The Mech Touch

Certain tools fit certain professionals better. Dunnerholm and the Hammer of Brilliance seemed like a match in heaven in that sense.

The right craftsman held the right tool.

Not only that, but a deeply faithful dwarf finally made contact with the deity he idolized and looked up to all his life!

The combination between the two caused the master blacksmith to develop such a powerful connection with the hammer and Vulcan that they practically began to resonate to a subtle but surprisingly strong degree!

It reminded Ves a lot of the confluence between a mech pilot, a mech and a design spirit!

Dunnerholm looked eager to see what these new changes had wrought. He turned around and approached the statue of Vulcan that he had nearly finished and struck it with a powerful blow from the flat side of the hammer!

The spiritually-infused strike seemed to flip an invisible switch inside the metal statue, causing its spiritual foundation to straighten itself and complete itself in a way that Dunnerholm could never accomplish by himself!

The substantial improvements to the intangible qualities of the totem caused it to develop a considerably stronger and more stable connection to Vulcan.

This allowed the object to strengthen its glow until it came close to matching the capabilities of a genuine totem produced by Ves!

"Remarkable!"

Both Ves and Samandra looked amazed at how Dunnerholm utilized a single hammer strike to fulfill the ambitious goal of the Creation Association!

Ves stepped closer, and so did Samandra. Both of them shifted their attention to the totem that still exhibited a few rough spots but had already reached a much more advanced state than any other totem made in the Creation Association's headquarters!

As Ves reached out with his palm and touched the cool metal surface of the statue that closely mirrored his form in a grander and more ostentatious outfit, he could feel the pure craftsmanship and effort put into this work.

It was not just a metal statue. It was the product that Dunnerholm carefully designed and put together by combining different aspects of his own philosophy and sophisticated methods.

Different from Ves who not only liked to be a little chaotic but also celebrated the birth of life, Rogha Dunnerholm followed a variation of the typical Vulcanite mindset that the best products needed to be heavy, solid and as unbreakable as possible.

This was already apparent from the moment Ves stepped into this private workshop. The statue's contours and design elements veered away from looking delicate and instead conveyed a greater sense of mass and solidness.

The hammer strike completed the work that Dunnerholm really wanted to make but could not do so due to his spiritual deficiency.

For all of the blacksmith's deep and extensive mastery of his craft, he could only fully work the material side of his products. He had never gained the capability to shape and forge their immaterial qualities in the past, and this shortcoming had become a lot more apparent once he joined the Creation Association and received a mission to replicate Ves' totems.

All of that changed now that he gained a tool that largely filled the gap. It was as if Dunnerholm suddenly gained a solution to the problem that he could have never solved unless he was able to deepen and strengthen his faith to a ridiculous degree!

As Ves studied and touched the improved totem from multiple directions, he gained a better and more detailed sense of Dunnerholm as a craftsman.

Although he looked and acted like a stereotypical dwarven blacksmith, he developed his own notions on how to make his products.

The clearest trait that belonged to the dwarf was the interesting integration of harmonics into the man's work.

Ves had already noticed it on a subconscious level when Dunnerholm struck the Hammer of Brilliance against the surface of the totem.

It was not a coincidence that the dwarf chose to strike a particular point with a precise amount of force!

To test whether Ves had made the right conclusion, he reached out and banged the statue on the exact same spot with his fist.

A softer and more dampened sound echoed from the strike, but it was a sound that came across as much more pleasant and musical than normal!

Ves looked at Dunnerholm with a bit of astonishment. "I never expected you to try to turn your heavy and massive objects into musical instruments that can produce beautiful tones. It is hard to tie the two together."

The master blacksmith smirked as if he had encountered this reaction a thousand times before.

"I like the challenge. Besides, there has always been a dichotomy between function and form, utility and frivolity as well as practicality and beauty. Playing with harmonics and imbuing all of my products with a measure of acoustic beauty and harmony is my method of transforming seemingly useless decorations and cosmetic elements into useful and practical additions to an otherwise functional work."

That was an interesting design philosophy and motivation. Ves understood the angle that the dwarven blacksmith was coming from and respected the man for pursuing this odd but challenging design philosophy in his smithing work.

His specialization also happened to complement his current situation.

This was because Rogha Dunnerholm worked on harmonics for such a long time that he was partially able to translate his expertise on acoustic resonance into other, more esoteric forms of resonance!

That was why he was able to achieve the greatest success in reproducing totems out of all of the craftsmen employed by the Creation Association.

It was also how he was able to utilize the Hammer of Brilliance in a new and successful manner at the start!

Inevitably, Dunnerholm asked the question that Ves already anticipated.

"I know I have no right to hold or use this sacred hammer, but… can I borrow it from you?" The dwarf asked in a surprisingly meek and pleading tone. It was as if the hammer was his only lifeline! "I can create much better works on your Creation Association's behalf as long as I wield this tool. Even a single day is enough for me to complete a work that I can be proud of for the rest of my career!"

