Ironhaven was a starter town exactly like the ones from old RPGs—streets paved with cobblestone, friendly NPCs walking about, knights patrolling in shining armor.

This was a typical RPG game setting, except the NPCs looked intelligent and everything felt real, not like the default settings in games where NPCs would repeat the same sentences over and over.

Admiring this classic game scenery which he had only seen on a PC screen so far, Leo headed towards the Registrar’s office.

The Registrar was a fat, chubby man with rosy cheeks. When he saw Leo, he gave his professional smile.

"Oh, a new face! Welcome to Ironhaven, traveler. What are you looking for? Information? Guides? Name it, and I will point you in a direction."

The Registrar’s warm professional smile made Leo’s stomach tighten with nervousness. "I... uh, I... want to get a class."

"Hmm... So, you want to start your journey as an adventurer? Very well. Choose your class."

With that said, the Registrar waved his hand, and a system window popped up showing options for dozens of classes—all Common grade.

Warriors, Mages, Archers, Rogues, Priests, Knights, Rangers, Sorcerers, Paladins, Assassins, Berserkers, Elementalists, Summoners...

There were many classes of all types—damage dealing, supporting, crafting—a wide variety.

Leo did not even read the details of any classes and scrolled past them until he found what he was looking for: the Blacksmith class.

He selected the class without a second thought. This was best suited for him, a real-world blacksmith. This was going to be his bread and butter from now on.

The Registrar raised an eyebrow seeing Leo’s choice. "Ohhhh, a bit of an unusual choice, I must say. Most new travelers rarely choose this. They only want to choose a class that has good battle prowess. Hmph... they don’t know what they are missing out on. Blacksmiths are one of the most noble jobs, and if you manage to excel in it, everybody will beg you to forge for them. It’s a good choice. It has great potential to lead you to fortune."

While the Registrar was going on about the class, Leo had already selected it.

[Class Selected]

[Blacksmith]

Tier: Common

+3 STR, +2 VIT, +1 DEX

[Skill Unlocked: Basic Forging, Proficiency (Novice)]

[Class Description]

[A class specializing in forging weapons, items, and armor. You can forge what you can imagine with your hammer and anvil as your foundation.]

He felt a surge of new information in his mind. This really fascinated him, as new knowledge had just been transferred by some unknown mechanism. He thought that if this could be done, then school life would have been much easier.

As he was going through it, he felt something stirring within his body—a warm feeling spreading across his body...

Then,.....

A new notification popped up.

[Talent detected...]

[Calculating Synergy with the awakened class.....]

[100% Synergy detected]

[Awakening Started...]

[Awakening successful...]

[Talent: Soul & Steel]

[Rank: SSS]

[Perk 1 Unlocked: Soul Bound—You can craft items with spirituality. The items you craft have the ability to bond with a person. The bonded weapon becomes indestructible with permanent durability.]

[Perk 2 Unlocked: Forge-Sight—You see the ideal form of any material or item, and you can see the upgrade paths for every item.]

[More perks can be unlocked upon fulfilling more hidden conditions and requirements.]

Leo read through the awakened skill and stood there slack-jawed. He had stumbled into something incredible—a high-rank talent. SSS-ranked.

He knew almost everyone would awaken a talent after they chose their class, as he had read some related things about it posted by beta testers.

But none of them mentioned awakening an SSS rank, not even an S rank. Most of them mentioned D rank, C rank, and only one warrior mentioned he had awakened an A-rank talent during the beta testing phase.

So, Leo knew he needed to keep it a secret. If that investor group that Paul was talking about found out, wouldn’t they do everything to take him as a slave?

Leo felt a shiver run down his spine at these thoughts.

That might not end well for him.

He quickly dismissed the notification. Even though nobody else could see it, having it hanging in the air with so many people around made him anxious.

He opened his status panel instead.

[CHARACTER STATUS]

Name: Leo Stone

Class: Blacksmith

Tier: Common

Level: 1

HP: 240/240 MP: 100/100

STR: 13 VIT: 12 DEX: 11

INT: 10 WIS: 10 LCK: 10 (hidden)

Skills: Basic Forging (Novice)

Talents: Soul & Steel (SSS)

Equipment: None

[Basic Forging (Novice)]

[Forge simple iron tools and weapons. Quality depends on your DEX and material purity.]

