Chapter 48
“Hmm… I understand.”
Though Fergus thought it was a pointless endeavor, he nodded at Carpe’s suggestion. He felt like a man grasping at straws, desperate for anything, and with no customers visiting for quite some time, he had all the time in the world.
“Please, follow me.”
Contrary to the narrow counter area, the back of the shop was surprisingly spacious. As they moved, Carpe noticed a workshop where forging tools were kept, though there was no sign it had been used recently. There wasn’t even a hint of heat.
“You do smithing as well, I see.”
“It’s embarrassing. Like my family’s forging techniques, I also need the heirloom to work properly... So, I’ve abandoned making anything decent.”
He added that a few years ago, he had at least kept forging to maintain his skills, but now, overwhelmed by disillusionment, he had even stopped doing that.
“Here we are.”
Fergus pulled a handle on the wall with some effort.
With a metallic grinding sound, gears clanked, and a hidden door in the floor opened, revealing a staircase leading down into a basement.
“Please wait a moment while I fetch a lantern.”
Fergus briefly left the room, while Carpe peered down the stairway. The thick dust coating the stairs made it clear that this space hadn’t been used in a long time.
- He probably avoids it because it brings back painful memories. Now imagine the pain he feels every time someone asks to see it.
“…I’ll just open it already. What’s the big deal?”
Carpe suddenly felt a little pressured.
What if it didn’t work? What if, after his confident declaration, he couldn’t unlock it?
“Sorry for the wait. I’ll lead the way.”
Fergus returned with a lantern and descended the stairs first, with Carpe following closely behind.
The basement wasn’t very deep. The stairs quickly ended, and before them stood a massive iron door.
“Behind this door is the chest holding our family’s heirloom.”
Fergus pushed the door open. It wasn’t locked, so it swung open easily.
Creak.
“This must be it.”
As Fergus said, there was a large chest resting in the center of the room, and it was anything but ordinary.
Its surface was inlaid with gold and various gemstones, with intricate patterns and engravings that spoke of a master artisan’s touch.
And in the center of the chest was the keyhole.
Fergus stared at the keyhole for a moment, then wiped the dust off the chest with a cloth.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been down here. Is there anything else you need?”
“No, I’m good. My skill should be enough, so I don’t need any other materials.”
“Is that so? How interesting. Other locksmiths usually require some kind of catalyst.”
‘Wait… is that true?’
- Of course. Did you really think that just any locksmith could unlock every chest easily? They need rare materials like a ‘Mimic Core’ to unlock special locks. You have no idea how broken your unlocking skill really is.
“…Is something wrong? You suddenly stopped speaking.”
“No, nothing. I was just thinking.”
Carpe took a deep breath and examined the chest.
Ding.
[Fergus Family Heirloom Chest]
[Grade: Legendary]
[A chest containing the heirlooms of the ancient master artisan family, Fergus. Though it is a Legendary chest, it cannot be opened with a Legendary key. It can only be unlocked with the special Fergus family key.]
‘So, it’s a Legendary chest.’
Good. I should be able to open this.
Having already unlocked a Legendary chest in the Squirrel Dungeon, Carpe felt confident that his skill, *Unlock*, would work here as well. His anxiety eased.
“…Wait a minute.”
Suddenly, a thought hit him.
The *Unlock* skill allowed him to open a chest once a day without consuming MP—but only the first chest he encountered that day. The skill triggered automatically, and he couldn’t choose to save the free use.
And here was the problem.
‘Didn’t I already open a chest today?’
He had used the *Unlock* skill in the sea cave dungeon he explored with Hanzo earlier that day!
A common, low-tier chest had greeted them as soon as they entered the dungeon… and Carpe had unlocked it.
- Oh boy. Now this is a problem. Remember, the MP cost varies based on the chest's grade.
‘Wait, hold on…’
Carpe checked the skill details in his menu, heart pounding.
Ding.
<Unlock (解禁)> - 10-Star Skill
- Skill Level: 20
.
.
.
* The MP cost of each Active function depends on the grade of the target.
Normal: 5, Magic: 10, Rare: 20
Hero: 120, Unique: 250
Legendary: 500
‘Five hundred…?’
