The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 3

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 3
Episode 3.
Beep.
New Generation Monitoring Team.
The Monitoring Team was one of the divisions responsible for managing special users and tracking their movements.
Because they handled responding to and managing the countless anomalies occurring within the game, the division was quite large and staffed with capable employees from within New Generation.
Kim Na-yun, a Monitoring Team employee, wore a look of startled surprise as he gazed at the red box notification.
-[URGENT]
-[URGENT]
This red box was an alert message that appeared when something urgent occurred within the game.
There were many things classified as urgent—generally when users accomplished something unprecedented or when a statistically improbable event transpired.
In short, it was an alert that triggered whenever what was called an Irregularity occurred.
During open beta and official launch, these alert messages appeared almost daily.
As users reached 100,000, 1 million, 10 million, and 100 million milestones, even the lowest-probability feats were eventually accomplished.
Those users had written history within New Generation and now held their places confidently among the rankers.
It was no exaggeration to say that among the current top rankers, there wasn’t a single one who hadn’t triggered this red urgent box at some point.
“Everything happening right now must be ranker-level stuff.”
Kim Na-yun was the staff member responsible for Irregularities from new users.
After more than a year now, it was fair to say hardly any emerging new users were making waves.
And for good reason—everyone had started New Generation.
The players from the various semi-virtual reality games that once proliferated domestically had all migrated into New Generation, and the rankers from each of those games were now playing here as well.
“Everyone capable domestically is already playing.”
This was why new users no longer triggered the red box.
“Besides, even creating alts defeats the purpose.”
The Irregularities this red box announced typically required accomplishing feats that vastly surpassed existing records, or achievements no one had yet reached.
Given the sudden nature of it all, Kim Na-yun quickly checked the red box.
-[FIRST ACHIEVEMENT]
-[CATEGORY: Synchronization Rate]
-[DETAILS: Synchronization Rate 80%]
“!”
Kim Na-yun’s body trembled in an instant.
“That—that—what is this? Synchronization Rate at 80 percent?”
-Registered to the Hall of Fame.
-Rankings have been recalculated.
-Ranking Table:
1. Jin-woo [Synchronization Rate 80%] NEW!
2. Slayer [Synchronization Rate 49%]
3. Starlight [Synchronization Rate 46%]
……
New Generation possessed a system called the Hall of Fame.
This Hall of Fame was literally a ranking table, a feature that emerged from New Generation’s unique design.
New Generation was a free game.
Its limitless freedom clashed with quests that had predetermined answers.
For this reason, the Hall of Fame system was implemented.
Each quest could now recognize numerous solutions, but in exchange, those solutions were assigned point values.
Even if two players completed the same quest, the rewards could differ depending on their answers.
A player who cleared a quest could see how many points their solution earned and could access the Hall of Fame.
It was an entirely transparent system, one that left no room for criticism.
People generally believed the Hall of Fame applied only to quests, but the reality was different.
From the very start.
From character creation onward, New Generation converted everything into points.
Synchronization Rate was an extension of that same system.
“That’s—that’s impossible.”
Kim Na-yun was astounded.
“Synchronization Rate at 80 percent?”
It was a staggering difference from second place at 49 percent.
Slayer, who held second place in Synchronization Rate, was a top-tier ranker with a legendary combat class.
Likewise, third place belonged to the highest-tier crafter, and thanks to that 46 percent Synchronization Rate, they’d been able to grow at an accelerated pace and stay ahead.
But 80 percent?
“Who is this person? Who in the world is Jin-woo?”
Kim Na-yun quickly pulled up the user’s profile.
* * *
As Jin-woo moved his hand back and forth, testing it, he felt a sensation he hadn’t experienced in quite some time returning.
Precision.
That precision was slowly coming back.
-Synchronization Rate adaptation in progress.
-All senses become clearer due to 80% Synchronization Rate!
-Minimum Synchronization Rate 80%
-Character level too low to achieve higher Synchronization Rate.
-Hall of Fame bonus acquired!
-All stats increased by +10!
“Perfect.”
Jin-woo clenched his fist firmly.
“Perfect.”
With this, he could make equipment without issue.
“I can earn money too.”
And do crafting work.
That’s when a scream pierced the air.
And a deafening roar echoed across the sky.
Screeeee!
“What’s that?”
“It’s a Wyvern!”
“A Wyvern’s appeared!”
“Run! Evacuate to the safe zone!”
The beginning of the Tutorial.
A notification window appeared before Jin-woo.
-[Wyvern Attack!] * tutorial quest
Details: A Wyvern has attacked the village! Survive the Wyvern’s assault and save the town!
Condition: Failure if defeated
Reward: Tutorial reward
“What? A tutorial quest?”
Screeeee!
With a spine-chilling cry, an enormous winged creature swept across the sky.
“A Wyvern?”
[Wyvern][LV 35]
It was no monster meant for a tutorial quest.
“A Wyvern from the tutorial?”
This was a shockingly difficult way to begin.
A Wyvern.
Even in Eternal Sunshine, the game he’d played before, Wyverns were high-level monsters—notoriously troublesome to hunt.
And there were three of them total.
Level 35.
Jin-woo first checked his own stats.
[Jin-woo][LV 1]
[Class: None]
[HP: 100/100]
[MP: 100/100]
[Strength: 5+10]
[Stamina: 5+10]
[Agility: 5+10]
[Intelligence: 5+10]
A very simple status window.
