Chapter 352: Blacksmith Promotion, Expert-Level Blacksmith! (5600)

Even the villagers from Vine Village were both moved and filled with envy at this moment!

In this world, having a skill meant having the ability to survive.

Especially a talent like a blacksmith, who was highly sought after wherever they went.

Before this, Vine Village didn't have a single blacksmith.

The entire village, whether buying farm tools or needing repairs, had to travel several kilometers to the nearby Flowing Water Town.

However, in this world, even a distance of a few kilometers carried significant risks.

Many villagers were snatched away by wild beasts on the way to Flowing Water Town, or froze to death halfway in the snow.

Their greatest wish was for the village to have a blacksmith.

However, for such a popular profession, countless people broke their necks trying to get in, spending vast amounts of money, yet couldn't even secure an apprentice spot.

It was simply out of reach for the poor and backward Vine Village.

Now, this wish seemed to be finally coming true!

Even though they had now arrived at a new territory.

The significance of this was still extraordinary.

The old village chief beside them said excitedly, "Sarle, Boudi, hurry up and thank the Lord!"

The two children bowed simultaneously, "Thank you, Lord!"

Their tone carried irrepressible excitement and heartfelt gratitude.

Cao Xing smiled, "Follow me."

"Little Chuchu, Elisa, you two come with me as well; I have other tasks for you."

"I'll have Cao Yi come over later to show them around the territory."

The two young girls nodded obediently.

Then, Cao Xing led the four figures away from there.

Until their figures disappeared…

In the crowd, a three or four-year-old child held in their mother's arms said, "Mommy, this big brother is so amazing; such a large territory belongs to him…"

The woman beside them quickly stopped them, "You cannot call him big brother; you must call him My Lord, or Lord. We will serve him from now on, do you understand?"

The child asked innocently, "Then will he hit us like the Baron's knight attendants do?"

The woman was stunned for a moment, then shook her head, "Probably not… He is even willing to teach Sarle and Boudi blacksmithing; he is a kind and generous Lord."

"That's great, Mommy! I like this territory…"

After recruiting the villagers from Vine Village.

Cao Xing had already arrived at the fourth ring area of the territory.

Looking at the figures behind him, Cao Xing called out directly, "Elisa."

"My Lord, I'm here!"

"Go observe the incubation status of the Light Feather Chicken eggs and the growth of the Kulin barley, then report back to me."

Elisa immediately straightened up, "No problem, My Lord, leave it to Elisa!"

After speaking, the young girl trotted towards the farm area.

Cao Xing then looked at Tong Chuchu, "Chuchu, go to the machinery factory and have the Gnome Locke build 20 Drilling Robots."

"We will need to mine on a large scale later, and these robots will be very useful."

Little Chuchu also quickly replied, "Okay, Big Brother, I'm going now."

Saying that, she also left the area.

Then, Cao Xing looked back at the two little ones from Vine Village.

"Follow me, I'll take you to the blacksmith shop."

"O-okay… Respected Lord…"

The two kept their heads down, following behind him, heading straight toward the blacksmith shop.

As Cao Xing walked, he glanced at the [Proficiency Emblem (Expert)] in his backpack, a smile appearing on the corner of his mouth.

"This thing can turn my high-level talent directly into an expert-level talent!"

"Very soon, I will have an expert-level blacksmith."

Thinking of this, Cao Xing's pace quickened slightly.

"Clang!"

As the blacksmith shop door was pushed open.

Waves of warmth, mixed with the clanging of hammers, rushed towards them.

Inside, there were still two busy figures.

The blacksmith Harold and his wife, Putana.

Because the blacksmith shop had been upgraded to high-level, its area had increased significantly.

The floor area alone reached over three hundred square meters, and the height was nearly eighteen meters.

Therefore, the space inside the blacksmith shop was still very spacious.

Besides that, there were three large forging furnaces inside, each with a diameter of over two meters!

However, since there was only one blacksmith in the territory, currently only one forging furnace was burning fiercely, constantly emitting heat.

He glanced at the indoor temperature.

[Current Temperature: 27℃]

Since the temperature inside the blacksmith shop was already very high, there was naturally no need to install heating pipes or stoves.

The half-giant Putana was placing rough blanks into the forging furnace for smelting.

