I, Gino Cruz, am currently walking around the town. Honestly, I don’t want to walk around during day time since there are too many people. The sun is currently up in the sky but strangely I don’t feel that hot. Maybe because I live in a tropical country combined with all the pollution there the hotness was like I’ve been walking through the fire or it’s just the body reconstruction done to us, I don’t know but for that, I am thankful.
We decided to have a day off today since the guild tag takes one day to make. I don’t think that it will take a day to create those little tags but it’s good to have a day off. Back in Earth I’ll just stay inside the house when I have a day off since there are many shows to watch (anime included), books to read, and games to play so the outside wall doesn’t attract me that much. But in this world where the telecommunication is not available, where the cost of books are too damn high, and there’s no games to play, even though this world is like a fantasy game, so having a day off means having nothing to do. I always thought I was lazy but I guess that the entertainment in Earth catches most of my attention so I always forgot to do the chores I should do and not having those entertainment of Earth here at Tala is the worst. I am bored to death! Fernando won’t let me help him today since it’s our ‘day-off’ and I don’t want to be a third-wheel between Kaezar and Jasper at the shop so I don’t know what to do! Maybe I should just gather some herbs or hunt some goblins for experience? My base level is 10 the same with my job level which means I can change class now but I don’t know what I should take since most of the association here is combat related jobs, there’s four crafting jobs here which is blacksmithing, tailoring, woodworking, and alchemy. By the way, Kaezar’s father, Fernando, is the head of the alchemist association in this village and at the same time, he’s only the member. And lastly there’s only one supportive job association here, the Druid association. Druids are the one who commands the nature, though they are grouped in the support jobs, they are strong in fights and does not only act as support.
I would like to have a job which encompasses everything in the crafting category. If I can then I think I won’t be bored even if we had a day off in the future. I can shut myself inside my workshop and create whatever I want but sadly there’s no job like that.
“Haaa....”
I sigh as I think on what job I should take. I can take a combat related job since I’m an adventurer after all but I don’t want to specialize in combat. Jobs give a bonus to the people who have them. Let’s say that a sword forge by a blacksmith will be stronger than the one forge by alchemist, similarly the potion made by alchemist will be more effective than the potion made by blacksmith and also there are the exclusive job skills which differ in each and every job. I heard that a swordsman has a passive skill which increases the damage dealt by using sword which can overlap with the sword mastery skill which will let him deal more damage than other class using the same sword.
“What should I pick I wonder? Blacksmith, alchemist or tailor? What should I pick I wonder?”
I am singing a song I made on the spot, which I will forget later, while walking aimlessly when I heard the sounds of hammer pounding a metal. It has a rhythm on it which is making me feel relaxed as I listen to it.
*Clang, clang. Clang, clang*
My feet unconsciously followed the sound and now I am in front of the workshop of the blacksmith. Well, I don’t know if I should call it a workshop since there’s just a roof here for the shade and no wall. The workshop is located at the southeastern end of the village near the forest.
A man is hammering the heated metal looking so focused. The metal is already a meter long but the man still continued to lengthen it. After it reaches the length of 1.2 meters, he dipped in the water as steam rose up from it. A few minutes later he pull out the blade and check if its straight and when he confirms that it’s already straight he polished it revealing a shiny blade then he proceeded to attach the hilt locking and after confirming that it’s properly attached, he swings it for a few times then nodded.
“So what do you want boy?”
“Eh?”
The blacksmith suddenly asked me a question and I got surprised by it. I am absorbed watching the process of making sword so I didn’t answer immediately.
“Are you interested on becoming a blacksmith?”
Upon his question, I suddenly feel a familiar itch in my hand. The itch that lead me to take up information technology as my course in college, back then I felt it when I was still a high school student when I saw a programmer maintaining the server he made of a certain game. An incident which told me that I want to do it myself, the feeling of finding something you would love doing for the rest of your life.
“I do.”
I answered to the man who smiled at me. Maybe I am smiling too but that does not matter now. I don’t care if learning blacksmithing is a bad choice or it’s impractical and I know deep inside me that if I let this chance pass, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.
“You’re fat and look weak. You’ll have a hard time learning it but that doesn’t matter since your eyes shows your determination to become one. Come here, I’ll teach you how to become one.”
Feeling ecstatic I walk towards him and he suddenly throws the hammer he’s using to me which surprised me but I catch it using my right hand. Strangely enough, the feeling of holding a hammer feels familiar.
