NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Blacksmith Elgeni (3)
Elgeni was unaware of certain facts because she was a novice blacksmith.
And Lamalphio, being a high-level blacksmith, knew those facts.
One such fact was that “skills that increase enhancement probability are greatly constrained by item grade.”
Many blacksmiths could raise enhancement probabilities by 10% to 20%, though not as much as Elgeni.
However, when it came to epic-grade items, the probability was halved, and for unique-grade items, it applied only minimally.
The penalty lessened as a blacksmith’s skill proficiency increased, but Elgeni was still a novice blacksmith.
Moreover, there was an inherent problem with Lamalphio’s unique sword from the beginning.
Its durability was on the verge of complete destruction when acquired!
Durability isn’t only reduced during battlefield use—it also decreases permanently if enhancement fails.
Because there were so few blacksmiths capable of handling unique swords, there was no reliable way to restore permanently reduced durability.
Thus, the weapon couldn’t be used in actual combat, but Lamalphio planned to sacrifice the sword in exchange for Elgeni’s service.
“Responsibility for broken weapons during enhancement always falls on the blacksmith.”
“But… but I didn’t see that mentioned in the community guides.”
“Of course not. It’s such a basic assumption. Besides, isn’t your enhancement success rate 99%? You’ll barely fail, so drafting this contract benefits you far more. Don’t tell me you doubt the words of a senior blacksmith?”
Lamalphio was an experienced businessman and gamer in his forties, while Elgeni was merely a teenage girl.
Thus, Lamalphio coerced her into signing an absurdly exploitative contract, holding the blacksmith accountable for any weapon damage.
Scams in games were nothing new, but with Elthera World linked to real-world accounts and finances, the scams had become more elaborate and large-scale.
“Elgeni. Do you have any idea how much our guild’s reputation has suffered because you ruined my weapon? It was a unique weapon with a level 200 restriction! Do you realize how rare such a weapon is?”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Despite that, I generously allowed you to work for our guild to pay off your debt. Yet, I hear you violated our contract and enhanced another player’s weapon!”
Lamalphio shoved a screenshot in front of Elgeni.
The image showed Elgeni secretly meeting a masked Yeonwol.
Even though she had tried to hide her identity, Lamalphio’s guild had intentionally tracked her, rendering her efforts useless.
“Per the contract, I’ll increase your repayment amount by 10%.”
“Th-this is….”
“If you have objections, consider the second option to terminate the contract—if you can manage it.”
Players tied to production guilds in Elthera World were given two choices.
One was to pay off their designated debt in full.
The other was to develop and contribute a new technique or skill to the guild.
This applied universally to professions like alchemists, architects, and blacksmiths.
It was a unique rule born of Elthera World.
New technologies emerged daily, and hidden skills often disrupted the market’s balance.
One alchemist, for example, cleared a massive debt by developing an extraordinary potion, offering it to the guild, and later establishing their own guild—a heroic tale.
However, not everyone could achieve such feats.
For blacksmiths, creating “new techniques” or “special skills” was especially challenging.
Elgeni’s [Enhancement of Blessing] was her most unique skill, but it was an untransferable, exclusive hidden S-rank skill.
With her talent, she might have been able to develop new techniques over time.
But how could she find the time for research when she was already consumed with mass-producing enhanced equipment daily?
[Yeonwol: …So, that’s the situation.]
After managing to contact Elgeni again, Yeonwol was stunned to hear her story.
Had she been in front of him, he might have failed to hide his expression.
His face would likely have screamed, “Is this girl serious?”
“So people still fall for such ridiculous scam contracts. I thought those were a thing of the past.”
The early days of Elthera World were chaotic, the perfect era for cunning or lucky players to swindle others.
Elgeni, though a talented blacksmith, was young and naive, making her an easy target.
“No wonder Elgeni’s fame lagged behind her skills—because of circumstances like this.”
Enhancement of Blessing was undoubtedly an amazing skill at present.
But in the distant future, Elgeni didn’t need such a skill to ensure no weapon she handled ever broke.
[Yeonwol: Do you still have the item data and video from when you enhanced the unique sword?]
[Elgeni: Um… I think so. I’ve watched it a few times, but nothing seemed wrong….]
[Yeonwol: You checked the durability, right?]
[Elgeni: O-of course. The durability seemed fine back then.]
[Yeonwol: Hmm. I have a suspicion, but I can’t confirm it just from your explanation. Show me the video.]
[Elgeni: I-I can’t do that…. It’d be a disaster if I did.]
[Yeonwol: Another contract violation, I suppose?]
