Outside the workshop, a group of players was already waiting. At their center stood a tall man clad in silver-and-blue armor, a sword sheathed on his hip. His presence alone carried weight.
Peak Sword.
Guild Master of the Silver Knights.
His eyes swept over Alan calmly, sharp and assessing.
"What is your motive for coming here?" Peak Sword asked.
Alan didn't bother pretending. "Hell Gao. I intend to raid it."
Peak Sword's eyes narrowed.
"Hell Gao's dungeon is under Silver Knights' control," he said firmly. "We can't just hand it over to an outsider."
Alan met his gaze without flinching.
A brief silence followed.
"…Unless," Peak Sword continued slowly, "you craft equipment for us."
Behind him, several Silver Knights shifted slightly. They had already heard reports—rumors of what had happened inside the island's smithy. NPC blacksmiths abandoning their work. A pressure that drove players away. A Unique set forged in five days.
Peak Sword had also checked the Blacksmith Rankings panel.
And yet—Alan wasn't there.
Is he an unregistered craftsman too? Peak Sword thought. Or… a hidden ranker?
"I have blacksmiths in my guild," Peak Sword said carefully. "Good ones. But what you created inside that smithy—"
His gaze flicked briefly to the faint heat haze still clinging to Alan's armor.
"—that's on another level."
Alan tilted his head slightly. "You want a trade."
"Yes." Peak Sword nodded. "Equipment for access. Fair terms."
Alan considered the offer for a moment.
Crafting equipment for a top-tier guild would spread his name—something he usually tried to avoid.
But I need access to the dungeon, he thought. And even if I kill them all, there's a chance he could ambush me during the raid.
After a brief pause, Alan nodded.
"Alright," he said. "But I'll only craft one piece of equipment, and only for this raid."
Peak Sword nodded immediately. "Agreed. But I want a Unique-rank sword."
Alan gave a slight nod. "Do you have the production method?"
"Yes." Peak Sword handed it over without hesitation.
Peak Sword was a Quick Swordsman—a rare class with extremely high attack power among swordsmen. However, it had a fatal flaw: almost all of its skills required repeatedly sheathing and unsheathing the sword. Because of this, most players avoided the class unless they were confident in killing their enemies instantly.
Yet Peak Sword stood among the Top 30 of the Unified Rankings, proving both his exceptional leveling speed and hunting efficiency.
"These are the materials," Peak Sword said, presenting several storage boxes. "I collected enough to craft ten swords. You can keep all of them—just make me a Unique-rank one."
Alan nodded. "Alright."
He paused for a moment, then added, "The Hell Gao raid starts in four days. I'll try to craft a Unique-rank sword within three days. If I succeed, great. If not, I'll still make you a sword after the raid. Is that acceptable?"
Peak Sword nodded firmly.
"Okay."
Fortunately, luck favored him.
On the second day, Alan looked at the beautiful sword that was near completion.
This one… will succeed.
The forging process flowed unnaturally smoothly. The water-element core stabilized on the first attempt, circulating cool, condensed mana through the blade instead of dispersing it. Even Alan felt a faint chill radiating from the metal as the final edge was formed.
With one final strike—
Clang!
The sword hummed softly, releasing a ripple of translucent blue light.
"…First try," Alan murmured, slightly surprised.
A system notification echoed through the smithy.
[ You have crafted Seren Lake Sword (Unique Rank). ]
[ A Unique-rated item has been produced. ]
[ All stats have permanently increased by +12. ]
[ Reputation throughout the continent has increased by +300. ]
Alan lifted the blade and examined it closely.
The Seren Lake Sword possessed a slender, elegant form—its surface polished to a mirror-like sheen that reflected light as if it were rippling water. Pale blue patterns flowed along the blade, moving slowly, like currents beneath a calm lake. The guard resembled overlapping waves, while the hilt remained perfectly balanced, allowing effortless transitions between sheathing and unsheathing.
A sword made for speed.
And precision.
The system window expanded.
Seren Lake Sword
Rank: Unique
Type: One-Handed Sword
Element: Water
Durability: 400 / 400
Requirements:
Level 180+
Quick Swordsman Class
Effects:
Attack Power - 620
Agility +120
Attack Speed +18%
Skill Cooldown Reduction +12%
Water Element Damage +25%
Sheathing / Unsheathing Speed +15%
Special Effects:
Flowing Edge: Each successful unsheathing attack increases attack speed by 3% (Stacks up to 5 times, resets when hit).
Lake's Stillness: When the blade is sheathed for more than 1.5 seconds, the next unsheathing strike deals 180% damage and applies Chill for 2 seconds.
Unique Skills:
🔹 Seren Draw (Active)
Unsheath the sword in a single fluid motion, releasing a crescent of compressed water.
Deals 220% physical damage + 100% magic water damage
Guaranteed critical hit if used within 0.5 seconds of unsheathing
Cooldown: 180 seconds
🔹 Silent Current (Passive)
Each time the sword is sheathed, store one Current Stack (max 5).
At max stacks, the next attack ignores 35% of enemy defense and consumes all stacks.
Alan nodded in satisfaction.
"This should fit him perfectly."
…But then his gaze lingered on the sword.
"Still," he sighed quietly, "I don't want to give him this."
He looked back at the remaining materials and chuckled softly.
"Well, I still have two more days. Might as well see what I get. I've got enough materials for nine more tries."
A faint smile appeared on his face as he returned to the forge.
Two days passed in a blur of heat, steel, and flowing water mana.
When Alan finally stopped, he stared at the results laid out before him on the worktable.
Two Rare-rank Seren Lake Swords.
One Epic-rank Seren Lake Sword.
"…Sigh. Forget it," Alan muttered, rubbing his temples.
The Unique from the second day was still the best result—by far.
He sent a message to Peak Sword.
Ten minutes later, Peak Sword arrived at the smithy. Unlike last time, he was dressed in casual gear, his armor unequipped.
"Are you done?" he asked.
Alan nodded and lifted the blade wrapped in cloth. With a smooth motion, he unveiled it.
The Unique-rank Seren Lake Sword shimmered with calm, flowing blue light.
Peak Sword's eyes widened slightly.
"…This is—"