Chapter 27

Chapter 8

The First Legendary Crafted Item!

Over the past few months, Count Staim had thoroughly searched and forcibly demolished almost all of the temples of Yatan in the north. The Yatan cult, which kidnapped virgins as sacrifices, was a group that deserved punishment. A few months ago, they had the audacity to kidnap his only daughter, Irene.

Fortunately, they managed to rescue Irene, but in the process, they lost Doran, the family's strongest shadow.

Enraged, Count Staim wanted to uproot the Yatan cult entirely.

However, the followers of Yatan were spread across the continent in vast numbers. It was no easy task to exterminate them, as they bred endlessly like cockroaches.

Even in the outskirts of Winston, there was a Yatan temple.

"I had hoped that there would be no more Yatan temples in this northern region..."

Irene, who hated the Yatan cult just like her father, could not tolerate its existence in Winston.

The terrifying fear she felt when she was kidnapped and offered as a sacrifice was so immense that it still haunted her. The thought that there were still victims like her at this very moment made her shudder.

Thus, a few days ago, she dispatched an army to raid the Yatan temple.

However, the army returned without success due to the fierce resistance of the followers.

The number of casualties alone was over a hundred, and three knights were severely injured.

Irene declared, "Reorganize the raiding force. This time, I want you to turn the temple into ashes!"

Determined to deploy more troops, the expanded raiding force set out with a formidable presence.

Irene watched their departure with a determined gaze, stroking the blue ring hanging from her necklace.

"Doran... To honor you, who sacrificed your life for me, I will avenge you."

***

<The Eighth Bell>

Difficulty: SS

You have become one of the greatest recipients of Yatan's grace! Head to the northern region of the Etrnal Kingdom and save the oppressed followers there!

If you spread the greatness of Yatan to the heretics in the north, you will be granted the position of the Eighth Bell.

Quest Completion Condition: The army of the Staim family is continuously attacking the Yatan temples scattered throughout the north. Rescue at least 300 followers who are isolated in the temples.

Number of followers rescued so far: 0/300

Quest Completion Reward: Title 'Eighth Bell'.

*Eighth Bell: Skill 'Infinite Faith' created. Skill 'Doctrine Preaching' created. Skill 'Divine Punishment' created.

Quest Failure: Level -5. Faith -1,000.

The soldiers of the northern region of Winston are known for their strength.

It will certainly be a difficult battle.

However, there was not a hint of hesitation in Yura's steps as she headed towards the Winston Kingdom.

'I need to become stronger.'

Recently, Yura faced Agnus, ranked 7th in the overall rankings, and realized the greatness of epic classes. She felt the same sense of powerlessness when she encountered the mysterious man using the ID 'Grid'.

At this point, obtaining an SS-grade quest was a golden opportunity.

Yura was determined to complete this quest and use it as a stepping stone to achieve her ultimate goal of becoming the top-ranked player in the overall rankings.

I received the one-handed sword crafting method limited to level 160 from Khan.

However, the crafting method was quite burdensome. After calculating the cost of materials needed for crafting, I found that it would cost at least 950 gold to craft one sword.

"Hmm... It fits perfectly."

My current wealth totals 6,710 gold.

With this money, I can only craft seven swords.

And in a week, I can only craft seven swords.

"Exactly seven. It feels like a good omen, doesn't it?"

In Korea, the number 7 symbolizes luck!

I decided to believe in the lucky number.

"I'm sure an epic item will drop with one hit! Hahaha!!"

Captivated by the good omen, I hummed a tune and crafted a sword for 20 hours without feeling the strain.

And the result was...

<Sturdy Long Sword>

Grade: Normal

Durability: 250/250 Attack Power: 200

A long sword crafted by a nameless blacksmith with great skill and potential but lacking in experience and reputation.

A well-tempered sword that is not easily damaged.

Usage Condition: Level 160 or higher. Strength 950 or higher. Intermediate Sword Mastery.

Weight: 600

"Who said 7 was a lucky number? Oh, I want to punch that guy!"

A day flew by.

I want to smash this cursed normal item, but I can't because of the cost of materials. That's the reality of being poor.

Shaking with anger, I approached Khan and asked, "How much can I sell this for?"

After examining the sword for a while, Khan answered cautiously.

"About 800 gold, I think."

"What, what?!"

