Roland's body trembled violently, cold sweat pouring down like rain.
The silvery liquid writhed as if it were alive, frantically burrowing into his pores, only to seep back out a moment later, carrying some kind of dark red substance with it.
With each cycle, the liquid's silver hue faded, gradually returning to its murky, gray-black state.
Throughout the process, he could clearly feel something being forcibly extracted from his body.
His muscles, bones, blood, and even some deeper impurities were being torn away by the strange liquid.
Waves of excruciating pain washed over him, one after another, nearly crushing his consciousness. Yet his body seemed to be held fast by an invisible force, denying him even the right to collapse.
At the same time, lines of golden text flashed before his eyes.
[You have learned the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique. Current Level: Level 1.]
[You have successfully cultivated the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique once, gaining one Experience Point.]
[You have successfully cultivated the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique...]
[You have successfully cultivated...]
But Roland had no time to pay attention to any of it.
"Ugh... AARGH!"
The sounds squeezed from his throat were hoarse and broken.
His eyes were bloodshot and his vision began to darken, but his consciousness only grew sharper; he never fainted.
As his nails dug deep into his palms, blood dripped down his wrists, only to be devoured completely the instant it touched the gray-black powder.
An unknown amount of time passed before the liquid finally lost all its silver color, turning back into a dry, gray-black powder that flaked off his body with a soft rustle. The binding force also vanished abruptly.
Roland's legs gave out, and he collapsed heavily to his knees.
"Hah... Hah..."
He gasped for air, his throat burning as if it had just been seared with a branding iron.
Cold sweat soaked his entire body, forming a small puddle on the ground.
After a long while, Roland finally came to his senses, his gaze refocusing on the Professional Panel before him.
'I gained thirty-four Experience Points from just one session? And...'
His gaze shifted downward, his voice trembling slightly with shock.
"My Power Attribute actually increased by 0.7!"
The number was almost unbelievable to Roland.
Before this, even with conscious power training, he could barely increase his Power by 0.1 in a whole month.
Later, although he'd gained the Extra Benefit from [Hundred Refinements Steel], which sped up his progress, it still took half a month of hard training to raise his Strength Value by 0.1.
But now, a single session with the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique was equivalent to more than three months of sweat and effort.
The sheer difference in efficiency made Roland take a deep breath, hold it, and then exhale slowly, trying to calm the surging excitement in his chest.
Once his heartbeat gradually returned to normal, he looked down to examine his body carefully.
His once faintly visible muscles were now sharply defined, each one taut and powerful.
Even more surprisingly, his skin had become as fair and smooth as a newborn's, glowing with a healthy luster.
Even the minor scratches from his fight with the Kobolds last night had completely vanished, as if purified by some mysterious power.
'And this is with the Body Tempering effect greatly reduced due to the lack of a complementary Breathing Technique...'
Recalling the words on the sheepskin parchment, Roland's heart burned with anticipation.
'If I could practice this with a Breathing Technique, then...'
But a moment later, he calmed down and slowly shook his head.
Although his access to information was very limited, he had heard of the legendary existence of the Knight's Breathing Technique.
In the Golden Valley Kingdom, at least, the Knight's Breathing Technique was a core secret of the nobility, strictly controlled by the great families and never leaked except under special circumstances.
Given his current status, it was impossible for him to get access to something so precious.
'Forget it. Getting the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique is already an unexpected blessing. Besides...'
Looking at the number next to the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique in his Skill list, the corners of Roland's mouth curled up slightly.
'A hundred-point experience cap means I can practice the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique at least two more times. I'm just a step away from the four Power Attribute points needed to change into the Blacksmith Profession. However...'
Feeling the slight stinging sensation as the breeze brushed against his skin, Roland recalled the words on the parchment and mused to himself.
'In my current physical condition, I'll probably have to wait a few more days before the second session.'
With that thought, Roland changed into a spare set of clothes and pushed the door open.
There were only a few days left before the deadline for the academic test.
He didn't want to fail the test and miss the assessment opportunity a month from now.
The Blacksmith Shop was still filled with the rhythmic clang of hammering, but the fire from the direction of the village last night had clearly affected everyone's mood.
Marco and the other apprentices worked with their heads down in silence, none of them noticing Roland's arrival.
Only Hawke, who was leaning against the wall, looked up and placed a broad hand gently on Roland's shoulder.
"Kid..."
A flash of surprise crossed Hawke's eyes, and his rough fingers unconsciously rubbed the fabric of Roland's clothes.
"I didn't expect you to make it back alive..."
He sighed as if he wanted to say more but held back. Instead of asking about last night, he simply raised his graying eyebrows and asked,
"Learned all your letters?"
"Yes, Mr. Hawke."
"Alright."
After giving a few instructions to Marco and the others, Hawke turned and beckoned to Roland.
"Follow me."
His leather boots made dull thuds on the stone path.
They crossed a courtyard piled with farm tools and entered a spacious storeroom.