Elgeni fidgeted nervously.
Her recent outing with Yeonwol had been discovered, resulting in severe penalties.
Now, she was confined to her forge, secretly chatting with him.
[Yeonwol: I’m trying to help you. It’s frustrating to see your talent wasted while you’re stuck in that place.]
[Elgeni: ….]
[Yeonwol: If you’re unwilling to trust me, I can’t help you. I won’t mention this conversation to anyone, but this is where it ends.]
With that final message, Yeonwol genuinely considered stepping away from Elgeni’s situation.
She would eventually escape her predicament on her own in the near future, anyway.
More importantly, Yeonwol had no intention of assisting someone unwilling to help themselves.
He wasn’t idle enough to waste his time.
The future demanded his full focus, leaving no room for distractions.
The only reason he regretted leaving Elgeni behind was the potential of fostering trust by aiding her and contracting her as his exclusive blacksmith.
“Blacksmiths are plenty if you look for them,” he thought, shaking off his regret.
But mere minutes later, a DM arrived.
It was a video of the unique sword’s enhancement process.
After watching it, Yeonwol smirked.
“Bingo. Classic case of early-game veterans exploiting newbies.”
As expected, it was all too familiar.
By the third year of the game’s release, even self-proclaimed veterans barely knew about certain items—one of which had been used on that unique sword.
[Yeonwol: Looks like you fell for the ‘Supreme Awakening Elixir.’]
[Elgeni: Huh? What’s that?]
The Supreme Awakening Elixir.
Even now and in the future, it was one of the least utilized potions.
Its effect temporarily increased a weapon’s durability but permanently reduced it after the effect wore off.
It was primarily used on nearly broken weapons to restore their functionality briefly.
When a weapon’s durability dropped or its blade dulled, its attack power significantly decreased.
The potion was a quick fix for restoring attack power in emergencies.
However, due to its permanent durability reduction, very few dared to use it.
[Yeonwol: Additionally, the crystal orb on the pommel temporarily boosts performance at the cost of durability. The anvil underneath drastically lowers enhancement success rates but grants bonus effects if successful.]
There were many other traces as well.
Countless, in fact.
There were clear signs of deliberate attempts to destroy the already fragile unique sword.
[Elgeni: So… are you saying I was scammed?]
The fact that she only realized it now was remarkable in itself.
[Yeonwol: With evidence like this, it should be possible to nullify the contract as fraudulent.]
[Elgeni: Oh my gosh…]
The Awakening Elixir was a rare item, and its effects were subtle, making it difficult to detect.
In the future, Elgeni would have likely figured it out on her own through various experiments.
“Such a foolish scam.”
Humans were strange creatures.
They always believed in the possibility of a perfect crime, even when such obvious deceptions would inevitably be uncovered.
[Elgeni: So… does that mean I can break free just by reporting this video?]
Elgeni’s previously gloomy tone now carried a hint of excitement.
[Yeonwol: That seems likely.]
In Yeonwol’s memories, there were no rumors in the previous timeline about Malphi’s Hammer Guild scamming Elgeni with a unique sword.
As he recalled the past…
On the contrary, during this exact period, Malphi’s Guild had made a groundbreaking discovery: [Perfect Attribute Imbuement], which propelled their guild into rapid growth.
Even then, Elgeni’s existence had been entirely unknown.
Thinking back, it was peculiar.
One thing Yeonwol learned after the Synchronization Crisis was that Elgeni’s imbuement abilities far exceeded Lamalphio’s so-called Perfect Attribute Imbuement.
Yet, Elgeni was unable to use her superior abilities without Lamalphio’s permission.
At the time, Yeonwol had simply thought Elgeni was extraordinarily talented.
‘But what if it was Elgeni who actually developed [Perfect Attribute Imbuement]?’
What if she had offered that technique in exchange for her freedom from slavery?
‘Perfect Attribute Imbuement… it became the cornerstone for Lamalphio to establish his so-called “Slave Kingdom” after the Synchronization Crisis.’
In the distant future, Lamalphio monopolized all the “Master Blacksmiths” to create the world’s largest blacksmith guild, Blackhammer.
Blackhammer.
Just hearing the name made Yeonwol shudder with disgust—it was the epitome of a monstrous corporation.
After the Synchronization Crisis, much of humanity’s scientific knowledge was lost, and countless blacksmiths perished.
Blackhammer emerged as humanity’s ultimate and only surviving blacksmith guild.
To Lamalphio, humanity’s crisis was an opportunity.
No matter how skilled rankers were, their survival ultimately depended on equipment.
