"I don't even understand how you're doing all of this," James said, perplexed. His nephew should have the reflexes of a child due to his prolonged coma, yet he was moving like a trained fighter. Or is it the child's undeveloped body adapting so fast? he wondered as he watched Blade.
After testing out all the weapons, Blade turned to James. "I want to see the crafting classes too," he said.
James just nodded. Crafting classes, huh? That might be better for him, he thought. Despite being in an adult body, Blade was still a child mentally due to his coma. Giving him crafting classes for an extended period might help his mind develop properly. With that in mind, James led him to the forge, where a burly, middle-aged man was hammering away at a piece of metal.
"Hey, old man!" James called out, grabbing the blacksmith's attention.
The man turned, raising an eyebrow at the interruption. "Back again? You here for another gear fix, or did you break something already?" Ryan, the blacksmith, asked in a gruff voice.
James shook his head. "I want you to teach my nephew a few things about blacksmithing," he said.
Ryan looked at Blade skeptically. "Him? You want me to teach blacksmithing to this skinny kid?" he asked, unimpressed.
James sighed. "He was sick, old man. He needs some help," he explained.
Ryan grumbled before exhaling sharply. "Well, whatever. If you think blacksmithing can help a kid like him, I won't argue," he said before turning to Blade. The boy was already checking out various weapons and tools on the racks, his curiosity evident.
"Alright, kid," Ryan said, crossing his arms. "Let's see if you've got what it takes to handle the forge."
[New Quest: Chopping Logs]
"Take this and go chop the wood stack behind the smithy," he said, handing Blade an axe. The quest required him to chop as many logs as he could in six hours—the first task in his blacksmithing journey.
Blade took the axe and walked to the back, where a large pile of logs was stacked. He picked one up, set it in place, and raised the axe. Just as he was about to swing, a notification appeared.
[Your All Craftsmen skill is activated.]
As soon as the notification faded, a red line appeared in the middle of the log. He struck the axe right at it, and the blade cut cleanly through, splitting it in two.
"I see… so I just have to keep doing this," Blade muttered, adjusting his stance and moving to the next log.
After two hours, his speed had slowed, and his hands ached from the repeated impact. His stamina was running low, but he pushed through the pain.
For six straight hours, he continued chopping, sweat dripping from his face.
"Damn it," he muttered, sitting down as the timer ran out. "But it was worth it."
[You have chopped logs for six hours.]
[You have gained experience.]
[Extra reward: Stat 'Indomitable' unlocked.]
[Skill 'Strong Will' unlocked.]
"Haaah, that was definitely worth it," Blade exhaled, catching his breath as Ryan walked in.
"You chopped all these on your own?" Ryan asked, impressed.
Blade nodded. "Yeah, I did."
"You're a crazy kid," Ryan chuckled, tossing him a pickaxe. "Go and gather materials for your next blacksmithing lesson."
[New Quest: Material Gathering]
This time, his task was to collect as many materials as possible in six hours.
"This is gonna be one tough class," Blade muttered as he stretched and left.
The old granny residing in his sculptor knife spoke: "A sculptor works for days just to create a masterpiece. You should learn to endure just as much."
Blade chuckled at the old saying, gripping the pickaxe tightly. "Endurance, huh? Guess I have no choice but to push through."
He made his way toward the designated mining area, a rocky hillside not far from the forge. The sun hung high, beating down on him as he arrived. The place was already littered with broken rocks and old tool marks from previous miners. Without wasting time, he raised the pickaxe and swung it against a jagged stone.
Clang!
The vibration ran through his arms, and his hands stung from the impact. "Damn, this is gonna be tougher than chopping wood," he muttered.
[All Craftsmen skill activated.]
Just like before, a notification appeared. Faint markings glowed on the rock wall in different spots. Striking at them precisely, Blade managed to extract minerals with each hit. As he continued mining, he noticed that each strike became more efficient, chipping away larger chunks with less effort and yielding more minerals.
"Looks like I'm getting the hang of it," he said, settling into a rhythm. The repetitive motions, combined with his growing endurance, allowed him to dig deeper into the stone.
Time passed, and his body screamed for rest, but he refused to stop. Every swing of the pickaxe echoed in his ears like a drumbeat of progress.
After hours of hard labor, his stamina was nearly drained, but he had gathered a respectable pile of ore. Just as he was about to call it a day, a small glint caught his eye beneath a pile of rubble.
Curious, he reached down and brushed away the dirt, revealing a smooth, black stone pulsing with a faint glow.
[Rare Material Found: Shadow-Infused Iron Ore]
Blade's eyes widened. "This… this has to be valuable!"
Exhausted yet thrilled, he picked up the rare ore and started heading back. The old granny's words echoed in his mind once again.
"A sculptor works for days just to create a masterpiece. You should learn to endure just as much."
Blade grinned. "Guess I'm starting to understand what she meant."
As he reached the forge, Ryan raised an eyebrow at the sight of the rare ore in Blade's hands.
"Well, well… looks like you've got some luck on your side, kid."
Blade smirked. "More like hard work."
Ryan laughed and patted him on the back. "That's the spirit. Now, let's see if you've got what it takes to craft something out of it."
[New Quest: First Forging Attempt]
*******
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