──────?????──────

  [ Achievement: Rapid Learner ]

  [ You have grasped the essence of a Life Profession in record time. ]

  [ Reward: Trait [ Fluid Mind ] ]

  ──────?????──────

  [ Skill Acquired: Basic Smelting (Lv. 1) ]

  [ Skill Acquired: Basic Forging (Lv. 1) ]

  [ Skill Acquired: Heat Resistance (Passive) (Lv. 1) ]

  ──────?????──────

  [ Conditions Met. ]

  [ Class Unlocked: Blacksmith (Apprentice) ]

  [ Rewards: Blueprints of Basic Iron Sword; Whetstone; Repair Kit (Basic) ]

  ──────?????──────

  [ Note: Due to 'Architect's Insight' title effect, crafting proficiency gain is increased by 20%. ]

  ──────?????──────

  Ryn dismissed the notifications with a thought.

  'Fluid Mind... that will help with the mental fatigue,' he noted.

  He checked the time.

  [ Global Launch Countdown: 32:12 ]

  He had the skills. He had the teacher's approval. Now, he needed to secure the inventory.

  "Teacher," Ryn said, his voice turning serious. "Since I've mastered the basics... can I use the forge to make something of my own?"

  "Make whatever you want, lad!" Boldar grinned. "The forge is yours! Do you need materials? I can spare some iron ingots."

  "No need to waste good iron yet," Ryn said. He turned his gaze toward a dusty corner of the shop. "Actually... do you have any broken swords? The ones you can't repair?"

  Boldar raised an eyebrow, confused. "Scrap? Sure, I have a pile of rusted junk in the back waiting to be melted down. But why would you want that trash?"

  Ryn's lips curled into a faint, confident smile.

  "Master, do you want to get rich?"

  "Huh? Of course? Why wouldn't I?" Boldar replied, scratching his bald head with a confused frown. "A smith always needs coin for better steel. But why are you asking me that?"

  "You will see it later," Ryn replied, a mysterious smirk tugging at his lips.

  'It's time to start grinding.' He grabbed the first rusted blade from the scrap pile.

  To anyone else, it was garbage. But Ryn didn't need a system skill to tell him how to fix it. His eyes, trained by years of survival in the Tower, scanned the metal. He spotted the stress fracture near the hilt instantly.

  He didn't need to forge a new sword from scratch. He just needed to heat it, hammer out the invisible crack, sharpen the edge, and so on.

  Clang. Clang. Hiss.

  Sparks flew. Ryn moved with a rhythm that defied his Level 1 status. The [ Fluid Mind ] trait quietly did its job, keeping his focus razor-sharp as he stripped the rust, aligned the grain, and wrapped the hilt in cheap leather scraps.

  Boldar watched from the side, initially skeptical. But as the pile of "trash" turned into a row of gleaming, serviceable weapons, his jaw went slack.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  "You're a wizard, lad," Boldar muttered, shaking his head. "A damn metal wizard."

  Ryn wiped the sweat from his brow.

  He then checked the counter. Thirty refurbished swords. Fifty basic repair kits.

  "We're ready," Ryn said.

  ________ ___ _

  [ Global Launch Countdown: 00:00:00 ]

  [ Welcome to The Convergence. ]

  Across the new world, in every designated beginner village, millions of pillars of blue light erupted from the ground. It looked like a reverse rainstorm of pure Arcanum.

  The same went for the Naven Village.

  When the light faded, the empty square was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with players. They wore the standard linen tunics, looking around with wide eyes, marveling at the hyper-realistic graphics and the smell of the air.

  "Whoa! Look at the textures!"

  "I'm finally in!"

  "Where's the quest giver?"

  The chaos began immediately.

  "Move! I'm gonna be the first to Level 10!"

  "Party looking for Healer! DM me!"

  "Does this game have fall damage?" (Someone immediately jumped off the fountain to test it).

  As predicted, the vast majority of the mob, the "Noobs", checked their mini-maps, saw the red dots marking monsters in the forest, and stampeded toward the village gates like a herd of buffalo, waving their flimsy training swords.

  However, amidst the chaos, a few heads turned the other way.

  "Yo! What is up, my Glitch-Goblins! It is your boy, Sir_Lags_A_Lot, the 'Bug Hunter', coming at you LIVE!"

  A young man with bright green hair and a floating camera drone hovering over his shoulder was shouting to an invisible audience.

