Solo Max-Level Newbie
chapter-215

Chapter 215: The Never-Extinguishing Anvil ‘Orun’ (2)

“This is unbelievable…!”

A tremor shook through Orun’s pupils.

It was inevitable.

Until just moments ago, Jinhyuk’s manual dexterity was quite commendable…

But what he was showing now was a realm entirely different.

Gulp.

A dry swallow traveled down his throat.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Sparks flew, and beyond that, he could see the dragon’s blood seeping into the dagger.

It was a sequence of events so natural.

The realm elevated to an art form far transcended the common sense that Orun had been aware of so far.

“…Is this what forging is?”

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Orun’s heart began to beat rapidly.

Something he had long forgotten was flaring up again at this moment.

Right then.

Jinhyuk’s hand came to an abrupt stop.

As if the heated air had been doused with cold water, it cooled instantly.

“Why…! Why stop here! Just when were you about to complete it!”

Orun’s face fell in frustration, just feeling like he missed the climax.

Just a little more.

Only a very slight effort was needed for the item to be successfully enhanced.

He was left with just the most challenging and difficult last hurdle.

“I’ve reached my limit with my skills. If I do any more, the dagger will break.”

Jinhyuk said flatly, shaking his head.

So.

“Please finish the final touches, Master Orun.”

It had been decided from the beginning that he would complete the grand finale.

“Do you… trust me? Wasn’t that item precious to you?”

“Pricey and precious, yes. That’s why I ask you, Master Orun.”

“Do you realize I’ve completely destroyed over ten trinkets?”

“I’m aware. But things have changed since the beginning. You’ve decided to pick up the hammer and strike once more, haven’t you?”

“… …”

Orun glanced back and forth between Jinhyuk and the hammer.

He seemed to deliberate, yet it was but for a brief moment.

“I’ll give it a try.”

“But before that, have a drink of this.”

Jinhyuk tossed a black bottle to Orun.

Crack!

Orun popped the bottle open and took a whiff of the liquid inside.

His face crinkled at the pungent smell that stung his nose.

“What is this? It looks like medicine… but I’ve never seen it before.”

Of course, he hadn’t.

It was a hangover remedy that Jinhyuk had purchased from a convenience store.

“Trust me and drink up. It should help a lot.”

Apart from the trauma, Orun had another significant issue.

Congenital alcoholism.

Simply put, he was so used to drinking alcohol 24/7, 365 days a year, that his true abilities were being repressed.

[Abnormal status will be removed.]

[Concentration and precision will increase by 300%!]

Orun downed the contents of the bottle and his eyes widened in amazement.

No wonder he was astonished.

His mind was clearing up, and the drunken buzz vanished in an instant.

This was the essential item for modern workers worn out from overtime and social drinking.

“Finished… it. Never imagined such a miraculous potion existed.”

“If you are satisfied, that’s all that matters. Now, please give us your best performance.”

“I have received such a precious gift, of course, I shall do my part. Just trust me.”

With a determined look, Orun raised the hammer high into the sky.

“Don’t do it. Do you really have nothing left to trust but that old coot? Don’t trust him! You must never trust him!”

Elise was screaming at the top of her lungs, clearly against it.

Her strong protest did raise some anxiety.

In fact, it was incredibly nerve-wracking.

The moment that thought crossed his mind.

“Huuuup!”

The hammer, endowed with various skills, struck the dagger.

Despite its simplicity, it was a blow that accumulated decades of expertise.

‘Please…!’

Woong!

Just then, a dazzling light burst forth.

The interior of the forge was bathed in white.

***

[An astonishing craftsman’s work! You have succeeded in enhancing the artifact of legendary difficulty!]

[Pentagriss’s Fang (Blue)]

Attack Power: 5570

Durability: 2200 / 2200

Special Effect (Basic Passive): Every 3rd attack increases critical strike chance by 7%.

Self Sacrifice (Active): Deliberately destroying Pentagriss’s Fang grants an option to increase attack power by 100 times with a 100% success rate.

The color had risen by one tier.

The blade that held a tinge of green soon took on a hue of blue.

“…We actually succeeded.”

“Huh? Did we really succeed?”

“Can it be? Did I succeed?”

This time, all three were astonished.

One might have thought it was inappropriate to be surprised, but since they had succeeded, let’s skip that for now.

What mattered now was admiring the insane attributes of this item.

‘The attack power is higher than the spear gotten from the empire’s treasury.’

Considering the aspects of portability and speed that the dagger possessed, these capabilities were absurd.

Not to mention, due to the cruelly low chance of enhancing an artifact, it had unexpectedly gained two special effects.

Jinhyuk stilled his trembling heart.

He then calmly read the text that appeared on the status screen.

An increase of 7% in critical chance every three hits…

‘This is remarkable too.’

As the fight grew longer, the chance of a critical hit would increase, and the probability of 7% was fairly high in its own right.

It would be unsettling for an opponent to suddenly take a large amount of damage.

‘And this Self Sacrifice active effect is almost too powerful to be true.’

One-hit kill.

