Chapter 25: A Symphony of Clinking and Banging! The Stepping Stone to the Iron Age Has Arrived! ^^……

Previously, Lin Yue's main anxieties revolved around survival, such as what to eat today and when he could get enough to eat. Now, however, he is filled with an industrial revolution fervor, with the cry of "Steel! We want steel!"

Every day, Lin Yue would stare at those dark, hard lumps of iron with a gleam in his eyes, as if they were fragrant braised pork hocks.

Gray would occasionally pick up the iron block and weigh it in his hand, his eyes filled with longing for more powerful weapons. Even Little Fen was interested in these novel "toys," always trying to take a bite, only to end up wincing from the sharp edges.

Of course, the most excited and the most arrogant was our dwarf leader, Stonefist.

Since successfully guiding the first batch of molten iron to be smelted, Uncle Stone Fist has straightened his back considerably, walks with a swagger, and his gaze towards Lin Yue and Gray has changed from "a bunch of idiots" to "a bunch of dull-witted but barely teachable idiots."

His most important daily task now is to walk around those few lumps of iron with his hands behind his back, muttering to himself, and occasionally pointing with his finger, making profound and enigmatic comments that Lin Yue can hardly understand.

"Hmm... this piece has a high carbon content, it's too brittle, it needs to be forged properly to remove the carbon..."

"This piece has quite a few impurities; it will require repeated folding and forging to remove them..."

"This one... is alright, barely usable. I can use it to practice first..."

Lin Yue listened from the side, completely bewildered but impressed! He quickly took out his little slate and diligently wrote it down (as a talisman).

Talk is cheap; actions speak louder than words. Now that we have the iron, the next step is naturally—forging!

Transform these rough lumps of cast iron into truly useful tools!

This glorious and arduous task undoubtedly falls to our great dwarf blacksmith, Uncle Stonefist!

However, when Lin Yue rubbed his hands together with anticipation and asked Shi Quan, "Uncle, when are we going to start blacksmithing?" he was met with Shi Quan's merciless disdain.

"Forging iron? In this dump?!" Stone Fist kicked the ground, his eyes bulging and his beard bristling. "Not even a decent blacksmith shop! Where's the anvil? The hammer? The tongs? The tempering trough?! Nothing! You expect me to forge it by hand?!"

Lin Yue: "..." Okay, he admits he was a little impatient.

Indeed, blacksmithing requires not only iron but also a complete set of professional tools and equipment!

"Then...then let's build it right now!" Lin Yue immediately declared. "Just tell us what you need, and we'll get it done right away!"

Therefore, a new sub-project was added to the "Lin's Restaurant Infrastructure Project" - the "Basic Open-Air Blacksmith Shop Construction Project"!

The core of this project is a three-piece set: an anvil, a hammer, and fire tongs.

An anvil is a platform used to hold iron blocks during forging. According to the requirements of the stone fist, it is best to use a single, hard, flat, large iron block.

But where are they going to get this now? They can only settle for the next best thing: the biggest, flattest, and hardest granite. The system tests it and finds that the hardness is acceptable, barely usable, but it is easily worn and has a large shock effect.

A hammer, used to pound red-hot iron. Stonefist said that the warhammers used by dwarves are all made of fine steel, incredibly heavy, and a single blow can cause mountains to crumble and the earth to split... (omitting a thousand words of boasting).

The reality is that they can only use the materials they have to make a... uh... "stone-wood composite hammer"? Find the hardest stone, grind it into the shape of a hammerhead, then use the toughest hardwood for the handle, and reinforce the connection with animal sinew and resin.

As for fire tongs… they're used to pick up red-hot iron blocks. This is relatively simple; you can use two sturdy hardwood sticks, sharpen the ends or shape them into clamps, and then heat them over a fire to carbonize and harden them. Although rudimentary, it's usable, albeit barely.

A quenching tank... is basically a large stone pit that can hold water. We already have these readily available.

As for the forging furnace? We can temporarily make do with the existing smelting furnace, or build a smaller forging furnace that is more convenient for heating the iron blocks.

