Chapter 3: Forging Fortune

The skill that could be called the blacksmith’s flower, Crafting.

How can this skill be used?

There’s only one way to find out.

“Craft!”

Anyway, I’m the only one in the room.

I shouted the skill name without reservation.

Repair and Disassemble both involved specific points appearing when the skill was used, and then hammering those points, so I picked up a hammer and prepared myself this time as well.

[You have used the Crafting skill.]

[Please select the form of the item you wish to craft. ]

Instead of shimmering points, a message appeared before my eyes.

“Item form?”

What kind of item should I make?

The choice was simple.

I’m not trying to make an item for my immediate use anyway.

My goal right now is to make a decent item and sell it for a high price on the auction house.

In other words, the item I need to make should be the most frequently traded item on the auction house.

Just browsing the auction house for a short while was enough to decide.

“The basics are swords, after all.”

The most frequently sold item on the auction house.

That was the sword.

Of course, potions sold even more than that, but as a blacksmith, I can’t make potions.

Among finished products, swords were the most popular.

Well, they said the most common item found in Gates is the sword.

Even if that weren’t the case, a sword was the most basic weapon for an ordinary person who doesn’t know anything to pick up and swing. [Please specify the detailed form of the sword.]

The next message appeared.

Even if I was told to specify the details, I might not know what to do, but I’m an expert in this field, you know.

Just thinking about it, there are dozens of different forms of sword-type weapons that come to mind.

The rare greatsword from ‘Monster Hunter,’ the ‘Black Crimson Dragon’s Severing Blade.’

The legendary weapon from ‘Demon King,’ the ‘Fragment of Fury,’ and so on.

There are plenty of weapons I want to make.

However, I don’t think I can make such a weapon with my first crafting attempt.

“Should I just make something the most basic?”

A sword of moderate size that can be held with both hands and swung with one hand.

Since I’m trying to sell it at the auction house, I decided to make a basic sword that anyone can use. The design should also be simple.

I recall the designs I’ve seen in games and finalize the details.

And before long, the form of the sword is complete.

[Please select the material for the sword.]

The next message appeared.

Unless you’re a real blacksmith, you don’t know what kind of ore to mix and how much to use.

So, roughly.

“The handle will be made of wood scraps, and the body will be filled with other things appropriately.”

I pour in all the materials I have.

More materials were used than I thought, and I had to use almost all the materials I had created through disassembly.

With this, the preliminary preparations are complete.

[Crafting will now begin. ]

Points appeared above the gathered materials.

My hammer, which had been waiting for this moment, quickly struck the points.

Clang!

The materials that make up the sword’s body are hammered and combined into one.

To create an alloy by hammering alone without using fire.

It’s an absurd thing, but the abilities that Awakened Ones use are absurd in the first place.

There are many people who create flames and cause typhoons, so this is nothing.

As I hammered relentlessly, the alloy was soon completed.

Then, I hammered the alloy further, shaping the form of the sword.

“I never thought I’d be hammering away in my room.”

And in the sink, of all places.

I’m lucky that the sink is big for a studio apartment.

Otherwise, I would have been squatting on the floor hammering away.

Clang, clang, clang!

Before I knew it, the form of the sword was taking shape.

A task that requires a level of concentration and time that cannot be compared to Repair or Disassemble.

My arms were already trembling, but I had no intention of stopping here.

Looking at the blade becoming sharper as I hammered, I couldn’t stop, even if just for the fun of it.

‘Next is the handle.’

How can I make a handle out of wood scraps, which aren’t even ore?

The answer was simple.

Whack! Crack! Whack!

This isn’t real crafting anyway.

It’s an ability using the system’s skill.

As such, there was nothing different about wood scraps.

Just hammering the points that appeared on the wood scraps was enough to steadily transform the wood scraps into the form of a handle.

[Progress rate 78%……. ]

Not much left now.

Finish the blade, and combine the handle and the body.

Swing the hammer to combine the two parts and perform the final touches.

Finally, refine the blade and correct the shape of the handle.

Whoosh!

After a while.

A huge point appeared before my eyes, large enough to cover the entire sword.

I could instinctively tell.

That this was the final moment of crafting.

Realizing this, unlike before, when I was focused on hitting the points quickly and precisely, I swung the hammer powerfully behind my head.

As if squeezing out the last of my strength.

The hammer, filled with all my strength, struck the point.

Clang!!

A cheerful collision sound rang out, and the golden point shattered and scattered around.

Then, the traces of the points that had been scattered around like sparks gathered and were absorbed into the sword.

As a result.

[Crafting is complete. ]

[You have acquired the ‘Kitchen Long Sword.’]

I was able to complete my first crafted item.

