Chapter 38 - The Master Blacksmith's Approval

Unwavering, Broken persisted, trudging forward along the path he had decided to take. He had been on this journey for what felt like an eternity and was resolute in his determination to see it through to the end. Aware of how much time it would take to finish, he felt comfortable with the progress he had made so far.

In his travels, Broken had acquired an incredibly rare mineral, something he was the first to get his hands on in Immortal Legacy. Excited about what new creations he could craft with this newfound material, he eagerly moved forward.

Boo-ba, trailing after him, hurried to keep up with his quick pace. He then reached out and placed his hand on Broken's shoulder. "It's been ages since we last saw each other. Are you still as sluggish as before? Don't tell me you haven't progressed beyond level 25? Hahaha…"

Broken paused for a moment, considering Boo-ba's question. He felt no need to answer it, as it was obvious to him that he would always remain at level zero.

"I'm hunting monsters and looking for moonstones nearby," he replied, turning to face Boo-ba.

A small smile curved Boo-ba's lips as he understood why Broken was abstaining from answering the tricky question. He figured that Broken was too shy to say, so he reasoned that he should provide some encouragement, like a good buddy does. "I must try and spur him on. It is my responsibility as a friend," he thought to himself.

"Have you ever heard of the Ass Guild?" Boo-ba asked as they continued to walk toward their destination.

"Yeah…" Broken answered, recalling the mage Elincia who had attacked him and killed him instantly when he was in Princess Alora's tent. "I know the name, but I can't remember what it stands for."

"Ahahaha… that's the Astral Sorcery Squad," Boo-ba replied cheerfully and confidently.

"Ah yes…."

"Did you know that the Ass Guild is one of the top guilds in the Immortal Legacy? I mean, have you heard of its guild leader, Elincia?" Boo-ba said, a big smile spreading across his face.

So far, Boo-ba had been without a guild. However, his younger sister, Elincia, kindly offered for him to join the Ass Guild. The guild boasted a powerful formation and skilled players, and anyone would no doubt become stronger if they joined them.

Therefore, Boo-ba wanted to offer Broken a seat in the Ass Guild; he believed that the guild's members would provide unconditional aid, allowing Broken to grow more powerful in no time.

"Ah yes, I know Elincia," Broken answered with a trace of bitterness still present in his voice.

A grin spread across Boo-ba's face as he heard that Broken was familiar with his younger sister, whom he was so proud of. "Good... I'm sure many people know of Elincia. She's very talented and is a top ranker. Did you know she's my sis..." he said, eager to share the news.

Before Boo-ba could finish, Broken cut him off, "Stupid crazy girl!"

"Eh?" Boo-ba exclaimed, taken aback by Broken's response.

"Yes, she is stupid and crazy. If only I was as strong as her, I could surely repay her for what she did to me. I deserve some kind of retribution for her actions." Broken spoke with irritation.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Boo-ba asked, completely shocked.

"Yes!" Broken answered. "Something happened. I suddenly logged into the tent, which belonged to someone..." He paused, not wanting to tell the story of how he had seen Princess Alora almost take off all her clothes.

"Yes," he went on. "And that stupid mage appeared and cast a high-tier skill and killed me instantly."

Boo-ba's throat tightened as he looked at Broken. "Is it true," he stammered, "that you were caught in Princess Alora's tent?"

Broken stared blankly at Boo-ba, surprised that he had figured out the answer so quickly. Broken hadn't anticipated this.

"Ah… please keep this a secret, but yes, that's me," he replied reluctantly, knowing he had no choice but to be honest.

Boo-ba pondered if Broken was, in fact, the same person his younger sister had told him about - the one who was romantically involved with Princess Alora and being chased by the Ass Guild.

"I thought you were in a dangerous situation," Boo-ba said, worried evident in his voice.

"Are you saying the Ass Guild is hunting me?" Broken asked.

