I opened my eyes to the slight weight of the cold stone floor against my back. A thin mist filled the cave, creating a morning chill inside. The first light of the day struck the scattered metal pieces near my stone forge, casting a faint glow. Before I could start working, I had to go through my routine.

  I quickly sat up and stretched. The goblins were dozing in small clusters in the corners of the cave. In the dim firelight, Gob sat slightly apart from the others. Even as he rubbed his sleepy eyes, he was watching me intently.

  I stood up and spoke in a firm voice.

  "Wake up. We have work to do today."

  The goblins groaned and yawned as they woke up. Some rubbed their eyes, while the more composed ones, like Grob, stood up immediately. I assigned each of them their tasks one by one:

  

  
• 
  
    Grob and Brug would work at the stone forge and gather coal.
  
    


  
• 
  
    Zip and Tuk would head outside to collect more wood and basic materials.
  
    


  
• 
  
    Krag would organize the iron reserves and separate the usable pieces.
  
    


  

  As everyone got to work, only Gob remained. He stared at me with his big eyes.

  I placed a hand on his head and gently patted him.

  "You're staying with me today. I'll teach you something."

  "Gob!"

  Pointing toward the stone forge, I continued.

  "First, we'll get the forge burning hot. Then, we'll start crafting the dagger."

  Gob nodded rapidly, his eyes shining with excitement.

  Our first task was to bring the stone forge to a high temperature. The Alpha Wolf’s Fang - High-Quality Dagger wasn't just an ordinary iron weapon. It included rare materials like [Alpha Wolf’s Fang] and [Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones]. To properly melt and shape them, I needed the perfect amount of heat.

  I spread the coal evenly inside the forge and added some wood on top. Gob helped me with his small hands. Then, I moved to the bellows and gestured to Gob.

  "Hold this and move it up and down. It blows air inside, making the fire stronger."

  Gob immediately grabbed the bellows and began moving them slowly. The flames flickered slightly, but it wasn’t enough.

  "Faster, Gob."

  "Gob!"

  This time, Gob pressed harder. The flames roared higher, and the coal slowly turned a bright orange. As the heat intensified, a wave of warmth washed over my face.

  The hard part was keeping the forge consistently strong. Gob was starting to sweat but kept working diligently. I nodded.

  "You're doing well."

  "Gob!" he cheered, pumping the bellows even faster.

  Now, we could begin crafting the dagger. First, I took out the core materials:

  

  
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    [Alpha Wolf’s Fang] – A magically enhanced, razor-sharp fang of the wolf.
  
    


  
• 
  
    [Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones] – Bones as strong as steel.
  
    


  
• 
  
    Iron Ingot – The base material for the dagger’s body.
  
    


  

  Combining these three components wouldn’t be easy. Alpha Wolf’s Fang was incredibly durable and could easily break if processed incorrectly. Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones were as hard as steel, meaning they needed a special heating process first.

  I turned to Gob.

  "We need to heat these bones and the fang in a special way. They don’t behave like normal iron."

  Gob tilted his head, trying to understand. Then, he poked the fang with his finger and asked, "Gob?"

  I smiled.

  "Yes. This was the strongest part of the wolf. If we process it correctly, the dagger will be unbelievably sharp."

  First, I placed the Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones into the forge. Instead of tossing them directly into the flames, I carefully positioned them to heat slowly. If they heated too fast, the magical energy inside them would become unstable and cause cracks.

  I handed Gob a stick.

  "Watch the fire. We’ll wait until the bones turn orange. But if they turn red, we need to take them out immediately."

  Gob leaned forward and watched carefully. He stared without blinking, occasionally moving the stick to check the heat.

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  After a few minutes, the bones turned a glowing orange.

  "Now!"

  Using tongs, I quickly removed them and placed them onto the anvil. Gob watched excitedly from behind me.

  "Now, it's time to shape them. But we must be patient."

  I placed the hardened, forge-heated bones onto the anvil. To fuse the Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones with iron, both needed to reach extreme temperatures and be hammered together.

  Step One: Binding the bones with iron.

  I tossed the iron ingot into the forge and waited until it started melting. Once the molten iron began to flow over the bones, we had reached the right point.

  "Pay close attention, Gob. This step requires perfect balance. If we mess up, the dagger will be too fragile."

  Gob stared wide-eyed, as if engraving every word into his mind.

  I picked up my hammer and struck the metal for the first time. TANG!

  Slowly and with precision, I continued. With each hit, I ensured the fusion of metal and bone. Gob followed the rhythm, letting out small "Gob!" sounds with every strike.

  As the forging process continued, the dagger's body started taking shape. But our work wasn’t finished yet.

  Waves of heat spread through the cave as the iron and Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones finally began merging into a single piece. The forging process wasn’t easy; every strike had to be controlled, and rushing could cause the material to break.

  TANG!

  I lifted my hammer and brought it down. TANG!