If a foe receives a damage equivalent to 550,000, not many, even boss-level monsters, could withstand it.

Most medium to large-sized monsters didn’t even have more than 10,000 HP, much less 50,000.

Good.

The situation had settled down quite satisfactorily.

Well,

there’s still just one more thing to do.

Jinhyuk smiled warmly toward Orun.

“You truly have a great touch. It seems the saying that you are the best blacksmith inside the tower was accurate.”

“Ahem! I could always do this much. I was just taking it easy until now. I’ve warmed up finally. Honestly, you won’t find a blacksmith better than me. Right? Hahaha!”

A highly proud Orun boasted about his work.

“Now, what about the compensation for the damages?”

“Eh? What damages?”

“You’ve smashed all our dear comrade’s treasures to bits. Naturally, you ought to pay for that.”

“Ha, but you said it was okay for me to overlook it… that you would let it slide, didn’t you?”

“I did. I was okay with it… but….”

Jinhyuk subtly pointed to someone standing beside him.

There stood the august Queen herself, her face contorted in anger.

“This friend of ours doesn’t agree, though.”

“Yikes!”

Kukukukukuku!

Various objects in the forge began to levitate into the air.

The blood droplets made manifest by ‘Blood Lord’ began to slowly rotate counter-clockwise.

“You dare destroy my treasures… And after you destroy all my things, then you manage to succeed? Are you joking now? Or have you gone completely mad just to infuriate me?”

A power far surpassing imagination pressed down on Orun’s entire body.

It felt like facing a dragon head-on.

I’m going to die.

Orun’s voice grew frantic as the sole thought of survival filled his mind.

“Ho-how much should I compensate?”

“800 billion coins seem appropriate.”

“800? 800 billion?”

Orun’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

“With that much? Even an emperor wouldn’t be able to afford such compensation.”

“Then there’s only a second option.”

Jinhyuk placed a paper imbued with magical energy on the table.

It was an application form for Highwater Corporation.

“Your application to our latest recruitment campaign is welcomed. Our company prefers IT and Big Data… what? I can read this but what does it mean? I don’t understand a word.”

“It’s nothing serious. Just some trivial details. No need to read too thoroughly. Seriously, don’t read it in-depth.”

“Alright.”

“There’s a place to sign and stamp at the bottom. Yes. Right there. Just write Master Orun’s name there.”

“Wait a minute…”

An inkling of something ominous gnawed at him…

However, Jinhyuk forcibly obtained Orun’s signature.

And with that, the company had added another stalwart employee to its ranks.

‘After all, forging is not my specialty.’

When a specialist is available, there’s no need to pour time and effort into doing it myself.

The whole reason for provoking Orun was to copy the abilities of this dwarf and merge them with other skills.

It was certainly not for the sake of forging on his own.

‘Soon, I should try more varied fusions with the skills I’ve copied. Of course, I’ll have to ensure I’m accustomed to the skills through training.’

If he fused ‘Daylight’ and ‘Breath of the Fire Dragon’…

He would obtain an area-of-effect skill that defied imagination.

It would be a skill with an effect similar to Googoo’s unique sacred incantation.

Considering the tasks ahead of him, Jinhyuk’s lips naturally curled into a smile.

The chance to become stronger and grow was definitely a delightful thing, as there seemed to be plenty of opportunities left for him.

But just then.

Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Ding-dong!

A long, high bell tone shook through the city.

“This is… surely not…”

Both Orun and Jinhyuk realized what this bell tolling represented.

The Pheromone Bell.

It only rang when the capital of the empire was under attack—

A bell known as ‘The Last Bell’.

***

“Enemies are invading! Gather all troops on the walls!”

“Archers! Magicians, stand by! Focus firepower all at once!”

“The royal guards protect her majesty and the royal family! Do not let the scoundrels in here!”

Mid-level commanders were frantically directing the soldiers.

The reality that enemies had come to the very heart of the empire was difficult to believe.

Amidst the chaos, armored soldiers and various military units bustled within the castle walls.

Clunk!

Catapults were loaded with huge rocks. Knights drew their swords and moved to strategic points inside the walls.

Porters and livestock hauling various strategic supplies turned the interior of the castle into a near-chaotic scene.

“Enemies here, of all places?”

“Who in the world reached us this far?”

“Never mind that now. Hurry inside.”

“Mommy…”

The citizens, though anxious, began to evacuate inward to avoid getting caught in the combat.

And…

Atop a watchtower, Jinhyuk silently observed the entire scene.

“….”

Upon hearing the bell, he contemplated various possibilities.

The likeliest scenario was the martial world, with the Magic Users’ Association he recently met as the second candidate.

Both were sufficient threats that wouldn’t hesitate to resort to any means to achieve their goals.

However, the force currently advancing at high speed wasn’t from the martial world or the Magic Users’ Association.

“This is also quite a challenge. We’re completely caught off guard.”

Elise clicked her tongue sharply.

Her words couldn’t be more accurate.

No one anticipated that they would strike in such a manner.

“So they say, the best defense is a good offense?”

They were coming.

Jinhyuk held tightly to the newly acquired fang.