Chapter 11: Newcomer's Gift

Considering that Qu Shaoyun broke through to Level 2 on the first day of receiving the blessings from the gods, he would attract the focused attention of all the gods in Eulalia.

In the end, Hephaestus decided not to spread this news for now. At least, they needed to wait until Qu Shaoyun grew and had the ability to protect himself.

Even if Hephaestus didn't think this way, Qu Shaoyun would still actively request to keep it hidden. After all, he didn't want to be targeted by Freya again.

Hephaestus put away the printed paper and sat down on the sofa.

"Alright, the contract is complete."

With her crimson eyes fixed on Qu Shaoyun, Hephaestus suddenly thought of something and continued speaking:

"According to the clan's rules, newcomers can choose a suitable piece of equipment from the clan's arsenal. Let Tsubaki take you there."

"Understood, Great Lord."

Qu Shaoyun, who had put on his clothes, didn't linger and simply gave a slight bow before turning and walking towards the door.

Until the sound of the lock clicking, signaling the door was completely closed, Hephaestus, sitting on the sofa, once again picked up the paper with Qu Shaoyun's status values and directly focused on the skill called "Unknown Form."

"A mysterious unknown, a secret that even divine arts cannot identify..."

The fact that one of Qu Shaoyun's attributes reached the S-rank level right after receiving the blessings from the gods was indeed surprising to Hephaestus, but it wasn't enough to greatly shock a deity.

In reality...

Even earlier, she was also acting. What truly shocked her was the skill "Unknown Form."

However, considering that if she directly exposed this secret, it would make Qu Shaoyun wary and could eventually lead to a rift between them.

So, Hephaestus put on a performance.

But don't underestimate deities who have lived for billions of years. If they wish, their acting skills are truly flawless.

"As long as you remain loyal to the clan, you will receive my protection."

...

"Ding ding! Clang clang!"

"Ping ping! Pong pong!"

"..."

Truly befitting of the Blacksmith Clan, as Hephaestus walked within her clan, the sounds of forging echoed in her ears.

Even the temperature within the clan was several degrees higher than the average temperature in Eulalia, making those who were not accustomed to it feel a bit uncomfortable.

After about ten minutes and with the enthusiastic guidance of clan members, Qu Shaoyun finally found Tsubaki dedicated forge.

"Oh, you've come at just the right time!"

"Hurry up and assist me. The foundation of any blacksmith starts with hammering iron."

As soon as Qu Shaoyun stepped into the forge, Tsubaki immediately dragged him to the forge table, and then a forging hammer was thrown at him.

Having had previous experience at Kate's Blacksmith Shop, Qu Shaoyun caught the small hammer that flew towards him with both hands and exerted full force right from the start.

But even so, the moment the forging hammer landed in his hands...

"Thunk!"

Although the hammer was only slightly larger than a regular-sized hammer, Qu Shaoyun hands were uncontrollable, and the hammer fiercely struck the ground.

"What the fuck!"

With a strength attribute of 9 points, equivalent to an Lv1 S-rank, in a simple test of pure strength, he wouldn't even lose to other adventurers who had just reached Lv2.

But he couldn't even lift the forging hammer in front of him!

The weight of this lump of iron must have exceeded a thousand catties!

"Hahaha!"

"Shaoyun, it seems you still have a long way to go before becoming a qualified blacksmith!"

Seeing Qu Shaoyun's embarrassed state, Tsubaki burst into laughter.

It wasn't meant as a mockery or to assert dominance; it was a way for the master to give her apprentice a reality check and prevent him from getting too ahead of himself.

However, Qu Shaoyun was exceptionally persistent in certain aspects.

Suddenly, he released the forging hammer, stood upright, and made two virtual taps with his right index finger in front of him.

At first, Tsubaki thought he was giving up, but to her surprise, Qu Shaoyun, after stretching his body a bit, suddenly spat in his palm, vigorously rubbed his hands together, and once again bent down to grip the handle of the forging hammer.

"Give me strength!"

With a roaring shout, Qu Shaoyun's veins burst all over his body, and his toes dug into the soles of his shoes.

He actually managed to lift the forging hammer!

Watching this, Chunchun's eyes gleamed brightly, and his body instinctively leaned forward to get a clearer view.

Qu Shaoyun being able to lift her forging hammer far exceeded her expectations.

But under her gaze...

Qu Shaoyun, with the hammer in hand, took heavy steps toward the forging platform!

"Could it be that he intends to...!"

Vaguely guessing what Qu Shaoyun was planning, Tsubaki eyes widened, staring fixedly at him as he walked step by step toward the forging platform.

At this moment, Qu Shaoyun relied on the pent-up energy in his chest to reach the forging platform.

But reaching the forging platform was not his ultimate goal!

Due to his inability to speak, Qu Shaoyun couldn't gather strength through shouting. Instead, he had to release the full force of his 11 points of strength with 120% effectiveness.

Slowly but resolutely, Qu Shaoyun lifted the forging hammer and brought it down with full force on a piece of square iron on the forging platform!

"Ding—!"

The prolonged and resonating sound of metal impact spread throughout the entire forging room.

In reality, the sound produced by this hammer was far from Tsubaki casual strikes. However, due to the intensity of the blow, it shook Tsubaki to the core.

The fact that a Level 1 newcomer who had just received the blessing of the gods could wield the forging hammer of a Level 5 master like her, even if it was the lightest among all her hammers, was enough to be awe-inspiring.

"Not bad, kid! You're truly blessed with divine strength!"

In her overly excited state, Tsubaki slapped Qu Shaoyun's back, nearly making him cough up blood.

Releasing the forging hammer from his hand, Qu Shaoyun quickly took out a bottle of low-level healing potion from his waist, mainly to relieve the strain in his arms.

If he didn't treat it promptly, he would likely feel sore all over tomorrow.

After using up every drop of the test tube, Qu Shaoyun turned back to Tsubaki and rolled her eyes, complaining helplessly, "Captain, I don't want to be the first clan member you beat to death."

This complaint, however, only made Tsubaki burst into laughter.

"I know you came to get equipment from me, and I happen to have one ready."

Tsubaki turned around and took a pitch-black recurve bow from the wall behind her, casually tossing it to Qu Shaoyun.

He raised his hand and caught the flying bow. The texture felt slightly cool, and the total weight of the bow was around 150 pounds. It was slightly heavy in the hand but provided stability.

Compared to the Quilin Bow that came with him through the transmigration, which had definitely served its purpose, as Qu Shaoyun strength grew, it felt like holding a plastic toy, lacking any real sensation.

"This is a little toy I crafted recently. Although it doesn't have any other bonuses, it allows you to adjust the maximum tension of the bowstring. It should be sufficient for you until Level 4."

With Tsubaki reminder, Qu Shaoyun noticed a scale on the side of the bow, with markings from Level 1 to Level 5.

He immediately adjusted it to the Level 2 mark and eagerly pulled the bowstring.

With his full power, he managed to draw the bowstring to half-moon position.

Qu Shaoyun repeatedly shot the bow, and he was extremely satisfied with it.

In a pleasant mood, he couldn't help but ask, "Captain, since the clan can forge magic swords, I wonder if it's possible to forge magic arrows as well?"