Chapter 5: Chapter 5- Blacksmith’s First Hunt
Leo carried the quest parchment to the reception desk and stood dazedly in front of the counter.
...
"Beautiful..." Leo muttered in a daze.
The woman behind the counter was a stunning beauty. It was said she was in her forties, but Leo had no way to tell.
Her beauty made people question whether the time turned differently for her.
Dark hair pinned back loosely, a few strands falling across her cheek. Sharp eyes with a warmth behind them that her professional expression was doing a poor job of hiding. The kind of face that had probably been causing problems for people since she was seventeen and had never particularly apologized for it.
She had a professional smile across her face and an expression that told that she had seen every type of adventurer walking through that door.
She glanced at Leo.
No armor. Sword at waist. Timid nervous look. New blood, her expression said it.
As a former professional adventurer, she could tell at a glance that Leo was a newbie.
She leaned over her elbows with a teasing smile.
"New face, huh? Let big sister guess..." She tilted her head as she dragged her words and made an expression that said she was thinking hard to guess. "Hmm... You want to go out there in the woods, swinging that sword around, looking all cool. The wannabe hero type?"
A short laugh escaped her lips. "Young people. Always seeking attention..."
Seeing her face up close, Leo felt the heat crawl up the back of his neck.
Leo wasn’t the talkative type. Her provocative and flirtatious gaze made his face burn red.
He looked away. "Something like that."
"Hahaha..." She burst out in genuine laughter seeing Leo’s innocent shy expression. She held her hand out. "Okay hon, give me the parchment."
He gave it to her.
She looked at the quest, and her eyebrow raised up. "Oh hooo... Killing wolves, huh?"
She uncapped her pen, ready to note down the details.
"Give me your name, class, and level."
"Leo Stone. Blacksmith. Level 3."
The woman noted it down, but when she got to the level section, her hand froze.
She looked at him, then back at the paper, then again back at Leo, confused.
"Say that again, I think I misheard you. What’s your level?" She asked with a calm smile.
"Level 3." Leo said.
The woman tried to calm herself. She carefully set the pen down.
A vein throbbed on her temple.
"Damn brat." Her voice dropped to something quieter and chilling.
"Are you wasting my time? Because if you are wasting my time, the wolves will be the least of your problems."
The woman’s cheerful personality did a 180-degree turn. She slammed her fist on the table. "Looking for death? I’ll kill you myself. You hear me? You freaking level 3."
The woman gnashed her teeth. "A level 3 taking on a pack of level 5 wolves? Don’t fuck with me."
Leo rubbed the back of his head with a bitter smile and avoided the woman’s glaring eyes.
"Ha haha... well... The pay was decent."
The woman muttered in disbelief, "The pay was decent..."
Leo added, "And... I have a good sword."
"You have no armor."
"Still got a good sword."
She stared at him for a long moment. "Fine! Not my problem. Go die if you want. I’ve seen dumber deaths."
She pointed her finger to his face. "Don’t come crying later. And don’t expect rescue or resurrection compensation."
Leo thought that was fair.
The woman stamped the paper with more force than necessary.
Leo could see the desk creaking under the impact, nearly cracking.
He took the paper before she could change her mind.
With a bitter smile, he quickly disappeared from her sight.
...
The Westwood Road wound through a dense forest.
Leo walked in slowly, his hand resting on the hilt of the Ember-Touched sword.
The town, along with the clatter of the market, slowly disappeared until there was nothing but wind stirring through the branches and the sound of his boots crunching on the dirt.
Forge-Sight scanned the surroundings for potential threats.
[Forge-Sight (Passive) — Scanning]
Oak: Age ~40yr. Interior rot at 2m height.
Pine: Age ~60yr. High resin content.
Ground: Compacted dirt + limestone.
Track Detected: Wolf — approximately ~1hr old.
Leo crouched near the track.
Four paw prints, running stride.
The track showed that the wolf was running. Running away from something or chasing something, he couldn’t tell.
He followed behind the trail of footprints.
The forest deepened further. The light was blocked by the canopy of trees, broken column of light still managed to filter through, illuminating the patches of forest floor.
He kept his breathing light and slowed his footsteps.
He found the wolf he had been tracking. It was lying on the ground between the trees, head low and ears flat.
The wolf had gray fur, and its ears twitched from time to time. It was smaller than expected.
Even from a distance, Leo was able to see its ribs pressing against its skin; it had been starving for a while.
The wolf’s eyes snapped open.
Its yellow eyes locked onto him.
Damn it. So much for ambush.
[[Iron Ridge Wolf — LV 4]]
HP: 80/100
Status: Hostile
[Hunger-driven state. Lunges without setup.]
Leo’s hand tightened around the hilt of the sword.
The wolf didn’t give Leo any time to think. It lunged off the ground with a growl.
Leo panicked and tried to retreat, but his body moved before his brain could think, smoothly sidestepping as the Ember-Touched sword in his hand was drawn and slashed across the wolf’s flank.
[-47 DMG ,Slashing]
[Weapon Memory: Apprentice 0.8%]
The wolf yelped, twisted mid-air, and landed hard. Blood was dripping from its flank.