Then, she would clamp out the glowing red metal blocks and place them in front of the forging table.

Harold was seizing the time, lifting a huge iron hammer, striking with skilled and rapid movements!

"Clang! Clang!"

Heavy clanging sounds continued to ring out.

The dwarf blacksmith wore only a vest on his upper body; under his bronze skin were well-defined muscle lines.

Especially the hand he used to swing the hammer; the veins were bulging like winding vines, and the muscles were significantly larger than those on his left hand, looking quite disproportionate.

Every time he swung the hammer, those bulging muscles would tighten like hard stones, radiating immense power.

Harold was pounding away with great effort, and whenever he sweated, Putana would take the towel from her shoulder to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

The couple cooperated with each other, living in harmony.

Behind Cao Xing, the two little ones, Sarle and Boudi, stared with wide eyes after entering, looking at the various equipment inside the blacksmith shop.

They seemed extremely curious about everything.

From time to time, they would glance at the huge forging furnace and the pile of rough semi-finished products on the ground, then fix their gaze on the dwarf blacksmith's movements.

They could feel that while the dwarf blacksmith's movements looked ordinary, they carried a unique charm.

The rhythm of every hammer strike was steady, and the continuous clanging sounds formed a melody.

It instantly made people intoxicated.

Meanwhile.

Harold and Putana, upon seeing Cao Xing enter, stopped their work simultaneously.

They bowed together, "Respected Lord, may you be well."

The two also noticed the two wide-eyed little ones behind Cao Xing, but they didn't say anything.

Cao Xing nodded slightly and asked straight to the point, "Harold, how is the recent work progress?"

After hearing this, the dwarf blacksmith's rugged face showed a smile, "My Lord, I took some time over these three days to craft several large animal-catching nets."

"It's the kind we discussed before, the animal-catching nets that combine the tentacles of the Nightmare Man-Eating Flower with the vines of the Human-Faced Tree; they can handle some large prey!"

"Besides that, I've also crafted over 7,000 Nightmare Arrows of three different qualities."

A joyful smile appeared on Cao Xing's face.

The utility of the animal-catching net went without saying; it was quite effective for dealing with those large wild beasts.

This time, it was an enhanced version of the animal-catching net, so the effect would definitely be even better.

"Not bad, Harold. You and Putana have worked hard."

The dwarf scratched his head and said embarrassedly, "It's not hard work, My Lord."

"With my wife by my side, I'm full of energy!"

Hearing this, Putana's resolute face showed a hint of shyness, and she lowered her head embarrassedly.

Cao Xing smiled as well, then continued to ask, "How much longer do you think you need to become an expert-level blacksmith?"

Hearing this question, the dwarf blacksmith pondered for a moment, then replied, "My Lord, it's been over half a month since I broke through to a high-level blacksmith."

"Based on the current forging workload, I expect to break through to expert-level within a month or two."

Cao Xing praised him after hearing this, "Not bad. At this speed, you can already be called a genius."

He was not wrong; breaking through from a high-level blacksmith to an expert in a few months was indeed a rare talent.

But Harold was very humble and not at all complacent.

He knew clearly that a month ago, he was still a destitute intermediate blacksmith.

Living a wandering life with his wife, never knowing if they would survive the day.

As a result, in less than half a month after arriving at this territory, he had become a high-level blacksmith and was even starting to advance toward the expert level!

It gave him a feeling of having spent half his life in misery, only to suddenly encounter a wise master.

Harold shook his head, "I owe everything I have today to the Lord's cultivation; even my wife has received your care."

"Your kindness, Harold will remember forever!"

Cao Xing smiled, "No need to be humble. You were able to reach today not only because of my resource cultivation, but also because of your own hard work."

"So now, are you ready to become an expert-level blacksmith?"

Harold was taken aback, his eyes filled with uncertainty.

Even Putana beside him looked puzzled.

He asked tentatively, "My Lord, what do you mean?"

Cao Xing smiled without speaking.

Instead, he took something out of his backpack.

It was a rather ordinary-looking emblem, imprinted with a strange spiral star pattern.

The next moment, a system prompt appeared.

