Rise of the Living Forge

Blurb

Ever since Arwin was summoned as a child, all he has known is war. And now, to claim the demon queen’s life and end the war, he has to kill himself.

But, as he deals the final blow to his mortal enemy, the Hero of Mankind is betrayed.

Caught in a magical explosion thought to end him, Arwin awakens a month later to find that everyone has already moved on. His [Hero] class has changed to a unique blacksmith class called [The Living Forge] that is empowered by consuming magical items, but some of his old passive [Titles] remain, giving him the power to forge his new future exactly the way he wants to.

Arwin isn’t going to settle for anything less than completely surpassing the powers he wielded as the Hero.

After all, you are what you eat – and Arwin’s diet just became legendary.

Thoughts

The biggest issue with this fiction by far is that the MC’s name is too close to Arwen, who is both in Lord of the Rings, and also the name of my cat.

LOOK AT HOW PRETTY SHE IS!

Anyway, I’m a big fan of most of what Actus does, and this one is my favourite so far. Maybe it’s because I do love a crafting MC, and maybe it’s because I’ve really wanted to get into blacksmithing in the past. I made my own gas forge at one point, but never got the full setup. So I decided to smith vicariously.

Alas, Arwin, as the former hero, naturally knows absolutely nothing about blacksmithing. Seeing him fumble few the first dozen crafts is painful and hilarious, but it works well to show just how far the character has to go. He finds a dilapidated and abandoned smithy in the crime-infested town of Millet and decide to start his new life there.

Whether its local thieves, Arwin’s inexperience, other factions, or just how damn expensive blacksmithing is, the man has lots of challenges to overcome. His level ups from crafting are few, but each skill decision is impactful and well-reasons. That’s right, no five common and a legendary skill “What ever shall I pick” shenanigans to make your eyes roll.

So you’ve got Arwin’s progression with his crafting, the renovations to the smithy and the tavern, plus the growing power of the friends Arwin makes in Millet and recruits to work with him, and all of that ensures there’s never a dull moment. There’s always a goal, something tangible to work toward just around the corner, and its why I read every single chapter on Royal Road in a day.

Congrats Actus, you’ve done it again.