After finishing his meal, Arjun made his way to the Fabbro blacksmith shop.
As he entered the shop, a tall man approached him and asked, "Are you, Arjun?"
Arjun replied with a nod, and the man instructed him to follow him.
The man respectfully addressed the gnome blacksmith, "Master, I brought him."
The gnome looked Arjun up and down and snickered, "Hmmm, look at you, so skinny. Don't they feed you?"
Arjun replied, "I lived in an orphanage."
The gnome responded, "Whatever. You will work here daily unless something important happens. If you have some work, tell me a day beforehand. "Understood" Arjun nodded, and the gnome continued, "You will go with him, and he will tell you what to do. If you do well, then I will give you a small piece of monster meat every week. Got it?"
"Yes," Arjun replied.
Arjun nodded and followed the tall man to the back of the shop where there was a small room. The room had a large furnace in the center, and a few tools scattered around it. The tall man handed Arjun a bucket of charcoal and said, "Put the charcoal in the furnace and light it up. Be careful not to burn yourself."
Arjun took the bucket of charcoal and carefully poured it into the furnace. He then lit up the furnace as instructed by a tall man and watched as the charcoal started to burn. As he was doing this, the tall man left the room, leaving Arjun alone with the furnace.
Arjun stood there for a while, watching the flames dance inside the furnace. He had never done anything like this before, but he was determined to do his best. He knew that this was the first step towards becoming a skilled blacksmith.
After a few minutes, the gnome came back into the room and inspected the furnace. "Not bad," he said with a gruff voice. "You have some potential."
Arjun listened intently as the senior blacksmith instructed him on the basics of the trade. The gnome, who had initially snickered at him, didn't bother to show him how to hammer or perform any other basic tasks. Instead, he left it to one of the senior blacksmiths to guide him.
"Watch and observe," the senior instructed, and Arjun nodded eagerly. The blacksmith began by explaining the different types of common ores, such as iron, sandwood, copper, and glyized bronze. Then, he went on to explain the importance of the hammer to a blacksmith.
"It's like a part of your body," the senior said. "You must respect it."
Arjun was amazed by the reverence the blacksmiths had for their tools. He watched intently as the senior demonstrated how to pick up the hammer at a certain angle and hammer with a specific amount of force.
"Ah yes," Arjun said, but inside, he was wondering how he would ever be able to do it himself.
"Don't worry," the senior said with a smile. "When you practice, it will become easier. If you work hard, that is."
Arjun felt a glimmer of hope reignites in him. He was starting to believe that he could learn. But then the senior surprised him even further by teaching him a body exercise.
"This exercise is an ascendant technique that allows you to feel the mana," the senior explained. "First phase: sense mana. Second phase: absorb mana. Third phase: form a mana seed. That's it
Arjun was intrigued by this exercise and wondered if it would help him in his work. He thanked the senior and left the shop feeling more determined than ever to succeed as a blacksmith.
After six months of working diligently at the blacksmith shop, Arjun had undergone a significant transformation in his physical appearance. The regular consumption of meat had done wonders for his once-skinny physique, and he had gained some muscle mass, becoming a little buff. But not only that, but he had also become a talented blacksmith, mastering all the basic techniques and information about different ores and their processing temperatures. In just five months, he had accomplished what an average apprentice would take a year and a half to learn, and a talented one would take seven to eight months.
Today was a special day for Arjun, as he was going to be a part of the inner circle of apprentices, which meant that he would be working on actual projects and honing his skills further. The tasks he had performed earlier were merely chores, and this was where the real test of his skills would begin. The stout gnome had also acknowledged his progress and promised to teach him personally someday, which was a great honor for Arjun.
Gnome: "Are you here"
Arjun: "yes master"
Arjun stood next to the gnome, listening intently as he explained the basics of ironworking. He watched as the gnome held up a small piece of iron ore, explaining its properties and uses.
"Now, Arjun, watch carefully as I process this ore into an ingot," the gnome said, placing the ore into a crucible and heating it over a fire.
Arjun watched as the ore melted, turning into a glowing liquid. The gnome carefully poured the liquid into a mold, allowing it to cool and solidify into a small, shiny ingot.
"Wow, that's amazing," Arjun said, looking at the finished product. "But why do we need to make ingots first? Can't we just work with the raw ore?"
