"Wait, first you need to explain the system to me! I don't play games much—I'm not familiar with this stuff! Didn't you remember that I was struggling without a tutorial for this game?"
Lily paused, her face shifting as if she'd realized something.
"Sorry, big brother, I completely forgot to let you go through the tutorial first!"
"Wait, what?! And what's with that star effect in your eyes?!"
"Let me explain now!"
And so, while being guided by my sister, I changed into the gym outfit, a kind of armor.
*"Gym outfit set effect activated: Strength and Agility +5."*
It felt embarrassing enough in my original body, and now I was wearing something that made me look almost like a beautiful girl. The embarrassment just kept flooding in… especially since "Lena" was inexplicably branded on my chest…
Yet, surprisingly, this starting gear was stronger than my previous pajamas, even though it exposed much more skin with its short sleeves and shorts.
"Hmm, I didn't realize my brother could look this cute as a sister... Random character creation really varies, huh?"
"Hey, didn't you have any regular clothes that boost your stats? This is totally just Lily's taste."
"...Even if I did, it's my right as the owner of these clothes to choose, you know?"
So there *were* some—I can't complain since I got them for free. Besides, I checked in the mirror, and... they actually suit me. I guess it's because of the typical well-proportioned body and face from two-dimensional characters that everything starts to look good?
"Oh, and this! The hammer for forging and the shovel I was holding—Phoebe, hide them in the gym uniform's chest pocket."
"Got it, they'll be inside Lena's pocket."
"Thanks!"
I looked at the hammer; it was hefty and more powerful than the shovel, but short in reach, making it awkward to use in battle.
"So, are we going to the blacksmith to work on some forging?"
"Yep, just follow me, my sister!"
"Could you please just stick to one title? Either call me sister or brother..."
And so, equipped with my new gear—gym uniform and hammer—I followed my sister. By the way, my request to limit her titles was promptly rejected.
When I stood in the same spot as when I entered Lily's room, the circular magic circle at my feet began to glow, and as my vision turned completely white, I found myself standing in what appeared to be a workshop. It seemed to contain not only a blacksmith area but also facilities for textile creation and a laboratory for handling scientific chemicals.
"Hey, I'm going to borrow the blacksmith workstation for a bit, Leader!"
"That's unusual. Go ahead... Wait, who's that? Why are they in gym clothes? A beginner...? An NPC?"
The person called Leader turned to look at us. Embarrassed by the attention on the gym outfit, I hid behind Lily.
"This is my talented new weapon maker! I brought them here through an exclusive connection."
"Huh, a blacksmith...? In gym clothes????"
Leader raised an eyebrow, puzzled, but Lily didn't care and confidently stepped up to the workstation.
"I explained the method back in the room, but you can handle it, right?"
"Don't say that! If you tell me to melt some bars, hammer like crazy, and then cool it down, how am I supposed to know what to do? Besides, I don't have any materials!"
With that, Lily clanked down a few items: a red fang-like object, what seemed to be a gold ingot, something like red charcoal, and a jet-black powder.
"Can we make something with these?"
"Wait, wait, wait! I kind of guessed this, but there's no way I can meet your expectations, Lily!"
First off, the materials are all over the place. While the ingot is fine, I have no clue about the others. Thanks to my appraisal skill, I can tell the fang is from a wind dragon, the charcoal is firewood charcoal, and the black powder is fireworks powder, but how am I supposed to use them? No matter how I try, real-world knowledge won't help here. The substances I can work with exist in reality, and I certainly can't handle something as precious as gold!
"Surely, firework powder isn't something we should be using here, right?!"
"Lena, should I lend a hand with some support magic if you need it?"
"Phoebe… ah, the materials are so unpredictable that I almost want to enlist the fairies' help. Please, lend me your strength… Lily, don't complain if the materials get ruined, okay?"
"Don't worry! Before you can complain, my brother can do it! This time, I'll handle the system operations, so you just focus on hammering whatever metal appears in front of you!"
As she tossed around that unfounded reassurance, Lily began moving the forge. It was chaotic, but well, to make Lily's birthday enjoyable, I'll do my best… I tightened my grip on the hammer, steeling myself.
"Wait! Lily, that combination is really bad, so please stop!"
Suddenly, the leader called out, stepping in to halt Lily. Not knowing what to do, I simply stood before the anvil where I had just been positioned.
I could vaguely understand the leader's concern; using firework powder as a material was bound to lead to an explosion. Lily and the leader were discussing combinations and temperature adjustments for the flame, but it sounded like we were in for a rough ride…
"Phoebe, if it gets too hot to handle, go to my back or move over to Lily."
"Got it, Lena! But I won't just sit and watch—I'll help as much as I can!"
I'm accustomed to the heat, but Phoebe isn't, so I decide to give her a heads-up.
"Sorry, Lena, but I stopped Lily from mixing some crazy ingredients. If the ingredients are a mess, it could explode during the forging process."
"Well, if she was putting in things like fireworks powder, an explosion wouldn't be surprising... and I apologize for any trouble our Lily caused."
As I respond to the leader, I can't help but squirm under their curious gaze.
