Sometimes too much power can become somewhat boring. I held the Staff of One-Eye in my right hand as I cast fireball after fireball at the Tykes I stumbled upon. With 29 from my staff, 10 from the start and the additional 10 I invested at level 5, I almost had 50 intellect. My fireballs dealt past 300 damage and I one-shotted the tykes without difficulty. They instantly turned into ash the moment they revealed their presence, and although I enjoyed the feeling of power for once, I would rather hunt stronger mobs. This staff, which was the same as the stats gained from 6 levels, was just too overpowered.

「You have picked up a Tyke Horn.」

「Requirements for handing in Blacksmith Taylor's Request have been fulfilled. Please return to Blacksmith Taylor in the Beginner Village Coordinates 305:746:812」

I had finally gathered those twenty horns as requested by the blacksmith before he could lead me to someone who would forge me a necklace out of the demonified wolf tooth. I entered through the village gates and quickly headed over to the forge.

"I've gathered your horns," I said and handed the towering man his horns.

"Thank you, here's the reward." the blacksmith broke out in a smile and gave me a filled pouch. "Come, let me take you to Jewelerycrafter Jenny."

We left the forge and made our way to the northern part of the village. Here, there was a big workshop with strange metals and tools hanging everywhere. I followed Taylor inside and was shocked to see a plump, short girl giving a full grown man, larger than even Blacksmith Taylor, a fiery scolding.

"Are you an idiot? Who the hell tries to mix black spore with the Urcha Spider's poison? You want to blow up my workshop or what? Fuck man, I should kick you out here and now." she fiercely lashed him with her words.

Blacksmith Taylor coughed to draw her attention. "Jenny?"

The girl turned around. She wore a pair of sooted goggles on her forehead and her blond hair was filled with god-knows-what. As she saw us, a smile brightened her face. She was about to run over but then suddenly turned around and said to the big man who I assumed to be her co-worker or at least someone she hired. "Hey, idiot, I'm in a good mood today, don't make any more of those mistakes or I won't let you off easily."

The big man mumbled a few words of which I thought was an excuse and then went off to another corner in the workshop. Jewelry Crafter Jenny gestured for us to come over.

"Jenny, aren't you treating him a bit too harshly?" Taylor asked.

"Not at all– guys like him need to get hammered in order to get better. Just like a lump of metal. You should know if anyone my dear blacksmith. " the short girl, or woman, I was a bit unsure, said. She then glanced at me. "This is?"

I answered before Taylor could open his mouth. "I'm Charles, a pleasure to meet you, miss."

"Hehe, sugar coating your words aren't we." she winked at me. 

Taylor coughed for the second time today and explained. "He's here to get a necklace done."

"Oh, alright," she said. "Let me have a look at what you want to have done then."

I grabbed the wolf tooth from the inventory and gave it to her. It was quite large and glistened with a dark, crimson color.

"Oh, this is quite good. Where'd you get it from?"

"The One-Eyed," I replied. 

"Nice, nice, well what you want then – by your staff I assume..." she trailed off. "Hey, where did you get that staff. It seems awfully familiar for some reason."

"The beginner chief gave it to me," I said.

"Wait – you mean?" Jenny widened her eyes.

Taylor added. "Not only that, Nadu's willing  paying for our services to this guy." 

An awkward silence elapsed. Suddenly, Jenny began to laugh. "Haha that old coot, actually finding a successor. Well don't worry, I'll get you something that boosts your circulation of arcane magic, my good friend."

"Actually," I scratched my head. "I'm more of a fire person."

----------------------------------------

"Come back by noon and I'll have this fixed by then," Jenny explained to me before Taylor and I left the house. Furthermore, she had very happily told me I could come to her anytime if there was something I wanted to be crafted in terms of rings. And I also got to know she was the town's engineer as well, so if I needed accessories she'd fix them.

I turned to Taylor as we walked. "Do you perhaps know where I can get some proper clothes? Maybe a robe and a pair of pants? Or even a hat?"

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Taylor nodded. "Of course I do, at our village's seamstress. However, she is quite the feisty one so I'm not sure she will help you."

"It's worth a try?" I suggested.

He nodded again. "Follow me."

The village was not as small as one would expect. There were over four hundred residents as well as a blacksmith, seamstress, jewelry crafter, engineer, alchemist, leatherworker, and an inscriptor. Each of these profession masters was well above in terms of skill of what you would find outside the beginner village. This the reason to why I pestered the Village chief for his legacy. That man who gave me the valuable information about the Protect the Farms quest also told me that if I did that, the village chief would eventually find an excuse and try to make it up for me.

So how was I going to use this? Well, I would spend my time here in the beginner village well. I would kill all the field bosses you could and gather materials to produce a lot of items and equipment. Even if I wasn't very adept at gaming, I had real-life experience in life and death battles, quick instincts and a very good foundation with my inside information about the game. With this, there would be few who could match up to me.

