Immortal Ice Empress: Path to Vengeance

901 Strength Control

Mira closed the [Basic Blacksmithing] book, her mind swirling with new insights and perspectives. The night had deepened around her, but she was too invigorated by the knowledge she had gained to care.

Her gaze fell on [Soul of the Forge], the other book she had purchased. She hesitated for a moment before picking it up, feeling its weight in her hands. 'Another book made of metal, huh?' This book, she knew, would take her understanding of blacksmithing to a whole new level.

As she flipped through the pages, Mira was drawn into the world of Qi manipulation in forging. The book spoke of blending one's internal energy with the external elements, to quite literally put one's heart and soul into their creation.

"The soul of the smith becomes one with the forge..." Mira murmured, intrigued by the concept.

She read about advanced techniques that required precise control of one's internal energy, of channeling Qi into the metal to infuse it with unique properties. Each technique was accompanied by detailed explanations and pictorial representations.

After she was done skimming through it, she put the book aside.

'Once I'm confident that I've mastered the basics, I'll move onto this.' She thought, but had a feeling she wouldn't have an easy time, especially with her current strength.

In order to get started, she wanted to create Human-Grade items first and perfect those. The only problem was that she could turn the ores and materials needed for such a thing into dust with a simple flick of her finger.

Mira stood up. 'Whatever.' She shrugged. 'I'll just take this as more training.'

Stepping out of her room, Mira made her way to the resort's main office. She had a few requests to make and needed to find a place so as not to disturb the other guests or the resort's ambiance.

She would also need a proper forge and materials. 'The Resort should be able to offer that, right? As long as they're paid.'

Upon reaching the office, she was greeted by a staff member who recognized her instantly. "Miss Mira, how can we assist you today?" the staff member asked with a polite smile.

"I need a place to set up a forge," Mira stated straightforwardly. "Somewhere secluded, where the noise and heat won't be a disturbance."

The staff member nodded, understanding the request. "I believe we have just the spot. There's a secluded area on the eastern side of the resort, near the lava rivers. It's far enough from the guest areas and should suit your needs perfectly."

"Good," Mira replied, her tone firm yet appreciative. "I'll also need materials. Metals, ores, tools... Can the resort provide these?"

"Certainly," the staff member responded, typing into an array to arrange the necessary items. "We'll have everything delivered to the location by tomorrow morning. You will be charged for the materials then."

Mira nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

So, she headed to the eastern side of the resort. As she approached the area near the lava rivers, she surveyed the surroundings. The heat from the flowing lava, coupled with the natural seclusion, made it an ideal spot.

She found a cave-like formation nearby, perfect for setting up her forge. It was spacious enough to work comfortably yet sufficiently isolated to ensure her activities wouldn't disturb the rest of the resort.

Mira didn't waste any time. She accessed the Firmament's point shop once more and purchased a [Basic Forge] for 100 points. The forge materialized in front of her as a robust structure with a simple yet easy-to-understand design.

The next task was to rig it up to the nearby lava for a consistent heat source. Mira worked meticulously, using her Qi to manipulate the terrain and create a channel from the lava to the forge.

By the time she finished, the sky was beginning to lighten. Mira took a moment to admire her handiwork, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

As the sun rose, a staff member from the resort arrived outside the cave, carrying a Spatial Ring. "Miss Mira, your materials and tools as requested," they said, handing her the ring.

Mira accepted it and peered inside the Spatial Ring, finding it filled with thousands of Human-Grade materials and a basic set of blacksmithing tools. "Mmhm," she nodded, her mind already planning her first project.

She reached for a chunk of iron ore, eager to begin, but as soon as she touched it, the ore crumbled to dust in her hand. Mira frowned, a low grumble escaping her lips. 'Too much strength,' she realized.

However, this was within her expectations. So, she grabbed another one, this time trying to control all the muscles in her fingers as much as possible, only for her fingers to sink right through the metal, destroying it once again.

'...Just how strong is my body?' She glanced at her hands. 'No wonder attacks below a certain level can't even leave a scratch, much less hurt me.'

Mira spent the rest of the day trying to control her immense strength, aiming to handle the materials without damaging them. It was a frustrating process, the ore crumbling time and time again under her touch. By the end of the day, she had made little to no progress.

Annoyed, Mira met Dominique at the training ground, and the two began their routine once again until the young fox was worn out. Once Dominique was asleep, Mira went back to practicing her strength control.

This routine continued for about a week. Each day, Mira pushed Dominique to her limits in training, then returned to her forge to practice.

Slowly but surely, she began to gain a better sense of control. The materials no longer turned to dust at her touch, and she could handle them with a delicate yet firm grip.

Finally, after a week of persistent effort, Mira managed to hold a piece of iron ore without it crumbling. A slight smile broke across her face. 'Now, the real work begins,' she thought to herself.