[Do you want to use [Proficiency Emblem (Expert)] on territory resident: Harold Iceberg? After use, it will directly increase his proficiency by 5000 points…]

Cao Xing clicked 'Yes' directly.

The next moment, the emblem in his hand disappeared.

In an instant, Harold's body stiffened, and his pupils constricted sharply.

"Clang!"

The hammer in his hand dropped to the ground, and he clutched his head tightly with both hands!

At this moment, Harold only felt as if something had burrowed into his mind.

His whole body began to tremble violently!

The half-giant Putana beside him had no idea what was happening.

She only saw her Lord take out a strange object, and then Harold had this reaction.

Her eyes were filled with deep concern.

But she also knew that her Lord would not harm them.

So she suppressed the anxiety in her heart and waited on the spot.

Even Sarle and Boudi, who were standing behind Cao Xing, looked bewildered.

Everyone waited silently.

Until about half a minute had passed.

Harold seemed to have recovered from that state of trembling, and the shock in his pupils could hardly be concealed!

He said in a near-dazed state, "God of Forging above! Lord, what have you done? This is simply too miraculous!"

"I feel like my head has been filled with so much profound forging knowledge!"

"Heavens! Are these all Expert-level forging techniques?!"

"I feel like I am about to break through and become an Expert-level Forging Master!"

Beside him, Putana heard Harold's words and immediately understood.

Her Lord had used some unknown method.

He had actually transmitted a vast amount of Expert-level forging knowledge directly into her husband's mind!

Such a method was truly inconceivable!

Even the word "miracle" was not enough to describe it!

Even those two little ones were completely shocked!

Even though they hadn't been out much, they knew what an Expert-level Forging Master represented.

One had to know that Flowing Water Town, a town with a population of several thousand, only had three blacksmiths.

Two of them were Primary-level, and one was Intermediate-level.

Even so, these three blacksmiths enjoyed extremely high status in the town.

Every day, the people lining up outside their smithies formed a long queue.

Especially that Intermediate-level blacksmith, whose business was booming.

It was said that even the mayor had to ask him to forge weapons for his militia, not daring to offend him easily; he was as imposing as could be.

As for Advanced-level blacksmiths, they had never even seen one, having only heard about them from bards.

And now, they had witnessed with their own eyes the birth of an Expert-level Forging Master!

Yes, once one reached the Expert level, they could no longer be called a blacksmith; they should be called a Forging Master.

The two little ones were completely stunned.

They even doubted what kind of territory they had arrived in.

A full three minutes passed.

Harold finally digested that massive amount of memory in his mind!

A system prompt appeared.

[You used [Proficiency Emblem (Expert)]. Your territory member, Harold Iceberg, [Advanced Forging Mastery] has been upgraded to [Expert-level Forging Mastery]…]

[You now have an Expert-level Forging Master. Reputation +2000, Territory Prosperity +80…]

(Note: The specific value of Prosperity will be released after the update at midnight…)

…

Meanwhile, Harold also came back to his senses.

He took a deep breath, then solemnly bowed to Cao Xing.

"Thank you, respected Lord!"

"Your brilliance is like the stars in the sky, guiding my progress!"

[Due to your generous gift, territory member: Harold Iceberg's loyalty has increased. Since loyalty is already full, the hidden effect has been triggered: Diehard]

…

Seeing the system prompt, a smile appeared on Cao Xing's lips.

With his help several times, this dwarf had successfully reached the Diehard level.

He first took a look at Harold's panel.

[Seeker: Harold Iceberg]

[Race: Dwarf]

[Level: 21 (Tier 3 Elite Creature)]

[HP: 13772/13772 (Blessing of the Pale Tree)]

[Attack: 775~847]

[Skills: Frost Hammer, Iceberg Slam, Spinning Throw]

[Life Skill: Expert-level Forging Mastery (Break through the limits to become an expert in the field of forging. Can craft Rare-quality equipment, can inlay Rare-quality orbs, and increases forging speed by 40% and forging success rate by 20%)]

(Note: While Expert-level Forging Mastery can craft Epic equipment, the success rate is extremely low, so please be cautious when forging.)

[Talent: Craftsman]

[Satiety: 76]

[Loyalty: 100 (Diehard)]

…

Seeing the skill introduction above, a look of excitement appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

[Expert-level Forging Mastery] had 10% more forging speed and success rate than [Advanced Forging Mastery].

