Above the mage!

Chapter 555 Forging Workshop

"War Mother!" Just then, Elder Jolan of the Winter Hammer rushed out of the tent and exclaimed in surprise.

He was making final preparations and tidying up in his tent before the move when he suddenly felt two powerful magical forces colliding above the camp.

That was a violent yet brief collision between Yarna's fire magic and an extremely cold magic. It was so brief that by the time he reacted, the magic fluctuations had already subsided.

Yes, the battle lasted less than three breaths from start to finish.

In fact, all Sunefa did was raise her hand twice to draw her bow and shoot three True Ice Arrows.

How long will this take?

The process was so fast that the battle was over before the lingering flames in the air had even dissipated.

This seems too exaggerated.

After all, Yarna and Sunefa are both fourth-circle mages. Logically speaking, even if Sunefa is stronger, it shouldn't be such a one-sided crushing defeat.

This outcome is more like a fourth-ring mage defeating a third-ring mage in a dimensional war.

But that's Sunefa's method.

More than a year ago, she was able to defeat a fifth-ring necromancer by relying on the power of her Zhenbing bloodline and her excellent extraordinary equipment.

Now that so much time has passed, she has not only consolidated her peak fourth-ring strength, but has also cultivated the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture" during this period, further enhancing her strength.

Killing Yarna, whose bloodline power is far weaker than his own, would be an easy task, if not effortless.

This led to Qiao Lan noticing the unusual fluctuations and rushing out of the tent, only to witness a scene that terrified him:
Yarna's body was encased in a layer of crystalline ice, like a lifeless ice sculpture, and she fell from mid-air along with her "Winter's Hammer," the symbol of Winter's Hammer's power.

Qiao Lan felt as if his heart was being gripped by an icy hand; before he could even react, his body acted before his mind could.

A mage's hand appeared, steadily catching the falling ice sculpture and "Winter's Hammer," and gently placing them on the ground.

Then he regained consciousness, standing stiffly in place, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the tall figure suspended in mid-air:
Carrying an ice bow, his long silver hair fluttered in the night wind, and an invisible sense of oppression made it difficult for him to even breathe.

"Sunefa," Jolan managed to squeeze out the three words through gritted teeth.

“Yarna is gone. Will you carry on her legacy, or submit to Zhenbing?” Sunafa slowly lowered herself, looking down at the other party with a calm yet undeniably authoritative tone.

Qiao Lan's gaze fell on the ice sculpture that Yarna had transformed into, and her heart skipped a beat.

Beneath the shallow layer of ice, Yarna's final expression was perfectly captured.

His brows were furrowed, his mouth slightly open, and his eyes were filled with terror and regret, as if he was still regretting his choice and fearing the impending death.

This appearance was completely different from the proud and domineering Zhanmu she usually was, which made Qiao Lan feel a chill to the bone.

Without the slightest hesitation, Qiao Lan suddenly knelt on one knee and lowered her head heavily: "Mother Sunafa, I was a little emotional just now and my voice was a bit loud. Please forgive me."

After quickly adjusting her attitude, Qiao Lan carefully moved the ice sculpture that Yarna had transformed into to the side.

Then, Jolan presented the giant hammer, which was sealed in ice and known as the "Winter's Hammer," to Sunefa with both hands.

A layer of pure ice had condensed on the "Winter's Hammer," forcing Jolan to endure the cold and pain of the pure ice.

The cold air rushed wildly into his palms along the hammer, instantly turning his arms blue and purple.

A sharp, needle-like pain shot through his skin, as if countless tiny ice needles were piercing his muscles.

But Qiao Lan seemed oblivious.

He gritted his teeth, letting the icy pain engulf his entire body. His arms trembled slightly from the cold, yet he still steadily held the giant hammer, raising it high before Sunefa:
"This is the treasure of the Winter's Hammer, a symbol of power. Today, I offer it to Mother Sunefair, hoping that the Winter's Hammer will come under Zhenbing's command and contribute to the unification of the North."

—It's obvious to everyone that as Zhenbing's strength continues to grow, unifying the Northern Territory is inevitable.

Sunafa watched him quietly, her gaze falling on the frozen giant hammer, then sweeping over Jolan's frostbitten, bluish-purple arms. She neither immediately took the hammer nor uttered a word.

The atmosphere in the air instantly froze.

Qiao Lan maintained the hammer-wielding posture, and the cold sweat seeping from her forehead was quickly frozen into tiny ice crystals by the cold air.

The pain in my arm became increasingly severe, and I even started to lose sensation in it.

He dared not look up, and could only stare intently at the ground, awaiting Sunefa's "judgment".

