The Rusty Dagger’s Secret
Morning came quickly.
Leo stretched as he sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.
> Leo: "Alright, time to check what I've got."
He opened his inventory, scrolling through the items he had collected so far.
His eyes landed on a certain item—
> [Rusty Dagger – Quest Item]
Condition: Severely damaged
Objective: Find a blacksmith capable of repairing it.
Leo tilted his head.
> Leo: "Oh right, I got this from that NPC starting quest in the starter village… but I couldn't repair it because there were no blacksmiths there."
Now that he was in Derek Village, where many blacksmiths operated, it was finally time to test this beta quest!
He jumped out of bed, grabbed his gear, and turned to his floating companion, Ralf.
> Leo: "Alright, Ralf. Let's go repair this thing."
> Ralf: (๑•́ ₃ •̀๑)
---
Searching for a Blacksmith
The village streets were busy as Leo walked around, passing various shops and players.
It wasn't long before he spotted a large forge with smoke rising from its chimney—a blacksmith's workshop.
> [Blacksmith – Ironjaw Forge]
Leo stepped inside, approaching a burly, muscular NPC with a thick beard who was hammering away at a sword.
Blacksmith: "Welcome, traveler. Need something repaired?"
> Leo: "Yeah, can you fix this?"
He placed the Rusty Dagger on the counter.
The blacksmith frowned, picking it up and examining it closely.
A quest notification appeared.
> [Checking Item Condition…]
[Blacksmith cannot repair this item!]
Leo blinked.
Blacksmith: "Sorry, but this dagger's beyond my skill. You'll need someone with greater expertise."
> Leo: "Huh?"
---
Trying Every Blacksmith in Town…
Leo went from one blacksmith to another.
Each time, the same result.
Every single blacksmith shook their head, saying they couldn't repair it.
After the fifth failed attempt, Leo sighed, looking at his quest again.
That's when he finally noticed the objective:
> [Find a blacksmith capable of repairing the Rusty Dagger.]
> Leo: "…Oh. So that's why it says 'find a blacksmith' instead of 'repair it' right away."
> Ralf: (๑´•_ • `๑) [sad emote]
Leo rubbed his forehead.
> Leo: "This is definitely a beta version quest. It's not gonna be as simple as just handing it to any blacksmith."
Looks like he had another mystery to solve…
But where could he find the right blacksmith?
Leo sighed, standing outside the last blacksmith's shop in Derek Village.
> Leo: "This quest is so damn hard…"
Every blacksmith in the village had given him the same answer—none of them could repair the Rusty Dagger.
Even though he expected beta version quests to be different, this was on another level.
> Ralf: (⊙﹏⊙✿) [Confused emote]
> Leo: "Yeah, I know, Ralf. I thought this would be simple too…"
Just as he was about to leave, the blacksmith behind him suddenly called out.
Blacksmith: "Hey, kid! Wait a second!"
Leo paused, turning back.
> Leo: "Huh? What now?"
The blacksmith crossed his arms, looking at the dagger one last time before nodding to himself.
Blacksmith: "Why do you want to get this old thing repaired anyway?"
> Leo: "It's a quest item. Why else?"
Blacksmith: "Figures… But if that's the case, why haven't you visited Brake yet?"
Leo blinked.
> Leo: "…Who?"
Blacksmith: "Brake. He's a retired blacksmith who used to be the best in Derek Village. If there's anyone who can restore that dagger, it's him."
Leo's eyes lit up.
> Leo: "Wait, wait, wait… You're saying there's actually someone who CAN fix it?"
Blacksmith: "Maybe. The old man retired years ago, but I think… if he sees that dagger, he might just help you. He still has the heart of a blacksmith—his forge is just waiting to be lit again."
Leo stared at the blacksmith, then down at the dagger in his hands.
A thought crossed his mind.
> Leo: "Is this another beta version secret? Am I the only one who even knows about this?"
If this was a normal quest, it would've just been 'Go to a blacksmith and repair the dagger.'
But instead, it was leading him to a hidden NPC…
Leo grinned.
> Leo: "Alright! Time to find this guy!"
He turned to his tiny companion.
> Leo: "Let's go, Ralf!"
> Ralf: (≧◡≦) [Excited emote]
With new determination, Leo set off to find Brake, the retired blacksmith!