More importantly, Expert-level forging techniques could now inlay those golden orbs!

Cao Xing had many golden orbs in his hands.

For example, [Freshwater Pearl], [Blue Copper Orb], [Moonlight Orb], and so on.

There were also some gemstones, [Glacier Magnet], [Dragon Stone]…

These orbs and gemstones hadn't been inlaid before because Harold's forging level wasn't high enough.

Now they could finally be put to use!

Cao Xing said, "Congratulations."

A smile appeared on the dwarf's face.

Including Putana beside him, who was deeply happy and proud of her husband!

After all, that was an Expert-level Forging Master!

Even among the Dwarf Clan, who were extremely skilled at forging, Expert-level Forging Masters were rare.

It could be said that even if Harold returned to his clan now, he would have a high status.

Of course, it was impossible for him to go back.

With loyalty at the Diehard level, even if the Dwarf King came, he wouldn't be able to take him away from this territory.

Cao Xing continued to ask, "Harold, how many more emblems like the one just now do you think you need to possess Master-level forging techniques?"

One emblem could increase proficiency by 5000 points.

Although the specific values couldn't be seen now because the system version hadn't been updated.

But these blacksmiths had a vague concept of their own forging experience.

Just like he knew it would take three months to go from an Advanced-level blacksmith to an Expert-level blacksmith.

Harold calculated in his mind, then replied, "Respected Lord, if it's this kind of miraculous item from just now, I would need about 10 more to reach the limit of the Expert level."

10, at 5000 proficiency points per emblem.

In other words, does it take 50,000 proficiency points to go from Expert to Master?

The next moment, Harold added, "Lord, going from Expert to Master is not that simple."

"Although using this proficiency emblem can bring my proficiency to the limit."

"But to become a Master, besides the proficiency requirement, something special is also needed."

"This thing is very hard to describe in words, and cannot be obtained through external force; it can only rely on one's own realization."

"But once possessed, forging skills will advance by leaps and bounds. The speed of crafting Excellent and Rare quality equipment will be extremely fast, and there will be absolutely no chance of failure."

"Besides that, no matter what I forge next, I will have that feeling of divine inspiration."

"The Forging Masters of our Dwarf Clan have given this thing a name: Crafting Soul!"

Cao Xing was stunned, "Crafting Soul?"

This was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

"Yes."

Harold nodded and continued, "Crafting Soul is a very elusive thing."

"It can only be found by summarizing and reflecting during each forging session."

"By taking one's insights into forging techniques, as well as deep understanding and control of material properties, to the extreme."

"On some day when divine inspiration strikes, the Crafting Soul will awaken."

"Only by awakening the Crafting Soul can one be called a Master!"

After hearing Harold's explanation, a look of realization appeared in Cao Xing's eyes.

Including the two children, who were listening with intoxicated expressions.

So the Master realm required awakening the Crafting Soul to break through.

They seemed to see the door to a new world opening before them!

Meanwhile, Cao Xing continued to think.

The upcoming third system update would list the specific proficiency numbers for every life skill.

The purpose was to let Lords know more clearly how long it would take for these talents in their territories to reach the next stage.

And whether it was worth investing resources to cultivate them.

The Lord System was not immutable; this could be seen from the previous few updates.

As the Survivors developed, the Lord System would also constantly make adjustments.

For example, right now, after this Construction Week, most territories had already begun to take shape.

The Tailor Shop, smithies, ore processing plants, and so on had all been built.

Everyone had also gradually realized the importance of life-skill talents.

That was why this update was being released.

However, because everything in the world had limits, it didn't mean that once your proficiency was reached, you could advance.

Just like Survivors such as Cao Xing, when they reached the maximum level, they would encounter bottlenecks and needed to use a Heart of Strength to break through.

Master-level Forging Mastery also required awakening the Crafting Soul.

Only when blacksmiths truly realized the power of the Crafting Soul and integrated it into every forging session could they take a more solid step on the road that had reached its end.

This was the same for all other professions.

Only by breaking limits time and time again, and accomplishing what ordinary people could not, could one be worthy of the title of Master.

Master, I have realized it!

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