The Blacksmith’s Legacy and a Demonic Conspiracy

Ye Jue

Level 8 Stats: Strength 37, Intellect 11, Constitution 29, Agility 14, Spirit 16.

Revised Stats: Strength 51, Intellect 11, Constitution 64, Agility 14, Spirit 20.

Physical Attack: 83-90. Physical Defense: 43. Magic Defense: 33. Health: 940.

Glory Armor (Bronze-tier, Plate Armor):

Level Requirement: 5. Physical Defense +6, Magic Defense +6. Agility -2. Constitution +8. Special: Glory: When Health drops below 10%, Attack Power increases by 50%. (A warrior’s most glorious moment is when their life is about to end.)

Exquisite Trousers (Iron-tier, Plate Armor):

Physical Defense +4, Magic Defense +4. Agility -1. Constitution +5.

Exquisite Boots (Iron-tier, Plate Armor):

Level Requirement: 5. Dual Defense +2, Constitution +3, Agility +3.

Wind Wolf Bracers (Iron-tier):

Level Requirement: 4. Physical Attack +3-4, Physical Defense +2.

Bone Ring (Iron-tier, Accessory):

Level Requirement: 5. Physical Attack +5-6, Strength +3, Dual Defense +2.

Exquisite Longsword (Silver-tier, One-handed Weapon):

Level Requirement: 8. Physical Attack 24-29. Strength +8. Constitution +5. Additional: 10% of the damage you deal will be true damage.

Bone Longsword (Bronze-tier):

Level Requirement: 5. Physical Attack +18-21. Strength +6, Constitution +3.

Bone Belt (Iron-tier):

Level Requirement: 5. Health +150, Constitution +5. Strength +3.

Bone Helmet (Iron-tier, Plate Armor):

Level Requirement: 5. Constitution +4, Spirit +4. Dual Defense +2.

Iron Shield (Bronze-tier, Off-hand Weapon):

Level Requirement: 5. Health +150, Physical Defense +3, Magic Defense +3, Constitution +5. Additional: 30% chance to block 30% of incoming damage.

****

Lin Shenyue

Level 8 Stats: Intellect 38, Spirit 25, Strength 9, Constitution 10, Agility 11.

Revised Stats: Intellect 77, Spirit 26, Constitution 19. Magic Attack: 150-156. Health: 290.

Salvation Staff (Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 8. Magic Attack +28-35. Intellect +8, Spirit +5. Healing Bonus +10%. Special: Light of Salvation: Cast on a player to make them invincible for 3 seconds. Mana Cost: 200. Cooldown: 1 day. (After Kaira’s fall, he forged this staff while retaining a sliver of righteousness, hoping for his own salvation.) Salvation Set (1/3)

Book of Salvation (Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 8. Magic Attack +18-21. Intellect +5, Spirit +4. Healing Skill Cooldown Reduction -10%. Special: Light of Healing: Instantly restores 300% of Magic Attack in Health to all allies. Mana Cost: 100. Cooldown: 5 minutes. (After Kaira’s fall, he forged this magic book while retaining a sliver of righteousness, hoping for his own salvation.) Salvation Set (1/3)

Ring of Salvation (Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 8. Magic Attack +13-16. Defense +3. Intellect +4, Spirit +3. Healing Skill Mana Cost -10%. Special: Sanctuary: The caster expends all their mana to create a shield that can withstand 1000% of Magic Attack as damage, protecting all friendly units within a 3×3 range. Mana Cost: All mana. Cooldown: 1 day. (After Kaira’s fall, he forged this ring while retaining a sliver of righteousness, hoping for his own salvation.) Salvation Set (1/3)

Set Bonus (3/3): Intellect +10, Spirit +5, Healing Effect +10%.

Exquisite Embroidered Shoes:

Agility +4. Constitution +2. Intellect +3. Dual Defense +1.

Exquisite Necklace (Iron-tier, Accessory):

Level Requirement: 5. Magic Attack +5-6, Dual Defense +2. Intellect +3. Spirit +2.

Exquisite Cloth Robe (Iron-tier, Cloth Armor):

Level Requirement: 5. Physical Defense +3, Magic Defense +3. Constitution +2, Intellect +3. Spirit +2.

