Tom was in the Room of Requirement, attempting to impart the secrets of goblin blacksmithing. In the magical world, blacksmithing and alchemy differed in their specializations. Alchemy focused on imbuing objects with inherent magical abilities upon creation. Blacksmithing, however, used specialized forging techniques to weave intricate magical circuits into an item during its creation, granting it magical power.
These circuits were unbelievably complex; a single error could ruin the entire piece. Yet, they also bestowed incredible abilities, and the more complex the circuit, the more potent the magic. This demanded high-quality materials, capable of withstanding the intricacies of these circuits.
...
Presently, the Room of Requirement looked less like a blacksmith's forge and more like the "Gryffindor-style gymnasium" it had been previously. The rhythmic clang of hammer against metal echoed through the chamber. Tom, demonstrating masterful control, guided the hammer with magic, striking a piece of ordinary enchanted metal and inscribing intricate magical circuits as it was shaped.
Traditionally, goblin forging separated the "hammering" and "circuit inscription," but Tom saw no need. Multitasking came easily to him, and controlling the forging process with magic offered far greater precision than manual labor. He sat at the forging table, legs crossed, sipping tea, and watching the "automated" work progress.
Two spectral figures observed the scene. Slytherin remained silent, but Godric Gryffindor could no longer contain himself. "Much as I hate to admit it, Tom, aren't you concerned about producing a flawed piece with this method?"
Gryffindor, a staunch traditionalist, clearly disapproved of Tom's "unorthodox" approach.
"..."
Me, the God of Magic, swinging a hammer myself? What would be the point of learning magic, then?
Tom glanced at Godric Gryffindor. "I am watching, am I not? There is no chance of error."
In truth, Tom was being quite diligent. Otherwise, he would have simply relied on "sensing the changes in the metal's magic and the smoothness of the magical circuits" to complete the task.
"..."
Gryffindor looked frustrated. Knowing he couldn't sway Tom with words, he decided to wait for a mistake. But as time passed...
"I must say, your talent is truly unnatural."
Gryffindor's lips twitched as he examined the finished swords. The materials had been unremarkable, so the swords weren't of particularly high quality. Only one or two were "excellent"; the rest were merely "fine."
But one could only achieve so much with common materials; one couldn't expect to create a legendary artifact from scrap. Not even the most skilled blacksmith could forge Mjolnir from an old bucket. The two "excellent" swords were only of that caliber because Tom had inscribed magical circuits that pushed the metal's tolerance to its absolute limit. Typically, such ordinary metals could only be forged to "fine" quality.
"Not bad."
Tom picked up a sword and tested its weight. The magically enhanced "sharpness" attribute alone would make it a divine weapon in the Muggle world.
Perfect for Harry and the others who enjoy melee combat. And if they don't need them, I can always sell them.
Casually storing the swords in his silver snake ring, Tom suddenly remembered the two large pieces of goblin metal Godric Gryffindor had provided. He was confident he could forge weapons rivaling the Gryffindor Sword from them.
But he saw no point. Even if he succeeded, it would only be for Harry and the others to play with. In Tom's opinion, weapons were ultimately less practical than his treasure box.
So, Tom had another idea, retrieving the artifact he had once acquired—the broken Mirror of Bastet.
It had been damaged when he tried to save Malfoy previously.
Now, as the "God of Magic," possessing advanced alchemy and forging expertise, he wondered if he could repair it. After all, legends always depicted dwarves and goblins forging mighty artifacts.
With this in mind, Tom examined the mirror, and finally discovered...
There seemed to be some potential, but the mithril pilfered from Godric Gryffindor would be insufficient. Mithril's primary strength lay in its magical storage capacity.
The "Mirror of Bastet" was missing its magical core, the "Cat God Incarnation," which Tom had destroyed with runes. A complete repair would require finding sufficiently powerful magical material to serve as a new core, adding other materials, and reforging the mirror. It might not be stronger than the original, but it would be superior to its current ruined state.
If the essence material was potent enough, restoring its "Mythical" quality might even be possible.
"..."
A sufficiently powerful magical material?
Tom leaned back against the forging table, pondering. His first thought was the "Heart of the Ocean" he had given Cassandra.
Even as a "Legendary" magical item, it's a bit lacking, but it's the best I had to offer.
He wondered if he could trick his foolish apprentice into surrendering it for two lollipops.
"Ahem..."
"..."
Tom raised an eyebrow. "What is it? Do you have another offering? Another quest?"
Fortunately, Gryffindor, still sulking, had dragged Salazar Slytherin away after Tom finished forging the sword. Otherwise, seeing Tom talking to thin air might have elicited exclamations of disbelief.
Even from ghosts.
"Uh... I don't have what you need right now, but I know where to FIND what you need!"
The System's voice sounded a little sheepish.
"Let's not dwell on that, System. Something has always puzzled me."
Tom settled into a more comfortable position. "Why don't you have mission points or a system shop or anything like that? Even just missions and rewards would be fine, but everything you give me feels... haphazard."
"..."
Tom felt a growing sense of unease. "You're not just handing out whatever happens to be within reach, are you?"
"..."
His premonition was confirmed. "..."
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