Chapter 6: Clues
Okay, another mission in hand. Let's get it over with. Lin Shuang turned around and left, leaving the dumbfounded players behind.
"That guy… didn't cheat, did he?"
"What was his ID again? I'm going to report him later."
"I think it's called something… The Returnee…"
"Yes, I'll report it now. I must!"
Lin Shuang hummed as he walked along the mountain village path. Ever since he entered the game, the continuous good luck had made him feel quite good. Little did he know that the ID The Returner had already been deeply remembered by countless players.
He didn't walk for long before he heard the clank of metal. Immediately, a small stone house appeared in front of him.
Steam filled the air. A muscular, bare-chested man in an apron was holding a piece of iron that was burning red-hot between his pliers. The hammer was being swung by muscular arms that looked like granite.
Sparks flew.
"Hello, are you Blacksmith Wang?" Lin Shuang went forward and asked.
The burly man looked up, his tiger eyes bright.
"It's me. What's up, lad? Do you need any weapons?"
"No, no. I was just asked to bring you something."
"Oh? Who asked you to bring something, lad?"
Blacksmith Wang wiped his hands on a towel and came over.
"Here, it's Tofu Xishi from the south of the village. She asked me to bring you a love bento." As Lin Shuang spoke, he handed Tofu Xishi's love bento to the blacksmith.
When Blacksmith Wang heard about Tofu Xishi, his rough old face actually blushed. He took the bento, opened it, and took a deep breath, looking happy.
"System notification: Congratulations, you have completed the mission: Love Bento. Reward: 20 copper coins, 50 experience points!"
As this mission was relatively simple, the reward was not very generous. However, Lin Shuang could accept it. After all, no one could accept this mission even if they wanted to.
"Alright, I'm going out and fight monsters!"
Holding the Black Stone Longsword in his hand, Lin Shuang prepared to go out and fight monsters. He had obtained the Black Stone Longsword for so long, but he had never used it!
"Just a moment, lad, please!"
Suddenly, Blacksmith Wang's voice sounded behind him.
Lin Shuang turned and saw Blacksmith Wang hurrying out of the smithy, wiping his large hands on his apron. He looked as if he wanted to say something.
Was it another mission? Lin Shuang's heart skipped a beat and he hurriedly asked, "Uncle Wang, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yeah…" Blacksmith Wang pondered for a moment before saying, "Young man, are you willing to learn forging from me?"
The Art of Forging?
Lin Shuang was a little surprised. He did not expect Blacksmith Wang to want him to learn forging from him.
In Glory, after players reached Level 20, they could find a lifestyle mentor in the main city to learn lifestyle classes. Lifestyle professions were generally: Forging, Medicine, Pharmacy, Skin Crafting, and so on. They were all professions that were closely related to the players' daily lives. They could only choose one profession to learn.
Lin Shuang had chosen medical skills in his previous life and knew all kinds of formulas. In this life, of course, he had to choose medicine. After all, he had the advantage.
Therefore, Lin Shuang hesitated when he saw the benefits. There was no harm in learning about life professions later. There was no hurry.
Seeing Lin Shuang hesitate, the blacksmith quickly said, "Adventurer, you won't lose out if you learn from me! Go ask around the villages within a few miles. Who doesn't know me, Blacksmith Wang? And I have a skill passed down from my ancestors. I'll teach it to you as soon as you're willing to learn it."
A skill passed down from his ancestors?
Lin Shuang was tempted by Blacksmith Wang's words. Could it be a hidden profession? It was very likely. Otherwise, why would an NPC beg to teach him?
"Uncle Wang, is your ancestral craftsmanship any different from ordinary forging techniques?"
"Of course it's different!" Blacksmith Wang's eyes widened. He said, "How can those rotten tomato rotten-egg-forging techniques compare to my ancestral skills? I inherited this from the ancestors of my ancestors!"
"You make it sound so impressive. So what's the difference?"
"Young man, you're also an adventurer. I'm sure you know that there's a chance that forging an equipment will have additional effects, right?"
"Yes!" Lin Shuang nodded.
"Most smithing techniques have a very low chance of producing additional effects. It's not unusual for you to hit a hundred without dropping one. As for my craftsmanship, as long as you master it, basically one out of two pieces will have an additional effect. Do you know how powerful it is?"
"That's impressive!"
Lin Shuang's eyes widened. If that was the case, then this ancestral skill was indeed heaven-defying!
The difficulty of forging top-grade equipment was indeed as Blacksmith Wang had said. It was very, very hard. The odds were less than one percent. However, this ancestral skill could actually produce one out of two.
Isn't that a fifty-fifty chance?' What kind of concept was that? This wasn't ancestral skill. This was f*cking cheating technology! Could this be a hidden profession?
Lin Shuang was smart. When he heard how magical it was, he immediately decided. Why learn medicine? He'll be a blacksmith for the rest of his life!
Blacksmith Wang nodded in satisfaction before changing the topic.
"But it's not so easy to learn my ancestral technique. Certain conditions must be met."
Lin Shuang: "Conditions???"
Didn't you beg me to learn? Why are there conditions now? Why did it sound like the tricks of a black-hearted intermediary company!
Blacksmith Wang looked at Lin Shuang with a serious expression and said, "Although the technique of forging is important, the most important thing is still the raw materials. Even a master cannot forge a good weapon without good raw materials.
"Young adventurer, there is a disused mine near the village of Luhua. It contains an ore called Black Refined Iron. It is the perfect material for crafting the finest equipment. But that abandoned mine is overrun by monsters. It's full of danger.
"Adventurer, this is a test for you. Take this rake and bring back the Black Refined Iron. Prove your courage and strength."
"System notification: You have triggered the inheritance mission Ancient Forging Technique. Mission content: Within three days, go to the abandoned mine and obtain 20 pieces of Black Refined Iron and hand them to Blacksmith Wang. Otherwise, you will automatically fail the mission. Mission difficulty: SS."
It was actually an inheritance mission! And it was even SS-level difficulty! As a player who had been in the game for five years, Lin Shuang naturally knew what inheritance missions meant.
In Glory, missions were divided into daily missions, main missions, employment missions, and the most mysterious inheritance missions. It was already very difficult to accept missions in the early stages, let alone inheritance missions!
Generally speaking, inheritance missions could only be completed alone, and it was very difficult. However, as long as one completed the inheritance mission, not only would the reward be extremely rich, but they would also be able to obtain a skill taught by an NPC!
It seemed that this inheritance mission was this forging technique. The mission was known, though. But where was this mine located?
"Uncle Wang, may I know where this mine is? I'll go get the Black Refined Iron now." Lin Shuang asked him.
"Adventurer, the mine is located very discreetly. You'll have to search for this yourself. I only have a rough idea of its location. It's south of Luhua Village."
"Alright…"
Although he felt that Blacksmith Wang was deliberately making things difficult for him, Lin Shuang couldn't say anything else.
After bidding farewell to Blacksmith Wang, Lin Shuang carried the rake the blacksmith had given him on his back.
Although he did not know the exact location of the mine, as long as he kept walking towards the south of the village, he would definitely be able to find some clues.