Chapter 10

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Temple of Luck Volume 2

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Chapter 1

Another Quest, As Expected

“Hey, old man! Haven’t you made up your mind yet? Hand over this building to us, or the flies will keep buzzing around! If you do, we’ll make sure you have enough money to buy drinks every day until you kick the bucket!”

The men who suddenly burst into the blacksmith’s shop all had menacing looks and were well-built, reminiscent of the employees of Happy Heart Finance.

They took on a highly domineering attitude and handed a piece of paper to the old blacksmith.

‘What’s that?’

I glanced at it and saw that it was a contract to sell the blacksmith’s shop and its business to a place called the Mero Guild.

I immediately realized what was happening.

‘Based on my recent experiences with getting entangled in troublesome events, if I just stand here stupidly, there’s a high chance I’ll be dragged into another unexpected quest.’

That’s absolutely not going to happen.

What I need to do right now is make money by crafting items!

‘I don’t have time to waste on unwanted quests!’

I made a quick decision with my remarkably sharp mind and started to move away stealthily.

But how often does life go as planned?

Before I could take a few steps, I was grabbed by the thugs.

“Hey, kid, what are you? You were peeking at our business deal, and now you’re trying to slip away like a rat?”

The men, who already had menacing looks, narrowed their eyes and started to interrogate me.

“Did you think we wouldn’t notice you peeking at our contract? Where are you from? Are you a spy sent by the Scanner Guild?”

Why did I have to peek at that piece of paper and get caught? Really, my unnecessary curiosity is a problem.

‘I should have just left without looking back.’

I tried to shake off the thug’s hand that was gripping my shoulder and shouted, “Spy? What nonsense is this? I’m not that, so don’t worry. You guys do your business, and I’ll go on my way!”

But it was tough.

Swallowing hard, I felt my mouth go dry and cold sweat trickle down.

When I was still a low-level player in Satisfy, I once passed through a deserted alley in a village and was grabbed by a group of teenage thugs NPC just for making eye contact. I was beaten and extorted.

Was it because I was reminded of that terrifying memory, or because these men reminded me of the employees of Happy Heart Finance?

I was instinctively shrinking back from the thugs. I couldn’t handle them carelessly.

‘I need to be careful.’

Lawless NPCs are violent and have no fear of the law. If I upset them, I could be beaten or even killed.

Of course, I could report them to the city guard for protection, but in this world, fists are often closer than the law!

If I were stronger than them or fast enough to run to the city guard building, it might be a different story, but since that’s impossible, it’s wiser not to provoke them.

‘These guys aren’t just street thugs. If I upset them, it won’t end with just a beating.’

The Mero Guild is one of the largest guilds in the northern part of the Eternia Kingdom. They wouldn’t entrust a job to third-rate thugs. These thugs are all capable.

‘Judging by their equipment, they’re at least level 35.’

For a mere thug to be level 35!

How many people must they have harmed and tormented to reach that level? I can’t even imagine the evil deeds they’ve committed.

‘Moreover, there are five of them… and my level is only 3. Even though I have superior stats for my level, I’m still only in the 20s, and I’m alone.’

To make matters worse, I’m unarmed. If a fight breaks out, I’ll be the one at a disadvantage.

‘Alright, I’ll put my pride aside and act meekly here.’

After quickly organizing my thoughts, I forced a bright smile and explained.

“I’m not a spy. I’m just a good customer passing by. So, there’s no need for you to be suspicious. Hehe.”

Showing cowardice to mere NPCs! It’s the ultimate humiliation, but what can I do?

I felt the thug’s grip on my shoulder loosen slightly.

“Customer? Of this blacksmith’s shop?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm? A customer of this blacksmith’s shop…”

The thug’s grip on my shoulder tightened again.

‘Ouch, it hurts.’

I winced in pain, and for a moment, I almost let out a curse. But I held back. I even tried to maintain my smile.

Why? Because I might get hit if I show a frown! There’s an old saying that a smiling face can’t be spat upon!

The thug, still suspicious, asked, “There are many weapon shops run by the Mero Guild in the city. Why did you come to this rundown blacksmith’s shop? It’s suspicious.”

“There are many weapon shops, but this is the only blacksmith’s shop. I didn’t come to buy weapons but to handle some crafting-related business. That’s why I had to come here. Hehe, it’s my first time in Winshton, so I didn’t know this place was a rundown blacksmith’s shop.”

My acting was so perfect that I could have debuted as a lead actor and been nominated for a newcomer award at the year-end awards!

My humble expression and tone of voice worked.

After continuing to explain with a smile and a low posture, the thugs, who had been suspicious, finally let me go.

