The party that had nearly wiped stood stunned for a moment. Once they recovered, they followed Lu Tiechen, still looking a little pale.
Their expressions had shifted from "Is this guy trying to get himself killed?" to "What exactly is this guy?"
Naturally, nobody dared say the latter aloud.
When those two Venommarked Spiders had lunged, the five of them had fallen apart.
Then Lu Tiechen had walked up alone with a hammer, smashed their leg joints, switched to his sword, and struck their weak points. He had been as steady as someone dismantling a machine.
One player swallowed and asked quietly, "Are you really a Blacksmith?"
Lu Tiechen put the dropped Venommarked Spider Silk into his inventory and nodded.
"Yes."
The player's expression grew more complicated.
He had always imagined blacksmiths standing in workshops swinging hammers.
Apparently, there was another kind: one who used a hammer to beat monsters into scrap.
Another player quickly said, "There really is a boss inside. We were going to take a look, but we couldn't even get past the entrance. There are more Venommarked Spiders farther in, and the webs slow you down. You can barely move."
Lu Tiechen looked deeper into the cave.
The light was dim, silk covered the walls, and faint scuttling came from farther away.
A boss.
Materials.
Higher-level drops.
To him, those words were more appealing than the "first kills" and "rankings" other players talked about.
He flexed his newly equipped Spiderweave Irongrip Gloves.
They fitted snugly against his palms. The steadiness granted by Spiderweave Grip was still obvious.
Attack Speed +5%.
Poison damage over time -10%.
Neither improvement was spectacular, but both were practical.
Especially in a place like Spider Cave, where every extra margin of safety might determine whether he could kill one more monster.
Lu Tiechen was about to keep going.
But as he took his first step, a system notification appeared.
[System Notice: Your continuous playtime has exceeded the recommended duration. Please take a break.]
[Prolonged immersion may cause mental fatigue.]
He stopped.
Only then did he realize how long he had been online.
Since entering Age of the Ancient Gods, he had barely paused.
Forging.
Grinding monsters.
Selling a sword.
Taking a quest.
Entering Spider Cave.
Fighting more spiders.
The day had been busier than eight straight hours swinging a hammer in real life.
The mental fatigue wasn't too bad.
Mostly, he was hungry.
Lu Tiechen glanced into the depths, then at the notification.
Finally, he retreated behind a relatively safe rock wall near the entrance.
He opened the logout interface.
The party beside him still hadn't quite recovered.
One player asked quietly, "You're not going to look at the boss?"
Lu Tiechen shook his head.
"Logging out first."
"Huh? Now?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Dinner," Lu Tiechen said seriously.
All five fell silent.
Such a plain reason.
As plain as the beginner village's wooden sword with 2–4 Attack.
But it was compelling.
A person could skip a boss.
They couldn't skip eating forever.
A moment later, Lu Tiechen's figure began to fade.
Spider Cave's damp, dim walls, the silk hanging overhead, and the distant scuttling all slowly washed away.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the stained ceiling of the smithy's back room.
The room was dark.
He removed his neural-interface headset and sat up.
His body wasn't as light and nimble as it was in the game.
No Strength bonus.
Certainly no Attack Speed +5%.
In reality, he was still an ordinary college student.
Then his stomach growled.
Grrr.
The sound was especially clear in the quiet room.
In the game, he killed monsters above his level.
In reality, hunger hit him for Weak-Point Damage.
He pushed open the door. The furnace in the front of the smithy had gone out.
Lu Shanhai sat on a small stool by the entrance, pipe in hand, staring outside.
Hearing him, the old man spoke without turning.
"Logged off?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"Yeah."
"What's the smithy in that game like?" Lu Shanhai asked.
Lu Tiechen thought for a moment. "Not much different from a real one."
At last, Lu Shanhai turned to look at him.
"Really?"
"Yes," Lu Tiechen said. "The heat, the stresses, the cooling. All very realistic."
Lu Shanhai fell silent.
The remarks he had prepared—"Games are all a sham," or "Young people shouldn't lie around daydreaming all day"—suddenly refused to come out.
After a long while, he snorted.
"Flashy nonsense."
His words dismissed it, but the way he leaned forward a little told a different story.
Another silence.
Then he tapped his pipe against the table.
"Eat."
Lu Tiechen looked at the table.
Food in the slums wasn't much to speak of.
But warmed up, it would at least fill his stomach.
Lu Tiechen sat down to eat.
Lu Shanhai sat beside him, pretending not to care while repeatedly glancing his way.
As Lu Tiechen neared the bottom of the bowl, the old man finally couldn't help asking, "Did you make anything in there?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"A white iron sword. Sold it for 1 Gold Coin."
