"Alright then," Alan said. "Since you're going to teach me, should I call you teacher or master?"
"There's no need for all that," Piaro replied. "Just call me Piaro."
Alan nodded. "As you wish."
"But first, let me get something from the lake," Alan added.
Piaro nodded again. "I'll come with you."
They stopped near the edge of the water.
"But how are you planning to breathe underwater?" Alan asked. "We're going to fight down there, you know."
Piaro snorted softly and raised his hand, revealing several thin, scale-like objects.
"I have these."
[ Gills of Merman ]
[ When attached to the neck, allows breathing underwater ]
"Oh," Alan said, eyes lighting up. "Do you have more?"
Piaro tossed one to him without hesitation. Alan caught it, then his body flickered as he switched back to Dainsleif. He placed the gills carefully against his neck; they fused painlessly into his skin.
Alan exhaled once, feeling the strange but comfortable sensation of water-compatible breathing.
"Alright then," he murmured.
He drew Dainsleif and activated his enhancement interface. Taking out the Blessed Weapon Enhancement Stones he had obtained earlier, he began working carefully.
[ You have enhanced Dainsleif to +1 ]
The blade hummed faintly.
+2
+3
+4
Alan paused, adjusted the flow of mana, then continued.
+5
+6
A subtle resonance spread through the weapon.
[ Enhancement Success Rate Decreasing ]
Alan ignored it and enhanced it once again.
[ Enhancement failed ]
It dropped back to +5 as Alan continued and then Dainslief is now +3.
Alan lips twitched in annoyance as he bought some enhancement stones from the Player market and then continued. Succes, failure, Success and finally he stopped at +8.
An orange glow shimmered faintly around Dainsleif, pulsing like a living heartbeat.
Each enhancement increased the base stats by +5%. At +8, Dainsleif was vastly stronger than before—sharper, tougher, and far more receptive to Alan's mana.
Alan let out a satisfied breath.
Then he looked at Piaro's sword.
"Give me your sword," Alan said. "I'll fix it."
Piaro raised an eyebrow but handed it over.
Alan examined the blade carefully. The craftsmanship was excellent, but time, battles, and neglect had dulled its peak performance.
He took out the Repairing tools and begun to repair it, while Piaro watched with interest.
The blade slowly regained its former luster.
"…You're also a blacksmith?" Piaro asked, watching closely.
"I'm a blacksmith," Alan replied casually. "Who knows how to fight."
Piaro stared at him.
"A blacksmith who fights…" he muttered. "Are you a descendant of Pagma?"
Alan shook his head. "I don't know. Who's Pagma?"
Piaro turned and pointed toward the waterfall.
"Go behind it. You'll see."
Alan stepped through the falling water—and froze.
Behind it lay a hidden cave. The walls were covered in ancient murals: a lone man performing flowing sword movements, each stance seamlessly transitioning into the next. Some movements were clearly combat techniques, while others resembled someone dancing.
'Pagma Sword Dance' Alan thought calmly but kept his surprised expression on his face.
"He look like he is dancing" Alan said as Piaro nodded.
[ Hidden Quest Discovered ]
[ Legacy of Pagma ]
Pagma was an Legendary Blacksmith who was also an Great Swordsman, the murals on this cave wall describes Pagma Sword Dance before he became a Great Swordsman.
Objective:
• Perfectly replicate the sword movements depicted on the cave murals
• Perform the complete sequence 100 times
• Zero mistakes allowed
Hidden Requirement:
• Blacksmith Skill ≥ Intermediate
• Sword Mastery ≥ Intermediate
Reward:
• Pagam's Sword Dance ]
"Can you learn it?" Piaro asked.
Alan nodded. "I can."
"Hm." Alan looked back at the murals. "I'll learn it now. It's simple—I just have to mimic the movements perfectly one hundred times."
He stepped forward, and Piaro moved aside.
"I'd also like to test the skill of an Legend," Piaro said calmly.
"You'll be disappointed," Alan replied. "Those are his skills before he become a great swordsman."
Piaro sighed, but his eyes still held interest. "Even so, I'd like to fight you while you use these skills."
Alan simply nodded.
He turned back to the cave wall and carefully brushed away the moss covering the murals. The faded carvings became clearer, revealing each stance and transition in precise detail.
Alan memorized everything.
Then he began.
His feet shifted.
His sword moved.
Each motion flowed into the next exactly as carved.
One minute later—
[ Quest Progress +1 ]
"Easy," Alan smiled.
He continued without stopping, but on the eleventh repetition, his foot slipped too wide.
The system reacted instantly.
[ Quest Progress Reset: 0 ]
"…So it has to be one hundred times in a row," Alan muttered, staring at the reset counter.
His expression sharpened.
"Alright," he said quietly. "No mistakes."
Alan closed his eyes for a brief moment, replaying every movement in his mind—angles, timing, balance, breathing.
Then he opened them and raised his sword once more.
He began again.
The cave fell silent, save for the distant roar of the waterfall.
Alan moved.
His sword traced the first form again—slow, deliberate, flawless. Each step aligned perfectly with the mural, as if the carving itself were guiding his body. His breathing settled into a steady rhythm, and the world outside the movements faded away.
[ Quest Progress +1 ]
Piaro's eyes narrowed slightly.
So precise…
Alan continued.
Second repetition. Third. Fifth.
The sword arcs were clean, his wrists relaxed yet firm. Sparks of faint light occasionally followed the blade, not mana—just perfect control. The cave floor trembled subtly as his stance anchored deeper with every movement.
[ Quest Progress +10 ]
Minutes passed.
Sweat rolled down Alan's brow, but his posture never collapsed. Each transition became smoother than the last, the movements no longer copied—but understood.
[ Quest Progress +25 ]
At the fiftieth repetition, Alan's sword rang softly, as if responding to him. The air around the blade felt denser, heavier, carrying a sharp intent that hadn't been there before.
[ Quest Progress +50 ]
Time slipped by.
Seventieth. Eightieth.
The murals on the wall seemed almost alive now, the carved swordsman overlapping with Alan's shadow, their motions syncing perfectly.
[ Quest Progress +80 ]
Ninetieth.
Alan's muscles screamed, but his mind remained clear. Every breath matched a step. Every step matched a strike.
Ninety-nine.
The final repetition began.
Alan exhaled slowly and executed the last sequence—no hesitation, no excess force, no deviation.
The sword came to rest.
Silence.
Then—
[ Quest Completed: Legacy of Pagam ]
[ You have perfectly replicated Pagam's Sword Dance ]
[ Hidden Requirement Met ]
[ Pagam's Sword Dance Learned ]