dirk_grey

Mage's Cultivation Journey 29

Once we reached Dongxi, the first thing I noticed was the smell, wafting toward our noses. The source of it was clear. The camp outside the city had grown, with refugees packed there, wearing threadbare clothes and haunted expressions, huddled around smoky fires while trying to cook whatever scraps they managed to get.

Their situation was bad, but what truly made it hopeless was the hundreds of guards patrolling around the camp, not allowing anyone to leave the camp as they wished. 2025-07-11 17:56:37 +0000 UTC View Post

Mage's Cultivation Journey 28

I handled the healing of unconscious martial artists while discussing the details of our plan. After that, they even had time to pack our meager camp and carry the pack nearby, ready to leave.

It took a long time, because I healed not only his open wounds but also his injuries to his meridians. It was a good way to prove my credentials as an expert without coming across as needy.

Another benefit was to examine another martial artist in detail, one who hadn’t been trained in Furi...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 27

A sigh escaped my mouth as I watched the kneeling figure collapse in front of me. I had tried to catch up with Yu Xing before they found themselves in the middle of the battle, but I had been almost too late.

Luckily, I managed to arrive on time. “Master, I —” Yu Xing started, but I cut him off.

“We’ll have time to talk. For the moment, come here so I can tend to your wounds. Su Mi, go and keep pressure on his wounds. We don’t want him to die.”

Yu Xing seeme...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 26

As Hun Chu ran while trying to press a bandage to his bleeding wound, he knew that he was cursed.

There was no other reason for almost all the missions he took part in recently to end up in an ambush. First, there was the caravan he was supposed to guard, only to end up ambushed by a new group of bandits.

His next big mission hadn’t been any more successful, where he tried to follow the mysterious expert and his charge once they left the city, with the task of making contact af...

Blacksmith vs. the System 268

Having a trusted man in Terry to teach the others about the ascension and keep an eye on the process was a big relief. I was still near them, so I could respond if there was a problem, while simultaneously providing protection for any possible ambush.

It turned out to be a good thing. Terry’s ascension took just a touch more than ten hours, which had been a significant time commitment. I had too many critical tasks on me, split across multiple categories.

As a blacksmith, I ne...

Blacksmith vs. the System 267

As Terry stirred, I could see the changes in him easily. His whole presence had shifted, with a substantial weight radiating off him. I didn’t ask him any questions, letting him get used to the changes in his body.

Logan wasn’t as patient. “What’s the result?” he asked, his worry clear.

“A success,” Terry replied. He closed his eyes again for a few seconds before he looked at me. “It’s similar to your theory, professor. Ichor had transformed based on the overla...

Blacksmith vs. the System 266

The decision to understand ascension didn’t put too much of a snag in my plans. I still stayed in my forge, accompanying Terry and Logan, the books sent by Asterion floating in front of me, supported by mana, while I forged a new class of elite equipment, which surpassed the old weapons in the shadows.

Once again, they were not the absolute best I could create, but a compromise between quality and speed. Creating ten mediocre weapons was better than the absolute best I could create. ...

Blacksmith vs. the System 265

I was halfway to forging a new spear for myself when I felt the warning from the dungeon, alerting me about the birth of a new boss monster.

One underrated benefit of Intelligence, it allowed me to multitask much better. They weren’t as efficient as the main task, but focusing on every single floor of the dungeon while also using the gates to keep an eye on the surface was far easier.

“I can feel a boss in the dungeon. Ready for action, kids?” I asked.

They nodded....

Blacksmith vs. the System 264

Once I returned to my private forge, with the intention of focusing on my work, I found myself facing an unexpected challenge.

What would be the first item on the agenda?

The list of tasks was long and tempting. I wanted to completely redesign my forge, including every single tool I had.

I wanted to reforge my personal equipment, along with the equipment that my students were using.

Then, there were other tempting tasks, like stat-enhancing items that Maria had, whi...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 25

After Yu Xing had been cured, we ended up in another burst of routine, where most of my time was dedicated to deciphering the martial styles once more.

