After a series of continuous swings, he slammed the Hammer down violently onto the solid wood training dummy in front of him.
Under the terrifying, repeated buildup of inertia, the semi-circular head of the Hammer smashed a massive crater into the training dummy. As the Hammer continued to drag under the influence of gravity and inertia, the horn-like serrated blades on either side of the head cut further in, carving a deep gash into the post.
"Hmm."
Under the tense gazes of the smith father and son, Altaïr didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he lowered the Hammer and took a moment to feel it out before swinging the weapon once more.
The multi-hit Big Bang combo, the Charged Brutal Upswing, the spinning bludgeon... He cycled through every Hammer technique he had mastered. After another long moment of reflection, he finally spoke:
"The overall distribution of the center of gravity is quite excellent. However, personally, I think it would feel even more powerful if the center of gravity in the Hammer head was shifted forward just a tiny bit more.
Perhaps you could consider moving those two horn-like axe blades forward slightly?
That way, during a strike, the Hammer's own inertia would help drive the blades deep into the Monster's body, much like an axe. Its armor-piercing effect should be even better."
As Altaïr spoke, the father and son carefully took notes.
"There's one more thing, did you intentionally limit the weight of this Hammer?" After a brief pause, Altaïr asked again.
The father and son exchanged a look, and then the workshop owner spoke up. "That is indeed the case. My father once told us that weight isn't the only thing to pursue with a Hammer.
Considering versatility, we found ways to reduce part of the weight. You could tell?"
"If I'm not mistaken, the old gentleman likely meant that you shouldn't focus solely on increasing weight while ignoring other aspects, rather than telling you to deliberately reduce it."
Altaïr gripped the Hammer with both hands, lifted it, and then set it back down. "The weight of this Hammer is just right for me, but I am not a dedicated Hammer user; I usually use the Long Sword and Dual Blades.
There are likely many Hammer users of my level who are stronger than I am. This Hammer might feel a bit light in their hands.
As for the 'versatility' you mentioned, I don't think there's any need to consider it.
This Hammer is an advanced, upgraded version of the 'Jupiter's Sphere', isn't it?
The Duramboros is a species that ranks near the top of the 4★ threat level Monsters. A Hunter capable of obtaining Duramboros materials to forge the Jupiter's Sphere must be at least 4★.
And to select choice materials and further upgrade it to this state, a person would have to be at least 5★, or even a high-rank Hunter to pull it off.
Since this is a weapon only the elite among elites are qualified to obtain, why are you still worrying about versatility?
Just make it heavier. There will always be someone capable of unleashing its true power.
Just like that Glavenus Gunlance earlier, those who can't handle it won't place an order. But someone like Isis, who actively requested extra material and weight, certainly has the confidence to use it well."
The father and son looked at each other again, realizing they had fallen into a misconception.
To them, the old smith was like an impassable mountain; a casual comment from him would be taken as absolute gospel. Without realizing it, that single sentence, "weight isn't the only pursuit," had altered their core design philosophy. Even the additions of horns and serrated blades were intended to increase destructive power while maintaining the same weight.
The only saving grace was that this line of thinking wasn't necessarily wrong; if they simply increased the weight, the power of this Hammer would be even greater!
"There's no need to rush the modifications, though. Give it a few days. Let Senior Buck try it out once he's recovered, and then I'll introduce a highly skilled Hammer user to give it a go as well.
"Once they've both tested it and provided a comprehensive evaluation, you can make all the necessary adjustments at once."
The workshop owner grabbed Altaïr's hand, shaking it excitedly. "Understood. Thank you so much! We won't forget this favor!"
After smiling and bidding farewell to the fired-up father and son, Altaïr led Sajji out of the backyard. As he pushed open the door to the smithy, his footsteps faltered.
The old smith, who was supposed to be accompanying Clawdia and the others as they tried on their gear, was standing there with his hands behind his back, watching him.
Before Altaïr could speak, the old smith bowed his head slightly. "Thank you for the help. Thank you for reminding those two useless fools."
Altaïr quickly leaned forward in a polite bow. "It was a small matter. You're far too kind."
Sajji tilted his head at the old smith and asked curiously, "So why didn't you just tell them they'd gone off track, meow?"
The old smith sighed softly. "They have actually found their own path, but precisely because I am standing ahead of them, they subconsciously keep following in my shadow.
"A casual remark from me can change the core philosophy of their weapon designs. If I were to offer another reminder, they would only cling to my heels even tighter."
"I see..."
Altaïr could understand that mindset. In fact, Isis had been the same way. Her parents' shadows were so imposing that she had subconsciously followed behind them, never even considering trying any weapons other than the Great Sword or Long Sword.
"In any case, consider it a favor I owe you."
Why does everyone in this family love saying that? Altaïr thought helplessly. He spoke up: "It was just a few mindless comments; it's hardly worth a favor from you.
"If anything, we haven't even begun to repay the favor of you personally crafting our equipment."
"That was for helping them Capture the Duramboros; that's a separate matter." With that, the old smith waved him off and turned to leave.
"We can ask the old gentleman to help craft more equipment next time, meow!" Sajji said happily.
Altaïr flicked his ear, feeling both exasperated and pleased.
Initially, he had indeed intended to put this family of smiths in his debt. But as they grew closer, he had abandoned those opportunistic thoughts. Offering advice on the new Hammer prototype was something he had done purely because he wanted to help.
"Stubborn old man."
After muttering under his breath, Altaïr found Isis and the others.
Clawdia had already changed into her new Palico Armor and was jumping around excitedly, testing various tactical movements.
Compared to Sajji's Seregios Palico Armor, which prioritized being lightweight, Clawdia's Glavenus Palico Armor was noticeably thicker, especially in the chest armor and helmet areas.
The pauldrons and vambraces had been completely omitted. This focused-protection design ensured frontal defense without sacrificing flexibility.
Clawdia was extremely satisfied.
Even better, the new Palico Armor was made from the leftover materials from Isis's new weapon, which made her feel as though her bond with Isis had deepened even further.
If the Basarios Palico Armor hadn't been so heavy and ill-suited for her, she would have switched gear a long time ago.
"Alright, now that our equipment is updated and we've had a day or two to get used to it, isn't it time we follow through on our promise to Guildmarm Noya? We should take a 4★ quest and head into the Jungle for some proper training," Altaïr asked with a smile, watching Isis hold Clawdia up by her armpits.
"Yes!" Isis nodded firmly. "Do you need more time to adjust to your new Armor and weapon?"
"Me? No need. I've already spent the last few days getting used to them at the Training Area. I'm ready for real combat."
"Then I don't need to either!" Isis said with a grin. "I didn't change my Armor, and as for the weapon, I'll just find a couple of Velociprey or something once we're in the Jungle to get the feel of it."
Altaïr knew Isis wasn't the type to boast. If she said she didn't need time to adjust, it meant the new weapon had high compatibility with her. She had already gotten the hang of it in this short time, and there was no need to stay cooped up in the Training Area for two more days.
"Let's go then. Which 4★ Monsters do you think would be a good fit to Hunt?"
"Rathian!" Isis held up two thumbs. "When it comes to 4★ Monsters you absolutely must challenge, it has to be Rathian!"
(Translated by yourtl.app)