Chapter 45: Mineral Identification
Chapter 45: Mineral Identification
Skills like material selection, tempering, and polishing were all practical, and perhaps one of them could bring Rayn a relatively higher amount of Blacksmith profession experience.
But why not learn to forge weapons, like a two-handed greatsword?
It wasn't that Rayn didn't want to, but Blacksmith Boris simply didn't know how!
Rayn had already learned that Blacksmith Boris was merely a blacksmith skilled in crafting everyday items, focusing on common ironware like horse shoes, iron pots, kitchen knives, and the like. He wasn't adept at crafting weapons or armor.
As for Boris' skill in crafting a bastard sword, Rayn had already clarified this with Blacksmith Apprentice Drus.
That was Boris' secret technique, and he didn't plan to teach it to anyone except his own son.
So, Rayn didn't want to push his luck.
Moreover, his Grizzly Sword Technique required a two-handed greatsword, not a bastard sword, as only the former could fully unleash the technique's power.
"Uncle Boris, thank you for your kind offer, but I still want to try the Manor Examination," Rayn politely declined.
Blacksmith Boris wasn't bothered by Rayn's refusal.
"It's good for young people to try new things. If you can get into the Manor, that would be an even better choice."
"By the way, Uncle Boris, how much would it cost to learn material selection, tempering, and polishing here?"
"I want to increase my chances for the Manor Examination."
Upon hearing Rayn's words, a collective gasp of surprise rippled through the surrounding apprentices. It was clear that they were astonished by Rayn's ambition. Not only did he not want to be an apprentice, but he also wanted to learn so many skills. It was not only expensive but also challenging to master all these techniques.
"That won't be cheap. The combined fee for these three skills is five Imperial Gold Coins!"
"However, if you decide to be my apprentice, I can slowly teach you these skills for free within a year." Blacksmith Boris paused, smiling warmly at Rayn, while also offering a tempting proposal that would be hard for ordinary people to resist.
The nearby apprentices, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, couldn't help but look at Rayn with envious eyes. Their expressions seemed to say:
"Rayn is so lucky to have such talent in blacksmithing! Why can't I have this talent?"
Facing Boris' invitation again, Rayn rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly.
He never expected that Blacksmith Boris, known for his stinginess, would value him so highly.
If it were in the past, Rayn would have agreed without hesitation.
But now, his goal was the 'Starry Sea', and how could he possibly confine himself to a small blacksmith shop?
"Uncle Boris, thank you for your appreciation, but I'll pass. Five gold coins, huh? That's a lot of money. I need to discuss it with my parents."
"By the way, can I learn them separately?" Rayn added after some thought.
"No problem. Material selection costs one gold coin, and tempering and polishing are each priced at two Imperial Gold Coins," Boris explained with hand gestures.
"Alright! Uncle Boris, I'll go home and discuss it with my parents now."
"Of course."
"See you later, Uncle Boris!"
Rayn didn't mention this matter to his parents when he returned home. Whether it was learning the skills separately or seeking his parents' opinions, it was all just a pretense.
After lunch, Rayn returned to the blacksmith's shop with a gold coin.
As soon as he entered, he handed the coin to Blacksmith Boris as payment for the material selection fee.
After settling the fee, Blacksmith Boris led Rayn to a warehouse at the back of the blacksmith's shop.
This was Rayn's first time here.
Inside, various raw minerals were piled up, and some already smelted ingots of iron, copper, and tin were neatly arranged, forming square metal blocks.
"Rayn, let's start with mineral selection. Look at this; this is hematite," Boris said, picking up a head-sized mineral with a mix of red and black colors.
"Usually, its surface is dark red or black, and the fracture is striped or shell-shaped."
Rayn listened intently to Blacksmith Boris's explanation while carefully examining the heavy hematite in his hands.
"This is tin ore. Its surface is usually dark brown with a granular texture and metallic luster, and there are often cavities inside the mineral," Boris explained, holding up a dark brown mineral.
"This is chalcopyrite..."
With 11 points of Spirit Power, Rayn possessed extraordinary observation, discrimination, and memory abilities. He quickly understood the most common minerals that Boris was explaining.
"Generally, the higher the quality of iron ore, the more black its surface will be," Boris continued, seeing that Rayn didn't show any signs of confusion.
At this moment, Rayn noticed a system prompt:
[You have learned mineral identification, and your related understanding has improved!]
[You have understood a new skill - Mineral Identification]
[Your Mineral Identification skill has improved. Experience gained: +1]
[You have focused on learning mineral identification for half an hour. Blacksmithing experience gained: +1]
Rayn immediately saw a new icon appear at the bottom of his blacksmith panel.
The icon was a pattern of an irregularly shaped iron ore, clearly representing the newly understood skill 'Mineral Identification.'
At this moment, Blacksmith Boris paused his explanation and turned to Rayn, saying, "Rayn, these are the most common minerals, but there are also some extremely rare minerals that are very difficult to identify."
"However, these minerals are also of extremely high value."
These words immediately piqued Rayn's curiosity.
Blacksmith Boris took out a piece of star iron, also known as meteorite ore, from a drawer. He said, "This is star iron, also known as meteorite ore. It is said to come from the sky, and only when a meteor falls to the earth can this meteorite ore be formed. It is very rare."
As soon as Rayn took the so-called star iron, he was surprised! He immediately realized that this star iron, or meteorite ore, was much heavier than ordinary hematite or magnetite.
Despite having a similar volume, it weighed approximately twice as much, if not more.
Blacksmith Boris seemed to notice Rayn's surprised expression and smiled, "Isn't the texture different? I only have a piece the size of a fist here, but its price is tens of times higher than that of ordinary iron ore."
"Wow!" The price truly shocked Rayn.
(End of Chapter)
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