“Now I see, you looked like someone we just wanted to beat up. So, you’re a blacksmith too? Hmm, I guess so. You don’t look strong or tough, so you couldn’t be a spy… Alright, scram. And don’t ever come back here again.”

“Wanted to beat up? Look weak and untidy? These bastards, they criticize others’ appearances without thinking about their own faces!”

Anger surged to the top of my head.

But I held back.

“Hehe, thank you for believing me. I’ll leave right away.”

I managed to keep my smile until the end and hurried to leave this cursed blacksmith’s shop.

At that moment, I heard the old blacksmith’s voice, filled with anger.

“So… there’s no point in getting entangled with these filthy people for long. It’s better to avoid filth. I’m tired now.”

I stopped and turned around. The old man was glaring with bloodshot eyes, clenching his teeth, and seemed to be holding back tears.

“Give me that contract. I’ll sign it as you wish.”

“Eh? R, really?”

“Oh! Good thinking, old man!”

“You held out for so long, but finally made a wise decision.”

The thugs cheered at the old man’s words, as if celebrating a festival.

The thug who seemed to be the leader handed the contract and a seal to the old man.

“A seal will do. Hurry up and stamp it.”

“...”

Facing the contract, the old man hesitated for a moment, then resignedly raised his trembling hand to stamp it.

At that moment, tears finally streamed down the old man’s eyes.

“Oh! The family business that has been passed down for seven generations is ending with me! I have no face to meet my ancestors in the afterlife!”

The sight of the old man, lamenting bitterly, was pitiful.

The thugs, showing no sympathy, mocked him.

“Anyway, the blacksmith’s shop had already lost all its customers and was bound to go bankrupt. And old man, you don’t even have any children, right? Your only son already died of illness, didn’t he? Without a successor, the blacksmith’s shop would have naturally ended after you died. There was no point in holding on. Why did you stubbornly resist and only increase your debts? Pathetic, so pathetic.”

“Bastard! Don’t mention my son with your filthy mouth!”

“Where are you getting so loud, you old geezer? Do you want to get beaten up again like last time?!”

‘Johnson,’ the thug, threatened the old man as if he were about to kill him on the spot.

Seeing this, I felt angry.

‘Does this punk not have any respect for the elderly? Not only does he speak to the old man so rudely, but he’s even trying to hit him…’

Then a thug named ‘Um’ stepped in.

“Hey, he signed the contract, so let’s let it go today.”

But another thug named ‘Praga’ got excited and started to rant.

“No, thinking about it, I’m still angry! Why did the old man resist for months when he was going to give in anyway? Think about how much we suffered during that time!”

‘Niel,’ another thug, agreed.

“I mean… damn, how much we were criticized by the higher-ups for not handling an old man properly. Because we couldn’t resolve the issue within the scheduled time, the reward we were supposed to get was reduced.”

The leader of the thugs, ‘Veil,’ who had been watching silently, seemed to have an idea and smiled coldly.

“That’s right. We need to be compensated for the losses we incurred from this old man.”

Veil slapped the old man’s cheek and said,

“Hey, old man, when you receive the money from selling the blacksmith’s shop, use half to pay off your debts and give the other half to us. It’s only fair that you compensate us for the losses you caused, right?”

“Shut up!”

The old man, Khan, trembled with anger and raised his voice. Veil, frowning, exuded a murderous aura.

“Hey, you don’t need a lot of money when you’re about to die and have no family to support. Think of it as helping young people in need.”

“...”

My blood was boiling.

‘I’m not particularly respectful to the elderly…’

I’m the type who doesn’t give up my seat to the elderly on buses or subways.

I think I have the right to occupy a seat since I paid for it with my hard-earned money! No matter how much the elderly stare at me disapprovingly, I never give up my seat!

‘But…’

I don’t insult or mock the elderly like those thugs.

I’m really angry.

‘If I think about how young people would treat my grandparents like this… it’s infuriating.’

So?

Do I want to kill those thugs and help the old man?

No, no, I don’t have that kind of sense of justice. Why should I help a stranger I’ve never met? I have no intention of getting involved in something that won’t benefit me.

Even as a child, I despised superheroes, whom everyone admires at some point.

‘Why should I risk my life to save others? Am I crazy?’

I couldn’t understand the self-sacrificing heroes who put themselves in danger to defeat villains. Seeing their unconditional sacrifices made me cringe and frown even at a young age.

So, when playing hero games with neighborhood kids, I often took the role of the villain. Wearing the mask of a villain gave me a justification to torment anyone, and I enjoyed the moment by tormenting the friends who played the heroes.