Under the constant "sharp-tongued guidance" of Uncle Stone Fist and the "silent hard work" of Gray, Lin Yue once again demonstrated his revolutionary cog spirit of "going wherever needed," and with a few clanging and hammering, an extremely simple but barely functional "open-air blacksmith shop" was finally built!

[System Notification: Construction of the [Basic Open-Air Blacksmith Shop] is complete. Facility Rating: D- (Extremely rudimentary, inefficient, and poses safety hazards). [Basic Forging] skill unlocked (beginner level). Note: Congratulations on owning the most shabby blacksmith shop in the entire alternate world! At least… it makes some noise.]

Lin Yue stared at the "blacksmith shop" made up of a large rock, an ugly stone hammer, and two charred wooden sticks, his lips twitching. System, your critiques are getting more and more accurate!

However shabby it may be, it's still a blacksmith's shop! Everything is difficult at the beginning!

"Uncle Stone Fist! All the gear is ready! Do you think... we can start showing off our real skills now?" Lin Yue rubbed his hands together, looking at Stone Fist with expectant eyes.

Shi Quan circled the shabby blacksmith shop twice, scrutinizing it with disdain:

"This piece of junk doesn't even deserve to be called an anvil! It's so soft! Don't smash it to pieces with one swing of the hammer!"

"This hammer? It's so light! Is it for women to use for embroidery?!"

"These fire tongs? Are they even secure? Don't let them accidentally throw a red-hot iron at my beard!"

Although he was cursing and swearing, a kind of light called "craftsman's spirit" was rekindled in his cloudy eyes!

How many years has it been? Since the mines dried up, his home was lost, and he was forced to wander, how many years has it been since he touched a hammer or heard the clanging sound of blacksmithing?

He took a deep breath, stood still, and glanced at the few pieces of crude pig iron. Finally, he chose the smallest piece that looked to have the fewest impurities.

"Grey! Start a fire! Get the stove burning bright!" Stonefist commanded, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

Gray immediately sprang into action, lighting the forge and then began operating the brand-new animal-hide bellows.

Whoosh—! Flames erupt!

"Lin Yue! Hold the tongs steady! Heat this lump of iron thoroughly!" Shi Quan said, pointing to the selected piece of cast iron.

"Alright!" Lin Yue picked up the two simple wooden fire tongs, carefully picked up the iron block, and put it into the roaring furnace fire.

The flames licked the iron block, gradually heating it red... orange-red... bright red... until it became like a branding iron, emitting a dazzling, almost white light!

"It's almost done! Take it out!" Stone Fist roared.

Lin Yue quickly used the tongs to grip the red-hot iron block and placed it steadily on the large rock serving as an anvil. His clumsy movements drew a furious shout from Shi Quan: "Idiot! Be gentle! Don't drop the iron!"

Stonefist took a deep breath and accepted the ugly but heavy stone-wood composite hammer that Gray handed him.

He weighed the hammer in his hand, pursed his lips, but his eyes became incredibly focused!

Then, he swung the hammer!

"when!!!"

A crisp, clear, metallic clang rang out above "Lin's Restaurant"!

This was the first cry of the Iron Age!

The stone hammer slammed into the red-hot iron block, sending up countless dazzling sparks!

Stone Fist's movements were initially somewhat awkward and tentative, after all, his leg injury had not fully healed, and the hammer and anvil were far from the tools he was used to.

But soon, the instinct that was ingrained in their bones, belonging to the dwarven blacksmith, was awakened!

Each swing of his hammer contained a unique rhythm and power! Sometimes swift as thunder, forcefully smashing out impurities from the iron block! Sometimes light as a touch of water, meticulously adjusting the shape of the iron block!

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The rhythmic clanging of blacksmiths became the sole melody in the world at that moment.

Lin Yue and Gray watched in stunned silence, not daring to even breathe.

What they saw was no longer the grumpy, complaining old dwarf, but an artist who was concentrating, sweating, and creating miracles.

Xiao Fen was also attracted by the clanging sounds and flying sparks, curiously craning her neck, but seemed to sense a solemn atmosphere, and obediently lay to the side without causing any trouble.