After that, the blacksmith teaches me how to handle the hammer, how to control fire, how to remove the impurities in the ore and some other basic stuff. As he was teaching me those I felt that I already know what he was talking but never the less I am listening properly at his explanations. Then he gave me an iron ingot telling me to give it a try. Basing on his explanation, I heat up the ingot until it becomes red and put it on the anvil using a tong. Then I proceeded to hammer it down shaping it to my desire. I am aiming to create a dismantling dagger from it since he only gave me one ingot and it seems that it’s enough to create one. The iron ingot cools down I put it on the fire again until it becomes red and repeated the process until I shaped it to my desire. Apparently the blacksmith is saying something but I can’t hear him since I am focusing on forging my very first item.
As I work on it, I feel something weird. It somehow feels that I exactly know what I am doing and I already did this too many times before that even if I close my eyes I know that I can still make it. Right now, it looks like a rough dagger so I polished it until it becomes shiny. The blacksmith also said that polishing requires a little trick since it will affect the sharpness of the blade and it’s the same with hammering it. Maybe the things he’s saying before, when I am shaping the dagger, was about it. My hand started to move polishing the blade. My hands move on its own as if it has its own will but somehow it feels that I am doing the right thing. There’s also a time where I feel that I already done enough and it’s sharp enough to use but I want to use everything I have, everything I know to craft my very first item. After an hour of polishing, or so it feels to me, the blade of the dagger was already finished then I started to create a hilt for it. The hilt was made of woods I found lying on the ground and I shaped it using the carving knife the blacksmith has on the table where his finished sword was located. I carved it to something easy to grip then I attached the blade on it when suddenly a window appeared in front of me.
Please give the forged item a name.
“A name huh… Well, let’s just go with dismantling dagger.”
Hearing my muttering, the blacksmith gasp and said something about crafting a fine quality dagger on first try but I ignored it.
Dismantling Dagger will be the name of the item. Are you sure?
I don’t quite get it why do I need to name the dagger I made even though the blacksmith before didn’t name his sword before.
“Yes”
You have created a masterpiece!
Despite using low quality iron the dagger you created can rival a sword made from fell iron!
Dexterity and strength rise by 5.
Fame increases by 100.
Some familiar words are written on the window now. It somehow reminded me of LMS which also made me sad since I didn’t manage to read volumes 49 above of the said novel. Well, the translator gave up on it due to the author telling him to do so. But seriously? A masterpiece in first try? Do I have a talent on blacksmithing?
I tried swinging it and I feel that it reached the desired output. Looking at it, it looks sharp enough but I test its sharpness by trying to cut firewood near the forge. I pick it up and put it on the top of the anvil and lightly swing the dagger down cutting the firewood like a paper.
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I somehow made it too sharp that it leaves a cut in the anvil I use as a chopping board.
“Oops..”
I don’t know how did it become this sharp but I don’t think it’s a bad thing. Well, let’s try checking it’s status using appraisal. Thinking about activating the skill, a window appeared in front of me.
[Dismantling Dagger]
Rarity: [Common]
Physical Damage: 60
Durability: 100/100
An item forged using a low quality iron but it ended up having the quality rivaling the one created from high quality fell iron.
Uhmm… I think this is something absurd. The damage output is very high making me doubt myself if I really created this kind of dagger. I mean I am expecting at least 10 damage but instead it gives me 60. Well, it’s still a common rarity so I have a feeling that I can create something better than these later on.
The blacksmith jolts and look at me straight in the eyes full of doubt about what I had done. Maybe he’ll scold me and ask for compensation for the damaged anvil?
“You… Are you sure that this is the first time you forged?”
I nodded while I wrapped the dagger using a cloth I found lying in the table.
“That isn’t possible! How come that you are better than any blacksmith I seen before! Are you really a beginner?!”
“Please calm down I’m just in front of you so you don’t need to shout. I don’t remember forging anything before so this is my first time but strangely enough it feels that it’s not.”
Yeah, I don’t remember anything about forging a weapon in real life. I only watch some videos before and at that video they are using modern equipment to forge a sword so this should be my first time yet it somehow feels that this isn’t the first time I forged one, strange… Maybe I’m have a talent on it?
“I don’t understand what you are saying! Are you telling me that it’s your first time yet at the same time it’s not! The hell is that!”
“I know I’m not making any sense since I don’t get it myself but that’s how it is! I don’t know why but I know that this is the first time I forge but somehow it feels that I am doing this thing for a very long time and I just forget about it since I did not forge anything for a long period of time.”
“Haaa… Well anyways, did you properly get the skill? It is a requirement to have a blacksmithing skill and level 10 villager before becoming a blacksmith.”
“Okay I’ll check it.”
I opened my skill list and got surprised by it.