I almost grabbed Khan by the collar.

I used 950 gold worth of materials, and the selling price is only 800 gold!

What kind of nonsense is this!

"Generally, the higher the usage condition of an item, the less it sells if it's a low-grade item. This is because..."

Khan gave a lengthy explanation.

To summarize, the basic performance of a level 160 normal item and a level 120 rare item is about the same. However, while a normal item has no options, a rare item has at least one small option. Depending on the content of that option, a level 120 rare item can often be more powerful than a level 160 normal item. The price difference between the two items is not significant.

Therefore, people buy a level 120 rare item with the money they would spend on a level 160 normal item.

"In other words, throw away the normal item..."

Khan tried to comfort me.

"At least the equipment you make, even if it's low-grade, is highly functional, so you won't suffer a big loss. Take comfort in that."

'To call that a comfort... Damn, I really messed up.'

I can craft a total of 6 more swords in the future.

To complete the quest, I must get an epic item with a 50% chance from now on.

"Damn it, this time for sure!!"

With a fierce determination, I focused my mental energy to the extreme and poured all my effort into crafting the sword.

20 hours later.

The second result was born.

<Sturdy Long Sword>

Grade: Normal

Durability: 250/250 Attack Power: 200

A long sword crafted by a nameless blacksmith with great skill and potential but lacking in experience and reputation.

A well-tempered sword that is not easily damaged.

Usage Condition: Level 160 or higher. Strength 950 or higher. Intermediate Sword Mastery.

Weight: 600

"Damn it, you f***ing a**holes! Admins, stop manipulating the probabilities! What the f*** is this?!"

Unable to control my anger, I used profanity, and Khan brought me a warm cup of tea.

"Stay strong. Everyone faces trials. If you endure them, light will surely come..."

"Ah, don't talk! I'm pissed off right now!"

"..."

Pushing Khan away, I ran out of the forge and shouted to the sky.

"Damn you, admins! If you keep manipulating the probabilities, I'll report you to the consumer rights center! Stop it! What the f*** is this?!"

I used the best materials and did my best in every step of the crafting process.

If the admins have any conscience, they wouldn't manipulate the probabilities to keep giving me normal items out of pity.

Believing this, I started crafting the third sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

I've been hammering for days without proper sleep. My shoulders are so sore I can barely lift them, but I can't stop hammering.

Now it's a matter of pride.

I can't keep making normal items with the title of a legendary blacksmith. I will escape the admins' manipulation and craft an epic item.

...Until recently, my goal was to craft unique or legendary items, but now my goal is to craft an epic item.

But what can I do? I can't even make a rare item, so I have to compromise with reality.

Dinner time!

I had no appetite. I couldn't tell if the food was going into my nose or my mouth.

My mother was worried about me, staring blankly at my plate.

"Yeonwoo, did something bad happen outside? I made braised ribs for the first time in a long time, but why are you only sucking on the bones for 5 minutes and not eating the meat?"

"I don't deserve to eat meat, being such a pitiful person..."

While 1.5 days passed in real time, 6 days passed in Satisfy.

During that time, I crafted a total of 6 swords, and the results were 3 normal items, 1 rare item, and 2 epic items.

Now, with only one sword left to craft before the quest deadline, I have only managed to craft 2 epic-grade swords.

'I'm doomed... I'm doomed...'

When you invest more than 20 hours to craft an item, the probability of crafting an epic item is close to one-third.

In other words, the probability of crafting an epic item with the remaining one sword is very low.

The transaction with the administrator is likely to be canceled.

'How can I not be able to craft an epic item with a legendary class... I'm such a pitiful person, not even deserving to eat.'

Feeling dejected, Sehee placed a piece of meat on my bowl and said,

"Why are you suddenly like this? You've always been pitiful, haven't you? You've only been good at eating until now, so why show a weak side now? I don't know what kind of hardship you're going through, but your only strength is your perseverance, right? When you were in 6th grade, you couldn't recite the multiplication table from 1st to 6th grade, but you stayed up for two nights and finally memorized it perfectly. So don't be discouraged and try with perseverance. If you do, you will definitely overcome this difficult time."

"Sehee... Did you eat something wrong?"

Seeing Sehee, who was uncharacteristically comforting me, I felt a sense of dissonance and asked my mother seriously.

