Refining the Heavens 5 (炼天五)

Chapter 17: Apprenticeship Test (Part 2)

A loud commotion started in the forge, spreading out to the streets.

"Have you heard? A boy who don't know how to start the furnace is taking a test at old Edgar's place!"

"Are you serious? Who have such impudence?"

"Whoever he is, he sure is courageous."

"A poor brave fool."

"I feel it's rather odd that Master Edgar would give him a try."

"Hah, that's because I heard he presented some real good mead as a present."

"Mead? I thought it was spirits?"

"No, I'm a hundred percent certain it is ale."

"If a master would relent for a drink, it must taste like rainbows."

"Oh how much I will give for a try."

"If that fool failed, let's pay him a visit."

"I'll only pay him a visit if he gets accepted by Master Edgar, in fact I'll even buy his first blade."

"You think we don't know that if he succeeds that first blade will be worth a fortune?"

The conversation in the dwarven city, like always, ends up about drinks or blades. This time, it was both and the news of Kairos' test spread like wildfire.

Leo, Linda, and Relestia soon arrived with great haste. They pushed through the crowd the take a look, but the moment they saw Kairos, the three of them calmed down.

Outside the forge, the students were on the verge of turning into an angry mob, many are determined to remove Kairos from the place. Fortunately, the master Edgar held them back on account of the ale he received.

Amidst all these chaos, a teenager remained undisturbed, fanning a tiny spark to life. The fire started slowly, but as the heat rises a strong wind was funnelled into the furnace by the new wind tunnel.

Kairos started turning a strange knob on the side and the sound of the wind rushing in to fan the flames became louder.

He threw in the coal piece by piece while slowly adjusting the furnace's internal pressure. Under his care, the fire grew fierce and robust, as stable as something created from a spell.

The ores started melting and soften, and at this time, Kairos took out pieces of twigs and heated them in a chamber adjacent to the wind tunnel.

By now Edgar's disciples had turned silent. Even as students they understand when they are looking at something amazing.

The master blacksmith started explaining softly to his students, "The wind tunnel he made to fan the flames created a pocket of vacuum and the well-controlled flames will turn the sticks into high-quality charcoal."

At this time, Kairos did a very strange thing. He started dropping random items to the ground around the furnace.

No one except Relestia could understand what was happening. Kairos is now setting up a natural stratagem, but for the locals of Axis Mundi it only looked like he is making a mess by randomly throwing about things in his way.

"What is he searching for in his item box?"

Glittersprout spat, "He is cluttering the forge up with his trash, and he'd be a real joke when he trips on one."

Linda who was in earshot immediately spoke up for Kairos, "My big brother is not a joke!"

Relestia chimed in, "Big brother Kairos is the best!"

Leo looked at the two girls and the rowdy disciples that are quickly turning purple with rage and said, "Kind sirs, please do not mind. The girls are young and didn't mean to speak out the truth."