Strike 5

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Hyun-soo looked at the suddenly appeared quest notification with a puzzled expression.

Hyun-soo had done some research before playing the game.

The types of quests were divided into general quests, hidden quests, job quests, legendary quests, etc.

General quests were the ones commonly received.

‘And hidden quests are……………..’ 

Huh?

He heard that it’s a lot if you receive them three times in a year.

Out of about 50 quests, it’s questionable whether you’d get one or two.

And one of the important things about quests, is the rank.

The higher the rank, the harder it is to complete, but in return, it gives better rewards.

He even heard that the rewards for hidden quests are much better than those for general quests.

[Hidden Quest: Assist Len’s Growth]

Rank: A

Restriction: One who has taken Len’s request.

Reward: The highest quality iron ore of the beginner’s zone.

Penalty for failure: Decrease in intimacy with Len.

Description: Len wants to flatten the nose of Instructor Hans, who has crushed his pride. Help him grow.

The reward was the highest quality iron ore of the beginner zone.

Most things obtained in the beginner zone are labeled as ‘beginner zone’s’.

Items with this label are mostly low-level items that are far behind what can be obtained outside.

For example, if iron ore from the beginner’s zone can make a sword with 30 attack power, normal iron ore can make a sword with 100 attack power.

But one thing is certain.

‘Even though it is labeled as beginner zone’s, the highest quality iron ore is something that absolutely cannot be obtained here.’

He managed to make his first sword.

But it’s still uncertain whether it can break the wooden dummy.

Now that the forge is available for use.

“Please, I beg of you!”

Hyun-soo looked down at Len.

In fact, many who learned strange blacksmithing techniques elsewhere used to seek out his father, Kang Hyun-tae.

An interesting fact is that among them, ten would run away after two days.

Blacksmithing skills are not as beautiful as they appear.

The repetitive drudgery in the hot heat pushed people to the extreme.

Influenced by his father, Hyun-soo also does not easily pass on the skills.

Hyun-soo and his father, as blacksmiths, had to survive, so they also learned to bargain.

“Hmm…”

“I want to make a better sword!”

Hyun-soo liked Len.

The fact that as a blacksmith, he is so desperate that he kneels before a stranger he’s meeting for the first time.

“May I use the minerals in this forge as I please?”

Hmmph-

Len’s small shudder was felt.

But soon, Len corrected his thinking.

‘If I learn better blacksmithing skills, what do I care about this trivial matter!’

Becoming a better blacksmith is something that cannot be valued with anything.

“Of, of course!”

Hyun-soo, with a slight smile, said.

“Then I will do my best to teach you during my stay.”

Receiving a lot, Hyun-soo also intended to help him.

After finishing the conversation with Len, Hyun-soo immediately headed to the wooden dummy training hall with his first sword.

Now, Hyun-soo, armed not with a sword but with a sharp blade, began to strike.

Whack-!

Whaaaack.

Whack-whack-whack-

The sound of the impact was different from when striking with a wooden sword.

‘I feel lighter and full of strength compared to before.’

By making this sword, several of Hyun-soo’s stats had increased, and even his dexterity stat had significantly risen.

Soon, at the last, the 10th time, Hyun-soo crouched down and activated a skill for the first time.

This skill was a special ability in Hyun-soo’s first sword.

[Sword]

[Quickly slashes the target with a power of 22% additional attack strength.]

Hyun-soo’s knees bent as he sheathed the sword.

“Huuuh.”

Breathing out a shaky breath, Hyun-soo swiftly drew his sword and powerfully slashed at the wooden dummy.

Whack!

A sizable impact sound reverberated.

The significantly shaking wooden dummy caught Hyun-soo’s eye.

Soon, Hyun-soo’s face was tinged with disappointment.

[Wooden Dummy Durability 511/1,000]

[You have failed to break the wooden dummy.]

[You can retry after 30 minutes.]

‘This is why even national athletes fail……………..’ 

Isn’t this beyond common sense?

However, Hyun-soo soon shook his head.

They wouldn’t easily give away a capsule worth 50 million won, would they?

‘Let’s see…….?’

He organized his thoughts.

First, he had to craft a weapon better than the first sword and obtain everything else available.

‘I need to secure anything that can raise my stats or attack power, or anything that can strengthen my character and items.’

By doing so, the character’s damage would naturally increase, enabling more durability to be chipped off from the wooden dummy.

What could be the way to do that?

That’s when Hyun-soo caught sight of the instructor who had explained the basics to him.

The instructor was also focused on his training, hitting a wooden dummy.

As he was busily hitting with his sword, he frowned at his dulled blade.

“Instructor Hans has a beef with Len, and we’re suffering for it. Can’t keep swinging this kind of sword forever…….”

The quest Hyun-soo received to help Len grow mentioned that he had trouble with an instructor named Hans.

‘This….’

It seemed that all the instructors here were suffering because of that trouble.

Hyun-soo often felt the urge to immediately sharpen such dull swords.

‘Uh….?’

Then he had an epiphany.

