skip this - Frieren in Danmachi

I kept forging swords, and after forging two more common-rank swords, I checked the system to get an idea of how many points I needed to level up.

[321]

'It's slower than I expected. How long would it take if I didn't have the "Accelerated Growth" skill?'

Well... It makes sense that it would be difficult to increase my rank. The system would be utterly unbalanced if I could rank up too quickly.

Based on my calculations, I'll rank up to G in about a week—if I forge several swords daily.

"These swords are good, but they're not comparable to the first one," Mikari said while analyzing the two swords I had forged. We were now eating lunch together, as it was midday.

Nina brought my lunch.

"That sword is an exception. Sometimes I manage to create something like it, but most of my swords are common swords. At least for now."

"How long do you think it will take to reach a level where every sword you make is strong like that one?" Mikari asked.

"Maybe a month? I have no idea."

"A month is a very short time. Isn't that an exaggeration? If, in a month, you're making multiple swords like that, you could have your own workshop."

"That's my goal for now. To have my own workshop and start selling my swords."

"You need to work hard!" Mikari said enthusiastically. "I'll keep watching you over the next few days—I'm so excited about your progress!"

"Are you sure you need to do that? You said I don't need a trainer. You could go back to your work and leave me."

"What? Don't you like my company?" Mikari pouted.

"Honestly, having you here is better than those two idiots. Speaking of them, I wonder what happened to them."

"Who?"

"Balnan and Luck. You don't know them?"

"I think I know someone named Luck. I saw him this morning. He looked pretty sad. But as for this Balnan guy, I don't recall him."

"He's an arrogant jerk who thinks he's better than he actually is."

####

Nightfall.

By the time night came, I had managed to forge four more swords, all of them of common rank. Mikari seemed pleased, even though they weren't refined-rank swords.

"They may not be as good as that one, but these are high-quality swords. Good work."

"Thank you."

"Are you going to forge one more, or are you done for the day?"

"Hephaestus is about to arrive. Besides, I'm exhausted." I was utterly drenched in sweat, and my hands were trembling. All I wanted was to return to my room and sleep. I'd think about forging more swords tomorrow.

But, thinking back, ever since I arrived here, all I've done is forge swords.

I hadn't interacted with other characters in the story, gone to the dungeon, or even left the house.

'Well, I want to evolve quickly, so I need to work hard.'

After training for a month, I'll think about other things.

I can reach a satisfactory rank in a month—high enough to get my workshop and start forging weapons to sell. Doing so will help build my reputation within Familia and Orario.

Then, Hephaestus entered the training room.

As she stepped through the door, Mikari grabbed the refined-rank sword I had forged and ran toward her.

"Goddess, look at this!" Mikari's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What is it?"

"It's one of the swords your boyfriend forged! It's incredible! I've never seen a sword like this—you need to try it!"

"Stop calling him 'your boyfriend.' Call him by his name."

"Oh, right. Eryk forged this sword. Take a look."

"I've never seen you this excited before. Is it really that amazing?"

"I don't know how he forged a sword like this. It has an ability you can activate by saying 'Quick Slash.' Try it!"

"..." Hephaestus looked at the sword, then at me.

"It's true. Try it out. But be careful."

"Careful?"

"Yes. The ability makes your attack much faster—it could be dangerous. My arm still hurts from earlier," Mikari said, rubbing her arm.

"The attack increased my speed by 200% or more. My arm moved so fast that my body couldn't keep up," Mikari said with a bitter smile. "But if it's you, you should be fine."

"Let's see."

Unlike Mikari and me, Hephaestus didn't use a training dummy. She decided to swing the sword in the air instead. "Should I say 'Quick Slash'?" Hephaestus asked again, and I nodded.

She prepared herself. Her stance was as perfect as Mikari's.

Hephaestus looked straight ahead with a serious expression and said, "Quick Slash." Then, she swung the sword.

Her strike was even faster than Mikari's, producing a stronger shockwave. Hephaestus widened her eyes and then examined the blade. "What kind of terrifying ability is this? No one can react to an attack like this."

Hearing Hephaestus, I concluded:

This system is truly overpowered.

This is a refined-rank sword, and its ability is only at level one. Yet, it's incredibly powerful in the eyes of Hephaestus and Mikari.

I do have the power to change this world entirely.

'I'm getting excited.'

"How did you create something like this?"

Knowing I couldn't lie to a god, I didn't know how to respond.

Should I tell her about the system?

"I'll explain everything later," I said.

I didn't want to discuss it here since Mikari would hear about it. When we were alone, I'd clarify everything.

I hope it isn't a foolish decision.

####

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Next chapters: Chapter 18 - Capacity to evolve infinitely. / Chapter 19 - Rare Rank Sword. / Chapter 20 - It consumes a lot of magic. / Chapter 21 - Babel. / Chapter 22 - Adaptation. / Chapter 23 - It's frustrating. / Chapter 24 - Rank G. New probabilities. / Chapter 25 - Excited to explore the dungeon. / Chapter 26 - A mission?

"Excuse me, Eryk, don't you think you're being a jerk?" My girlfriend said.

I was facing her and an unknown man. They were having dinner together.

I received a photo of the two on my phone and rushed to this restaurant.

I had been at home playing an RPG game when I got the photo on my Telegram. The moment I saw it, I couldn't believe it. It felt as though my heart was being torn apart.

Honestly, I felt like killing her. Both her and the man she was with.

But should I ruin my life over a whore like her?

"You're cheating on me, and you're calling me a jerk? Are you insane, Luana?"

"Do you realize what you're doing? We're in the middle of a restaurant! Everyone is staring at us. What do you think these people will think!? You're calling me a whore in front of everyone!"

"But that's what you are! A whore who plays with people's feelings. When you said you loved me, was that a lie?"

"..."

"When you told me I could trust you, were you lying?"

"..."

"Are you kidding me? While I was working so we could live together, you were cheating on me with this guy?" I pointed at the man standing next to Luana.

He looked embarrassed at first, but when I insulted him, he lunged at me.

He tried to punch me in the face, but I moved my head to the side and easily dodged his punch. Ignoring the man's surprise, I swung my fist at his face, hitting him directly.

I heard a strange noise and saw two teeth fly out before he collapsed to the floor.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?"

"Me? This idiot threw the first punch."

"Hey, Igor, are you okay? Igor, wake up!"

"So this bastard's name is Igor. Really, how could you cheat on me with this guy? He looks like a child."

"Just shut up. Someone call an ambulance!"

The man's body suddenly began to shake.

Foam started coming out of his mouth.

The people around us began to scream in panic, and the restaurant quickly turned into chaos.

Then the man stopped shaking.

A man in the restaurant approached and started performing CPR, trying to revive him.

That's when I realized I had killed someone.

He died so easily that I couldn't believe it.

####

"You punched him because you were angry that your girlfriend was having an affair with him, is that it?"

"Yes," I replied to the police officer.

I was in a small room, sitting across from an older man in a police uniform. He wrote down all my answers on paper while seriously looking at me.

I had just killed someone.

I had suddenly become a murderer.

"Did you know him?"

"No, I'd never seen him before. But I'm sure that whore knew him."

"Whore?"

"Luana. My girlfriend. I mean, ex-girlfriend."

"I see. You do realize the situation you've gotten yourself into, right?"

"..."

"You killed someone, kid."

"I know, and I don't care. How long am I going to be locked up? I was defending myself... so maybe a few days? Months? I'm not going to jail for that long. Who cares about this crap?"

"..." The officer sighed. "Alright."

After that, the officer called two burly men, who escorted me to a cell inside the police station. They tossed me in and locked the bars. Both men looked at me like I was trash.

Am I wrong for killing that bastard?

I don't even know how he died! Was that punch enough? Why did he suddenly start convulsing?!

Damn it!

I started punching the floor and walls, making my fists bleed.

Frustration consumed me.

If I could go back in time, I would never have asked that whore out.

"Fuck!"

####

POV: Third Person

In Eryk's room, his computer emitted a loud noise due to its low-quality parts and the dust accumulated inside.

It was an annoying buzzing sound.

The monitor, illuminating the dark room, displayed a small character wearing luxurious armor. It was the character Eryk used to play a game called "New World."

Eryk had chosen the class of "Blacksmith."

After five years of playing, Eryk reached the top, being considered the best blacksmith and a legend among other players.

But truthfully, Eryk thought it was all pointless.

He was addicted to the game, a game that brought no returns since he couldn't even make money playing it. It would've been different if he could sell items for real money, but that was forbidden!

He would be banned if he did anything like that.

Yet, Eryk never stopped playing.

He loved the blacksmithing profession, even though he had never touched a hammer in real life.

Suddenly, the in-game character, who shouldn't have shown any expression due to the game's poor graphics, smiled. A strange light emerged from the monitor, so bright that it was visible to people outside Eryk's apartment.

The fire department was called as some people thought it was an electrical explosion and feared a fire might break out.

But, of course, no fire happened.

On Eryk's computer, there was now nothing but a blue screen.