Sunlight slanted in through a high window, illuminating floating dust motes.
Hawke took a yellowed piece of cloth from an oak cabinet and slapped it into Roland's palm.
"Read."
Hearing the short command, Roland lowered his head slightly. As his gaze fell upon the yellowed cloth, his mind rapidly processed what he'd learned.
After quickly reading it over once to himself and confirming he understood it, his clear voice began to echo through the storeroom as he recited the text.
Hawke's initially calm expression gradually softened. His brow unfurrowed, and his eyes filled with surprise.
When Roland finished the last passage and even corrected a few grammatical errors, the old Blacksmith couldn't help but clap his rough hands together, producing a dull thud.
"Good kid!"
Hawke's voice was filled with unconcealed admiration.
"I thought it was surprising enough that you were so gifted at forging, but to think your literacy is also..."
He paused, recalling how just half a month ago Roland stumbled through reading even a simple contract. Now, he could read so fluently and even point out grammatical flaws. Hawke clicked his tongue and announced decisively,
"Alright, you've passed the academic test. Starting today, you can come back to the Blacksmith Shop for training as usual."
After speaking, he took a step forward, pressed his broad hand heavily on Roland's shoulder, and his tone became serious.
"But Marco and those other boys haven't been slacking. They've been training harder than anyone. If you want to win the assessment in a month, you'll have to give it your all. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
Seeing the determined look in Roland's eyes, Hawke nodded in satisfaction.
"By the way, Mr. Hawke..."
Remembering Bronson's request, Roland spoke softly, omitting the details of the Silver Dust transaction and simply explaining that he was helping to forge a dagger.
After listening, Hawke gave a helpless chuckle.
"That guy is as stubborn as ever... Alright, since he asked you for help, I'll let you handle it. But..."
The old Blacksmith suddenly stopped, his brow furrowing into a deep line.
"Because of the fighting over in Black Pine Forest, the ore supply is tight. So I can only give you enough for three iron embryos..."
He held up three short, thick fingers and wiggled them in front of Roland's face.
"If you mess up, you'll have to pay market price for them. Got it?"
"Understood, Mr. Hawke."
Roland nodded without hesitation.
He still had five Silver Coins, more than enough to buy a few pieces of ore.
The two of them returned the way they came, arriving back at the Blacksmith Shop.
When Hawke announced that Roland could resume training his Forging Skills in the Blacksmith Shop, the rhythmic sound of hammering suddenly paused for a moment.
Marco and the other apprentices exchanged surprised glances.
None of them had expected that this kid, who once couldn't even read a Contract Document properly, would actually manage to pass the academic test in less than a month.
But soon, the rhythm of the hammers returned to its previous beat.
Faint smirks played on the boys' lips, but the movements of their hands never stopped.
In their eyes, so what if Roland was back?
Even before, they had considered their Forging Skills to be on par with Roland's.
And that was before they had spent the last month training day and night, their Forging Skills advancing by leaps and bounds.
As for Roland, who had neglected his training, he was probably rusty with even the most basic hammering techniques.
Among them, only Marco frowned slightly.
But seeing the increasingly refined Forging Skills of the others beside him, he didn't say anything and just went back to silently swinging his hammer.
Roland ignored their faintly mocking gazes and went to an anvil in the corner.
He expertly worked the bellows, heated the ore, and began hammering it into shape.
After confirming that his skills hadn't gotten rusty, he didn't continue to accumulate experience by forging finished tools. Instead, he took out the blueprint Bronson had given him earlier.
'In a few days, I'll be able to increase my Power by cultivating the Secret Silver Body Tempering Technique and officially take on the Blacksmith Profession anyway.'
'At that point, it won't be too late to see what extra Traits the Blacksmith Profession grants and then train accordingly.'
'For now, I might as well try to complete the dagger Bronson commissioned and see if I can settle this deal sooner rather than later.'
'Emotionally, I don't like being indebted to others.'
'Logically...'
Thinking of Bronson's mysterious other side from that day, Roland's brow furrowed slightly as he looked down to carefully examine the blueprint in his hands.
"Tsk..."
Even though he had studied it repeatedly, the difficulty of forging this dagger still made him click his tongue in amazement.
The dagger Bronson required was completely different from ordinary weapons.
Its overall shape resembled a shortsword, with nothing special about the tip or pommel, but the middle section was concave, tapering into a cylindrical shape.
This peculiar structure was a huge test of one's hammering and Ore Burning skills.
Not only that, but it also required carving dense, intricate lines onto the central cylinder with a file.
The slightest mistake would cause the middle section to snap.
And those lines...
Roland's fingers gently traced the patterns on the blueprint, his brow furrowing ever deeper.
He had a faint feeling that these lines weren't as chaotic as they appeared, but followed some kind of strange pattern.
Some parts were as dense as a spider's web, while others were sparse and open. The turns even had subtle curves, as if they were guiding something.
'This thing... doesn't look like a simple decoration...'