Exquisite Skirt (Iron-tier, Cloth Armor):

Physical Defense +2, Magic Defense +2. Constitution +2, Intellect +3. Spirit +2.

Wind Wolf Ring (Iron-tier, Accessory):

Level Requirement: 4. Magic Attack +3-4. Additional Skill: Swiftness. (Consumes 30 mana to increase movement speed by 30% for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 3 minutes.)

Exquisite Belt (Iron-tier, Cloth Armor):

Level Requirement: 5. Health +100, Constitution +3. Spirit +3.

Healing Spell: Restores 19 + 77 Health per second for 5 seconds. (Cooldown: 10s)

Cure Spell: Instantly restores 85 + 310 Health. (Cooldown: 20s)

****

The Village Chief reacted differently when Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue reported their findings.

After Lin Shenyue briefed him, the Village Chief frowned, a melancholic expression on his face. “I never imagined such a situation,” he mused. “Those people must be connected to the demon race. However, I dispatched all of our village’s elite guards a few days ago. Now, only some Level 10 militiamen remain, who might not be strong enough.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shenyue immediately offered, “I can help you, sir. Just entrust the mission to me.”

The Village Chief hesitated, then sighed. “Even the elite militiamen I sent out didn’t return. If you go, the chances of failure are quite high.”

Lin Shenyue smiled gently. “Grandpa Village Chief, they only managed to kill the militiamen using traps. Without those traps, they couldn’t defeat the village’s elite guards. Now that we know about their traps, we can surely succeed.”

The Village Chief cast a disdainful glance at Ye Jue. “Yue’er, your strength is beyond doubt, but he is another matter entirely.” Ye Jue almost reacted violently to the blatant contempt.

Fortunately, the Village Chief changed the subject. “Never mind. For now, there’s no one else to help us. We’ll have to rely on you two. I hope you can help me deal with those people.”

[Ding! Do you accept the main quest ‘The Demonic Conspiracy’?] [Yes!] [Yes!]

After both Ye Jue and Lin Shenyue accepted the quest, the Village Chief pondered for a moment. “You can go ask Harick, the blacksmith, if he can offer you any assistance. Relying solely on yourselves might prove difficult.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, then motioned for Ye Jue to leave. After bidding the Village Chief farewell, she followed him out.

As Lin Shenyue walked behind Ye Jue, she checked her quest log. The first entry displayed ‘Main Quest’ in golden characters. Tapping on it revealed the mission details:

Main Quest: The Demonic Conspiracy (Initial). You have discovered the demon race plotting to destroy the新手村. To prevent the新手村 from being destroyed, the Village Chief has asked you to thwart the enemy’s conspiracy.

Side Quest: The Village Chief, concerned about your potential weakness, has sent you to Harick, the blacksmith, to seek help. See if he can provide any assistance.

Lin Shenyue followed Ye Jue as they submitted all the initial side quests. Her experience reached 37563/50000 points at Level 8.

When she and Ye Jue entered the blacksmith shop, Harick was still forging weapons. He glanced at Lin Shenyue and said flatly, “I already know why you’ve come. Give me your weapons; I’ll temporarily enchant them for you. Try to complete the mission within this timeframe.”

Though they didn’t understand how NPCs communicated, Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue quickly retrieved their weapons.

Harick paused slightly after taking the weapons. Lin Shenyue’s Salvation Staff had been crafted by Kaira, and Harick naturally recognized it through its construction. He caressed the staff, sighing, “I never thought that not only he, but also I, were ultimately wrong.” Tears welled in his eyes as he spoke.

Lin Shenyue tried to console him. “Uncle Harick, you needn’t be so sad. After all, Big Brother Kaira didn’t resent you when he left. The fault lies not with either of you, but with the demon race.”

Harick wiped away his tears, shaking his head with a smile. “I never expected to be lectured by a young lass like you.” His expression then grew serious. “Yue’er, after Kaira’s death, I had no successor. Since you’ve obtained this weapon, I hope you can inherit my forging techniques.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Shenyue didn’t rejoice; instead, she hesitated.

Harick’s brow furrowed slightly. “You’re unwilling?”

