Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: I Still Want to Make More (4)
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Hyun-soo looked at the quest notification that had suddenly appeared, a puzzled expression on his face.
Hyun-soo had done some research before starting the game.
Quests were divided into several types: normal quests, hidden quests, class quests, legendary quests, and so on.
Normal quests were the ones you could get commonly.
‘And hidden quests…’
He'd heard that getting three in a year was considered a lot.
Wasn't it something like you might get one or two every fifty quests?
And he knew that one of the most important things about a quest was its rank.
The higher the rank, the harder it was to complete, but the better the rewards.
He'd even heard that the rewards for hidden quests themselves were much better than those for normal quests.
[Hidden Quest: Help Ren Grow]
Rank: A
Requirement: One who has received Ren's request.
Reward: Highest-grade iron ore of the beginner zone.
Penalty for Failure: Decreased affinity with Ren.
Description: Ren wants to put Instructor Hans, who crushed his pride, in his place. Help him grow.
The reward was the highest-grade iron ore of the beginner zone.
Most items obtained in the beginner zone had the prefix 'of the beginner zone.'
Items with this prefix were mostly low-level versions, far inferior to those found outside.
For example, if iron ore of the beginner zone could create a sword with 30 attack power, normal iron ore could create one with 100 attack power.
But one thing was certain.
‘Even with the 'of the beginner zone' prefix, highest-grade iron ore is something you can't get here.’
He had managed to craft his first sword.
But whether it was enough to break the training dummy was still unknown.
Plus, he now had the advantage of being able to use the smithy.
“Please, I'm begging you!”
Hyun-soo looked down at Ren.
In fact, many people who had learned strange blacksmithing techniques from who-knows-where used to come seeking out his father, Kang Hyun-tae.
The funny thing was, ten of them fled within two days.
Blacksmithing isn't as glamorous as it looks.
The repetitive labor in the sweltering heat pushed people to their limits.
Under his father's influence, Hyun-soo didn't teach his skills lightly either.
Also, to survive as blacksmiths, Hyun-soo and his father had learned how to bargain.
“Hmm...”
“I want to make better swords!”
Hyun-soo liked Ren.
Kneeling before a stranger just to learn how to make better swords as a blacksmith.
It showed just how desperate he was.
“Can I use the minerals in this smithy as I please?”
*Flinch—*
He could feel Ren tremble slightly.
But Ren quickly corrected his thoughts.
‘If I can learn better blacksmithing skills, what does this piddling amount matter!?’
Becoming a better blacksmith was something you couldn't put a price on.
“O-Of course!”
Hyun-soo said with a small smile.
“Then I'll do my best to teach you while I'm here.”
Since he was receiving so much, Hyun-soo planned to help him in return.
After finishing his conversation with Ren, Hyun-soo immediately took his first sword and headed to the training dummy grounds.
Now armed with a sharp-edged blade instead of a wooden sword, Hyun-soo began to strike.
*Thwack—!*
*Thwaaack.*
*Thwack-thwack-thwack—*
The sound of the impacts was on a completely different level from when he'd used the wooden sword.
‘My body feels lighter and more powerful than before.’
By crafting this sword, several of Hyun-soo's stats had increased.
His Dexterity stat, in particular, had seen a significant rise.
On the tenth and final strike, Hyun-soo lowered his stance and activated a skill for the first time.
It was the special ability of his first sword.
[Quickdraw]
[Quickly slash the target with an additional 22% attack power.]
Sheathing his blade, Hyun-soo bent his knees.
“Hooo.”
He let out a shaky breath, then drew his sword with incredible speed and slashed powerfully at the training dummy.
*Thwaaaaaack—!*
A huge impact sound echoed out.
The violently shaking training dummy came into view.
Soon, Hyun-soo's expression clouded with disappointment.
[Training Dummy Durability 511/1,000]
[You have failed to break the training dummy.]
[You can try again in 30 minutes.]
‘This is why even the national athletes fail...’
Isn't this just beyond common sense?
But Hyun-soo quickly shook his head.
They wouldn't just give away a fifty-million-won capsule that easily, would they?
‘Let's see…’
He organized his thoughts.
First, he had to craft a better weapon than his first sword, and he also had to obtain everything else he could.
‘Anything that can raise my stats or attack power. I need to secure everything I can to strengthen my character and items.’
That way, my character's damage will naturally increase, and I'll be able to chip away more of the training dummy's durability.
What kind of methods were there?
Just then, the instructor who had explained the basics to him caught his eye.
He, too, was engrossed in his own training, striking a training dummy.
After striking for a while, he frowned and looked at his dulled sword blade.
“Because Instructor Hans got on bad terms with Ren, the rest of us are suffering. I can't keep swinging a piece of junk like this forever...”
The 'Help Ren Grow' quest Hyun-soo had received mentioned that he'd had trouble with an instructor named Hans.
‘Ah…’
It seemed that because of that trouble, all the instructors here were suffering.
Look at that dulled sword!
Whenever Hyun-soo saw a sword like that, the urge to sharpen it immediately would well up inside him.
‘Huh…?’
Then it hit him.
Hyun-soo remembered.
A way to get stronger and secure more things here!
He was a man who had become a master of bargaining and trade, all thanks to the shrewd old ladies who pestered him to sharpen their kitchen knives!
He slowly approached the instructor.
***
Instructor Jack clicked his tongue as he looked at his dulled sword.