Leo stood there terrified, his heart slamming against his ribs.
Did I just...
The wolf charged again, blood dripping from its side. He pivoted on his foot and swung downward, slashing at the charging beast. The sword’s fire damage triggered on impact.
[-60 DMG - Fire + Piercing — Critical hit triggered]
[IRON RIDGE WOLF DEFEATED]
[+32 XP Lv 3 → 158/200]
The wolf dropped dead.
Leo calmed down and released the breath he had been holding.
Two hits. It only took two hits.
He hadn’t realized his damage output was this high. Well, his stats were already high, so it was a given, but Leo hadn’t known that until now.
He was still processing the situation when he heard the leaves move.
One wolf stepped out of the bushes.
Then another.
Three more...
And two more behind them.
A total of seven wolves emerged, spreading into a wide semicircle formation with him at the center.
The wolves moved with coordination, unlike the one he had just killed. And all of them looked stronger.
The semicircle formation parted ways in the middle.
A massive wolf twice the size of the other wolves stepped to the front. A deep scar ran from its brows down the left side of its face, pulling the mouth into a permanent sneer. One ear was torn at the tip.
That was probably their leader — the Alpha. It moved slowly and positioned itself at the center of the pack.
It didn’t let out a growl but just looked at Leo.
[[Iron Ridge Wolf (Alpha) — LV 6]]
HP: 200/200
Status: Hostile — commanding pack
[The pack leader. Commands via low growls. Fights smarter, not harder.]
Leo backed away a few steps.
His mouth ran dry. Every part of his body was telling him that he was out of his league.
I’m probably being evaluated as a meal. Ha-ha...
He took a deep breath and calmed his heart.
Okay, it’s gonna be okay.
Eyes closed. Focused.
Eight targets. If all attacks together, I am dead.
But... If they act separately, I can gradually reduce the numbers.
Leo slowly released his breath. His eyes snapped open. There was no more fear, only a determined expression and focused eyes.
He shifted his weight and took a defensive stance with his sword raised.
The alpha let out a growl, and a wolf launched at him. He slashed horizontally, aiming directly for its throat.
The strike landed, and the wolf gurgled, blood spraying from its neck. Before he could follow up with a finishing blow, a second wolf lunged from his right, aiming for his legs, low and fast.
Leo felt it half a second before he saw it. The shift in sound, the tapping of paws on the ground, and he was already jumping when his eyes finally caught up to his senses and saw the wolf barreling towards him.
His body rotated mid-jump, and he landed a roundhouse kick, bringing his heavy boots straight down into the wolf’s spine with everything his weight could give, sending it tumbling away.
Leo landed firmly. Seizing the opening, he activated Forgefire Strike.
[Forgefire Strike (Active)]
Effect: Fire damage +80%
The Ember-Touched blade flared with fire. He drove the sword into the wolf.
[-128 DMG ,Fire + Slashing — Critical Hit Triggered]
[IRON RIDGE WOLF DEFEATED]
[+32 XP, Lv 3 → 190/200]
"Grrroooowwwlll..." The Alpha growled, and three wolves moved at once.
Leo activated Rising Forge. The Ember-Touched sword became wrapped in burning flames.
[Rising Forge (Active)]
Launches target airborne
The sword came up in a rising arc, blasting all three wolves away.
-97 DMG [Slashing — Launched]
Leo jumped into the air and followed the wolf that had been launched highest into the sky. He caught up to the wolf in the air and brought his sword down in a clean downward arc, striking the wolf’s neck, finishing it.
-44 DMG [Follow-up]
[IRON RIDGE WOLF DEFEATED, +32 XP]
[Level up] [Lv 4! 22/250]
Leo landed and crouched down as the two remaining wolves pincered him. He skillfully dodged them, leapt into the air again, and came down with Anvil Drop.
[Anvil Drop (Active)]
Effect: AOE shockwave — staggers targets
The impact hit the ground like a hammer.
The shockwave caught both wolves.
One wolf dropped dead while another was blown away to the side.
[-81 DMG, Bludgeoning — Shockwave]
[Iron Ridge Wolf DEFEATED]
Leo finished off the two remaining wolves — the one from before with its slashed neck and another immobilized by Anvil Drop — by simply plunging his sword into their heads.
Leo stood up straight.
Steam rose from his blade. The clearing was a mess. His clothes were torn.
All seven wolves were dead now.
Only the Alpha, which hadn’t moved since the beginning, remained.
Leo turned and looked the Alpha straight in its eyes.
For a moment, the air seemed to turn heavier as the tension rose.
Then the Alpha moved.
Its giant body disappeared.
When Leo came to his senses, the wolf was already by his side with its paw raised to strike him.
Leo barely managed to raise his sword to block.
The 200 pounds of muscle slammed into the sword. He was blown off his feet and crashed into a tree 10 meters away, nearly breaking the tree.
[Damage received: -14 HP]
[Forge-Born Body (Passive): Incoming physical damage -20%]
He lay there for a second, staring at the canopy. He rolled over and gasped for breath.
