The game had a food and drink system. You could die without eating or drinking water.
It wasn’t that hard to get those things. The priest gave him a mug of water and a piece of bread that tasted like nothing and was as hard as a rock.
"You can sleep in here with the others," the priest said as he watched Arthur eat, looking him over from head to toe.
"What can you do?"
Arthur stopped eating and looked at the priest. He checked his system tab again and didn’t see a single passive related to crafting, which was weird. He thought his SSS class would start with at least one, but there was nothing.
"I have some skill in crafting. Blacksmithing," he said.
The priest frowned, not fully believing Arthur, but he still acted kindly, just as he did with everyone else who sought shelter in his church.
"I know someone who’s looking for an apprentice at his forge. Don’t expect to get paid much, but it will be enough for you to survive. Are you willing to take the job?"
The priest asked just to be sure. Not everyone wanted to work. In fact, many of the people currently living in the church weren’t working. They were just living there, doing nothing to change their lives.
Arthur, on the other hand, had a completely different mindset. He wanted to find something to do, and crafting was the only thing he could do.
Not just because his class was related to crafting, but because he couldn’t fight the monsters outside. It was simply impossible.
"Yes, I am," he said. "When can I start?"
"I don’t even know if he’ll actually hire you, but he owes me a favor, so..." The priest grabbed the water bucket again and walked away. "I have some things to do. Finish eating and come find me."
Arthur quickly finished the bread, doing his best not to throw it away and forget about it. It was pretty bad, but he didn’t want to be ungrateful to the priest who had helped him.
When he was done eating, Arthur opened his system to check the forums and see how everyone was doing. There were already plenty of videos, photos, and posts.
Everyone was sharing their experiences. Players used the forum to share information and pictures of what they were doing. Each player had their own profile, and having a high follower count was prestigious.
It was basically social media inside the game. Obviously, the best information wasn’t shared on the forum. Secret quests, items, and the best ways to do things were all kept private. Players preferred to keep those things to themselves and eventually sell the information.
Still, it was cool to see all the posts. The players were having a blast playing the game and exploring. Arthur missed that magical feeling. Now that he knew so much about the game, it wasn’t as exciting.
What was exciting was his new class, for sure. After browsing for a while just to pass the time, he met the priest again, and they left the church together, walking through the crowded streets.
Like most cities, it had poorer districts, richer districts, and everything in between. The blacksmith shop Arthur was going to was in one of the poorer districts.
Not many people were walking through the streets there. Still, it was safe. Guards were everywhere, making sure no thug tried anything against the citizens.
Arthur knew every alley in the city, every building, all of it. Yet the priest brought him to a place he didn’t remember.
It was a simple two-story wooden building with a crooked sign hanging out front, almost falling to the ground.
"Bram’s Forge."
"This is where you’ll be working," the priest said. "That is, if my friend actually hires you."
Arthur blinked a few times, staring at the building in front of him. He checked the other shops around it, trying to make sure he was in the right place.
’This forge didn’t exist before. It was just a completely different house.’
What was happening? Before, Arthur believed they had added the kingdom with the expansion, but apparently, the place had been there since the very beginning. It just wasn’t accessible to the players.
So things could change over time. Perhaps the forge didn’t last and eventually closed for some reason.
That meant Arthur had never met the NPC the priest was talking about. It made him excited. A mysterious forge. Arthur wanted to meet this person, explore the forge, and find out why it was gone by the time the players arrived.
He stood off to the side, letting the priest do the work. After a few knocks on the door, a man opened it.
He was a tall, muscular man wearing a blacksmith’s apron. His beard was long, just like his hair, and both were messy, as if he didn’t take very good care of himself.
Arthur saw a mug in his hand, and the smell of alcohol was obvious even from a few feet away.
"Who the fuck is knocking on my door so early? It’s only 11 am."
The blacksmith looked ready to pick a fight, but when he saw the priest, his expression softened instantly.
"My good friend, what brings you here so early?"
"Early, Bram? It’s almost afternoon."
The priest plucked the mug from his hand and smelled it. "You’re already drinking. I thought you said you would stop."
"Stop? That’s impossible for me, you know that. But I’ll try to drink less, I promise."
"Well, you know I have lots of things to do at the church, so I’ll go straight to the point. This young man came seeking my help today, and I told him you could hire him as an apprentice or something."
Bram gazed at Arthur, sizing him up. It felt like Bram was staring directly into his soul.
"And why should I hire him?" Bram asked.
"He seems like a good kid, and you owe me a favor, remember? Can you help him? I don’t want to see such a young person living on the streets, or in my shelter with all those criminals..."
Arthur didn’t say a word while they were talking. He could barely breathe.
"Fine, fine. Kid, you’re hired. You can start today."
"Today? Really? Thank you, sir. What are we forging?"
"Forging? Haha. Pick up the broom and start cleaning."
"..."