Studying at Western University starts with a knife-forging competition

The tools were contained in an old but well-preserved leather tool bag. He placed the bag on the workbench, unfastened the brass clasp, and unfolded it.

Seven tools are arranged in a row from left to right.

The forging hammer felt just the right weight in my hand, and the wood grain on the handle was polished to a warm, glossy finish. On one end of the hammerhead was engraved the emblem of a dragon's head—simple yet full of spirit, with the dragon's mouth slightly open as if it were breathing flames.

There was an inscription on the hammer handle, a variant of Latin, which took him some time to decipher.

Bathed in the flames of war, forged on the anvil of battle.

Lin Yuan held the hammer in his hand and twirled it to find the balance point.

A good forging hammer is not just about weight distribution and grip feel—the center of gravity is forward, allowing for leverage when striking; the curve of the handle fits the palm, preventing blisters from forming during prolonged use.

This hammer is perfect in all these aspects.

He used the hammer to finish the composite forged blank.

The hammer felt different from the one he usually used—it vibrated less, transmitted the force more directly, and required less physical effort with each swing, yet it was more effective at hammering the billet.

After striking the billet dozens of times, he understood: the center of gravity of the hammer head was precisely calculated so that when it landed on the billet, the force would not spread outwards, but would be concentrated at one point and transmitted downwards, so that what would normally take ten strikes could be accomplished in seven.

He used to think that his skills were close to his father's in terms of technique, and that what he lacked was the accumulation of life experience and the refinement of his proficiency.

Now that he has integrated university theories, family-inherited skills, and systematic techniques, he has discovered that there are still several new levels to climb.

The design and manufacture of a tool can reflect a craftsman's skill and dedication. The center of gravity of the hammer head and the choice of the handle material have an astonishing impact on the quality of the forged product. The hammer head material and forging process also involve complex and meticulous details.

He couldn't see these things when he was still an expert.

The theoretical learning at university taught him to see and think from a higher perspective, while the skills provided by the system were like placing him on the shoulders of giants, allowing him to take a big step up from his original height.

He checked the tools one by one, then put them back into the leather bag and placed them in the system storage slot.

These tools can be brought to the competition, but that's something to consider later.

On the seventh day, Robert brought a box of donuts with him.

He placed the boxes on the worktable, took one for himself, and then gestured for Lin Yuan to take one as well.

Lin Yuan was still wearing heat-resistant gloves as he added charcoal into the furnace.

He shook his head at Robert, meaning to wait a moment.

Robert took a bite of the donut and sat down in the old chair against the wall.

After chewing a few bites, he said, "I sent the metallographic images of the samples you made these past two days to another professor in the department whose research focuses on metal plastic forming and special rolling technology."

Lin Yuan closed the furnace door, took off his heat-resistant gloves and hung them on the hook next to the furnace, then turned around to wait for Robert to continue.

"He asked which graduate student did it," Robert said, taking another bite of his donut, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I said it was an undergraduate. He didn't believe me."

Lin Yuan walked to the worktable, picked up a donut, and took a bite.

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him to just treat that undergraduate like a graduate student." Robert finished the rest of the donut, patted the frosting off his hands, and then asked him what advice he could give if that undergraduate was going to participate in the Sword Forging Competition in two months.

"What did he say?"

"He suggested that the undergraduate student win the championship." Robert stood up, picked up the composite forging blank that Lin Yuan had made the day before yesterday from the worktable, and looked at it again. "Then he asked me to pass on a message—if it's convenient after the competition, he'd like to talk to you about your graduate studies."

Lin Yuan paused in his chewing motion and swallowed the donut in his mouth with force.

"Professor, I'm only a sophomore."

"I know." Robert put the blank back on the workbench, turned to look at Lin Yuan, "but you're no longer at a sophomore level. These samples—not many of my graduate students can produce at this level."

He paused, walked over, took another donut from the box, took a bite, and mumbled, "And you're already a near-master now."

The term "quasi-master" was used by Lin Yuan when explaining his state over the past few days. He didn't mention the system, but simply told Robert that his current situation was like standing on the threshold of a master, able to see what the scenery was like on the other side of the door, but not yet having fully crossed over.

Robert's immediate reaction was to remain silent for a moment, then nod without saying anything.

He brings up this word now not to make fun of it, but simply to state a fact.

"The match," Lin Yuan said slowly, "we'll talk about it after the match."

"Yes." Robert nodded. "Let's focus on the game first." He picked up his folder from the worktable, grabbed a donut, and headed for the door. He paused before opening it.

"You've changed these past few days—not just technically. The way you approach forging is different now." He turned to look at the young man in the workshop wearing an insulated apron. "Before, you were making a weapon based on talent and basic skills. Now you're using a complete system to make the same thing."

"The difference between these two is the difference between you before and you now."

He opened the door and left.

Lin Yuan stood by the workbench, stuffed the last bite of the donut into his mouth, chewed it, then reached for the forging hammer and walked back to the furnace.

-----------------

Another day passed, and Lin Yuan cut the cross-sections of the last batch of basic practice samples, then ground, polished, and etched them before examining them one by one under a metallographic microscope.

Grain size, carbide distribution, martensite needle length, and retained austenite ratio—each indicator is recorded in a leather-bound lab notebook.

He bought this notebook when he first entered the Materials Science Department in his sophomore year. He has used it for nearly two years and it is now more than half full. It contains data records of every independent study he conducted with Professor Robert, as well as his own insights and experiences summarized during the forging process.

After reviewing the last data point, he closed the microscope lens, folded the notebook, and put it into the compartment of his backpack.

The basic training can now be concluded.