=========================================
SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
=========================================
Chapter 16 - The Blessing of Luck
[ Basic Repair has been activated. ]
He began repairing things.
When I thought about fixing something with the Hammer of Repair and struck it, the skill activated naturally, consuming mana.
There wasn't any special repair method involved.
Even without expert knowledge of blacksmithing, as long as you had the skill and sufficient mana, even a complete novice could repair items.
“That’s why skills are so overpowered.”
The power to turn a novice into an expert.
A supernatural ability impossible without the help of the system.
That's why the Repair trait was certainly less versatile than the Crafting trait.
Unlike Crafting, which could create something from almost nothing, Repair was merely the concept of fixing existing items.
“But once you start delving deep into Repair, its nature changes completely.”
The repairs Choi Hyun performed in his past life weren't just about restoring worn-out durability.
He had reached a level akin to a complete overhaul, where he was not just compensating for flaws but could even add necessary features to improve the item itself.
That was why he wasn't too disappointed when his Crafting trait was sealed.
Without the Crafting trait, he just couldn't create everything from scratch; it didn't mean he couldn't achieve his desired results though.
“The process and methods are just different.”
And to reach that realm, he needed at least a 6-star Repair skill.
“But the highest I can reach right now is 5-star.”
So, he had to start grinding for proficiency as soon as possible.
After a dozen or so strikes, the chipped and cracked sword became as clean as new.
[ Repair complete. ]
[ You have succeeded in the repair. ]
Unless it was a special case, repairs rarely failed.
He checked the information of the repaired item.
[ Tutorial Sword ]
- Type: Item
- Requirements: None
- Durability: 80/80 (100-20)
- Attack Power: 8 (10-2)
- Options: None
# A sword supplied in the Tower of the Tutorial.
# Used to its limit, some of its performance has degraded, making it difficult to completely repair it.
The system had clearly stated that the Tutorial Sword was repaired.
But looking at the item information, its original durability and attack power were reduced by 20%.
It was because the item had been used to its absolute limit.
In such cases, a complete repair is difficult.
“For now, that is.”
To restore an item pushed to its limits back to its original state, the Repair skill needed to grow by at least two more ranks.
In other words, a perfect repair was only possible with a 3-star Repair skill.
Choi Hyun set the repaired weapon aside, picked up another piece of junk, and used the Repair skill again.
[ Basic Repair has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…
[ Repair complete. ]
[ You have succeeded in repairing the item. ]
Another success.
But the result was still an incomplete state with degraded performance.
However, Choi Hyun paid it no mind and continued to use his Repair skill.
After repairing two more items, he suddenly felt dizzy, and his vision swam.
“Guess I’m out of mana.”
It seemed the maximum number of repairs a Level 1 blacksmith with 1 point in Mana could perform was four.
Choi Hyun quickly opened the fridge, downed a bottle of cold water, then sat on the sofa, crossed his legs into the lotus position, and closed his eyes.
“Haaaa… Whooo….”
He started with a deep breath.
Before long, he began to quickly enter a state of mental focus.
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
Super Focus activated.
It activated because he had reached a state of focus, even though all he did was simple meditation.
As he fell into a focused state, his dizzy head began to clear, and his mind grew calm.
And after a while.
[ All mana has been restored. ]
A notification appeared, stating that all his mana had been restored.
That was the only notification he got.
Choi Hyun stood up again, raised the Hammer of Repair, and struck the junk item again.
[ Basic Repair has been activated. ]
[ Deft Hands has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…
[ Repair complete. ]
[ You have succeeded in repairing the item. ]
Again, after repairing four junk items, he felt a wave of dizziness.
He would then return to his spot, sit in the lotus position, and meditate in a state of Super Focus.
And once his mana was fully restored, he repeated the routine.
“This is going to take a while.”
What I’m trying to get now is much trickier than the others.
But that’s fine.
It was only trickier than getting the others; the difficulty itself wasn't that high.
Besides, didn't he have Super Focus?
And so, Choi Hyun repeated the same routine for a long time.
* * *
A large pile of repaired weapons and armor accumulated in a corner of the warehouse.
Feeling dizzy for the umpteenth time, Choi Hyun sat down again and began to meditate.
Super Focus activated, and as his mana slowly recovered for some time.
[ A calm yet persistent recovery through breathing and meditation. ]
[ You have learned how to rapidly recover spent energy through focused breathing and concentration. ]
[ Conditions have been met. ]
[ You have acquired the skill, “Nameless Heart Technique.” ]
He did it.
He had finally managed to acquire the long-awaited Nameless Heart Technique.
A smile touched Choi Hyun’s lips as he slowly opened his eyes.
Just then, the system sent additional notifications.