Two weeks passed quickly. Unlike back in the camp, where I had to be careful about even the simplest move not to alert our watchers, I was free to act like myself. Well, mostly. I still didn’t trust Su Mi fully, and while I trusted Yu Xing more, that didn’t change the fact that the kid could be tricked to reveal some critical inform...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 24

“Sit down near the fire, and remove your shirt,” I ordered. The kid followed my order, but Su Mi retreated, her blush visible despite the darkness.

Children…

I sighed while I pulled the set of silver needles, the one that the kid purchased from the market, which was, apparently, a default medical equipment. It didn’t take long for me to realize why. Channeling internal energy through them was surprisingly smooth.

Technically, with my level of control, I didn’t n...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 23

Walking away in a slow, unhurried pace after taking down my two attackers had been enough to scare the rest, a fact I was intensely grateful for. Inside, I was sweating bullets.

I didn’t expect to be attacked by Skin Refinement martial artists, something I was not ready to face with my fragmented understanding of martial arts. Their inexperience was the only reason I had managed to touch them directly without being smashed into pieces, with the first one telegraphing his attack with ...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 22

Once again, Hun Chu cursed his luck that somehow led to this troubling assignment. He didn’t expect a mere observation mission to drive him to this situation; especially since it was supposed to be a chance to recover from his latest injury.

One that he received in an unfortunate ambush just a few days ago.

He bit his lips as he tried to decide what to do. The situation was complicated, with three distinct groups in hand.

The first group was the Duan Gang, a newcomer th...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 21

“Wake up,” I called even as I broke out of my meditative state, my hand already gathering the books and other critical items. As for pots and other disposable items, I didn’t touch them.

Yu Xing jumped to his feet immediately. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Something is wrong. We’re retreating to the mountain,” I said. Su Mi looked surprised at my declaration, but she said nothing, watching warily.

“Should we … do something?” Yu Xing asked.

I...

Blacksmith vs. the System 263

“Finally,” I muttered once the trip had been dealt with, and I returned to my office, which also doubled as a lab for my less destructive experiments — the dungeon is the place for the stronger ones.

It was time to finally experiment with Intelligence.

I started by rebuilding the magical defenses around my office, a move that served two functions. Not only would it make it near-impossible for anyone to spy on me, but also it give me a better sense of how to reach one parti...

Blacksmith vs. the System 262

“So, does this new stat come with a skill, or is it just alone?” she asked once we arrived on the fifth floor.

“A second,” I said, and touched the broken remains of a metal wall, the other reason I picked this location. While my new skill gave me direct spell casting, I was still more familiar with using metal as a medium. I created a dome around us. It wasn’t as strong as the protections in my office, but it was still enough to prevent anyone from eavesdropping, whether usin...

Blacksmith vs. the System 261

My dreams of focusing on how to use my new stats were nice, but I knew that first, I needed to walk around the town, and show my presence.

It was hard not to do that after the vivid experience I had, one that had been far too vivid to be a dream. And, in a way, I owed them. After all, it was their intense loyalty — unasked as it might be to me — that triggered the hidden feature of the System and gave me the new class I had received.

Walking around to shake a few hands and s...

Blacksmith vs. the System 260

[Class upgrade - 01%]

Finding myself in a dream the moment I triggered the class upgrade was no surprise. I had experienced the same when I got into Smith of Decay class, finding myself in that dark, damp forest ruled by insect mages.

The current dream was also in a familiar location … but not that forest. No, the current location was seven more familiar.

Our current town, was recently named City of Steel. However, this time, I wasn’t a floating, invisible figure watchi...

Blacksmith vs. the System 259

As the boss monster stumbled upon my view, my first observation was the level of corruption. It had gotten much worse. Looking at the transformed, tentacled monster, I was having trouble seeing the insect that it had been before.

No matter how much I wanted to test my new skill, I started with a slash of Radiant Flame. It flew with its usual eerie precision, but once the distance got closer, it started to show cracks, as if the corrupted monster had some kind of protective aura.

T...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 20

It wasn’t the first time I watched Yu Xing practice, but it was the first time since we met that he had the luxury of savage beast meat rather than overdrawing the energy of his own body, barely replenished by the porridge we had to eat.

The differences were stark. The process of turning food into internal energy required the body to digest it completely at first. And, in the end, only a tiny amount of internal energy could be generated, barely enough for a few punches.

