The rustling in the bushes grew louder, and Eirik tensed. His instincts from years of survival in war-torn Ormath kicked in, even though he now had no weapon in hand. His eyes darted to the screen still floating in front of him:
Special Skills Unlocked:
Analyze Material
Blueprint Creation
Efficient Crafting
None of these sounded particularly useful in a fight, but he had no time to think further. The bushes parted, and a creature emerged.
It was unlike anything Eirik had seen before. Standing on four legs, it resembled a large wolf, but its fur shimmered with an iridescent glow, and its eyes burned with a soft, blue fire. The creature snarled, revealing sharp teeth, and slowly advanced toward him.
Instinctively, Eirik took a step back. His mind raced. He had no weapon, no tools—nothing. His hands twitched, desperate for the feel of a hammer or a blade. But the forge he had relied on his entire life was gone. Here, in this strange new world, he was powerless.
Or am I?
The system flashed again.
Material Available: Local Wood (x10), Stone (x15)
New Blueprint Available: Primitive Dagger
A surge of hope rushed through Eirik. Blueprint creation? Could I...?
He quickly activated the skill, mentally commanding the system to create the blueprint for the dagger. Immediately, an outline appeared in his mind, showing the precise way to craft the weapon from the available materials around him.
There was no time to lose. He dashed toward a nearby tree, his hands moving on their own, driven by years of blacksmithing experience. He yanked a piece of wood free, then grabbed a sharp stone from the ground. The wolf-like creature watched him with predatory curiosity, but didn't attack—yet.
Crafting Dagger...
Efficient Crafting activated!
Eirik felt his hands moving with unnatural speed and precision, faster than he had ever worked before. In mere moments, he had carved a crude, but sharp, dagger from the stone and wood.
Item Crafted: Primitive Dagger
+5 Crafting EXP
The dagger materialized in his hand, rough and unpolished, but functional. He held it up, gripping it tightly as the creature circled closer. Its glowing eyes locked onto him, the blue flames flickering with menace.
Eirik took a deep breath. This wasn't his forge, and this wasn't his world—but he was still a craftsman, and a craftsman was never without tools.
The creature lunged.
Eirik sidestepped, slashing out with the dagger. The blade caught the side of the creature, slicing through its shimmering fur. It yelped and recoiled, blue sparks flying from the wound. But it wasn't finished. It crouched low, growling, preparing for another attack.
Before Eirik could react, the system flashed again:
New Material Available: Ether Wolf Hide
New Blueprint Available: Reinforced Dagger
The creature lunged again, faster this time. Eirik dodged, but the wolf's claws grazed his arm, leaving a stinging cut. He clenched his teeth against the pain, feeling the blood drip from the wound, but he didn't falter. His mind raced, processing the new information as the wolf circled for another attack.
Ether Wolf Hide—the material the system recognized from the creature.
If he could defeat it, that hide might be the key to crafting something stronger. But first, he had to survive.
The wolf growled low, its fiery eyes gleaming in the dim light. Eirik tightened his grip on the primitive dagger, feeling the rough wood press against his palm. This was it—do or die.
The creature pounced once more, but this time, Eirik was ready. As the wolf launched toward him, he rolled to the side, swinging his dagger in a wide arc. The blade struck deep, cutting through the creature's side with a satisfying thunk. It let out a piercing howl, its body flaring with blue sparks as it crumpled to the ground.
Breathing heavily, Eirik watched as the creature's glowing fur slowly dimmed, its body twitching before going still. The tension in his muscles finally eased, and he stood there, panting, his heart pounding in his chest.
Ether Wolf Defeated +10 Combat EXP +10 Crafting EXP New Material Obtained: Ether Wolf Hide (x1), Ether Stone (x1)
He stared at the system message, still trying to comprehend what had just happened. He had defeated a creature with nothing but a crude dagger—and somehow, the system had granted him materials from the corpse. It was all so surreal.
Eirik crouched beside the wolf's body and gingerly touched its fur. Despite its death, the hide was still warm to the touch, a faint magical hum lingering beneath his fingertips. He hesitated for a moment before pulling out the Ether Wolf Hide and the Ether Stone, both shimmering faintly in his hands.
New Blueprint Available: Ether Dagger
His system wasn't just about survival; it was about creation, about taking the materials of this world and shaping them into something greater. The realization hit him hard—he could build his way through this new life.
Without wasting time, he activated Blueprint Creation and started piecing together the design for a new dagger. The Ether Wolf's hide, combined with the Ether Stone, would form the foundation of a much more powerful weapon. A weapon suited for this dangerous world.
The blueprint formed in his mind, clearer than any design he'd ever drawn before. He could see every detail—the sleek, glowing blade that would cut through even the toughest of hides, the reinforced handle made from the hide, and the faint magical properties of the Ether Stone embedded into the hilt.
Begin Crafting: Ether Dagger
He worked swiftly, his hands guided by an almost instinctual knowledge that flowed through him thanks to the system. Piece by piece, he assembled the weapon, binding the Ether Wolf Hide to the Ether Stone, refining the blade until it was sleek and sharp. The crafting process felt... effortless—his old skills blending seamlessly with the new abilities granted by the system.
Finally, the weapon materialized before him—a glowing, ethereal blade, its surface shimmering with magical energy.
Item Crafted: Ether Dagger +25 Crafting EXP
Eirik held the dagger up, marveling at its craftsmanship. It was leagues beyond the primitive stone dagger he had just used. The blade was almost weightless, yet he could feel its power humming through the air. The Ether Dagger would not just cut—it would pierce through both flesh and magic.
For the first time since waking up in this world, Eirik felt a sense of control, of purpose. He had not been given a sword to fight with nor magic to wield—but he had something just as powerful: the ability to create.
---
Eirik's thoughts were interrupted by a low growl in the distance. He glanced up from his new creation, scanning the darkening forest around him. The world of Veridion, it seemed, was not a place for the faint of heart. Monsters lurked everywhere, and he had barely survived his first encounter.
But he wasn't the same blacksmith who had died on the cold stone floor of his forge. He had been reborn, and now he had the tools—literally and figuratively—to survive this new life. The Ether Dagger was only the beginning.
Eirik sheathed the blade and set off into the woods, his senses on high alert. Every rustle of the leaves, every snap of a twig, sent a shiver of tension through his body. But he pressed on, knowing that staying in one place would only invite more danger.
As he moved deeper into the forest, the light began to fade, casting long shadows between the trees. The air grew colder, and strange sounds echoed from all directions—hoots, growls, and the faint whisper of something more ominous. But Eirik kept moving, his mind racing with thoughts of the system.
His crafting ability was far more powerful than he had initially realized. If he could create a dagger from the hide of a single creature, what else could he make from rarer materials? Armor? Tools? Even more complex weapons? The possibilities stretched before him like an endless horizon.