The staggering number made him break into a cold sweat. How much MP did he have again?
Swallowing nervously, Carpe opened his status window.
Ding.
[Name: Carpe]
[Level: 20]
[HP: 1280/1280]
[MP: 490/490]
“Whew. That was close.”
Saved. Carpe sighed in relief.
He was short by just 10 MP, but that was easily fixable with his bonus stat points.
“You look a bit pale. Is something wrong?”
“Oh, I’m just short by 10 MP, but it’s no problem. I can take care of it.”
“How much are you short by?”
“About 10.”
“In that case, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”
Fergus quickly left the basement and returned shortly, holding a bracelet.
“I’ll lend this to you for now.”
Ding.
[NPC Fergus is lending you equipment.]
[Lending period: 30 minutes]
[After the lending period expires, the equipment will automatically return to its original owner. Borrowed items cannot be enhanced, modified, or traded.]
[Will you accept the item?]
‘There’s even a lending system?’
- Players can do it too. Although there’s usually a hefty fee depending on the equipment's grade.
‘Interesting.’
Carpe accepted the item, prompting another system notification.
[You have borrowed the Bracelet of Vitality.]
[Bracelet of Vitality]
[Grade: Hero]
[Requirement: Must be a player who has completed a class advancement.]
- HP +100
- MP +20
[This magical bracelet enhances the user’s metabolism.]
- Additional Option: Increases HP/MP recovery rate by 10%.
It was a decent bracelet, providing a fixed increase to HP and MP along with a recovery boost.
Carpe thanked Fergus and equipped the bracelet.
“Alright, I’ll begin now.”
Carpe took a deep breath, placed his hand on the chest, and activated the skill.
“Unlock.”
[Unlock is activated.]
Click. Click. Click.
The intricate locks began to disengage one by one. The *Unlock* skill had worked perfectly.
“This… this can’t be!”
Fergus gasped in disbelief, eyes wide as he watched the chest unlock before his very eyes.
Click. Click. Click.
About 30 seconds later, the final lock clicked open, and the chest lid creaked as it lifted.
“Huh… hick… hick… HUUUAAAAHHH!”
Fergus fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
For the first time in years, the chains that had bound his family were finally broken.
* * *
“Thank you so much! You’re a savior! Now that I think about it, I don’t even know your name yet.”
“It’s Carpe.”
“Thank you, Carpe. I will have your name recorded in our family’s history and honor you as our eternal benefactor.”
Ding.
[You have cleared the Hidden Quest: The Wish of the Fergus Family.]
[Achievement unlocked! Your extraordinary feat is now recorded in your account history.]
[All other users’ quests related to this NPC have been canceled.]
“Since you’ve kept your promise, it’s now time for me to keep mine. In the name of my family, I’ll offer you the best reward I can.”
Fergus guided Carpe back to his workshop, where he began preparing various materials.
Whoosh!
The magical furnace roared to life, and the workshop, dormant for years, came back to life.
“I assume you’ve come to the enhancement district because you have something you want to enhance?”
“Yes, that was the plan.”
“What were you planning to enhance?”
“Well, I’ve been using this weapon…”
Carpe handed over the *Green Skin Slayer* to Fergus.
Fergus examined the weapon briefly before speaking.
“Hm. It’s a decent sword, but it has its limitations. Even if I enhance it, I doubt the results will be very impressive. If you’re open to it, I’d prefer to make a new weapon for you.”
“Of course! I’d love that!”
“Haha. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Please place your hand on this board.”
Fergus gestured toward a large wooden slab coated with a layer of pale clay.
“A handprint?”
“Yes. A craftsman reads a person’s hand for information. Every detail, from the size and shape of your hand to the fine lines in your palm, holds crucial information.”
To create a weapon perfectly suited for an individual, the information in their hand was essential.
“Alright.”
Carpe’s heart began to race. The process seemed more serious and precise than he had imagined.
“I’ll just remove my glove…”
“Do you usually fight with gloves on?”
“Yes, I do.”
“In that case, leave the glove on. We need to imprint your hand as it normally is.”
“Ah, got it.”
Carpe nodded and pressed his gloved hand into the clay.
