The Last Craftsman and the Blue Screen
The sun was setting over the small village of Dariapur. Inside a dusty workshop, a young man named Dayal was sweating near a hot furnace. His hands were covered in soot, and his fingers had old burn marks. Dayal was a Dokra artist—a master of ancient metal casting.
While other young people moved to big cities for high-paying jobs, Dayal stayed. He wanted to keep his father's tradition alive. But life was hard. Brass was expensive, and nobody wanted to buy handmade art anymore.
"If I don't sell something soon, I won't even have money for coal," Dayal sighed, wiping sweat from his forehead.
Suddenly, a sharp Ding! echoed in his head.
A glowing blue transparent screen appeared right in front of his eyes.
[ System Initializing... ]
[ Host Identified: Dayal Karmakar ]
[ Occupation: Bronze Artisan (Level 0) ]
[ Status: Malnourished / Exhausted ]
[ Bloodline: Descendant of the Ancient Metal Gods (Dormant) ]
Dayal fell backward, hitting a wooden stool. "What is this? Am I dreaming because of the heat?" He rubbed his eyes, but the screen didn't go away.
[ New Mission: The First Step of a Legend ]
[ Task: Create a 'Masterpiece' grade bronze sculpture using the Lost-Wax method. ]
[ Time Limit: 24 Hours ]
[ Reward: 100 EXP, Unlock 'God's Eye' Skill, and 1 Basic Strength Pill. ]
[ Failure Penalty: Permanent loss of the System. ]
Dayal's heart raced. He didn't understand what a "System" was, but he felt a strange spark of hope. If this was real, he could change his life.
Chapter 2: The Divine Sculpting
Dayal didn't waste a second. He took a piece of beeswax and started shaping it. Usually, it took him days to get the details right. But today, his hands felt different. It was as if an invisible force was guiding his fingers.
As he worked, more screens popped up:
Precision +1
Focus +1
Stamina +1
He was making a small statue of a Tiger—the symbol of strength. He covered the wax with clay, let it dry, and then heated it to melt the wax out. This was the "Lost-Wax" technique his father had taught him.
Finally, he poured the molten brass into the hollow clay mold. The liquid metal glowed with a strange, golden-purple light.
Ding!
[ Mission Accomplished! ]
[ Item Quality: S-Rank (Divine Quality) ]
[ You have gained 150 EXP! ]
[ Level Up! Level 0 -> Level 1 ]
[ Skill Unlocked: 'God's Eye' – You can now see the hidden properties and flaws of any material. ]
Dayal felt a wave of energy rush through his body. His tired muscles became strong, and his vision became crystal clear. He picked up the Tiger statue. It wasn't just metal; it looked alive. It felt warm to the touch.
Chapter 3: The Greedy Businessman
The next morning, a black luxury car stopped in front of Dayal's humble workshop. Out stepped Mr. Sen, a greedy businessman who wanted to buy all the land in the village to build a factory.
"Dayal," Mr. Sen said with a smirk. "I heard you're still wasting time with this old junk. Just sign these papers, take this small bag of cash, and leave the village. You have no future here."
Dayal looked at Mr. Sen. He activated his new skill, [God's Eye].
[ Target: Mr. Sen ]
[ Item: Gold Watch ]
[ Property: Fake. Made of cheap zinc and painted with gold-color chemicals. Value: $5. ]
Dayal laughed quietly. "Mr. Sen, a man who wears a fake watch shouldn't talk about 'quality' or 'future.' My art is worth more than your entire car."
Mr. Sen's face turned red with anger. "How dare you! You're just a poor villager! I will make sure no one ever buys a single piece of art from you again!"
"Try your best," Dayal replied calmly. He felt the System's power humming in his veins. He wasn't afraid anymore.
Chapter 4: The Path to the Legend
After Mr. Sen left, Dayal opened his System interface. He saw a new notification.
[ Main Quest: Rebuild the Bronze Empire ]
[ Objective: Gain 1,000 followers and sell your first 'System-Enhanced' item. ]
[ Current Followers: 0 ]
[ Current Wealth: 50 Rupees ]
Dayal looked at his smartphone. He remembered his YouTube channel where he used to post videos of his work. He took a photo of the Divine Tiger statue and uploaded it with the title: "The Most Perfect Bronze Tiger Ever Made."
Within minutes, the comments started flooding in.
"Is this real? The detail is insane!"
"I am a collector from New York. I must have this!"
"This looks like it was made by a God, not a human."
Dayal smiled. With the Bronze God's System, he wasn't just going to save his village. He was going to show the whole world the true power of ancient craft.
The legend of the Bronze God had just begun.