‘Since I’m level 1.’
There was a level difference of 34 between him and the Wyvern.
“But wait—all my stats have +10 added? I got a Hall of Fame notification earlier. Could it be because my Synchronization Rate is high?”
He didn’t fully understand the mechanics, but it was clear he’d received a bonus right from the start.
“That’s good. This is definitely a great game. If they’re handing out good stuff from the beginning, it’s got to be solid.”
Jin-woo looked up at the flying Wyverns.
The impression was immediate.
Overwhelming pressure emanating from them.
‘These Wyverns weren’t designed to be beaten.’
They were event-oriented monsters meant to be fled from.
‘If I so much as engage, I’d die instantly. Besides, I don’t even have a weapon to fight back with.’
Jin-woo was unarmed.
The Wyvern soared through the sky, and Jin-woo had neither the means to take flight nor any proper weapon.
‘But what should I do?’
Given how much freedom the game offered, no clear path forward presented itself.
‘Should I just run?’
He couldn’t tell if he should flee immediately or pursue some other objective.
‘For now.’
He waited still, then glanced around cautiously.
‘Are there other players?’
No other players were visible. Everyone else was an NPC.
Among the NPCs fleeing in terror at the Wyvern’s arrival, there was clearly no one like Jin-woo—no player.
‘A player would be standing still like me.’
It was the early tutorial, then.
‘Once the tutorial ends, I’ll be able to progress the game alongside other players.’
“A Wyvern right from the tutorial—that’s brutal. There must be people trying to defeat it though. It’s not meant to be defeated, but there are always those exceptional fighters with enough skill to pull off crazy plays.”
He remembered seeing posts like that on the community boards.
Stories of the bizarre plays pulled off by veteran players.
“Screeeee!”
The Wyvern shrieked as it wheeled through the sky.
It spewed something from its maw, and wherever it hit the ground, matter began to dissolve.
The caustic liquid fell on buildings too, but they withstood it relatively well.
‘If I got hit by that, I’d die instantly.’
“Whoa.”
As Jin-woo watched the Wyverns with alarm, a fleeing villager slapped him on the back.
“What are you doing! Run, hurry! That acid will kill you on contact! Get into one of those buildings now!”
A panicked villager shouted at him.
“Pick any house ahead and get inside quickly! The acid is strong, but it won’t dissolve the buildings! The Self-Defense Force went to fetch the knight, so don’t worry! Wait a bit and this will be resolved!”
Several houses came into view before Jin-woo.
‘Is this a choice?’
Jin-woo broke into a run forward.
Then he caught a scent.
“The smell of fire.”
The rich, unmistakable aroma of flame.
It was the distinctive scent of a blacksmith’s forge, and the moment Jin-woo caught it, he bolted toward that building.
“As I thought.”
As he entered, a wave of heat washed over him.
The place Jin-woo had chosen was indeed a Blacksmith.
But something was wrong.
Instead of a blacksmith, there was a man groaning in pain, leaning against a wall with an expression of agony.
[Chief of Self-Defense Force][LV 21]
‘The Chief of the Self-Defense Force?’
“Ugh—”
His armor had melted where the Wyvern had struck—around his shoulder and collarbone.
His face and shoulders were covered in blood.
“Are you all right?”
At Jin-woo’s question, the man shook his head.
“Damn it. Got hit by a Wyvern. I need to fetch the knight.”
The Chief of Self-Defense Force clicked his tongue.
This must be the Self-Defense Force member the villager had mentioned.
“How’s the situation outside?”
“The Wyvern is still out there, and the residents are evacuating.”
“If this continues, the damage will spread. Something feels off. There was a massive Wyvern, and the acid it spewed—”
Shhhhhhh!
The ceiling suddenly began to dissolve.
The villager had said buildings wouldn’t dissolve, but this one was.
“It’s melting through the buildings! I have to get the knight here now!”
The Chief of Self-Defense Force looked at his corroded weapon.
“Damn it. If only my equipment were intact—”
His gaze turned toward Jin-woo.
“Can you repair this sword for me? Please. The blade’s completely dull and the shape is badly warped. Even a little is enough. Just make it usable—enough for me to swing it a few times. If you do, I’ll make sure to reward you handsomely!”
Ding!
A cheerful alert chime sounded, and a quest window appeared before Jin-woo.
* Quest: Assist the Chief
Rank: D
Details: The Chief of Self-Defense Force of Inseert Village was gravely wounded in the sudden Wyvern attack. Fortunately he’s still mobile, but his equipment was damaged, leaving him unable to fetch the knight. Help him so he can summon the knight.
Reward: Will vary based on quest completion method.
‘A quest to assist the Chief.’
Jin-woo examined the Chief thoroughly.
His armor and weapon. The weapon was most severely damaged.
‘This is a blacksmith. They probably want me to craft new equipment to replace the damaged gear.’
It was highly likely many players would have chosen the equipment crafting route.
‘But.’
Jin-woo looked closely at the Chief’s sword. The quest text only said to assist him.
‘I don’t necessarily need to make him something new. It’s still intact.’
“Would you be able to make him something new?”
“No.”
Jin-woo replied.
“You seem pressed for time, so a repair should be sufficient.”
“A repair?”
“Yes. This is still serviceable.”
Jin-woo took hold of the sword and spoke.
“I’ll restore it to look brand new.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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