by Park Saenal
For the past four days, Grid had repeated hunting in this way.
“Haap!”
The mobs in the Suaz Mountains had an average level of 160. Right now, Grid was strong enough that he didn’t have to use skills against the level 160 monsters. As part of his training, he used pure swordsmanship to cut the monsters one by one.
Kuaaak~!
Yip! Yelp!
Grid’s body was phenomenal and surpassed human limits based on his overwhelming stats. Grid’s body moved according to his will, allowing him to display swordsmanship that wasn’t possible even when he was a warrior.
Sukakak!
Grid jumped up while holding Dainsleif with both hands, turning around three times to use the centrifugal force to destroy the body of an eti. Then he immediately responded to the axe swung by a troll beyond the eti’s destroyed body.
At the same time, an ogre’s axe swung through the air and three rocks were thrown by the etis. His right side was obstructed by huge trees. He cut the troll’s neck but it didn’t die as it swung its axe again.
Chengkang!
Grid avoided the troll’s axe and jumped to the right. After avoiding the ogre’s axe, he used it as a footstool and broke all three rocks with Dainsleif. Then he entered the center of the dismayed etis.
Papat! Pa pa pa pa!
The dark sword moved in a unpredictable orbit through the etis’ bodies. The etis briefly lost their field of view due to the flapping cloak and quickly found themselves wiped out. Grid ran and caught up with the monsters escaping. After penetrating the eti’s heart, he threw the dying eti towards a gargoyle descending from the sky.
Peok!
The gargoyle kicked the eti nervously. Grid laughed after already using Fly to move above the gargoyle’s head.
“Hello?”
Kyaack!
The gargoyle was startled and hurriedly shot off a beam. They were so close that Grid couldn’t avoid the beam, but he was kept flying directly at it. The gargoyle thought that Grid would be turned to stone and cried out excitedly.
But Grid was fine. The confused gargoyle received Dainsleif to the neck.
“Hahat!”
Grid was still laughing. The more he fought, the more experience and levels he gained, allowing him to feel like he was getting stronger.
“Let’s go!”
There were still a large number of monsters on the ground. Grid pulled out pavranium from his inventory. For the past four days, he had been trying to improve his communication with pavranium, and it increased by leaps and bounds.
Right now, pavranium didn’t just rotate and protect Grid. Instead, it attacked the enemy first in response to Grid’s will.
Pipit!
The golden discs moved like boomerangs and swept the Achilles tendons of the ogre. Grid pounced on the fallen ogre and a one-sided slaughter began. More monsters flocked due to Malacus’ Cloak as he was fighting, and night came quickly.
“Heok… Heok…”
Grid’s stamina and strength stats were so high that it was unreasonable. But even Grid would become exhausted if he fought all day. After hunting hundreds of monsters…
Grid raised his level to a satisfactory level, took off the cloak and rested. If he reached out, it seemed like he would be able to catch the stars in the night sky.
‘It would be nice to be able to level up while wearing Malacus’ Cloak and move… But there are creatures everywhere, so the movement speed is too slow.’
In order to carry out the class quest, he had to go to the Judar, Dominion and Yatan churches as well as the Rebecca Church. It seemed like it would take a long time to clear the quest, so he couldn’t delay too long.
Should he take off his cloak starting from tomorrow? Grid was troubled before making a decision.
‘I can’t wander around often… After this quest, I have to get married and work at the smithy… Yes, let’s take advantage of it now.
The next day. The day was bright and his stamina recharged, so Grid put on Malacus’ Cloak again. Then he kept hunting while crossing the mountains. As a result, Grid spent a week crossing the Suaz Mountains that ordinary people could cross in three days.
Thanks to that, Grid was enjoying himself.
But at this point.
The person suffering because of Grid…
“Grid… When are you going to come back…?”
Grid disappeared from Khan’s smithy. There was a bald man squatting in a corner of the smithy. He was Vantner. He was muttering while watching the entrance of the smithy.
“Grid… Come now… Hurry… Come back…”
It was finally the end of his wait! It was his turn to receive Grid’s item. Yet the bastard didn’t make an item and disappeared on a quest, and now it had been 10 days. When the hell was he going to come back?
“Why…? Why on my turn…?”
In the midst of this, Pon and Ibellin were raising their levels thanks to Grid. Pon’s level was far ahead of Vantner, and now Ibellin was catching up to Vantner.
“Please come back soon~~~!!”
The other guild members brought their items to Khan to be repaired, and found Vantner.
“Why is he acting like that?”
“Perhaps he saw Pon and Ibellin sweeping up the monsters with their weapons. After that, he couldn’t go hunting.”
“No, isn’t he in a better situation than us? Didn’t Grid strengthen his axes through appraisal?”
“Still… He can’t hunt in a hunting ground suitable for his level because his defense is too weak.”
“True, if he paid a little more attention to his defense… Despite being a guardian knight, he placed all his points in strength and only cared about weapons. This eventually screwed him up.”
Then one day, Vantner made a suggestion to Jishuka. “Next time Grid goes on a quest, all guild members should accompany him. We will cooperate to complete his quest. Then Grid won’t waste time on quests and can devote himself to making our items.”
