Chapter 25

Chapter 6

The Unlucky Icon

For the past month, I didn't take a single step out of the forge.

I logged into Satisfy and stayed in the forge, hammering away until I logged out.

During this time, I learned several new facts or solidified some vague knowledge I already had.

First, if you keep making the same item, your crafting skill experience doesn't increase much. You need to craft different items each time to gain skill experience effectively.

Second, the better the materials used, the higher the chance of creating a high-grade item.

For example, if you make two iron swords using the same method, an iron sword made with low-quality steel will almost certainly be of normal grade, while an iron sword made with top-quality steel will have a relatively high chance of being rare grade.

Third, even if you use the same quality materials to make the same item, the longer you invest in the crafting time, the higher the chance of the item being of a higher grade.

I was extremely lucky to create a unique-grade dagger in just three hours. In reality, to create an item of rare grade or higher, you need to invest at least six to seven hours.

This means the number of items you can craft in a day is very limited, so stat grinding doesn't progress as smoothly as you might want.

Fourth, if you really want to become a great blacksmith, you need to invest in strength and stamina as well as dexterity.

Most of the equipment and minerals handled in the forge are quite heavy, so high strength is required for efficient work. Additionally, each item you craft consumes a lot of stamina, so if you want to make more items, you need to have high stamina.

That's why I was very satisfied with my high strength and stamina stats.

“Huff... huff... Are you still young? You don't seem to get tired.”

Unlike Kan, who would get exhausted and take breaks after completing each item, I had plenty of stamina and could craft items non-stop during my time in Satisfy.

In this way, I crafted a total of 73 items over the past month, averaging more than two items per day.

Among those 73 items, 11 were rare grade, and 3 were epic grade. As a result, all my stats increased by 34 each.

I have 11 types of stats: strength, stamina, agility, intelligence, dexterity, endurance, composure, tenacity, dignity, insight, and courage.

A 34-point increase in each of the 11 stats means a total increase of 374 points, which would normally require leveling up 37 times.

However, I was unsatisfied.

Why?

I crafted a whopping 73 items. I invested over six hours of effort into each item and used the best materials available within my means.

Yet, not a single legendary-grade or even unique-grade item was created.

Isn't this really too much?

“Even epic-grade items, only three... Damn, what kind of legendary blacksmith is this? Ah, I'm so frustrated.”

Every time I crafted an item, I desperately hoped it would at least be unique grade, but it almost always ended up being normal grade. Each time, I felt a huge sense of disappointment and futility, making me want to quit the game.

The only consolation was that my crafting-related skills had leveled up.

<Legendary Blacksmith's Technique>

Lv.2

Crafts equipment items for which you know the recipe.

Can craft equipment items for which you have created recipes using the 'Legendary Blacksmith's Creation' skill.

Has a certain chance to craft rare to epic-grade items.

Has a rare chance to craft unique-grade items.

Has a very rare chance to craft legendary-grade items.

*All abilities of crafted items increase by 12%.

*When crafting a rare-grade item, all stats permanently increase by +2, and reputation across the continent increases by +30.

*When crafting an epic-grade item, all stats permanently increase by +4, and reputation across the continent increases by +80.

*When crafting a unique-grade item, all stats permanently increase by +12, and reputation across the continent increases by +300.

*When crafting a legendary-grade item, all stats permanently increase by +25, and reputation across the continent increases by +1,000.

*Every fifth time a legendary-grade item is crafted, a special event occurs.

<Legendary Blacksmith's Creation>

Every time the 'Legendary Blacksmith's Technique' skill levels up, you can create 3 new equipment item recipes.

Currently, you can create 5/6 new item recipes.

*When producing items created using this skill, the creator's name is automatically engraved on the item.

<Legendary Blacksmith's Breath>

Lv.2

When you put a lot of effort into crafting an item, the will of the descendants of Pagma is imbued in the crafted item.

All abilities of the crafted item increase by 7%.

Has a rare chance to grant special functions to the crafted item.

In addition to the skill level increase, there was another happy event.

Over the past month, I learned dozens of item recipes from Kan.

Kan wanted to pass on as much knowledge as possible to me, his successor, before retiring. As a result, I learned a new recipe from him every day.

