Ascension Through Skills

Blacksmith Hafran.

Lee Taeyeon said he was blunt and rarely showed emotions. And to her, it was quite comforting.

The NPCs and gods she encountered looked at her with disdain and scorn, but not Hafran. He simply saw her as a trading partner. She described it as one of the few sanctuaries in her challenging journey.

“I’m a blacksmith. You know what that job is, right?”

Taesan nodded, and Hafran continued to speak.

“Monsters here drop two things: equipment and materials. There are several ways to handle materials. One is selling them at the store. The other is using them as equipment materials. That’s the gist of it.”

Kkaang.

The sound of hammering rang through the forge. The heat was fierce.

“Bring me the materials. Then, I’ll make the equipment you want.”

This was the reason to use a blacksmith.

You could get equipment from monsters or secret rooms, but the types were random. Whether a ring, weapon, or staff would drop would be completely uncertain. The odds of getting the desired equipment were extremely low.

However, if you used a blacksmith, the situation changed. You could select the equipment you wanted, reducing the reliance on luck.

Although the equipment that a blacksmith could create was of lesser quality compared to treasure drops, it was still useful, and Lee Taeyeon received a lot of equipment.

“How much is it?”

“Since it’s your first time, I’ll give you a service. It’s free.”

“Ho-ho.”

He was short on money anyway, so this wasn’t a bad deal. Hafran continued his explanation.

“If you’re thinking about trading with me, keep this in mind. I don’t discriminate against anyone I do business with. It doesn’t matter to me whether they are humble beings or Guides of Sin. What’s important to me are the materials and equipment. If you have something to say about that, then speak up.”

“Was there such a person?”

“There was. Those annoying ones were making a lot of noise, demanding exclusivity.”

Hafran frowned. He seemed to be referring to the Guides of Sin. He must not be weak, considering he has dealt with those people.

“I have no intention of doing that.”

“Then, it’s settled. What do you want?”

After a moment’s thought, Taesan answered.

“A wrist guard.”

The wrist guard had the lowest value among the defensive items that Taesan was wearing. Hafran nodded his head.

“Give me the materials.”

Taesan opened his inventory and pulled out the materials. Numerous pieces of leather, tooth fragments, and such fell out.

“…… You have a lot.”

Hafran looked at Taesan with a slightly bored face and picked up the materials.

“Come back in thirty minutes.”

“That quick?”

Taesan was quite surprised since he thought it would take at least a day. Hafran spoke bluntly.

“These aren’t deep-level materials and are quite common, so there’s no reason it would take long.”

Thirty minutes. It was enough time to clear a level. Taesan left the room as Hafran took out the materials. The latter then said,

“Come back later.”

Thud.

The door closed, and Taesan began to roam the rooms.

His pace was not very fast. Since the forging would take thirty minutes, he was planning to take his time, as it wouldn’t take ten minutes if he put his mind to it.

However, considering all that, it was still an inconceivable speed. Thirty minutes per floor? If Kang Junhyeok, who took several days to clear one, saw this, he would surely scoff in disbelief.

Taesan cleared the secret room and claimed the reward.

[Sturdy Cross Shield] [Attack + 5] [Defense + 2] [A very sturdy shield. It seems like it could even block a ballista.]

Right now, a shield didn’t mean much to him, but it would fetch a fair price if sold at the shop. Or, he could take it to Hafran. He had mentioned that he also recombined equipment, not just materials.

Having finished the secret room, he dealt with the boss. It was larger and had a deeper color than other members of its race. It was a monster that exercised a little bit of physical force but disappeared once it was shredded by Taesan’s Frost Arrows.

[Hammer] [You can now repair equipment.] [A hammer lost by someone. To a craftsman, their equipment is their life. Then who could have lost this?]

“Is there durability for equipment?”

[Yes.]

“I didn’t know that.”

This was the first time Taesan, who had cleared the labyrinth, heard of it. The equipment he gained here boasted invariability when it came to durability.

[But it doesn't mean much. Weapons and armor are often replaced, and the overall durability is so strong that it usually gets replaced before it wears out.]

“I see.”

Nevertheless, he discovered information about the existence of durability, which he hadn’t known in his previous life. From Taesan’s experience, no matter how useless the information may seem, it was bound to be useful at some point.

Taesan also checked the secret reward.

[Ring adorned with many gems] [Attack + 8] [A ring that can't be used for anything other than decoration. The gems embedded more than necessary seem like they could hurt quite a bit if used to hit.]

Normally, this would be a useless item. The attack power only applied to the attacking part, so a ring’s attack power was often meaningless. Perhaps the secret reward was meant to be sold at the shop to make money.

However, for Taesan, who has the skill of Airak Martial Technique, it was hard to find better equipment than this. If he took off the ring with an attack power of 1 that he was currently wearing, it was equivalent to a weapon with an attack power of 7.

Taesan, having completed the floor clear, returned to Hafran.

“You’ve come at a good time. I just finished.”

Hafran handed him a wrist guard made of leather.

[Wrist Guard Made from Ogre Leather] [Defense + 13] [Crafted by a skilled craftsman. It's still new, so it has a bit of a smell.]

“Wow.”

That was quite high.

It had a defense value of 13 using just ogre leather and no other materials. Moreover, it was made in only thirty minutes. He was quite satisfied.

“I’ll charge you starting next time. The amount will vary depending on the value of the item. Anyway, I’ll keep the materials.”

“Whatever suits you.”

It was meaningless for Taesan to keep the materials. It only took up unnecessary space in his inventory, so it was more convenient for both of them if Hafran kept it and made it when Taesan came.

For now, what needed to be made was done. He had also confirmed the level of equipment that Hafran could make.

