by Park Saenal
It was like selling drugs.
“Then you should be vigilant.”
“Cough… then I will accept nine gold.”
Okay. The price bargaining had begun. The basic rule of bargaining was to cut it as much as possible!
“10 silver.”
“……”
“Excuse me?”
“……”
What? Why wasn’t he saying anything? The response was different than expected. Wasn’t it normal to say, ‘10 gold is too cheap. I will accept eight gold?’ Then I would return with 20 silver, the coachman would offer seven gold. Then 30 silver, six gold…
This was my grand plan to complete the bargaining at around two gold. But the coachman just ignored me, making the plan become distorted.
“Aren’t you going to bargain?”
“Who in the world would bargain with a crook like you? This useless bastard! I was kind enough to cut it to nine gold, yet you offered 10 silver? You want me to bargain? Who is going to make a deal with a bastard like you?”
“Isn’t there the saying, ‘ the customers is king?!’ I will sue you and make you unemployed!”
“If you want to sue me, do it! Do you think the union will take your side? Get lost, you insane bastard!”
In Patrian, my bargaining was always successful because my reputation and affinity with the residents were at the maximum. Even if it didn’t work, I just laughed it off. However, this response was entirely new to me.
It was serious. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to ride the carriage. Currently, I only had 3 gold and 11 silver. The difficulty of the Ashur quest was so terrible that I spent a lot of my money on potions.
“Please… My sick mother is in Winston Village all alone… She will die soon. What a sad son I will be if I can’t watch my mother’s last moments… Please take pity on me and consider the bargain.”
I looked as miserable as possible and told a heartbreaking story.
But the cold-hearted coachman just snorted. “You are obviously telling a lie. You didn’t even plan to go to Winston Village in the beginning, so who would believe you now?”
“…Sheesh, you’re smarter than you look.”
“W-What! You cheap bastard!”
There was no chance of this succeeding. I ran away from the coachman who chased me with a red face and visited other carriages. But despite being as careful as possible, it was impossible to bargain it down to three gold. No matter what heartbreaking stories I used, the limit was 8 gold and 90 silver.
I was frustrated by Satisfy’s modern society.
“Why?”
Was it necessary to be stuck at level -3 while being isolated in the remote Bairan Village?
“I can’t do that.”
I had a means to obtain the money for the carriage. Just make items! If I made an item, I could gain some experience. If it had a normal rating, I could sell it to a store. I opened the skills window and confirmed the ‘Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill.’
[Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill]
Lv: Master
Produce equipment items that you know how to make.
There is a certain probability of creating rare rated items.
There is a low probability of creating epic rated items.
There is a rare probability of creating unique rated items.
* Due to the effect of mastering the skill, the attributes of all items are increased by 10%.
* When rare rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +2.
Reputation throughout the continent will rise by +30.
* When epic rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +4.
Reputation throughout the continent will rise by +80.
* When unique rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +12.
Reputation throughout the continent will rise by +300.
“This is absurd…”
According to the rankings, the first place blacksmith only had intermediate level blacksmith skills. Despite producing tens of thousands of items by the time he reached level 110, he barely reached the intermediate level. Thus, he said that production skill levels are hard to raise.
However, I basically mastered the ‘Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill’, which was beyond the ‘Advanced Blacksmith Technique’ and ‘Intermediate Blacksmith Technique’. If the person ranked number one in the blacksmith rankings were aware of my presence, he would probably quit the game.
‘When compared to him, I finally realize the greatness of a legendary class.’
I then confirmed the other ‘Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill.’
[Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill]
Lv. 1
Produce equipment items that you know how to make.
You can create the production methods for a new item with the ‘Legendary Blacksmith’s Creation’ skill.
There is a certain probability of producing rare~ epic rated items.
There is a rare probability of creating unique rated items.
There is a very rare probability of creating legendary rated items.
*All stats of a production item will increase by 10%.
* When rare rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +2 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +30.
* When epic rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +4 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +80.
* When unique rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +12 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +300.
* When legendary rated items are produced, all stats will permanently rise by +25 and reputation throughout the continent will rise by +1,000.
* Something special will occur with every five legendary items created.
“Wow…”
The ‘Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill’ was only level one. Nevertheless, it was far superior to the mastered ‘Blacksmith Craftsmanship Skill’. I couldn’t help admiring it. I was excited and immediately confirmed the ‘Legendary Blacksmith’s Creation’ skill.
[Legendary Blacksmith’s Creation Skill]
You can create three equipment item production methods every time the skill level of the ‘Legendary Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill’ goes up.
Number of items that can be created at present: 3/3
* When items are produced using this skill, the name of the creator is automatically placed on the item.
