Blacksmith Rank Up

The blacksmith grade had risen to 19. Leaving the market commotion behind, I'd returned to the main merchant guild compound and was lying on the side ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠room's low bench, quietly catching my breath. I'd unintentionally revealed a bit of my true capabilities right in the middle of the bustling marketplace, but thanks to that, I'd perfectly verified the black iron dagger's combat destructiveness. And if word of mouth elevated the Mi Merchant Guild forge's reputation, it was obvious that scraps and leftover materials falling to me, the apprentice, would improve in quality.

'Not a bad haul.' I was savoring the rest, loosening my stiff muscles, when—

Knock knock.

Someone cautiously but rhythmically rapped on the sturdy wooden door of the side room. The footsteps were on another level from the rough, light tread of ordinary porters or apprentices—completely suppressed presence. I placed a hand on my pant leg, lightly gripping the black iron dagger's handle, and opened the door.

"Resting?"

Standing outside was Kang Bi, the escort squad leader who'd guarded Mi So-jeo's carriage that morning. With his leopard-like lean, muscular build, he swiftly scanned my face and the room with sharp eyes. He exuded a chill beyond that of a mere guild protector.

"What brings the squad leader to my side room?"

I released the dagger and calmly observed proper etiquette. Kang Bi silently met my gaze, then carefully drew a long, heavy leather bundle from his bosom and offered it.

"Keeping it from Master Yeom Cheol, I've come with a personal, confidential request."

"A... request, you say?"

Kang Bi untied the leather bundle, revealing a ring sword with a gleaming blue edge. At a glance, it wasn't some mass-produced trash. Unlike the crudely thick hunks of metal favored by escort captains or mercenaries, its blade was sleek yet perfectly balanced for weight distribution, the hilt wrapped in premium leather for a secure, non-slip grip.

But contrasting its fine form, the middle of the blade bore a gruesome wound. It looked like it'd taken a heavy blow—the edge was viciously chipped a finger's width, with spiderweb cracks radiating deep into the iron core from the damage.

"This treasured blade has saved my life many times. Last time, I barely parried a Yellow Turban remnant's mace, and the edge chipped and teeth broke off. Too fine to discard, so I thought of asking the master to repair it... but he's so busy, I doubted he'd spend time on a sword like mine."

Kang Bi eyed me as he continued.

"I heard you perfectly rebuilt the undercarriage of Do Geom's wife's carriage this morning. They say your skill with iron frameworks rivals the master's—a genius. So, I wanted to ask if you could mend this blade's cracks. I'll pay generously for the trouble."

His words were polite, but his gaze pierced through me. Instead of probing his motives, I quietly reached out and took the damaged treasure. A heavy vibration traveled through my palm from the metal lump.

'Fine steel.' Impurities nearly perfectly purged, high-density steel folded and hammered dozens of times. Though the central spine had a fracture-like critical crack, its essential framework was as sturdy and excellent as premium H-beams supporting a massive structure.

Opportunities to handle such high-quality material were rare. And reforging an already masterful sword my way? The experience points would far surpass scrapping junk iron—unimaginably so. Greed crept unbidden to my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lips.

"No need for payment. Handling a blade with such a superb frame is reward enough. By tomorrow morning, I'll reattach it sharper than new."

At my ready agreement, Kang Bi's eyes curved faintly. Nodding in satisfaction, he slipped out discreetly.

Time passed, and deep, heavy darkness blanketed the entire guild compound. I locked the side room door tight, laid out Kang Bi's chipped sword, yesterday's carriage parts, the dagger remnants, and leftover black iron fragments neatly on the bench. My dantian brimmed fully with 9 mana.

"Subspace Opening."

Shuuu—whoosh! The command triggered the familiar vibration enveloping my body, the room's air warping violently and evaporating into void.

Flash. When I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠reopened my eyes, I stood in the heart of my Lv.2 personal forge, greeted by solid clay floors and the hefty steel anvil.

A red timer in the corner of my vision began counting down generously from 9:00. Without delay, I clamped Kang Bi's sword in tongs and plunged it deep into the charcoal heart of the roaring furnace.

Siiiizz—shiiik! My pulls on the bellows were relentless. Strength 11 and Agility 11 synergized, driving the massive bellows like precise, explosive piston strokes. Flames roared fiercely in the furnace. The blade shifted from blue steel sheen to deep orange ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as it devoured the heat—the perfect moment when metal softens, baring its innards.

I snatched the tongs upward, slamming the glowing sword onto the steel anvil. Then, I positioned a chunk of pitch-black black iron fragment over the fatal wound where teeth had chipped and cracks spiderwebbed.

"If the frame's broken, just melt stronger iron girders and pour them in to fill it."

Like dismantling a crumbling scaffold on a past construction site, pouring high-strength cement and rebar into the gaps to erect a far sturdier load-bearing pillar. That raw yet perfect structural engineering thrill infused my hammer strikes. The heavy iron hammer in my right hand rose high overhead, then thundered down like lightning onto the cracked spot topped with black iron.

Claaaaang—!! A sharp, exhilarating rupture tore through the forge, shaking it. The steel anvil rebounded the force perfectly to the metal, my agile wrist snap absorbing the vicious kickback and converting it instantly to acceleration for the next blow.

Clang! Claaaaang—!! Clang—!! The hammer danced madly on the anvil. Subspace system corrections guided every trajectory flawlessly. In my vision, high-density black iron melted into the shattered sword's gaps, densely filling the hollowed core—vividly clear.

Time was plentiful—no more frantic chases like the old 5-minute scrambles. With leisure, I hammered thin and precise, fusing the black iron seamlessly into the sword's steel without foreign feel, perfect jointing. The gaping spiderweb cracks, split as if to shatter, couldn't withstand the hammer's merciless pressure and sealed into smooth, unified steel surfaces.

Finally, hammering done, as the sword cooled to sword-red. On the anvil lay no longer a pathetic, toothless blade—but a monstrous reborn treasure, black iron spine embedded, far heavier and more destructive than before.

"Finishing touches."

I seized the tempered sword in tongs and thrust it unhesitatingly into the oil vat beside the anvil.

Tsssssssss—!!! Oil boiled madly, white smoke exploding upward. As it cleared, the drawn sword was no longer merely sharp. Amid its original blue steel, a chill black iron grain ran like an ink vein along the spine—a perfect tool of slaughter.

With ample timer left, system windows stormed down like a blizzard, blindingly bright.

"Job... promotion!"

The moment I confirmed the message, my heart pounded like it would burst. Not some minor stat or mana +1—this was the job's fundamental grade shattering its lowly F-rank basement to evolve to E-grade, a monumental alert. Vast, transcendental energy beyond any prior level-up engulfed me, slamming my mind and ripping/reassembling every cell.

Amid the job promotion's massive storm wracking my body, the retinal system window flashed red.

Flash. Intense distortion, and the mud hut's acrid air evaporated. Blinking, I sat once more on the cold side room bench. Darkness thick in the real-world room. On my lap lay the newborn D+ grade treasure sword, and within me, the job promotion's colossal change swirled madly.