"CrimsonFlame. Where are you?"
(Oh, sorry Luna. I totally forgot about you.)
A message popped up on Luna's system interface, and a frown clouded her face. Malik didn't pick the video call, so she resorted to sending him a message.
Bastard... This guy's a bastard. He made me waste all my free stat points on agility for nothing, and now he's telling me this.
Ping!
(I'm sorry I couldn't share the drops with you. I needed everything for the quest, but I'll settle you now.)
"Settle me? You already gave me the Enhancement Potion, and it helped me tremendously. Not only that, I'm now at Level 20... I leveled up 7 whole times within two hours of being with you. It's unheard of—asking for another payment is nothing but greediness," Luna said to herself as she pulled up the message box and started typing.
(I don't need you to settle me. I'm already satisfied with the Enhancement Potion.)
But before she could send it, she heard a notification sound.
Ping!
[Player CrimsonFlame has transferred you 20 gold coins.]
"20 gold coins?" Luna almost choked on her breath.
"Did he really loot 20 gold coins from the Kobold? I doubt it. The system isn't that generous." Luna shook her head.
"He must be from a wealthy background... and a hidden-class expert. I need to stay close to him. But first, I need to challenge the Beginning Tower for my talents."
"Since I have money now, I should go get a skill book... or rather upgrade my weapon."
She erased the first message and rewrote:
(I really appreciate it, CrimsonFlame. I'll always be at your service.)
She clicked the send button and then turned toward the direction of a stall.
---
[Blacksmith's Abode]
"Damn... it was 2 gold coins I wanted to send her. What kind of slip-up is this?"
"I can't even request a refund. That's if she's going to refund it at all," Malik lamented as he tapped his foot on the ground.
He was sitting in front of the Blacksmith's apartment with only layman clothing. His equipment and weapons were with the Blacksmith, who was doing justice to them.
"I'm always at your service..." Not bad. At least she's of great help.
A smile curled on Malik's face, seeing that his 20 gold coins and enhancement potion didn't really go to waste.
"I swear, if we cross paths again, you're going to work for those coins."
"Adventurer..." a voice called out, and Malik looked up to see the Blacksmith coming out of the room, covered in sweat. Malik stood up at once, looking at the Blacksmith as if staring at another person.
"Please, what's your name, young adventurer?" the Blacksmith asked.
"CrimsonFlame," Malik replied, calling the name of his game ID.
"Brother Crimson, I'm done with what you requested," the Blacksmith said again, and Malik's eyes flickered with light.
'What does he mean by Brother Crimson?'
"Okay. So how much is your charge?" Malik asked as he surfed through his system interface, preparing to start bargaining.
"There's no way I'll charge you, Brother Crimson. Even the God of Hammer would strike me dead if I did."
"You already proved yourself worthy by collecting the Runic Stones, and you've even helped me tremendously," the Blacksmith blurted out, and Malik, out of curiosity, activated the Eyes of Insight.
[Ryan — Tier 2 Blacksmith Master]
"You broke through?" Malik couldn't help but gasp. Ryan was definitely a Tier 1 Blacksmith when Malik came a few hours ago, and now he was emitting an aura only Tier 2s do. The most confusing part was how polite he was being to Malik.
"It's all thanks to you—for making me use the Runic Crystal and the forging art. I made sure I spent all the Runic Stones on crafting a new piece of equipment for you, and I melded the full Runic Crystal into one of the best swords I've ever made. It was a success, and I successfully got promoted after being stuck at the peak of Apprentice Realm for years."
"I deeply appreciate you, Brother Crimson. You're truly a godsend," Ryan said, and just as he wanted to bow to Malik, the latter quickly got hold of him and prevented him from kowtowing.
"You don't need to do all of this. I'm truly happy I could be of help," Malik said to him.
"So, are the items ready?"
"Yes, most definitely. Come with me."
Malik followed Ryan into the forging room, where he saw a statue donned in a dark red equipment set.
"This is it..." Hearing Ryan's confirmation, the excitement on Malik's face widened as he executed Eyes of Insight to its very limit. He also activated his Appraisal skill. He wanted to see the information in this equipment without missing a single detail.
---
[Appraisal: Runic Stone-Recrafted]
Armor Set Name: Runic Guardian Set
Type: Full Armor Set (Helmet, Chestplate, Gauntlets, Greaves, Boots)
Material: Enhanced with Runic Stones sourced from mountain-like creatures
Crafted by: Ryan, Tier 2 Blacksmith Master
Rank: Gold
Description: Forged using the ancient Runic Stones, this armor set pulses with the primal energy of the earth. Each piece has been meticulously recrafted to enhance durability and imbue the wearer with the resilience of the mountains. The armor radiates a faint crimson glow, resonating with CrimsonFlame's aura, and is tailored to amplify his combat prowess.
Effects:
Mountain's Endurance: +40% Physical Damage Resistance. Reduces incoming physical damage by 30%.
Runic Vitality: +20% Max HP. Increases total health pool, making the wearer harder to bring down.
Crimson Resonance: +15% boost to Fire-based abilities and skills. Fire damage dealt is increased, and fire resistance is improved by 10%.
Agility of the Peaks: +10% Movement Speed and +15 Agility. The armor's lightweight runic enchantments allow for swift movement despite its sturdy construction.
Set Bonus (Full Set Equipped):
Runic Bastion — When HP falls below 30%, a protective barrier forms, absorbing damage equal to 20% of max HP for 10 seconds (60-second cooldown).
Flavor Text: Forged in the heart of the forge with stones that echo the mountains' roar, this armor is a testament to the bond between CrimsonFlame and Blacksmith Master Ryan. Wear it, and become an unyielding force on the battlefield.
---
"Bloody hell. It's Silver Rank... It's really Golx Rank!" Malik cried out loudly.
"You like it?"
"Like is an understatement—I love it!" Malik replied back as he quickly chose to equip the equipment, which fit perfectly to his size.
"It's customized directly for you, and I crafted it in a way that it won't reduce your speed," Ryan mused with a smile.
"This is absolutely perfect," Malik said, checking out his new attributes.
---
[Attributes]
HP: 900 → (+240) = 1,140
Strength: 40 (+40)
Agility: 45 (+30)
Endurance: 30 (+83)
Intelligence: 85
[+20 Free Stats]
---
"Jesus... My Health Points have passed the 1000 mark. Even Tier 1 players have to be careful around me at this point."
"Never in my life would I have thought I'd get lucky enough to equip a Gold rank Equipment this early."
"Brother Crimson. Do you want to see the weapon?"
"Yes... yes please!" Malik cried out excitedly.