"Ding! Achievement task [I Am a Little Blacksmith] has been randomly triggered..."
Shin froze, mouth twitching involuntarily as the mechanical voice of the system echoed in his mind.
"What do you mean, 'little blacksmith'? I don't have time to learn that stuff!" he muttered in exasperation.
But the system ignored his protests—as always—and pushed a new set of information directly into his consciousness.
[Achievement Task: I Am a Little Blacksmith]
Objective: Successfully forge a tool that earns the recognition of senior blacksmith Harry.
Reward: Strength +3, Body Coordination +3, Weapon Mastery +3
Penalty: None
Time Limit: One month
As the task description settled in his mind, Shin's expression became conflicted. The reward was tempting—very tempting—but blacksmithing? That wasn't exactly on his priority list right now.
"You're quiet all of a sudden." Harry's gruff voice cut through his thoughts like a hot knife through butter. "What's the matter, kid? Not interested? Or too scared to try?"
Shin blinked, realizing he'd zoned out. Harry was watching him, arms crossed and brow raised expectantly.
"I, uh..." Shin hesitated. But the sight of that man's calloused hands, the warmth of the forge behind him, and the faint ache in his muscles reminded him of the value of hard work.
Then he thought about the rewards again—especially weapon mastery.
That one stood out.
Strength and coordination, while valuable, could still be developed gradually through training and repetition. But weapon mastery—that was a far rarer attribute. One that could directly influence his combat effectiveness, particularly in the life-or-death struggle against Titans. Blades were the primary tool of survival, and mastering them early would give him a critical edge in future battles.
"Learn? Of course I'll learn!" Shin said suddenly, voice clear and full of conviction. "In fact, my dream is to become a blacksmith!"
He gave the last sentence a theatrical flair that made Harry raise an eyebrow—but it did the trick.
"Good!" Harry grinned broadly, slapping a thick palm on Shin's shoulder. "Hahaha! That's what I like to hear!"
The laughter was genuine, but the celebratory backslaps were anything but gentle. In fact, they were downright painful.
SMACK!
SMACK!
SMACK!
"Ding! Host has suffered consecutive heavy blows. Blow resistance +1."
Shin winced but endured. This system really never lets me rest... Strengthening through suffering? Great. Just great.
Despite the pain, Shin's mood improved. The rewards for the mission would be worth the discomfort.
From that day on, Shin officially became Harry's apprentice—not just a helper hammering slag, but a student of true craftsmanship.
His daily routine changed immediately.
In addition to his usual physical labor, Shin was now given real skill-based tasks. Forging iron wasn't just brute force—it was art. It required precise control, patience, and a deep understanding of materials, temperature, and technique.
The difficulty of his life increased significantly, but Shin met it with renewed vigor. Every task, every swing of the hammer, was a step closer to those valuable rewards.
His body continued to evolve. Strength, endurance, and explosive power climbed steadily, though Shin began to notice an uncomfortable trend: his rate of improvement was slowing.
Where once he could earn several stat boosts a day, he now only gained one—sometimes none—for days at a time.
"The stronger I get, the harder it is to improve," he realized with a frown. "Limited time, limited energy. My body can only push so far before it needs to recover."
With this insight, he shifted tactics.
Instead of dividing his effort across multiple areas, Shin began focusing all his energy on a single goal: forging a blade that Harry would recognize.
Due to strict regulations from the royal government, civilian blacksmiths were forbidden from crafting weapons for combat. That meant Harry's forge could only legally produce tools like kitchen knives or agricultural equipment.
Shin, however, didn't mind.
"If I have to prove myself with a kitchen knife, then I'll forge the best damn kitchen knife in this district."
And so began the painstaking process.
Using traditional methods, Shin softened raw iron over high heat, hammered out the impurities, shaped the blade, reheated it, and tempered it through repeated water quenching. Over and over, he refined each step. His arms ached, his hands blistered, and his back screamed—but he endured.
He poured everything into the process—willpower, muscle, precision. Every swing of the hammer echoed through the shop like a war drum.
Outside the workshop, Aunt Martha stood quietly, watching through the open doorway with concern.
"That boy's going to kill himself at this rate," she murmured, about to step in and stop him.
But Harry raised a hand to stop her.
"Look at his eyes," the old blacksmith said softly. "He hasn't thought about giving up once."
Martha glanced again. Shin's eyes were blazing with fierce determination, even as sweat poured down his face and steam rose from the red-hot iron before him.
"If he collapses, Harry," she said warningly, "you're sleeping on the floor."
"...Eh?" Harry paled slightly, already regretting his earlier words.
But Shin didn't collapse.
At long last, a fully forged kitchen knife took shape—its surface still unpolished, the edge yet to be sharpened, but the craftsmanship was unmistakable.
Shin stared at it in silence.
"After all this effort... my first real forged product is a kitchen knife."
He exhaled deeply and allowed himself a small, tired smile.
Then, after regaining some stamina, he began the next phase—sharpening.
It took another painstaking half hour, but at last, he finished. To test the edge, he pulled a loose strand of hair from his head, held it in front of the blade, and gently blew.
Snick.
The hair was cleanly sliced in midair.
Shin stared at the knife with a complicated expression.
"It's just a kitchen knife... but damn, it's sharp."
As if responding to his pride, the long-awaited system notification echoed in his ears.
"Ding! Congratulations! You have completed the achievement task [I Am a Little Blacksmith]~"
A wave of revitalizing energy surged through his body. Shin clenched his fists and instantly felt the difference—his strength had grown. His movements felt more fluid, more precise. Coordination and weapon control would take field testing to fully evaluate, but he could already sense the improvement.
Just as he was basking in the feeling of completion, the system chimed again:
"Ding! Host has completed the achievement task [I Am a Little Blacksmith]. Advanced task unlocked: [A Little Test of Skills]…"
Shin's eyes widened.
"Here we go again..."
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A/N: Please Leave A Comment Or Drop A Powerstone It'll mean alot to me...