This was a huge gain. Normally, to obtain item recipes, you need to complete specific quests, which vary greatly in difficulty.

So, obtaining item recipes is usually very difficult. However, as Kan's successor, I was able to learn many recipes without completing any quests, which was a great fortune.

I took out a thick book from my inventory. The title is 'List of Item Recipes.' This book contains detailed descriptions of the recipes I have learned.

I opened the book and checked the table of contents.

Starting from the recipe for the 'failure' I created myself, the recipe for the Yapha Arrow I learned in Baryan, and the dozens of recipes I learned from Kan...

It feels like a new beginning.

‘When I was in Baryan Village, I only had four recipes: an axe, a pickaxe, a Yapha Arrow, and a failure. Now, it’s like this...’

While looking through the recipes, I thought of Yufemina.

‘Why hasn’t she shown up even though she said she would bring the orb recipe?’

Yufemina wants me to craft an orb for her personal use.

Therefore, there's a high chance she will bring the best orb recipe.

Then I will learn the best orb recipe for free.

Just thinking about it makes me happy.

But, wait...

“What if... in the unlikely event... Yufemina brings the recipe and materials, but I end up crafting a normal-grade orb? What will happen to me then?”

Will I be able to save my life?

Perhaps Yufemina will lock me somewhere and make me craft orbs over and over again until I create a unique-grade one?

“She’s capable of doing that...”

I recalled Yufemina's psychopathic smile as she burned the lord's guard with a single spell and laughed.

“...What should I do?”

I no longer look forward to seeing Yufemina.

I don’t need the recipe; I just hope she never comes back.

Shaken with fear, I trembled. Suddenly, the forge door opened.

“Eek! Y, Yufemina?!”

There's an old saying that if you talk about a tiger, it will appear. I was scared that Yufemina had come because I mentioned her.

Fortunately, the visitors were not Yufemina but two male users who looked incredibly high-level.

“Are you the blacksmith Kan?”

“I am Kan... What brings you here?”

They started to grill Kan with questions.

“A month ago, you had a crafting competition with a traveler named Erina, right?”

“Yes...”

“Was she really a blacksmith? Did you see her craft items with your own eyes?”

“Your question is strange. Of course, she was a blacksmith. That’s why she was hired by the Mero Trading Company to participate in the competition, and I witnessed her excellent blacksmithing skills firsthand. Who are you, and why are you asking such strange questions?”

The men ignored Kan’s question and whispered to each other. Then they asked Kan again.

“Is the Mero Trading Company the only organization involved in the crafting competition? Was there any other organization involved, or did you notice anything suspicious?”

“Hmph!”

Kan’s face showed displeasure.

It was understandable, as these young men, who looked like his sons, had been speaking to him informally from the start, ignoring his questions and only talking about their own concerns.

The men didn’t care about Kan’s expression at all.

They even started to interrogate him.

“Why aren’t you answering? If you know something, just say it. Dragging this out won’t do anyone any good.”

It sounded like a threat.

What a joke.

This is Kan’s forge. They are just customers. And they are in a position where they need to ask Kan for help. What’s with their attitude?

I could tell from the moment they started speaking informally to Kan, who is old enough to be their grandfather.

They are treating Kan with disrespect because he is an NPC. In reality, there are many such users.

NPCs are not human; they are just system programs with AI.

But I know.

Even though they are created by humans, Kan has memories and emotions.

He can feel anger and resignation. He can shed hot tears and laugh happily.

He can rely on someone and hate someone.

And sometimes, he misses his dead son.

That’s why I was angry at the men who treated Kan so poorly.

“Hey, you guys, what’s with that attitude? What right do you have to interrogate and threaten Kan? Huh?”

The men, dressed in dirty clothes and holding an old blacksmith’s hammer, looked me up and down and sneered.

“Who are you? Know when to butt in and when to stay out.”

What? I’m not an NPC, yet they speak to me informally?

“I’m butting in now because I know when to. I’m an employee here. Why are you causing trouble in someone else’s business? Huh? Isn’t that business interference?”

“Business interference? What a joke. We were just asking for cooperation.”

“Is that the attitude of someone asking for cooperation?”

“Haha, should I have brought orange juice as a gift?”

One of the men’s expressions turned fierce. From his equipment, he looked like a high-level player, and