Strike 7

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Ji-hoon was still eyeing Hyun-soo with a bit of distrust as he tore into his chicken wings.

“Dexterity, huh…”

Hyun-soo was familiar with the basics.

The five primary skills and the special skills.

Dexterity was definitely a special skill.

And special skills were harder to acquire than the primary five.

“Why don’t I see any significant changes even with 63 Dexterity?”

“Some special skills are like that, but they’ll come in handy eventually. Besides, Dexterity can be pretty versatile.”

“Versatile?”

Hyun-soo was puzzled.

He suddenly remembered an explanation from an Instructor.

Dexterity enhances any activity involving the hands.

“Doesn’t it also increase attack power?”

“Oh, right. It does boost your attack power a bit!”

“I see.”

“Yeah, for every point in strength, you get about one point in physical attack power, right? But with about 50 points in Dexterity, you could get the same increase.”

This sounded underwhelming.

Fifty points in Dexterity equaled one point in strength.

“But doesn’t it take like 5-6 hours to increase one strength point in the beginner zone?”

“Right?”

Ji-hoon realized something.

“Wait, I gained 20 Dexterity points in just three hours…”

“Wow…”

Others take a minimum of five hours to increase their physical attack power by one strength point.

For Hyun-soo, it takes about seven hours to achieve the same with Dexterity.

“Hmm…”

Hyun-soo stroked his chin.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Exactly. If you’re right, Dexterity is relatively easier to obtain in the beginner zone. Not to mention my ‘Extraordinary event’ alerts.”

Ji-hoon nodded.

“I need to gather various things to smash these wooden dolls, right?”

He had to use any means necessary to gather everything around him.

“Even sharpening tools increases my Dexterity and I get paid?”

“Increases intimacy too?”

“And boosts attack power?”

Right, there was no reason not to do it.

Hyun-soo chuckled lightly and took a swig of beer.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll gather Dexterity by any means necessary.”

From little things, big things grow.

The mission to smash the wooden dolls by accumulating Dexterity had begun.

***

The next day.

Hyun-soo saw Instructors from the neighboring town come to him.

After sharpening their weapons, an Instructor exclaimed in admiration.

“You’re amazing, just as the rumors said!”

“Instructor, do you know anyone around who farms?”

“There are plenty of farmers.”

The beginner zone was essentially a village.

“I’d like to offer my skills to them too.”

Hyun-soo’s eyes reddened.

“My grandmother used to farm back in the day.”

Hyun-soo’s lies were becoming more convincing.

“I want to help the farmers get better tools…”

Instructor Blen was impressed by Hyun-soo’s words.

“My goodness… You’re such a kind soul!”

[Your intimacy with Blen increases.]

Ah, the sight of him, teary-eyed, offering his talents!

“I’ll spread the word to the farmers.”

“It doesn’t have to be just farmers. Please tell anyone who needs my help.”

Sharp tools were essential for humans.

This way, Hyun-soo was securing more clients.

Soon, he was greeting villagers carrying farm tools from afar.

“Welcome!”

A broad smile spread across Hyun-soo’s face.

***

Special User Management Team.

Team Leader Kim Tae-seok and employee Lee Ji-hee locked eyes.

Their pupils were shaking intensely.

“Doesn’t it seem right?”

“Yes, it does.”

“We can’t go home, can we?”

“No, it seems we can’t…”

The corners of their eyes moistened.

“It looks like he’s gathering Dexterity…”

“How much is in that user’s account?”

“60 gold…??”

Kim Tae-seok couldn’t hide his astonishment.

How could a level 1 user have 60 gold? Ordinary users hardly have 3 gold at that level!

“What about his Dexterity?”

“Currently at 89. He’s about to hit 100.”

“100… Once he hits 100, he’ll get that title…” Kim Tae-seok’s expression grew serious.

Indeed, there were many users worldwide with over 100 Dexterity.

