7 - Once in-a-gamelife chance!

It was noon on the starting island. The sound of hammering woke Dexter from his deep slumber.

'I'm still in the game...'

He stood up and stretched. After jumping and shaking off his drowsiness, he glanced at the old blacksmith, who was busy hammering on his anvil.

"You're awake... How was your sleep, kid?" the blacksmith asked, not pausing his work.

"It was good! You got anything for breakfast?"

"It's already noon, go catch some fish and cook it. I could go for some grilled fish myself..."

Dexter caught and cooked plenty of fresh fish before bringing it to the old man. They ate just like last time—laughing and arguing.

"What's your name, kid?"

"I'm FlyHig—I mean, Dexter... How about you, old man?" Dexter said between bites.

"I'm Gridlock..."

'Yeah, I know... Better act innocent. Or... should I act like I know him?'

Dexter smiled so wickedly that even Gridlock frowned at his expression.

"You mean, the legendary Gridlock?! The one who... the one they call the Deity of All Weapons?!"

"Bah! You're praising me too much, kid!" Gridlock couldn't help but smile at Dexter's flattery.

"The one who... the one who annihilated... thousands of invading... enemies?! Gridlock the Thousand Arms?!"

"Not thousands—millions, kid! And what's this 'Thousand Arms' nonsense?"

"They call you Gridlock the Thousand Arms back on our original continent!"

"So you came from there?! How did news of me reach that far? I thought no one could return after coming to Eldrion..." Gridlock frowned in confusion.

"Is that important? We've got a new land to conquer! We can start fresh here!"

'Good thing I know this game's lore. I can spin a story that might just be believable.' Dexter chuckled to himself.

"With your pathetic skills, you want to conquer this new world? Are you insane?" Gridlock scoffed.

"Hey, don't be like that, old man! Can't you see I've been swinging my sword every day? I'm improving, you know..."

"Bah! That wouldn't even be enough to survive the Warring Kingdoms! You'd better focus on crafting... Fighting isn't for you."

Dexter's eyes trembled. He knew he was never good at fighting, but living as a crafter wasn't an option either. This world he was in now was just the tutorial—if even this place was harsh, how could he survive the Ludiversum?

Gridlock studied his expression—the look of someone desperate to break free from mediocrity. Over the past few days, he'd seen Dexter's determination to grow stronger, even without proper guidance.

"Tell me, kid... Why do you want to fight?" Gridlock asked.

"Because... it's the only way I'll survive long enough to see my sister again." Dexter met Gridlock's gaze without flinching.

Gridlock stood, walked to the window, and sighed.

"Learn to become a True Crafter first... Then, I'll teach you how to wield your weapon properly."

[!!!]

[Newbie Guide (Unique): Learn from The Forgotten #1 (Updated)]

[The Deity of All Equipment – 'Gridlock']

[Craft Crude Sword (Masterpiece): 0/1]

[Craft Crude Shield (Masterpiece): 0/1]

[Reward: Become the successor of The Deity of All Equipment.]

Dexter's eyes widened in shock. He immediately knelt before Gridlock and exclaimed,

"Thank you, Master!"

"Don't call me 'Master' yet," Gridlock grumbled. "I haven't accepted you as my apprentice. Focus on crafting first. We'll talk once you've made something worthy of my time."

Dexter kowtowed once more before rushing out of the hut in excitement to gather his materials. Strangely, he had forgotten the blade he had previously crafted—unaware that it was already of Masterpiece grade. Only the hilt was lacking; if perfected, it would become a complete Masterpiece-grade crude sword.

…

Weeks passed, and Dexter continually revised his plans. His original intention to hunt a Mammoth Calf was postponed—skill issue—and his trip to the Small Village was canceled due to the unexpected New Guide: Deity of All Equipment. Now, his sole focus was crafting Masterpiece-grade equipment to earn Gridlock's apprenticeship.

Drenched in sweat, Dexter's once-fair skin had tanned under the furnace's relentless heat. He was learning traditional smithing but had to infuse mana into the stone—without it, the material was too brittle.

'Treat this as my last material... If it breaks, I'm finished.'

Over the past week, he had forged thousands of blades. Nearly 5% reached Masterpiece quality, but that wasn't enough. He aimed for perfection—every blade had to be flawless.

It took him two months to consistently craft 100% Masterpiece blades, another full month to perfect the hilts, and a final week to unite them into a single Masterpiece Crude Sword.

Now, with the fundamentals mastered, crafting a Masterpiece Crude Shield came far more easily.

[!!!]

[Newbie Guide (Unique): Learn from The Forgotten #1 [✓]]

"Old man! I've got Masterpiece sword and shield now!"

Gridlock inspected Dexter's work, his face breaking into a satisfied smile.

"Now I think you're ready for better equipment. Go get these materials." Gridlock then handed him a list.

[!!!]

[Newbie Guide (Unique): Learn from The Forgotten #2 [_]]

[Tier II Leather: 0/50]

[Tier II Metal Bar: 0/50]

[Tier II Cloth: 0/50]

[Tier II Plank: 0/50]

'Here it is... The real beginning of the tutorial...'

Dexter walked out eagerly, pushing the gate open to reveal two bandits waiting ahead.

'Long time no see, my XP.'

"Hey idiots, let's fight!"

The two bandits froze in astonishment but immediately drew their weapons.

"You've got nice gear there, kid. Hand it over and we might let you leave with just your loincloth intact."

Dexter's new Masterpiece equipment filled him with confidence—a far cry from his previous encounters.

In one swift motion, he lunged at the first bandit, bringing his sword down in a powerful overhead slash. The bandit raised his blade to block, but Dexter's sword sliced through it like butter—and kept going straight through the man's torso, cleaving him in two.

'Just as I thought. Tier I mobs are nothing when you're properly equipped.'

The second bandit stood frozen in shock—he'd never seen someone bisected by a single slash. As he turned to flee, Dexter effortlessly lopped off his head.

After looting the corpses, Dexter strode proudly toward the glowing portal.

[Proceed to Small Village? Y/N]

'No warning about not being able to return this time.'

With a satisfied grin, he selected Yes—and the portal swallowed him whole.