  Gob watched, his eyes filled with excitement. Every time the hammer fell, he bounced slightly and let out a small, enthusiastic “Gob!” in response.

  Before finalizing the dagger’s structure, I needed to eliminate the air pockets trapped within the metal. This meant performing a folding process.

  "Be careful, Gob. Now we’re going to fold this metal."

  "The materials we have aren’t pure; there are tiny gaps inside. If we don’t compress them, the dagger will be too brittle."

  Gob nodded. "Gob!"

  I lifted the metal sheet with tongs and folded it in half. Then, I placed it back on the anvil and began hammering.

  TANG! TANG!

  To repeat the folding and forging process, I had to keep the metal hot at all times. So, whenever it cooled down, I put it back in the forge, reheated it, folded it again, and continued hammering. Eventually, all the air pockets were completely gone, and the metal had become denser and smoother. Faint, glowing veins began to appear on its surface—a sign that the Steel Fang Wolf’s Bones had fully fused with the iron.

  "This is how it's done, Gob. Our dagger is gradually taking shape."

  Gob watched carefully, then pointed at the metal with his tiny finger. "Gob?"

  I smiled. "Yes, it will be a bit thinner. Now we need to form the sharp tip."

  The basic structure of the dagger was complete, but it still looked rough. What was the most important part of a blade? Sharpness. If the Alpha Wolf’s Fang - High-Quality Dagger was going to be superior to an ordinary dagger, I had to shape its edges perfectly.

  First, I needed to control my strikes to form the tip of the dagger. I had to use the hammer with precision. If I struck too hard, the edges would become uneven.

  I turned to Gob. "Now we’ll work very delicately. Pay attention."

  Gob widened his eyes. "Gob!"

  I started refining the dagger into a slender, elongated shape. Using light, angled hammer strikes, I thinned the edges.

  TANG! TANG! TANG!

  Each strike stretched and refined the metal a little more. As I sharpened the edges, a smooth taper began to take form.

  "Look, Gob. We’re making the edge sloped. If we leave it flat, it won’t be sharp."

  Gob reached out a finger toward the blade’s edge, but I stopped him immediately.

  "Not yet. It’s still hot."

  Gob nodded. "Gob…"

  With the final strikes, the dagger had almost fully taken shape. It finally looked like a real weapon. But it wasn’t sharp yet—I still had to hone it.

  The body of the dagger was complete, but now it was time to add the special material that would make it truly unique: Alpha Wolf’s Fang.

  This fang wasn’t just an ordinary material. It contained a wild energy—the essence of the wolf itself. If I could properly integrate it into the dagger, the weapon wouldn’t just be sharp; it would have a predatory force.

  I showed the fang to Gob. "This will be the true power of the dagger."

  Gob tilted his head and examined the fang. Then, he gave it a small poke. "Gob?"

  I smiled. "Yes, it’s quite hard. But if we activate the magical energy inside, we can merge it with the metal."

  I couldn’t just attach the fang directly to the blade. First, I needed to prepare it. So, I stoked the forge once again and slowly heated the Alpha Wolf’s Fang.

  Throwing the fang directly into the fire would be a mistake. Instead, I had to heat it just enough to soften its surface. If it got too hot, the magical energy inside would become unstable and fragile.

  Gob watched intently. "Gob?"

  "We have to be very careful. If it breaks, there’s no way to fix it."

  The fang slowly turned red in the fire. A soft, blue glow pulsed through its veins—that was the sign I was waiting for.

  I carefully removed it with the tongs and placed it into the special slot I had prepared on the dagger’s body.

  Now came the most delicate step. If I didn’t fit the fang properly, the dagger wouldn’t be balanced.

  I slightly widened the handle so the fang could fit perfectly. Gob held his breath as I slowly pressed the fang into place, applying firm pressure to secure it.

  For a moment, nothing happened. Then, I felt a slight vibration. As the Alpha Wolf’s Fang settled in, a faint blue light spread through the body of the dagger.

  Gob jumped in excitement. "Gob!"

  I nodded with a smile. "Yes, it worked."

  The dagger was now fully assembled. But a weapon wasn’t just about its form—it had to be sharp. Only one step remained: sharpening.

  To ensure the blade was razor-sharp, I took it to the grinding stone. Gob eagerly followed behind.

  "Now we’ve reached the most important step. Sharpness."

  I poured some water over the grinding stone to smooth its surface. Then, I placed the dagger at a slight angle and slowly slid it across.

  SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIK

  The metal glided over the stone with a high-pitched sound. Gob crouched down, watching in fascination.

  With each pass, the blade’s edge became thinner and sharper. I repeated the process for several minutes.

  Finally, I lifted the dagger and held it up to the light. Its edges gleamed like a fine line of silver.

  Gob clapped his hands excitedly. "Gob! Gob!"

  I smiled. "It’s ready."

  The Alpha Wolf’s Fang - High-Quality Dagger shimmered under the dim light of the cave…