Episode 7
007. Lighting the Fire
The interior of the mine was no different from Geumsom’s small, precious treasure trove.
Rock walls that other players needed dozens of strikes to even scratch, Geumsom collapsed with a single blow.
And each time, top-grade minerals poured out, emitting a lustrous glow.
“Th-that makes sense?”
“Isn’t that the guy who was thrusting spears at the training ground earlier? Just what is his identity?”
“Huh? Now that you mention it… it’s true! He was thrusting spears, and now he’s swinging a pickaxe here? If he’s a streamer, he picked a weird concept.”
“Is that the issue? So how on earth is he doing that?”
“It wasn’t the pickaxe. It seems like the person himself is crazy skilled, doesn’t it?”
Players around him who were about to give up on mining began whispering about Geumsom one by one.
In the past, even when he streamed, getting attention was hard.
But now, not long after 《Lepion》’s launch, he was naturally starting to attract attention.
However, their murmurs didn’t reach Geumsom’s ears.
His eyes only saw the red dots and solid lines shown by ‘Resolve’s Insight’, and the minerals sleeping within them.
[Acquired Top-grade Iron Ore. (4/5)]
[Mining Skill has reached Lv.5.]
[Resolve’s Insight skill proficiency increases.]
[Due to the Luck stat’s influence, you discovered a hidden gem!]
[Acquired Low-grade Ruby.]
“Hahaha! This is a complete jackpot!”
Geumsom couldn’t hold back the laughter bubbling up.
Not just the top-grade iron ore, the quest objective, but even silver ore and gems.
It was truly a goldmine.
Moreover, the newly unlocked Luck stat.
Perhaps thanks to the Luck stat, he even pulled off the feat of mining gemstones, which are normally hard to see.
It seemed the Luck stat obtained through the ‘Narcissist’ title manifested in this way.
Crash-!
[Acquired Top-grade Iron Ore. (5/5)]
[Achieved the success condition for the Class Quest: Tuban’s Doubt.]
“Nice!”
Seeing the quest completion message, Geumsom smiled with satisfaction.
But he didn’t stop here.
The time Tuban gave was ‘before sunset’.
There was still plenty of time.
‘Since I’ve started, might as well fill my inventory to the brim.’
Geumsom picked up the pickaxe again.
As long as he used Resolve’s Insight, the old pickaxe posed no problem at all.
Crash-!
Crash-!
Geumsom’s unstoppable pickaxe swinging.
The gazes of surrounding players gradually increased.
While absorbed in mining, it seemed more players had come, either having received a quest from Tuban or just to hunt kobolds.
[Inventory space is insufficient.]
Lost in thoughtless mining, a message appeared stating his inventory was full.
Only then did Geumsom let out a satisfied sigh and look around.
The path he had taken was in ruins, as if a giant mole had dug through.
He felt slightly sorry to other players for making a mess of the mine, but still, he smiled.
“This much should make Tuban fall over in surprise, right?”
Thinking of Tuban’s reaction already made his steps light.
The way back to the forge felt close to Geumsom.
Clang- Dong!
Clang-a-lang-
Clang!
Tuban was still engrossed in hammering.
His expression seemed tinged with some expectation of his own.
But soon, he could only let out a sigh.
Because the sun was gradually tilting westward.
‘Hmph, was that guy just another hopeless Outsider after all?’
Recalling Geumsom, who had boldly come saying he wanted to become a blacksmith, Tuban snorted.
Soul? Awakening the soul of steel?
He must have picked up the saying somewhere.
If he knew the true hardship of a blacksmith’s work, it was obvious he’d run away crying within a day.
The boldness Geumsom showed at first and the talk of ‘soul’ had left quite an impression on Tuban too.
Enough to make him harbor some hope.
But as time passed, that hope was turning into disappointment.
‘Well, five top-grade iron ores with that worn-out pickaxe was probably asking too much. Did I set the conditions too harshly?’
If he returned, he planned to lift the time limit at least.
Thinking again, it seemed he had set an excessively harsh condition.
Just as Tuban was about to resume hammering, thinking of Geumsom.
Step, step.
The sound of someone walking into the forge entrance was heard.
It must be the audacious brat.
Even if he failed, it seemed he had the courage to come back.
With that much guts, giving him another chance might be okay.
But he couldn’t show that.
So, without even turning his head, Tuban shouted curtly.
“Time’s up, kid! Well, you must have failed. But don’t be disappointed. The time limit…”
Rumble rumble-
Rumble rumble-
Before Tuban’s words could even finish.
A mountain-like pile of minerals cascaded down before his feet.
“Th… this is!”
Tuban froze, mid-action.
His eyes shook violently as if an earthquake had struck.
The mountain of minerals covering half the forge floor.
Within it, not only the top-grade iron ore that was the quest objective, but even rare minerals Tuban himself rarely saw were mixed in, emitting a lustrous glow.
“Wh-what are all these…?”
As Tuban asked with a trembling voice, Geumsom shrugged and said nonchalantly.
“I imbued soul while mining, so I had some time left. I picked them up on the way.”
Picked them up on the way?
What the hell is this lunatic saying now?
Tuban doubted his own ears.