[ The skills “Nameless Heart Technique”, “Nameless Footwork”, and “Nameless Sword Technique” gather and resonate as one. ]
[ Conditions have been met. ]
[ The three skills merge and evolve to a higher stage. ]
[ You have acquired the trait, “Nameless Art.” ]
[ You have succeeded in awakening the Nameless Art on your own. ]
[ For achieving an outstanding accomplishment, the system gifts you 1 bonus stat point. ]
Choi Hyun’s eyes sparkled as he read the notifications that were coming out.
He had finally succeeded in evolving the three martial skills into the trait known as Nameless Art.
But the notifications didn't seem to be over yet.
[ Through various experiences and efforts, you have succeeded in grasping the fundamentals of martial arts on your own. ]
[ Conditions have been met. ]
[ You have acquired the skill, “Understanding of Martial Arts.” ]
Finally, he acquired the skill Understanding of Martial Arts.
With that, the notifications truly ended.
Having finally obtained everything he wanted, Choi Hyun checked his status window with a faint smile.
[ Choi Hyun ]
- Lv: 1
- Class: Blacksmith
- Traits: <Demon's Eye> <Repair> <Curse of Memory> <Nameless Art>
- Strength: 1
- Stamina: 1
- Mana: 1
- Sense: 1
- Unallocated Stat Points: 11
Four traits and eleven bonus stat points.
It was an incredibly reassuring setup.
Especially the traits Nameless Art and Understanding of Martial Arts.
“To be blunt, you can learn the Nameless Art from a skill page, but not Understanding of Martial Arts.”
Choi Hyun checked the information for Understanding of Martial Arts.
[ Understanding of Martial Arts ]
- Type: Skill
# A skill that can only be obtained by those who acquire a martial art trait through their own efforts, not from a skill page.
# Reduces stamina consumption, increases speed, boosts power, and accelerates experience gain for all types of martial art traits and skills, and aids in the comprehension of all martial arts.
Nameless Art is the foundation and a prerequisite for acquiring all martial art skills.
However, just having Nameless Art didn't mean you could obtain all types of martial art traits and skills.
Nameless Art was, quite literally, just the minimum qualification for that.
But Understanding of Martial Arts is different.
Unlike Nameless Art, Understanding of Martial Arts doesn't have a skill page and is difficult to obtain, but once acquired, it grants the power to more easily comprehend and master all kinds of martial art traits and skills.
“It’s like a kind of all-access pass.”
The preparations were now more or less complete.
Choi Hyun closed the status window and turned on the laptop sitting on the table.
He then accessed “Hunter Auction”, a global auction site that had branches all over the world, and began searching for the item he needed.
Fortunately, the item Choi Hyun was looking for was in Korea.
Choi Hyun paid an additional fee for an instant purchase and requested express delivery to his location.
As expected, there’s nothing that money can’t buy.
After finishing his shopping, Choi Hyun immediately used the sigil.
[ You are using the Sigil of the Gray Scales. ]
[ The Demon of the Gray Scales answers your call. ]
Fwoosh!
The sigil he used was the Sigil of the Gray Scales.
It was a sigil he had received instead of a one-time summoning ticket, as he still had something to receive from the Demon of the Gray Scales.
Soon, the Demon of the Gray Scales, having answered the call, appeared before Choi Hyun.
The Demon of the Gray Scales spoke in its characteristically chilling voice.
“It seems you have a blessing you wish to receive?”
“Yeah, there’s no other reason I’d call you.”
“I see. Then state the blessing you desire.”
“I want Dosinbou (Blessing of the God of Gamblers).”
“Dosinbou...”
At Choi Hyun’s request, the Demon of the Gray Scales narrowed its eyes.
It then activated its scales and began to weigh the curse Choi Hyun had received against the blessing he was requesting.
The scales tipped back and forth like a seesaw before finally settling into a perfect balance.
“Three times. I shall permit you to use Dosinbou three times.”
“That’s more than enough.”
As he accepted without protest, the Demon of the Gray Scales immediately bestowed the blessing.
[ The Demon of the Gray Scales bestows a blessing upon you. ]
[ Dosinbou now resides within you. ]
[ The skill “Dosinbou” is imprinted. ]
What he acquired this time was a skill, not a trait.
The Demon of the Gray Scales said.
“As I’ve said before, I will not answer your call from now on. The same applies even if you summon me through another summoner.”
“Whatever.”
[ The Sigil of the Gray Scales disappears. ]
The demon erased its traces and vanished without a backward glance.
Choi Hyun immediately checked the information for Dosinbou.
[ Dosinbou ]
- Type: Skill
# The blessing of luck from the God of Gambling, who was called the God of Wagers.
# The best possible luck for the current situation will occur.
# Uses remaining: 3
A smile formed on Choi Hyun's lips as he read the skill information.
0 Comments