The First Legendary Beast Master

Chapter 1137: Master Sculpting

Loros was beside herself with excitement. These were actual sculptors. People with the sculptor class direct from the system.

She had gotten the warrior class, and Sculpting was her obsession, so she didn’t have all the cool special skills that these masters were likely to have.

The sculptors came into the work space when they had dropped off their luggage, and found that there were a dozen colours of stone, all Overlord and Totem Ranked.

”We weren’t sure what sort of stone you would like today, so I had Tian make a bunch for you to choose from. I do hope that the quality isn’t an issue, we chose them for quality so that they could be upgraded by our Runecrafters.

A common statue made of mana jade or other mana compatible materials can turn into a magnificently powerful item.” Karl explained.

”Oh, that will work wonderfully. We have to be careful if a stone is too weak, but we can also add some abilities to our statues as we make them. Not to the extent that a blacksmith or others can, but our art is sculpting, not equipment making.” Master Geralt explained.

Each of the sculptors picked a piece, while Loros stood eagerly beside Karl, waiting for them to start.

”Are you not going to join us?” Geralt asked.

She shook her head. ”I’ve never seen someone with the actual sculptor class. I want to see how you do it. I carve all my pieces by hand, as I have the Warrior Class. So, this is a big thing to me.”

The Dwarves chuckled as they realized it was her Obsession, and each examined their stone, focusing magic into it.

A few taps of hammer and chisel created the rough outline of the pieces, then a few more gave it crude details. The impacts had nothing to do with the actual progress, it was just a focusing method for the skill. And then, when the basic statues were created, the Sculptors switched skills and began adding details in a wave over the pieces.

From one end to the other, statues of dragons gained scales, bears gained fur, and a statue of the Dwarven Forge God gained such a perfect level of detail that it looked like the god’s tunic was transparent with sweat, revealing skin and veins beneath.

Even a few stray hairs from his beard had been detailed.

”So, that is what a true master can do.” Loros breathed, her eyes firmly locked on the statue of the forge god.

How he had managed to get the veins in the marble to line up with the veins on the statue’s arms, Karl didn’t know. But it was possible that he simply adjusted the stone itself to be precisely what he needed.

Karl smiled at Geralt. ”Well, there is no doubt that is a true masterpiece of the sculptor’s craft. But it’s a bit of a shame if we put it away. How about I carve a blessing into the bottom of the base, and we put him on display?”

Geralt nodded, and grabbed the statue to put it up on a tilted display stand that either appeared from his storage, or was created on the spot.

Karl thought about what needed to go into the poem, and then began to rearrange the runes into one large decorative knot, without losing the meaning.

{Whiskey, Ale, Steel and Stone.

The Dwarves need the Mountains as surely as flesh and bone.

Melt the Mythril, build your home.

Patience and power make true art with a hammer’s tone.}

Karl nodded in satisfaction as he gave up only four lines into the poem. He was only part Dwarf, right? That should be enough of an excuse for the abruptness of his horrible poetry.

He carved the design into the bottom of the statue, and sighed as the whole thing pulsed with golden divine light.

{Statue of the Forge God} Totem Rank Epic Grade. Grants a bonus to all crafted items within 100 metres, dependant upon skill and materials used.

The Dwarves stared at the statue for a few seconds.

”What a strange description. It’s Epic Grade, but it only has one vague bonus. Does that mean it’s actually a Divine Blessing? Or is it just not telling us how much of a bonus or what sort?” One of the sculptors asked.

Karl shrugged. ”It should be a Divine Blessing of sorts. But I don’t know what you’ll get.”

Geralt stroked his beard and nodded. ”One hundred metres. I guess we should put it in the tavern, then. It’s right in the middle of town.”

Karl smiled. This wasn’t really a town. But in a way, it was, wasn’t it? They would have to replace the staff at some point, with real people instead of illusions which Opal had programmed to run things for now.

And at that point, what difference would there be between merchants and barmaids in the cavern and the same people on the outskirts of the city?

The design even had multiple shops in it, mostly intended for the workers, but they could quickly become departments of the Guild Store.

It would give the city guard constant headaches to see hundreds of people coming and going through the gates of the Guild House every day, but the more that they had in stock, the more customers they were going to draw.

All that was left was to have Rae acquire some tailors and leather workers, and they would have enough people to fully stock the shops.

Maybe he could make it Alliance specific?

No, that wouldn’t give the guard any fewer headaches, with all the Totem Ranked and Mythic visitors who would be showing up at random to do their shopping.

If there was one thing that Karl knew about them, it was that they liked doing their shopping in person, and not sending a personal shopper for anything that mattered to them.

Groceries, yes. Furniture, clothing, or equipment? No.

Well, it could remain two thirds empty for now, and he would hire workers to tend the shops.