The Blacksmith's Breakthrough
He swung the hammer.
Hit the grain perfectly.
Power distribution is exquisite.
Receiving Dexterity correction.
Progress (2.4%) has increased.
It had already been a week of nonstop sword forging.
The grueling labor was bearable, especially since every skill level-up boosted his Dexterity stat by 1.
This effort would one day ripen into sweet nectar, drenching his mouth with reward.
"Hoo."
Exhaling deeply, he picked up the hammer again.
He struck down hard.
Clang!
Progress jumped to 2.5%.
Now, out of every ten swings, seven hit the grain perfectly.
Swords were forming faster, with better performance to boot.
The blade he'd just forged was the smoothest yet among all his creations.
That was the moment.
His Weapon Crafting skill had risen from level 2 to 3.
Dexterity rose right along with it.
Nice!
Skill level-ups made a world of difference in weapon crafting.
Not just higher precision—each strike advanced progress further.
Weapons came together faster, yielding better options.
Of course, this was only possible because Mu-hyuk's Strength was absurdly high compared to average players.
At level 10, his Strength was already 15. Hitting level 15 bumped it to 20.
He'd dumped all five bonus points into Strength.
Even a single skill level change hit like a truck.
Other aspiring blacksmiths at level 15 usually had around 10 Strength.
Mu-hyuk wielded double that.
Naturally, his forging speed outpaced theirs, and so did the results.
That synergy accelerated skill experience gains, letting him hit level 3 in just a week.
The moment had arrived.
Skill level 3.
Strength at 20.
Only now could he craft top-tier weapons without usage restrictions.
No matter how high Strength got, level 1 skills couldn't produce optioned blades.
Options started appearing at level 3. At level 4, two options kicked in.
And with high probability, usage restrictions tagged along.
Mu-hyuk eyed the weapon in his hand.
How would it perform?
This one had set a personal record: seven perfect grain hits in a row.
At level 3, usage restrictions were still unlikely, so even one solid option made it a winner.
Excitement bubbled up uncontrollably.
With that thought, he checked its info.
A hologram flickered before his eyes.
◈ Attack Power 11
◈ Agility +1
◈ Durability 50/50
Expectations fulfilled.
His first weapon with a stat option.
Yes!
As if in reward, another message appeared.
Its attack power outstripped even the glowing iron sword from the training hall quest.
Blacksmith-forged gear became yours once you covered material costs.
Mu-hyuk paid the pittance for materials and claimed the sword.
Momentum surging, he forged on, crafting five solid weapons over another week.
All had options, none with usage restrictions.
High damage output—they'd fetch a pretty penny from players.
Gold only.
Of course, he'd keep one for himself, so four for sale.
Cash? No thanks.
Right now, amassing gold for better gear to boost his forces mattered more than real-world cash.
With 30 million won in the bank, reality could wait.
Focus: skyrocket in Illusion.
"Hoo."
He set down the hammer and left the workshop.
Approaching Luke, who was dealing with customers.
"Grandpa Luke."
"What is it?"
"Gonna hit the auction house real quick."
Passing the entry test and showing up steadily had warmed him to Luke.
Enough for a favor, even mid-shift.
"Auction house?"
"Yeah, got something to check."
"Do what you want."
Mu-hyuk grinned and bowed slightly.
"Be back soon."
Out of the smithy, onto the main road, toward the plaza.
A building on the left: the auction house, buzzing with trades.
More people than expected.
The auction system let you browse anywhere.
But direct visits cut fees to 1% versus 10% remotely.
Hence the foot traffic.
Crowded, but spacious enough.
Weaving through users, he reached the central NPC.
"Excuse me."
"Yes, sir? How may I assist?"
"Selling some items."
"May I see them?"
"Sure."
He pulled four swords from inventory.
"How would you like to sell?"
Two ways: timed auction or fixed-price.
"Auction."
"Set a duration."
"24 hours."
"Starting bid?"
"5 gold."
"Second sword?"
"Same for all the rest."
"Understood. One moment."
The NPC waved, and the swords vanished.
"Entered in auction. Proceeds minus 1% fee auto-deposited upon sale. Thank you."
Mu-hyuk nodded and browsed.
Quality stuff everywhere.
◈ Defense 2
◈ Vitality +1
◈ Durability 60/60
◈ Usage Restriction: Vitality 10
Instant buy: 15 gold.
150,000 won in cash terms.
Cheap due to the restriction.
To hit Vitality 10 balancing all stats? Late teens or early 20s.
Even at 15, mid-to-late 20s needed.
No restriction on good options? Sky-high prices.
This one would've fetched dozens of gold without it.
How much for my swords?
Anticipation swelled.
He shook his head.
Tomorrow would tell.
Clearing his mind, he scanned more listings.
Tempting gear, but no gold to spend—just window shopping.
Tch, tomorrow then.
Regret trailing, he left for the smithy.
Luke called out.
"Your skills are coming along nicely, I hear."
"Ah, yeah."
"Good. Forge me a proper sword then."
Luke's Quest
📍 Task: Craft one iron sword with a stat option within 18 hours
🎁 Success:Dexterity +1
🎁 Failure: None
A special quest.
18 hours...
He'd made five optioned swords over a week.
One in 18 hours? Possible?
Had to be.
Dexterity reward was too good.
Hurry.
Into the workshop, iron ingot on the anvil.
Hammer strikes began.
*
His level was low.
But some players overflowed with cash, hitting auctions constantly.
"Let's take a break."
"Sure, I'll check the auction."
"Me too."
Even in hunting grounds.
Auction system.
Thought triggered the hologram.
He tweaked transparency for clear views.
Couldn't watch surroundings, but no sweat.
Crowded party—monsters respawning would agro to them anyway.
Worst case, his resting buddy would warn him.
Let's see...
Running five restaurants plus rentals, he'd sold everything.
Over 5 billion won in hand.
Single, late 30s, all-in on Illusion.
Yesterday: 30 million won invested.
All converted to gold.
Plus savings: over 5,000 gold.
Ooh, nice.
Snapped it up, no hesitation.
This too.
Three decent accessories in moments.
+1 Vitality and Strength each.
Then—
Eh?
Level 17.
Good damage weapons usually had high usage restrictions.
He made do with a subpar sword.
His eternal gripe.
Now: four no-restriction beauties.
◈ Attack Power 13
◈ Agility +1
◈ Durability 50/50
◈ Attack Power 16
◈ Strength +1
◈ Durability 50/50
◈ Attack Power 19
◈ Vitality +1
◈ Durability 60/60
◈ Attack Power 21
◈ Strength +1
◈ Durability 75/75
The last one, Masterwork Iron Sword, caught his eye.
21 attack, plus Strength!
No usage restriction.
His current sword? 11 attack, no stats.
No-restriction pickings, but this? Irresistible.
Starting bid 5 gold?
24 hours.
Less than an hour in: 25 gold already.
Mine.
Gold surplus anyway.
Go big.
Bid attempt.
Confirm bid?
[Yes/No]
Yes.
Set bid amount.
30 gold.
Bid leaped to 30.
Price stalled.
Five minutes passed—same.
Good!
Plenty of time left; he could wait.
Browse more?
Nah.
Nothing else registered.
Only that sword, Masterwork Iron Sword, pounding his heart.
With it...
Attack power jumps 30%+.
Insane boost.
Closing the auction, he checked his party.
Weird looks.
"No way..."
"Huh?"
"You see the weapons?"
"Y-yeah."
Yep.
They'd spotted the same blades.