Active
Passive
[Sword Mastery] Level: 5
· Increases the physical damage of the user while using sword.
· Increasing the level unlocks active skills and increases the damage bonus.
· Current bonus: +5 attack damage
· Current skill unlocked: [Slash], [Bash]
[Weapon Maintenance] Level: 3
· Helps the user to emaintain their weapon.
· Having higher level means the faster the process can be done
· Note: It’s different on [Sharpening] and [Repairing]
[Skinning] Level: 5
· Allows you to skin any corpse.
· The quality of the skin depends on the level of the skill, if the skill is higher than the level of the corpse then the skin quality will be good, it it’s lower by 5 levels then the skill will fail.
[Harvesting] Level: 7
· Allows you to harvest any plants. The higher the level this skill has, the higher the chance of harvesting the plant.
[Alchemy] Level: 6
· Allows you to create potion, elixirs, medicine and others.
· The higher the level of the skill the higher the chance of succeeding.
[Shield Mastery] Level: 5
· Increases the defense given by a shield
· Increasing the level of this skill will unlock active skills and increases the defense bonus.
· Current bonus: + 5 physical defense, +5 magical defense.
· Current skills unlocked: [Shield bash], [Taunt]
[Spear Mastery] Level: 1
· Increases the physical damage of the user using spear
· Increasing the level unlocks active skill and increases the damage bonus.
· Current bonus: +0 physical damage
· Current unlock skill: [Pierce]
[Blacksmithing+] Level: 1
· Allows the user to craft and salvage metal items.
· As the level increases the user can work on different metals, the quality of the forged item, and correction on forging items.
· This skill gains two times experience than the normal [Blacksmithing] skill.
[Blacksmithing+]? Gains two times experience? Wait wait… Isn’t this a bit unfair to other blacksmith? I mean I can easily level up this skill since it gains two times experience than normal but isn’t this kind of bug? Speaking of bug, the bug skill which I have disappears and instead this [Blacksmithing+] skill replaces it. I don’t know what skill it was since its name and description are all question mark in the first place. Maybe the reason why I have this [Blacksmithing+] skill is due to that bug skill, I mean it disappears after I learned blacksmithing and instead of having the normal skill, I got something special. Well, there’s nothing I can do about it since it’s gone and all but let me thank you bug skill! Because of you I gained something akin to a cheat skill!
“So did you get it?”
“Yes I have it.”
“Then good, follow me and I’ll make you a blacksmith. By the way my name is Aegor the head of blacksmith association here at Pinar, you are?”
I didn’t expect that this guy is the head of association. I mean, I thought that the head of the blacksmith association in this village is a big man full of muscles but he’s just an average man.
“Gino Cruz.”
“A noble huh…”
“Ah no I’m not, I am what you so call a dayo”
“Dayo huh… Well, that explain why you managed to create that dagger. It seems that the gift you got from the Goddess. Well, having a gift will only let you grow faster but the handling of different metals comes from experience. Well then follow me.”
Aegor started to enter the building besides the workshop and I followed him. I don’t know about the gift from the Goddess but it seems that it gives a boost on experience on certain skills. Maybe that ‘?’ aren’t a bug but a feature made by the Goddess for the dayo. Well, who cares?
\ \ \
After entering the building, he leads me to a room which serves as his office. The office is tidy and there are various ores and ingots organized in shelves properly labeled. There are the common ores and ingots such as iron, copper, and the like and some ores and ingots that I see for the first time. There’s a color green ore with a label of [Fell Iron], there’s also a bluish silver ingot with a label [Mithril], a silver with some hue of blue ore labeled as [Adamantite], I don’t know how he got mithril and adamantite but isn’t them supposedly a high-class ores?.
“They’re pretty right?”
“Yeah, they are.”
I am still mesmerized by his collection since this is the first time I am seeing them.
“I mined them personally you know. I went places to places just to find them even though there are some very common ores which you can find in the marketplace I didn’t bought any of them but instead I went to their mines and get them personally. There’s this satisfaction of collecting them with your own two hands than buying them at the market.”
Yeah, I feel that satisfaction too though it’s limited to computer games. What’s the point of crafting skills at games if you’re not going to use it? I’m the type of person who will take extra mile to have an item that can be bought from other players as long as I can make them. It might sound troublesome but I enjoyed each and every bit of it.
“Anyways we are here to change your job from villager to blacksmith right? You can look at them later. Changing jobs won’t take too much time so come here.”
I look at Aegor and he’s sitting behind a table with an orb atop of it. The orb is a rough stone engraved with hammers, anvils, furnace and other blacksmithing tools. By using my appraisal skill, its name is [Job orb: Blacksmith]. I guess I’ll need to touch it too just like in the adventurer’s guild.