And in the prison cell where Eryk was, a strange light suddenly illuminated it.

*Eryk's POV*

After punching the wall and the floor, my hands hurt a lot. I decided to lie on the cell floor, staring at the concrete ceiling.

"Isn't this the situation where God is supposed to show up and help me? I didn't do it with bad intentions! I was just angry!"

I closed my eyes to try to sleep. Maybe when I wake up, none of this will have happened.

But as soon as I closed my eyes, an intense light hit my face, forcing me to cover my eyes with my hand. Even with my eyes closed, the light still hurt me!

"What the hell is this!?" I exclaimed in surprise.

Then, I opened my eyes.

"Where the hell am I?"

Before, I was in a cell, but now I was in a strange room.

A completely dark room. I could only see a translucent window floating a few meters ahead. I started to read what was written on it.

The window looked like the ones I'd seen in Korean manhwas.

It was a blue screen with white text.

[ You have been given a new chance! ]

[ Do you wish to accept the "Legendary Blacksmith System"? ]

When I read those words, my heart started to race.

"Is this really happening? Isn't this a dream? Am I not still asleep in that filthy cell, dreaming all this?"

Ouch!

I started pinching my arm and even punching myself, but I didn't wake up.

The translucent blue screen was still there, floating in front of me.

"What do you mean by 'Legendary Blacksmith System'? Does this have something to do with that game?"

I remembered the game I had played for years of my life.

[ New World ]

It was an open-world game that was incredibly detailed despite its dated graphics.

I always played as a [Blacksmith] and eventually became a legendary blacksmith in the game. Could this have something to do with the game? Don't tell me this is one of those clichés about being transported into a game world.

If that's the case, I'm screwed!

If I go to that dangerous world as a blacksmith, I'll die in an hour!

"But if I don't accept, I'll spend my entire life locked up in prison. Damn it."

But thinking about it, isn't this the dream of many people? Many dream of going to a game or anime world.

Despite not having a family or anything I'm attached to, I never dreamed of anything like that.

I was never one of those guys obsessed with anime content to the point of wanting to become one of those protagonists who are transported to a fantasy world and surrounded by women.

But even so, wouldn't this be interesting?

Since I don't have another choice, I guess I should go for it.

"Yes, I want to accept the system."

Then, many windows like the previous one appeared in front of me!

[ Congratulations on becoming the Legendary Blacksmith! ]

[ Thanks to the bonus from sacrificing a soul, you've received a unique skill! ]

[ The skill "Accelerated Growth" has been added to your Status. ]

[ Check your Status ]

"How the hell do I do that? Do I just say Status?"

Name: Eryk Martin

Forging Skills - Rank I

[ Available Skills ]

Accelerated Growth: Increases the user's growth efficiency.

Basic Forging: Allows simple weapons and armor creation using common materials.

"Is that it? I can't check my strength or agility? Can't I get stronger or anything?"

The system didn't respond, but it looks like I can't become stronger. Isn't this crap? I thought I'd get a detailed status at least, but I only have a forging rank and basic skills.

Damn it! Stupid system!

"But that's interesting. I got that skill after sacrificing a soul. Was it the soul of that guy named Igor that I killed? Can I gain more skills?"

[ Please offer a new sacrifice. ]

"Oh, I can actually do that? Then how about sacrificing random famous people I don't care about?"

[ You can only sacrifice people you know personally. ]

"Hmm… Interesting. How about this?"

I started naming several people.

My boss, coworkers, some guys I fought with, and finally, my ex-girlfriend.

[ You sacrificed a total of 11 souls. ]

[ You sacrificed many souls, and you've received a great opportunity! ]

[ Please choose the world you wish to go to! ]

"What? I can choose the world because of the number of souls I sacrificed? I thought I'd just gain new skills."

[ You can choose skills if you don't wish to pick another world. Make your choice! ]

I don't want to go to the world of "New World."

But... what world should I choose? I should pick the world I most want to know, right? And also one where I can finally find a woman who isn't a total whore.

A world that is not as dangerous as the "New World" and full of beautiful women.

And a world where blacksmiths are valued.

"What about the world of Danmachi?" I don't know much about the story. I know it has gods and a dungeon. I think even without knowing much, I could survive there.

Right?

"The world of Danmachi is good. Can you do that, God?" I asked, imagining it was God making all of this happen.

And to my joy...

[ The world of Danmachi has been selected. ]

[ The system is calculating the value of all the souls you sacrificed. ]

[ Attention! The souls are not worth as much as expected, so the user cannot choose their starting location or his life story in the world of Danmachi! ]

[ The user will receive a random "Background." ]

[ Congratulations, you've received a "Legendary Background"! ]

[ Enjoy your new life! ]

Without understanding what the system was saying, I fainted.

I stayed in the room while waiting for Hephaestus.

When she came out, she had a towel wrapped around her body. I didn't remember it, but she has huge breasts. Also, her body is slim and beautiful. And I don't even need to mention her firm and perfectly shaped butt—it made me want to squeeze it.

"What is it? Are you just going to keep staring at me? You should have breakfast and get back to your training."

"Training?"

"What? Did you forget about your training? Was last night that good?" Hephaestus smiled and let the towel fall. I could finally analyze every part of her body. Her skin was as smooth as porcelain and looked incredibly soft.

I don't have memories of last night, and I can't recall the feeling of touching her body or the sensation of having sex with her.

I want to do it. I want to feel it.

But when I approached and tried to embrace Hephaestus, she refused.

"I already told you, we did that last night, and I'm tired. Go have breakfast—I'll meet you downstairs."

"Alright, Hephaestus, I'm going."

"What kind of tone is that? When we're alone, you always call me 'Darling.' Why did you suddenly change? Did I upset you or something?"

"Darling? Oh, right. No, of course not. I'm going, Darling."

Feeling embarrassed, I called her "Darling."

Even though I felt awkward, I was happy to see Hephaestus's satisfaction when I called her that.

I didn't think she could be so adorable.

####

"What is this training she mentioned? And how did I even end up in this situation?"

Then, a message from the system popped up:

[You can view the user's story by saying 'Background.']

"Background?"

When I said that, a vast window filled with text appeared suddenly. Despite the amount of text, I read it all very quickly.

I remembered that the system created a "random background" for me.

And the "background" it created wasn't great!

The story is simple despite being long.

I was born into a poor family outside Orario. I came to this city to become an adventurer like many others. But when I met the Hephaestus Familia, I became fascinated with blacksmithing.

It was just like me in my previous world.

I was amazed by the Blacksmith class in "New World".

Because of that, I decided to join the Hephaestus Familia to become a blacksmith.

But I wasn't accepted due to my lack of skill.

Finally, I created my first weapon and returned to the Hephaestus Familia.

Once again, Hephaestus didn't want to accept me into her Familia, but I begged, and she allowed me to join the Familia and start training... mostly out of pity. In the end, I ended up receiving a falna.

She assigned two level-two Familia members to help me.

And then FOUR DAMN YEARS passed. Yes, four years.

I'm 21 now. I've been in endless training since I was 17.

But during this time, I grew very close to Hephaestus for some reason. She began to ignore my lack of skill and focused on my appearance, respect, and dedication.

Over time, we got close enough to develop romantic feelings for each other. Finally, after another four months of what felt like a cliché mediocre manga romance, we had our first kiss.

From there, the relationship progressed quickly.

Our first time having sex was just three months ago, and we got married only a month ago.

Yes, we got married!

But it was a rather strange marriage...

Hephaestus held a wedding ceremony where it was just me and her.

In the end, it's as if we're married, but no one knows about it.

Even though people don't know we're married, many know we were dating—especially the members of the Hephaestus Familia. Of course, they don't approve of this relationship at all.

And so, here we are now.

I'm "married" to Hephaestus, stuck in never-ending training.

"Seriously, is this supposed to be a legendary background? I'm literally seen as trash by most people, except for Hephaestus."

But at least I have a goddess who loves me and stands by my side.

It's a better start than being a beggar or a nobody.

If I had arrived in this world as a beggar, I might not have had the resources to use this blacksmithing system.

"Alright, I need to focus and improve my blacksmithing skills to become someone respected."

####

Walking around the place, getting lost a few times (since I had no memories, just a story written by the system), I finally reached the room where breakfast was served.

When I got to the room, there was a massive table with several people eating.

Everyone's eyes fell on me.

"Hey, hey, isn't that the Goddess' boyfriend?"

"He never shows up here, what's gotten into him?"

"Why is he here? Doesn't he know he's not welcome?"

"He's handsome, but I feel disgusted looking at his face."

I started hearing some unnecessary things. But it didn't affect me. In the end, they weren't talking about me since I had just arrived in this world.

They were talking about this body, the person created by the system. I wasn't controlling this body before.

It's hard to understand all of this, I know.

But since the way they looked at me didn't affect me, I walked to one of the only empty seats and sat down.

I sat down next to a man and a woman, respectively.

When I sat down between them, they both left the table simultaneously!

I smiled bitterly and started eating.