Hyun-soo remembered.

There was a way to become stronger here and secure more!

He was the man who became an expert in bargaining and trading thanks to the grandmothers who pestered him to sharpen their kitchen knives!

He slowly approached that instructor.

***

Instructor Jack clicked his tongue as he looked at his dulled blade.

It was ridiculous that the other instructors had to suffer because of the pride fight between Hans and Len.

‘If I keep swinging it, it’ll break. Should I use a wooden sword for the time being?’

The idea of himself, a swordsman, having to hold a beginner’s wooden sword?

It was an unprecedented humiliation.

That’s when.

“Hello, Instructor!”

“?”

A stranger approached and gave a polite bow.

He looked familiar.

It was the foreigner who chose an ebony wooden sword during the day, now wearing a pretty good sword at his waist.

He had been watching him unintentionally because of that.

However, there’s something Hyun-soo doesn’t know about this beginner zone.

Never try to ask personal questions or engage in personal conversations with the instructors!

The reason is that the instructors here are very unfriendly.

Precisely because they’ve been made unfriendly by the users.

‘You! Do you know who my dad is!?

‘Didn’t your mom teach you?’

‘….!?’

‘Get lost.’

Filled with users who spoke down to NPCs, they were tired of seeing hundreds of them every day.

There were also many like the user before.

‘Hey, can’t we get a hidden piece from the instructor?’

Those who try to flatter and obtain even the slightest benefit!

Absolutely detestable.

To the point of vomiting.

Especially now, Hyun-soo had chosen the wrong target.

The Jack he chose was the most skilled among the instructors and was famous for having the worst temper.

“What do you want?”

Instructor Jack, with a grim face, responded indifferently.

‘This guy too, wants to gain something through me?’

Damn these foreigners.

But then, the foreigner pointed to the sword in his hand.

“It’s not anything else, but your sword blade seems very dull.”

Jack looked puzzled.

Indeed, but he couldn’t see why he would make such a comment.

“I have some expertise in weapon repair and crafting, may I take a look at it?”

“What?”

Jack looked puzzled.

A mere foreigner has expertise in weapon repair and crafting?

Jack had seen many talents before.

Foreigners who wield swords better than himself.

Foreigners who shoot unbelievable arrows.

And even strange foreigners who only eat.

But a foreigner who knows how to handle weapons?

‘I’ve never seen such a foreigner.’

Of course.

In reality, there are fewer than ten actual blacksmiths left, while there are hundreds of beginner zones.

Jack looked at him with unimpressed eyes, and the man tapped the sword at his waist.

“I made this myself.”

“…!?”

Jack’s eyes widened in shock.

He had been wondering where that sword had come from.

According to his knowledge, there was no way such a sword could come from this beginner zone.

That meant someone must have crafted it anew.

But Jack also knew just how terrible the only blacksmith, Len, was in this zone.

Therefore, his statement served as some form of proof.

“Is it real?”

“Yes, how else would I have this sword if I hadn’t made it?”

Hyun-soo is no fool.

He puts forth evidence that can prove his claim.

“I thought I might be of some help to the handsome instructor with my modest skills.”

“Uhmm……?”

“It must be tough, right? It’s hot, strange foreigners are causing a fuss, and on top of needing to train, your sword is dulled.”

“Ha ha, you completely understand my heart.”

[Your intimacy with Jack has increased.]

Hyun-soo had met many grandmothers as a haggler.

He always threw comments like this:

‘Oh my, our grandmother is almost sixty, you’re so lovely, don’t I seem like your handsome grandson? If you buy it just for today, I’ll take extra care of you next time!’

‘Ho ho ho, this lad. I’ll buy it since you’re like my grandson!!’

Why has he become a master of bargaining when he was a blacksmith…

He had a moment of realization, but his eloquence worked on Instructor Jack too.

“Should we see? But I can’t just trust you blindly.”

Instructor Jack was not completely free of suspicion.

“If it’s satisfactorily sharpened, I’ll pay you the 50 silver it would cost at the forge. But if it’s not well sharpened, I think I’ll be greatly disappointed in you.”

Hyun-soo had earned 10 silver by hitting the tutorial wooden dummy.

There was also a store within this beginner zone.

This was the opportunity Hyun-soo had been aiming for!

He even brought a whetstone from Len’s forge in his inventory.

‘It’s been a while……………..’

Hyun-soo was hit with a wave of nostalgia.

At 10, Hyun-soo wanted to learn blacksmithing from his father and earnestly asked him.

His father told him to just sharpen swords for a year.

The reason was probably to make Hyun-soo give up on the tedious task of only repeating.

But…

As a result, his father had produced the most talented sword sharpener in the world.

‘I’ve sharpened more than ten thousand items.’

Kitchen knives, swords, axes for chopping wood, and many more.

Taking the sword from Jack, Hyun-soo immediately began sharpening it with the whetstone right there.

Swish swish swish swish-

But then, that strange notification he had heard while making the sword echoed again.

[An extraordinary event is occurring that does not correspond to the level.]

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