As the iron block was hammered by the stone fist, it continuously deformed, stretched, and thinned... The oxide scale and impurities on the surface were gradually knocked off, revealing the relatively pure metallic luster inside.

Whenever the iron block cooled down and darkened in color, Shi Quan would signal Lin Yue to put it back into the furnace to heat it up.

Heating, forging, reheating, forging again... this process was repeated countless times.

Shi Quan's forehead was covered in sweat, and his breathing became heavy, but the hammer in his hand did not stop at all, and continued to fall accurately and powerfully!

Lin Yue's heart rose and fell with the clanging sound. He was both excited and nervous, afraid that something might go wrong and cause all his efforts to be in vain.

[System Notification: Currently observing [Dwarven Basic Forging Techniques (Stone Fist Demo Version)]. Forging Skill Proficiency +10. Analyzing the mechanical principles and heat treatment effects during the forging process… Knowledge Base [Metalworking] module experience points +80.]

Finally, after the last heating and shaping, Stone Fist looked at the roughly palm-sized metal piece with sharp edges in his hand, which was already taking shape, and nodded in satisfaction.

“…Quenching!” he said in a deep voice.

Lin Yue quickly pushed a large pit of clear water that had been prepared earlier in front of Shi Quan.

Stone Fist gripped the red-hot metal sheet with fire tongs, his eyes focused, and he seemed to be muttering some ancient dwarven prayer.

Then, he suddenly plunged the metal sheet into the water!

"Sizzle—!!!"

A piercing sound rang out, accompanied by a large amount of white water vapor rising into the air!

Water splashes everywhere!

Once the steam dissipated, Stone Fist slowly removed the cooled metal piece from the water.

Its entire body had a dull metallic sheen, and the edge gleamed with a cold, icy light. Although the surface was somewhat rough and the shape wasn't particularly regular, there was no doubt that this was a genuine piece of... ironware!

A small but sharp... dagger! Or rather, a multi-purpose knife!

[System Notification: Successfully forged your first iron tool, the [Crude Iron Dagger]! Quality: Common (limited by materials and craftsmanship). Attributes: Sharpness +15, Durability +20. Unlocked achievement [Stepping Stone to the Iron Age]! Gained 300 experience points and 80 system points!]

[The dwarf 'Stonefist's' mood has greatly improved (sense of accomplishment +60, fatigue -20%), and his approval rating of the host and team has increased!]

"It's a success! It's a success! It's an iron blade!" Lin Yue cheered excitedly, almost jumping for joy!

Gray stepped forward, picked up the still-moist iron dagger, and gently ran his fingers along the cold blade, his eyes filled with amazement and longing!

Looking at his long-awaited creation, which he had made himself, Shi Quan's face showed undisguised pride and satisfaction! Although he was exhausted, he was unusually excited!

"Hmph! See that? This is what you call a real tool!" He handed the dagger to Lin Yue, his tone smug. "Although the materials are a bit inferior and the heat is a little lacking, this thing is a hundred times better than your broken stones."

Lin Yue took the dagger; its heavy weight and cold sharpness stirred his emotions.

He casually picked up a thick wooden stick from the side and tried to chop it with his dagger.

"Whoosh!"

With almost no effort, a deep gash was chopped into the wooden stick! If it were an old stone knife, it would probably have taken half a day to chop it!

"It's so sharp! It's amazing!" Lin Yue stroked the dagger with great affection. "Uncle Stone Fist! You're a master craftsman!"

Although it is just a small dagger, it represents something extraordinary.

This means that the small restaurant finally has its first iron tool! They have officially bid farewell to the purely Stone Age!

A leap in productivity is just around the corner.

In the days to come, there will be iron axes, iron hoes, iron spears... and even iron pots.

Lin Yue could almost smell the aroma of braised goose in an iron pot!

He looked at Uncle Stone Fist's face, flushed with exhaustion and excitement, and felt a surge of gratitude.

This hot-tempered but highly skilled dwarf leader was indeed a key figure in their rapid entry into the Iron Age.

We must treat him well! Plenty of salt! Plenty of meat! And we need to find a way to get him some good wine.