So, that’s what Level Six feels like.
But Leo was surprised. He was expecting to lose a chunk of health, but his passive Forge-Born Body helped him withstand the blow.
He tightened his grip on his sword and slowly stood up. The Alpha was already on him.
The Alpha was on another scale from the other wolves. It was faster, and each of its strikes carried a completely different level of weight.
Leo blocked a claw swipe and felt the impact travel through the sword into his elbows.
Sparks flew.
He and the wolf exchanged numerous blows in a fast-paced battle.
Leo was breathing hard; his mana and stamina were draining fast.
I’m losing ground. I can’t let this continue.
The Alpha attacked relentlessly while he was forced to block and retreat.
They traded blows until the fight reached a brutal stalemate.
The wolf lunged for his head, only to chomp down on empty air as Leo had vanished from his position.
[Hyperfocus activated.]
The world slowed down in his perspective, and his movements sharpened.
His focus peaked.
Every leaf, every speck of dust, every twitch of the Alpha’s muscle stood out crystal clear in Leo’s eyes. He could literally predict its next move.
He attacked in a smooth motion. He went through a series of motions — sidesteps, jump, rising slash, a horizontal cut to its foreleg, and a reverse-grip stab to the shoulder.
Three strikes. One flow. Leo’s stance and sword work flowed like water.
[-96 DMG, Critical — Hyperfocus bonus]
[-57 DMG]
[-42 DMG]
[-60 DMG]
[COMBO: 4 hits in 2.1s — total 255 DMG]
The Alpha finally collapsed.
[Pack Leader (Alpha) — Defeated]
+60 XP [Alpha bonus]
Level 4 → 82/250
Leo could barely stand. The Hyperfocus mode was over, and now he was out of breath.
He was gasping on his knees. He lay flat on the ground, facing the canopy of trees above, that was blocking the light.
The area was completely silent except for Leo’s sharp breathing sounds.
He stayed on the ground for a full minute before he could finally stand up.
[[Harvest — Iron Ridge Wolf (Alpha)]]
Wolf Pelt (Good) — 1 Fangs — 4 Alpha Claw [Rare].
Estimated Value: ~22-30 Silver
He skinned the wolf for its claws, canines, and fur.
He allocated the 12 free points from the level up to +5 STR, +4 VIT, +3 DEX.
Feeling the stats settle into his muscles, he felt like he regained some strength.
He wiped his hands on the grass, picked up his sword, and started walking back.
Soon, he arrived in town and made his way to the guild.
The guild was busier than it had been in the morning.
The receptionist was arranging some documents on the desk as usual. She looked up from the table and frowned.
From his state, she assumed he had gotten lucky enough to run away and was now here to return the quest and complain.
Her expression arranged itself into the practiced look of someone preparing to handle a novice who had gotten slightly lucky and needed to be let down gently.
But to her surprise, Leo came up and handed her the quest items: wolf pelts, fangs, and claws. She counted the materials and found eight of each, including the Alpha’s canines and claws.
She muttered, "You... You killed all of them? Alone?"
She had a look of disbelief. "A lone level three novice defeated eight wolves?"
Leo just shrugged with a cheeky grin and replied, "Not level three anymore, big sis."
She turned the Alpha claw over. "You know how many parties I’ve sent on this exact quest? Full parties with full gear with minimum level 6." She paused. "You know how many of them made it back?"
Leo could guess. He shrugged, "I’m guessing not most?"
Leo sat down to the side. "I had a hard time, too. The Alpha was no joke."
He paused and caressed the sword in his hand. "Thankfully, I had a good sword."
The receptionist looked at Leo’s face for a while, let out her breath, and shook her head. "Okay, I believe you killed them yourself. Let me register the quest as complete."
She slid the coins and stamped paper to Leo. "Quest complete. Bonus for the Alpha — twenty silver. Guild policy for solo hunters who don’t die."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
Leo pocketed the coins. 50 Silver total.
[Quest Complete: Wolf Slaying]
+50 XP +50 Silver
Level 4 → 126/250
The receptionist looked at him speechlessly. She shook her head. "No problem. Just try not to die, and don’t be so reckless again in the future. Work hard, little brother."
Leo nodded and left.
He made his way toward Hugh’s smithy.
The door was closed. A handwritten sign on it read: "Smithy closed for the day." And in smaller letters beside it: "Come back when you have some fighting experience, kid. — H"
He pocketed the note and headed toward the inn.
Leo sat down in his room at the inn and tallied up today’s loot. He now had 120 silver, which was roughly equal to $12 in the real world.
He was still far from his goal. After today’s hunt, he had figured out that forging was more profitable than fighting, so he decided to focus on crafting, starting the next day.
It was getting late, and he was exhausted, so he lay down on the bed and was about to log out.
The hidden quest flashed again.
[Hidden Quest: Memory of the First Fire]
Trace the source of the primordial resonance.
Objective: Investigate the ruined forge west of Ironhaven.
Reward: ???
Leo shook his head, dismissed the quest, and logged out.
