Chapter 2: Trait: Humble Apprentice
“Become a Blacksmith Apprentice!”
Seeing the golden text appear before him, Roland, his heart filled with joy, didn't hesitate for a moment.
Since he could hold multiple positions, it didn't matter which profession he chose first.
He wasn't currently aware of the attribute and skill requirements for other professions, and continuing to fret would only waste time.
Moreover, given his current predicament, any path he took was an improvement.
Not to mention the Blacksmith Apprentice profession, which was closely related to his current situation, even if it was the job of hauling dung at the village entrance, he would grit his teeth and take it on.
“Job change successful. Current Profession: Blacksmith Apprentice.”
“Attribute bonus obtained: Strength +1, Agility +0.5.”
“Trait obtained: Humble Apprentice.”
“Humble Apprentice: Significantly increases learning efficiency for forging-related knowledge.”
As the text on the panel continuously flickered, Roland felt a sudden surge of power appear out of nowhere within his body. The iron tongs, which had felt somewhat heavy just moments ago, now felt much lighter.
“Job changes not only boost attributes but also grant new traits?”
Before Roland could fully perceive the changes in his body, Hawk’s booming voice already echoed in his ears.
“Lads, gather here!”
“Yes!”
Hearing the call, the young men present brightened, putting down their tools and hurrying forward.
Roland was no exception.
Because at this time every day, Hawk would personally teach forging techniques.
And if they wanted to pass the assessment, other things aside, the forging technique, at least, had to be mastered.
“Watch me closely!”
Seeing the Focus on the young men’s faces, Hawk nodded in satisfaction.
Then, he used the iron tongs to place the heated metal ingot onto the anvil, picked up the hammer, and began striking it forcefully.
With a series of clanging sounds, the rough surface of the metal ingot gradually became smooth, and its peculiar shape elongated and stretched during the process.
In just a moment, the rough outline of a dagger appeared.
“Did you all see that? The force, frequency, and position of the hammering are all very important!”
“If the force and frequency are wrong, the metal ingot can easily break! And if the position is wrong...”
The iron hammer in Hawk’s hand struck a crisp rhythm on the anvil, demonstrating the standard forging posture while meticulously breaking down the essentials of each movement.
The young men from blacksmithing families had shining eyes, nodding in sudden understanding from time to time. But the eyes of many more young men were filled with confusion.
Although Hawk’s explanation was detailed, the content was too broad and interspersed with a lot of technical jargon.
For those with no foundation at all, it was indeed quite difficult to understand.
In the past, Roland, like the other young men, would always be completely bewildered, even when listening with full Focus.
Coupled with the rule that they couldn't touch ore without permission, which left him with no chance to try, he never grasped the essentials of forging.
But now, as Hawk’s voice entered his ears, he had a completely different feeling.
It was as if his brain had entered an ethereal state, and some invisible shackles had suddenly been broken.
Those once obscure and difficult-to-understand forging techniques now unfolded layer by layer like silk being reeled, transforming into clear and comprehensible essentials that were quickly understood and absorbed.
“Alright!”
After Hawk used the iron tongs to pick up the dagger blank and throw it into cold water, he clapped his hands lightly, then calmly put down the hammer and said,
“You’ve all been learning for a while now. Who wants to come up and try?”
Hearing Hawk’s question, a hint of excitement flashed in the young men’s eyes, and they all eagerly wanted to try.
However, just as they were about to step forward, a slightly confident voice suddenly rang out.
“Let me do it, Mr. Hawk.”
Before he finished speaking, a tall young man slowly walked out of the crowd.
“It’s Marco...”
After recognizing the person, Roland’s brows furrowed slightly.
Marco’s father was the most famous blacksmith in Blackwater Territory, and it was said that even the Baron treated him with courtesy.
Every young man present knew what it meant to offend him.
Therefore, many people retracted their lifted feet, some even actively stepping back half a step to make way for Marco.
“Oh? Marco?”
Hawk raised his thick eyebrows.
“How is your father doing these days?”
“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Hawk. My father is still quite robust.”
Marco smiled slightly, then strode towards the forging table and picked up the iron hammer.
“Bang, bang, bang!”
After a series of strikes, the glowing red metal ingot quickly deformed.
Although a few cracks appeared on its surface, compared to the result Hawk had casually achieved just now, it was already not far off.
Seeing this, Hawk immediately frowned.
After pondering for a long while, the short-tempered old blacksmith slowly spoke.
“There’s a slight problem with the hammering frequency, but I’ll consider you Passed.”
“Thank you, Mr. Hawk!”
Marco’s face immediately broke into a wide smile upon hearing this, and he returned to the crowd with a swagger, like a triumphant lion.
The other young men, seeing this, quickly hid the envy in their eyes and rushed forward to try.
Unfortunately, praise was not what awaited them.
“Useless! Useless! Did you just ignore everything I said?!”
“Force, frequency, and position are all indispensable! Is this how I usually teach you?!”
“Get back! Don’t let me see you again!”
The angry roar was like a clap of thunder, making all the young men shiver.
Hawk, still fuming, let out a long breath, and after a moment, he grumbled,
“Who else wants to come?”
Hearing the question, the young men looked at each other, then all lowered their heads, not daring to meet Hawk’s gaze.
Just as the oppressive atmosphere gradually enveloped the entire scene, a clear voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Mr. Hawk, let me try.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Roland was already standing in front of Hawk.
“Who is this guy?”
Looking at Roland’s slightly thin figure, the young men immediately started discussing.
“His name seems to be Roland? I heard he’s quite good at smelting ore, and Mr. Hawk even praised him this morning...”
“Hmph!”
The young man who had just been scolded, seemingly trying to save face, said with a flushed face and some disdain,
“What’s the use of smelting ore well? That skill is completely different from forging!”
Hawk didn’t pay attention to the other young men’s words; he simply nodded slightly, then handed over the iron hammer.
“Thank you, Mr. Hawk.”
Roland took the iron hammer neither obsequiously nor arrogantly, then stood before the anvil and took a deep breath.
The knowledge of forging seemed to come alive, wandering and gathering in his mind, finally coalescing into a set of practical and easy-to-follow steps.
“Bang!”
As the first heavy blow landed, Roland’s eyes immediately lit up.
“You have successfully performed a forging task and gained one experience point.”
“You have comprehended the skill: Forging.”
“I comprehended a skill on my first try?”
Looking at the golden text flickering before his eyes, Roland felt a surge of pleasant surprise.
He knew that previously acquired skills, whether it was operating the bellows or smelting ore, required dozens of repetitions until the movements were proficient before they could be awakened.
And the standard for gaining experience points was even more stringent, often requiring the entire set of movements to be perfectly executed.
But now, after changing his profession to Blacksmith Apprentice and activating his trait, he actually successfully awakened a skill and gained one experience point on his very first attempt!
“Is this the transformation that comes with a job change?”