Chapter 9
Tutorial Hall of Fame 200 points.
It was surprising enough that a user had finally surpassed 200 points, but there was something even more astonishing.
The legendary job quest.
He had received the legendary job quest — something only two users had ever obtained before.
And he got it in a far shorter time than the previous two.
“How did he even get this? The tutorial’s vigilante captain gave him a legendary quest? Has that always existed?”
The vigilante captain was a famous NPC in the tutorial.
He was the NPC who gave the first quests to users, but also the one known for giving rather stingy rewards.
He gave various rewards depending on different possible outcomes to show the tutorial’s freedom of quest choice — but those rewards were usually very ordinary.
Even after clearing quests where better rewards would be expected, he only gave mediocre ones.
“What? He even got a crafting hammer?”
“Until now, blacksmith users only got a few materials at best, right?”
Of course, those materials were considered pretty decent rewards.
The tutorial zone was full of many hidden rewards.
There were even rewards the developers didn’t know about, uncovered only by top-tier users.
But until now, blacksmith users had all received similar rewards.
Slightly higher grade materials.
Materials somewhat difficult for beginners to acquire.
Starlight, currently competing for the top spot in the crafting rankings, also received quite good rewards — but no hammer.
“What did ‘Crafted Well’ get?”
‘Crafted Well’ was also a famous user in the crafting community.
“He got amethyst powder.”
“Amethyst powder is a material specialized for alchemy. It’s good, but just about that level.”
Even ‘Crafted Well,’ who had scored high points in the Hall of Fame, only got amethyst powder as a reward from the vigilante captain.
“What about ‘InClassic’?”
“InClassic didn’t start in crafting at the beginning. I believe he got a sword.”
The crafting scene was highly competitive.
There was no overwhelming first place, and users were competing fiercely to reach the top.
InClassic and Starlight were the top-tier players, and Crafted Well was in the top 10.
“Hmmm.”
Even these top players hadn’t received the crafting hammer — but Jinwoo did.
The deputy director quickly read more of Kim Nayoon’s report.
The contents were full of surprises.
“I didn’t think he’d create something shocking this fast.”
They expected that Jinwoo, as the qualified user, would do interesting things.
But they never expected such unprecedented things so soon.
Tens of millions of users had received quests from the vigilante captain, but no one had received such a reward before.
“Plus the legendary quest. That’s really the most unbelievable part. He’s the first to get a legendary job from the tutorial.”
“Yes, that’s right. Currently, two users in crafting have the legendary job, but both got the quest after surpassing level 200, and after their 2nd and 3rd job advancements.”
When those users were actively playing and getting legendary jobs, Jinwoo got the legendary job quest right from the tutorial.
The difference was overwhelming.
“Was the condition for receiving the legendary quest in the tutorial being a qualified user? Unlike other jobs, synchronization rate seems especially important for blacksmiths.”
“That is likely, but we’re not sure. More info is needed.”
The deputy director’s comment was answered by the nearby staff.
“Keep monitoring. Report immediately! Make him a special user right now!”
Special users were those specially managed by NewGene.
NewGene obviously couldn’t monitor all 100 million users.
So they selected special users to focus monitoring efforts.
Most were users on the rankings, but Jinwoo was the first to become a special user starting right in the tutorial.
They were always at the forefront of NewGene’s main quests or other quests, so if any problems arose, they could be quickly detected.
Also, by monitoring them, NewGene could steer updates and patches effectively.
“Yes, I’ll make him a special user immediately.”
“This is the first time, right? Someone getting special user status this quickly.”
After the deputy director left, Kim Nayoon’s coworker said,
“Yes. But somehow I feel there will be more surprises.”
Firsts, the very first.
Somehow it felt like this would become Jinwoo’s trademark.
“I might need to stock up on some calming pills.”
Having earned Rodrum’s recognition and a free pass to the forge, Jinwoo practically lived at the smithy from that day on.
Bang! Bang!
“I can use as many materials as I want!”
Rodrum’s forge had plenty of materials.
Of course, none were extraordinary.
They were common materials suitable for Ruten, one of the beginner villages.
Naturally, what you can do in a beginner village is limited.
And users don’t stay in beginner villages long anyway.
Meeting and interacting with other players quickly was important in NewGene.
Especially forming parties was crucial.
To level up quickly, you needed to party up to get experience bonuses — a recommended strategy in NewGene guides.
But none of that mattered to Jinwoo. He was happy just to use various materials.
“Making good equipment with good materials is easy.”
But making good equipment from ordinary materials required skill.
“That’s what makes it fun.”
“Well then, I’ll use them freely.”
The grades of materials didn’t matter to Jinwoo.
