Blacksmith of the Apocalypse

<Ding! Your skill Soul Forging lv.8 had become Soul Forging lv.9!>

He heard an unexpected message when he finished the new bangle that would hold the Blessing of Charon. It had been a while since <Soul Forging> leveled up, but that was to be expected on the higher levels.

The new banked showed a scene of the underworld. It was the river Styx and at the center of the scene was Charon ferrying souls in his bark across the river. With the lost souls in the river and the gaunt ghost crowding the ship, the bangle looked quite macabre and dark.

It only lacked the engraving for the <Blessing of Charon> and would be done. He purposefully left a blank space on the boat to engrave the sigil that resembled a similar boat. He could feel his <Channeling> automatically activate when a looming presence appeared behind him.

He could still recognize it from back then. This was Charon, the chthonic deity that ferried the dead across the river Styx. Because of his skills, his presence felt much more clear than the blacksmith remembered.

The aura felt solemn and reserved, but Seth could feel just a smidgen of goodwill as power started flowing into the bangle. Starting from the sigil, the bangle showed a small, but significant change. The gaunt figures Seth had placed in the boat looked more like regular people, of all ages and sizes, while the unfortunate souls drifting in the river grew in number, mixing up into a pattern of horrifying faces.

Once the change was done, the presence in his back vanished, the enchantment was finished and with it, he got the notification, that the soul armament was completed.

<Physique of Charon

Mag. Def: 6000

1. 80% Resistance to Disease

2. 70% Resistance to Poison

3. 40% Resistance to Decay

4. 20% resistance to Death Attribute

A special armor created by Master Smith the first Master Blacksmith and Master Enchanter of Urth. The bangle depicts Charon, the Ferryman of Hades, and taps into the deity's physic that allows it to endure the environment of Styx.>

All of the resistances had majorly improved and the resistance to the Death attribute was newly added. Seth didn't mind that there was no passive skill, as these were flat increases in resistance, independent of his original stat that would be based on his skills and attributes.

Item descriptions could be confusing if one didn't know the ins and out of them. Especially when it was about what the percentage numbers were based on. One thing that was always true was that if it didn't have a plus, it was a flat increase that was directly added to one's status as is. This kind of bonus was rare for items and usually only came with corresponding skills.

Added to his base resistances he had gained from food, skills, and stats, Seth had over 100% resistance against disease and poison when wearing the soul armament. This was technically immunity, although it wouldn't be displayed like that in his status.

Seth didn't rest. He equipped the bangle and turned to the next one. Second to last was the bracer he had enchanted with the <Blessing of Styx>. At first, Seth seriously deliberated to change it to a belt, so it became the order between his torso and his nether region, but he scrapped that idea.

In the end, the blacksmith stayed in the shape of a pair of bracers. For the design, Seth became a little more abstract. On the surface of each bracer, he engraved sic pillars that were bound by thick chains. These, altogether twelve, pillars symbolized the twelve Olympians that would swear their highest Oaths to Styx, the river of unbreakable Oath.

Although Seth knew that the <Blessing of Styx> was closer to the legend of Achilles in its effects, he thought this was a closer depiction of one of the more prominent aspects of Styx. After all, he was asking for the blessing of the deity, not the ancient hero.

Especially since her sigil was a tight knot, symbolizing her nature of the oath keeper of gods. When he started engraving said knot, he could feel the wise gaze resting on his shoulder once again. Through <Channeling> he could feel her eyes examine the bracers he created this time.

The blacksmith could truly feel a hint of approval from the connection with the deity. This was something he was holy numb to, during the first time he forged these soul armaments. Similar to Charon, he could feel a good amount of power settling inside the armament.

<Guard of Styx

Mag. Def: 6000

1. +50% Physical Defense

2. +150 Endurance

3. +30% Defense when Blocking

4. +20 Stamina Recovery

A special armor created by Master Smith the first Master Blacksmith and Master Enchanter of Urth. The pair of bracers depicts the nature of divine oaths that symbolize Styx and hold part of the deity's blessing known from ancient myths.>

Equipping the bracers, Seth finally came to the last soul armament to reforge, the Necklace of Persephone. The blacksmith already knew back then, that Persephone was not too happy with his soul armament.

She preferred something that would be carried as a visible item, but Seth preferred to have these kinds of effects in a shape that couldn't be stolen or easily unequipped. Having them as a kind of passive was simply more to his taste.

Since she mentioned that this was the only exception, Seth had taken his time to come up with a method to make both sides happy. This led to his idea to make it a circlet. Seth had paid a small sum to Tano'Mol to come up with a way to make the soul armament visible if needed.

Seth wasn't quite happy with the shape and he suspected the goat had... other items, but aside from his amused smile he had no evidence. He was only left with the option to buy a thin black lace choker, that could emit an aura that could make souls visible to everyone. The demon revealed that his associates used items like this to seek and collect souls for him.

The blacksmith hoped that this compromise would appease the goddess. In addition, he had studied jewelry design that would fit the taste of Olympians for inspiration. The result was that he made a delicate circlet in the design of an elegant laurel crown.

Seth made it a little wider from the start. This way, when he wore it and activate the choker, the crown would appear on top of his helmet, or as a halo slightly above his head. He imagined it to look quite imposing if he made it appear during speeches or musical performances.

Only when he was satisfied with the shape, did Seth begin engraving the sigil of Persephone. This time the sudden appearance of a presence of a sweet smile and the breath of a woman behind him raised the hair in his nape.

It felt like an amused lady had suddenly appeared beside him. <Channeling> just made his shock worse.

“Hmm, I like the Idea, let me add something, “ she breathed and golden flames started dancing around the laurel wreath. “Now, I can accept this. Good work, little blacksmith.”

he finished the sigil and Persephone also left. The goddess had scared the crap out of him but his practiced hands had made no mistake and finished the engraving successfully. Looking at the flaming wreath, Seth let out a sigh of relief.

<Crown of Persephone

Mag. Def: 6000

1. +150 Personality

2. .-30% Aggro Generation

3. Others are attracted to you, regardless of their preferences

4. Passive Skill: Persephone's Presence

A special armor created by Master Smith the first Master Blacksmith and Master Enchanter of Urth. The flaming crown depicts a laurel wreath symbolizing the Queen of the Underworld Persephone. It holds the divine blessing of the goddess.>

Seth couldn't be surprised anymore, he was just glad that it had worked at this point, even when he had to wear a flimsy-looking choker to make it work.

All effects had strengthened, while the decline in Aggro Generation was new. <Persephone's Presence> was the strengthened version of “others find you more agreeable and get less angry around you”

<Passive Skill: Persephone's Presence

You have a calming effect on those around you and it becomes easier to persuade others of your opinions.>

The effects sounded vague, but Seth didn't doubt that it would be helpful in the future, even if he might not directly notice them. With this crown, he was done reforging the soul armaments he already had, but he still had one massive soul left.

To finish things off, he was going to make a new soul armament.