CHAPTER 65: THE FORGE'S CHALLENGE

Bright Hammer paid no heed to Charliman's words about mining. After all, he was a pure blacksmith, not a miner. It was someone else's responsibility to extract the ores. He just needed to purchase the raw materials for forging.

"So, are you sure you want to craft your dual blades with this... Titansteel ore?" Bright Hammer inquired.

Charliman nodded, "Indeed, using this ore to forge weapons should ensure that I won't need to replace my melee weapons for a long time."

Bright Hammer grinned, took a piece of ore, and assessed it. He flexed his arms and hands.

"All right! Let me help you smelt these ores. I'm curious to see the quality of weapons we can create with this new ore."

However, Bright Hammer's enthusiasm quickly faded when he encountered difficulties during the initial smelting process. The Titansteel ore proved exceptionally stubborn, resisting even his most intense bellows.

"Ah! I've never seen such a stubborn ore before!" Bright Hammer grumbled as his face turned red from the searing heat. If he couldn't smelt the ore, how could he forge weapons? It was a perplexing dilemma.

"Maybe if we had the great forges of Ironforge, we could smelt this ore," Bright Hammer mused. He sighed as he thought about his homeland.

In the past, when his forging skills hit a plateau, he had chosen to leave his clan and seek a breakthrough in the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, hoping to find insights in the High Elves' enchanting craftsmanship. However, the conceited High Elves had left him dumbfounded, and despite over two decades of effort, he couldn't glean a shred of useful knowledge from the mages.

The haughty magicians viewed him with disdain, an outsider and a mere blacksmith, unwilling to share their arcane secrets. Bright Hammer had frequently questioned his initial decision to leave his people and travel to a foreign land, wondering if he might have competed for the title of Chief Blacksmith against Magni Bronzebeard, the Old Bronzebeard himself.

Charliman was taken aback by the situation. He had not anticipated that Titansteel ore would be so resistant. He was disheartened to be stalled at the first step, especially after his initial confidence in forging a pair of weapons using the new ore.

Bright Hammer decided to take some time to study the new ore. He also planned to visit Silvermoon City shortly, to inquire about the supply of this new ore from the merchant Charliman had mentioned.

Smelting Cobalt and Saronite ores was a much smoother process. Though these ores were harder than Thorium, they were not as challenging to work with as the Titansteel.

Charliman, feeling frustrated by the lack of progress, left the ore with Bright Hammer for the time being. He would return later, once the blacksmith had figured out a solution. In the meantime, Charliman had to make do with a pair of blades hastily forged from regular iron ore.

Disheartened but determined to keep his spirits high, Charliman strolled through the ranger's encampment, waving in response to the greetings of his fellow rangers. He made his way to the Farstriders' quarters, where he needed to complete the previously arranged transfer. Skarlan, who had been waiting for him for weeks, was there to officiate the change of his affiliation.

In the presence of Lireesa and Skarlan, Charliman was smoothly transferred from the Farstriders to the Rangers. Skarlan had already designated him as the new leader.

During their previous joint operation, the Farstriders had come to accept Charliman as their future leader. With the Farstriders currently in dire need of a leader and Charliman's unquestionable abilities, there was no argument against his appointment, even among the higher-ranking Farstriders.

However, due to the loose structure of the Rangers, most of them would scatter across the world unless specifically summoned for war or training. Charliman decided not to change this situation for the time being, as he himself intended to travel soon.

"All right! Now that I've settled that, I'll head to the Rangers' camp this afternoon to inform them. If you have time, you should visit them too. Those young ones are eager to meet their new leader."

With the transfer accomplished, Skarlan felt relieved. He patted Charliman on the arm and then joined Yavyn, an old retired Farstrider, for some training. The two veterans left the area, leaving Charliman alone to attend to his personal matters.

Although Charliman was somewhat anxious about his recent encounter with his mentor, he couldn't avoid the situation forever. He decided to consult Lireesa about his doubts regarding the transition to the advanced skills of the High Elves.

During the battle against Harlaz, Charliman had noticed that the Ranger's close combat techniques closely resembled those of rogues. The use of dual-wielded weapons, in particular, had reminded him of his days as a combat rogue.

After hearing Charliman's description, Lireesa nodded in understanding. "I see. It's no wonder you've had such thoughts. In the early days of the Farstriders, we drew inspiration from the experiences of mages and rogues. Besides, remember what His Majesty shared with you about the Night Elven Sentinel tradition. These elements have combined to create the High Elven Ranger tradition that has endured for millennia."

"In that case," Charliman inquired, "can I learn the techniques of rogues as well?"

Seeing his eager disciple ready to embrace new skills, Lireesa encouraged him with a smile. "Certainly, it's possible. After all, many of the Ranger's scouting techniques were originally adapted from rogues. Remember the camouflage technique I taught you? With further practice, you could easily transition it into the rogue's stealth ability."

Camouflage, a technique of blending into the surroundings, was a Ranger's skill borrowed from rogues. In essence, it was a simplified version of stealth. With consistent practice, Charliman could make a smooth transition.

However, Lireesa felt it was her duty to offer a word of caution. "Nonetheless, remember that an elf's resources are finite. Balancing your Ranger training with magical studies and learning rogue techniques won't be easy."

"Feel free to explore these skills, but don't neglect your primary path."

Charliman understood this and had no intention of delving too deeply into magic or rogue skills. After all, he was primarily a Ranger, and ranged combat would remain his forte. His aim was to expand his combat repertoire, ensuring he wouldn't be caught off guard in melee combat.