“…Grid should also enjoy playing the game.”
“He is a blacksmith! He should do his duties!”
“…”
Vantner’s heart was locked on the smithy where he wanted Grid to make an item for him.
Chapter 119
Chapter 119
After crossing the Suaz Mountains, Grid was able to arrive in Rolling. Rolling was a small village, but if he headed south for half a day, he would finally arrive at the Vatican.
“There are Rebecca statues everywhere.”
There were large and small Rebecca statues in every street, store or house. He could find one or two statues no matter what direction he turned his head. Well, the residents of Rolling seemed to serve Goddess Rebecca.
‘It is geographically located near the Vatican, so it makes sense that the Rebecca Church is the main religion of the village…’
Nyang~
He leaned back against a Rebecca statue and enjoyed the warm sun and the peaceful cats. The merchants and residents were going about their daily routine without moving fast. Grid also felt calm.
‘It’s a different place from Winston. It feels like a resort.’
A hum emerged. Grid walked around the village with a free heart.
‘Am I crazy?’
He needed to complete the quest as quickly as possible! Tourism was just a waste of time!
‘I have been lazy lately.’
Grid was well aware of what happened when a person became lazy. He might become debt-ridden again if he wasn’t alert. Due to his past trauma, Grid became irritated and hasted his pace. He headed towards a smithy.
[The effect of mastering ‘Blacksmith’s Craftsmanship Skill’ is activated. Blacksmith NPCs whose craftsmanship skill is beyond the intermediate level will treat you in a friendly manner.]
[’Pagma’s Descendant’ class effect is activated. Blacksmith NPCs whose craftsmanship skill is at the advanced level will treat recognize you and worship you.]
Notification wi
ndows he hadn’t seen for a while popped up when he entered the smithy. He had been living in Winston for a while and only entered Khan’s smithy. Was Rolling’s blacksmith an intermediate or advanced blacksmith? Grid wanted to be admired. However…
“Welcome~”
The blacksmith approached Grid. Unfortunately, he was a young blacksmith and seemed to only be at a beginner level. He was unable to tell Grid apart from an ordinary customer.
“Is there anything you were looking for?”
Grid sighed with disappointment and replied. “I want to repair my items.”
“Yes, I will repair it for you.”
Grid doubted his ears.
“What? You will repair my items?”
A beginner blacksmith was going to repair the items of a legendary blacksmith!
Grid scoffed. “You are either brave or ignorant… You don’t even know who I am…”
“Huh?”
“Hey hey. Cut it out. I’m a blacksmith, so I will fix my own items. Can I borrow your furnace? I will pay a fee.”
Rolling’s blacksmith, Rector, cautioned Grid. “Are you really a blacksmith?”
Grid was armed with steel gauntlets, black iron boots and heavy armor. What type of blacksmith would go around wearing this? Grid seemed like a warrior at first glance, so it was hard to see him as a blacksmith.
Grid clicked his tongue. “Do you doubt that I am a blacksmith? What a poor guy… You can’t even tell who a great blacksmith is.”
“W-What?”
Rector was a young man who was only 20 years old. He was young, but he could understand that Grid was talking badly about him. Rector’s face reddened with shame. Grid felt sorry for him and cleared his throat several times. Then he carefully said.
“But who can tell the future? Even if your eyes are rotten right now, they can be trained… Watch me. This is a rare chance. You should thank Goddess Rebecca for being able to meet me and see how I work.”
“…?”
Grid no longer sought permission from Rector. He approached the furnace and started to light it.
“Hey! You will be burned if you do that… Heok?”
Rector’s eyes widened. It was because Grid quickly raised the temperature of the blast furnace.
‘Handling the fire so freely? How is that possible?’
Even his father, an intermediate blacksmith who died two years ago, couldn’t handle the fire as easily as Grid. Grid seemed like the embodiment of fire. As Rector was feeling admiration, Grid pulled out a hammer and anvil from his inventory. Then he started to repair his items one by one.
[The durability of the Ideal Dagger has been maximized.]
[This is an item you created. Your understanding is 100%.]
[The durability of the Best Gauntlets has been maximized.]
[This is an item you created. Your understanding is 100%.]
[In the case of items made by you, a penalty will be applied if you don’t meet the item usage requirements, even if you have full understanding.]
[The durability of Khan’s Masterpiece has been maximized.]
[Your understanding of Khan’s Masterpiece is at 100%. You have learned the production method and can use it without any penalties.]
[The durability of Dainsleif (Reproduction) has been maximized.]
[Your understanding of Dainsleif (Reproduction) has increased from 3% to 31%.]
[The durability of the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet has been maximized.]
[Your understanding of the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet has increased from 7% to 85%.]
[The durability of Braham’s Boots has been maximized.]
[Your understanding of Braham’s Boots has increased from 3% to 6%.]
Understanding an item was a concept that only existed for Pagma’s Descendant.
Pagma’s Descendant was able to increase their understanding of an item by using the item, appraising it, repairing and disassembling it. They were then able to freely use items with 100% understanding. It was even possible to learn the production method.
