CHAPTER 163: CHAPTER 137 HAND OF PRECISION_3

Hearing this, Alka looked at him and asked, "What trade?"

The old man chuckled, shifted the scepter in his hand, and said, "You have a great need to use the Hand of Precision right now, don’t you? But you are not a believer of my Lord.

"I can allow you to use the Hand of Precision and shall also grant you some knowledge. In return, however, should you encounter people from the Holy Machine Church in the future, or become aware of its existence, you must return the Hand of Precision to them. How does that sound?"

To use the Hand of Precision, one had to believe in the Divine of the Holy Machine Church, which was obviously impossible for him. He had neither the desire nor the means to do so. However, to obtain the treasure from the Treasure Chest, he absolutely had to use the Hand of Precision. The choice of exchanging a Holy Artifact he couldn’t use for a treasure he could was a complete no-brainer. Besides, he could use this Holy Artifact for a long time, and who knew when he’d ever encounter anyone from the Holy Machine Church? This was an absolutely profitable deal; there was no reason to refuse. In fact, he had to agree.

After a moment of simple consideration, Alka nodded.

"No problem. If I meet people from the Holy Machine Church or become aware of this Church’s presence after this, then, conditions permitting, I will definitely return the Hand of Precision to your Church."

The old man smiled and nodded, confirming Alka’s words. Holding the scepter, he lightly tapped the white floor.

Then Alka felt as if his consciousness expanded and then retreated, returning to his body. He opened his eyes again. He was still in the same posture, examining his right hand.

But this time, the sensation was entirely different. He could now use the Hand of Precision and knew precisely what abilities it possessed.

Along with this, a flood of knowledge from the Hand of Precision poured into his mind. It was all sorts of information related to Artifact Forgers, likely the gift the Wise One had mentioned.

With this influx of knowledge, Alka had instantly become an Artifact Forger.

He looked at the pattern on the Hand of Precision on his arm; it had changed from the previous twisted design that included a heart. It had transformed into what he had seen in the vision earlier: a symbol on the palm featuring an eye in the center of a gear. The pattern represented either the Grey-robed Sage, Foster Fort, or the Holy Machine Church.

Magic Power flowed through the Brass Hand. As a Holy Artifact, all of the Hand of Precision’s abilities were intrinsically linked to those of an Artifact Forger. He recalled Gami mentioning before that a novice Artifact Forger had to master three fundamental related Spells: [Melting], [Reshape], and [Combination].

Only by mastering these three most fundamental Spells could one truly begin the path to becoming a qualified Artifact Forger. The functions of these three Spells were just as their names suggested: to melt metals or metallic objects, to reshape items, and to combine different objects.

The moment Alka donned the Hand of Precision and began to use it, he automatically learned these three Spells. It wasn’t that one needed the Hand of Precision to *enable* the learning of these Spells. Rather, upon wearing the Hand of Precision and starting to use it, these three Spells were learned directly, bypassing the usual expenditure of resources and time typically required for study. He had mastered them in such a simple, direct, convenient, and swift manner.

No wonder the Holy Machine Church values such a Holy Artifact so highly. A quick comparison made it obvious. The Holy Mother Church’s concern for the Sword of Love wasn’t nearly as intense as the Divine Strategy Church’s for the Hand of Precision. If the Sword of Love could have allowed its wielder to automatically learn Spells like Holy Flame, then Andre and his group wouldn’t have been the ones sent to retrieve it back then; the Archbishop would have come personally!

Beyond this fundamental function, the Hand of Precision could also enhance these three Spells, allowing even a novice like Alka to wield them proficiently. Furthermore, prolonged use of the Hand of Precision to cast these three Spells would accelerate the user’s mastery over them.

Additionally, the Hand of Precision improved manual dexterity, Magic Power conductivity, and overall precision. It also possessed engraving capabilities. For instance, if Alka were to begin creating and engraving the Cross of Righteous Fire card now, his speed and precision would be over fifty percent greater than before, drastically accelerating his card-crafting speed and proficiency. It would also enhance the efficacy of the finished products.

If Gami knew about this, he’d probably be on his knees begging me to let him use it. Alka even mused, If Gami were told he had to believe in the Divine of the Holy Machine Church to use it, would he convert his faith on the spot? No, I shouldn’t think like that. It’s too disrespectful.

Still wearing the brass Hand of Precision, Alka closed his eyes and began to organize the chaotic torrent of knowledge in his mind. It had all been forcefully injected by the Hand of Precision, originating from the Grey-robed Sage, Foster Fort. Most of it was foundational knowledge, but to be able to grasp it directly without needing to study—why wouldn’t he accept it?

Once Alka had fully processed and organized this knowledge, combined with the Hand of Precision, he had effectively become an Artifact Forger on the spot. He wasn’t just a novice anymore; with all these enhancements, he was now undoubtedly a very competent Artifact Forger.

He was now capable of beginning to craft the items he desired, which was excellent news for Alka. After all, he had previously been diligently studying the skills of an Artifact Forger and some Engraver techniques. Being able to create the things he wanted was, in itself, a joyous prospect.

As time went on, the knowledge began to settle, flowing more smoothly as he fully absorbed it.