Lu Shanhai had no idea what a Gold Coin was worth.
"Is that much?"
"Not sure. I should be able to exchange it for some money." As he spoke, Lu Tiechen checked the official trading center.
To make trading easier for players, the game's operators had opened their own exchange, where real-world currency could purchase anything in the game.
Lu Tiechen suddenly froze.
His grandfather watched him.
"1 Gold Coin is worth twenty thousand Federation Credits right now?"
Lu Shanhai's expression shifted several times.
Even when business had been better, earning twenty thousand Federation Credits had taken a month and a half of smithing.
"That's..." Lu Shanhai truly hadn't expected a weapon in a game to be worth so much.
Lu Tiechen lowered his head over his noodles and pretended not to notice his grandfather's expression.
After dinner, he washed up.
He had meant to think a little more about the depths of Spider Cave. But the moment he lay down, sleepiness overwhelmed him.
Fighting, forging, trading—even inside a game, it had taken a heavy mental toll.
Tomorrow, then.
...
Early the next morning, his grandfather's hammer woke him.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The familiar sound came from the front of the smithy.
Lu Tiechen opened his eyes, briefly thinking he was still in the beginner village's workshop.
Only when he smelled the real world's mixture of coal dust and metal did he fully wake.
He dressed, ate something simple, and headed to school with his backpack.
College in the twenty-fifth century was very different from the past.
Most classes could be attended in virtual classrooms. Students only needed to visit campus periodically for practical work, assessments, and social activities.
Lu Tiechen attended City No. 7 Comprehensive Academy.
It wasn't a top school.
But for someone from Slum District No. 9, getting in was no small achievement.
The campus was spotless.
Hovering cleaning robots moved slowly along the paths, while smart information screens continuously updated the class schedules.
Students passed in clean uniforms. Some discussed the latest materials-science papers, others talked about mecha club competitions, and some were already excitedly discussing Age of the Ancient Gods.
"I hit Level 3 yesterday!"
"Level 3? Someone in our dorm is almost Level 5."
"Seriously? He's that good?"
"Good, my ass. A high-level guild member carried him."
Listening, Lu Tiechen continued toward the classroom.
He wasn't one to join conversations uninvited.
Besides, if he said he was Level 5, with green gloves, a green sword, and a green forging hammer, they would probably think he was bragging.
If he added, "I made the equipment myself," someone would likely suggest an appointment at the mental health center.
Just as he reached the classroom door, a voice sounded beside him.
"Well, if it isn't the Lu family's little blacksmith."
Lu Tiechen stopped.
The speaker was his classmate, Zhou Mingkai.
Comfortable family, average grades, and a mouth much more active than his academic career.
Two other classmates stood with him: Zhao Xu and Lin Yuan.
The three routinely joked about Lu Tiechen's family owning a smithy.
Zhou Mingkai looked him up and down, grinning. "Little blacksmith, have you tried Age of the Ancient Gods?"
Zhao Xu immediately joined in. "Of course he has. There are Life Professions, right? Perfect match for his expertise."
Lin Yuan laughed too. "He must've picked Blacksmith right at the start. Straight into the family business."
Several nearby students turned to look.
Lu Tiechen remained calm.
"I've played."
Zhou Mingkai's eyes lit up.
He had only meant to make a casual jab. He hadn't expected an actual answer.
"Really? What level?"
Lu Tiechen thought for a moment.
"Five."
The air went still for an instant.
Zhou Mingkai's smile stiffened.
"Five?"
Zhao Xu frowned. "Seriously? The game just launched, and you're Level 5?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"Yes."
Zhou Mingkai quickly started laughing again.
"Not bad. Our little blacksmith can really talk big. Do you know what Level 5 means? Most of our class is only Level 2 or 3."
Lu Tiechen didn't explain.
Zhou Mingkai pressed on. "So what's your profession? Don't tell me you're actually a Blacksmith."
Lu Tiechen considered the question and answered earnestly, "I am."
The doorway fell silent again.
Then Zhao Xu burst out laughing.
"Wait. You're working iron in the game, too?"
Lin Yuan leaned against the doorframe, his shoulders shaking.
"Unbelievable. Smithing in real life, smithing in the game. Other people play immersive games to become Sword Saints or gods of magic. You logged in for work?"
Zhou Mingkai went further, clapping Zhao Xu's shoulder. "What's that called? Fully immersive employment! Gotta hand it to the Lu Family Smithy. They've expanded into the virtual world."
A few students nearby chuckled.
Lu Tiechen wasn't angry.
The remarks merely sounded familiar.
In reality, forging was useless.
