Radiant Moon Calendar, Year 138. The North Wind Month.
The Golden Valley Kingdom, Black Water Territory.
Although it was the dead of winter, the Blacksmith Shop at Baron Fosling's Manor was still bustling with fiery activity.
"Listen up, lads! All of you, look alive!"
The Blacksmith, Hawke, weaved through the busy crowd, his gruff voice booming like distant thunder.
"The assessment is in three months! If you don't want to pack your bags and go home, you'd better put some effort into it!"
Hearing his words, the boys immediately put even more effort into their tasks.
But they weren't even Blacksmith Apprentices yet, and their clumsy skills were naturally not enough to satisfy Hawke.
"Why are you working the Bellows so slowly? Trying to heat bathwater for your grandma?"
"And you! How many times have I told you? Timing is crucial for Ore Burning!"
Disappointed that they weren't shaping up, Hawke shook his head and continued walking through the crowd.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, a low grunt escaping his throat.
In his line of sight, a somewhat skinny, black-haired boy was pumping the Bellows with all his might, each pump sending flames leaping more than a foot high from the furnace.
The scorching air drew large beads of sweat from the boy's face, which dripped continuously from his chin, yet his movements remained perfectly steady and rhythmic.
The instant the iron ingot turned from dark red to orange-red, the boy's hands shot out, snatching up a pair of tongs. With a flick of his wrist, he firmly gripped the red-hot ingot and, in a single fluid motion, turned and placed it upon the anvil.
The entire sequence was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hint of awkwardness.
'This kid...'
Seeing this, Hawke nodded in satisfaction. He then walked over to the boy and clapped him firmly on the shoulder.
"You're... Roland, right? You're doing good work!"
Though it was just four simple words, the others around them looked on with envy and jealousy.
After all, the notoriously strict Hawke had never praised anyone before.
"You're too kind, Mr. Hawke."
Roland wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave a shy smile.
Hawke, however, just waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave.
Before long, the clear ringing of a bell suddenly sounded.
It was the signal for the manor's servants to eat.
"Phew..."
After letting out a long sigh, Roland stretched, picked up a nearby rag, and cleaned up the ore fragments around the furnace before jogging toward the meal area.
Two pieces of black bread, a fingernail-sized sliver of cheese, and a bowl of vegetable soup with who-knows-what mixed in.
In his previous life, Roland would have only considered eating this sort of food if he were on the verge of starvation.
But now...
After wolfing down every last scrap of food, Roland found a quiet corner to sit.
With a silent thought, lines of golden text slowly materialized before his eyes.
[Name: Roland]
[Race: Human]
[Age: 16]
[Profession: None]
[Power: 1]
[Agility: 0.8]
[Spirit: 1.2]
[Skills: Level 2 Ore Burning (169/200), Level 2 Bellows (174/200)]
'Looks like it won't be long before I can level up these two Skills again...'
That's right—Roland was not from this world.
He had arrived in this completely unfamiliar world after blacking out while working overtime.
His only companion was the cheat system floating before his eyes.
It was a modifier he had downloaded for a game during his first playthrough to experience all of its content.
Theoretically, as long as he met certain conditions, he could take on countless Professions.
Unfortunately, the modifier had yet to trigger any prompts about taking a Profession.
'If I'd known this thing would follow me, I would've downloaded a more broken one!'
Just as Roland was slapping his forehead in frustration, a slightly muffled voice suddenly reached his ears.
"Roland! I knew I'd find you here!"
Looking up, he saw a tall, sturdy boy walking slowly toward him.
The newcomer was Roland's best friend, Sean.
"Sean, shouldn't you be using this time to practice your Forging Skills? You know Mr. Hawke chewed you out again this morning."
"Don't remind me!"
Hearing Roland's teasing words, Sean scratched his curly brown hair.
"I don't have your talent. I'll probably have to leave this place soon."
"So what are you planning to do? Take over your old man's butchering trade?"
"Butchering? I couldn't be bothered with such a dull job! Besides, my dad and Uncle Peyton have been arguing every day lately. I can't stand being at home anymore..."
As if picturing the noisy scenes at home, Sean sighed and lowered his voice.
"When I went home last month, my dad told me the Demons in Black Pine Forest are getting more and more rampant. They've already attacked several villages!"
"So the Lord Baron had to order Lord Beckham to recruit soldiers to subjugate them! With my skills..."
He patted his thick biceps, a proud look on his face.
"I'm sure I can get a spot under Lord Beckham's command. Maybe I'll even get promoted to a Knight's Attendant! When that happens..."
The tall boy let out a loud laugh and clapped Roland on the shoulder.
"You'll have to bow when you see me then!"
"Are the Demons in Black Pine Forest really that strong?"
Roland ignored Sean's banter, frowning as he spoke.
"They actually need to dispatch Knights to deal with them?"
"Who knows? But no matter how ferocious the Demons are, they're no match for an Extraordinary Professional!"
Sean waved his hand dismissively, then changed the subject, asking with some concern.
"Enough about that. What about you? Are you confident about the assessment in three months?"
"The assessment..."
Hearing the question, Roland looked down at his own thin frame and shook his head helplessly.
Unlike the tall and brawny Sean, he had no fallback plan.
His mother had died young, and before his sick father passed away, he had sold their only mud-brick house just to scrape together the fee to send him here to learn the trade.
If he managed to pass the assessment, everything would be fine.
A Blacksmith who served the nobility, even just an apprentice, received excellent compensation, and their status was several tiers higher than that of ordinary Free People.
But if he failed the assessment...
Thinking of his desperate predicament, Roland couldn't help but shudder.
'A transmigrator who dies destitute from poverty? That would be a bit too pathetic...'
It wasn't that he was worrying for nothing. There were dozens of boys who had come to learn the trade, and many of them were from families with a long line of blacksmiths.
And yet, there was only a single spot available.
So even with his cheat system, he still felt a little unsure of himself.
"You don't have to worry too much..."
Seeing that Roland hadn't responded, Sean was about to offer some comfort when Hawke's booming voice suddenly echoed from the distance.
"Lads! Stop slacking off and get over here! Assemble now!"
"Let's go."
Roland dusted off his pants, jumped nimbly to his feet, and gave his head a slight shake. The uncertainty in his eyes gradually faded.
'No matter what, I'll grind the Ore Burning and Bellows Skills to Full Level first!'
With that thought, Roland pulled Sean along and returned to the Blacksmith Shop.
Burning ore... pumping the Bellows...
Though the process was incredibly tedious, the golden text that appeared before his eyes after each correct action filled the breathless Roland with ever more motivation.
[You have successfully worked the Bellows, gaining one experience point.]
[You have successfully performed Ore Burning, gaining one experience point.]
After an unknown amount of time, the unchanging text suddenly transformed.
[Bellows Skill has reached Full Level]
[Ore Burning Skill has reached Full Level]
[Analysis complete. You can now take the Basic Profession: Blacksmith Apprentice]
[Requires: 1 Power, 0.5 Agility, two Full-Level forging-related Skills]
[Do you wish to take this Profession?]