Stuck in Noobsville

"A Blacksmith? In This Economy?"

Alright. Small problem.

The hidden quest I just unlocked said:

> Quest: Restore the Old Dagger

Objective: Find a blacksmith capable of repairing the Rusty Dagger.

Great. Fantastic. Except for one tiny issue.

There isn't a single blacksmith in this entire village.

I stared at the NPC, half-expecting him to start laughing and say, "Just kidding, I can fix it myself!"

But nope. He just stood there, smiling like a man who had offloaded a lifelong regret onto a complete stranger and felt really good about it.

I turned on my map. Maybe I just missed the blacksmith's shop?

Nope. Confirmed.

There is no blacksmith.

Not a single forge, hammer, or anvil in sight.

"This… is insane," I muttered.

How does a town exist without a blacksmith? Who fixes farming tools? Who sharpens weapons? Who even runs this place?!

I turned back to the NPC, squinting.

"...Are you messing with me?"

He just kept smiling.

"Who Designed This Dump?"

Lioran Village wasn't just some random town.

This was the beginner village—the first settlement every player spawns into.

And it was barebones as hell.

A couple of merchants.

An inn.

Some guards that don't actually do anything.

And a handful of NPCs wandering around, pretending they have lives.

But you know what it didn't have?

A single goddamn blacksmith.

It wasn't even like they forgot to add one. The town wasn't designed to have one at all.

It was like the devs got halfway through making the village and went:

"Eh, close enough."

I sighed. "So… what now?"

"Just Leave, Right? Oh Wait—I'm Trapped."

____

The obvious solution?

Just go to the next town and find a blacksmith there.

Except.

I couldn't.

Because of restrictions.

See, every new player had to complete a checklist before they could leave the beginner village:

✔ Reach Level 5

✔ Pass the Beginner's Exam

✔ Get an Adventurer License

✔ Select a Class

Until then, I was locked in this village.

And if I left early, I'd lose:

❌ Free beginner gear (basically free money)

❌ Early game stat boosts (which I absolutely needed)

❌ Access to class selection (which, y'know, is kinda important)

Basically, if I tried to run off now, I'd soft-lock myself out of a good start.

So, for now?

The hidden quest had to wait.

I sighed and marked it as pending.

____

"Fine. I'll Just Level Up First."

If I was stuck here, I might as well grind some levels.

At least that part was simple.

I turned toward the training field outside the village—where every newbie's first victim awaited.

The legendary...

Training Slime.