Inside the walls of Khan's smithy, the air had shifted. The metallic, sharp tang of ozone and hot iron that usually defined a forge had been replaced by a rich, organic aroma—the scent of musk, tanned hide, and high-grade beeswax.
Arthur stood before a massive workbench, his hands stained with charcoal and his brow furrowed in concentration.
For months, his mind had been a library of metallurgy, of carbon content and tempering temperatures. But today, under Khan's watchful eye, he was learning that "protection" wasn't always synonymous with "steel."
"Leather is a living thing, Arthur," Khan said, his voice raspy but filled with a teacher's pride. He laid a massive roll of Giant Brown Bear pelt across the table.
"Metal obeys the hammer because you break its will with heat. Leather... leather you must coax. You must understand how it moved when the beast was alive if you want it to move with the man who wears it."
The first week was a grueling immersion into the fundamentals. Arthur realized quickly that leatherworking was a totally different beast than smithing.
First came the Raw Leather Processing. Khan showed Arthur how to scrape the remaining flesh and fat from the underside of the pelts without nicking the grain.
Then came the tanning—using the gallbladders and brains of the bears themselves, mixed with bark tannins, to stabilize the proteins.
"Now," Khan said, pulling out a set of Paper Patterns. They were elegant, geometric shapes representing the cuirass, bracers, pauldrons, and greaves. "Precision is your god here. A millimeter off in steel can be ground down. A millimeter off in leather is a ruined set."
Arthur watched as Khan marked the thick, brown leather with a Charcoal Pencil. Following the lines, Khan used a Sharp Utility Knife, the blade passed through the hide like a hot wire through butter.
"Dampen it now," Khan instructed.
Arthur submerged the cut pieces in a vat of lukewarm water. This was the Softening phase. Once the leather was pliable, they moved to the Wooden Mannequins.
Arthur stretched the wet hide over the 3D forms, pinning them into place to create the anatomical curves of a chest plate and the cylindrical taper of a bracer.
Then came the percussion.
Unlike the heavy, rhythmic strikes of a smith's hammer, the Mallet work was delicate. Arthur had to "chase" the leather, hammering it while damp to compress the fibers into the desired shape. As it dried, the leather hardened, "remembering" the form of the mannequin.
Finally, the finishing touch: Waxing. Arthur applied thick layers of natural wax, buffing the surface until it shone with a dull, deep luster. This didn't just provide water resistance; it created a "color binding" effect that turned the iron-grey bear fur into a rich, obsidian-like finish.
Arthur took to the craft with a speed that bordered on the supernatural. Between his [Pagma's Apprentice] unique class—which granted him an inherent understanding of all crafting logic—and his Good Luck stat, which sat comfortably above 100, the "System" seemed to conspire in his favor.
While most players would struggle to produce a "Normal" grade item on their first hundred tries, Arthur's hands seemed guided by the ghosts of master craftsmen.
Beside him, Cecil worked with a feverish intensity. She was an Advanced Blacksmith, but her leatherwork was raw. She lacked Arthur's "Blessed" stats, but she made up for it with sheer, stubborn willpower.
For two weeks, the forge was a factory. The sound of hammers on wood and the scent of wax filled the air as the mountain of 300 bear pelts slowly transformed into a mountain of high-tier equipment.
At the end of the fourteen-day marathon, the workbench was piled high with finished sets. Arthur and Cecil stood back, their faces smudged with charcoal, surveying their handiwork.
Arthur had produced 90 sets. Due to his high stats and class, his output was a statistical anomaly: mostly Epic and Rare class items, with a handful of Unique masterpieces. Not a single "Normal" item had left his hands.
Cecil had produced 60 sets. Her stock was primarily Rare, with several Epic pieces. However, she had also produced a few Normal items—the "failures" of a developing master.
"Don't look so down, Cecil," Arthur said, noticing her gaze lingering on a slightly asymmetrical boot. "You're an Advanced Blacksmith learning a secondary trade from scratch. To produce Epic gear this early is a feat that would make the Royal Artisans weep. You'll reach the Unique rank soon enough."
Cecil nodded, her jaw set. "Next time, I won't let the leather win."
The "Giant Brown Bear" Collection
Arthur picked up a pair of boots from his own pile. The system window flared to life, confirming the birth of a masterpiece.
[Great Giant Brown Bear Boots]
Rating: Epic
Durability: 160/160 | Defense: 95 | Movement Speed: +2%
* Cold resistance will increase by 20%.
* Description: Leather boots made by a craftsman with great skills and potential... They are so comfortable there is no awkwardness when walking. They do not slip on snow.
* User Restriction: Level 120 or higher.
The rest of the set was equally formidable. Each piece—the Leather Armor, the Hat, the Gloves, and the Cloak—bore the "Epic" tag.
* The Armor boasted a massive 246 Defense, enough to shrug off arrows and shortswords, though it remained vulnerable to bludgeoning damage.
* The Gloves provided a +5% Attack Speed bonus, a crucial stat for any front-line DPS player.
* Together, the full set provided a staggering 80% Cold Resistance, making the wearer effectively immune to the biting winters of the North or the "Chilled" debuffs of frost mages.
"We have 150 sets," Arthur calculated, his mind shifting from "Craftsman" to "Strategist."
He separated the gear into three piles.
The first pile contained the 6 Unique Rank sets Arthur had produced. These were masterpieces with stats that defied their level—items that would be considered "Cheat" for any player below Level 200.
"One for me," Arthur said, checking the Unique-grade stats. "One for Alfia, Meteria, Nana, and Cecil. We need the best protection for what's coming. The sixth set... we keep as a backup or a gift for a future ally."
The second pile was the "Auction Stock." This included Arthur's Epic sets and the best of Cecil's Rare and Epic work.
"We sell these at the auction in the Capital," Arthur decided. "Six Unique sets (the duplicates and spares), along with the Epic sets."
Then Arthur's gave a chilling smile, "The Mero Company thinks they have a monopoly on Winston's wealth? We're about to flood the market of Reinhardt with gear that makes their 'Standard Issue' look like rags. The adventurers attention will moved from Winston to Reinhardt and we will cut a massive portion of Mero company's source of income."
The third pile was the "Foundation." These were the Rare and high-quality Normal items. Arthur planned to sell these to the solo players, with low income. The players who didn't have the luxury of a guild's support.
Khan walked through the piles of gear, his hands trembling as he touched the soft, waxed leather.
"In all my years," Khan whispered, "I have never seen a forge produce this much quality in such a short time. Arthur... you aren't just a blacksmith. You're blessed by the goddess."
Arthur looked at the sunset through the smithy window. He was Level 120. He had a private stockpile of gold that rivaled small noble houses. He had a team of Level 120 companions. And now, he had the equipment to match.
He turned to the girls. "Pack the Auction sets. Tomorrow, we leave for the Capital. It's time to show the world the difference between a mass production and a craftsman's work.