I returned to the guild building and received my reward of 5 silver coins. I also sold the F-rank monster cores for 13 silver coins, which wasn't bad, and stored them in my [Inventory].
I hadn't expected to finish this mission so easily, so I didn't have any further plans for the day. I thought I could take some time to look for a good weapon since I lost my previous one in the battle, and fighting with a dagger was unwise since I didn't have proficiency in handling one.
"I need a good Starter Weapon."
Starter Weapon was the term the [Doomed Fantasy] community used for any good weapon suitable for beginners. There were many Starter Weapons that could be found in Iterium, but only one was the best—the one that only I knew about.
"I need the Sword of Beginning."
Originally, I planned to collect the Sword of Beginning after I got a little stronger, but I changed my mind after fighting the goblins. I needed many materials to collect for the sword, and I needed a sword to collect them.
Eeerr—Dlatzi's Blacksmith was a well-known blacksmith in the city, and everyone knew about it. When I entered, the lights from many shiny weapons and armors dazzled my eyes. I was tempted to steal a weapon, but the trauma I had from the karma system made me do otherwise.
"Hello, customer, how can I help you?"
Philip Dlatzi was the owner of the shop. He seemed old because of his white beard and hair, but his huge body made age just a number.
"Hi, I'm looking for a normal sword. How much does one cost?" I asked.
"Sorry, but we don't have any normal swords left. Do you mind receiving the sword tomorrow?"
"It's okay. How much is it?"
"A normal sword is about 1 gold. Do you want it?"
In this world, a gold coin is equivalent to 10 silver coins, and I had the money thanks to the mission I completed. But before I accepted the offer, I asked, "I'm sorry, but can I ask a strange question?"
"Sure?"
"Do you have any apprentices?"
"Yes, I do."
"Can I see him?"
"Fine. JAMES, come here, a customer wants to see you."
Philip shouted the name with an authoritative voice. James came from the back, charcoal dust all over his face and body.
"Hi, what is the matter?" said James.
I looked at James's attire and cracked a smile. I tried to control my smile to avoid causing any disturbance and said, "Is it possible for him to forge my weapon?"
"Yes, but I won't charge less just because he is an apprentice," said Philip.
"No, no, in fact, I'll pay 5 silver coins more, just so he will be the one to forge my weapon."
"Wait, really?" said James, excitedly.
"I promise that James can forge your normal sword without any problem for tomorrow," said Philip with a smile.
"No problem," I said.
'It's my win.' There was a reason why I chose James to forge my weapon. In my many attempts to finish [Doomed Fantasy], I stumbled upon many characters, and among them, some were special. James Dlatzi, or should I say the Enchanting Smith. He learned his smithing skills with the help of Philip, his father, but his Special Skill made him a famous blacksmith. And that Special Skill was [Enhance]. With this ability, one could add additional properties to a weapon.
Of course, he was still a novice, and his skills weren't as strong as they would be in the future, but it was somewhat better than a normal, normal sword.
I left the blacksmith after paying for the sword, happily. The sun was still high in the sky, which meant I had plenty of time until night. I needed to do something before heading back to the inn.
A dark alley that nobody would dare to cross if they knew about its owner. The walls were covered with many writings that I couldn't decipher no matter how much I looked at them. At the end of this creepy alley was a bar, and that bar was my destination.
I entered the building with a straight, emotionless face. There were many people with a dangerous aura inside the bar, and some guys were wrestling in a corner. They were all chatting and speaking to each other, and no one cared about my appearance. I walked to the bartender's table at the front and sat calmly.
"What's a kid like you doing here?" asked the bartender.
"Have you ever seen a dragon? I have one under my pillow," I said while staring into the bartender's eyes.
The bar suddenly quieted down. The shocked look on the bartender's face assured me about the password.
"W-well, that is a strange thing to say. What do you want?"
"I want to see the executive."
"Sorry, but the executive isn't present."
"Don't play with me." I tried to add a little hostility to my face to scare the bartender.
"O-okay, come with me."
He then led me to a different area over a secure contraption.
"Wait here," said the bartender.
Moonlit Shard was an organization filled with highly professional thieves from all around the world. They weren't very famous at the start of the game, but they were going to shake the whole continent.
I was once a part of the Moonlit Shard organization and held a very high position in it too. But I always died in completely random and unfair ways, such as traps. At the time, I thought it might be my bad luck, but later I found out about the Karma System and distanced myself from anything illegal.
Step, Step—the bartender returned with a person beside him. On the computer graphic, I couldn't see the characters' faces, but after seeing her face, I knew who she was.
"It's a pleasure to talk with Silence Wind," I said, smiling.
"I didn't know I was a famous person," she said while trying to hide her surprise. Of course, she couldn't hide it from me.
"I know everyone." Of course, I didn't know every Moonlit Shard executive, but she was my companion when I was part of the organization, so I knew her very well.
"What do you want? I'm sure you know we don't play around with a kid like you."
"Of course, I'm not playing around either." I gazed at the bartender standing beside her to make him leave us alone.
"You can go. I can handle myself."
"Yes, executive," said the bartender.
I waited for the bartender to leave us. I was about to share important information with a huge price, so I couldn't risk losing that information to a cheap bartender. The room quieted down as we stared at each other. I said,
"I want something, and I have some information to exchange for it."
"What do you want?" she replied with a serious look.
"I want a Leaf of Life."
Leaf of Life was an item I needed to collect the Sword of Beginning. In a forbidden forest exists a location with elven residents who protect the Tree of Life. The legend says one could acquire longevity by consuming its leaf like an Elf. Of course, it was impossible for me to get that life, as I wasn't even level 10, so I needed to get it from someone else. I could get a Leaf of Life from another location, but Moonlit was the easiest and closest option.
"Ha-HAHAHA, how does a kid like you possess information worth a Leaf of Life?!"
Amid her character-breaking laughter, I smiled softly, looked down at my hand, and replied, "I know the location of The Dagger of Illusion."
The silence following my statement was so assuring that I didn't need to look at her face anymore.
"How can I trust you?"
"You don't need to. But what if my information is correct? Can you possibly miss the chance of inheriting the whole organization simply by not trusting me?"
"You know I could find you, right?"
"I know it pretty well."
The Dagger of Illusion is one of the 13 Heroic-Grade weapons created by the first dwarf king. The dagger was stolen soon after its creation by the Moonlit Shard founder, and everyone who owns it will be the next leader, no matter who they are.
And I knew she wouldn't deny my offer. "Fine, you win. Here is your Leaf of Life."
She took a green leaf from the necklace around her neck. I knew she had it since it was her first stolen item.
"The dagger is located in the Astral Mountain Region, close to the Valed City. There is a sleeping silver dragon who has been asleep due to the dagger that pierced its eyes and is staying there. You can find the dragon if you look around with ease."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am." After all, I was the one who found it when I was playing the game.
I left the bar and headed toward the tavern to sleep. Thankfully, no one followed me.
I didn't have any stress thanks to my [Save & Reset], as I could retry by using a single word.
It was joyful for me since I could speak to a character freely. Although [Doomed Fantasy] had many paths to choose as a player, one couldn't go beyond the fabric of the game even if you knew the information.