"Don't worry," Boo-ba insisted, trying to ease Broken's worries. "I will do everything within my power to safeguard you. The Ass Guild won't hurt you. I give you my word that you can live with no fear. Let me handle this situation."

Boo-ba was determined to save Broken and tried to explain the situation to Elincia. "You should hide for a while, and I will give you info if any members of the Ass Guild are anywhere near this area."

"Thanks, Boo-ba," Broken said, smiling widely.

The two of them drew nearer to Fokil's Smithy, and as they did, Fokil peeked out of the window and saw Broken and Boo-ba making their way toward him. He clicked his tongue in irritation.

"What is that rascal doing here?" he said, pointing at Boo-ba.

Fokil was still angry at Boo-ba for coming to the Smithy a few days ago and trying to force him into explaining the whereabouts of the Moonstone.

Fokil scowled as he inquired, "So this Broken one ordered that player Boo-ba to come here and put me under pressure to reveal where the Moonstone is? I should have known not to rely on that youth. I hope I never have to see them again."

Broken and Boo-ba arrived at the entrance of the Smithy, and Boo-ba immediately recognized what he had done to the blacksmith dwarf who lived there.

He turned to Broken inquisitively. "What are you going to do here, Broken? Don't tell me you want to make a weapon? I can get you anything you need if you need a new weapon or armor." he said.

Broken was quiet for a moment before responding. "Actually, I want to learn about blacksmithing, so here I am. Would you like to come with me to meet the blacksmith owner of the Smithy?"

"Ummm … oh, I see. Erm…" Boo-ba was unsure whether Broken had completely abandoned his ambition of becoming a warrior and settled for being a blacksmith. Yet he felt it would be wrong to confront Fokil. "I'll drop by tomorrow. Let me know if you require any help," he said while beaming before turning his back to leave.

When Boo-ba left, Broken moved swiftly to the smithy's entrance and pounded on the door. "Mr. Fokil!" he yelled out.

"I've finished the quest you gave me, so open up and let me in!" His heart raced with excitement—he expected that Fokil would be pleased with what he'd done and that there'd be an improved mission for him to undertake as well as a bigger reward.

Despite Broken's enthusiasm, Fokil still failed to show up no matter how long he had been knocking on the door. "What in the world?" He blurted out in frustration. "Where did he get off to?!"

As darkness began to fall, Broken stayed seated outside of the smithy door and asked anyone who walked by if they had seen Fokil. To no avail, all the responses were that Fokil hadn't left yet. So, Broken decided to wait for the Dwarf to come out of the building.

He tried to convince himself that this journey was necessary. "This quest is fairly significant. The moonstone must be connected to the mysterious Moon Goddess. Somehow I can feel that it's something extraordinary and essential."

At the same time, Fokil was annoyed to find that Broken had not left his Smithy. "That punk has really drained my patience," he said as he walked to the window and peeked through it.

Desperately, he uttered, "He said that he had succeeded in getting the moonstone? Did he think I would take his word for it? No one has the patience to get such a rare mineral. I will teach him a lesson for trying to deceive me."

Broken took out a high-quality moonstone from his inventory and held it in his hand. The small stone glittered and glowed in the moonlight, looking mesmerizing in the middle of the night. "This stone is so beautiful," he marveled. "I wonder what I can make with it?"

[You have achieved remarkable success! Your efforts in the quest "Become an Apprentice of Fokil the Blacksmith" have been rewarded with an upgrade to an A-rating, and you have received an acknowledgment from the Master Blacksmith Fokil himself.]

[Congratulations! You have completed the quest with flying colors.]

Broken widened his eyes in surprise when a notification abruptly appeared in front of him. "What on earth is this?" he said in a rush.

At the same time, Fokil was deeply moved by the sight of the high-quality moonstone in Broken's hand. He was so overwhelmed that he was about to burst into tears.

"I was wrong about him. He kept his word and got the moonstone and even a high-quality one. This is an incredible accomplishment. I must honor him with the highest reward." Fokil held back the storm of emotions in his chest as he spoke.