Diablo traveled through time and became a necromancer

The morning sun streamed through the window, spilling into the warm little room. Wu Ye slowly opened his eyes, feeling Leah's even breathing and her body warmth filtering through the thin blanket.

Last night's tenderness with Leah was like the gentlest medicine, soothing his frayed nerves and exhausted body. While the mental heaviness hadn't completely dissipated, the physical fatigue had been largely alleviated. He gently turned sideways, gazing at Leah's peaceful sleeping face, a surge of warmth welling up in his heart. (After all, Vera couldn't possibly be at Leah's house!)

He knew that today he didn't need to dwell on Branwell's tragedy, worry about the captives' confessions, or speculate about Thorien's schemes. Kasha hadn't sent anyone to notify him, indicating that Irene was stable at Grandma Akara's and didn't need his immediate concern. Today, he just wanted to rest and do something to calm himself.

He rose quietly, not wanting to disturb Leah's slumber. After getting dressed, he pushed open the door to the cabin, and the cool morning air, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees, filled his face. The courtyard was quiet. Betty must have been sent by Aunt Mia to study with Grandpa Kane (Kane's instruction usually began early). A faint, rhythmic knocking could be heard from Uncle Jordan's blacksmith shop—he always rose early.

Wu Ye took a deep breath, savoring this rare tranquility. He decided to visit his father-in-law's blacksmith shop today to hone his forging skills. It wasn't just a way to relax, it was also a form of spiritual practice. The rhythm of the hammer striking the anvil, the heat radiating from the furnace, the way the metal stretched and morphed under the intense heat... all of this allowed him to temporarily forget the bloodshed and slaughter, focusing on shaping the material in his hands, allowing his mind to settle in the pure labor.

He walked to the door of the blacksmith shop and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

"Jing-dong! Jing-dong! Jing-dong!"

The rhythmic pounding suddenly became clear and resonant. Uncle Jordan stood with his back to the door, shirtless, his back, tanned from the fire, covered in beads of sweat and muscular, exposed. He held a heavy hammer, intently striking a red-hot piece of iron on the anvil. Each blow was delivered with steady force and precise precision, sending sparks flying as the iron deformed and stretched beneath the hammer.

Hearing the noise at the door, Uncle Jordan didn't turn back immediately. Instead, he finished the current round of hammering and put the iron blank back into the furnace to heat it. Then he turned around. He saw Wu Ye. His face, red and wrinkled by the fire, showed a simple smile with sweat.

"Wu, are you up?" Uncle Jordan's voice was filled with the blacksmith's unique roughness and a hint of subtle concern. "You look much better than yesterday."

"Yes, uncle." Wu Ye nodded and smiled. "I feel much better after a good sleep. I wanted to come over to help today and learn some skills from you." He walked to the tool rack, skillfully picked up a heavy leather apron and tied it on, and then chose a hammer that suited his needs.

"Good!" A glint of approval flashed in Uncle Jordan's eyes. "It's just right, the furnace is burning hot. There's a piece of material over there, just put back into the furnace. Go and flatten it and see how hot it is." He pointed to a piece of iron that had just been taken out of the furnace and was emitting scorching heat.

Wu Ye responded, picked up the red-hot iron with long-handled tongs, and placed it steadily on the anvil. He took a deep breath, adjusted his stance, gripped the hammer tightly with both hands, raised it high, and then, with all his strength, smashed it down steadily and accurately!

"clang--!"

A resounding, crisp metal-on-metal collision echoed throughout the blacksmith shop, and sparks burst forth like fireworks!

Wu Ye did not pause, his arms were like tireless machines, hammering down one after another according to the rhythm and angle taught by Uncle Jordan!

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!..."

The rhythmic hammering sounds once again filled the entire blacksmith shop, interweaving with the hammering sounds from Uncle Jordan, forming a powerful symphony of labor.

Wu Ye focused on every blow. He felt the recoil from the hammer, observed the subtle changes in the iron block's expansion and deformation under the hammer, and adjusted the force and angle of the hammer's impact.

Sweat quickly seeped from his forehead, slid down his cheeks, and dripped onto the hot anvil, making a soft "sizzling" sound and evaporating instantly. The high temperature of the fire burned his face and body, but he didn't care.

This focused work brought him a strange sense of peace. The bloody images in his mind, the grief of his fallen comrades, the worries about the future... were temporarily dispelled by the relentless hammering and the gradually changing shape of the metal before him. His world was filled with only the hammer in his hand, the iron block before him, the warmth of the fire, and the coordinated movement of his muscles.

