The challenge turned the bustling street in the Artisan District into an arena. Word quickly spread about the unexpected Forge Duel a unique public event involving two self-proclaimed masters. Eager for amusement and an essential lesson in true creativity. New gamers and seasoned guilds gathered in a dense pressing semicircle around the store.
Ethan set his camera to the highest resolution and positioned himself precisely at the edge of the crowd. He evaluated the situation: Blacksmith versus Blacksmith, Fraud versus Master. S-Rank cinematic is guaranteed. There was a tangible sense of excitement in the throng.
The dishonest craftsman entered the open area his face heated with rage but concealed by smug attitude.
"The rules are simple. A pure material resistance test. Each of us will create a basic Iron shield, a shield made to resist a certain magical force. Shadow-Fire is my pick".
Known for its corrosive properties Shadow-Fire was a harsh, chaotic kind of magic.
"I'll select the material and the winner is the one whose iron shield survives the blast and these are the conditions are to be agreed upon" Gideon said this in smug face.
With the heavy hammer resting on his shoulder the heavy figure of the master Blacksmith Vulcan moved ahead.
"You can use Shadow-Fire. The element is up to you. I select both the test source and the judge".
A strong high-level elemental mage stepped forward from the crowd. He was an old NPC who was known for being honest in the city's most important groups. He was given the responsibility of judging. With his staff blazing with concentrated magical energy the judge accepted the responsibility for judging these two Blacksmiths.
The fraudster went straight to his forge and motioned for his helpers to get a large bucket of dark seething liquid ready.
"I'll use Shadow-Steel! imbued with seven layers of anti-elemental protection and dried in Void Oil a substance created especially to fight against Shadow-Fire essence."
The Fraudster blacksmith's started hitting the Shadow-Steel in a frenzy. His actions were theatrical: they poured volatile vividly colored substances upon the block hammered loudly and violently and performed loudly. The procedure was obviously intended to wow the audience giving the impression that the forgery was extremely complex and difficult.
Every detail was captured on camera by Ethan. His M1 True Sight verified the fundamental fraud: layers of inexpensive deceptive warding powder covered the core metal which was a straightforward iron alloy combined with coal dust. The "Void Oil" was black-water smelling. The shield relied solely on visual deception, which was a basic untruth.
"The integrity of that shield is non-existent," Ethan whispered to Anchor. "The magical bonds are already unstable."
The ruckus and theatrics were disregarded by the master blacksmith. With the patience of geological time he approached the Eternal Forge. He brought a plain unimpressive slab of White Iron instead of Shadow-Steel.
"I'll use basic purified white iron as my material. Its defense shall be based only on purity not on spreading lies."
The forging started. No theatrical chanting took place. The hammer was used with precise rhythmic blows that reverberated through the earth. The interior structure of the metal was forced into a flawlessly uniform defense by each precisely timed impact.
The procedure was slow quiet, and methodical. Three times the White Iron was heated to a dazzling terrifying white and then quenched in a stream of pure distilled mana water. The resultant shield a polished flawlessly smooth platter, appeared modest in comparison to the scammer's heavy Iron shield, but its real strength lay in its internal perfection.
The expert forging was captured on camera by Ethan. The M1 True Sight demonstrated the stark contrast: one shield was a disorderly mixture of erratic essences while the other was a calm harmonious whole a single, perfect magical barrier created by strict discipline. The Masterwork was a shining example of true creation.
The judge a formidable elemental magician held up his staff to demand quiet. On two different basalt platforms the two shields were positioned side by side. The time has come for the truth.
The judge declared, "I will test the claimed resistance of both shield," in a commanding voice. "The test must be objective, channeled through a neutral source."
The judge reached for his staff a legendary relic that was the ideal neutral focus and pulsed with enormous magical energy. He aimed his staff for the first shield the scammer's heavy black iron shield.
He sent a concentrated beam of black fire that was thick and caustic onto the Shadow-Steel black shield. For a moment optimistic the shield blazed crackled, and held. The audience was enthralled with the raw magic show.
For the inexpensive material the test's force was too great.
SNAP!
The fake shield broke completely with a sound like broken glass. The feeble core was quickly consumed by the Shadow-Fire leaving a molten hole in its place. The con artist stood motionless his façade completely shattered.
The judge focused on the plain Purified White Iron disk which was the second shield.
"We test true resistance" the skilled blacksmith ordered. "Maintain the channel until the material yields."
The judge acknowledged the seriousness of the proposal by nodding. He directed all of the focused Shadow-Fire's crushing beam into the master's plain white shield.
It had a huge effect. The impact's force caused the air to scream. The black fire was absorbed by the white iron shield which shone furiously but resisted. It didn't deform melt shift or even crack. The Shadow-Fire merely struck the surface and spread innocuously throughout the pure metal's ideal magnetic field.
Sweat trickled down his brow as the judge tested the boundaries of his legendary staff holding the blast for twelve excruciating seconds. The crowd was completely silent. The white iron shield stood unharmed its surface perfect and cool and the air was calm when the judge eventually lowered the staff.
A wild storm of applause and incredulity broke out in the crowd. There was no denying the master's blacksmith exceptional handiwork.
"Vulcan the Blacksmith is the winner!" The judge proclaimed "The integrity of his craft is absolute by the laws of the Forge."
The judge called for the municipal guards right away. "Catch the scammer! Dangerous material scams and impersonation are prohibited. Take his belongings and send them to the Guild."
The con artist's profitable scheme came to an immediate stop when two senior city guards encircled him.
The master blacksmith disregarded the praise. The young player at the edge of the crowd had all of his attention.
In his hand the Artificer's Resonance Compass was no longer just pulsing. It was aimed straight at Ethan and glowing with a furious unwavering orange light. Now that the duel was done his journey's real goal was in sight.
He started to force his way past the players who were cheering advancing toward the sole unidentified person in the entire crowd with a sudden unwavering determination. He came to a stop right in front of Ethan the sun obscured by his enormous armored bulk. The camera in Ethan's hand went unnoticed.
"A Legendary Ember Spike Fragment is in your possession. In this large city it is the strongest signature I have come across. That information is necessary for me to finish a masterwork commission. We must talk".