“Create an item? What is the method?”
The explanation wasn’t easy to understand. Seeing was believing. I decided to try it out. I used the Legendary Blacksmith’s Creation Skill without hesitation.
[What item do you want to create?]
The most important item was naturally a weapon. A weapon allowed quick hunting and was directly linked to high levels. Among the weapons, I thought the best one was a greatsword.
Thick, big, beautiful…
A big sword that could smash the enemy’s armor was a man’s romance! Up to this point, I never selected a weapon other than a greatsword in games. Then first, let’s make a greatsword.
“Greatsword.”
[Have you decided?]
“Yes.”
[What materials would you like to use?]
Ohu~ that’s right. I was creating a production method, so I needed to use the materials. Wasn’t it natural to use special materials? I thought of the person asking for party members to go on the ‘Guardian of the Forest’ boss raid.
‘I heard that the guardian of the forest drops the best mineral so far… the name is…’
I recalled it and replied, “Blue Orichalcum.”
[Have you decided?]
“Yes.”
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
[Please design the item.]
A blank blueprint appeared in front of me. I was baffled.
‘Design? How do I do that?’
I then
knew what I should have done. Rather than visualize modern weapons such tanks and jet fighters, I needed to design a sword. Wasn’t it just a matter of the shape? I thought hard and started drawing on the blueprint with my finger. A correction effect seemed to be applied, as the picture perfectly displayed my thoughts.
‘I have to make it cool.’
First, the length of the blade was 2m and the width was 80cm. The thickness was 8cm. The length of the handle was set at 40cm.
“…This is the appearance of a greatsword that can be seen anywhere.”
The finished picture showed the limits of my impoverished imagination. I pondered for a moment before thinking of a good idea. I changed the shape of the blade to something curved like a scimitar and then extended the length of the blade to 3m.
“Is this okay?”
I liked the finished picture. It was like I was looking at a large scimitar with a short handle. At the same time, it had the heavy weight of a greatsword.
‘It is reminiscent of a shark’s profile. The part of the blade is like a shark fin, and the end of the handle is a shark tail.’
I admired the finished work for a while.
‘I have made something sophisticated and cool!’
It gave the impression of a swimming shark. If I held it, some people might have the mistaken impression that I was carrying a shark and be shocked.
‘I didn’t know I would be so good at designing. Once I make money and pay back the debt, I should change my major to design.’
I felt great satisfaction as I clicked on the OK button at the bottom of the blueprint.
[Have you decided? When you complete the blueprint, the number of available creations from the creation skill will decrease by one.]
“Yes.”
Once I replied, numbers and languages quickly covered the blueprint. Figures were being calculated. It seemed that the system was calculating the details that I lacked in my design. After a while, an improved and completed design appeared. A bunch of Jargon and complicated numbers covered the blueprint.
“Eh?”
I could fully understand the jargon and numbers on the blueprint. I looked at the design contents and checked if there were any faults. It was amazing. I understood that contents of an item design that I had never even seen or studied.
‘The class compensation effect!’
It was really great; I felt like an actual great blacksmith. As I was admiring it, a notification window popped up.
[Please describe the characteristics of the item.]
“That’s right! Finally, the most important part is left!”
I was excited.
“This is an outstanding weapon. The attack power is one million… no, it is more than 10 million and the weight is only one. There is no level requirement. There is an option to absorb health with every attack. Can cause meteors to fall. The enemy will unconditionally die from one hit. Of course, defense is ignored. Anyway, this weapon is enough to hunt a dragon alone.”
[That isn’t possible. The performance and options of an item can’t be arbitrarily set. The performance and options are determined by taking into account the materials used, the design, and the description of the features.]
…Too bad.
I tried to make the explanation as good as possible.
“It is a greatsword, but thanks to its unusual shape, its cutting power is tremendous. The protruding part that resembles a shark’s fin will allow for unexpected attacks, and can even go through armor. Blue orichalcum is used as the material, so it is light and durable. And… and… um… well, that will be enough.”
Was my vocabulary so lacking? I was horribly ashamed. In the first place, I only knew that blue orichalcum was light and durable. I didn’t know the exact information, so I can’t explain the merits.
“Then… just…”
Suddenly, I felt like the back of my head was hit with a hammer. It was a belated epiphany but if I was designing this with blue orichalcum as the material, wouldn’t I need blue orichalcum to make the item?
‘I’m screwed.’
A level 200 boss monster dropped the material, while I was only level -3. I could buy it from other people, but that wasn’t easy because the supply was small and the price was huge. It meant the design I made could become obsolete!
“Cancel! Skill cancel! Clear everything!!”
