Even amongst the strength and energy-demanding non-combative courses, blacksmithing was different. The strength and power it demanded and built up in its practitioners placed them on a different stratum.
Of course, in the end, talent comes to play a mammoth role in who ultimately is stronger. But no students overcome their physical limits more than blacksmiths.
Blacksmithing was more than just swinging a hammer or enduring endless hours in the heat of a forge.
It was an art form that demanded precision, endurance, and the perfect synergy of strength and control.
To master it, one's body had to become a machine in itself—a finely tuned construct of muscle, bone, and resilience.
Not just brute force, but tempered power, capable of explosive bursts without wasting an ounce of energy.
This was why, as Northern stood amidst the roaring furnaces and glowing embers, the forgemasters' eyes swept over him with a peculiar intensity.