“See you later.”

He planned to come back with better materials and money after going down a certain degree. The dwarf also nodded.

The ghost chatted with the dwarf as Taesan was about to leave.

[You can make something better than this, right?]

Hafran spoke calmly.

“I can, but I lack materials and money.”

The best material Taesan had was ogre leather. If he wanted to make something better, he needed better materials to begin with.

[Not that. You know what I'm trying to say, right?]

Hafran scowled. The ghost translated his words.

[Something that only you can make, not anyone else. Equipment with a special power. Something that can be made with materials from the place that only those who have been granted permission can enter.]

“….Hero.”

[I guarantee it. If it's this guy, it can be done.]

“Hmm.”

Hafran stroked his chin. He opened his mouth.

“Do you know the value of that place? You know what that place means to me, right?”

[Of course, I know better than anyone. You've only told me about it.]

“And you still suggest it so lightly?”

Hafran’s eyes darkened noticeably.

The ghost affirmed right away.

[It's possible. That's why I'm suggesting it.]

Hafran closed his mouth. As he was lost in thought, Taesan asked from behind him.

“What are you talking about?”

A place that required permission to enter. Equipment with special powers. As far as he could remember, Lee Taeyeon hadn’t mentioned anything like that.

It was one of two things. She had forgotten, or she was not permitted.

[Do you remember why I came here?]

“You said that your world was destroyed. You came to revive it.”

[He's similar to me. The difference is, Hafran can return to his world.]

After a long contemplation, Hafran opened his mouth.

“I’ve only told you about it. I haven’t even mentioned it to others. They simply weren’t worthy.”

Hafran spoke to the ghost with calm eyes.

“And you didn’t make it to the end either.”

[I did not. But this guy can.]

The ghost’s words were full of certainty.

[Especially this guy, I'm sure he can.]

Hafran scowled.

“…I know he’s strong, but he’s a rookie who hasn’t even reached the 20th floor yet. It’s certainly impressive that a 13th-floor body could beat someone from the 20th, but for me to spill my own secret…

[30th floor.]

“Excuse me?”

[This guy has defeated a 30th-floor adventurer.]

Hafran’s pupils dilated. For the first time, shock painted his face.

“…Are you lying to me?”

[Have I ever lied to you?]

“But……”

Suspicion didn’t disappear from Hafran’s eyes.

Defeating an adventurer from the 20th floor as a 13th-floor player was surprising but not entirely impossible. Hafran had been here for a long time and had seen talents and skills that surpassed stats on occasion.

But it wasn’t common. Only those with exceptional talent could defeat those who ventured deeper, and even that had clear limits. No one had ever defeated an enemy that had a gap of more than 10 floors.

But to defeat someone on the 30th floor…

After a long contemplation, Hafran opened his mouth again.

“I need to verify this.”

[What verification?]

“The verification that he defeated someone on the 30th floor.”

Hafran said with a solemn expression.

The ghost apologized to Taesan, who unexpectedly had to take a test.

[Did I proceed too abruptly? Sorry. But it seemed hard to catch a good timing if not now.]

“That doesn’t matter.”

If he could gain something, he could accept an equivalent test. There was only one thing Taesan was curious about.

“Is what you’re saying worth it?”

[More than enough.]

The ghost spoke with a voice full of certainty.

[If you get recognized by Hafran, you can become stronger in various ways.]

“Then that’s good.”

The idea of becoming stronger from outside the labyrinth was beneficial to him beyond just power. It meant he could find a different path. Perhaps he could gain a new skill.

[And you want to reach them.]

At the ghost’s muttered words, Taesan paused.

“Did you notice?”

[How could I not?]

Immediately after meeting Maria, Taesan showed fighting spirit and neither reverence nor fear. The ghost had enough experience to read that.

[I wonder if you're aiming too high... but if that's what you want, it'll be quite a valuable experience.]

Having finished preparations, Hafran appeared holding a scroll.

“A summoning scroll?”

At Taesan’s words, Hafran’s eyebrows moved.

“You know about it? It’s almost a forgotten item now.”

“I have some connections.”

Taesan had used it in the past as well.

The summoning scroll. It was a scroll to summon a sealed monster. The item’s value surged depending on the grade of the sealed monster.

“In here, a Balrog is sealed.”

[What?]

The ghost was shocked. It was a demonic monster that was rare, even in Solo Mode. A being that could rival a dragon. Hafran shook his head.

“Don’t worry because it is an existence that couldn’t remain even a speck after being incinerated.”

[You surprised me.]

“But it’s not weak. It will be at least at the level of a boss on the upper 20th floors. Will you really accept it?”

Taesan nodded his head.

With a skeptical look, Hafran tore the scroll.

“Roaaar!”

A howling sound echoed throughout the labyrinth. A black monster with horns and wings appeared.

[A sealed Balrog has appeared.]

The Balrog was suddenly freed into the world and looked around in confusion. It caught sight of Taesan, who drew his sword in response.

It was a creature that had fallen endlessly into oblivion for an indeterminable amount of time, its intellect and spirit having degraded severely, but its instinct hadn’t faded.

The human before its eyes was hostile.

It would kill the one who was hostile.

With a roar, the Balrog charged at Taesan.

The ghost, temporarily parting from Taesan, approached Hafran.

[Do you still doubt?]

At the ghost’s words, Hafran lost his words.

The Balrog was strong, even though it was sealed. Even if weakened to the late 20th-floor level, its aura and unique skills would not be an exaggeration to say it was equal to someone at the 30th-floor level.

“Roar!”

The Balrog screamed in pain.

Taesan was overwhelming such a monster with ease.