The Power of Entropy

True Ice is a material that Heron has never encountered before, and there is no similar technique among the millennia-old crafts of the Hearthland people. After all, only the Primal Flame of Orn can melt True Ice, and ordinary Hearthland people naturally cannot do it.

Heron could only figure it out on his own. Considering that he was not completely immune to the erosion when he touched the True Ice, like the Iceborn, he still planned to use Cold Iron as a base and add True Ice to improve its quality.

Herren poured out the purified molten cold iron and added some Zhenbing (a type of ice), then began to hammer and shape it.

The addition of "impurities" did not make the cold iron brittle; on the contrary, it became harder and could even cool down if not careful. This forced Herren to constantly spit fire to raise the temperature in order to successfully shape the material.

Old Ian was stunned. At first, he was simply amazed by Heron's ability to melt ice with fire, but now he was also astonished by Heron's skill.

He considered himself a very experienced blacksmith and a highly skilled craftsman. After all, he was able to survive in the Winter's Claw, which rejected blacksmiths, and even take on two apprentices. He must have some skills, and the bristles on those skills were quite dense.

At least among the legitimate furnace-making tribes he had ever met, he was confident that he could be among the best.

But he had never seen such skill from Herren.

There are no fancy tricks or flashy skills. Apart from the fire-breathing move, the rest are all basic skills that ordinary furnace operators should learn.

But this young man, who looks quite young, has done everything to the best of his ability.

Each strike was executed with perfect evenness and precision, without hesitation or second-guessing. He raised his hand and struck, as if the art of forging had been ingrained in his very bones.

His physical strength was also very high. He hardly hesitated or thought between each step. Every movement was seamless. He moved as if he were strolling in a garden. It was as if he was not worried at all that he would make a mistake due to insufficient consideration.

This process, which can be described as an art of forging, left the old forge operator speechless.

A weapon that normally takes a whole day to forge can be basically completed in just a few hours – a huge two-handed warhammer.

Its condition was exceptionally good, and its shape was exquisite. There wasn't a single flaw to be found. In old Ian's eyes, it was simply a perfect masterpiece.

But Heron looked at the warhammer, which was now mostly complete, with a furrowed brow, seemingly dissatisfied.

After a moment's thought, he first quenched the already formed warhammer, then picked up the remaining pure ice, melted it with the primordial fire, and poured it all over the hammerhead.

Then, he picked up the hammer again and continued hammering meticulously, one strike after another.

The ice solidified quickly, but Herren's movements were equally swift. He hammered out the air bubbles at the junction of the ice and the cold iron, shaping the ice and completely enveloping the hammerhead.

After a while, Herren finally stopped what he was doing, and he lifted the completed warhammer with one hand... It was a little difficult, so he simply stood the hammer upright in the snow.

The hammer handle is forged from cold iron with a few specks of pure ice. It is jet black, with a few scattered ice crystals showing through, like a morning star.

The hammerhead was completely encased in pure ice, making it appear heavy and sturdy, and it still exuded wisps of cold air even in the dead of winter.

Herren wiped his sweat, and a satisfied expression finally appeared on his face.

He carried out the final step of forging... moving the warhammer to the anvil and, with a hand hammer imbued with the power of Ornn, giving it the final "final strike."

Heron had not forgotten that with Ornn's divine power, he could create even higher-quality masterpieces.

clang!

The sound of hammers was melodious, like the clash of metal, seemingly echoing throughout the entire Orncar Mountains.

[Forged: Power of Entropy - Supreme Grade]

[Power of Entropy: A supreme weapon forged by fusing solid cold iron with unmelting pure ice, through the fusion of Ornn and Ivania's divine power. It greatly enhances the user's physical body and magical perception, and has a chance to deliver critical hits, unleashing even more powerful attacks.]

Shrinking: Makes it easier to unleash the freezing power of True Ice; mortals who touch it die instantly, and even Iceborn will be frozen by the icy currents generated when it is swung.

[Obtain Prism Shard: Significantly increases HP percentage.]

[Cutting-edge inventor: Forging 3 out of 10 pieces of equipment]

[Master Forging: Forging Ten Different Pieces of Equipment 5/10]

[Resilience: Forged five tank equipment pieces 1/5]

"The power of entropy..."

Herren's eyes flickered, and he couldn't help but gently stroke his warhammer.

The part of the warhammer covered in True Ice was so cold that even Harren could feel as if his fingers were about to be frozen. Fortunately, he had the foresight not to cover the entire warhammer with True Ice, but only to reinforce the handle with a small amount of True Ice.

He felt little joy at the accelerated progress of the mission, only the delight of having forged another "masterpiece".

Excellent! This is the highest recognition the panel has given him so far!

During the forging process, he vaguely realized that he had underestimated the density of the True Ice, which made the warhammer too heavy. Even with Heron's strong physique, it might still be difficult for him to use.

But after the entropy power was successfully forged, thanks to its inherent ability to strengthen the body, Heron was finally able to lift the warhammer with ease and swing it a few times with effortless skill.

The cold wind, carried by the swinging of the warhammer, swept into the air, and even the once-burning fire in the furnace was extinguished in an instant. Ian, who was quite far away, couldn't help but shiver.

A True Ice weapon? This is really a True Ice weapon? I... I actually witnessed the creation of a True Ice weapon with my own eyes?

I must be dreaming...

Old Ian's head was buzzing a little. He wasn't unfamiliar with True Ice weapons; he had even forged them himself.

But at most, they are just some crudely polished weapons, similar to stone tools. It is said that the privilege of the Spirit of the Ram is to forge exquisite, real weapons with pure ice.

This warhammer clearly belongs to the latter... Heron even had the leisure to casually carve exquisite patterns on the hammerhead, which was covered in True Ice.

Even though old Ian was quite old, he had never seen a weapon like this in his entire life.

And today, he actually witnessed the birth of this divine weapon with his own eyes?

He couldn't feel himself breathing, only that his eyes were getting wet.

Even when Herren walked over with the power of entropy and placed it in front of him, he seemed completely unaware.

"Old Ian, Kojiya said she'd allow me to stay if I forge a weapon that pleases her... Do you think this hammer will meet her standards?"

Old Ian shuddered. He had completely forgotten about the thorn in Herren's words that addressed the War Mother by her name. Instead, he opened his mouth and said in a trembling voice.

"God, if you don't even deserve to stay, then we're really just freeloaders... You really are..."

Old Ian no longer dared to treat Herren with the same respect one would show a junior; his eyes were now filled with admiration.