Batu Karang – The Slums
Rei walked past the neon-lit streets of Batu Karang, heading straight for the city outskirts—the place where nobody cared about broken items.
The district was known as Pelelong, a lawless junkyard where players dumped useless loot and NPCs sold "recycled" gear at dirt-cheap prices.
For others, this was trash.
For Rei?
It was opportunity.
He crouched beside a pile of discarded weapons, his interface scanning each one.
> [Broken Rusted Sword] – Durability: 0/50 (Unusable)
[Cursed Iron Gauntlets] – Requires Exorcism to Use
[Burnt Spell Tome] – Pages Destroyed, Unable to Learn Spells
"Is everything here just garbage?" Rei muttered, clicking his tongue.
Then, he noticed something.
> [Cracked Silver Blade] – Durability: 1/75
Hidden Trait: ??? (Requires Restoration)
A hidden trait?
Excitement bubbled in his chest. He grabbed it and checked the system interface.
> [Salvager Skill Unlocked: Reverse Forging]
Description: Break down damaged items and reforge them into new forms.
"If I can fix this…"
Rei's hands tightened around the blade. If this worked, he wouldn't just be fixing junk.
He'd be creating something new.
And more importantly—
He'd be making money.
He rushed into the nearest blacksmith shop, the air thick with smoke and molten iron. An old NPC blacksmith, Pak Din, grunted from behind the counter.
"What do you want to do with that broken blade?" the old man scoffed.
"Fix it. Just need a hammer and forge."
Pak Din laughed. "That's impossible. That thing is—"
[Skill Activated: Reverse Forging]
A surge of energy coursed through Rei's hands as he placed the Cracked Silver Blade onto the anvil. Sparks flew. The metal glowed.
System notifications flooded his vision.
> [Breaking Down Damaged Components…]
[Reforming Base Structure…]
[Hidden Trait Unlocked!]
The dull, cracked sword morphed before his eyes—reshaping into a sleek, glowing weapon. The engravings along the blade pulsed with faint silver light.
> [Reforged Silver Fang]
Rank: Rare
Attack: +35
Effect: +10% Critical Damage
Rei let out a breath.
It worked.
For the cost of nothing, he had just turned trash into a rare-tier weapon.
And now?
He was going to sell it.
Rei set up a shop in the Pelelong Bazaar, displaying the Silver Fang.
At first, no one cared.
A solo player with a crafting subclass? Nobody took him seriously.
Until one desperate player approached.
> "Bro, I'm level 15, but my weapon sucks. Where did you get this?"
Rei smirked. "I made it."
The player hesitated, then checked the price: 80 Silver.
> "Dude, that's cheap as hell! I'll take it!"
The sale confirmed.
> [Silver Fang Sold!]
+80 Silver Earned
Rei clenched his fists. Profit.
And it didn't stop there. Word spread. Players saw him taking broken gear and reforging it into high-tier weapons.
Within hours, he sold out.
And that's when the real problems started.
"Hey, are you the one selling those dirt-cheap reforged weapons?"
A voice cut through the marketplace noise.
Rei turned—only to see a female player standing in front of him, arms crossed.
She wore a sleek alchemist's robe, a Support Specialist, with potions strapped to her belt.
Nadia.
And she didn't look happy.
"Why are your prices so low? Are you trying to mess up the market?" she accused.
Rei raised an eyebrow. "I'm just selling what I make."
"I don't believe it. No crafter can make rare-tier weapons from junk."
Rei smirked. "Wanna see me do it?"
She hesitated.
Then, with a sharp glare, she pulled out a damaged alchemy catalyst from her inventory.
"If you're really that good, fix this."
Rei grinned.
Challenge accepted.