"Andre, your boxing is amazing—can you teach me?"
"It's just ordinary punches. You can do it too."
Outside the rogue's shabby hut, Kunan kept circling around Andre, pestering him nonstop, clearly hoping to learn some powerful combat techniques.
But unfortunately, Andre's fighting style really did look like nothing more than basic hand-to-hand combat—straight punches, uppercuts, combos, and flying kicks. Each move, taken individually, was completely ordinary.
So why was he able to overpower the Grafted Scion so easily?
Probably because his stats were just absurdly high.
Still, Kunan firmly believed that Andre must have mastered some special way of exerting force—something that allowed every punch to carry incredible power. After all, in this world, fighters relied on unique techniques to channel their internal energy and unleash destructive force.
"I'm just an ordinary blacksmith."
In the end, Andre simply repeated that line over and over, fully making use of his "phantom" status. Kunan had no choice but to give up.
At that moment, the rogue brought out a huge pot of boiled shrimp and crab. Using a giant crab shell as a serving plate, the bright red seafood was piled high and arranged with surprising care—it looked incredibly appetizing.
This was the feast he had promised earlier.
Though it was just simple salted boiled seafood, the seasoning was perfectly balanced, bringing out the natural freshness of the ingredients. No matter how much you ate, it never became tiring.
In the cold environment of Liurnia of the Lake, being able to enjoy such a meal after a tiring adventure was a deep comfort to both body and soul.
If only there were a warm cabin, a roaring fireplace, and a bard singing nearby—this would truly be the dream life of adventurers.
Andre and the rogue only exchanged a few brief lines of dialogue, like casual acquaintances. It mainly served to show that the two knew each other well. The rogue even asked Andre to help buy some salt from Kale.
And naturally, Andre passed that task on to the elves.
A limited-time quest—once missed, gone forever.
"Haa…"
Melga licked the crab roe clean from the shell and let out a satisfied sigh. It had truly been a fulfilling meal.
Not only was she full, but she also noticed subtle changes in her body.
Her strength seemed to have increased slightly.
It felt similar to the boost she would get after leveling up strength at a bonfire using souls.
Probably just a temporary effect from the food—it would wear off soon anyway.
Compared to the high physical damage reduction from the boiled shrimp, this strength boost seemed rather ordinary.
After eating, it was time to continue their adventure.
Before leaving, they also received large lobster materials from the rogue—glowing crafting items that could be used to forge weapons with the blacksmith in the forest region.
To adventurers, these were valuable monster materials.
To the rogue, they were just useless scraps.
Andre walked steadily along the path toward Academy Gate Town, and the elves followed closely behind.
The fog in the lake region gradually began to thin—a good sign. Being able to see clearly was far better than stumbling blindly.
Occasionally, monsters appeared. Whenever that happened, the "boxing champion"—no, the blacksmith—would step in and beat them into retreat with his fists.
He never actually killed them.
As creations of the same dungeon, there was no need for real internal conflict—just putting on a show was enough.
Still, his "acting" was incredibly realistic. Every punch landed with weight and impact, overflowing with raw power. The elves couldn't help but get fired up watching him—especially Kunan, who couldn't take his eyes off him.
He wasn't into men—he was just appreciating the muscles. Really.
"Boom!"
A Jyuratodus charging like a battering ram was knocked flat with a single punch, sending tremors through the ground.
As the monster wailed and fled, Kunan opened his mouth to speak—
"I'm just an ordinary blacksmith."
"…"
Yes, yes—very ordinary. I won't argue anymore.
Kunan wisely shut his mouth.
In his eyes, Andre had already become something like a hidden master living in seclusion. If he insisted he was a blacksmith, then so be it.
With this "ordinary" Andre leading the way, the journey became incredibly smooth.
The weather improved, the fog faded, and the scenery gradually became familiar.
Too familiar.
"…Wait… were we walking the wrong way this whole time?"
For the first time, Wienma showed doubt.
When she clearly saw the corpses of monsters they had killed earlier by the roadside, she became certain—
They had been happily eating lobster, singing songs… and heading in the wrong direction the entire time.
If they hadn't met Andre, who knew how long they would've wandered around this massive lake?
Thinking about it, she felt a chill run down her spine.