This stalemate lasted for about thirty seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Just when Jolan thought her arm was about to freeze off, Sunefa suddenly chuckled, her voice carrying a hint of approval: "It seems that Biyarna knows what's good for her."

What truly moved Sunefa was Jolan's reverence for Yarna's body, even though he knew Yarna was already dead.

She stretched out her hand, and the power of the Ice Crystal gathered in her palm, gently covering the ice layer on the giant hammer.

The hard, solid ice instantly turned into fine ice mist upon her touch, dissipating into the air and revealing the original form of the Winter's Hammer.

The hammer, forged from fire copper and engraved with ancient fire runes, still exudes a faint, scorching heat despite losing its magical nourishment.

"This Winter's Hammer is yours for now; we of the Iceborn are not yet able to use it."

Her tone softened slightly. "Get up first. Yarna has already paid for her rebellious act with her life. If the people of Winterhammer are willing to submit, Phoenix will treat them all equally."

Unwilling to submit?
Sunefa didn't mention the consequences, but probably no one would make that choice.

Upon hearing this, Qiao Lan felt as if she had been granted a pardon and immediately stood up, showing utmost respect.

"Notify your people to halt their migration and remain in the camp. They are not to leave. Zhenbing's army will arrive soon; wait for us to take over the camp." Sunafa nodded.

"Yes!" Qiao Lan quickly replied.

The army that set out from Phoenix finally arrived at the Winterhammer's camp on the afternoon of the third day after Sunefa dealt with Yarna.

The team's progress was not slow, but the complex terrain of the icy plains, the need to carry supplies, and the uneven skill levels of the team members caused a one-day delay.

Although this "war" has been ended by Sunefa alone, the arrival of the army is by no means in vain.

In tribal conquests, victory is only the beginning; the real test lies in how to digest the spoils of victory.
Only by incorporating the opponent's resources, technology, and manpower into one's own system can victory truly be transformed into strength.

"War Mother." Elsa, riding her snow wolf at the front of the group, saw Sunefa, immediately dismounted, and quickly stepped forward.

“Joran has stabilized the people of Winterhammer. Let’s take stock of the supplies first.” Sunafa nodded and stepped aside to make way for the road to the camp.

The Winter's Hammer camp was no longer in the chaos of the previous two days.

Although the clansmen wore sorrowful expressions, they all maintained their restraint under Qiao Lan's guidance.

Even the children were kept close by their parents, not daring to cry or make a fuss. This "superficial cooperation" was enough to ensure the smooth progress of the inventory work.

With such a high level of cooperation, coupled with Elsa's already very skilled command, the entire inventory work was completed quickly.

The inventory was mainly divided into three parts: one part was the inventory of food and daily necessities, and the other part was the registration of the population and artisans.

The final part involves taking inventory of Winter's Hammer's workshops, ore warehouses, and equipment storage facilities.

This is the highlight.

The Winterhammer tribe, being the only tribe in the North to wield the power of fire, is renowned for its forging skills.

The most abundant resources among the tribe's supplies are various extraordinary ores and materials, as well as the extraordinary equipment they craft, which is unique to the Northern Territory.

Elsa quickly tallied up the results and summarized all the gains, presenting them to Sunefa in a clear and concise table with illustrations.

However, Sunefa only glanced at it casually before handing it back to Elsa.

Because these things don't mean anything to her.

In the end, they are just external things.

What she truly valued was the complete forging tradition and system possessed by the Winterhammer as a forging tribe, as well as their highly sophisticated forging facilities, which had been developed over dozens of generations.

Elsa was well aware of this and quickly got to the point: "War Mother, if we want to incorporate the Winter's Hammer's forging system into our own, this base cannot be abandoned."

“Please come with me.” She led Sunefa to the “Forge” located in the center of Winterhammer’s territory, which was also their home.

The entire area consists of seven interconnected stone workshops, which are linked by passageways.

A tall chimney stands on the roof. Although it is not lit at the moment, black flame marks can be seen on the inner wall of the chimney, indicating that it has been in use for many years.

"Our clan chose this place as our base not only because there are hunting grounds and water sources nearby, but more importantly, because it is extremely close to the 'Flameheart Volcano' thirty miles away," Qiao Lan, who was already waiting in the forging workshop, immediately came forward and explained respectfully.

"Our ancestors spent a century digging a channel through the earth's veins at the foot of the volcano to bring the subterranean fire under the camp and then distribute it to these seven workshops. This is the culmination of generations of hard work of our people." As she said this, a hint of pride flashed across Qiao Lan's face.

Sunefa nodded slightly, acknowledging the power of Winter's Hammer.

The "Winter's Hammer" from the Lava Plains was ultimately just a catalyst. What allowed the Winter's Hammer to rise again with the power of fire was the wisdom and hard work of their people.