With a trembling hand, he approached the mineral pile and picked up one piece of top-grade iron ore.
‘This purity… this luster… It’s undoubtedly top-grade. And among top-grade, it’s supreme quality!’
As a blacksmith, Tuban was confident in his eye for minerals.
But these minerals were on a level that far exceeded his common sense.
No, honestly, the fact that minerals of this level came from the mine in the back mountain was surprising.
Tuban was also a blacksmith, but he went to the mine occasionally.
To mine minerals himself.
But he had never seen.
Mineral ore of this level, that is.
Moreover, he had never seen anyone who mined such high-quality ore before.
“Th-this… Did you really mine all this alone?”
“Of course. I brought the five top-grade iron ores as promised. Here.”
Geumsom separately pulled out five top-grade iron ores from the mineral pile and offered them to Tuban.
But Tuban’s gaze was already beyond that, toward the other minerals piled up like a mountain.
At that moment, a new message appeared before Geumsom’s eyes.
[Achievement: The One Who Astonished the Blacksmith]
[You were the first to bring a quantity of top-grade materials that defies common sense to an NPC blacksmith!]
[The system feels awe at your mining ability that transcends imagination.]
[Effect 1. Proficiency gain for all production-type skills additionally increases by 50%.]
[Effect 2. During crafting, a low chance arises for a ‘Great Success’ that raises the crafted item’s grade by one tier.]
‘What’s this now? Getting an achievement? Here?’
Geumsom was momentarily dumbfounded by the flood of messages.
An additional 50% increase in production skill proficiency?
Combined with the ‘Narcissist’ title’s 100% increase in all skill proficiency, he could master production skills at 2.5 times the speed of others.
Of course, unlike Narcissist, this achievement effect was limited to production skills, which was a slight pity.
But it was no problem at all.
Moreover, the fact that there was a ‘Great Success’ chance, even if low, that didn’t exist for other players, was an enormous advantage.
‘Because there’s a huge difference between having a success chance and not having one.’
0% means completely impossible.
But an abysmal chance.
Even a 1%, no, 0.1% chance existing is a completely different story.
Especially from the perspective of a blacksmith who crafts directly.
‘If the chance is low, I can just overwhelm it with quantity.’
As long as an abysmal chance exists, it means if you try infinitely, you’ll succeed someday.
Suddenly, a question arose.
What if he crafted 《Lepion》’s highest-grade item, a Mythic-grade item?
And if this effect applied to that crafted item?
‘Above Mythic-grade… does it exist? What would happen?’
He became curious about what would happen if this effect applied to a Mythic-grade item.
But that was a story for the distant future.
For now, he was simply happy to have obtained an unexpected new achievement.
While Geumsom inwardly cheered, Tuban finally regained his composure.
He looked at Geumsom with eyes completely different from before.
“You, what’s your name?”
Asking for his name only now.
Unlike at first, his face had become quite serious.
To such a Tuban.
“Geumsom.”
“Geumsom… A good name. A name that suits a blacksmith well.”
No longer calling him ‘kid’, Tuban.
Tuban tapped Geumsom’s shoulder and laughed heartily.
Along with his recognition, a message rose.
[Completed Class Quest: Tuban’s Doubt!]
[Acquired the Blacksmith class.]
[Acquired the Smelting skill.]
[Tuban’s favorability has increased to ‘Maximum’.]
Reading the messages, Geumsom smiled.
Only now had he properly reached the starting point.
Moreover, having obtained the Smelting skill, what he had to do from now on was decided.
“May I use the forge for a moment?”
“The forge? Do you want to try smelting or something?”
“Yes. Since we’re here, I’d like to give it a try.”
For a moment, Tuban seemed to ponder.
He had acknowledged Geumsom as a blacksmith, that was true.
But it was just the beginning.
To become a proper blacksmith, one must learn from the basics.
Normally, he would have yelled at an Outsider, no, Geumsom, for trying to run before learning to walk.
He definitely would have.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
A request he would have flatly refused normally.
The current Tuban was different.
Partly because his favorability with Geumsom had hit maximum, but also because Tuban himself had grown curious.
Geumsom, who produced nonsensical results exceeding expectations even in simple mining work.
Seeing such a Geumsom step forward to try smelting, he couldn’t help but be curious.
“Alright. Since I initially disregarded you, Geumsom, I’ll grant permission. But, may I watch from the side?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. It’s unlikely you’ll succeed at smelting in one go… but try to mimic it at least.”
Tuban seemed to want to watch Geumsom’s work as a mentor of sorts.
Geumsom, who wanted to become a blacksmith and sought this place.
His will was confirmed.
But his talent remained unknown.
He seemed to want to check that this time.
Whooosh—
Whatever Tuban was thinking, Geumsom began preparing the work skillfully.
The flames of the furnace roared fiercely, swallowing the iron ore.
Geumsom worked the bellows, adjusting the fire’s temperature.
His eyes were fixed solely on the iron ore turning bright red.
Geumsom, who couldn’t prevent the destruction.
That Geumsom once again lit the first fire in 《Lepion》.
That fire seemed to burn even more fiercely in Geumsom’s eyes.
More intensely than any spark from his past life.
