“Repair!”
The moment I made up my mind, I shouted the skill name. Living alone in my studio apartment, I could yell skill names to my heart’s content, but I realized I should probably figure out how to use skills without shouting them soon.
[Materials are required for the repair.]
“Materials?”
A message I’d never seen before popped up while repairing an item. Curious, I inspected the armor and noticed significant damage—deep scratches like claw marks and broken chains. It seemed to have received temporary fixes, but it hadn’t been properly repaired in a while.
“Will this work?”
I tried offering some ores I’d mined. Iron ore alone didn’t cut it, so I added a few more types. Finally, the message changed.
[Repair commencing.]
Vrrrm—
The ores I offered melted away, and points appeared above the armor. But these points looked different from any I’d seen before.
“Why are they so thick?”
Points were usually just that—points. If I had to describe them, they were like small magic circles, barely with any thickness. But these? They were absurdly thick, like an encyclopedia floating proudly above the armor.
Clang!
I swung my hammer with all my might, but it only left a small crack.
Clang!
Another swing, and the crack spread slightly. Until now, even tough points would break after a few hits, but these were the first to withstand my hammering so stubbornly.
My arms were already aching, but giving up wasn’t an option.
“Let’s see who wins!”
Claaang!!
The tougher the points held, the harder I swung my hammer. Even if each swing only caused a tiny crack, it didn’t matter.
As long as cracks formed, the points would eventually shatter. After relentless hammering…
Crack!
One point broke. Another appeared, just as thick and sturdy. But having broken one, I was confident.
‘I can do this.’
If it were impossible, I’d have given up, but this was a challenge I could overcome. It was tough, but definitely doable.
Clang!!
I kept swinging. My lacking stamina was bolstered by the statue’s effect. As I hammered, the statue absorbed the noise, granting stronger buffs, which sped up my point-breaking.
Sparks flew from the hammer striking the points, like forging red-hot steel. A spark hit my cheek, but I didn’t care—it didn’t even register.
My focus was singular: the points. How to hit them faster, at what intervals to break them quicker—that was all I thought about.
Clang!
Lost in a trance, the armor’s scratches filled in, broken chains reconnected, and dented parts were restored.
[You’ve entered a trance and grasped the essence of blacksmithing.]
[Due to Hephaestus’s Descendant (SSS), all stats temporarily increase.]
[The level cap for crafted items using crafting skills has increased.]
[The level cap for repairable items using repair skills has increased.]
[The quantity and quality of materials obtained from decomposition skills…]
Messages flooded my vision, but I didn’t see them. I just kept hammering the points, like when I’d lose myself in a new game, face buried in the monitor until dawn.
Vrrrm.
The final point appeared. No description told me it was the last, but I knew instinctively. As I struck it, my expression was…
Clang!!
…radiantly bright.
[Repair of ‘General’s Heavy Armor Top’ complete.]
[Successful repair enhances the General’s Heavy Armor Top’s defense.]
[Successful repair upgrades the General’s Heavy Armor Top’s grade.]
My arms were trembling, barely able to swing, but I couldn’t stop the grin spreading across my face as I pulled out the General’s Heavy Armor Bottom to repair next.
“Still no response?”
“No, not yet…”
“This can’t be happening. It really can’t…”
Saebom Lee, the Mir Guild representative, couldn’t go home. Her prized A-grade armor was in the hands of a level 1 blacksmith. She’d sent a request to return it, but no reply came.
***
“They didn’t fail the repair and are too ashamed to respond, right?”
“N-no way. Maybe they’re just asleep…”
“Asleep right after accepting a repair request? At this hour? No way!” Saebom raised her voice unintentionally, then blushed and lowered her head. Getting upset wouldn’t bring a reply.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Lee. If something goes wrong, I’ll cover the damages.”
“No, it’s my fault for not organizing my armor properly,” Saebom said, biting her nails. Despite her words, her insides churned. As time passed midnight, her mind overflowed with worst-case scenarios.
There was only one reason for the silence: the repair had failed, and they were too embarrassed to respond. She checked the page, but nothing had changed.
By 2 a.m., her anxiety peaked. The staff member, losing hope and about to offer compensation again, was interrupted.
Ding.
“A reply! We got a reply!” Vulcanus had responded. The staff hurriedly opened it and shared it with Saebom. The message was simple:
[Repairs completed.]
The commissioned equipment reappeared in its original spot, including Saebom’s armor. Praying Vulcanus hadn’t touched it, she approached.
But why did it look… repaired? The scratches were gone, the chains reconnected, and the neglected parts were pristine.
Still uneasy, she checked the item details.
[General’s Heavy Armor Top]
Type: Armor
Grade: S
Restrictions: Level 100+, Strength 100+, Vitality 100+
Description: A heavy armor top imbued with the majesty of a great general. Repaired by an enlightened, exceptional blacksmith, its grandeur is further enhanced.
“Huh?”
Something was off. She reread it, but the details didn’t change. The staff sighed, “So it failed, didn’t it? I’m so sorry, I’ll take responsibility—”
“No, it succeeded.”
“What? But you said they’re likely a level 1 Awakened who just awakened…”
“Exactly, but look at the page—it’s brand new. Yet they succeeded.” Saebom’s voice trembled with disbelief. “It’s S-grade now.”
“What?”
“It was A-grade, but now it’s S-grade. Defense is up, durability’s up, and it gained an extra ability.”
“A repair upgraded its grade? That’s impossible!”
“I know it sounds insane, but that’s what the item info says.”
It was unbelievable. A level 1 blacksmith repairing level 100 gear was already absurd, but upgrading it to S-grade? The increased defense, durability, and new ability confirmed it.
“Wait, then!” The staff hurriedly checked the other gear—low-level equipment for the newbie team. Their eyes widened further.
“These too!”
“Let me see!” Saebom checked another item.
[Bent Oldwood Staff]
Type: Staff
Grade: A
Restrictions: Level 1+, Intelligence 20+
Description: A staff naturally formed from an ancient tree that absorbed mana over time. Refined by an exceptional blacksmith, its power has been enhanced.
“No way!”
It was true. Other items had upgraded grades too. Not all of them—only a few—but every piece shared one trait.
“Even the ones without grade upgrades have slight boosts to attack or defense!”
“Incredible…”
They couldn’t help but exclaim. Simply repairing items had boosted their attack and defense, and some even jumped grades?
Saebom checked the time. Less than ten hours since the commission was sent, and all this gear was repaired and upgraded.
This wasn’t something to overlook.
“I’ve changed my mind.”
“What?”
“Vulcanus. We have to recruit them. If not, we can’t let another guild have them.”
“But we only have messaging, and they already declined once…!”
“Offer double—no, triple—the contract amount. Start with the contract. No, first, increase the repair fee. They’ve shown this level of skill; we can’t just pay the agreed amount.”
Saebom’s eyes sparkled. This wasn’t an ordinary blacksmith. Even Kang Ho-deok, Korea’s top blacksmith, couldn’t upgrade items through repairs alone. Vulcanus was at least A-grade—likely S-grade, maybe higher. They had to secure them.
“I’ll talk to the guild leader. Kim, dig up everything you can on them. I’m saying it again—”
Checking her now S-grade armor once more, Saebom spoke with conviction.
“We have to recruit them, no matter what.”
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