Uncle Jordan, busy with his own work, observed Wu Ye's movements from the corner of his eye. Seeing Wu Ye's steady rhythm, precise placement, and increasingly skilled technique in turning the iron, a look of satisfaction crossed his dark face. This boy, though a powerful necromancer, also possessed a rare tenacity and understanding in his ironwork.

Time passed amidst the clanging sounds of hammering. Wu Ye swung the hammer tirelessly, and the originally rough piece of iron gradually became flat and smooth under his continuous hammering, showing a uniform dark red luster.

"Okay, Wu, the temperature is almost right, it's time to quench it." Uncle Jordan reminded at the right time.

Wu Ye paused, picked up the smooth, still-hot iron block with tongs, and walked to the nearby sink. He took a deep breath and steadily dipped the red-hot iron block into the ice-cold quenching liquid.

"laugh--!"

A thick white mist rose up along with a violent noise! ​​The hot metal and the cold liquid reacted violently, cooling and solidifying in an instant.

Wu Ye removed the cooled iron block from the sink. The originally red metal had turned a cold, hard, bluish-black color, its surface smooth and even, with the uniform texture left by forging.

He picked up the iron block and examined it carefully, feeling its heft and the unique coolness of the metal. A faint sense of accomplishment washed over him. This wasn't just a piece of forged iron; it was proof that through focused labor, he had calmed his chaotic thoughts and transformed invisible pressure into tangible results.

"Not bad!" Uncle Jordan came over, took the iron block from Wu Ye's hand, tapped it with his fingers, listened to the crisp echo, and carefully examined the surface texture and color. He nodded, "The force is even, and the temperature is well controlled. This piece of material is enough to make a good dagger."

Wu Ye wiped the sweat from his forehead, a tired yet incredibly happy smile on his face. Sweat soaked his hair, and his clothes stuck to his back, but he felt unusually refreshed. This half-day of forging seemed to have truly hammered away the heavy impurities in his heart, like forging a piece of iron, bit by bit.

"Thank you, uncle." Wu Ye's voice was a little breathless, but full of satisfaction.

"Take a break." Uncle Jordan pointed to the wooden bench next to him. "Drink some water. If you still have energy in the afternoon, you can try to make a little toy for Betty."

Okay, let's incorporate the Diablo-style equipment forging system settings and reflect it in the forging process of Wu Ye and Uncle Jordan:

Wu Ye nodded, walked over to the wooden bench, sat down, and took a few sips of cool water from his kettle. He felt the soreness in his muscles and the pleasure of sweat flowing. He looked at the dancing fire and scattered tools in the blacksmith shop, and a sense of peace came over him.

Afternoon Time: A Small Gift for Betty & Demonstration of Blacksmithing Skills

After a short rest, the fire dried the sweat on his body, leaving behind a thin layer of salt. Wu Ye felt his strength had returned considerably. He stood up, stretched his numb shoulders, and began to search the pile of materials in the blacksmith shop.

"Uncle," Wu Ye said, looking at Jordan, who was sorting his tools, "I want to make a little gadget for Betty. Would you mind using this scrap?" He picked up a palm-sized, uniform piece of wrought iron. This material has a moderate hardness and good ductility, making it suitable for making small accessories or toy parts.

Uncle Jordan came over, took the iron, weighed it, and flicked it with his fingers, making a crisp sound. "Hmm, this piece of material is good, with few impurities and a moderate hardness. What do you want to make?"

Wu Ye's mind flashed to Betty's big, sparkling eyes and her excitement when she mentioned the wooden horse. "I want to make her a... pony pendant." He gestured, "About this size, suitable for a necklace or belt."

A smile flashed in Uncle Jordan's eyes. "Give it to the little girl? Okay! That's a good idea. However, making such a delicate gadget is much more labor-intensive than making iron bars. It requires patience and skill."

"Yes, I know." Wu Ye nodded, his eyes serious. He walked over to the furnace and carefully placed the small piece of iron deep into the fire. The fire burned brightly, the orange flames licking the iron, quickly burning it to a bright red.

Wu Ye used long-handled tongs to remove the red-hot iron block and placed it on a smaller anvil. Instead of swinging the hammer with all his might as before, he switched to a lighter hammer with a finer head.

“Ding…ding…ding…”

A series of crisp, dense blows echoed, the rhythm much faster than before, yet each one more precise and gentle. Wu Ye hunched his waist slightly, his eyes fixed intently on the small piece of iron rapidly deforming under the hammer. He needed to control the force, stretching and shaping the metal while not overly thinning it or deforming it.

