Chapter Seventy: The Hammer of the Flame Demon

Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros the Firelord, was a legendary two-handed orange hammer from the era of World of Warcraft’s original sixtieth level cap. It was the weapon wielded by the final boss of the Molten Core raid, Ragnaros the Firelord himself, and thus became known as the “Hammer of the Firelord.”

In that distant age, when even epic purple gear was rare, Xu Kang had devoted countless hours and effort to obtaining that orange weapon. Even now, the memory remained deeply meaningful to him.

So, when he decided to forge a hammer, it was this weapon that immediately sprang to mind.

“Even if it’s just a replica, as long as I can make it, it’ll be a cherished keepsake.”

With this thought, he once again cupped his hands in salute to Lu Zhi.

“Master-uncle, there’s no time to lose. I’m off to forge my weapon—Sulfuras, Hand of Ragnaros. I won’t be back for lunch, so I’ll take my leave!”

With that, he departed the county office, Pig the Stalwart in tow, leaving Lu Zhi staring blankly at the long-handled hammer in his hand.

“What was that he said just now about… making a mess?”

…

Whatever Lu Zhi was thinking, Xu Kang had no idea. After leaving the office, he sought out the largest blacksmith shop in town and explained to the smith the weapon he wished to have forged.

Naturally, describing something as intricate as the Hammer of the Firelord was not enough; he had come prepared with a detailed drawing for the blacksmith’s reference.

After reviewing the drawing, the blacksmith immediately had his apprentices fetch several buckets of clay. He personally set to work, shaping the weapon’s model according to Xu Kang’s sketch.

Only once Xu Kang was satisfied with the model’s proportions and shape did the blacksmith proceed to make the mold. Molten iron was then poured in, beginning step one of the forging process—casting the form.

In ancient times, ironworking techniques generally fell into three stages: bloomery, puddled steel, and cast steel.

Of these, bloomery was the crudest. Charcoal was used as fuel, resulting in furnace temperatures too low to fully melt the ore; iron would be extracted in lumps, requiring repeated hammering to shape. The resulting tools were often inferior, sometimes even less durable than bronze.

Puddled steel and cast steel were a step above, as they allowed for complete melting of pig iron. With higher temperatures, more carbon could be removed, greatly increasing the malleability and ductility of the iron.

Weapons made from such material were less prone to breaking, though the softer metal tended to bend or roll at the edge. It took a master smith many hours of folding and hammering to produce a worthy blade.

But for Xu Kang, this step could be skipped.

After all, he was making a warhammer—a blunt weapon. There was no need to worry about edge rolling, and a little softness in the metal was of no consequence.

Even if he were to face a sword sharp enough to slice iron like mud, he wouldn’t be concerned. From a physics standpoint, without vertical force, nothing can be cut; that was a matter of basic principle.

With this understanding, he scoffed at the idea of seeking out rare “mystic iron” or “meteorite steel,” instead opting to use the blacksmith’s readily available pig iron—efficient and practical.

Soon, the iron hammer took shape within the mold. After it had cooled naturally, the blacksmith removed it and reheated it in the furnace.

Annealing, normalizing, tempering, quenching—none of the four fundamental steps of weapon forging could be skipped!

Xu Kang stood silently by, observing. Only when the blacksmith had his apprentices bring in a large vat of foul-smelling liquid did he finally speak up.

“What have you got there? The stench is unbearable! Don’t tell me you mean to use that to quench my weapon—if you do, I’ll fight you for it, I swear!”

Seeing Xu Kang’s face twisted in outrage, the blacksmith gave a wry smile and saluted him.

“General, to forge a fine weapon, quenching is crucial. It must be bathed in the urine of five sacrificial animals, and quenched with their fat as well!”

Xu Kang understood: to properly quench the weapon, they needed the urine and fat of animals like pigs, cattle, sheep, and dogs.

He had no idea what the exact principle was, but the thought of his weapon reeking of urine was repulsive—utterly disgusting!

He refused the blacksmith’s proposal without hesitation. “The oil is fine, but forget about the urine. Use water instead.”

Since he had spoken, the blacksmith dared not object. He quickly ordered the apprentices to remove the noxious vat and bring in another to be filled with water.

As the apprentices were about to pour water into the new vat, Xu Kang was suddenly struck by inspiration and stopped them.