Lin Shenyue hastily explained, “No, Uncle, it’s not that. It’s just that I’ve already learned Master Grove’s alchemy. If I were to learn your forging techniques as well, I fear I would be overstretched, and neither skill would reach its peak.”

Harick’s brows relaxed after hearing her explanation. He mused, “I didn’t expect that old Grove to be so quick. But indeed, my forging techniques are less suited for girls compared to alchemy.”

Lin Shenyue hesitated again. “Uncle, do you think he might be suitable?”

Harick turned his gaze to Ye Jue. Ye Jue was momentarily startled but quickly realized this was an opportunity. He met Harick’s eyes directly. Unbeknownst to Lin Shenyue, she felt the surrounding atmosphere grow heavy, and she clearly saw beads of sweat forming on Ye Jue’s face.

Just as Lin Shenyue was about to step forward, she heard Harick speak calmly, “Excellent. You are qualified to inherit my techniques. Come, then. I’ll teach you my forging techniques while I enchant your weapons.”

Ye Jue wiped his sweat, a little surprised. In his past life, he had reached over Level 300 and encountered many legendary figures in the game, yet their oppressive aura was comparable to the man before him. Although Harick was testing him by exerting pressure, it was hard to tell how much effort he truly put in.

Watching Harick return to the forge, Ye Jue quickly stood beside him. To his knowledge, novice villages typically had no crafting skills apart from gathering, but if one did exist, it signified that the profession was at the pinnacle of its craft, much like Lin Shenyue’s alchemy compared to general potion-making.

Harick picked up both weapons, frowning slightly at Ye Jue’s. “Your weapon is terrible. I’ll give you a better one.” With that, he casually retrieved another weapon and tossed it to Ye Jue. “How about this?”

Ye Jue quickly inspected the weapon’s properties.

Exquisite Longsword (Silver-tier, One-handed Weapon):

Level Requirement: 8. Physical Attack 24-29. Strength +8. Constitution +5. Additional: 10% of the damage you deal will be true damage. (Harick’s casual creation. Even so, this sword possesses extraordinary power.)

Ye Jue was slightly stunned. Although this weapon wasn’t as overpowered as Lin Shenyue’s, its additional effect was terrifying. It could increase a player’s output by approximately 20%, and against monsters with high defense, the increase would be even greater.

He quickly handed it back. “Thank you, this weapon is perfect.”

Harick nodded, placing both weapons on the anvil and beginning the enchantment.

After about five minutes, Harick stopped enchanting. He handed the weapons to Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue. “This should be sufficient. I hope you can thwart the demon race’s conspiracy. I was injured during the last operation and couldn’t assist you, so this time, you must rely on yourselves.”

Harick looked at Ye Jue again. “Enchanting is merely a branch of forging. Next, I will teach you my forging techniques.”

[Ding! Do you wish to learn the skill ‘Divine Forging’ taught by Blacksmith Harick?] Upon hearing the system prompt, Ye Jue quickly selected yes. [Ding! Congratulations on learning ‘Divine Forging’.]

Harick sighed. “With this, my task is complete. I only hope that you will carry on this craft and make it flourish in the future. Now, quickly go and complete the Village Chief’s mission.”

Seeing Harick’s low spirits, Lin Shenyue and Ye Jue didn’t disturb him further and walked out together.

Lin Shenyue checked her staff, noticing significant changes in its attributes.

Salvation Staff (Silver-tier):

Level Requirement: 8. Magic Attack +28-35. Intellect +8, Spirit +5. Healing Bonus +10%. Special: Light of Salvation: Cast on a player to make them invincible for 3 seconds. Mana Cost: 200. Cooldown: 1 day. Enchantment (Temporary): All staff attributes +100%. All skill cooldowns -50%. All skill mana costs -50%. Duration: 1 hour. (After Kaira’s fall, he forged this staff while retaining a sliver of righteousness, hoping for his own salvation.) Salvation Set (1/3)

Ye Jue’s enchantment was quite similar. This single enchantment boosted his attack by nearly 40. Most importantly, skill cooldowns were drastically reduced, meaning Lin Shenyue could cast her healing spells almost continuously.

Ye Jue took a deep breath. “Let’s go. We can face those people now.”

Lin Shenyue nodded, following Ye Jue toward the quest location.