The highest was even over 2,000, benefiting greatly from the Dexterity bonus.

But it’s a different story when a beginner player, especially at level 1, achieves 100 in Dexterity.

Even the user with the highest Dexterity had only about 10 in the beginner zone.

That’s why Blue Inc. prepared a reward for such an achievement.

“Sigh, what’s the use in complaining? It’s all thanks to Hyun-soo’s capabilities.”

The reason for Hyun-soo’s rapid increase in Dexterity was due to the ‘Extraordinary event’ system alert.

In this game controlled by the supercomputer Ares, an ‘Extraordinary event’ alert is special.

It indicates that he did exceptionally well and thus receives a reward, which in this case was Dexterity.

Kim Tae-seok spoke with an enlightened expression.

“Hold on tight.”

“Okay….”

“That user, soaring high with the Dexterity reward!”

“Whoa, flying high!”

Lee Ji-hee clung to the table, pretending to fly like an airplane.

Life was tough.

***

[You have achieved 100 Dexterity.]

[Hidden Piece. You have attained ‘The True Value of Dexterity.’]

[Gain 50 Dexterity.]

[Title: ‘Your Exclusive Dexterity’ obtained.]

“Oh?”

Hyun-soo had just finished sharpening the last farming tool and was about to teach blacksmithing techniques to Len.

He quickly checked his new title.

(‘Your Exclusive Dexterity’)

Unique Title

Grade: A

Special Abilities:

• All stats +3

· Dexterity acquisition rate increased by 50%.

• Seal (Unlocks at Dexterity 2,000.)

· Seal (Unlocks at Dexterity 4,000.)

“A…?”

Hyun-soo couldn’t hide his amazement.

After visiting the pub with Ji-hoon yesterday, he researched Ares more thoroughly.

He had received a hidden quest, and now with an A-grade title, he was practically unbeatable.

Nowhere could he find an instance of a level 1 user getting an A-grade title from a hidden quest.

Especially an A-grade title.

‘Even high-rankers might have 7 or 8 at best…?’

That’s how rare A-grade titles were.

And Hyun-soo figured out why this title was A-grade.

“This is insane!”

He couldn’t hide his astonishment even seeing it for himself.

Dexterity acquisition rate increased by 50%.

Meaning, from now on, his chances of gaining Dexterity increased by 50%.

Then he saw the sealed special abilities and whispered to Ji-hoon.

[Hyun-soo: I got a title, but what’s this seal thing?]

[Ji-hoon: That’s a growth-type title, super rare. As you meet the conditions, additional rewards unlock. But why?]

[Hyun-soo: I got it.]

[Ji-hoon: Screenshot, please.]

[Hyun-soo: (Screenshot.)]

[Ji-hoon: …………Lucky you. Blocked.]

[You have been blocked by Ji-hoon.]

“……?”

Hyun-soo was puzzled, blocked out of envy.

‘Growth-type title?’

After being blocked by his close friend Ji-hoon, Hyun-soo went to the Ares community.

Simple searches were possible in the game via hologram.

[If it’s a growth-type title, can we consider it a grade higher than its current rating?]

[oo, every time you unlock a seal in a growth-type title, special abilities get unlocked. If it’s B-grade, it’s practically A-grade. But why, did you get one?]

[Yes! I got one. A ray of light in my Ares life.]

[Wow, lol… I’m so jealousㅠㅠ]

[Wow, you got a growth-type title? Those are super hard to get.]

Hyun-soo realized just how valuable a growth-type title was, more than he had thought.

‘It could potentially have the power of an S-grade?’

He kind of understood why Ji-hoon blocked him out of envy.

[Ji-hoon: Can you tone down the bragging?]

[Hyun-soo: Lol, sure.]

Hyun-soo, smiling, entered Len’s blacksmith shop.

‘Alright.’

Hyun-soo gathered his thoughts.

To smash the wooden dolls, he needed a better sword. And to make a better sword, he needed better ore.