Ves immediately shook his head. "I am afraid I will have to take it back, Mr. Dunnerholm."

This caused the blacksmith to become crushed.

It was hard to let go of a good thing once it fell into his hands. Losing possession of it so soon after holding it for a short time might turn into a trauma that would haunt him for the rest of life life. It may have been better if he hadn't been introduced to the Hammer of Brilliance in the first place!

"Why take it back, sir?" Director Samandra Avikon asked with a puzzled frown. "Look at the result. Dunnerholm and possibly our other master craftsmen can produce great works with this sacred tool. I can personally guarantee you that our organization will do our utmost to safeguard it for as long as you have entrusted it to us. You can even assign additional protectors from the Larkinson Army and the Black Cats to increase our security if you are not satisfied with our current arrangements."

Ves shook his head. "That is not the issue, director. The reason why I want to take the hammer back is because it is mine. Simple as that. Do you understand, Mr. Dunnerholm?"

The dwarf lowered his head. "I do."

"I do not understand." The sole woman in the room said.

"You should explain it to her, Dunnerholm."

The older man nodded and turned to his nominal superior. "This hammer, although great beyond any measure that I can put into words, is ultimately not a tool designed to be used by my own hands. You see, when craftsmen initially start out in their line of profession, they begin with making use of the tools they can acquire or are made available to us. This can go on for a long time without issue. It is only until they have reached a certain stage of their mastery that it becomes more difficult to create the objects that they have imagined due to increasing limitations."

"One of them is the increasingly obvious lack of fit between users and theirtools." Ves remarked.

"Exactly, sir. We have trained in the use of standardized tools for many years. This is fine if we want to keep producing plain goods without any deviations from the norm, but master craftsmen cannot fully exert their distinct strengths anymore. There is never a case where one size fits all. The higher the requirements, the more that differences like these make a crucial difference. As much as I value this precious hammer, if I force myself to make use of it, I will either lose my way or waste this heirloom's potential, because it was made with a different purpose and user in mind."

"Is the problem that serious?"

"It is, ma'am. I would ultimately not be able to make use of it as it was intended to be used, and that is one of the greatest insults an artisan can direct towards a tool. Aside from that, it would ultimately do more harm than good to me to use it. This hammer is too powerful for my own good. By becoming dependent on its potent qualities, I will devolve from a craftsman to a slave to the instrument. I cannot let this happen."

Though Samandra still didn't fully understand this mindset due to the fact that she was not a maker herself, she recognized how the beliefs of both Ves and Dunnerholm on this topic had become a matter of principle.

"Very well."

The dwarf reluctantly handed the Hammer of Brilliance back to its rightful owner, who simply attached it back to his toolbelt.

Ves wasn't done, however.

"I think there is a better alternative to allowing Mr. Dunnerholm here to use the Hammer of Brilliance in his own work. Rather than take the crooked path, we should follow the correct route."

This certainly caught the dwarven blacksmith's attention!

"Do you mean…"

Ves waved his hand across the workshop. "We have all of the tools and facilities we need to handmake a set of exquisite tools that we can design and make for your exclusive use. Your immense expertise in blacksmithing combined with a touch of help from my own expertise should allow us to solve your need in the right manner. What do you say?"

"I would be honored if you would assist me in creating a set of tools that are much more attuned to my current work!"

Director Samandra Avikon stood forgotten as the two craftsmen spontaneously started to work together despite the tension that existed between them earlier.

It seemed that Rogha Dunnerholm completely threw aside his mixed and complex feelings towards Ves and what happened to the Vulcan Empire in favor of this new initiative.

What the two were working on was exciting beyond measure to the dwarven blacksmith!

Two completely different people seamlessly and harmoniously started to discuss the design of a new set of hand tools.

Due to lack of time and other constraints, Ves could not help the dwarf make a complete set of customized blacksmith tools and machines.

However, it was already good enough if Dunnerholm obtained a few different hammer types as well as a set of other small specialized tools that could quickly be designed and made by hand.

It would be up to the dwarf himself to complete his collection of new tools with the ones that he made in cooperation with Ves.

As the two began to go in depth, neither of them experienced any friction or other problems related to their diverging professions.

Both of them not only possessed an extensive technical background, but Ves could constantly draw from Vulcan's expertise to fill up his own shortcomings.

In fact, as Rogha Dunnerholm and many other professionals like him prayed to Vulcan, the design spirit obtained an extensive understanding of blacksmithing and related crafts!

All of that allowed Ves to contribute much more than Dunnerholm expected. This not only accelerated their collaborative efforts, but also helped with elevating their work to a more remarkable height!

"These tools will become unique and unrivaled!" Ves exclaimed as both he and the dwarf became caught in a shared frenzy.

The workshop became filled with creative energies as both craftsmen let their imaginations run wild. They came up with so many new ideas that the tools they were working on exceeded their original limitations. They had become so much more in the designs!