“Wait!”

Under the astonished gazes of the smith and apprentices, he waved his hand, retrieving thousands of bags of magical springwater from his spatial backpack. He handed them over with a word: “Use this!”

It took the blacksmith a moment to realize, then he hurriedly directed his apprentices to open the bags and pour the magical springwater into the vat.

With several working in tandem, more than half the bags were soon emptied, filling the vat with crystal-clear water that gave off a faint, swirling white mist.

At the sight, the blacksmith and his apprentices couldn’t help swallowing, then turned to Xu Kang again.

“General, shall I begin the quenching?”

“Proceed,” Xu Kang replied.

With his permission, the blacksmith and his apprentices wasted no time. They lifted the glowing red hammer from the furnace and plunged it into the vat of magical springwater.

A furious hiss, a rush of steam, bubbling and boiling—the moment the hammer hit the water, the magical springwater erupted into a cloud of white vapor, engulfing the workshop.

Breathing in the vapor, the blacksmith and his apprentices felt instantly refreshed, invigorated, their faces alight with pleasure as they drew deep breaths.

Xu Kang was both amused and exasperated. “Stop breathing it in and refill the vat, or there’ll be nothing left to inhale!”

Only then did they notice that in those few seconds of inhaling, a quarter of the water had vanished, the level dropping visibly.

They hurried to open more bags, pouring magical springwater into the vat to replenish it.

When the last of the magical water had been used and the vat ceased to boil, the hammer’s quenching was complete.

But as the steam dispersed, what they saw made Xu Kang’s eyes widen in disbelief.

“How… how is this possible?”

There, lying at the bottom of the vat, was a hammer glowing a fiery crimson, looking exactly as it had when just removed from the furnace.

The quenching was done—so why did it still look freshly forged? It defied everything they knew!

Stunned, not only Xu Kang but the blacksmith and his apprentices were left speechless.

Gazing at the glowing hammer, Xu Kang realized there was no use simply staring. He reached out, cautiously testing the water.

To his surprise, it was cool to the touch, just like the magical springwater he drank every day.

“Could it be… this phenomenon is due to the magical springwater? If so, let me try…”

Steeling himself, he reached into the vat for the hammer.

No ordinary man would dare grasp red-hot iron with bare hands, but Xu Kang counted on his healing magic to mitigate any injury.

He was ready to pull back at the first sign of pain, then heal himself. Still, he harbored a sliver of hope, silently chanting as he reached for the handle:

“Please don’t burn me… please don’t burn me…”

As his fingers neared the handle, he found the water’s temperature unchanged. Without further hesitation, he gripped the hammer.

It felt smooth and warm, like polished jade.

Startled, Xu Kang yanked the hammer from the vat, unable to hide his excitement.

“No wonder—this is a weapon quenched in magical springwater! The look is incredible, but what about its quality? Wait… there’s an idea!”

He spotted a hatchet on the ground, strode over, and swung the fiery hammer down upon it.

With a crisp ring, a shower of sparks burst forth. When he lifted the hammer, the hatchet had been cleaved clean in two.

Xu Kang couldn’t suppress his elation, throwing his head back in laughter.

“Hahaha! This is the Hammer of the Firelord I always dreamed of! Now you truly live up to your name!”

He was so overjoyed, he laughed for several minutes before finally composing himself.

When he turned to thank the blacksmith and pay him, he found the man and his apprentices kneeling on the ground.

He quickly set aside the hammer and stepped forward to help the blacksmith up.

“Sir, you have forged a divine weapon for me today. I should be the one thanking you! Why do you kneel? Please, all of you, rise.”

“Thank you, General!” The blacksmith and apprentices stood.

Once on his feet, the blacksmith bowed deeply, his face full of reverence.

“General, you must be of immortal lineage. For us to have forged such a divine weapon for you is a blessing beyond measure. This bow was only right!”

“Oh? You know who I am?”

Xu Kang’s surprise faded into laughter.

“Hahaha! If you know me, all the better. Here, this is for you!”

He pulled a gold ingot from his backpack, pressed it into the blacksmith’s hand, and clapped his shoulder firmly.

“This is your reward—don’t refuse. And since I believe in good things coming in pairs, make me another Hammer of the Firelord. I want to wield two at once!”

Blacksmith: (⊙o⊙)…