First Quest

"To become a blacksmith apprentice, it's best to ask directly the receptionist. You will be taken to the guild's library and blacksmith's working space.

"You can meet the official blacksmith to learn some first insight. It will be very helpful if you are a complete newbie.

"Don't worry to interrupt them they will still gain contribution points. So most of them will accept it.

"If you have finished the examination test, you will join me here. You will be given resources and increase your rank by collecting the contribution points.

Jur explained after he told Arie to sit on one of the chairs inside.

"Can you explain more about this contribution points?"

"The contribution points are needed to increase your rank. You gained the points by exchanging your crafted equipment to the guild, serving the guild's guest and customer and any other kind of contribution to the guild will grant you the contribution points."

"So, basically it is the most efficient way to increase your level here," Arie mumbled.

"Yep, it is also added by this building's skill. It increases the proficiency and contribution point of the member."

"So.. is it not advisable to play as an adventurer and a blacksmith simultaneously?"

"Hm.. You can take whatever path you want to be. It is just that you will take your time longer."

"How about the high-level blacksmith? Is there anyone who also a high-level adventurer?"

"I don't quite informed about that. As far as I know, all the top blacksmiths are purely love blacksmith-ing and only spend their time crafting items."

Arie then continued to ask any other things he wanted to know.

He got more information related to the blacksmith and other things such as the ranking classification in the guild.

The blacksmith guild had 5 levels and 5 ranks.

The 2 levels were the level of a blacksmith apprentice. And after that, they were able to take another exam to became an official blacksmith and unlocked the title <Blacksmith>.

But apart from the Class level, to take the exam, they also needed to reach a certain level of proficiency. The proficiency worked the same as the adventurer skills.

The blacksmith would take another exam once they reached level 5. To took the ranker exam to be assigned starts from Rank D through the next 4 ranks known. C, B, A, S.

Jureln said that all listed system guilds have almost similar rank system except the adventurer guild. Since the adventurer itself is supported by different patterns than the civilians.

The adventurer ranks determined by the levels, which also says how strong they are because at every level they would get attributes that strengthen their body.

All of the information regarding the guilds were new to Arie and he digested all of it.

His goal to unlocked the guild easter egg now has appeared to the surface. He wanted to unlock the 'player' guild.

But for now, he hasn't decided to pick the path yet. He was pretty sure that he couldn't decide now and needed to have a discussion with the other 3.

After they talked for this long. He got another notification about his affinity with Jureln has increased to a certain level.

Since he spent quite a time in the blacksmith apprentice's stall. He didn't know whether the other player has entered the village or not.

He left the stall and goes to the other room after he talked to the receptionist.

The hallway leads him to another hall. A place called 'Blacksmith Working Place'.

Compared to a small stall this is actually more like a traditional factory.

The forge also had a different size, from the one in the Jureln's place to several times bigger.

It was actually less noisy compared to the apprentice area. This hall might have the same size as. But it felt more vacant. The blacksmiths here weren't as much as in the apprentice area.

Arie began to ask the closest person to the door.

"Excuse me, can I take your time?"

"Sorry Bud, ain't no time for ya'."

'!'

The person who ave the cold response was a dwarf. He then realized something he missed. He began to rush back to the receptionist.

"Miss, can I confirm some trivial matters?"

"Oh! hello Mr. Arceede! How may I help you?"

"Are humans the native here? How about the other races?"

"Greylhad is a home of many races and species. The dwarves, humans, elves, and any other races have long occupied the world.

"Last year, System found another neighbor world with the same races as us and officially prepare to open it to them. It's been 2 months since it is official."

He then bid farewell to the receptionist and thought deeply. 'I really want to know now, is this information has been distributed by the intro cutscene or not.'

He already asked Silv before but the latter said that he wouldn't answer the skipped parts. Didn't know if he is sulking or not.

Arie then returned to the hall and began to look around. Not started the slightest conversation.

All existing blacksmiths were very focused on their work. He began to think whether what had been said by Jureln earlier was inaccurate.

'Come to think of it, Jur is also an apprentice, the information is definitely not that accurate. It is possible to talk about contribution points, it is more effective to work on their craft compared to serving the guild's guest.'

But not long after he thought so, someone approached him. She was a female Elf!

'Isn't this a rare thing! I'm sure I rarely see an elf as a blacksmith in any stories.'

"How may I help you?"

"I'm sorry if I sound rude. But, is it a common thing for an elf to be a blacksmith?"

She left out a sigh.

"Even a visitor said that. I guess it's not common in any world."

"Well, in my world there are no elves, only humans. I only know from the stories I heard. And I rarely heard stories about an elf who works as a blacksmith. "

"Well, that was difficult in the beginning because the elf's attribute strength was smaller than the others. But after all this time working here, my strength gradually increased by itself.

"Introducing, I'm Bine, a Rank B Blacksmith. "

"Rank B Blacksmith! But from the information I got, there should only be people in the range of levels 2 to 5 that are here, right? No 'Ranker' Blacksmith supposed to be here or am I wrong?"

Arie shook her hand and introduced himself too.

"Hm, the information you got isn't wrong either. But we here are blacksmiths from the mainland. Sent via high authority permission to live on Beige Village and welcome visitors.

"We were given orders that were quite ordinary, namely to work normally. But only apprentices are the ones who are enthusiastic to come here. Because they have the opportunity to sell their goods to visitors.

"Official blacksmiths, on the other hand. Besides being ineffective for them making weapons for beginners, proficiency, and contribution gained-wise. They prefer to work in their cities to be closer to their families. "

"Then how about you?"