“Would you like me to craft a sword, or do you have a specific weapon in mind?”
“Hmm…”
Carpe wasn’t picky. Having rolled through countless battles in the arena, he had wielded almost every type of weapon there was.
From swords and spears to more obscure weapons like staffs and scythes, Carpe was confident in his ability to wield any weapon proficiently.
But the weapon he felt most comfortable with was…
“Could you make a gauntlet?”
There was no weapon easier to use than his own fists. Plus, they looked cool!
“Haha. A gauntlet it is. May I examine your hand more closely?”
“Sure. Here you go.”
Fergus carefully examined Carpe’s hand before his eyes lit up in admiration.
“What magnificent gloves. They’re not exactly my field, but I can tell they were made by a master craftsman.”
As expected, Fergus, being the prodigy of his family, instantly recognized the value of *Enigma*.
“I see… You’re a mage and a skilled craftsman yourself.”
“You can tell all that from just my hand?”
“A hand can reveal far more than you think. Now, everything’s ready.”
After thoroughly examining Carpe’s hand, Fergus moved to the anvil and picked up the family heirloom hammer.
“Feel free to watch. You may pick up some useful insights if you’ve trained in crafting.”
With that, Fergus placed the ingot on the anvil and began hammering.
Clang! Clang! The rhythmic sound of metal being struck echoed through the room.
- Hey.
‘Yeah?’
- You realize your hand is just an avatar based on your real-world body, right? You’ve never held a weapon in real life, and no amount of training in Lasse will make your muscles grow here. So why do we even need this process?
‘…Seriously, can you ever appreciate a moment without ruining it?’
A master craftsman was pouring his heart into forging, and the Heavenly Demon couldn’t even be supportive!
- I’m just curious!
‘Quit killing the mood and just enjoy the process.’
- …
Clang! Clang!
“…”
Even as an outsider, Carpe could tell that Fergus was a true master.
There was something almost hypnotic about the way he wielded the hammer.
This wasn’t the simple, user-friendly crafting system of a game. This was the work of a real artisan.
Ding.
[You have witnessed the craftsmanship of a grandmaster who has reached the pinnacle of his trade.]
[Your Dexterity stat has permanently increased by 3.]
- Wait, did you see that notification just now?
But before the surprised Heavenly Demon could finish his thought, Carpe’s attention was fully focused on Fergus and the hammering process.
Time passed.
“Huff… Huff…”
Fergus’s heavy breathing filled the room. The gauntlet was now complete, resting on the anvil.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“Haha. It feels good to swing the hammer again after so long. But it’s not over yet.”
“Huh? Isn’t it finished?”
“The crafting is done, but we are not only blacksmiths. We are also enhancers.”
Fergus took a special liquid from the family chest and poured it over the gauntlet before hammering it again.
[+1 Enhancement Successful.]
[+2 Enhancement Successful.]
[+3 …]
Once again, the sound of hammering filled the workshop.
Finally, Fergus smiled and handed the gauntlet to Carpe.
“It’s complete.”
Ding.
[+12 Fist Demon (권마) - Carpe]
[Grade: Legendary]
[Requirement: Player Carpe]
[Physical Attack Power: 180~350 +400]
[Magical Attack Power: 200~320 +400]
- Strength +10
- Magic Power +10
[This one-of-a-kind gauntlet was created by a grandmaster of the Fergus family for his benefactor. It is the masterpiece of a 9-star craftsman and enhancer.]
- Additional Option 1: 10% of magical attack power is added to physical attacks.
- Additional Option 2: 10% of physical attack power is added to magical attacks.
- Additional Option 3: The wearer may embed one of their magic spells into the gauntlet. When performing a physical attack, there is a low chance of automatically casting the embedded spell (Spells cast this way will ignore 50% of the target’s magic or elemental resistances).
- Additional Option 4: The weapon grows stronger as the user levels up.
* +12 Enhancement Bonus: This item cannot be destroyed.
“…Wow.”
- …You’ve got to be kidding me! This game just crossed the line again!
“A weapon worthy of your status, my lord.”
The reward for completing the hidden quest was far sweeter than Carpe had ever imagined.
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