WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ Got a Gallery in the Wild ◈

Chapter 119: Alloy (2)

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There were things men could never resist.

Things that looked stupid as hell but fun. Pure fun that stirred the instincts.

Most of them were dumb enough to cause accidents, but you couldn't always choose the safe route.

And what if the odds of success looked incredibly high? What if you had enough chances that you could laugh off even failure?

That was how you created an unstoppable bulldozer that didn't fear failure.

Something fun with guaranteed performance. An opportunity to get both romance and practicality.

There was no way I could resist. The dwarf was all about romance while I was all about practicality, so we made a great combination.

[Passing Dwarf]: I'll give you heat-resistant bricks, so make it with those.

[Passing Dwarf]: You put the clay on the outside.

[You]: k, anything else?

[You]: Like a container for molten metal.

[Passing Dwarf]: I'll give you that too.

[Passing Dwarf]: It's fucking heavy, so be careful.

[Passing Dwarf]: Even professionals often mess up when pouring molten metal.

[You]: How am I supposed to set up the bellows?

[Passing Dwarf]: You're only melting stuff, so make a hole in the side.

[Passing Dwarf]: Make it a little long, though.

I got the materials and instructions for making a makeshift blast furnace from the dwarf, one thing at a time.

The dwarf provided most of the materials, but putting it together was my job.

Actually, it was much easier to set up than the oven.

I wasn't going to refine anything. I just needed to melt it.

I stacked the bricks the dwarf gave me into a square and plastered the outside with clay.

I also made sure to leave a hole for the bellows.

It was roughly fifty centimeters square and came a little above my knees.

The makeshift blast furnace had to taper toward the top, naturally, to hold in as much heat as possible.

Finally, there was a container for the Mithril and Orichalcum, along with tongs to move it.

I thought that was everything, but the dwarf had given me more.

[You]: What's this blue powder?

[You]: Don't tell me it's drugs?

[Passing Dwarf]: Snort it nice and deep.

[Passing Dwarf]: Then you'll go straight to heaven.

[You]: Sorry;;

[You]: Does it go in the molten metal?

[Passing Dwarf]: Yeah, it's my first time making a Mithril and Orichalcum alloy, so just in case.

[Passing Dwarf]: Put that powder in and it should mix well.

[Passing Dwarf]: Impurities might rise to the surface too, so skim them off.

The dwarf said it was processed magic stone that had been ground into a fine powder.

They explained that it made alloying easier.

It wasn't like having it would hurt, so I gladly took it.

‘I got a mold too.’

The real last thing was a mold. It even had a lid.

It looked like I was supposed to pour the molten metal through the hole in the exact center of the lid.

Creak.

I carefully opened it to reveal the shape of a longsword stamped into the mold.

It was a mold used by dwarves, so I didn't need to worry about it melting in molten metal.

I closed the lid again while listening to the dwarf's warnings.

[Passing Dwarf]: I can't stress this enough. If you spill molten metal...

[Passing Dwarf]: Just run far away.

[Passing Dwarf]: That's your best option.

[You]: Because it could splash everywhere?

[Passing Dwarf]: That too, but I don't know what might happen either.

[Passing Dwarf]: The dwarf also told me that molten metal could splatter like oil, so I absolutely had to wear protective gear.

I considered wearing a helmet, but decided against it because it would probably get in my way.

So I got goggles from the dwarf too. They were spares.

You might think I was getting too much from them, but it was fine.

If the dwarf wanted, I planned to make more alloy, and I would be giving them crabs soon too.

[Passing Dwarf]: I'm saying this again, always be careful with molten metal.

[Passing Dwarf]: I'm serious.

[You]: kk, got it.

[Passing Dwarf]: If you get hurt, I won't get to touch that Mithril-Orichalcum alloy.

[You]: You bastard lol.

I couldn't tell whether that was their true feeling or a joke. Maybe it was because they were a dwarf.

Either way, all the preparations were done. Now I just had to do it.

‘They said an eight-to-two ratio would be best, right?’

That was the ratio the dwarf advised me to use. Naturally, there was more Mithril.

Orichalcum was mana-compatible, but it wasn't as strong as Mithril.

Whoosh.

I put about half the charcoal I'd gathered so far into the makeshift blast furnace.

It hurt enough to make me tear up, but I could gladly endure it for the sword.

‘I should make a kiln just for charcoal too.’

Making one thing meant needing another.

Besides, charcoal was an all-purpose material that could be used anywhere.

I looked at the charcoal in the blast furnace, decided that was enough, and moved on to the next task.

‘The dwarf wasn't kidding when they said it was heavy.’