####

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No one spoke to me, and everyone fell silent after I arrived. After a few minutes, everyone at the table disappeared.

Then, Hephaestus appeared.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Why did you come to eat with the others? You should have come to eat with me! They didn't say anything unnecessary about you, did they? I try to change that, but I can't!" Hephaestus seemed irritated.

Even as a Goddess, she couldn't change the minds of her Familia members about me.

So many plot holes in this 'story.'

"Don't worry, I don't care what they say."

"Hm? What's gotten into you? Are you sure you're yourself?" Hephaestus placed her hand on my forehead to check my temperature. "You're not running a fever."

"What? Is it that strange that I don't care about what they say?"

"...It's just that you used to get really upset… Never mind. It's good that you're starting to care less about what others think." Hephaestus gave me a big smile that lit up my soul.

I stood up from the chair without much thought.

I grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips.

When our lips touched, Hephaestus widened her eyes in surprise.

Our kiss lasted a few seconds, and when our lips parted, Hephaestus's face was flushed. "That's the first time you've been so bold. I never thought you'd do something like that."

What on earth happened before I took over this body?

Was I someone without any initiative, letting Hephaestus dominate me?

This can't be real.

'This backstory is worse than I thought.'

"But I was sad, you know? It's been so long since I've eaten alone. Come on, I'll take you to the training room. After that, I'll have to leave you alone since I have things to do."

"That's fine."

I had eaten enough already.

I got up and followed Hephaestus until we arrived at a room. It was a strange training room, given that it was in the same area as the bedrooms. It made no sense.

Inside the room, I could already hear some sounds.

Clank!

Someone was hammering something. As I entered, scorching heat hit my skin. The room had three furnaces emitting a frightening heat, and there were two men.

Both were muscular and shirtless. They stopped hammering and turned to look at us.

When they saw me, one looked at me with disgust, while the other had a smile on his face.

"Eryk, you're finally here! You're late today, you know? Oh, good morning, Goddess," the smiling man said. He was tall but shorter than me. He had blond hair and dark brown eyes. He was someone I had never seen before.

An unimportant character.

The other one was unimportant, too.

He was bald and had black eyes. He was short—maybe 173 cm tall?

He clicked his tongue and said, "Good morning, Goddess. And you're late." He looked at me sternly, judging me.

"Good morning," I said.

I didn't remember their names, but Hephaestus helped me out.

"Good morning, Balnan and Luck. Please go easy on him. Eryk is very tired since he didn't sleep well last night."

Balnan, who showed no contempt for me, understood and laughed. "Hahaha, I see. Don't worry, I always go easy on him."

"Don't worry, Goddess," Luck said.

"All right. Train hard; I have high expectations," Hephaestus said with a smile as she placed her hand on my shoulder.

I gave a bitter smile.

It's clear she's only saying that because she likes me.

None of them have any hope. They don't believe I can become a quality blacksmith. They think I'll keep training forever without achieving anything.

But I'll prove them wrong.

"See you later, Goddess. I'll work hard," I said confidently.

Hephaestus widened her eyes in surprise. "I've never seen you so confident. I'm looking forward to the results. I'll leave now. Good work, everyone." She waved and left the room smiling, leaving just the three of us.

Balnan was the first to approach me as soon as the Goddess left.

"You idiot. Don't just stand there unless you want me to break your hand. Tsk!" He glared at me with contempt. It was an even worse look than Luck's.

I understand what is happening.

He was acting friendly because of Hephaestus. He hates me.

Huff~~

I sighed long and grabbed the large hammer Balnan handed me.

"You're not leaving here today until you forge a sword. Last time, you spent the whole day and couldn't do anything. You just can't learn. I don't know why the Goddess lets you keep wasting resources."

"Exactly. Make a sword, or we'll clean the floor with your face like last time. Hahaha," Luck laughed loudly.

"Don't worry; I'm confident I can make something today."

I sat down and looked at the heated, red, glowing metal.

Gripping the hammer tightly, sweat dripping all over me, I began hammering.

Clank!

After hammering the heated metal a few times and slowly shaping it, a system message appeared.

[ +1 ]

[ 1/100 ]

"Huh?"

"What is it? Why did you stop?" Balnan asked.

"It's nothing." I smiled and continued striking the red-hot metal with my hammer.

After five more hammer strikes:

[ +1 ]

[ 2/100 ]

I don't know what it means, but the number is increasing.

####

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Next chapters: Chapter 6 - Rank H. / Chapter 7 - I will become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. +18 / Chapter 8 - Cunningulus in the bathroom +18 / Chapter 9 - Do whatever you want. +18 / Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry.

It's my first time writing anything involving forging, so don't be offended if I make mistakes.

####

I had never done this before, so I followed what I learned in 'New World". They didn't explain every detail or show everything, but I know more or less the steps to forge a sword.

I started folding the metal to create more layers and kept hammering, earning points along the way.

Before I realized it, the malleable metal already looked like the perfect shape of a blade.

I heat it up to what I feel is a good temperature then quickly quench the blade in the nearby vat of water.

Then came the time to perform the rest of the heat treatment on the blade—or at least try to. 'I remember the game mentioning that the blade is heated and cooled slowly. I think that helps increase its durability or something like that.'

As I began slowly heating it up and then letting it cool back down, the blade started to look more and more "beautiful."

Then, a new notification popped up.

[+10]

[44/100]

"Does that mean it's going well?" I wondered.

While Balnan and Luck watched everything, I began grinding and polishing the blade to remove all its marks. Afterward, I focused on sharpening it as much as possible. The heat was overwhelming, so I took off my shirt while working.

When I finished, I lifted the blade and examined it.

To me, it looked perfect.

I shaped the sword's tang and then assembled it carefully. Once everything was ready, I polished the blade again to make it as shiny and beautiful as possible.

And then sharpened the sword a little more.

I earned points with each step of the process.

[61/100]

The "Accelerated Growth" skill is probably helping me gain more points. I need to hit 100, and then maybe my rank will increase.

Suddenly, a new system message appeared!

[You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword.]

[The sword's level can be upgraded.]

"Oh? I did it!" I shouted, celebrating.

"Did he actually manage to pull it off? Are you finally learning? I thought you'd never get the hang of it. You used to spend hours making junk, but now you forged a functional sword relatively quickly. I'm impressed," Balnan said with disdain.

"But can we trust this sword? I think if you try to cut something with it, it'll break into pieces. Give it here," Luck said, trying to snatch the sword from my hand.

"Don't touch it. I'll test it myself."

I'd never used a sword before, but how hard could it be? I just needed to test it.

Conveniently, there were some training dummies in the room. Holding the wooden hilt of my sword, I walked over to one in the corner. Balnan and Luck followed to watch.

"This is going to be hilarious," Luck said.

"..." Balnan stayed silent but didn't look confident either.

I took a deep breath and prepared to strike.

With a terrible posture, I swung the sword.

Swoosh!

A quick, clean movement. It was so perfect that even I was surprised. When the sword hit the training dummy, it didn't break. Instead, it sliced off a part of the dummy.

A chunk of its head flew off.

It was clean-cut, just as I intended.

"..."

Balnan and Luck were speechless. I smiled and turned to look at them. "It turned out better than I expected."

"..."

They remained silent, unsure of what had just happened. And I couldn't blame them—I'm sure they had their reasons. My lack of skill as a blacksmith had been apparent.

"I'm going to make another one," I said, ready to start forging again.

I grabbed the metal and began heating it.

I just wanted to hit 100 points.

####

After some time, I finally reached 100 points.

When I hit the milestone, the system displayed a congratulatory message.

[Congratulations on reaching Rank H!]

[The probabilities have changed!]

'That easy?' Only a few hours had passed, and I had already gone up a rank. The "Accelerated Growth" skill is working. But still, this was going to take a while.

It would probably get harder to rank up from here.

I should have started at least at Rank D or something.

"And what does the system mean by 'The probabilities have changed'?"

"Hm? What's a system?" Balnan asked.

"It's nothing. I was just talking to myself. Could you grab that handle for me?" I pointed to the handle I needed for the sword I'd forged.

After some more time...

[You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword]

[The sword's level can be upgraded]

Two swords in just a few hours, and I even ranked up!

Balnan and Luck were speechless again. To irritate them, I asked, "What do you think? Are these swords good enough?" I smiled smugly.

But, of course, they didn't praise me at all.

"This is just a common sword of terrible quality! Anyone can forge something like this!" Balnan said angrily. "Stop fooling around and keep forging! Your training will last until tonight!"

"That's right! Don't get cocky! Balnan and I can forge a sword like this in 20 minutes, you idiot," Luck added.

"Until tonight? Isn't that a bit much?" I asked.

"Your training lasts until the evening every day. Today won't be an exception. Take advantage of your good day and make at least five swords."

"Seriously? That's too much." I was already exhausted and starting to feel dizzy from the heat and dehydration. However, Balnan tossed a large bottle of water at me and said:

"Stop whining like a little girl and get back to work. Don't you want to impress the Goddess? Then you better work hard."

"Alright, alright, I got it."

