Inside the Intermediate Forging Room, the steady rhythm of hammer and flame had filled the air for hours. Kaito stood at the workbench, focused on shaping and tempering the final piece from the collection of blueprints he had acquired. Every strike was measured, each adjustment to the Whisper Flame precise. Time slipped by unnoticed as the glowing metal slowly transformed into gleaming equipment.
When the last piece was complete, Kaito let out a quiet breath of satisfaction and stored it carefully in his inventory. Only then did he glance at the system clock and realize he had been forging for nearly four straight hours. His shoulders felt slightly stiff, but the sense of accomplishment was more than worth it.
"It's time to move on to the next task," he murmured to himself.
Opening his inventory again, Kaito pulled out the spoils from his and Mei rin's battle against the cultist—items he hadn't yet taken the time to fully sort through. They included: the Razor Claw Wrist Guard, a Sealed Letter, a Demon Temple Teleport Stone, a Dark Blade, a Dark Bow, a Minor Regeneration Potion Recipe, and the Black Cloak he had wanted from the start.
The potion recipe he immediately sent via mailbox to his second uncle, knowing it would be put to good use. The Dark Blade and Dark Bow, both valuable but not immediately necessary, were stored away in his bank vault. He decided that when Genesis officially formed as a guild, he would transfer those weapons directly to the guild warehouse for distribution.
It was then that his eyes fell on the Razor Claw Wrist Guard. The name alone made him pause.
"Razor Claw Wrist Guard? What kind of equipment is that?" he muttered in surprise.
There were countless pieces of equipment in Glory, and Kaito, with his experience, recognized most of them on sight—or at least had some recollection. But this name didn't ring any bells. Curiosity piqued, he opened its equipment panel.
Razor Claw Wrist Guard [Mysterious Iron]
Level Requirement: 10
Class Restriction: Melee Classes
Physical Defense: +7
Intelligence: +7
Bonus Effect: Flying Claws
Stat-wise, it was decent. For most melee players, the Intelligence bonus would be practically useless. But for Kaito, who possessed the hidden Magic Swordsman class, it was a rare find. The extra Intelligence meant over seventy additional mana points—enough for more sword energy attacks in battle.
And then there was the real gem: the Flying Claws.
A grin spread across his face. "This… this is perfect."
He had originally planned to study Engineering after reaching Astralis City, with the idea of building himself a set of gear enhanced with hidden weapons and projectile mechanisms. The Flying Claw feature gave him a head start he hadn't anticipated.
Equipping the wrist guard, he flicked his arm. With a soft whirr, a metal claw shot forward, tethered by a thin yet incredibly strong silk thread. It soared upward, latching onto the eaves of a residential building near the Forging Guild. Kaito clenched his fist, activating the retraction mechanism, and the thread pulled taut, yanking him smoothly toward the rooftop.
He landed lightly, his boots touching down on the tiles. "Wall climbing… no way," he laughed. "I could play with this all day."
The device instantly reminded him of an Engineering Master from the later game stages—a player who had reached the top ten rankings purely through his mastery of the Engineering life profession. In an interview, that man revealed he had studied robotics in real life and even attended a military academy, his mechanical expertise elevating his in-game creations to legendary status.
Kaito's grin deepened. That player wouldn't appear in Glory for quite some time yet. But when he did, Kaito intended to extend an invitation immediately. Recruiting such talent into Genesis Studio could change the game.
For now, though, the Razor Claw Wrist Guard was his—and it was going to make him deadlier, faster, and far more versatile in the battles to come.
….
Kaito wasted no time and returned to the forging room—there was still much to be done. After securing the Razor Claw Wrist Guard on his arm, his attention shifted to the remaining loot.
His gaze fell on an unopened letter, its surface marked with an intricate magic circle. The enchantment prevented it from being opened by any normal means. "A sealed letter, huh?" Kaito murmured, puzzled. This had been among the cultist's drops, and he would need to investigate it later.
Next was the Demon Temple Teleportation Stone. A faint smirk crossed his face. Glory had countless factions, and Kaito had long decided that Genesis would have members embedded in each—whether to gather intel or reap unique benefits. This stone would be his key to placing trusted guild members within the ranks of the Demon Cult.
The Dark Blade and Dark Bow were both Mysterious Iron–grade weapons, each requiring Level 10 to equip.
Dark Blade (Mysterious Iron)
Level Restriction: 10
Class Restriction: Warrior
Attack: 18–22
Strength: +8
Dark Bow (Mysterious Iron)
Level Restriction: 10
Class Restriction: Ranger
Attack: 18–22
Agility: +8
Kaito examined their stats carefully. The Dark Bow, with its agility bonus, would be an excellent fit for Mei Rin's combat style, perfectly complementing her precision and speed. As for the Dark Blade, Kaito decided he would first ask his cousins if any of them could make good use of it. If no one needed it, it would be stored for future distribution to strengthen the guild's overall combat power.
Then after mailing the Dark Bow to Mei Rin, Kaito immediately left the Intermediate Forging Room and made his way toward the Trade Area of South Glade Town.
The night was drawing to a close, and with only about an hour left before dawn, the streets still carried that dim, misty glow unique to Glory's nighttime environment. Normally, very few players would be roaming about at this hour—most preferred to avoid the dangers of farming monsters during this night period of Glory, unless absolutely necessary.
And, since the existence of the Lantern of Dusk was still unknown to the general public, the Trade Area was bustling even in the last hour of the night. Only a handful of powerful guilds dared to farm monsters after dark, relying on their sheer numbers to withstand the night debuffs.
Independent players and small teams, however, could not cope with such disadvantages, forcing them to remain in town—and filling the marketplace with activity until dawn.
Kaito headed directly toward the Stall Area, where rows of players had set up makeshift shops, each hawking their wares with loud shouts to attract attention. The air was filled with the sound of bargaining and the flicker of system trade windows popping open and closing. As Kaito strolled through the rows, he casually glanced at the goods displayed on the nearest stall. One look was enough for him to shake his head—nothing of particular value to him. Without slowing his pace, he moved on to the next stall, and then another.
His reason for coming here was twofold: to gauge the current market prices of equipment and materials, and to see if he could stumble upon any rare or overlooked items that others might have missed. Unfortunately, his quick survey revealed that most stalls carried only Common- or Bronze-grade equipment, and even Bronze pieces were scarce. As for Silver-grade items, there wasn't a single one in sight.