Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

It was an experiment, but he felt comfortable with the possible risk. After he finished the soul staff, the glue had also hardened, allowing Seth to continue with the enchantments of the wood. They were nothing spectacular, as the blacksmith didn't want to add too many different effects.

This was why he chose the usual attribute-enhancing circuits that would improve the user's intelligence and willpower. He used bands of <Ithildin> to inlay the enchantments into the handle of the staff. On top of that, Seth also added inlays to the grooves of the spiral carved into the staff, to allow a better transition of magic power from the wooden part to the orb at the tip. This would mitigate the fact that one was holding the orb on a staff instead of the orb itself.

All that was left was infusing the soul staff he had already prepared and giving it a swirl in the Water of Styx to facilitate the soul's rebirth as an item. As the item started floating in the bubble of water, Seth heard the familiar notifications.

<Ding! You have finished a legendary item! >

<Ding! The effect of a tool has changed your item.>

<Ding! A synergy between powers has changed your item.>

<Ding! A legendary pattern had been partially added to your Path>

<Ding! You have gained 100p of Power of Existence!>

To his surprise, there was one message he had not expected. The special effect on Charon’s Obol had actually triggered and added another effect. Curious, he checked the stats of the new item.

<Storm of Death

Legendary

Mag. Damage: 3800

Phys. Damage: 500

Durability: 2800

1. 60% Wind Affection

2. +650% Wind Damage and Effects

3. 70% Chant Reduction on Wind Magic

4. 15% Chant Reduction

5. +150% Magic Damage

6. I am the Storm

7. Trait: Wind of Death

8. +70 Intelligence

9. +70 Willpower

10. Ability: Wind Manipulation lv.3

11. Passive Skill: Wind Steps

12. Active Skill: Storm Scythe

13. Active Skill: Spell Storage

14. Active Skill: Black Clouds of Isolation

15. Presence of Furfur

A collaboration of Masters on the Path to Legends. A domineering stick with overwhelming magic power was created by a collaboration between Master Smith, the first master Enchanter and Master Blacksmith of Urth, and Master Gerstli of Spatia. Ancient, mysterious, and demonic means have come together to form a magic weapon any wind mage would sell their soul for.

Usage Requirements: lv. 90, 500 Willpower>

Seth was outstanding to see such a flavor text full of praise for once. Apart from the trait, the addition of the demon soul had led to an overall improvement of all effects the orbs brought to the table. 650% improvement of any kind of wind damage was one of the highest improvements of any item he had made so far.

When he saw what Charon’s Obol had added, he didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. It added a 15% Chant Reduction, which on its own was rather mediocre. However, it worked together with the 70% Chant Reduction for Wind Magic, making it 85% for wind magic and 15 for other kinds of magic, which made it actually really good. It just looked a little pitiful in comparison with the rest of the effects.

The Staff had also inherited a lower-level version of the original tree’s ability to manipulate wind, making it Similar to Shay’s water ring. Seth knew from experience that manipulation skills like this, or his own <Pyrokinesis>, which had evolved from <Fire Manipulation> were a lot more intuitive than magic.

With the power up of wind magic, this could become a mage’s stable, while any magic could act as a finisher. Maybe someone could even use the ability to protect themselves while chanting a big spell.

He finally could ignore it anymore, the elephant in the room. The blacksmith put his focus to the effects of the forging ballad and the soul etching. He had felt apprehensive, but after reading through the effect, he was pleasantly surprised.

“I am the Storm” was an effect that charged with the usage of wind elemental skills and spells. After testing a few waves with <Wind Manipulation>, which handled similar to manipulating fire, he found that the progress bar for the skill was the dark runes that had surfaced on the wood, which would start changing color to a more bluish tint.

Once charged, it allowed the user to go into an invincible state, and become one with the wind, for two minutes. While in this state, speed would be tripled while magic damage was lowered by 50%. It was the perfect skill for a hit-and-run tactic. Or, if the magic damage was high enough, to buy two minutes of absolute rampage.

The skill that came with the enchantment was similarly handy.

<Active Skill: Black Clouds of Isolation, No Cost, Cooldown:30 Minutes, Duration: 2 Minutes

“I am the Storm that is approaching, provoking black clouds of isolation!”

Skill can be activated after leaving the state of “I am the Storm”. Creates a field of dark clouds that isolate all enemies within. Sounds, chanting, communication and all senses will be blocked for the duration of the skill.>

The last one was “Presence of Furfur” and it was also the reason for the sudden usage requirement of Willpower. Unlike what Seth knew and heard, the demon had insisted on a price other than souls this time.

It was not like the Presence of Paimon on the Devil’s Wheel Fiddle, which copied the presence of the hellish king that could suppress and harm enemies. The Presence of Furfur was quite literally the demon spying and trying to manipulate the user.

One needed at least 500 Willpower to not simply turn into a potato due to the demon's mental pressure on the user. At least it would have been funny if it was a literal potato... Seth had no explanation for this sudden whim, but he could accept it since the power it brought was worth it.

He would just have to make sure nobody unworthy touched the thing and turned into a demon puppet or a mindless meat bag.

The skills originally provided by the orb were not really changed for the most part, except that their casting cost was gone. The only one that had really changed was Wind Steps, which had turned into a passive instead of an active skill.

Treading the wind, walking through the sky, was now a free passive skill one could toggle on, though one’s walking speed wouldn’t change, it just allowed one to walk on air, not fly. Still, Seth had quite a bit of fun walking around two meters above the ground, in the air like he didn’t care.

Also, with Seth’s movement speed when wearing the Scorpio Armor, he was probably faster than most flying beasts, by simply running in the sky. After playing around with the new staff, Seth turned to the important stuff. He had not missed the message about the legendary pattern.

A partial pattern. The blacksmith had kind of not even expected that he would get anything at all, so a partial pattern was better than nothing...Although he didn’t quite understand how that even worked. The only thing that had him know that it was partial, was the announcement.

In the list of patterns, he had acquired so far, it was called “Glinda’s The Good Wind Enchantment”, it even came with the name of its name. He acknowledged that the name sounded a little fishy, but it wasn’t like he had enough Power of Existence to just test it out and see what the difference was compared to the one on the orb.

Finally, Seth placed the new staff in his inventory and left the workshop.

“Seth, are you done, too?” Wedan caught him in the hallway outside.

“Yeah, I just finished processing the last legendary material Spatia and the Scene “gifted” us. Now all that is left is looking for their owners.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Leana was here a little earlier, but your door was locked tight, so she left a message for you. There is some stuff she needs your opinion on and Gallwall, or something, would be coming tomorrow to get his new item,” the dwarf explained.

“Nice, our PR pig is really eager to advertise our brand,” Seth chuckled. He had only finished the hammer the day before yesterday and left it to Mary and Leana to contact him. Now, just 2 days later, he was already standing on their doorstep to get it.

Seth was looking forward to what all of this would kick off. He was sure that his existential power would finally rise when he advertised his skills in such a prominent way And it would only become more with the tournament a little later.

Once he raised his Level of Existence, he would also reap more power. Once he had a reliable, high income of points, he might finally have the pocket change to randomly try something like “Glinda’s The Good Wind Enchantment”.

“Thanks, I will go and look if she is still in the office.”