The good thing was that I could earn more points. Hopefully, I'll reach Rank G soon.

####

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Use this coupon on my patr eon and get 20% off: 4A43C

Next chapters: Chapter 7 - I will become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. +18 / Chapter 8 - Cunningulus in the bathroom +18 / Chapter 9 - Do whatever you want. +18 / Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry. / Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV)

The next three chapters will have R18 content, but after that there will be no R18 chapters for a while.

I'll probably write this kind of chapter every 20 - 30 "normal" chapters

####

I continued forging identical swords until nightfall. However, I didn't rank up even after forging three more swords. It's much more challenging than I expected. To move up to Rank G, I need a thousand points.

So far, I've only got 160 points.

I need to forge many more swords like these to reach Rank G.

As for the swords, the system mentioned probabilities, but I only managed to forge common Level 1 swords.

When I finished, Balnan and Luck looked at me incredulously, unable to believe.

I grabbed my dirty shirt and put it back on. I was drenched in sweat, but I didn't care.

I looked out the window; it was dark. It was time to leave.

As I prepared to head out, Balnan touched my shoulder.

"Wait a second. Are you just going to leave these swords lying here? You need to store them in the inventory."

"There's an inventory here?"

"Are you an idiot or what?" Balnan pointed to a door I hadn't noticed before.

Many swords were scattered on shelves and all over the floor. 90% of them were broken or of poor quality. Don't tell me I made all this junk.

"You made all this junk. I don't know how you improved so much in just one day, but it seems suspicious."

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"No, of course not," Balnan said, raising his hands defensively. "I just think it's surprising. I'm not implying anything."

"I see."

I started picking up the swords to store them in the inventory, but just as I was doing so, Hephaestus entered the room. When she saw me gathering all the swords, she smiled.

"What's this? Did Balnan and Luck make all these swords just to teach you? I told them it wasn't necessary. They only needed to guide you and give tips," Hephaestus said.

"I made all these swords," I replied.

"..." Hephaestus remained silent for a moment as she watched me. When I finished picking up the five swords, she finally spoke.

"I see… You forged all these swords. That's amazing." Hephaestus said, the corners of her lips curving into a smile. I could sense the pride in her voice.

"So, you're finally progressing after all this time."

"Don't worry, Goddess. From now on, I'll keep improving. Soon, I'll become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia."

"Pfft!" Balnan almost laughed while Luck turned away to stifle his laughter.

Unlike them, Hephaestus looked at me with shining eyes.

"I can't wait to see that happen!" Hephaestus said enthusiastically.

Balnan and Luck couldn't believe the Goddess was buying into what they saw as sheer madness.

####

I returned to the room with Hephaestus and headed straight to the bathroom to clean myself. I was drenched in sweat and grime. The bathroom, which even had a bathtub, was quite spacious.

It also had hot water.

However, I preferred to bathe in cold water since I had spent the entire day in that hot room.

After scrubbing and cleaning myself, I filled the bathtub with hot water, got in, and sighed, satisfied. "This feels so good…" I had never been in a bathtub in my entire life.

I never had one in Brazil, and when I moved to the United States, I didn't have enough money to rent a house with one.

"Now I understand why people spend so much money renting or building houses with bathtubs…" I could stay here for hours and enjoy this.

As I relaxed in the bathtub, I was caught off guard by Hephaestus, who entered the bathroom wearing a towel draped over her body. As always, she wore her eyepatch.

I wondered if the previous owner of this body had ever seen the eye she kept hidden.

"You seem to be enjoying the bathtub quite a bit," Hephaestus said as she let the towel fall. She revealed her naked body to me once again, and this time, I had an even better view.

Her boobs were big, and her nipples were pink, so beautiful that I wanted to suck on them. And on her pussy, her most important part, she had a bit of red hair.

The red hair on her pussy made everything sexier.

"Your body is beautiful," I told her with a smile.

"You've told me that so many times I've lost count." Hephaestus chuckled. "But I'm happy every time I hear it."

Hephaestus turned her back to me and bent down to pick up the towel from the floor.

She did it on purpose.

She lifted her hips, giving me a perfect view of her private parts.

I noticed she was already a little wet.

Hephaestus stayed in that position and looked back at me. She saw me staring at her and began swaying her hips.

"I love doing this. It's hilarious how desperate you look, staring at my ass like you want to devour it."

Hephaestus tossed the towel onto the bathroom sink and walked sensuously toward the bathtub.

As she approached, she leaned down, placing her boobs at the level of my face. Then, she embraced my head, pressing it into her soft mounds.

"Oh, you're already hard?" While suffocating me with her breasts, Hephaestus slid her hand into the water and touched my cock, which was already hard as a rock.

'She's so bold. But I don't want her to dominate me. I want to make this woman lose her mind.'

####

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Use this coupon on my patr eon and get 20% off: 4A43C

Next chapters: Chapter 8 - Cunningulus in the bathroom +18 / Chapter 9 - Do whatever you want. +18 / Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry. / Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid.

I put my hands on Hephaestus' shoulders and pushed her. When I did, her eyes widened. "Hm? What's gotten into you? Are you not in the mood?"

"It's not that, it's just that today I wanted to take the lead." I said as I stepped out of the bathtub, exposing my naked body to Hephaestus. When she heard what I said, she gave a mischievous smile.

"You want to take the lead? Why do you suddenly want to do that? You like so much when I dominate you."

"I just wanted to try something new." I approached her and licked my lips. My hard cock brushed against Hephaestus' belly, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. As she's much shorter than me, she stood on tiptoe.

I bent down, and before she could say anything, I grabbed her head and stole her lips.

I gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

My tongue invaded her mouth, and Hephaestus and I exchanged a passionate, wet kiss for long seconds. When our lips parted, Hephaestus breathed heavily and flushed.

"You've improved a lot."

"Just shut up," I told her and kissed her again.

As I kissed her, I grabbed her ass firmly and spread her ass cheeks. My fingers began to slide in and touch her pussy. When I touched her wet pussy with my fingers, Hephaestus stopped moving her tongue.

Mmm~~

Our kiss muffled her moan.

I continued to rub her pussy and then inserted my fingers slowly into her pussy. Two of them slid inside. Her pussy is so tight that it is hard to get my fingers inside.

Her insides are so hot that it feels like my fingers are going to melt.

'What a lucky guy I am. I thought, and just then, my lips left Hephaestus' lips.

"Hey, don't you think you're doing it too harshly? MmM.... Wait a minute..." My fingers went deeper into her pussy, and I started rubbing her insides, looking for her sensitive spots.

My ex-girlfriend(now dead) loves it, and Hephaestus seems to like it too.

MmMmM~~

mmMMMMM~~

mMMM~~

Mmmm~~

She continued to moan uncontrollably and hugged me tightly, surrendering her body to me.

Hephaestus bit my arm as she came.

Her pussy clenched even tighter around my fingers, sucking them in. The liquid from her pussy squirted all over the bathroom floor. Hephaestus' teeth marks remained on my arms, and she looked at me with watery eyes.

"I told you you were doing it too harsh. You idiot!" She started punching me weakly in the chest.

So I grabbed her arms and smiled at her.

"I've only just started. Sit here." I pointed to the edge of the bathtub. I asked her to sit here and spread my legs. However, Hephaestus didn't want to do that, so she promptly refused to sit down.

The reason was.

"If I sit there, I'll fall backward! It's impossible!"

"Don't worry, I'll hold you."

"Even so..."

"Come on, I'm sure you'll like it."

"..."

After my insistence, Hephaestus finally sat down on the edge of the bath. When she sat down, she almost fell backward. "Waaaa~~" But I grabbed her waist and held her.

"Spread your legs," I said as I looked up.

Hephaestus' face flushed, and she avoided looking me in the eye as she spread her legs for me.

'It's time to kiss her other mouth. The tastiest mouth.'

####

As soon as I put her pussy in my mouth, Hephaestus put her hands on my head and said. "Hey, wait, you're doing it too harsh again! You need to lick it gently, otherwise it'll hurt."

But I didn't listen and continued to move my tongue.

I focused mainly on her clitoris, her most sensitive part.

Every time my tongue touched her clitoris, Hephaestus gave a soft moan, and her body trembled. She almost fell backward several times, but I slipped my arms behind her and held her.

Hephaestus continued to hold my head while I sucked on her pussy.

Then, to give her even more pleasure, I stuck my tongue inside her pussy.

When my tongue entered her, Hephaestus was very surprised. "You stuck your tongue in! You've never done that before! Hey, wait a minute!"

But I didn't stop.

I kept moving my tongue wildly inside her pussy.

Speaking of tongue, it also grew after I came to this world. The system increased the size of my tongue so that I could do things like this.

Or I could be overthinking.

The system isn't one of those hentai systems.

It's a blacksmith's system.

"Hey, stop, I'm going to cum!" Hephaestus exclaimed.

But I didn't stop.

Slurp~~

I continued to suck her pussy hard as I invaded it with my tongue, and Hephaestus finally came.

