"So, you know... Yihi has been thinking…"
I walked forward, my iron sword in hand and the echo of my footsteps ringing against the stone floor.
Yihi sat on my left shoulder, her tiny form barely more than a flash of emerald. The little fairy, a being of insubstantial power, babbled away as we made our way through the twisting maze of the training room.
It was an environment designed to test every part of a Dungeon Master's resolve, and I had already spent days clearing the challenges it threw at me.
Her voice, cheerful but scattered, interrupted my thoughts.
"A unique skill is really hard to get. It's totally expensive. I couldn't get it in my entire lifetime. Yet Master just suk! Sak! Bbeong! And it was created. So, Yihi—" She made a grand gesture, fists clenched as if making a vow.
I stopped walking, raising an eyebrow at her as she continued with her chatter, completely oblivious to my amusement.
"...?"
"I give up on that idea. Yihi~" And then she laughed, a sound so bright it filled the corridor.
Yihi was unfathomably simple-minded, but her cheerful attitude kept my spirits up, even in the face of the grueling training.
"It's a waste of time to worry about it," Yihi said with a shrug, clearly moving on to a new thought.
The walls of the training room, shimmering with mana, held countless secrets and challenges.
The air was thick with energy, and even the smallest noise seemed amplified, every step, every breath a reminder of how much I needed to push myself.
"Great," I said blankly, and Yihi, taking my words as a compliment, flapped her wings with glee.
---
The first junction came quickly after our brief exchange. I found myself in a chamber that felt both ancient and utilitarian. This was not just a room; it was an arena of creation, where the art of blacksmithing would be tested. I sighed, a touch of annoyance creeping into my voice.
"Damn, is the system trying to make me into an overgear path?"
The task at hand appeared before me, projected in the air like an unwelcome guest.
[-Smelt 500 iron ores (0/500)]
The room was filled with an array of smithing tools: hammers of various sizes, anvils, and a furnace that pulsed with a gentle orange glow. I approached the anvil, touching its rough, iron surface as I activated **Keen Insight**. The mana flowed through me, sharp and electric, revealing the status of the objects around me.
[Training Hammer - (N)]
[Description: An ordinary hammer used for forging, made with mana for training purposes.]
It wasn't impressive, but it would do. I needed to focus on the task.
I stepped to the side, hauling five large crates of iron ore towards the furnace. The weight tested my stamina, but I gritted my teeth and pressed on. The work would be long and monotonous. Each ore needed to be smelted down, turned into a refined ingot that could then be used for crafting.
The clang of hammer on anvil filled the chamber as I worked, the rhythmic sound almost meditative.
Ttang! Ttang!
The strikes were deliberate, my movements becoming more fluid with each repetition. The sweat dripped down my back, but I didn't stop. I was already three days into this task, and there was no turning back now.
---
Six days passed in a blur of iron and sweat. My hands grew calloused, blistered from the heat and constant striking. The room's temperature fluctuated, the mana-infused fire flickering with each new task. The sound of hammering became my companion, and the scent of molten metal filled my senses.
I paused for a moment, wiping the sweat from my brow as I stared at the pile of **Refined Iron** before me. The process was slow, but it had given me more than just progress—it had unlocked a new skill.
[Skill: Basic Smelting (N)]
[The art of melting metals to draw out raw materials and compound them into a solid form, a necessary step for smithing.]
And my *Smithing* skill had increased to an *Exceptional Normal (Ex. N)* rating, a small but significant boost to my capabilities. I could feel the subtle shift in my muscles and the way my arms moved with more precision. The training room was already giving me the advantages I needed.
---
The next room was a sharp departure from the first, filled with an array of alchemical tools and the faint scent of herbs and potions.
My gaze swept over the chamber, taking in the mortar and pestle, the flasks, and the stacks of dried plants. The task was projected in front of me with all the pomp of a final exam.
[-Create 10 potions (0/10)]
"Now you want me to be an alchemist?" I muttered, taking a deep breath. This was far from the warrior's path I had envisioned. The room felt smaller, more confined, as if even the walls were watching me with silent judgment.
I activated *Keen Insight* to examine the alchemical tools.
[Mortar and Pestle - (N)]
[An ordinary mortar and pestle used for alchemy, made with mana for training purposes.]
The recipe book was open to the first page, displaying instructions for the simplest potion I had ever seen.
[Recipe: Green Healing Potion]
[Green healing herb + Common Weed → Green Healing Goop
Green Healing Goop + Water → Green Healing Potion]
I looked over the ingredients laid out before me: green healing herbs and common weeds, both essential for crafting the potion. I took a leaf from the herb, its green color vibrant and full of promise, and placed it in the mortar.
Then, I added the tops of two common weeds, grinding them down into a paste. The sound of the pestle grinding against the stone filled the air, punctuated by the occasional splash as I added water.
My first attempts were a disaster. The potion was an unidentifiable, clumpy mess that refused to blend properly. The mixture would separate, water and paste refusing to marry. But I kept at it, perfecting the technique, watching as the consistency of the goop improved.
On the fifth try, the potion mixed perfectly.
[-You have successfully created a potion]
[Skill: Alchemy (N)]
[By creating your very first potion, you have obtained the alchemy skill. You have the basics of an alchemist.]
[Skill: Basic Grinding (N)]
[The art of grinding plants to draw out raw materials and compound them into a liquid form.]
A victorious smile broke across my face. This skill could be used to make potions easily, and it was a small victory in a long series of challenges. I let out a small, triumphant laugh that echoed in the small chamber.
"Now let's continue."
---