The gnome smiled, patting Arjun on the back. "Ah, young apprentice, there is much to learn. Ingot-making is a tradition for us blacksmiths. By hammering the ingot, we can remove impurities and improve the iron's quality. This is something that cannot be done when processing the ore directly, especially if you are not at a high level. It is also a more efficient use of the ore, as you can reuse any scraps and improve your technique at the same time."
Arjun nodded, understanding the logic behind the gnome's words. "I see. So by hammering the ingot, we can observe our mistakes and prevent them in the future?"
"Exactly," the gnome said, handing Arjun a hammer. "Now, let's see what you've learned. Take this ingot and start hammering. Remember, good, sharp, and highly durable. That's what we're aiming for."
Arjun took the ingot in his hand and began to hammer, feeling the weight of the tool and the resistance of the metal. He knew it would take time and practice to get it right, but he was excited to learn and improve his skills.
As he hammered away, the gnome watched him closely, offering tips and advice as he worked. Arjun felt a sense of satisfaction as the ingot slowly took shape, becoming more polished and refined with each strike of the hammer.
"Good job, Arjun," the gnome said, nodding approvingly at the finished product. "You have talent, and with time and practice, you could become a great blacksmith."
Arjun smiled, feeling proud of his work. He knew he had a lot to learn, but he was eager to continue his apprenticeship and see where his newfound skills could take him.
Arjun sat on his bed, feeling a sense of contentment wash over him. He had just received news of his status elevation, and the thought of having to work a little less was a relief. He had been working tirelessly as a blacksmith's apprentice for months now, and the thought of having more time to himself was a welcome change.
As he sat there, he thought about how only recently had he gained knowledge about the currency in this world. One gold was equivalent to a hundred silver, and one silver was worth a hundred copper. It was a lot to take in, but he was grateful for the information.
Arjun couldn't help but wonder about the prices of things in this world. They seemed high, but it made sense given the scarcity of resources. He had heard that prices could fluctuate, especially for commoners, due to war, famine, bandits, and the actions of the royal family and nobles. A family's survival needed three silver a month to survive
As he lay down on his bed, Arjun couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and trepidation about the future. He knew that the road ahead would be challenging, but he was ready to face whatever came his way.
After pondering for a while he muttered [INTEFACE]
Arjun sat cross-legged in his small room, deep in thought. It had been a while since the system had made its first move, and the system had been silent ever since. He had spent hours experimenting and had discovered a lot about the system. Firstly, he had learned that there were no levels but tiers. He, like other people in this world, could gain power through tiers. Skills were displayed, but he could only perfect them through manual practice. There were no skill points, and the only consolation prize was being able to see his progress.
Arjun had noticed a blank area, which he assumed was for skills he had not yet discovered or mastered. As for the skill tree, it was locked, and he needed to find information about it with his wisdom. Once he had studied enough, a tree would appear, telling him which path was suitable and possible for him.
The shop function which he think should be overpowered but he had no idea how to unlock it. The quest log was also locked, but he had a clue that he might find information after he left the novice village. The world map was another locked function, and he would have to study and remember the locations to generate a 3D map. If a path was blocked, he would have to create it and let the system scan it before he could update the map. It was a tedious process, and Arjun sighed in frustration.
As for the settings, they were just as the word describes. He could adjust notifications, that he had not received yet. The one bizarre thing was the clock function. Many might so what? but it was far more beneficial to Arjun than other functions. It had every function one might find in a digital clock or smartphone, like an alarm, reminder, and stopwatch. it was one of the reasons he was able to learn and show what his peers couldn't. with how much time to do things like hammering at an angle, reminders that day he could manage his life a little better. Although he depended on the clock for checking time than experiencing the entire process he still did.
Arjun sighed and looked at the system information displayed in front of him.
Name: Arjun Dupont
Race: Human
Tier: 1
Title: N/A
Alignment: N/A
Attributes:
Strength: Weak
Vitality: Weak
Agility: Weak
Intelligence: Weak
Wisdom: Weak
Skills: 1st Phase (67%) – Unnamed Mana Exercise
Profession: Blacksmith Apprentice
Equipment: None
Currency: 4 Copper
Health: Full
Mana: -
Stamina: Half
The system functions were still locked, but Arjun was determined to figure them out one by one. He hoped that with time, he would become more powerful and unlock the secrets of the system.