I Obtained a Special Seed
“Ugh…… My back hurts…….”
The dwarf clan suffered from a chronic ailment.
They often suffered from things like herniated discs and arthritis.
It was the fate of a blacksmith.
They were always lifting and carrying heavy objects and hammering away every day, so there was no way their joints could remain healthy.
“The gods are heartless…… How wonderful it would have been if they had given us the joints of a god instead of the craftsmanship of one.”
“You must be feeling well enough if you can still talk nonsense.”
“Haa…….”
The dwarf elder, Hotirn, let out a deep sigh.
It had already been several years since he developed a herniated disc.
In all that time, he had not once picked up a hammer and made anything.
No matter how much he wanted to create something, every strike of the hammer sent a shock through his back and made him feel like he was dying.
‘A dwarf who cannot swing a hammer…… I’m a disgrace as an artisan…….’
All he could do was sigh.
His passion for crafting equipment remained unchanged, but his body could no longer keep up.
‘Even just one day would be enough…… If I could make equipment like I did in my prime…… I would sell my soul for it…….’
“Urgh…….”
“Instead of doing that, why don’t you try the herb I brought back?”
“Refri Herb?”
“Yes.”
“Tch. That won’t be enough.”
Hotirn had already tried all sorts of methods.
He had used Refri Herb a long time ago.
He had even met Water Spirits and received treatment from them several times.
But nothing worked.
His herniated disc showed absolutely no sign of improving.
“Just try it once. This one seems a little different.”
“Different or not, it won’t matter.”
“Trust me and give it a try.”
“Ugh…… Fine. You came all this way to get it, so I’ll try it.”
“Then wait just a little.”
Hote took the Refri Herb and went out to prepare it as a topical medicine.
Watching Hote leave, Hotirn shook his head.
‘A pointless effort…….’
After repeatedly hoping and being disappointed, he had long since stopped expecting anything.
His heart felt empty.
Whenever he slept, he dreamed of making things.
The sound of hammering rang in his ears.
In front of the blazing heat of the furnace, he poured his passion into crafting equipment exactly as his hands desired.
It was a dream of the days when his back had still been healthy.
But the emptiness that came after waking dragged him into despair.
‘I possess the craftsmanship of a god…… yet I cannot use it…… I suppose I’ll live like this until the day I die.’
Everyone else had given up on him, but Hote alone refused to give up and kept wandering outside in search of a cure.
‘There! This one should work!’
‘Don’t be disappointed. Next time, I’ll definitely…….’
‘I’ll make sure you recover. So please don’t give up.’
“……That brat…… It’s about time he gave up too…….”
Hote refused to give up.
Even though the person suffering from the condition had already done so.
A short while later, Hote returned.
“Lie down. I’ll apply it for you.”
“All right.”
When Hotirn lay down, Hote applied the medicine he had brought.
A cool sensation spread over his back, followed by a strangely refreshing feeling.
It felt different from anything before.
Even the dull pain he had been feeling faded away.
“Hmm……?”
“How does it feel?”
Hotirn got up and moved his back.
Something was strange.
Normally, even moving this much would have brought excruciating pain to his back.
But now—
“It doesn’t hurt…… It doesn’t hurt!”
“Is that really true?”
“Yes! It doesn’t hurt!! No…… This is no time to stand around!”
Hotirn left the house and headed straight for the forge that had been built exclusively for him.
It was a place filled with cold stillness after being abandoned by its owner for so long.
Hotirn gripped a hammer.
He was nervous.
‘Maybe it only feels better for the moment…….’
Even so, he wanted to know for sure.
A little later, Hote followed Hotirn and arrived at the forge.
“Elder, your back…….”
Then,
Hote saw it.
Hotirn was hammering again for the first time in nearly five years.
Covered in beads of sweat, he looked like a dwarf again.
“Elder. How is your back?”
“It’s fine.”
“What?”
“It’s completely fine! Look! My back doesn’t hurt!”
Hotirn wildly twisted his waist back and forth to show that he was perfectly fine.
Joy filled his face.
For the past five years, he had desperately waited for this exact moment.
The blazing heat of the furnace.
Even the shock that traveled through his body whenever he swung the hammer!
“Now…… I can make things again.”
***
DING!
[Hidden Piece discovered!]
[You have accomplished an astonishing achievement.]
[Dwarf Elder Hotirn’s Favorability has greatly increased.]
[Dwarf Hote’s Favorability has greatly increased.]
[The Dwarf Clan feels great goodwill toward you and will regard you as their benefactor.]
[If you ask for help, the Dwarf Clan will actively assist you.]
[You have obtained the hidden title, ‘Benefactor of the Dwarf Clan.’]
[Benefactor of the Dwarf Clan]
Grade: Hidden (Unique)
Acquisition Condition: Become the first Revelator to raise the Dwarf Clan’s Favorability above a certain threshold.
Effects: All Stats + 10
Craftsmanship Gain Rate + 30%
Crafting Skill Level + 2
The Dwarf Clan becomes friendly toward you.
Description: Headaches, toothaches, backaches?
[The Special Stat, ‘Craftsmanship,’ has been added.]
[You have obtained a Sacred Sword Fragment.]
[You have obtained a Special Seed.]
“Hm……?”
Yeong-ung, who had been watering the crops, tilted his head when the messages suddenly appeared.
“What is this?”
Yeong-ung opened the Status Window.
[Status Window]
Name: Yeong-ung.
Level: 26 Experience: 87.01%
Class: Spirit Farmer.