A long sword with a strong silvery-white color unique to aluminum.

I was a little embarrassed that the name Kitchen was attached to a combat sword, but the important thing is its performance.

Carefully picking up the long sword, I checked its information with an excited heart.

[ Kitchen Long Sword]

Type: Sword

Rank: B

Restriction: Level 1 or higher

Description: A long sword created by gathering the hot energy of the kitchen.

Attack Power: 50

Abilities: 1. Julienne – Cutting power increases when attacking ingredients or enemies corresponding to ingredients.

Heating – Inflicts additional fire attribute damage and applies ‘Burn’ to the enemy.

“Oooooooooh!”

B-rank.

I created a B-rank weapon, surpassing the E-rank kitchen knife I made through Repair, and even D-rank and C-rank.

The attack power is also amazing.

The F-rank Goblin Dagger had an attack power of 8, so this is more than 6 times that attack power, isn’t it?

And it even has two abilities attached.

Julienne was an ability that was also attached to the kitchen knife, but this one also has the ability called ‘Heating.’

I didn’t know much about Awakened Ones’ weapons, but I had vaguely heard that abilities that inflict attribute attacks are rare, so I was even more excited.

But most importantly.

“I made it with kitchen utensils, and it’s this good?”

The materials for this weapon are not materials obtained from Gates, but those obtained by disassembling kitchen utensils.

Originally, to be recognized as an item and receive a rank, it had to be an item obtained from a Gate or an item made from it.

But I made a B-rank weapon with materials extracted from disassembling kitchen utensils.

And with the cheapest kitchen utensils that can be easily obtained on the market.

“If I make it with proper materials, it’ll be insane, won’t it?”

If it’s this good even with low-quality materials, what kind of result would be created if I used materials that can be obtained from Gates in the proper way?

At least A-rank.

No, maybe I could create a product even higher than that?

“Then… should I buy materials?”

Buying materials isn’t difficult.

If you go to the auction house, they sell various monster materials and materials obtained from Gates.

The problem is that I don’t have much money on hand.

I made a little money by selling three knives, but that’s not enough to get proper materials.

I had no choice but to think that I should sell the ‘Kitchen Long Sword’ first, and opened the auction house.

As a newly Awakened One, it was difficult for me to set the price of the ‘Kitchen Long Sword,’ so instead of writing down the selling price and listing it, I chose a method where potential buyers raise the price and purchase it.

I knew that I would be charged a commission if I sold it this way, but as someone who doesn’t know much about prices, it was an unavoidable choice.

As I was looking forward to how much the Kitchen Long Sword would sell for and was about to close the system window.

Flash!

The hammer I was holding emitted light, and a new message appeared before my eyes.

[You have successfully crafted your first item. ]

[ Ability, ‘Descendant of Hephaestus (SSS)’ has been activated. ]

[ ‘Descendant of Hephaestus (SSS)’ unique skill, ‘Hephaestus’ Mine’ has been created. ]

[You can enter Hephaestus’ Mine for 2 hours a day. ]

[The job ‘Blacksmith’ has been influenced by ‘Descendant of Hephaestus (SSS),’ and the job skill ‘Mining’ has been created. ]

“Hephaestus’ Mine?”

A mine that suddenly appeared.

I was flustered, but the newly created skill could be immediately understood just by its name.

What is a mine?

It’s literally a mountain where minerals are mined.

And it’s Hephaestus’ Mine, named after the god of blacksmiths!

There’s a time limit, but this is something!

Judging by the fact that the Mining skill has also been created, I’ll definitely be able to get proper materials.

I was about to use the skill right away and enter the mine.

Grrr!

I had no choice but to stop moving at the loud sound of my stomach.

Was it because I was hammering with a body that had never moved before?

I had a hearty meal of pork belly before going to bed, but I’m already hungry. Besides, my right arm is a little stiff from hammering for the first time in a while.

Not as an excuse, but in times like these, you have to fill your stomach properly.

My gaze naturally turned to ramen.

“But I made money!”

I can’t be satisfied with ramen today.

I had a pork belly flex this morning, but I earned a whopping 260,000 won today, didn’t I?

Besides, I’ve awakened a whopping SSS-rank ability, so I can’t be satisfied with ramen.

“Tonight’s dinner is…..!”

My gaze turned from the ramen to my phone.

The delivery app turned on immediately.

My finger moved to a brand that I usually like the most but can’t easily order because it’s expensive.

Before pressing the purchase button.

Seeing the price inflated with the delivery fee included, my finger paused for a moment, but I can’t stand it today.

“It’s chicken!”

I was so hungry that I finished a whole chicken in one sitting, and only then could I pay attention to the newly created skill.