"Goodmorning Grandma, I brought a guest here to see you." Blacksmith Taylor shouted outside a cabin in the eastern part of the village. "You mind opening the door?"

I stood beside the hulking man, quiet as a mouse. Other than what that man had told me about Archmage Nadu, I knew nothing about the NPC's of the Beginner Village. So if I, by some accident, badly triggered one of the profession masters, they might straight out refuse to craft items for me. And to be fair, I had a tendency to easily trigger people.

"Is that you, little Taylor?" an old female voice sounded out from within the cottage.

"Yes, grandma. It's me, little Taylor."

I was able to discern slow and relaxed footsteps before the door turned open. An old lady with a refined appearance and perfectly fitted clothes appeared in the doorway. Her silver hair was combed and her wrinkles seemed almost fitting to her respectful visage.

 I stepped forward and extended a hand to the seamstress "Charles. A pleasure to meet you, my lady."

The old lady stared at me for a long time. Then her green, sharp eyes wandered over my body, and I noticed how the ridicule in them increased. She turned to Taylor and said. "How come you bought a beggar to my house? He wouldn't even afford the material of my clothes."

"He is someone deeply trusted by Nadu – if you understand what I mean." the hulking man said submissively to the seamstress. Upon his answer, her eyes flickered. She glanced at me, then back at Taylor again.

"I have no obligation to follow that old fool's wishes." the seamstress followed up with. "If someone seeks my services then they must deserve it. You should well know I've denied even viscounts and dukes; money is not something I lack, nor is fame."

Blacksmith Taylor scratched his head. He definitely knew this old lady's temperament, but had it not become worse over the past few years?

"If I may, my lady," I interjected as respectfully as I could. Even though her words had made me mad, there were no enemies, only eternal benefits. "Is there any way I can prove myself worthy of your time then?" I asked.

The old lady nodded with a snort. "I did not close the door immediately out of respect for that old fool and Taylor standing here next to you. Hmm, I suppose you must have something special to gain his approval, but I am not as easy as him. If you wish to gain my favor, show my your earnestly. If not, you can forget my services. Good day, Taylor and... you." she said and slammed the door almost a few centimeters from our noses.

Taylor and I could do nothing but to return to his forge. I asked him. "Are the other masters as difficult as her?"

"As hard as me." the blacksmith laughed.

I snickered. "Then do you know if any of them needs help with something?

"Oh, yeah, I heard Alchemist Gaia sought a special ingredient for an experiment," Taylor answered. "Other than that I haven't heard much."

"Do you mind telling me about him?" I asked. "I wouldn't want the same thing happening at his place like  at the seamstress."

"Him?" the blacksmith blinked, then laughed. "Don't worry, that certainly won't happen."

"It's a her?"

"Yeah, never heard of a female alchemist?"

"Yes."

It was also now I remembered Gaia was the name of mother earth in old Greek mythology, so it made sense it was a she.

"Hey, enjoy yourself." the hulking man couldn't hold himself for laughter. Again. I wondered what was so funny but decided not to ask. 

We ended the conversation shortly after and he gave me the directions to alchemist Gaia. It was outside the city.

I left through the gates and followed the route Taylor recommended. It was through the forest where I fought the One-Eyed and then over a steep mountain where there were many levels six bears. I wonder why she lived all over here but didn't give it much thought. Also, the One-Eyed had respawned so I decided to kill him later today. Maybe I'd get a few more precious mats like the wolf tooth.

After an hour of walking through thick vegetation and blasting annoying bears to smithereens, I finally found a cottage. It was covered with green vines and bushes. I looked for a door. As I found it, I knocked it twice and then stepped back.

A female voice was heard from inside. "Who is it?"

I cleared my throat and said. "The name's Charles. Taylor recommended me here, he said you needed a helping with finding a special ingredient for your experiment."

"Oh, that," she replied. "Hold on, let me just make myself ready and I'll be right there."

After half a minute or so, the door opened. In the house stood a charming young woman with a nightgown. Her hair was brown, slightly messy, and her skin was fair. As if deliberate, the nightgown clearly showed how great of a cleavage she had, and I, who hadn't seen the curves of a woman in well past twenty years couldn't help but stare.

A smile curved on her face. "Come on in," she said and walked into the cottage. I followed her, staring at her behind. It was round like a plum and well-trained. Not a ripple of fat existed on her curvaceous body. It reminded me of Officer Madison who I once had an affair with, only this woman was far more alluring and pleasing to the eye.

The interior of the room was very cozy. She had animal pelts hanging all over and even the floor was covered with them. A fireplace was at the far end of the room. That's right, a house with a fireplace was not a true house. As I glanced around, Alchemist Gaia suddenly turned around and let her nightgown fall to the ground. My mouth dropped. All her goods were revealed and I couldn't help but have my blood rush to a certain place.

"What? Isn't that why you came? To supply me with a special ingredient for my experiment?" she asked, a charming hunger in her big green eyes, as she stared at my groin which had begun to show a big bulge, biting her full lip at the same time.