What mattered most was that he could make whatever he wanted.
“Let’s go.”
Clang clang!
Bang!
Jinwoo began hammering.
The crafting process was tricky and difficult, but he already had the feel for it.
“I kind of get it.”
Ordinary materials began transforming into good equipment in Jinwoo’s hands.
Equipment crafted!
C-grade equipment crafted!
C+ grade equipment crafted!
“I think I can reduce the time a bit more.”
Jinwoo refined his accuracy steadily.
Craftsmanship stat increased!
Craftsmanship stat rose quickly along with the stack of equipment.
Bang! Bang!
After making five pieces of equipment in one day,
Level increased!
From level 1 to 2.
Jinwoo’s level rose.
“No need to hunt. I can level up just by crafting.”
But Jinwoo didn’t realize how difficult it was to level up by making five pieces of equipment.
The next day,
The apprentice who was Jinwoo’s disciple stayed up all night making a sword as his assignment from Rodrum.
“Even after staying up all night, I couldn’t finish it.”
Making one piece of equipment took a lot of time, and it was exhausting, so continuous crafting was impossible.
Whoosh…
“What’s this?”
It was still early morning, so Rodrum, the master, should have still been asleep.
But the heat could be felt.
Inside, the heat greeted the apprentice.
“Jinwoo-nim, working hard this early… huh? Oh?”
The apprentice’s face showed surprise.
“What is this…?”
There was a pile of equipment next to Jinwoo.
“Wait, this isn’t just early morning work…”
The number of equipment was unbelievable.
“Did you make all of these yourself? All in one day?”
“Yes. Unfortunately, I had to stop because I ran out of materials. Is there any left in the warehouse?”
The apprentice was shocked.
There should have been quite a few materials left.
But Jinwoo used them all.
And he must have been very tired.
“To have used so many materials…”
That wasn’t all that shocked him.
“No, the quality… How did you do this?”
The materials used were all familiar to the apprentice.
He knew all the materials in the forge, so this was even harder to understand.
How could such results come from those materials?
“How did you do it?”
The apprentice had no choice but to ask.
“This isn’t crafting, it’s alchemy-level.”
At those words, Jinwoo laughed.
“I want to try alchemy too.”
The apprentice’s mouth dropped open.
A guy who crafts like alchemy—if he starts alchemy, how amazing would that be?
“I’m just joking.”
But it didn’t sound like a joke at all.
“Phew.”
The user Haram was unintentionally hammering away making equipment daily.
“Even if I craft all day, it’s hard to make one piece.”
He could make daggers if he tried.
But other equipment required crafting skills, because skill-based bonuses were needed.
“First, I have to make something to improve my skills.”
He was still dizzy from the shocking things he had seen at Rodrum’s forge.
So his footsteps led back there again.
“I’ll give it a shot. If I show sincerity, maybe they’ll teach me skills.”
Bang!
Jinwoo was still there.
Seeing Haram, Jinwoo waved.
“Hello.”
“Oh, hi.”
He didn’t expect a greeting.
“!”
While greeting Jinwoo and watching his crafting, Haram noticed the pile nearby.
“Did you make all of those?”
It was just over three days.
More than 20 pieces of equipment in three days?
Haram, who was level 5, barely made one a day.
“What level are you?”
“I reached 3 today.”
“Three? Really?”
Haram was level 5 — two levels higher.
“You only leveled up through crafting?”
Crafting gave experience too.
But since crafting was difficult, leveling through crafting took a lot of time.
Hunting was much more efficient.
Haram had heard that most blacksmith users leveled by hunting anyway.
You needed to level up to get better stats, and better stats helped craft better equipment.
But Jinwoo didn’t hunt.
He leveled up purely through crafting.
“Yes.”
He reached level 3 and had already made so much equipment.
“So you made all of this in three days?”
“No. This is today’s work.”
“What?”
But the answer surprised Haram.
“All of this was made in one day?”
“Yes.”
It wasn’t three days of work — just one day’s.
How on earth?
“How is that possible? You don’t have eight hands, just two.”
“Yes, but I don’t use hands only.”
“What?”
“I use my mind and stats too.”
“?”
“I have a special skill to multiply my crafting power by twenty times.”
Jinwoo explained quietly.
“You’re joking.”
“No. I can use my mental power to enhance the speed and precision of crafting.”
He hadn’t told Haram everything.
There was also the dimension pocket storing materials, and the special skills.
“Well… that’s amazing.”
Haram nodded respectfully.
He was starting to believe Jinwoo was a genius.
“Since you’re so good, will you make me something?”
“Sure.”
Jinwoo smiled.
“If you want, I’ll make you equipment as much as you want.”