Uncle Jordan didn't leave. He stood by, arms folded, silently observing. He offered no directives, only occasionally, if Wu Ye's strike angle or force were slightly off, a subtle frown or a nod of the head would appear. This kind of delicate work required Wu Ye to understand and master it himself.

Wu Ye was completely absorbed, beads of sweat once again beading on his forehead. He carefully turned the iron block, using the sharp corner of the hammer to outline the foal's form, then gently tapping it with the hammer's flat surface to create a rounded shape. Through repeated heating and forging, the iron block gradually lost its squared edges, revealing the outline of a foal—head held high, chest puffed out, hooves slightly raised, and a youthful energy.

"laugh--!"

Another round of quenching, white mist rising. Wu Ye picked up the cooled pony pendant embryo and placed it on the workbench. The initial shape was there, but the surface was still rough, and the edges weren't smooth enough.

Next came the more meticulous grinding and polishing. Wu Ye picked up files and sandpaper of varying coarseness and fineness, patiently polishing every part of the pony. He smoothed away the marks of forging, refined the contours, and sharpened the details of the mane and tail. Iron filings fell with his movements, and the once rough lump of iron gradually became smooth and rounded in his hands, revealing the uniquely cold, hard luster and exquisite form of metal.

Uncle Jordan had brought out a small drill. "Here, drill a small hole here to thread the chain through," he instructed.

Wu Ye nodded and carefully drilled a tiny hole in the pony's back. Finally, he used the finest sandpaper and a piece of soft leather to rub and polish it repeatedly until the entire pony pendant gleamed with a warm and restrained metallic luster in the firelight.

"Huh..." Wu Ye breathed a sigh of relief, cradling the completed pony pendant in his palm. It was only the size of a thumb, yet it was lifelike, its head held high, revealing a sense of spirit. Although it was merely a decorative item, devoid of any magical properties (the white object), every line embodied his concentration and care.

"Not bad!" Uncle Jordan came over to take a look, a smile of approval on his face. "This little pony is quite spirited! Betty will definitely like it."

Wu Ye looked at the pony in his palm, a satisfied smile on his tired face. He felt warm inside as he imagined Betty's surprised expression when she received the gift.

The embodiment of forging skills: try to create practical equipment

Wu Ye carefully placed the pony in his pocket. He stared at the fire, feeling the lingering passion for forging within him, and the sense of peace that came from focused work. He glanced across the pile of materials and spotted a denser ingot with a faint, dark sheen—this was Uncle Jordan's treasured material, perfect for forging weapons.

"Uncle," Wu Ye looked at Jordan, "I want to try making a dagger again." He wanted to challenge himself and see if he could create more practical equipment.

Uncle Jordan followed his gaze and understood what he meant. "Want to use that piece of 'Black Spine Steel'? Good idea. It's hard and tough, perfect for a dagger. Getting good stats out of it, though," he said, referring to forging equipment with magical affixes.

In Sanctuary, the equipment forged by blacksmiths is clearly divided into different grades:

Normal (white): No additional attributes, only basic defense or damage. Similar to the pony pendant Wu Yegang made.

Magic (Blue): Has 1-2 random magic prefix/suffix attributes. This is the level that most skilled blacksmiths can achieve, and Uncle Jordan can consistently create this type of equipment.

Rare (Gold): Possesses 3-6 random magical prefixes and/or suffixes. This requires extreme skill, concentration, a deep understanding of the material, and even a touch of luck. Uncle Jordan occasionally manages to achieve this, but the success rate is very low.

Legendary/Unique (Dark Gold): Unique and powerful equipment with a fixed, powerful, and unique combination of attributes. While its fixed attributes are fixed, some attributes fluctuate randomly within a range. These items are typically not forged by a blacksmith, but rather are relics of ancient times or infused with powerful forces (such as Hell Demons or High Heavens).

Set (Green): A piece that belongs to a specific set. Each piece has fixed and random attributes (less rare). Collecting multiple pieces activates powerful set bonuses. Also, it cannot be crafted by ordinary blacksmiths.

Uncle Jordan's current abilities are primarily focused on consistently crafting Magic (Blue) quality equipment. Occasionally, when he's in excellent form or using particularly valuable materials, he has a small chance of crafting Rare (Gold) quality equipment.

Wu Ye was different. While not a professional blacksmith, as a necromancer, he possessed far superior mental strength, a keen sense of energy flow, and a profound understanding of material structure. These qualities allowed him to more accurately grasp the "pulse" of the material during forging, guiding the flow and solidification of energy within the metal. This, in turn, created a small chance of unleashing additional magical affixes during the forging process, allowing him to craft equipment of rare (golden) quality! This was one of the reasons Uncle Jordan valued him so highly.