Title: Discoverer of the Spirit Realm.
Health: 7,500/7,500 Spirit Power: 16,000/16,000
Satiety: 63%
<Stats>
Strength: 45 + 50 Stamina: 35 + 40 Agility: 30 + 40 Wisdom: 5 + 40 Luck: 10 + 40
<Special Stats>
Spirit Power: 25 + 135 Craftsmanship: 10 + 40
Remaining Stat Points: 5
The Special Stat, ‘Craftsmanship,’ had been added.
Yeong-ung was shocked.
“I got it like this?”
He had never imagined he would obtain a Special Stat in this way.
Special Stats.
Unlike ordinary stats, they possessed special powers.
“Wasn’t Craftsmanship something you could only get by changing to a production-type Special Class?”
The higher Craftsmanship became, the easier item crafting grew.
On top of that, it improved the options of crafted items, and if you were lucky, it was said that higher-grade items could sometimes be produced.
‘And I got it?’
“Am I the first person to have two Special Stats?”
Just in case, Yeong-ung entered the Overlord community and searched.
There was nothing.
Obtaining even one Special Stat was already a huge jackpot.
Many users had tried to obtain a second Special Stat, but all of them had failed.
Yeong-ung was probably the only one with two Special Stats.
“This is huge…….”
“Squee? What’s wrong, squee?”
“Hm? Nothing. I just have something to check.”
Yeong-ung rubbed his chin.
‘But why did I get this? Benefactor of the Dwarf Clan?’
“Hote?”
Only one possibility came to mind.
Hote had said that he had come all this way to find Refri Herb for someone.
Apparently, the herb had worked properly.
“And I got some items too…….”
He had received two items after discovering the Hidden Piece.
“Inspect!”
[Sacred Sword Fragment]
Grade: ???
Description: A fragment of a sword once used long ago by a certain being who fought against darkness.
It is imbued with sacred power.
It cannot be used in its current state.
It can be used as a material for crafting a Sacred Sword.
Usage Requirement: ???
Options: ???
[Special Seed]
Grade: Special.
Description: A seed from which a special plant will grow.
You cannot know what will grow from it until it germinates.
Usage Requirement: Spirit Farmer.
Options: ???
“A Sacred Sword Fragment and a Special Seed?”
He had obtained some unusual things.
‘A Sacred Sword…….’
“Can I make a Sacred Sword if I have this?”
Yeong-ung was curious.
If he used this to create a Sacred Sword, what kind of weapon could be made?
‘I should ask Hote when he comes back.’
Hote was a dwarf and would probably know far more about this sort of thing.
Yeong-ung decided to ask Hote about the Sacred Sword Fragment the next time he visited.
And then,
“A Special Seed?”
It was a seed.
According to the description, a special plant would grow from it.
‘There’s nothing about Special Seeds…….’
Yeong-ung searched the Overlord community, but there was no information about Special Seeds at all.
That meant Yeong-ung was the first.
“A Special Seed…… Can I just plant it normally?”
Yeong-ung picked up his hoe.
He had already cleared a lot of extra space when he expanded the garden plots by logging before.
There was enough room to plant a single seed.
[Land Clearing skill…….]
[Land Clearing skill experience has increased slightly.]
[You have gained Class Experience.]
“Shall I try planting it?”
[You have used the Sowing skill.]
Yeong-ung sowed the seed.
Then—
DING!
[You have failed to sow the Special Seed.]
[Sowing skill experience will not increase.]
[You cannot gain Class Experience.]
“What? It failed? Does that mean I can’t plant it here?”
“Squee?”
DING!
[The hidden quest, ‘Plant the Special Seed!’ has been generated.]
[Plant the Special Seed!]
Grade: Hidden.
Description: A Special Seed is an extremely special seed that can only be cultivated by a Spirit Farmer.
Once a Special Seed germinates, a plant with a very special ability will grow from it.
As a Spirit Farmer, you cannot possibly ignore this.
You must successfully plant the Special Seed within two months.
If you fail, the Special Seed will disappear.
(*The time limit is two months of in-game time.)
ex) A very special location is required to plant the Special Seed.
Success Condition: Successfully plant the Special Seed.
Success Reward: Experience, Class Skill, Title, ???
Penalty for Failure: Special Seed disappears, Title.
A hidden quest had even been generated.
Yeong-ung dug the Special Seed back out of the ground.
‘It needs a special location?’
It seemed the Special Seed could not simply be planted like an ordinary seed.
‘This won’t be easy.’
He had two months of in-game time.
Considering the time ratio was 1:2, he had to solve it within one month in real time.
The problem was,
‘There’s no information.’
He needed to find a special place to plant the Special Seed, but he had no information whatsoever.
There was nothing posted in the community either.
In other words, Yeong-ung had to figure everything out himself from beginning to end.
It definitely would not be easy, but—
“This sounds fun.”
A smile formed on Yeong-ung’s lips.
His heart pounded.
The thought of growing something entirely new that he had never seen before as a farmer filled him with anticipation.
What would grow from this Special Seed?
He was curious.
And he wanted to try.
‘I want to grow this seed with my own hands.’
His hands were itching to get started.
“Master! Squee! You look happy, squee!”
“Do I?”
“Squee! Yes!”
“Well, I can’t help it.”
His heart was racing with anticipation over what might grow from the Special Seed.
Excitement and expectation.
They were feelings he had never experienced when doing anything else in real life.
“Because I’m a farmer.”
As someone born to farm, he simply could not help himself.