It was a thick, wide container built to withstand intense heat.

It was heavy enough to lift normally, but I had to use tongs for safety, which made it feel twice as heavy.

Praying that the ores inside would melt first, I placed the container in the blast furnace.

‘Now I just have to start the fire...’

Whoosh!

I threw a burning branch onto the pile of charcoal.

A little later, the charcoal glowed red and heat slowly began to rise.

“Ah. Hold on.”

Come to think of it, I could've started the fire underneath and added the charcoal afterward. I'd reversed the process.

I cursed my stupidity, but what could I do? The fire was already going.

While the charcoal steadily heated up, I checked to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

“Fast Sloth. Take Wonmo somewhere farther away.”

“...”

“Kkyuu?”

Just in case, I asked Fast Sloth to take Wonmo away.

Now was the time to focus. As the blast furnace slowly heated up, I gripped the bellows with both hands.

It was basic common sense that fire burned more fiercely when supplied with oxygen.

Pshhhh.

I slowly pulled the bellows apart so they could draw in air.

Whooom!

Then I blasted the air straight into the blast furnace.

Whoooosh!!

The fire inside the blast furnace grew much stronger than before. I could tell from the sound alone.

I worked the bellows hard so the charcoal could produce even more heat.

Whoom! Whoooom!

The more air went in, the wilder the flames inside the blast furnace became.

But it still wasn't enough. I didn't stop pumping until the flames turned white.

I added more charcoal every so often to raise the heat even a little. Since it was my first time, I was starting to worry about failing.

Whoooosh!

Time passed, and all the charcoal caught fire, sending up fierce flames.

The color seemed to flicker between yellow and white now.

This should be enough. I stopped working the bellows and wiped away my sweat.

Even from a distance, the heat was tremendous.

I didn't want to go any closer, but I had no choice if I wanted to check on the ores.

Whoooosh!!

“Urgh...”

I frowned. My face stung if I got even a little closer.

Still, I had to see whether they were melting properly. I endured the heat and checked.

‘The container is fine... and didn't the ores get a little smaller?’

They had visibly shrunk. The change in the Orichalcum was especially noticeable.

Liquid also streamed down Mithril's surface as if it were sweating.

The ores were melting. All my effort was paying off.

‘I'll add more charcoal and keep working the bellows.’

Now that I'd seen the ores melting, all that remained was maintaining the fire.

I worked the bellows hard, then slowly stepped back.

I hadn't actually done much physical work, but sweat poured down like rain because of the heat.

‘That dwarf did this every day?’

And I was using a makeshift blast furnace. The dwarf must have worked in much harsher conditions than this.

Nothing people did was easy, especially work related to the foundations of civilization.

Others had been doing difficult things for me, and I'd lived without appreciating them.

‘I'll sprinkle in some of the powder too.’

Following the dwarf's instructions, I sprinkled in the blue powder.

The ores were about halfway melted now, soft and mushy.

I stirred them with the tongs so they would melt better, then sent the dwarf a message.

[You]: (Video of the melting ores)

[You]: They're melting.

[You]: Sweating my ass off;;

[Passing Dwarf]: Hard, right?

[You]: How did you do this every day?

[Passing Dwarf]: You get used to it.

[Passing Dwarf]: Professionals can even drink molten metal lol.

[Passing Dwarf]: Want some?

[Passing Dwarf]: I like alcohol more than molten metal.

Figures. I snickered.

Since even the Mithril was melting, it didn't seem like a bad idea to keep them updated in real time.

[Passing Dwarf]: Ah, right.

[Passing Dwarf]: I forgot, but you need to quench it too.

[You]: Quench it?

[You]: I've heard of that, but do I have to?

[Passing Dwarf]: It's a weapon, so of course you do.

[Passing Dwarf]: I'll give you oil. Find a suitable steel container and put it in there.

[You]: Why oil instead of water?

[Passing Dwarf]: If you use water and mess up, it might break.

[Passing Dwarf]: Oil is better.

[You]: k.

[Passing Dwarf]: It's normal if it catches fire, so don't panic.

Professionals really were different. They gave me all these useful details.

Still, knowing the tips and doing the work myself were two different things.

I prepared the oil for quenching and looked into the blast furnace.

Gloop, gloop, gloop.

The Mithril and Orichalcum had completely melted and were slowly boiling.

Something that looked like impurities floated on top, so I immediately skimmed it off.

How did I skim it off? I used another tool the dwarf gave me.

Maybe because I'd sprinkled in the blue powder, the impurities came out easily, and pure molten metal was ready.

‘Now I just have to put this in the mold.’