In the game, Life Professions were a trap.
Different place, different people. Same lines.
When Zhou Mingkai finished laughing, he leaned closer. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
"So what did you make? A kitchen knife? A spatula? An iron basin?"
Lu Tiechen looked at him.
"A sword."
"A sword?" Zhou Mingkai raised an eyebrow. "Gray gear?"
Lu Tiechen shook his head.
"Green."
Zhou Mingkai's smile vanished entirely.
Zhao Xu froze, too.
"Green?"
Lu Tiechen nodded.
"Yes."
Lin Yuan blurted out, "Do you know what green gear is?"
"Yes," Lu Tiechen said. "Uncommon quality."
Zhou Mingkai stared at him for two seconds, then gave a laugh.
"Sure. Keep talking. If you can forge green gear, I can get divine artifacts to drop."
Lu Tiechen thought for a moment.
"Then you're pretty lucky."
Zhou Mingkai choked on his next words.
Several classmates nearby barely held back their laughter.
Lu Tiechen sounded far too serious.
So serious that it didn't sound like a comeback. More like a sincere compliment.
For a moment, Zhou Mingkai didn't even know whether to be angry.
He snorted and turned into the classroom.
"Add me when you log in. Let me see that green gear. Don't tell me you forgot."
Lu Tiechen didn't reply.
He went to his seat and put down his backpack.
The classroom's smart screen scrolled through the day's courses.
Analysis of Material Microstructures.
Composite Alloy Failure Case Studies.
Introduction to Manufacturing Systems.
Most students found these classes dull.
Lu Tiechen listened closely.
He disliked machines replacing traditional forging, but he had nothing against knowledge.
His grandfather said machines didn't understand iron.
Lu Tiechen knew that if people wanted to truly understand it, experience alone wasn't enough, either.
Experience was the hammer in his hands.
Knowledge was the fire in his eyes.
He needed both.
During class, the teacher discussed lattice changes in an older high-carbon alloy under thermal stress.
Many students grew drowsy.
Zhou Mingkai even secretly opened the Age of the Ancient Gods forums and browsed guides beneath his desk.
Lu Tiechen, however, suddenly looked up.
One section of the projected material-change diagram reminded him of Glimmer Iron Ore just before quenching.
If that change corresponded to the game's material simulation...
Perhaps the best moment to quench Glimmer Iron Ore could be shifted half a second earlier.
His eyes brightened slightly.
He bent over his notebook and wrote a few words.
Glimmer Iron Ore. Second tempering.
Beside him, Lin Yuan happened to glance over. His expression turned peculiar.
"You're taking game notes in materials class?" he whispered.
Lu Tiechen looked at him.
"Same thing."
Lin Yuan was silent for a moment.
Suddenly, he wondered if Lu Tiechen hadn't been bragging after all.
Ordinary people weren't this consistently committed to a bluff.
When the morning classes ended, students began leaving the room.
Passing Lu Tiechen's desk, Zhou Mingkai couldn't resist another remark. "Log in tonight, little blacksmith. I want to see what that green gear actually looks like."
Lu Tiechen put away his notes.
"Might not be tonight."
Zhou Mingkai blinked.
"Why?"
"I have to help Grandpa fix a water pump first," Lu Tiechen said seriously.
Zhou Mingkai opened his mouth.
Zhao Xu laughed beside him.
"Everyone else spends the evening leveling. He spends it fixing a water pump."
"Makes sense," Lin Yuan added. "Main quest for a Life Profession player."
Lu Tiechen shouldered his backpack, still calm.
"If the water pump's broken, we can't shower properly."
All three fell silent.
As Lu Tiechen left the classroom, his watch vibrated.
He looked down. An offline message notification from Age of the Ancient Gods.
[Player Golden Abacus has left you a message.]
[Golden Abacus: Brother Lu, when are you logging in? Someone wants to order equipment. Very flexible on price.]
Another message followed immediately.
[Golden Abacus: Very flexible.]
Two seconds later, a third arrived.
[Golden Abacus: Really. Very, very flexible.]
Lu Tiechen stared at the three messages in silence.
He could almost see Golden Abacus rubbing his hands together in the game, waiting for him.
Not so much a merchant.
More an abacus that had caught the scent of Gold Coins.
He closed the messages without answering immediately.
Leaving the classroom building, he looked into the distance.
Time to go home and fix the water pump.
If he had time that evening, he would log in.
He could discuss Golden Abacus's business.
But first, he needed to inspect the boss in Spider Cave.
As for Zhou Mingkai wanting to see green equipment...
Lu Tiechen thought about it. That could be arranged.
There was no reason he couldn't show him.
For a price.