At the end of the game, I would pretend to die with a “Kwek~” scream, which made it convenient because I wouldn’t be blamed for tormenting them throughout the game.

‘Thinking about it, I was quite sinister even as a child. Yes, I’ve always been used to turning a blind eye to injustice.’

So, I ignored the old man, who had his family business taken away and was being humiliated by young thugs, and continued walking.

Certainly, I felt a bit regretful.

‘Given the situation, it will be difficult to craft items at this blacksmith’s shop for a while. Damn, moving to this village and paying for an expensive carriage ride was for nothing? Should I move to another village now? No, I can’t do that because the carriage fare was expensive. I’ll level up by hunting until the new owner of this blacksmith’s shop starts business.’

Wait a minute.

‘But I need equipment to hunt, right? Damn! I wasted money by storing my sword and armor in the warehouse! My 50 silver!’

The stress is overwhelming. Thinking about the money wasted makes my stomach hurt.

‘Why does my life always turn out like this? Ugh… I’m getting stomach cramps. I need to leave here quickly and calm down.’

But strangely, my feet wouldn’t move.

‘Is the old man going to be okay like this?’

Ah, really! Damn!

Witnessing such a dirty deed makes me feel uneasy.

Even if I dream of a life far from good deeds, there are basic human principles. It feels like a huge burden of conscience to ignore an old man suffering at the hands of these scumbags who violate human decency.

‘But, should I risk my safety to get involved in someone else’s business just to feel better? That’s too foolish, right?’

I’m fully aware that it’s wise to ignore matters that won’t benefit me.

But why am I hesitating?

‘When did I become so meddlesome? I shouldn’t act out of character. As always, I should turn a blind eye to injustice.’

Just as I was about to leave the blacksmith’s shop, I received a notification.

[Your anger at witnessing the lawless men’s injustice against the blacksmith has reached its peak.]

[A new quest, “The Blacksmith’s Anger,” has been created.]

<The Blacksmith’s Anger>

Difficulty: B

As a descendant of Paguma, you have inherited not only his skills but also his will! You uphold the principle of “benefiting all blacksmiths” and cannot forgive the Mero Guild and their henchmen for oppressing an old and weak blacksmith.

Help the blacksmith Khan, who lost his customers due to the Mero Guild’s scheme and fell into debt!

Quest Completion Conditions: Defeat the Mero Guild’s henchmen and nullify the blacksmith’s shop transfer contract.

Completion Reward: Improvement in Khan’s alcoholism, maximum favor with Khan.

*Khan is originally an excellent blacksmith. However, after his business failed due to the Mero Guild’s scheme and he suffered severe stress, he developed alcoholism. Currently, he appears to be an ordinary, incapable old man, but if his alcoholism improves, he will surely regain his skills as an excellent blacksmith. At that time, he might recognize your true identity and provide significant help…

Quest Acceptance Reward: Skill “The Blacksmith’s Anger” created.

Quest Failure: In a few days, the blacksmith Khan will die of illness, and all quests related to him will be permanently erased.

“Eh?”

Benefiting all blacksmiths?

“Is this a parody of ‘benefiting all humanity’?”

Was the legendary blacksmith Paguma modeled after Grandfather Dangun?

“…Is there a hidden class that can evolve after eating only garlic and mugwort for 100 days?”

No, this isn’t the time for jokes.

“This is a quest in this situation.”

As expected, my prediction was correct.

A rundown blacksmith’s shop, a blacksmith with a story, and the sudden appearance of thugs were all signs of a new quest.

[Do you accept the quest?]

The number of enemies is five, estimated to be level 35 or higher.

On the other hand, I am alone and only level 3. I’m also unarmed because I left my sword and armor in the warehouse.

Do you want to reject the quest? No.

“I accept.”

I have no reason to reject this quest.

Even though my level is only 3, my stats are equivalent to level 20 or higher. I also have the skill “Patience of a Legendary Blacksmith,” which significantly boosts my concentration, stamina, and defense for a full hour.

That’s not all; I have a passive skill that makes me invincible for 5 seconds when my health is at its minimum.

“And actually, I do have a weapon.”

I opened my inventory and took out an arrow I had kept as a souvenir.

<Elite Yapa Arrow>

Grade: Epic

Attack Power: 35~42

This arrow was crafted by an unknown craftsman with great skill and potential but lacking in experience and reputation. It is made by mixing a small amount of yapa with steel.

Due to the combined effect of steel and yapa, the arrow has an extremely high penetration power that partially ignores the enemy’s defense.

*Has a certain chance to completely ignore the enemy’s defense.

Weight: 0.1

Arrows are consumables, but that’s only when they are shot with a bow!