"Mom, is the rib bad? Is this pork rib? Is it made from a cow with mad cow disease?"

"This is pork rib?!"

Smack!

Sehee threw a rib bone at my forehead.

Holding the rib bone that slid down my nose and placing it on the table, I thought seriously.

Why do I get beaten every time I sit at the table? Even dogs don't bother you when you eat, so am I being treated worse than a dog by my family?

After dinner.

I returned to my room and sat in the capsule, logging into Satisfy.

Khan greeted me.

"Did you sleep well? I hope you got some rest and relieved your worries."

"Khan, I've decided to let everything go."

"Huh? What do you mean by 'let everything go'?"

"I'm going to empty my mind. I'll let go of my attachment. My humble skills are not worthy of being supplied to the castle. No matter how hard I try, it's useless."

"What are you talking about? How can a descendant of Pagma speak so weakly!!"

Khan was genuinely angry.

I was undermining myself despite having the skills and talents that others could never achieve no matter how hard they tried, which he, as an ordinary blacksmith, could not tolerate.

Ignoring his scolding, I stood in front of the furnace.

And I started crafting the last 7th sword.

'I will no longer be attached to the results.'

No matter how hard I try, the grade of the item is ultimately determined randomly.

It's foolish of me to carefully select the best materials and put in a lot of effort and dedication every time I craft an item, knowing this fact.

I emptied my mind.

Unlike before, when I desperately wished for the desired result, I just worked silently. I relied on the knowledge and experience I had accumulated and let the item be crafted as it flowed.

As the blade began to shine with a sharp light, dawn was breaking outside.

It was already morning.

I was so engrossed in the work, clearing my mind of all distractions, that I didn't even notice the time passing.

A warning message appeared.

[The deadline for the quest <Transaction with the Administrator (1)> is 2 hours away. Please complete the quest within 2 hours.]

In 2 hours, I will see the notification "Quest Failed!" which seems to mock me.

I sneered and moved on to the final stage of crafting the sword.

A short while later, the information of the completed sword appeared.

<Sword of No Mind>

Grade: Legendary

Durability: 365/365 Attack Power: 356 Attack Speed: +6% Accuracy: +10% Defense Rate: +10%

*Each attack deals additional damage equal to the target's level +200.

*Skill 'State of No Mind' created.

A sword crafted by a nameless blacksmith with great skill and potential but lacking in experience and reputation, who abandoned all desires and distractions and relied solely on his skills.

The blacksmith unknowingly completed a sword that was unparalleled in the world.

Usage Condition: Level 160 or higher. Strength 950 or higher. Advanced Sword Mastery Level 2.

Weight: 400

[Crafting a Legendary item permanently increases all stats by +25 and increases reputation across the continent by +1,000.]

[Title 'The Only Legendary Item Crafter' obtained.]

The title I received when I crafted a unique item was 'The First Unique Item Crafter.'

However, the title I received for crafting a legendary item had the modifier 'The Only' instead of 'The First.'

This is a reminder that in Satisfy, I, the descendant of Pagma, am the only one who can craft legendary items.

"..."

I confirmed Khan, who was crouching in a corner of the forge.

For the past week, I had been so angry at not being able to craft the desired item that I took it out on Khan.

I trampled on all his advice and encouragement and treated him coldly.

He must have felt a great deal of disappointment towards me. Look at him, how lonely he looks even now.

Khan must think I'm a bad person. He might even seriously doubt whether he should pass this forge on to me.

I approached him slowly.

And I massaged his shoulders, which were tense from the repetitive heavy labor.

"Khan, I'm sorry. I know I disappointed you a lot. I won't make you feel lonely anymore."

"Grid...?"

Khan was very surprised by my uncharacteristic words and actions.

"Don't tell me! You're not going to jump into the Frail River because you made a low-grade sword again, are you?!"

Because of his experience of losing a son?

I showed him the sword I crafted.

"Of course not. Look at this."

"Huh!"

Khan trembled.

"This is... This is a masterpiece of the ages...! Cough, cough, cough!"

"Hey! Khan! Khan!!!"

Was he too shocked?

Khan struggled to breathe and fell to the ground in pain!

"No! Don't die!! You can't die!!!"

Khan is the one who gave me the class quest.

And I haven't even started the class quest yet. It will probably take a very long time to complete