If Dainsleif’s understanding was at 100%, Grid would be able to produce Dainsleif. However, the higher the rating and usage conditions of the item, the slower the comprehension. Therefore, it was still unclear when he would be able to learn how to make it.
‘But the Orc Frostlight Chief’s Helmet has a high understanding. Hmm, should I try for 100% understanding?’
Kaaang!
Grid placed the perfectly repaired Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet on the anvil and started hammering again.
‘He’s crazy.’
Rector was amazed and surprised while watching Grid repair the items. Grid suddenly hitting the perfectly fine skull helmet seemed like a crazy person. And…
Kaaang! Kaaang!
Thanks to Grid’s unstoppable hammering, the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet was instantly shattered.
‘Why is he destroying a perfectly good helmet like this? He’s too violent.’
Rector misunderstood. He thought that Grid was destroying the helmet, but he was actually using the Legendary Blacksmith’s Disassembly skill to break down and reassemble it.
“Putting the wires in the seams like this… It’s sloppy. I’m going to need to supplement this part.”
Grid perfectly grasped the structure of the helmet and started to assemble it again. It wasn’t a simple assembly. Grid complemented the disadvantages of the helmet during the assembly process. It didn’t take long for the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet to be restored to its original shape.
[Your understanding of the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet has increased to 100%.]
[From now on, you can use the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet without any penalties.]
[The production method of the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet has been acquired.]
“Okay.”
Grid equipped the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet with a pleased face.
[Due to your class characteristics, you have equipped the Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet.]
[You don’t meet the conditions to use the item. However, your understanding is 100%, so no penalties will be applied.]
[Frostlight Orc Chief’s Helmet]
Rating: Unique (Set)
Durability: 290/290 Defense: 190
* The chance of suffering a critical blow is reduced by 25%.
* Health will increase by 15%.
* Has a certain chance to cast fear at the target.
* Frostlight Orc Chief’s set effect:
-3 set items equipped: Strength +50, stamina +80.
-5 set items equipped: Strength +100, stamina +200, can transform into the frostlight orc chief.
*Frostlight Orc Chief’s transformation:
-It is possible to command the frostlight orcs.
-The skill ‘Rotation Cut’ will be generated.
The frostlight orc chief can be described as the ruler of the northern snowfields. This helmet, which he loved, was made from the skull of a snowy ogre and has a terrible appearance. In particular, the horn on the left has a very threatening appearance. Just wearing this helmet can cause fear.
Originally there was a sense of crudeness, but a craftsman with great talent and potential had reassembled it, complementing the weaknesses and enhancing the function.
Conditions of Use: Level 150 or more. More than 400 strength.
Weight: 800
“Kuk… Truly great.”
Grid was impressed as he verified the improved performance of the helmet. Then he turned his attention to Rector while wearing the helmet.
“How about it? Don’t you think this helmet is somewhat cool?”
“H-Hik…”
Rector paled. It was because the bizarre skull helmet felt so terrible.
Grid saw his expression and sighed. “It seems to be my mistake… Damn, I need to replace this helmet quickly.”
Grid grumbled as he approached Rector and handed over 10 silver.
“Did you watch me well? You should
start practicing from now on, while trying to recall how I used the bellows and my hammering. Perhaps we’ll see each other again. Your skills might be low now, but you might become an intermediate blacksmith after 10 years of practice.”
Grid was joking. He never imagined that Rector would take his joke seriously as he left the smithy.
After a while. Rector jumped up. Then he locked the door of the smith and listened to Grid’s advice(?), practicing his handling of the bellows and hammering.
And later. Rector, who was inherently gifted, became an advanced blacksmith who represented this area. He would often tell his disciples the story of how he met Grid. But Grid didn’t know this.
***
The village center.
Grid was amazed as he stood in front of the Rebecca Temple.
‘Gold?’
The temple here was small compared to other temples in the area. It was a single story building that was less than 100 pyeongs (1 pyeong=3.3058m). But the outer walls were painted in gold and shining brilliantly.
“Is there any way to get this…?”
Grid looked around at the other people before scratching the gold with his nails. But no matter how hard he scratched, not one speck of gold dust fell off.
“How rotten and dirty.”
Grid didn’t give up. He didn’t want to miss an opportunity to get free gold. His appearance and scratching at the gold revealed that he was obvious a first time visitor to Rolling. A middle-aged priest found him and gave a meaningful smile.
‘It has been a long time since I’ve seen a sucker.’
The priest’s ID was Dong Pao. He was a Chinese user. He followed the rigid laws of the Rebecca Church such as forbidding love, forced silence and fasting, and managed to raise his level to 160.
He grinned and approached Grid. “Brother, is this your first visit to Rolling?”
“…!”
Grid flinched from where he was squatting in a corner and scratching at the gold. ‘I’m not a thief, hahaha!’ He laughed loudly while trembling.
“Ah~! Yes! It is my first time here! Oh, this temple is so beautiful! It reminds me of the beautiful Goddess Rebecca! Hahahahat! Yes?”
The person who suddenly greeted him was wearing the clothes of the Rebecca Church. Grid was so worried about being called a thief that he hadn’t noticed until now. The priest in front of him was a user, not an NPC.