"For now, I'll stick to a recipe that won't explode... But, Lena, what are your blacksmithing skills like?"
"Uh, I've been told I'm good enough to be considered a professional…"
"Hm, would you mind sharing your skill level? So you're at an advanced level. I'll adjust the difficulty accordingly."
It dawns on me that the leader is referring to skill levels, like those for throwing skills, but I can't correct myself before they head over to Lily. I feel a flutter of anxiety—is everything going to be alright?
Then, I notice the temperature in the space starting to rise.
The machinery in the forge has come to life. Despite being an apprentice in real life, I can't name the machines because I've never seen them before.
I suppose it's probably a metal melter...? I don't need to prepare coal or sort out the quality of the metal... Well, this is a game, so in reality, no one would bother with that anyway.
A metallic mass of an indeterminate nature, glowing a vivid red, was carefully brought to me. At the same time, icons resembling switches for cooling, heating, and flipping appeared at my fingertips. So, I was expected to handle the forging process myself?
It was troublesome that there were no explanations for the subsequent steps, as the method of hammering would need to change based on how the process unfolded… but I had no choice but to proceed.
"Regenerate, Fairy Wish!"
Phoebe's voice rang out, likely providing her support. With that encouragement, I began swinging the hammer. Each strike sent dazzling sparks flying; impurities were scattering everywhere. Yet, one wrong move could result in the metal's quality deteriorating rather than just the impurities being expelled. But that was a concern in reality, not necessarily within the game…
"Hah, hah…"
The forging, filled with uncertainties, was more mentally taxing than I had anticipated. Just when I started losing track of how many times I had struck and flipped the metal, I heard a voice calling out, one I didn't recognize. It felt almost instinctual, driven by sheer intuition, and I followed its command.
I shaped the metal to match the sword that Lily had wielded in the forest.
"Boost Element!"
It seemed to be the final touch, and Phoebe's voice grew louder.
Just as I thought it was finally over, the finishing icon appeared next to the cooling icon. I pressed it with a punch! Suddenly, a fanfare played, my vision descended, the world twisted, and everything went dark…
When my sight returned, I found myself back where I had first arrived in this world. "Did I die?! Overwork death?!" I exclaimed in shock, attracting the attention of those around me. A girl in a gym uniform was screaming about overwork death—no wonder people were staring, but I couldn't help but shout.
Embarrassed by the attention, I wanted to move, but I couldn't leave without reuniting with Lily. So, I quickly used the messaging function I had learned in my sister's tutorial to contact her.
"I somehow died and returned to the place where I first met you, so I need you to come… I don't know how to get back to you."
"I got it! I'll head over with Phoebe right away, so just wait!"
A response from my sister came in… Thank goodness, at least Phoebe was alive. If she had also died, that would have been a shock.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! Lena!"
"I was surprised when you suddenly disappeared, Lady Lena," Lily said.
Within minutes, Lily arrived to get me, wearing a strange brown cloak, under which Phoebe was hiding. Was the cloak meant to conceal her?
Phoebe quickly moved from Lily's cloak into the pocket of her gym uniform.
"I'm sorry, I didn't expect this to happen," she said.
"No, it's my fault; I had no idea about the damage from the process... but look at the amazing weapon we made! Just like you, big brother! Now we just need to give it a name."
With a smile, Lily handed over the weapon they had crafted during their training. As Phoebe took it, a system screen appeared, detailing the weapon's attributes:
**Nameless Death Demon Sword
Attribute: Darkness
Status: Attack +20, Magic +20
Special Effects: Instant Death Resistance (Medium), Negative effects on strength, agility, and luck (Medium) for those who do not meet the conditions, Small chance of tenacity.
A sword created by Lena using her own life force, imbued with fairy power. Only those with ties to the sister can unlock its true potential.**
"What is this… a Siscon Blade? It looks like a cursed weapon…"
Despite having crafted it herself, Phoebe was taken aback by its strange properties. The idea that it would impose negative effects on anyone other than Lily seemed like something only a fantasy game would allow. And the dark attribute along with the instant death resistance—was that a result of her dying right after completion?
"If it reduces ability for anyone but me, the risk of it being stolen is lower. Plus, the instant death resistance and darkness attribute are super rare effects… This turned out to be a birthday gift as delightful as that accessory! Oh, can you name it? It seems only the creator can do that."
My little sister beamed with joy. Well, if she's happy, that's what really matters.
"What about a name like Lena-Phoebe Sword?"
"I think that's great! Lena!"
"That's such a simple name… but if it works for you, bro, then it's fine."
Phoebe agreed while Lily chuckled. I navigated the system screen and officially named Lily's weapon Lena-Phoebe Sword.
Now that I'd fulfilled my sister's wish, I should have had no reason to continue playing this game.
"Is something wrong, Lena?"
"I'm just deep in thought."
Phoebe, peering at me from my pocket, made me wonder what would happen to her if I quit now. A troubling image crept into my mind. While I doubted anything bad would happen if I entrusted the game to my sister, I felt responsible after having helped her once. I should see this through to the end.