She held my head and pressed me hard against her pussy, suffocating me. But I didn't care and kept moving my tongue.

MMmmMmMM~~

Hephaestus gave a long moan, and the liquid from her pussy squirted all over my face.

My face was all wet.

'Hm? It's not like my ex-girlfriend. Her "juice" tastes so good.'

I looked up, and Hephaestus was drooling, and her eyes were watering.

"You idiot! I told you you were doing it harsh!"

"But wasn't it good?"

"..." Hephaestus looked away. "It was good."

I stood up and put my cock in front of Hephaestus.

"I want you to suck me. I'm dying to come in your mouth too."

"What? You want me to put it in my mouth!"

"Hm? You've never done that before?"

"Of course not! That's dirty."

"But I've just sucked your pussy."

"That's different. My pussy is clean."

"Are you calling my cock dirty? Come on, do it for me, look how hard my cock is." I waved my cock in front of Hephaestus.

"Urghh... All right, but just a little."

Hephaestus held my cock and started to jerk it.

####

Read more chapters on my patr eon: patr eon.com/parodygirl

Use this coupon on my patr eon and get 20% off: 4A43C

Next chapters: Chapter 9 - Do whatever you want. +18 / Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry. / Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid.

We will return to the story in the next chapter.

From now on, R18 chapters will be made every 20+ chapters and will not be split up, but will be one larger chapter with a complete scene :)

####

She jerked my cock for a while while looking me in the eye. She was building up the courage to put it into her mouth. I'm surprised that the conscience that controlled this body before I came into this world never asked her to do something like that.

Every man loves to receive a blowjob. I haven't met a man who doesn't like it.

I've even met a man who likes blowjobs more than sex.

"Eryk, I don't know if I should do this," Hephaestus said again.

"It's not dirty. Let's go." I brought my cock close to her face, and Hephaestus stared at it before letting out a long sigh. Then she slowly opened her mouth.

Hephaestus stuck out her tongue and slowly touched my cock with it.

When her tongue touched my cock, a bolt of pleasure ran through my entire body, making me tremble. 'What the fuck was that? My cock is much more sensitive than usual. I almost came just with her touching me with her tongue!'

Seeing my body tremble, Hephaestus laughed. "Hehehe, what was that? Did you like it so much?"

"For some reason, my cock is very sensitive right now."

"Hmmmm..." Hephaestus kept a smile on her face as she masturbated my cock.

Then she stopped.

"So your cock is very sensitive now. I didn't want to do this, but I want to see how you react." She said.

"Hm?"

Then she suddenly put my cock inside her mouth.

"Urgh!" When my cock entered her mouth, and the head of my cock rubbed against her tongue, I felt like I was going to come immediately. The warmth of your mouth is also out of this world. What's more, it's so soft.

Your mouth is so good that I can compare it to my ex-girlfriend's pussy.

Seeing that I was holding back from cumming, Hephaestus started to move her tongue around the head of my cock, but she didn't move her head. She continued to lick me as if my cock were a lollipop.

My cock was so sensitive that it was enough to make me cum.

When I released my thick liquid into Hephaestus' mouth, her eyes widened, and her cheeks bulged.

I had come more than I had expected.

Hephaestus slowly pulled my cock out of her mouth, sucking every drop of my cum.

She stared at me with swollen cheeks and then swallowed it.

"It's not as bad as I thought. It tastes good." She said as she licked her lips. "What did you think? Was it good?"

"You have to move your head, but you stood still and only moved your tongue."

"What do you mean move my head? Did you want me to move to simulate my pussy or something? I think I read about it somewhere. But I'm afraid of sticking it too deep down my throat. But I can try if you want."

Hephaestus was about to put my cock inside her mouth again, but I stopped her.

"It's all right."

"Hm? Don't you want to?" Hephaestus tilted her head cutely.

"I want to fuck your pussy now. It feels like my cock is going to explode and I want to come inside you."

"Wow, you've really changed a lot, haven't you?"

"Hm?"

"You've never said such dirty things before. I won't say I hate it." Hephaestus licked her lips and then put her hands on the edge of the tub, lifting her ass. "Do what you want."

She wiggled her ass, drawing my attention.

"Can I do whatever I want? You'll regret your words."

It had been a while since I had sex.

And after so long without fucking, I'm going to do it with a woman as beautiful as Hephaestus. I won't be able to hold back.

####

I grabbed Hephaestus's ass. "Waaa~~ Do it gently." She said as she looked back with a smile. I bent down and looked at her pussy.

Her pussy is very wet and also a little red.

'The inside is so beautiful. It's so pink. It's certainly the most beautiful pussy I've ever seen.'

I put my cock at the entrance to Hephaestus' pussy and started rubbing it.

As my cock began to rub against her pussy, Hephaestus started to let out a few weak moans.

"Come on, do it..." She tried to shove my cock into her pussy, but I wouldn't let her. "Come on, Eryk~~" Hephaestus started begging for my cock, but I held back.

It's fun to see her begging for my cock.

'As well as becoming more sensitive, my cock has also grown a lot. It's probably 20 or 21 centimeters now. It's pretty big.

"How long are you going to keep holding my ass and staring at me? Come on, get it in soon."

"Do you want it that badly?"

"Of course I do. I- MmMmmm!"

I shoved my cock inside her pussy.

It was a single movement, and my entire cock was swallowed by her pussy.

Hephaestus' legs almost gave way. "Why did you stick it in all at once? MmMMm.... WAAAA... Wait...mMmM"

Before she could complain, I started moving my hips.

I held her hips, and the sound of our flesh colliding reverberated through the bathroom.

The wet sounds of her pussy were very obscene.

'Damn, my cock is so sensitive, I'm going to come soon.'

Urgh!

I put all my effort into moving my hips, moving them faster than ever.

My cock rubbed wildly against the inside of Hephaestus' pussy, making her cum several times in a row and her pussy clench even tighter.

Then I came.

I shoved my cock in as deep as I could, reaching her womb.

My hot sperm invaded her insides as her pussy crushed my cock and convulsed.

Hephaestus began to drool and almost fell. She had the strongest orgasm of her life.

####

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Use this coupon on my patr eon and get 20% off: 4A43C

Next chapters: Chapter 10 - You are an animal. +18 / Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry. / Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid. / Chapter 15 - Mikari. / Chapter 16 - Was Hephaestus hiding your talent?

I pulled my cock out of her pussy, and Hephaestus sat on the bathroom floor. My cock, still hard as a rock, wanted more.

"Are you insane? I thought I was going to die!" Hephaestus exclaimed. "You shouldn't have fucked me that hard. Now my pussy hurts."

"It hurts? But you were cumming nonstop." I smirked at her.

"That's not true. I didn't cum even once."

"If you didn't cum, then I'll keep going until you do."

"No, wait! My pussy is too sensitive now! I lied, okay? I came several times. Just stop!"

"Hearing you say that just makes me want to fuck you more."

"What's gotten into you? You're not acting like yourself. Enough for today, all right? I'm tired and want to sleep. You need rest too, you worked so hard today." Hephaestus stood up with difficulty, her legs trembling.

"But I'm still hard."

"Deal with it yourself. You can watch me take a shower. That should be enough for you to masturbate and cum." She grinned mischievously.

Frustrated, I grabbed her from behind. "Hey, wait a second!"

I stole her lips and thrust my cock inside her.

Hugging her from behind, I kept fucking her pussy until I came inside her again.

But even then, I wasn't satisfied.

I kept fucking Hephaestus in the bathroom for almost an hour until my balls were completely drained.

"Huff~~ Now I'm satisfied."

"You're an animal," Hephaestus said, utterly exhausted, sitting on the bathroom floor.

I helped her clean up, and we went to bed together.

####

I woke up feeling completely refreshed. It didn't seem like I had spent the whole day forging swords and then fucked Hephaestus like a madman for over an hour. I got up, and Hephaestus called me as soon as I did.

"You forgot my good morning kiss again."

I leaned down and kissed her lips. She smiled contentedly after the kiss.

"I'm going to take a shower. Should I wake you in twenty minutes?"

"No need. I'm getting up."

"All right. I'm heading to the bathroom."

I went to the bathroom, and Hephaestus joined me shortly after.

We showered together and then went to the private dining room. Speaking of which, I ate lunch and dinner in the training room yesterday. I didn't see Hephaestus during those meals.

I wanted to eat with her.

"Take a seat. Breakfast will be served soon."

It was a table for two in the middle of what was likely a bedroom converted into a dining room. It was a very small room but perfect for the two of us.

After a maid served breakfast, we began eating.

"I'm excited about your training today. Yesterday, you managed to forge five high-quality swords. I wonder what you'll forge today."

"Those swords weren't high quality. They were just common swords."

"They are common, but their quality was impressive. A random smith without skill couldn't forge swords like those."

"Maybe I just got lucky."

"Of course not! You made five swords. That can't be just luck. Your training is finally paying off. Aren't you proud of yourself?"

"And you, Goddess, are you proud?"

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Hmm…"

"What's wrong?"