Savage...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 19

I continued to sit, cross-legged, focusing on my newly accumulated ball of internal energy, trying to figure out how to use it.

Using it to punch people was not an option. For one, calling me terrible at fighting would have counted as a compliment. Even when back in the streets, I hadn’t been a brawler, lacking the size for it. And, that didn’t change once I became a mage.

The ideal engagement distance for a mage was as far as possible, ideally, half a world away.

Lac...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 18

“As promised, your charge is back here, master,” the martial artist said. I simply nodded, giving him minimal courtesy.

He didn’t say anything else, but didn’t move away either. “Speak,” I ordered.

“My employer extended an invitation for a tea ceremony.”

“When?” I asked.

“Whenever it’s convenient for you, master,” he replied.

“Not for a few days, then. I’ll make sure to visit before we decide to travel once more. Now, leave,” ...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 17

Yu Xing was the first one to speak, though looking shocked. “Steward, are you sure you want to teach her? Maybe I should —”

“No, your martial arts can’t be shared,” I said. “But, don’t worry, young master. I won’t be using any of our family arts.” I glanced around. “With so many caravans around, there should be a place where I could purchase a new style.”

That made Su Mi lose some of her enthusiasm, but she said nothing. “You have a problem with it. Spe...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 16

“Welcome, young master,” I said, which made the girl tense suddenly, while Yu Xing sent me a surprised look. His reaction was about my sudden change. Our initial plan required me to play a more respectful servant, but that was before he created a commotion that brought some unexpected attention to us. “I see that we have a guest instead of the challenge you have been assigned. Should I send a message to the master that his chosen candidate is too useless to complete one small task?” <...

Blacksmith vs. the System 258

For three days, I abandoned every single task I had, including walking around. Luckily, during that day, Rosie’s surprise about Ascension materials had been the bigger one, not forcing me to abandon my spot. 

Technically, yes, the news of two of my students, preparing to ascend, should count, but luckily, Maria was there to protect them. Logan and Terry were still trying to attain the necessary levels. I might have left the isolation if Rosie’s attempt succeeded. 

To...

Blacksmith vs. the System 257

Once I had confirmed the viability of the method, I didn’t immediately start a new set of calculations. Instead, I worked to find a better way to engage my skill, trying to treat the runes as a physical object that needed to be repaired rather than pure mana. 

To that aim, I had conjured many different objects, until I could manipulate the gap between the runes directly. Even without any new calculation, it managed to maintain stability for almost three seconds. 

Inter...

Blacksmith vs. the System 256

“Tell me your name, young one,” I said after a momentary struggle, distracted by the weird mix of fear and shame the kid was radiating. 

“M-my name is George, my king,” he said, then turned to Spencer, silently begging. 

Spencer took a step forward, sighing in exhaustion. “George is a promising lad that I recruited our research team, my king,” he explained. “He’s showing a good aptitude when it comes to using his new stats cleverly.” 

I nodde...

Blacksmith vs. the System 255

While waiting for Spencer and the author of the report to arrive, I planned to do nothing. Rosie had a point about pushing myself too much. 

Too bad the world disagreed. Another corrupted monster boss had been detected, but it was the location that was scary. It had been detected in the lower floors. 

“Damn,” I growled the moment I received the news, immediately moving back to the fifth floor. The same corrupted feeling was present on the fifth floor, only stronger. ...

Blacksmith vs. the System 254

The moment the battle ended, I had returned to my private forge, and started creating spearheads. The reason I worked alone was the speed of my forging, which increased once more after my most recent level-up. However, it also meant that, even the slightest mishap could be deadly to other blacksmiths. 

Also, it made getting confidential reports easier. They found me at the forge, delivering the explanation. I didn’t stop forging, choosing to multitask. 

Some reports, l...

Mage's Cultivation Journey 15

I carefully examined the situation while I closed in. Yu Xing stood in front of the five men, while the rest of the crowd had pulled back enough to create a large gap around them. There was no hint of internal energy in any of the five, just strong, burly men, deriving their confidence from the bulky clubs they carried. 

I also noticed that they were slow to act, observing the crowd. Their strategy was obvious. They were waiting to pull a crowd before they reached Yu Xing for a les...