He couldn't understand why the other instructors had to suffer because of Hans and Ren's battle of pride.
‘If I keep swinging this, it's going to break. Should I use a wooden sword for a while?’
A swordsman like him, having to use a beginner's wooden sword?
There could be no greater humiliation.
Just then.
“Hello, Instructor!”
“...?”
Some stranger approached and bowed politely.
He looked familiar.
The stranger who had chosen the ebony wooden sword during the day but was now wearing a rather fine sword at his hip.
Because of that, he had been keeping an eye on him without realizing it.
However, there was something about this beginner zone that Hyun-soo didn't know.
Never ask the instructors personal questions or try to make small talk!
The reason was that the instructors here were extremely unfriendly.
To be precise, they had become unfriendly because of the users.
‘Hey! Do you know who my dad is!?’
‘What, your mother didn't teach you better?’
‘...?!’
‘Get lost.’
There was an abundance of people who spoke informally to them just because they were NPCs, and the instructors were growing weary of seeing hundreds of such users every day.
There were also many users like the one before him.
‘Hey, maybe we can get a hidden piece from the instructor?’
Scumbags who'd suck up to them, hoping to get even a single scrap!
He despised them.
To the point of wanting to vomit.
And right now, Hyun-soo had chosen the wrong target.
The man he'd chosen, Jack, was the most skilled of all the instructors and was famous for having the worst personality.
“What is it?”
Instructor Jack replied listlessly, his face hardening into a scowl.
‘Does this one want to get something out of me, too?’
Damn strangers, anyway.
But then, the stranger pointed at the sword in his hand.
“It's just that your sword's edge looks quite dull, Instructor.”
Jack looked puzzled.
That was true, but he couldn't understand why the stranger would bring it up.
“I have some skill in weapon repair and crafting. Would you like me to take a look at it?”
“What?”
Jack gave him a skeptical look.
A mere stranger has skill in weapon repair and crafting?
Jack had seen many talented individuals before.
Strangers who displayed swordsmanship that surpassed his own.
Strangers who could shoot a bow with unbelievable skill.
And even strange strangers who did nothing but eat.
But a stranger who knew about weapons?
‘I've never seen a stranger like that.’
It was only natural.
In reality, there were fewer than ten blacksmiths left, while hundreds of beginner zones existed.
As Jack looked at him with a completely distrustful gaze, the man tapped the sword at his hip with a *chak*.
“I made this myself.”
“...!?”
Jack's eyes widened.
He had been wondering where that sword had come from.
As far as he knew, no one in this beginner zone gave out swords like that.
Which meant someone must have crafted it.
But Jack knew just how incompetent Ren, the only blacksmith, was.
Therefore, his words served as a form of proof.
“Really?”
“Yes. If I hadn't made it, how else would I have it?”
Hyun-soo wasn't an idiot.
He was making his case because he had the evidence to back it up.
“I came hoping my humble skills could be of some help to such a handsome instructor.”
“Hmm...?”
“It must be tough, right? The weather's hot, strange strangers are causing a ruckus, you have to train, and your sword is dull.”
“Haha, you understand my feelings completely.”
What is this? This captivating way with words?
[Your affinity with Jack has increased.]
Hyun-soo had dealt with many shrewd old ladies.
And he'd used lines like this every time.
‘Aigo, our dear grandmother, you'll be sixty tomorrow, but you're still so lovely. Grandma, don't I look like a handsome grandson to you? If you just buy this today, I'll give you extra next time!’
‘Hoholho, you rascal. You remind me of my own grandson, so I'll buy it!’
I'm a blacksmith, so why did I become a master of haggling...?
He had a moment of existential crisis, but his silver tongue worked on Instructor Jack, too.
“Should I? Still, I'm a bit hesitant to just hand it over.”
Instructor Jack hadn't completely let go of his suspicions.
“If you sharpen it to my satisfaction, I'll pay you the 50 silver it would cost at the smithy. But if you do a poor job, I'll be greatly disappointed in you.”
Hyun-soo had earned 10 silver from the first tutorial, striking the training dummy.
There were shops even in this beginner zone.
This was the exact opportunity Hyun-soo had been looking for!
He had even put a whetstone from Ren's smithy into his inventory.
‘It's been a while...’
A wave of nostalgia washed over Hyun-soo.
At ten years old, Hyun-soo had wanted to learn the family trade from his father and had pleaded earnestly.
In response, his father told him to do nothing but sharpen blades for a year.
The reason was likely to make Hyun-soo give up on the arduous, repetitive work.
But what happened instead?
Because of that, his father ended up producing the world's greatest child prodigy of blade sharpening.
‘I've sharpened over ten thousand blades alone.’
Kitchen knives, swords, wood-chopping axes—he'd sharpened so many things.
Taking the sword, Hyun-soo immediately began to sharpen it with the whetstone right then and there.
*Shhk-shhk-shhk-shhk—*
But soon, the strange notification he'd heard while making the sword sounded again.
[An extraordinary event, inconsistent with your level, is occurring.]
[The dulled blade is being sharpened to an unbelievable degree.]
[You have acquired 1 Dexterity.]
[Perhaps something special will happen.]
The dulled edge straightened out evenly.
And as he sharpened it well, the sword, which had lost its luster, began to gleam once more.
When he had been sharpening the sword for a while and finally finished.
[You have sharpened the sword with the finest skill.]
[The sword's attack power has increased by 2% and its durability has increased by 5%.]
[You have acquired 1 Dexterity.]