"It's just that I've been here for so many years, using the Familia's resources, unable to create a decent sword. I don't believe you're truly proud of me for forging just five common swords."

"It's because you've spent so much time trying hard daily that I'm proud of you. After so long, you finally succeeded. Of course, I'm happy and proud. I love you, after all."

Hearing her words made my heart race.

"..."

"What's the matter? Speechless?"

"Yes, I am."

"Hahaha. All right, finish eating now. I'll take you to the training room after we're done."

"What if I can't forge anything today?"

"Hm? Then I'll encourage you! You've already proven you can do it!" Hephaestus said with an adorable smile. My heart raced again.

It's incredible to have such a perfect wife like her.

####

Once again, Hephaestus escorted me to the training room where Balnan and Luck were waiting. As soon as the Goddess left, Balnan gave me his usual disdainful look and approached.

"Get started. You're not leaving here until you make five swords like yesterday's or something even better."

"Oh? Now you're setting goals?"

"Now that you've started forging real swords, I decided to do this to motivate you. But know this: if you fail to meet the target, there'll be consequences."

I was curious about these supposed consequences.

But it's better to focus and avoid finding out.

I wouldn't care if I were strong, but I'm weak despite my impressive physique.

'The system only evolves my forging skills... it doesn't make me physically stronger. I have a Falna, maybe if I venture into the dungeon, I can grow stronger.'

I'll consider exploring the dungeon when I can forge high-quality swords and armor.

I began heating the materials to start forging my first sword of the day.

'I'll try to forge a higher rank sword today. But how do I do that? Is the rank random, or must I do something differently?'

Suddenly, a system message appeared.

[ Rank H Probabilities ]

[ Failure 2% / Common 70% / Refined 20% / Rare 7% / Legendary 1% / Ancestral 0% / Mythic 0% ]

"Oh?"

"Why are you smiling like an idiot?"

"Something amazing happened."

"Huh?"

####

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Use this coupon on my patr eon and get 20% off: 4A43C

(The discount ends tomorrow)

Next chapters: Chapter 11 - Hephaestus is angry. / Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid. / Chapter 15 - Mikari. / Chapter 16 - Was Hephaestus hiding your talent? / Chapter 17 - I'll explain everything later. / Chapter 18 - Capacity to evolve infinitely.

If you give me your power stones you'll find a wife like Hephaestus in the future

####

The probabilities that appeared excited me because I even have a 1% chance of forging a legendary sword. But 1% is very low.

But I have a relatively high probability of forging a rare sword. A 7% probability is excellent—every Gacha player dreams of having a 7% chance of pulling an SSR character.

But what makes these swords different?

Depending on the rank, are they sharper? More durable? Do they come with special abilities?

I'll only know when I forge a higher-ranked sword.

And so, I began my work.

I started hammering.

Clank!

I followed the same process as yesterday.

But this time, I was even faster.

When I finished forging the first sword of the day, a system message appeared before my eyes.

[ You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword ]

"Another common sword..."

"You're faster now. That's amazing. But don't stop; try forging another one before lunchtime," Balnan said, smiling in satisfaction.

They were standing there, watching me.

They didn't offer any tips or help.

'Maybe that's why even after training for years (as mentioned in my background), I didn't evolve at all. These guys don't teach anything.'

####

Sometime later, just before lunch…

[ You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword ]

Sometime later, by the afternoon…

[ You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword ]

Sometime later, as night fell…

[ You have forged a Level 1 Common Sword ]

"At this pace, you'll manage to forge six. You'll hit the target—congratulations. Hahaha," Balnan laughed while looking at me. I was nearly collapsing from exhaustion.

I was sweating so much my clothes were drenched.

'Damn it, I have a 20% chance of forging a "Refined" rank sword, but I can't even manage that. This sucks.'

Spitting out my frustrations, I started hammering again to forge my next sword.

After some time, the sword was finished.

[ You have forged a Level 1 Refined Sword ]

"I DID IT!" I shouted in joy when I saw the system message.

"What did you do, you idiot?" Balnan, who hadn't been paying attention, asked. His eyes lit up as he approached and saw the sword in my hand. "What's this? Why does the blade of this sword look so beautiful?"

Balnan grabbed the sword from my hand.

"What is this?" He was speechless for a moment. "Why do I suddenly feel more energized?"

[ The passive skill "Stamina Boost LV1" has been added to the sword ]

'What the hell is this? Can my swords come with skills? And this skill is excellent! It's just a Refined-rank sword! Imagine what kind of skill a rare sword might get?'

I snatched the sword from Balnan's hand.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing!?" he yelled angrily. "Give it to me; I'll keep it safe."

"Of course, I'm not giving it to you. This sword is much better than the others, which is why you want it. I'm not an idiot."

"Are you implying I want to steal this sword? I can make a sword like this whenever I want! What's so special about it? Just because the blade looks prettier than the others!?"

"You know very well this sword isn't just pretty."

"Tsk! You're so annoying."

"What are you going to do? Beat me up and steal this sword from me? I'd like to see you try." I smirked maliciously.

Even though I wasn't confident in my strength, I didn't back down in front of him.

This guy is annoying. I can't stand his presence anymore.

"I don't want this damn sword!" Balnan charged at me. He was so furious that I started to feel nervous.

But contrary to my expectations, Balnan wasn't very fast.

He reminded me of that idiot from my old world. The one who threw such a slow punch, I easily dodged it.

Balnan's fist came toward my face slowly. I was holding the sword, but using it here wasn't a good idea.

I moved my head to the side, dodging his punch.

"What!?"

Right after, I spun around, kicking Balnan in the side and sending him flying. He rolled on the ground, groaning in pain. He lifted his head slowly to look at me, grinding his teeth.

"You're slower than I expected. You'd better be careful because I'm getting angry with how you treat me. Who do you think I am?"

"Hey, idiot, did you forget about me?" Then, I was caught off guard by Luck.

I had completely forgotten about him.

But he was stupid enough to warn me before attacking. Never do that in a fight. That's just dumb.

Luck, who tried to attack me from behind, missed.

I walked away from him, preparing to confront him head-on.

But as I prepared to attack him, Balnan had already recovered and picked up one of the swords I forged from the ground to attack me.

Can I have your power stones? :(

####

Balnan stared at Hephaestus with a pale face, unable to utter a word. Luck was also pale. It might not seem from how they treat me, but they both know about my relationship with Hephaestus.

"What did you say earlier? You said you were going to kill him, didn't you?" Hephaestus asked in a cold tone.

"Goddess... It's not what it seems. That idiot challenged me, and I got carried away. Of course, I wasn't serious!"

"..." Hephaestus kept staring at him coldly, and Balnan clicked his tongue. "This is all your fault, you bastard! You accused me of trying to steal your sword and then attacked me!"

"You're lying. You've got some nerve, don't you?" Hephaestus stepped toward Balnan, causing him to fall backward onto the ground. "I want to know every detail of what happened here."

She was looking into his soul. Balnan trembled.

Suddenly, I saw a side of Hephaestus I didn't expect. And it's all because of me.

"Hurry up! Tell me what happened!" Hephaestus shouted, irritated. "Luck!?" She then turned her gaze toward Luck. Under the goddess's piercing glare, he stepped back nervously, glancing between her and Balnan.

Balnan glared at him, silently urging him to lie.

But Luck isn't as foolish as Balnan; he knows lying would be futile.

"Balnan tried to take the sword Eryk forged. Eryk took the sword back, and Balnan started an argument and attacked him. That's what happened."

Luck spilled the truth, leaving Balnan paralyzed. Then he shouted, "That's a lie! I didn't take his sword! He accused me of wanting to steal it and then attacked me out of nowhere. This bastard is insane."

"Enough!" Hephaestus yelled. She stepped closer to Balnan and grabbed him by the collar. "I don't want to see you in front of me today any more. Tomorrow, I'll decide what to do with you."

"Goddess? Goddess? Wait!" Balnan kept calling after Hephaestus.

She walked toward me with a warm smile.

"Shall we leave? I'm tired," she said, gently taking my hand.

Before we left the room, she turned to Balnan one last time.

"The next time you say you'll kill him, I'll deal with you myself. I'll tear you apart piece by piece and make you suffer enough to beg for death."

"Kiiikk!!" Balnan shrank to the floor in fear.

How pathetic can this guy get?

But honestly, this is entertaining. In just two days, I've managed to make a mortal enemy.

We left the training room together, and I walked beside Hephaestus, reflecting on what had just happened.

'She's incredible. I never thought she could say something like that.'

####

When we reached the door to our room, Hephaestus suddenly said, "I have something to take care of. I'll be right back." She smiled, but it wasn't the smile of someone happy.

"Alright," I replied.

Holding the sword I had forged, I entered the room and placed it on the bed.

"So, this is a 'Refined' rank sword." The blade looks much superior to a common rank sword blade, even though I hadn't done anything different while forging it.

It seems that's how it works:

The sword gets a random rank based on the probabilities, and its appearance changes accordingly.

And the sword gains abilities based on its rank.

It's a simple system.

