response to the hammer's forceful strikes.

This was the pivotal moment in crafting the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi, and he could afford no mistakes.

Failure to merge these minerals would result in a botched forging—a setback he had encountered twice before, which now tinged his determination with a hint of anxiety.

With a deep, resonant cry, he tightened his grip on the hammer and brought it down onto the ores atop the forging table.

No sound of fracturing came; instead, a crisp, melodious tone filled the air.

Tenno's eyes sparkled with elation, and he nearly leapt for joy.

This time, he had triumphed.