Of course, if Hyun-soo taught Len, he could get ‘Iron Ore from the Beginner Zone’. 

But he wondered if the iron ore from the beginner zone would be enough to surpass a rare-grade sword.

As he pondered, an idea flashed through Hyun-soo’s mind.

‘If there’s no ore, why not create it myself?’

He thought of something astonishing, something other players wouldn’t even dream of.

He asked Len, “Is there a beach nearby?”

“Yes, there is. But why the beach…?”

Len couldn’t hide his confusion.

Why the sudden interest in the beach after coming to teach blacksmithing skills?

“Good,” Hyun-soo said with a slight smile.

Together, they headed towards the beach, stopping first at the NPC general store in the beginner zone.

The NPC sold a wide variety of items.

“Do you have a large magnet?”

“Yes, we do. Why do you ask?”

“I need it for something.”

After purchasing the magnet, Hyun-soo’s actions left Len puzzled.

Soon, Hyun-soo and blacksmith Len stood before the vast ocean.

As Hyun-soo spread his arms and took in the sea breeze, Len’s expression hardened.

‘Did I make a mistake…?’

Len had admired Hyun-soo’s blacksmithing skills, which is why he had asked to become his apprentice.

Even though Hyun-soo had used Len’s grindstone excessively, even risking going hungry by sharpening the Instructors’ weapons, Len thought it was worth it if it meant growth.

But why the beach after offering to teach him?

Was this some kind of catch-me-if-you-can game?

“Hyun-soo, what are you planning to teach me here…?”

Doubt flickered across Len’s face.

And Hyun-soo, looking out at the sea, felt a sense of liberation.

He had not seen the sea for a long time, and it left him feeling rejuvenated despite the burns on his body.

Noticing Len’s skepticism, Hyun-soo said, “Len, do you see it?”

Yes, the vast, endless ocean!

But Hyun-soo’s next words were shocking.

“There are minerals in this sea.”

“……?”

Had he gone mad?

Minerals at the seaside?

Hyun-soo stepped onto the sandy beach and said, “Fortunately, it seems to be here.”

What could possibly be here?

Pointing to the sand, Hyun-soo smiled and said, “Iron sand.”

He took out the large magnet from his inventory and moved it around the beach, then lifted the magnet to reveal iron filings sticking to it like sand.

They were not chunks but more like fine powder, hence the term ‘iron filings’ was more appropriate.

He gathered them into a sack he had brought.

“Len, today I will teach you about the iron ingot.”

“Iron ingot…?”

“It’s from where I come from, an ancient smelting technique.”

A method only Hyun-soo’s father, and now only Hyun-soo, knew.

A method to extract minerals that once existed in the Joseon era.

***

Special User Management Team.

“Iron ingot…? I’ve never heard of such a mineral.”

“And that’s not all. The iron ingot doesn’t even exist in Ares.”

Ares operates based on the supercomputer Ares, which holds almost all the world’s information.

Lee Ji-hee searched ‘iron ingot’ on the program linked to the supercomputer Ares.

-Iron ingot. Can be obtained through traditional Korean smelting techniques, but is not used currently due to the availability of various alloys and steels.

-The Hwandudaedo (ring-pommel sword) of Baekje’s 25th King, Muryeong, was made using this method.

“?”

Both were astonished.

“A smelting technique from the Baekje era?”

Team Leader Kim Tae-seok couldn’t hide his surprise.

Although the information was entered into the supercomputer Ares, it’s unlikely that anyone other than user Hyun-soo would know to use it.

Kim Tae-seok had many thoughts.

An Extraordinary event alert for creating a mineral not in Ares.

And the fact that while the smelting technique existed, the iron ingot itself did not in Ares.

And he was intensely curious about the quality of the finished iron ingot.

His heart raced with excitement.

“This is going to be interesting…!”

A long-lost smelting technique from history was about to be revived by a level 1 player.

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