"Even if I can't improve my strength and agility with the system, I can create swords strong enough to compensate for that in the future."

Imagine if I can forge a sword that summons meteors someday.

"I might be exaggerating, huh? A terrifying sword like that is probably impossible to create."

I picked up the sword from the bed and started swinging it. My rough and basic movements weren't nearly enough to fight anyone.

"I wonder how I sent Balnan flying with just a kick. He's much stronger than me since he's at level two. Speaking of him..."

Hephaestus likely went out to deal with this matter, didn't she?

I smiled, satisfied, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

When I came out, Hephaestus had already returned. She was holding the sword I had forged, analyzing it.

"You forged this sword?" she asked.

"Yes."

"It's incredible. How did you manage to create something like this? There's a magic effect that reduces the fatigue, right?"

"You can tell?"

"Just a guess. The moment I held it, I began to feel more energized. It's an interesting sensation." Hephaestus swung the sword a few times. "The weight is perfect, and the blade is exceptionally sharp. Well done!"

She gave me a big smile, showing all her teeth.

My chest felt warm.

"Thank you for all your support over the years, Goddess."

"What's this? Are you going to cry? Feeling emotional?" Hephaestus tossed the sword onto the bed and approached me, teasing me.

"Of course not. I'm just expressing my gratitude for everything you've done for me all these years, even though I've given nothing in return."

"Stop saying things like that." She cupped my cheeks, staring into my eyes. "I've told you before: I trust you and love you. You don't need to overthink things. Just keep forging swords and improving. I'm eager to see you become the best blacksmith in the Familia." She smiled.

"Don't worry. I'll become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. No doubt."

"That's the spirit! I like that confidence." She kissed me.

####

Read more chapters on my patr eon: patr eon.com/parodygirl (I'm posting extra chapters there every day)

Next chapters: Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid. / Chapter 15 - Mikari. / Chapter 16 - Was Hephaestus hiding your talent? / Chapter 17 - I'll explain everything later. / Chapter 18 - Capacity to evolve infinitely. / Chapter 19 - Rare Rank Sword. / Chapter 20 - It consumes a lot of magic.

"I'll kill you! No one hits me and gets away with it!" Balnan shouted as he charged at me with the sword in hand.

But, unfortunately for him…

"What do you think you're doing?" A cold, feminine voice reached my ears.

Before I realized it, Hephaestus was

Fortunately for me, the rabbit didn't hit me with its horn. If I had been struck by that, I would've been killed instantly. Instead, it hit me with its paws, sending me flying.

But even though it only hit me with its paws, the pain was insane.

It felt like my ribs had shattered, and I couldn't breathe properly.

To catch my breath, I used my sword to create a protective ice barrier around me. I placed my hand on my stomach and tried to recover my breathing. "Damn it… this is going to be harder than I thought."

I opened a small hole in the ice shield and saw the rabbit hopping around the room. It was leaping off the walls and even the ceiling at high speed. After focusing a little more, I was able to track its movements.

Though not very well.

"The key is to use magic. If I try to fight it head-on with my sword, I'll die." But how do I use magic to deal with it? Should I set a trap? Maybe I should freeze its legs.

As soon as I recovered, I opened the ice wall and looked at the rabbit, which was clinging to the dungeon wall. It stared back at me with its black eyes before launching itself at me at high speed.

This time, it was going for the kill—its horn pointed straight at me.

I barely reacted in time but managed to summon an ice shield in its path. The rabbit struck the ice wall with its horn and pierced through it, almost hitting me. I took the chance to transform my sword into a massive hammer and swung it.

The hammer shattered the ice wall and also struck the rabbit, but it didn't get smashed to the ground.

Even after getting hit, it managed to slip out from under the hammer just in time.

I only managed to wound it.

Still, those wounds gave me an advantage. One of its hind legs was injured. But even wounded, the rabbit began hopping around at high speed again.

I felt like an idiot for thinking that would slow it down.

I stood still, scanning the area and waiting for the next attack.

The rabbit kept bouncing off the dungeon walls like a ping-pong ball for a few seconds before charging at me again. This time, I was able to follow its movement.

I transformed my sword into a large hammer and swung it to hit the rabbit mid-air.

But to my surprise, the rabbit stopped just before impact and fled.

"What was that? Magic? A skill? Is it the same one it uses to stick to walls and ceilings?"

Tsk!

I clicked my tongue and waited for the rabbit to attack again.

Since I can't chase it down, I have no choice but to wait.

After a few seconds, it launched another attack—this time from behind.

I used my ice magic again to create a barrier like before, but this time the rabbit stopped mid-air, avoiding the wall as if it knew it could get trapped again. "But that's not my plan this time."

Before it could escape, I used ice magic to freeze it, and it worked.

A blast of cold filled a five-meter radius, freezing everything in its path, including the rabbit. Its body stiffened and crashed to the ground with a loud thud. I walked across the frozen floor and approached it.

It looked like a dead rabbit that had been left in the freezer for too long—it didn't move a single inch.

But something was bothering me.

"I didn't get the message saying the boss was defeated…"

That's when—

Lightning!

Bolts of golden lightning rained down from the dungeon ceiling, and I backed away.

The golden lightning kept falling, melting all the ice.

I tried to get close and finish the rabbit off before it thawed completely, but the powerful attacks kept me away. If I got hit by even one of those bolts, I'd lose consciousness.

And if that happened, I'd die.

"Damn it. Hitting it with the hammer doesn't work, freezing it doesn't work… What now? I have to limit its movements some other way—or maybe trap it somewhere."

After a while, the rabbit was free again.

It bared its disgusting teeth at me, and its eyes grew even darker.

"It's seriously pissed now!"

####

I stared at the rabbit as it prepared to attack again. I started thinking of a plan to deal with this mess. 'The only thing I can rely on is my ice magic.'

I won't be able to cut it with my sword or hit it with the hammer.

"I need to create some sort of prison in here." I waited for the rabbit to strike—and it did.

I managed to track its movement, and as it got close, I raised another ice barrier in front of me. This time, I cast it at the very last second, barely blocking its charge.

As soon as its horn got stuck in the shield, I created an ice box around it, then filled it with freezing air that would turn anything solid. The box dropped to the ground.

I kept channeling my ice magic, thickening the ice layer around it.

Then, the lightning came back.

This time, I summoned massive blocks of ice to shield against the lightning bolts.

Each time lightning struck, a block melted—but I didn't stop.

Thanks to my "Magic Boost Lv3" skill, I had plenty of mana. More than that damned rabbit.

But to my surprise, the battle between lightning and ice went on for quite a while. Long enough for me to start getting tired.

Thankfully, the lightning finally stopped.

Everything fell silent.

I looked at the frozen pile on the ground—the rabbit was still trapped inside—but it wasn't dead yet.

I kept training with Tsubaki and farming excelia and points for another week before finally asking Hephaestus to update my falna. I feel like I've improved a lot, enough to take on the boss of the 10th floor.

I still don't know how much excelia I can generate by doing what I've been doing, but I hope it's enough.

That night, while I was lying in bed, Hephaestus sat on top of me.

She did what she had to do, and once she finished updating my falna, she handed me the paper showing my updated status. When I saw the numbers, my eyes widened. My lips curled into a smile.

'Yes, this is it! But seriously... I thought the numbers would be a bit higher…'

Strength: 213

Endurance: 345

Dexterity: 222

Agility: 301

Magic: 206

"So, are you happy with your progress? You've improved quite a bit for someone who hasn't stepped into the dungeon even once in the past few days."

"But I did gain excelia from forging. Do you think it was worth it? I don't really have a frame of reference."

"Your growth is impressive. Honestly, you probably improved faster than most adventurers. It's a little scary…"

"Really? Even though my stats are much higher now, I still feel like it's not enough… Well, what matters is that I've made progress. I feel good about it."

"Keep working hard." Hephaestus gave me a few pats on the back and got out of bed. "I'm going to take a bath now. Want to join me? We should save water," she said with a smile.

Of course, I didn't refuse her invitation.

####

The next morning, I grabbed my legendary sword and put on the armor Tsubaki had given me. Before heading to the dungeon, I stopped by the training grounds and let Tsubaki know I wouldn't be training today.

Tsubaki offered to come with me, but I told her it was fine and that I had something important to do.

She seemed really curious when I said that, and I immediately regretted it. Fortunately, despite her curiosity, she didn't follow me.

When I reached the tower, I entered the first floor of the dungeon and let out a sigh.

"I hope I don't get another random quest. I'm really not in the mood for one right now. I just want to fight the boss."

Surprisingly, I wasn't feeling nervous.

I felt strong enough not to worry.

So, without hesitation, I pushed through the floors quickly, killing monsters along the way. I got a little tired, but thanks to my improved stats, I managed to take them down with relative ease.

Not just because of my status, but also thanks to my sword.

When I reached the 9th floor, a place I'd never been to before, I finally started to feel a bit nervous.

'When I step onto the 10th floor, I'll probably be transported to the boss room—just like it happened on the 5th floor.'

Let's take this slowly.