"There are some people who volunteered here. Because they want to recruit several talented people as their direct disciple. Others have been forced through the lottery. "

Arie was silent for a few moments. Bine continued to ask Arie.

"How about you? What do you want? Want to be a blacksmith? "

Arie then told how he found this building and his encounter with Jur.

Arie vent at length. And Bine just quietly listened carefully.

"The encounter might have been predicted by the System. Jur.. What you mean is Jureln right? His brother is a Blacksmith Rank A.

"He has a certain mission here. He is a busy person. If you found him, maybe you will easily talk with him through your story with his little brother."

!?

'Am I lucky? I have increased the affinity with Jur two times. That should help quite a lot in this conversation with his brother. ' He thought.

"But.."

Bine's voice interrupted his thought.

"It will be quite difficult to meet him. But it's still worth a try. You can go to his room. I'll show you the hallway. The hall was called the Miscellaneous Department. All you have to do is knock on the door that says Foreln's Room. If he answers, then you are really lucky he is there. If it fails, you have to try another time."

After Bine said it with a relaxed smile. Something happened.

...

[Quest] Meet someone from Miscellaneous Department

Inside the Blacksmith Guild on the Begie Village. <Blacksmith (Rank B)> Bine Herea, recommended you to meet a high-level Blacksmith in the Misc. Department.

Reward: ???

Failure: ???

(Limit time: 3 days)

....

!?

The notification box appeared below his viewing distance.

'Finally! A quest!' Arie starts getting excited.

One must have known that in previous games, quests were not that easy to get. Usually, quests could only be obtained during events or through high-level 'NPC'.

Nearly the majority of NPCs had a monotonous dialogue and only a handful had a high level of artificial intelligence. Usually, there was only when we wanted to take or advance class.

Because of that, the previous game was only about grinding defeating monsters, and dungeons. Stories and others were only explained through dungeons.

Today's game was exactly what the 'system' said at the beginning. "Talk to the people around."

Contrast once compared to the previous game.

Arie continued after arriving in the hallway and saying goodbye.

The hall looked small compared to the other two that Arie has visited.

There were several doors there. There was a room with the guild leader, vice leader, and several names he didn't recognize.

The layout was similar to office space in companies. The place of executives maybe.

Out of the 6 rooms there, he found a familiar name. 'Foreln'.

"Why am I nervous now?" He thought while stroking his chest. Trying to regain his composure.

*knock *knock

He knocked on the door but there was no answer.

*knock *knock

....

'Maybe the quest isn't that simple'

But when he thought that, a voice could be heard from inside.

*zwiing

!?

'That's the sound when we usually teleport or just log in. '

Arie recalled the memory from the previous game.

'Personal place! That is why these rooms look as small as the office administration room. '

*knock *knock

He started knocking on the door again.

"Come in!

*click

"I have unlocked the door."

A voice behind the door told Arie to open the door and enter.

He went in and saw someone dressed casually. white shirt, blue knee-length pants, and blue shoes.

'Isn't this the Jur 20 years into the future? I got the familiar vibe from it. '

The person in front of him was human. Oval face with a little facial hair manicured. He had a sharp jawline and thick eyebrows.

"Oh! A... 'visitor'?

For a moment Arie stepped into the room. The person concerned was exclaimed. Arie just responded with a nod.

"Woah! My first time to meet one. You are lucky I have just come out from my personal place. How may I help you?"

Foreln gestured him to had a seat on a couch. As expected, the room was quite small and similar to an office room. Or rather like the principal's room.

Two bookcases in each right and left sides of the room. Couches and a table to entertain guests, and a chair and table as a 'school principal' workplace.

"I have recommended coming here by the blacksmith named Bine... "

He continued talking about how he visited the blacksmith guild.

"You spent a day with Jur! Whoa! He must have gained a lot of contribution points just by talking to you! "

"I guess he also got quite a lot of proficiency too because I asked him to talk to me while continuing his work."

"!?" Foreln just has a surprised expression as a response.

"Wait a minute Ar!"

After a few seconds. An icon appeared. It was a speaker with some waves increasing and decreasing. Indicating he was in line with someone.

'Hoo, a call feature. But as I recalled there were only 3 features...'

'Menu' He recited it in his thought.

Only 3 tabs appeared. 'Profile', 'Equipment', 'Log out'.

'Is it one of the easter eggs? To unlocks the call feature?'

He recalled himself. The menu from the previous game had 'Friend', 'Backpack', and some other tabs.

'Let's save it for the other time.' He thought.

"Sorry for the wait Ar. I've just contacted Jur. He has just achieved his goal. Thanks to you." Foreln explains with a happy smile.

"Me?"

"He wants to experiments on how the system works. For your information, there are 100 levels for each skill proficiency. And Jur has already reached level 34 blacksmith proficiency."

Foreln also continued.

"And also, the requirement needed to take the official exam is to be a level 2 guild contribution and 10 proficiency levels respectively. And to apply as a Ranker, the exam requirements are level 5 guild contribution with 30 proficiency levels in blacksmith.

"Hm.."

"He has been at the level 4 guild contribution long enough and has stuck for quite a while."

"And also as an apprentice."

"Correct. He does not have the privilege to accept requests and take quests. You must know what that means.

Arie responded with a nod.

"With your visits, he has gained the level 5 guild contributions. I'm sure you also have guessed that. "

Nod.

"About how the results he gets, we only have to wait for it."

"What will he get anyway? The level 2 or level 5 exam? "

"I don't know either. He has returned to the mainland now. And he is taking care of that at the Blacksmith Guild in our city. "

"Ah okay. Hope he got a good result. "

Foreln responded with a nod and smiles.

Two notification appeared below Arie's line of vision.