I walk towards it and stop in front of the table waiting for Aegor’s instructions.
“Well then let’s begin. Put your hand above the orb and I’ll start incantation needed for changing jobs.”
Following his instruction I put my hand above the orb but before he begin reciting the incantation the door opens and I heard a familiar voice from it. This is one of the voices that I won’t forget in my life, a voice that sounds so nice putting angel’s voice to shame, at least that’s how it appears to me, which made me inevitably turn around to see her face.
“Dad! Can you do a quick maintenance on my sword?”
She’s standing there wearing leather armor with her sword drawn out. Her sword was chipped due to her repeated reckless use. Her face that looks too perfect with her natural tan healthy skin and with her shiny black hair tied in a ponytail which gives her the impression of being a strict and serious person. Even though she’s wearing an armor it can’t hide her sexy body, though it’s a shame that her breast are as flat as an anvil but never the less she looks beautiful.
She’s Jeziel, the adventurer whom I saved before and also the one who exactly looks like my ex, Jeziel Contreras. Though there are some differences between them, especially on how they talk and act, I still can’t help feel awkward around her since she reminds me of my ex. Jasper and co did not know about her, Jeziel Contreras, since I did not even mention it to them even once. We only lasted for a month due to various reasons but mostly it was my fault, but I truly love her but I didn’t expect that I’ll feel awkward with her, Tala-Jeziel, the same as I feel awkward to Jeziel Contreras.
“I’m currently busy so I’ll do it later.”
“Eeeeh!! But I need it now though.”
Yup they are two different people. Jeziel here is a free-spirited and childish person while Jeziel in Earth is mature, serious, calm and collected.
“Then after I’m done with my business.”
“Okay! I’ll be waitin—Gino?”
I never thought that she would notice me. I thought that she’ll leave without noticing me since when she opened the door she didn’t even realize that I am also inside the door.
“Hi! B-been a while.”
I greeted her as normal as I could but as usual I feel awkward around her so I stuttered. I hope that I can talk to her casually without stuttering. Well, the awkwardness will surely disappear after sometime.
“What are you doing here?”
She walks to me while smiling asking the reason why I am here.
“I think I’ll take [Blacksmith] as my job class.”
I answer while looking at the floor. This time I didn’t stutter but I’m not looking at her face which help me relieved the awkwardness I feel to her.
After she heard my answer the sound of her footsteps stops so I slowly look at her to know what’s going on and she’s dumbfounded by my answer. Is it really that shocking for me to take a crafting job?
“I, didn’t expected that you’re going to be a blacksmith… I always thought that you’ll take swordsman or combat related class as your job…”
I scratch the back of my head while smiling wryly to her. I don’t know why she thought like that… No I think I know since she calls me a genius on combat or whatnot but I’m not attracted enough to combat related classes after all. I want to become a blacksmith because I think it was my calling.
“Dad, you aren’t forcing him to become a blacksmith right?”
Hmm? What did she call Aegor again? Dad? Does this mean that Aegor is her father? No no no no. It can’t be right? I mean the two of them doesn’t resembles each other after all.
“I’m not. When did I ever did that?”
“But Gino are you really sure you want to be a blacksmith? It feels like you’re wasting your talent for combat.”
Talent for combat? I don’t think I have one. Is what I wanted to say but seeing her looking down for some reason those words never leave my mouth.
“I just finished the registration procedure at the guild.”
I don’t know why but those words came out instead. I thought that she will continue to persuade me to change my job class but instead she just smiled and said “That’s good!” which is unexpected.
“Then see you tomorrow at the guild! Dad, finish it quickly okay?”
Aegor nods while gesturing at Jeziel to leave. Jeziel go outside and closed the door while my sight followed her until the door closes.
“I never thought that you’ll be acquainted with my daughter. Anyways, let’s do this.”
I placed my hands at the top of the orb and Aegor started to recite the incantation. The orb glows blue while he’s chanting and then after his chant the light faded and I become a blacksmith.
Congratulations! You are now a [Blacksmith]!
Job class: Blacksmith
· Weapon job restriction lifted. You can now use any weapon regardless of job class.
· Add 1 point to Strength and Dexterity every time you level up.
· Forging an item gives bonus stats depending on its quality.
After the procedure, I went outside while Aegor keeps on telling me to protect her daughter. I don’t know where his confidence on me came but I’ll definitely protect her without him telling me. It’s not that I’ve fallen to her but she looks like her and I don’t want to see her got hurt, well even if she’s not I’ll still protect her since she’s my friend.