Chapter 8

After sorting out the loot, Wesley looked around the room. He had avoided searching for hidden items revealed by his God-eye monocle before, to not raise suspicion. Now, he could explore freely.

His monocle indicated three green glowing spots in the room, one of which was the dress that initially aroused his suspicions about his treacherous hosts. He made a mental note to retrieve it later, perhaps for potential sale. With coins present, a nearby shop likely existed. Additionally, with ample storage space thanks to his extra bag, he needn't worry about accumulating too many items.

Approaching the nearest green marker, he discovered a work table. The marker directed him to a drawer within, filled with disorganized papers. Among them, one paper emitted a green glow—undoubtedly overlooked by Ogre and Mouse amidst the clutter. Retrieving the glowing paper, he discovered it contained a valuable recipe:

Whetstone Recipe (Blacksmith recipe)

Create Whetstone, a consumable increasing a weapon's physical damage by 10% for 6 hours

Ingredients: 1 Iron ore

Excited by the discovery of such a useful recipe, he promptly learned it, albeit lamenting his lack of knowledge regarding the location of iron ore.

Moving to the second green marker, he uncovered a heap of spare part junks.

Guided by the monocle, he found a small toolbox at the heap's base. Inside, he discovered five items: a hammer, a small rectangular steel plate, and three lumps of rock. Scanning them with his God-eye monocle revealed their identities:

The apprentice hammer is a widely used tool in the field of blacksmithing. It is often paired with a mobile anvil, which enables the blacksmithing process to be carried out without the need for a forge. Similarly, the apprentice mobile anvil can be used in conjunction with a hammer to achieve the same result. However, it should be noted that this method may result in a decrease in success rate by approximately 10%.

One of the primary materials used in blacksmithing is iron ore. While its location may be a cause for concern, this worry can often be alleviated when three lumps of iron ore materialize right before one's eyes. The relief felt upon discovering these lumps can lead to happiness and contentment as they are stashed away for later use.

In addition to securing the iron ore, it is important to keep track of other valuable items such as the Ranger's dress. This item should also be stored away safely so that it can be retrieved when needed. By being vigilant about storage and organization, one can ensure that all necessary materials are readily available for future blacksmithing projects.

He opened the Blacksmithing interface on the workbench, he pondered the use of the mobile Blacksmith tool, eventually opting for the workbench because of its higher success rate.

Curiosity sparked as a notification chimed, signaling the detection of blacksmith materials and the unlocking of the upgrade function.

The Requirements for "Blade of Haste" was revealed;1 Iron ore and 10 copper coins, with a 100% success rate.

Despite the hefty material cost, he resolved to proceed, acknowledging the uncertainty regarding alternative uses for the materials and coins.

Upon agreement, a tutorial video demonstrated the upgrade process. With careful adherence to the instructions, he completed the process, observing the transformation of materials and coins into a blinding glow.

"Congratulations! Upgrading is successful. Weapon level increased by one."

Examining the enhanced sword, he marveled at its newfound power.

Blade of Haste, level 6/15 (uncommon one-handed weapon)

Physical damage: 42

Attack speed: 2

Increase movement speed by 10%

Durability: 40/40

Requirement: Level 5

"Bloody hell! Just a two-point damage increase for such expensive spending," Wesley cursed out. But he noticed the durability was fully recovered due to the upgrade, so it wasn't a total loss. He now understood the other number besides the weapon level. 6/15. The 6 was the weapon level, he conjectured the 15 should be the maximum level this weapon could be upgraded.

He pondered for a while before deciding to have another experiment. This time he placed his chest armor onto the workbench. It was his second-best equipment, even though it was just standard common equipment. Its durability was almost spent as it was his armor from the start, and it had suffered quite a number of hits since then. Its durability had fallen to 9 at this moment, and he had no other chest armor to replace it with if it expired.

Another instruction appeared on the interface. It also required 1 iron ore, but only needed 5 copper coins for this upgrade. He thought that it was probably due to it being just a common grade. The success rate was still 100%. He then proceeded to work on the upgrade process like before. When it was done, he viewed the stats.

Leather armor, level 2/10 (common medium armor)

Physical Defense: 6

Magical Defense: 4

Durability: 30/30

The increase was just a small 1, but it's better than nothing. If number 10 was next to the armor level, then it should be correct. Each piece of equipment could be upgraded 10 times from their starting level.

Wesley glanced at his last iron ore. He chose to use it to craft a whetstone using the recipe.

The process was similar to upgrading weapons; he only needed to perform a few simple hammerings in specific sequences and timings. However, instead of hammering on the weapon, he hammered on the iron ore. It also required another 5 of his copper coins.

This blacksmithing job appeared to be more costly compared to cooking; he never needed to spend any coins when cooking. But in return, the ingredients required for cooking were more than the materials needed for blacksmithing, so there were pros and cons to both.

Once he finished the process, the iron ore vanished, replaced by a small, long box-shaped metal. Its description stated it could increase weapon damage by 10% for a duration of 6 hours. He stored it for later use.

He then made a round around the workshop to check the locks, ensuring there were no more surprises for the night.

Returning to his room, he replaced the damaged bolster and pillow, then lay on the bed.

He looked at his radar once more to confirm there were no nearby threats, he allowed fatigue to overcome his body and closed his eyes.

He decided not to upgrade his armor anymore since its durability remained high due to fewer hits taken. Despite the increased level of Zombies and Skeleton Thugs, they rarely grazed him now. He had acquired two equipment drops from his grinding—a Leather Vest, a light chest armor, and Leather Pants. Equipping the Leather Pants, he stored the Vest for later use.

Upon reaching level 5 as a Magician, he obtained a new skill called Energy Bolts. This skill allowed him to generate three homing magic bolts, each dealing 80% magic damage, offering more versatility in combat compared to Mana Bullet.

After another day of relentless battles, he returned to Darwin's Workshop to contemplate his next move. He couldn't keep slaying monsters indefinitely; it was time to unravel the mystery surrounding this world.