This was the most important moment. I swallowed hard and grabbed the container with the tongs.

It had been heavy even when empty, but with molten metal inside, it was far heavier.

I circulated mana through my body as a precaution and slowly carried it to the mold.

Then I carefully tilted the container over the small hole in the center of the mold's lid.

Trickle, trickle, trickle.

I stopped when the molten metal overflowed from the hole. That was how the dwarf told me to do it.

I couldn't stop halfway through, though. Molten metal cooled quickly.

I focused every bit of my attention on the hole.

My forearms were slowly starting to strain, but I held on.

Trickle, trickle, whoosh!

Now. The moment the hole couldn't hold any more molten metal, I stopped.

Some molten metal remained in the container, but that was fine. I had plenty of materials anyway.

I set down the container and tilted the mold slightly.

The molten metal filling the hole flowed out.

The metal couldn't be allowed to seal the hole completely, so this was a necessary step.

“Haa.”

I let out a breath. My first attempt had gone pretty well.

Now I just had to wait until the molten metal hardened enough.

[You]: (Video of the mold filled with molten metal)

[You]: It's almost done now.

[Passing Dwarf]: Haaah. Haaah.

[Passing Dwarf]: ;;

How excited did they have to be to lose the ability to speak?

I snickered and waited for the molten metal to harden.

I'd heard molten metal took an average of ten to fifteen minutes to harden.

I could clean up in the meantime. First, the blast furnace.

‘All I can do is wait for the charcoal to burn out.’

Most of the charcoal was already gray rather than black.

It would go out on its own even if I didn't put it out.

‘I'm lucky even in the middle of all this misfortune.’

I wiped away the sweat streaming down my face with a towel.

If the ores hadn't come in solid chunks, I would've suffered much more than this.

I'd need to make daggers and spare swords later too, so I had plenty of hardship ahead of me.

‘It should be ready by now, right?’

Time passed, and I slowly opened the lid of the mold.

A beautifully shaped sword came into view.

An alloy of green Mithril and dark violet Orichalcum.

‘The color is duller than I expected.’

It wasn't pretty. It was just... dull.

Neither green nor dark violet, but ordinary silver. A dark silver at that.

It was a little disappointing, but as long as the performance was good, that was enough.

I unconsciously reached for the sword, then flinched.

‘That was close.’

I thought it had cooled, but when I brought my hand close, it was still hot.

I tapped it with the tongs the dwarf had given me to check whether it had hardened, then carefully picked it up.

Now all I had to do was slowly put it into the container of oil and quench it.

Sizzle! Whoosh!

Just as the dwarf said, the oil caught fire as soon as I put the sword in.

But they'd said there was almost no chance of an accident, so I calmly continued quenching it.

After repeating it several times, the oil no longer caught fire.

That was how my first sword was completed.

“Phew.”

I let out a breath as I looked at the smoking sword.

Seeing it finished like this filled me with pride. It was a tool I had made myself.

If I had my way, I would've sharpened the blade myself too, but I should leave that to the dwarf.

The dwarf asked me to let them hold it in their own hands, saying that sharpening the blade would be enough.

[You]: (Photo of the completed sword)

[You]: Finished it.

[You]: It's cooled down. Want me to send it right away?

[Passing Dwarf]: Please let me sharpen just the blade...

[You]: I-I'll send it;;

They sounded so desperate that I couldn't bring myself to tease them.

I handed the longsword over to the dwarf.

‘I only sweated. It wasn't really tiring.’

I drank some water and checked the time.

There was still plenty of time left. I could use it to do something else.

‘Wonmo is... asleep.’

Wonmo happened to be taking a nap.

It looked like I should go catch the crabs for the dwarf.

So I hung the CCTV Orb PrincessChaenggu had given me above the cave entrance.

How did I hang it? I literally hung it up like a block of fermented soybeans. Of course, I made sure it wouldn't sway.

“Fast Sloth, I'm heading out for a bit.”

“...”

After saying goodbye to Fast Sloth, I left the shelter.

* * *

Around the same time, over with Gareth, who had received the sword from Grylls.

“Daaamn...!”

He let out a delighted cry as he looked at the sword Grylls had given him.

The blade was still blunt, and the grip hadn't been worked on. Yet the sword was in Gareth's hands.

Something about it was a little strange, though. When Grylls made it, it had looked dull.

Shhhhh.

But that wasn't what Gareth held now. He stared at the brilliantly shining green sword.

Dark violet starlight was embedded across the green-glowing surface.

It was like a green-glowing galaxy had been captured in a blade.

“It looks fucking incredible.”

Gareth muttered in rapture.

Footnotes:

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