The closer they got to Academy Gate Town, the fewer monsters they encountered, and their strength also decreased.
Even ordinary people could safely wander around here.
When the faint silhouette of the town appeared in the distance, everyone finally let out a sigh of relief.
They had made it.
Strangely, the moment they saw the town, exhaustion hit them all at once—like finally returning home after a long journey.
"Why hasn't the strength boost worn off yet?" Melga clenched her fist. Nearly an hour had passed since the meal, but the effect was still there.
That's… unusually long.
Others voiced similar concerns.
"I feel like my speed increased after eating. Did anyone else experience that? Why hasn't the buff disappeared?"
"Speed boost?"
After asking around, Melga realized—
Everyone had received a buff.
And the effects were random.
There had never been a magic or item buff that lasted over an hour!
Could it be—
"A permanent increase!?"
At that realization, she nearly turned back on the spot to find the rogue.
If it really was permanent, she'd shamelessly stick to him forever.
No—she couldn't call him "rogue" anymore.
She had to respectfully call him Shrimp Bro.
Unfortunately, she would only learn later—
This seafood feast, which granted a permanent +1 level increase, was a one-time event.
In the end, they didn't go back.
Instead, they followed Andre into Academy Gate Town.
Stepping onto dry ground felt amazing—the damp environment was finally behind them.
But the scene before them left everyone speechless.
"…This place looks… uh, I don't even know how to describe it."
Colorful tents were scattered everywhere, and adventurers were sleeping all over the place.
Some at least had tents.
Most had simply collapsed wherever they could.
Melga couldn't help but complain internally—
I get that you're tired, but do you really have to sleep in the streets? Aren't you afraid of getting robbed?
You're adventurers, not homeless people!
Carefully stepping over sleeping bodies, the elves followed Andre toward his blacksmith shop.
Most people had already finished their morning adventures—those who had died had respawned at bonfires.
Many lacked proper supplies, so they simply rested here.
And they didn't want to leave.
Why?
Because they had accumulated a significant amount of souls.
Leaving the dungeon would reset them to zero.
No one wanted that—especially those just shy of leveling up.
They became overly cautious, afraid of losing everything.
Notably, revival in the Liurnia region required fewer souls, and the negative effects were reduced.
This made farming easier—
But also increased psychological pressure.
After only two weeks, things had already reached this point.
What would it look like later?
Would people stop wanting to leave the dungeon entirely?
"The buff still hasn't disappeared. It's probably permanent," Kunan said.
"Lucky bonus," Melga replied with a grin.
Then she smirked mischievously.
"Wonder where Stella ended up. She definitely didn't get this kind of luck."
"Yeah, probably struggling somewhere. Poor thing—got separated during teleportation."
"Should we give her a shrimp as consolation?"
"Sounds good."
As they chatted, Andre suddenly stopped.
He had arrived at his blacksmith shop.
A group of adventurers tilted their heads, curious about this muscular man.
Kale also peeked out from his nearby shop.
And then—
Andre looked at his place.
The anvil and tools had been thrown outside.
Inside, laughter could be heard.
His workshop… had been occupied.
The elves grinned.
Whoever was inside was about to have a very bad day.
"BANG!"
Andre kicked the door open.
Inside, people turned to look—
Clatter!
Stella dropped her spoon.
"Who are you, old man?" Luluwo stood up, still holding half a bowl of stew.
The place had been turned into a kitchen, filled with food.
Andre looked at the bubbling stew pot, the greasy walls, and the completely remodeled interior…
Then thought about his anvil outside.
He smiled kindly.
.
..
...
One day later.
"Hey, did you hear? A blacksmith showed up next to the merchant! He can upgrade weapons with smithing stones!"
"I heard it only works on dungeon weapons."
"Who told you that? He can upgrade anything—it just costs more materials for non-dungeon gear. Totally worth it!"
"Really? I'll go check it out."
"Oh, and here's something funny—his shop got taken over by some group and turned into a kitchen. Then he came back."
"What happened?"
"Hah! They're working as laborers now! When they tried to resist, he knocked them all out—one punch each!"
"That strong!?"
"People are calling him a hidden boss monster now."
"Did he say anything?"
"Yeah. He said—"
"I'm just an ordinary blacksmith."
"…That's way too ordinary."