In the frigid North, for an Iceborn to wield the power of fire is a remarkable achievement.

Led by Qiao Lan, the two arrived at a stone workshop.

Qiao Lan pushed open the heavy stone door.

The workshop was more spacious than I had imagined, with a huge circular furnace standing in the very center, made of dark blue-green rocks.

At the bottom of the furnace was a passage half a meter wide. Sunefa took a closer look and saw orange-red flames shooting upwards, and a wave of heat rushed towards her.

“This is the Earth Furnace,” Jolan explained. “It is the core of every workshop. Every time an Earth Furnace is built, Winterhammer can add a new workshop.”

"Over the years, we have only built seven workshops in total. This is the first workshop of our tribe."

Around the earthen furnace, there are more than twenty independent stone houses.

Each room has a stone door half a meter wide, with a thick and tough tanned animal hide curtain hanging on the door, and fireproof asbestos straw sewn along the edge of the curtain.

The roof exhaust pipes are not simple ceramic pipes, but composite pipes made of clay mixed with volcanic ash. The pipes are engraved with spiral guide patterns, which allow the smoke to drift away with the wind and prevent the craftsmen from being choked.

"The reason our ancestors chose this place as their settlement was not only because it was close to the fiery core of the Flame Core Volcano, but also because the rock here has a special texture that can withstand high temperatures," Qiao Lan explained at the right moment.

Sunafa nodded and walked towards the stone house next to her.

Qiao Lan eagerly pushed open the stone door.

The interior was more organized than I had imagined.

The stone furnace was embedded in the ground, with the edges of the furnace mouth polished smooth and three layers of runes engraved on the furnace wall, which could gather the temperature of the earth fire;

The forging table next to the furnace was made from a single piece of blue steel stone, with a thin layer of copper sheet on the surface to prevent the metal from sticking to the stone.

A wooden frame stood next to the forging table.

It is not a wooden frame made of traditional wood, but rather pieced together with precious magical plant vines and animal bones.

Hanging on the rack are forging hammers of different sizes: heavy hammers with copper-coated heads, chisels with sharp tips, and fine hammers for finishing patterns. The handles of the hammers are all wrapped with non-slip animal hide, providing a firm grip.

Sunafa's gaze swept across the stone house, finally landing on the furnace in the center of the house, which was exactly the same as the earth furnace outside, but much smaller.

Qiao Lan squatted down, lifted the animal skin next to the furnace, revealing a channel underneath, in which three thin copper strips were embedded. One end of the copper strips was connected to the bottom of the furnace, and the other end extended into the large earth furnace outside the house.

"This is a fire control switch. Pressing the copper rod down will block part of the ground fire, making the fire weak; lifting it up will make the fire stronger. Skilled craftsmen can judge whether the fire is strong or not by the temperature of the copper rod."

As he spoke, he gently lifted the copper rod, and the flames in the furnace indeed flickered accordingly, with orange-red tongues licking the furnace walls, and the temperature stabilizing within the range suitable for forging.

In the corner of the cabin, there was a quenching tank filled with water mixed with ice steel powder.

After inspecting the independent forging workshop, Jolan led Sunefa and Elsa to the east side of the workshop area.

There were three rooms that were significantly larger.

“These three are auxiliary workshops, mainly responsible for doing some preliminary processing work and odd jobs for the craftsmen, and assisting them in forging.” Qiao Lan pushed open the stone door of the westernmost room, and a wave of heat with the smell of sulfur rushed out.

"The first one is a refining workshop, which specializes in processing the magic element impurities in raw ores."

Extraordinary ores also contain impurities, which need to be processed, and the refining workshop is dedicated to this task.

Moreover, although these impurities cannot be used to forge extraordinary equipment, they will still have some uses, such as as fuel or other purposes, and need to be collected.

The other two auxiliary workshops are: the materials workshop and the repair workshop.

The materials workshop, which resembles a sorting and pre-processing room for extraordinary materials, is located next to the refining workshop.

Among them were piles of processed fire copper sheets, ice steel ingots, crystal jars sorted by size and type, and various pre-treated ley line biomaterials.
As the name suggests, the repair workshop is used to repair equipment.

The workshop has several repair stations, each equipped with a set of repair tools, as well as a constant-temperature furnace.

“We may not be as good as the forging workshops of the city-states outside, but over several generations, we have figured out quite a few things, and it’s not all just traditional methods.” Qiao Lan’s tone was tinged with pride.

Elsa was quickly taking notes with a pen and paper when she walked over to Sunefa and whispered, "War Mother, people and supplies can be taken away, but this workshop is definitely not one of them."

"Without this workshop, even if we bring all the artisans of Winterhammer back to Phoenix, it will be useless."

(End of this chapter)