  "We are doing the 'Blacksmith Rush' strat today! While those noobs are out there breaking their wooden sticks on Slimes, we are gonna secure a real weapon! Let's go!"

  The famous Holotuber, followed by a dozen other veterans who had done their research, weaved through the confused crowd. They sprinted toward the heavy iron sign of [ The Anvil & Hammer ].

  They burst through the door of the smithy, panting.

  The streamer didn't waste time looking around. He sprinted straight to the counter where Boldar stood. He opened the shop interface instantly.

  "Alright, let's see, ugh." The streamer grimaced, broadcasting the item stats to his viewers. "Standard Iron Sword. 50 Coins. 15 Durability. That's awful. That's gonna break in like, two combos."

  He closed the window, looking for alternatives. That was when he noticed the secondary counter set up right next to the main one.

  Ryn stood there, wearing the leather apron, arms crossed. He had a row of refurbished weapons laid out on the wood.

  The streamer stepped over, treating Ryn like just another shop assistant, and inspected the goods.

  ──────?????──────

  [ Refurbished Iron Sword (Common) ]

  [ Damage: 3-5 ]

  [ Durability: 25/25 ]

  [ Price: 40 Bronze Coins ]

  ──────?????──────

  "Whoa, chat, look at this!" The streamer's eyes lit up. "Ten extra durability points? And it's cheaper? This is the meta pick right here."

  He leaned in, putting on his best charming smile.

  "Hey there, friend. 40 coins is a bit steep for a fresh adventurer, don't you think? How about a 'First Customer' discount? Say... 30 coins?"

  Ryn looked at him, his expression flat.

  "The price is on the tag," Ryn said, his voice calm but dismissing. "If you don't like it, the door is behind you. There are plenty of wooden sticks in the forest for free."

  The streamer blinked, taken aback by the blunt refusal. He hesitated for a split second. 40 coins were most of his starting capital. But in a race, durability was time, and time was everything.

  "Fine, you win," the streamer grumbled, slapping his coins on the counter. "I'll take it."

  "Pleasure doing business," Ryn said, sliding the weapon over.

  That was the first wave. The veterans saw the stats, did the math, and realized Ryn's stock was superior to the system-generated junk. They emptied their pockets without complaint. Ryn sold more than ten swords in the first five minutes.

  But the real flood came thirty minutes later.

  Just as Ryn had predicted, the "Noobs" came limping back from the forest. Their linen tunics were torn. Their HP bars were flashing red. And most importantly, their hands were empty.

  "My sword broke!" one player whined, holding a shattered hilt.

  "I hit a Rock Turtle, and my dagger snapped in half!"

  "Hey, Blacksmith! Sell me a sword!"

  The mob pushed toward Boldar, only to stop in dismay.

  "I'm out of the cheap iron blades," Boldar grunted, crossing his massive arms. "Only have the Steel Series left. The cheapest is 200 Coins."

  "200?!" The crowd roared in despair. "We only have like 10 coins left!"

  Panic set in. They couldn't farm without weapons. They couldn't make money without farming. They were soft-locked within the first hour of the game.

  Then, someone spotted the wooden board Ryn had leaned against his side of the counter.

  [ RYN'S REPAIR SHOP & BARGAIN BIN ]

  [ We Fix What You Broke. ]

  [ Repair Kits: 10 Coins. Refurbished Swords: 40 Coins. ]

  The realization hit the crowd like a lightning bolt. They didn't need to buy the expensive 200-coin swords. They could just fix the ones they broke!

  It was a stampede.

  "Me! Me first!"

  "I have 10 coins! Fix my dagger!"

  "Please, sell me a sword! I can't kill the rabbits with my fists!"

  Ryn stood behind the counter, watching the coins flow into his inventory like a digital river. Boldar was beside him, laughing heartily as he handled the forge while Ryn handled the sales and repairs.

  [ Funds: 50 Bronze Coins ]

  [ Funds: 450 Bronze Coins ]

  [ Funds: 1,200 Bronze Coins ]

  [ Funds: 2,500 Bronze Coins ]

  ...

  In less than an hour, Ryn hadn't killed a single monster. Yet, he was currently the richest player in Naven Village. Or perhaps in the entire game!

  He picked up a coin, flipping it in the air.

  "Mission completed," Ryn whispered. "Then, it's time to level up now."