Refined Dagger

Kazu and Kazike strolled through the bustling market, the scent of metal and fire wafting through the air. Kazu glanced at the dagger he clutched. "Kazike, are we heading to the smithing shop first?"

"Yes," Kazike replied, nodding. "We'll ask the dwarf there about the kind of weapon you're holding. The name suggests it's exceptionally powerful. It's said to double the wielder's speed."

"Alright," Kazu agreed. "With a name like that, it must be incredibly powerful."

"Save your questions for later," Kazike advised. "I don't know much about it either. Let's consult a smith I know at the market."

As they walked, Kazu asked, "Kazike, can I ask why you didn't invite Bitshu to join us?"

Kazike looked at him, amused. "You're quite young to be asking questions like that."

Kazu's expression turned thoughtful. "Well, Kazike, my birthday is tomorrow."

"Birthday?" Kazike inquired, puzzled.

"Yes, it's the day someone is born. Don't you celebrate birthdays here?" Kazu explained.

"Oh, I see. I didn't realize it was your birthday tomorrow. I'm sorry I don't have a gift for you yet," Kazike said, feeling a pang of guilt. "But you should definitely have a good time with Bitshu."

"It's alright, Kazike. Just make sure you and Bitshu go out together!" Kazu replied cheerfully.

As they arrived at the smithy, Kazike called out, "Murphiette! Where's your father?"

Murphiette, engrossed in her work, looked up. "He's out, but he should be back soon."

"Ah, I see. By the way, this is Kazu, an S-rank adventurer from our guild," Kazike introduced.

"S—S-rank?!" Murphiette's eyes widened in surprise. "Isn't that the highest rank?"

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you," Kazu greeted with a bow.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Murphiette, the smith's daughter. Just call me Murph," she said with a smile.

"Ah, okay, Murph," Kazu replied.

"It's Murph. Not Merph. Just because you're S-rank doesn't mean you can mangle my name!" Murph retorted.

"I'm sorry. I must have misheard. It's Murph then," Kazu apologized, feeling awkward.

Murphiette's father, Renarudo, arrived at that moment. "Kazike? And who's this?"

"Renarudo, this is Kazu, an S-rank from our guild. Kazu, this is Renarudo, the master smith," Kazike introduced.

"S-rank... but he's just a child," Renarudo mused, eyeing Kazu with interest. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Hello, sir," Kazu greeted respectfully.

"So, what brings you here, Kazike?" Renarudo asked.

"Kazu has some questions about a rune stone and his new weapon. Oh, and Kazu, you should learn to talk to people around here so they get to know you," Kazike advised.

"Yes, Kazike," Kazu replied. Turning to Renarudo, he continued, "Sir, we found this rune stone with a [C] symbol. Can you help us understand it?"

Renarudo's eyes widened as he examined the rune stone. "Wait! Where did you get this?! It's one of the rarest and most valuable types of rune stones. How did you acquire it?"

"I found it in a dungeon a few days ago," Kazu explained.

"Found it? You can't just pick up a stone like this. You need a mining skill to obtain such an artifact," Renarudo said incredulously.

"But my mining skill is only level 1," Kazu admitted.

"Level 1?! It's nearly impossible to retrieve a rune stone with such a low skill level. You're incredibly lucky," Renarudo marveled.

"But what does it do?" Kazu asked eagerly.

"There are five types of rune stones. The [C] Combat Rune stone enhances the maximum potential skill and damage of a weapon or armor. For example, if you attach a [C] rune stone to an ordinary dagger, it would double the damage. The [D] Defender Rune stone nullifies skills from F rank to A rank. It also adds up to 50% additional defense. The [A] rune stone is for experience, and the [S] rune stone provides additional skills. Do you understand?" Renarudo explained.

"Somewhat... I really want to learn more," Kazu said, his interest piqued.

"Good. Prepare yourself; I have much more to teach about rune stones," Renarudo said, guiding Kazu to the smithing area.

Three hours later, Kazu's eyes were wide with understanding. "So, the effects of rune stones are: [C] for damage, [D] for defense, [A] for experience, and [S] for additional skills?"

"Exactly! You're very intelligent and quick to remember all this information. No wonder you're an S-rank adventurer," Renarudo praised.

"Aahh... Hehe, it's nothing, Renarudo. Actually, I wanted to make a request for my new weapon. I hope it's okay," Kazu said nervously.

"What kind of weapon is it?" Renarudo asked.

"It's a dagger," Kazu said, handing over the weapon wrapped in soft paper. "It was given to me as a reward for completing a job quest."

"The Wrath of God... This is an artifact without runes. I've heard it enhances the speed of anyone who wields it, but it requires significant mana. Is that correct?" Renarudo inquired.

"Yes, but I didn't know much about the artifact," Kazu confirmed.

Kazike, having fallen asleep, stirred suddenly. "Huh?! What's happening? Who's the enemy? Where are they?!!"

"Kazu... you fell asleep," Kazu said with a laugh.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I must have dozed off. I'll just rest here a bit," Kazike said, settling back down.

Renarudo turned to Kazu. "So, you want to add a rune to this dagger?"

"Yes, please. Is that possible?" Kazu asked.

"Actually, it's expensive to smith an artifact weapon. My fee is 300 gold, as I'm one of the best smiths in the country. But I'll do it for free this time. Just make sure to take good care of the dagger after I'm done," Renarudo said generously.

"Thank you so much!" Kazu said gratefully.

"Alright, give me the rune stone you want to use, and follow me inside so you can see the results," Renarudo said, taking the [C] rune stone from Kazu.

Inside the smithy, Renarudo and Kazu began the smithing process. With the first strike of the hammer, a brilliant light radiated from the dagger. Renarudo continued his work until the rune stone was absorbed into the weapon.

"The light..." Kazu murmured.

"It's done. But I think you might find it difficult to lift due to the rune stone," Renarudo said.

Kazu tested the dagger. "It's a bit heavier, but I can still lift it."

Renarudo examined the situation. "Hmm... This should require a lot of mana to wield. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Kazu picked up the dagger with ease. "Yes, it's not too heavy for me."

Renarudo tried to grasp the dagger but couldn't. "Well, it seems you're exceptionally strong. You can keep it."

"Really? Thank you so much! I finally have my own weapon!" Kazu exclaimed, overjoyed.

Renarudo watched as Kazu left the smithy, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder if he can handle other artifacts I have..."

Back at the shop, Kazike was waiting. "Oh, Kazu, you're back. How's the dagger? You look happy."

"Yes, Kazike! I'm so excited. The smithing is complete!" Kazu said, handing the weapon to Kazike.

Kazike tried to lift it and nearly dropped it. "What is this? It's so heavy... And it shocked me."

"Are you okay, Kazike? What happened?" Kazu asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, but why is it so heavy?" Kazike wondered.

"It was just smithing. I'm not sure why it's like this," Kazu replied.

Notification:

[God level artifact recognized: Wrath of God]

[Item skill]

Allows the holder to move at the speed of light for 2 minutes. 10 minutes cooldown.

Inflicts an additional 100% of damage to target.

Kazu's eyes widened in amazement. "Item skill?! Even items have skills?! I think I understand now..."

Kazike glanced at him, puzzled. "Kazu, I need to head home now. I've got a lot to do today. You can manage on your own, right?"

"Ah, yes, I can manage," Kazu replied, eager to test the dagger. "Speed of light... I'll have to try that later."

"Alright, take care. And happy birthday in advance!" Kazike called as he left.

"Thank you, Kazike!" Kazu said, waving goodbye as he eagerly anticipated the adventures ahead.