[The completion of the blueprint has already destroyed one of the available creation skill users. Even if you cancel the skill now, the number of times it can be used won’t be restored. Do you still want to cancel it?]
“…No.”
This was bad. It was a mistake in my thinking. It was a skill that should be used carefully after thorough investigation and thinking.
[Please name the item.]
“Uhh… shit…”
[Have you decided on ‘Uhhshit?’]
“What nonsense are you saying? Please wait! Geez, what is this?”
I didn’t worry about it for too long.
“Failure.”
[Have you decided on ‘Failure?’]
“Yes.”
Yes, it was a failure that shouldn’t have been created in the first place. I was saddened at the number of times I could use the skill decreasing, but a hologram of the items was listed in the drafts.
[Failure]
Rating: Unique ~ Legendary
Unique Rating Information:
Durability: 699/699
Attack Power: 733~1,621 Defense: 50
* Agility +30
* There is a low probability of blocking the enemy’s attacks.
* There is a certain probability of activating the ‘5 Joint Attacks’ skill.
* There is a high probability of activating the ‘Cutting’ skill.
* There will be a fear effect if the enemy is more than 20 levels lower than the user.
* Attack power +20% in dark places.
Legendary Rating Information:
Durability: 1,090/1,090
Attack Power: 874~1,820 Defense: 80
* Agility +50
* There is a low probability of blocking the enemy’s attacks.
* There is a certain probability of activating the ‘5 Joint Attack’ skill.
* There is a high probability of activating the ‘Cutting’ skill.
* The skill ‘Bisect’ will be created.
* There will be a fear effect if the enemy is more than 20 levels lower than the user.
* Attack power +20% in dark places.
It is designed by a legendary blacksmith. It is a greatsword, but its cutting ability is excellent because of its unique shape. It resembles the predator of the sea, a shark, and gives fear to the enemies. The small blades spiking from the sword will increase the defense.
Blue orichalcum is used as a material. Its lightness means the attack speed doesn’t fall. Due to the nature of the blue orichalcum, it becomes stronger in the dark.
User Restriction: Level 300 or higher. More than 5,000 strength.
Advanced Sword Mastery level 8 or higher.
Weight: 550
“…Hiccup!”
Amazing. It was a master weapon, not a failure. A one of a kind item in this world. And I was the one who created this item. I couldn’t believe it.
“Isn’t this huge?”
The words automatically emerged from my stunned mouth. Yes, I could be rich. If I went into more debt and bought blue orichalcum, I could make ‘Failure’ and put it on the trading site. Then the price of the item would skyrocket. Then I could pay all my debts and still have a lot of money left!
Truly a legendary blacksmith! It was literally the goose that laid the golden egg.
“…Uh?”
Then that feeling sank as I read the stats and options of the completed ‘Failure’. I checked the usage conditions attached at the end.
“It needs level 300?”
Two days ago, I heard that the level of the first ranked person on the unified rankings was estimated to be aroun
d 250.
‘Then 300?’
That wasn’t the only problem.
“5,000 strength?!”
10 stat points were gained with every level. Even if a person invested all of their points into strength for every level up, it would be almost impossible to have 5,000 strength at level 300, even with titles and equipment that raised their stats.
‘There are classes that receive extra strength, but it isn’t common. In the first place, who would be idiotic enough to invest all of their points in strength?’
Finally, there was the Advanced Sword Mastery level 8. Currently, the first ranked blacksmith had intermediate level skills. I couldn’t predict how long it would take for people to get Advanced Sword Master level 8.
Even if I managed to make ‘Failure’, nobody would be able to use it in the near future. This meant that selling it was impossible. My dream of making a fortune was shattered in an instant. As the name suggested, ‘Failure’ was a failure.
“…Then that’s it. There is no springtime in my life. Shit.”
I was frustrated but quickly corrected my mindset. Then I tried to deduce why such exorbitant usage conditions were attached to the item I created. It wasn’t difficult to come to a conclusion.
‘It was a mistake to try and make it unconditionally good.’
The development team of Satisfy had caught the hearts of the world, so they wouldn’t be that easy. ‘Failure’ wasn’t an item that could be acquired randomly through hunting or a raid. It was a production item that could be produced indefinitely if there were enough materials. It was likely that the system placed restrictions on the game items in order to maintain the game balance. Those restrictions were in the usage conditions.
‘An acceptable performance. Isn’t this the most important thing about the creative skills?’
The creation skill had a limited number of uses. It had to be used with care. I decided to seal the creation skill. If I created and sold superior items that didn’t destroy the balance, I would be able to earn a lot of money quickly and pay off my debt. However, I didn’t want to rush it.
I wanted to see it as the ultimate weapon to use for myself before encountering a difficult quest or a strong enemy.