By monopolizing this essential technology, he believed Blackhammer was the sole entity capable of preserving civilization.
Humanity began to rely on Blackhammer’s expertise.
Lamalphio became a pseudo-religious leader, offering his technology only to those who worshiped him as a god.
He even differentiated the equipment he provided to royal rankers.
At first, it was the “luxury branding” of his equipment.
Even basic technologies that could be offered to everyone were branded as exclusive luxuries, denied to the masses.
He then took it further, reserving valuable gear only for those loyal to Blackhammer or those who dedicated their lives to him.
“If only you had shared your technology with all humanity, more lives could have been saved!”
“Please, I beg you. Yesterday, millions of comrades perished. Today will be no different, and tomorrow may be worse. We rankers have our limits. But with the technology you production professionals possess… it could make all the difference!”
“Strength alone can’t protect humanity. Only technology can be humanity’s salvation. Lamalphio, I’m begging you—share your technology with us.”
The rankers, battling demon armies on the frontlines, cried out to Lamalphio in desperation.
His response was cold and dismissive.
“Why should I?”
He sneered and gestured to the royal rankers who served him.
“I am a king. Serve me. Obey me. Kneel, praise, and worship me. Only then can you cling to your pitiful lives under my protection.”
In that place, there was a king.
But no citizens.
Only livestock being raised.
Even the royal rankers and all of humanity under Lamalphio’s rule were no more than slaves.
Seated on a throne made of naked men and women piled together, Lamalphio crushed the fallen rankers he once called peers beneath his feet.
He sipped wine poured by a woman who was once revered as a holy paladin.
Lamalphio looked down on the royal rankers, who fought demons for humanity’s sake, as if they were inferior and worthless.
It was his way of declaring himself the “King of the New World.”
“So, the initial boost that allowed Lamalphio’s blacksmithing guild to grow so large… was thanks to Elgeni?”
Now that he thought about it, the Elgeni of the past would always give a wry smile and clutch her right shoulder when asked about her history.
When asked to appeal to Lamalphio as a blacksmith, she exhibited PTSD-like symptoms, visibly distressed and mentally unstable.
Many had speculated about a possible past conflict, but the truth was far more shocking.
By now, Malphi’s Hammer Guild had grown significantly, thanks to Elgeni’s contributions.
They likely continued scamming other talented players, further expanding their guild.
‘I was planning to bring Elgeni over to the Sellatan Guild entirely, but if I leave things unresolved, Malphi’s Hammer Guild will undoubtedly interfere at every turn.’
Malphi’s Hammer Guild had fed off Elgeni’s talents and grown into a substantial force.
If they began obstructing the newly established Sellatan Guild, it could destabilize its future growth.
‘…They were garbage even in the future. I might as well crush them now.’
After deciding, Yeonwol contacted Elgeni again.
[Yeonwol: If you take this video to confront them, you should be able to leave the guild. However, you probably won’t recover much of the wages you’ve earned over the past year, and exposing the guild’s crimes will be difficult.]
[Elgeni: I-I see… I’d be fine with just leaving the guild, though…]
[Yeonwol: There’s a better option. Destroy their guild entirely—with your own hands.]
[Elgeni: Me?! You mean there’s a way to do that…?]
As it happened, Yeonwol needed someone to share future enhancement techniques with.
This was a revolutionary weapon enhancement method, completely different from current techniques, but implementing it required a trustworthy blacksmith.
Yeonwol had been hesitant about how to justify sharing it, but the timing was perfect.
[Yeonwol: If you truly want to bring them down yourself, I’ll share my idea with you. You saw before how well alchemy and metallurgy harmonized, didn’t you?]
[Elgeni: …Yes, I remember.]
Elgeni had been deeply shocked at the time.
She had thought alchemy was merely for potion-making, never imagining it could have such a massive impact on blacksmithing skills.
[Yeonwol: By using this idea, you can develop a technique never before seen in this world. With it, you could completely destroy Malphi’s Hammer Guild. Are you willing to try?]
Silence.
The moment of decision was long.
To destroy the guild that had oppressed and tormented her…
The fear ingrained in her instincts might still hold her back.
She might choose the safer option—quietly showing the video to the guild master and timidly withdrawing from the guild.
However…
Elgeni, though a young girl now, stifled by the pressure of adults,
Would one day earn the title “Master Blacksmith” and become one of the greatest blacksmiths, rivaling even the legendary “Blacksmith.”
[Elgeni: Yes… I’ll do it. Please help me take my revenge.]
Her resolve was as unyielding as the steel of the weapons she forged.