####

When I was just one step away from the 10th floor, I took a few more sips of water and got ready. After a deep breath, I finally entered the tenth floor of the dungeon.

The moment I arrived, I could tell something had changed.

I was in a corridor—a narrow one, not wide enough for two people to walk side by side. I started feeling uneasy. I've never liked tight spaces like this.

But I kept calm and began walking through the long corridor.

I walked for several minutes, yet the hallway seemed endless.

That's when I noticed something strange.

"A carrot?" Yes, a carrot, lying just ahead.

It looked like it came straight out of a cartoon. And it was huge. "What's this doing here?" I picked it up, and as soon as I did, a chill ran down my spine.

Immediately, the corridor started shaking, and I dropped the carrot.

The trembling continued, and cracks formed in the ceiling. Pieces of stone began falling on me. I started to panic, thinking the whole place was going to collapse—but it didn't.

Suddenly, everything stopped.

Total silence.

A terrifying silence.

Then, I started hearing sounds—something coming from my right, approaching.

"Is something behind the wall?" I muttered.

And then—

BOOM!

The wall beside me was struck.

It didn't take long for me to realize—I wasn't supposed to go to the boss room.

I'm already in the boss room!

I ran as fast as I could.

Right after I escaped, another strike hit. BOOM! The wall cracked, and dust filled the air. As it crumbled, the remaining walls began to fall apart slowly.

The corridor was collapsing.

I stood still and looked toward the creature that had attacked the wall. I couldn't see it clearly—it was shrouded in dust.

But one thing was certain: it wasn't as big as the first boss.

When the walls completely fell and the dust settled, I finally got a good look at the monster I'd be fighting this time.

"A rabbit?" I muttered. As I stared at it, the ceiling above me began to rise, reaching over six meters high. I was now trapped underground in a massive square room—with this rabbit.

And the only way out… is to defeat it.

At first glance, the rabbit looked cute—but it was anything but.

Its fur was white and fluffy, but its eyes were pitch black, like it had no soul. On its forehead was a sharp, silver horn over 30 centimeters long.

It wasn't taller than a meter, but I could feel how dangerous it was.

It is strong and fast!

If there's one thing rabbits are, it's fast. Hitting it without a speed-enhancing skill would be hard. I'd need to hit it with magic or something.

"Here it comes!" I didn't have time to think— the rabbit leapt at me.

I couldn't keep up with its movement and got hit head-on.

####

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Next chapters: Chapter 76 - Get crushed, motherfucker! / Chapter 77 - You're very naughty. / Chapter 78 - They're making a lot of noise! +18 / Chapter 79 - Hephaestus is a pervert. +18 / Chapter 80 - Rank E / Chapter 81 - Knife. / Chapter 82 - Office and rest room. / Chapter 83 - Loki.

A few days had passed, and I had already returned to using my training room. I spent the last few days farming excelia and points almost all day. I trained with Tsubaki in the morning, had lunch, and then returned to training.

I only stopped after ten at night, when Hephaestus came home and was ready to go to bed.

After farming so many points, I finally ranked up! I've now reached Rank F! It's not a high rank, but the probabilities have improved a lot. Here are my current chances:

[ Rank F Probabilities ]

[ Failure 1% / Common 30% / Refined 50% / Rare 17% / Legendary 2% / Ancestral 0% / Mythic 0% ]

With the items I have, my chances of forging a legendary item are now at 7%! That's amazing. I'll definitely be forging more legendary items from now on. "Though honestly, I've already been really lucky and have been forging legendary items quite often."

But aside from the probabilities, nothing really changed.

I thought I'd get a new skill after ranking up, but it didn't happen. I was a little disappointed, but there's nothing I can do. "For now, all I can do is keep improving and see what happens."

I feel like once I reach the next rank, I'll receive something special!

So, I opened the system to take a look.

Name: Eryk Martin

Forging Skill – Rank F

[234/20000]

"Now I need 20,000 points. If I farm every day, it shouldn't take too long… I think. I'll also be facing the 10th-floor boss soon. Maybe I'll get a massive point bonus from that."

Feeling excited, I left the training room late at night.

I didn't have anything else to do, so I decided to take some of the money I earned from selling the magic stones I collected and go have some fun at a nearby bar. I wanted to invite Hephaestus, but she was busy.

Since I'm not someone who drinks a lot or causes trouble, Hephaestus doesn't mind me going out for a drink—but she has told me she wants to go with me someday. It's just that she's always busy.

And when she's not busy, I am.

We need to schedule some time to go out together.

Even though we're married, the only thing we ever do together is have sex. We've never gone on a proper date or anything like that. I understand the reason: not everyone knows about our relationship.

Still, more and more people are starting to recognize me as "Hephaestus' boyfriend." Most don't even call me by name—they just call me that. It's kind of annoying.

'But whatever. It's not worth getting bothered over.'

####

The next morning, when I woke up, Hephaestus was sleeping beside me. I got out of bed and went to the bathroom to wash my face before heading off for my daily training session with Tsubaki. While looking in the mirror, I started making plans for the days ahead.

There are some things I need to take care of.

I need to keep improving my falna, defeat the boss, and then talk to Hephaestus about my own workshop. I think it's time I start showing the world my swords and armor.

Even though my rank is still a bit low, it's fine.

I'm only going to sell items that are rare rank or lower anyway.

Selling a legendary item to someone could completely disrupt the balance between adventurers. If an adventurer level four or higher got one of my legendary weapons, they'd become way too overpowered!

I only gave one to Tsubaki because she's part of the Familia and a friend!

'Alright, I'll keep farming excelia for a few more days, then I'll go face that boss. I think the sword I'm using now is good enough for the job.'

But I'll still try to forge something better in the meantime.

"And maybe… I should invite Hephaestus on a date too…"

"Invite me to what?" Hephaestus asked as she walked into the bathroom.

"I was just talking to myself, sorry. I was thinking about what I should do over the next few days."

"Don't you think you're overdoing it?"

"No, it's fine. I need to keep pushing forward to fulfill the promise I made you."

"Promise?"

"Yeah. The promise to become the best blacksmith in the Hephaestus Familia. Did you think I forgot?"

"You're still thinking about that!?"

"Of course. It was a promise I made to you."

"I…"

"You didn't take my promise seriously? I figured as much."

"Back then, I still had doubts about you. But you've shown me that you really can become the best blacksmith. I just don't want you to push yourself too hard because of that. In time, you will become the best—I have no doubt. You don't need to go to extremes."

"I already said it's fine." I turned to Hephaestus, held her cheeks, and kissed her lips. "Let's have breakfast. I've got to head to the training field to work with Tsubaki."

"Speaking of which, I heard she gave you your new armor."

"She didn't give it to me—we traded."

I left the bathroom, and Hephaestus followed.

"Either way, be careful. I don't think it's a good idea to let people know too much about your skill. The things you forge are on another level—they're not normal."

"I trust Tsubaki. It's fine."

"I trust her too. I just want you to be careful."

####

After training with Tsubaki, I had lunch and went back to my training room to continue farming excelia and points. Right now, my main focus is on excelia—not points. I want to raise my stats as much as possible.

I don't know if I'll be able to level up through forging in the future, but for now, the important thing is to strengthen my status!

So, I got started.

I grabbed some mithril, heated it up, and started hammering to gain points and excelia. After that, I broke the blade and melted the metal down again. It's a repetitive and tiring process—but it's worth it.

I'll have to keep doing this for a few more days. After that, I'll ask Hephaestus to update my falna.

"Then I'll head to the 10th floor to face the next boss."

####

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Next chapters: Chapter 75 - My Falna has evolved a lot. / Chapter 76 - Get crushed, motherfucker! / Chapter 77 - You're very naughty. / Chapter 78 - They're making a lot of noise! +18 / Chapter 79 - Hephaestus is a pervert. +18 / Chapter 80 - Rank E / Chapter 81 - Knife. / Chapter 82 - Office and rest room.

So I created the biggest, heaviest hammer I could.

"Die crushed, you son of a bitch."

####

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By subscribing to my Patr eon you encourage me to keep writing. I'm planning lots of new fanfics (mainly danmachi) ^^

Next chapters: Chapter 77 - You're very naughty. / Chapter 78 - They're making a lot of noise! +18 / Chapter 79 - Hephaestus is a pervert. +18 / Chapter 80 - Rank E / Chapter 81 - Knife. / Chapter 82 - Office and rest room. / Chapter 83 - Loki. / Chapter 84 - Past. Love. Mother.

standing in front of me.

Just looking at her back, I could feel her coldness and anger.

"Goddess?" Balnan, who almost attacked her by mistake, turned pale.

####

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Next chapters: Chapter 12 - She's so cool! / Chapter 13 - Tsubaki (Hephaestus's POV) / Chapter 14 - Kind Maid. / Chapter 15 - Mikari. / Chapter 16 - Was Hephaestus hiding your talent? / Chapter 17 - I'll explain everything later. / Chapter 18 - Capacity to evolve infinitel

Chapter 2 - skip this