Broken placed his weapons in a row, admiring the thin yellow aura that now surrounded them.
He took the Moonvine Knuckles – Guardian Treant Lv. 210 (Growth Type) and grabbed six more Blessed Stones, ready for another upgrade.
The sound of a hammer striking echoed through the smithy, followed by a small explosion as the aura around the knuckles grew stronger.
[You’ve succeeded in upgrading The Moonvine Knuckles – Guardian Treant Lv. 210 (Growth Type) to +13.]
“Yes!” Broken exclaimed.
Ivana clapped softly. “You can do it, Broken.”
Suddenly, a notification appeared.
[Congrats! You have achieved many successful weapon enchantments in a short time, and your Luck Stat has increased by a whopping 20 points!]
“Woah…” Broken was stunned as he saw his Luck stat jump to 55.
Damn, he thought, imagining how powerful this would make him. His confidence surged-he felt like his streak of success was far from over.
“I think luck is still on my side,” he declared.
He continued the enchanting process, and once again, success followed.
[You’ve succeeded in upgrading The Moonvine Knuckles – Guardian Treant Lv. 210 (Growth Type) to +15.]
Broken took a deep breath, his enthusiasm burning bright. “Just three more upgrades, and it’ll be +18,” he said, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
“But wouldn’t it be better to postpone it and wait a while, like Mr. Fokil said, Broken?” Ivana gently reminded him.
Broken paused, his hands trembling with excitement. “I’m trying, Ivana… but I really want to push forward. I want to use all the Blessed Stones at once, just go all out!”
However, things didn’t go as planned. After several attempts, the results were disappointing. Failed. Failed. Failed.
Broken had tried, only to end up failing three in a row. He sighed deeply, his face showing the weight of his disappointment.
“I think Mr. Fokil was right.”
Ivana offered a soft smile. “You can try again another time.”
Broken nodded slowly. “Yeah… and now I’ve used up all my Blessed Stones. I need to find more Steel Bars to make some replacements.”
He stood up, carefully placing his weapons back into his inventory.
He stepped out of the smithy, Ivana following close behind. As they walked down the busy streets, Broken absentmindedly shadowboxed, practicing his Muay Thai movements with his knuckles, which now gleamed with their +15 upgrade.
Ivana raised an eyebrow, wrinkling her eyes in disbelief. “You’re not trying to show off your new +15 upgrade, are you, Broken?”
“No,” Broken replied nonchalantly. “Just practicing my martial arts.”
“But…” she continued, glancing around at the curious onlookers, “do you have to do it here, on the street, when there are so many people around?”
“Why not? Makes the practice more fun,” he replied, throwing a playful jab into the air.
As Broken walked down the street, more and more people began to notice the Legendary Knuckles he was carrying.
“Isn’t that the Legendary Knuckles?” one player muttered.
“Yeah… Damn, it’s already +15?” freēwēbηovel.c૦m
“I thought the higher the grade, the harder it is to upgrade?”
“Yes, and he must’ve spent a fortune to get it that high.”
“Woah… I want those knuckles. A Legendary-grade and +15? If I had that, I could probably retire comfortably!”
“Damn, I hate to admit it, but those knuckles are so beautiful.”
Some players even took things further, approaching Broken directly.
“Broken, that’s so cool!”
Another player leaned in closer. “These are amazing… so beautiful. Hey, can I get punched by those knuckles? Just once?”
Broken glanced at the overly eager player, who flashed him a suspicious smile. Without missing a beat, Broken quickened his pace, trying to avoid any more bizarre requests.
Ivana, walking beside him, smiled to herself as she watched everyone’s admiration for his weapon.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you keep your weapon out for so long instead of putting it back in your inventory, Broken,” Ivana remarked quietly.
“I just want to admire its beauty a little longer,” Broken replied casually, still enjoying the sight of his newly upgraded knuckles.
From a distance, they spotted a girl with blonde hair in two ponytails running toward them. It was Melliandra, laughing and chasing after Polly.
“Polly… Come play with me again!” Melliandra called out, her voice full of cheer.
Polly, however, immediately jumped into Broken’s arms, seeking refuge. Melliandra stopped in front of them, her eyes catching sight of the knuckles. Her gaze lingered for a moment before she burst out laughing in her typical teasing manner.
“Woah… is that a +15 upgrade? Ha ha ha…” she chuckled mockingly. “So, you must be flat
broke after getting that to +15, huh? Did you sell your kidney to afford it? Hahaha!”
Broken smirked at her teasing, not letting it get to him.
“Look… that’s Melliandra,” one of the onlookers whispered. “What could the members of the
Ass Guild be doing here?”
“Who knows, maybe they’re gearing up for another battle?”
“Wow… Melliandra’s so cute!”
“Hey, knock it off. She’s only fifteen!”
“Ivana’s gorgeous too, though,” another observer added.
“It looks like something interesting is going down in this little town.”
“Yeah, could a big event be coming soon? We should let the others know and get them to
Slumdon Town, just in case,” someone else suggested eagerly.
The crowd continued to murmur in excitement as they watched the group, speculating about
what might happen next.
Melliandra continued teasing. “That’s so cute… a +15 upgrade is adorable!”
She then pulled out her sniper rifle, which shimmered with a golden aura. “This is an +18 sniper rifle. Now this is what’s cool! Ha ha ha!” Her loud laughter echoed through the streets.
“Wow…” people around them murmured in awe. “I can’t imagine how much money she spent
on a +18 weapon.”
“They really are a bunch of rich players.”
Ignoring the attention, Broken turned away, unfazed by Melliandra’s showmanship. “I don’t care,” he muttered, continuing down the street.
Melliandra, clearly irritated, called out after him, “Hey, you pervert! Don’t ignore me!” She huffed. “Let me play with Polly!” she demanded, running after him.
Broken reached out to Freya to confirm that the items he’d ordered were on their way.
[Freya: “Don’t worry, Mr. Incredible. I’ve sent plenty of iron and steel bars to Deadbay, along with a good supply of Enchanting Stones and Blessed Stones. You should thank Danko for discovering those mining fields for you.”]
The next day, Broken was laser-focused on his task, barely acknowledging Fokil when the blacksmith tried to speak with him.
“What’s going on with him?” Fokil asked Ivana, who had just arrived with food.
“Huh?” Ivana said slowly, glancing at Broken. “I think he’s as determined as ever. He wants it
so badly, and he’s been working so hard for it.”
Fokil clicked his tongue, shaking his head. “He’s still a child in some ways. He can’t just force his way into something better. He needs to be told, Ivana-he won’t get anywhere by just pushing himself. It takes patience, one step at a time.”
Fokil walked away, leaving Ivana with her thoughts.
By early morning, three days later, after what seemed like endless nights of relentless work,
Broken had finally crafted over 1,000 Blessed Stones, boosted by the shipment from Freya. He
stood there, tired but satisfied, his face a blend of exhaustion and triumph.
Fokil and Ivana approached him just as he completed his final stone.
“I want that +18 right away!” Broken declared confidently.