He felt some kind of connection when he selected the class. His father had always told him he had a talent for blacksmithing, and now he had awakened an SSS-rank talent. He could not help but think his dad was onto something.

The Registrar saw Leo had finished checking his panel and called out, "How does it feel, adventurer? Or should I call you young smith now? Here is your first quest. The Adventurer’s Guild is in constant need of weapons, so your first job is to forge a decent blade and bring it here. You can head to the nearby town smithy to get started."

[Quest Received]

[The First Ingot—Forge an Iron Longsword (Iron Ore 0/3, Coal 0/2)]

[Reward: 50 XP, 10 Silver, Beginner Smithing Recipe Book]

Leo followed the quest map toward the local smithy.

The street was lined with different smithies, and for a moment he did not know which one to pick. He chose one at random and settled on it.

The sign above the door read: "Hugh’s Smithy."

He went inside and showed the quest to the blacksmith. Hugh was the only blacksmith in the smithy. He glanced at the quest, gestured toward the forge, and did not speak a word. He just went back to his own work, hammering away at a length of steel.

Leo stepped up to the fire-ready forge, picked up a lump of iron ore with the tongs, and placed it into the forge.

He worked the bellows until the metal began to glow red.

He had done this many times in the real world. But now, with the system feeding knowledge into his hands, it felt easier. Smoother.

When the metal was hot enough, he pulled it out, laid it on the anvil, and started hammering.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The clanging sound rang through the forge. The rhythm felt perfect.

He turned the metal over, rotated it, worked it from every angle—slowly shaping the lump into the rough silhouette of a blade.

He had been hammering for nearly an hour. Sweat dripped off his face and stung his eyes.

He was almost done, but as he was about to finish, he felt something weird with the last few hammer strikes. The clanging sound felt different. On the last strike, something shifted. It felt as if the metal he was working on had changed.

Before he could figure out what was going on, the metal started to vibrate with a low hum and glowed brightly.

Soon, pieces of glowing metal broke out from the sword body and floated upward. It hovered in front of him.

The light emitted by the metal grew blinding—then a blazing gold white light shot straight into the sky tearing through the clouds.

The sky was torn open.

Every player on the server looked up. A streak of light ripped across the heavens, tearing the clouds apart like paper.

Then the World Announcement sounded.

[WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT—A Primordial Spark has been awakened. The Eternal Forge stirs for the first time in eternity. All pantheons turn their gaze toward the Forge-Wielder.]

The metal was still hovering and glowing in front of him—gold-white in color, pulsing with light.

It lit up Hugh’s forge, and people around the forge noticed the anomaly. Some glanced inside and muttered. But the light was so bright that nothing but a silhouette of Leo could be seen.

The spark glowed for a while, then shot straight into Leo’s chest.

A second beat sounded, different from his heartbeat—almost like a second heart.

Leo braced for pain, but he did not feel anything and quickly checked his chest with his hands.

Nothing.

No hole in his chest or clothes.

Just then, a notification sounded in his ears and a panel appeared.

[Primordial Spark detected...]

[Integration Ongoing...]

[Integration Successful]

[Initializing Class Evolution.]

[Common Blacksmith → ???]

[Warning: No class data exists for this evolution.]

[Warning: No records in the System database.]

[New designation assigned: Eternal Forge]

[Tier: ???]

[SSS-Rank Talent Detected: Soul & Steel]

[Talent Synergy with the Blacksmith class is High]

[Your class has evolved into a Mythical-class: The Eternal Forge.]

[Hidden Stat Surge Detected.]

LCK: 10 → 50

[Fate has taken notice of the Eternal Forge. Your providence has increased.]

[You will encounter opportunity more often.]

[Luck will grow through deeds, encounters, and the choices you make when the world is watching.]

[New Attribute Unlocked]

STM (Stamina): 15

[An independent resource pool for sustained combat and extended crafting. Recovers through rest. Similar to the Intelligence attribute and Mana resource, the Stamina attribute will have its own Stamina resource. Increasing the Stamina attribute will increase the Stamina resource pool.]

[Bonus Stats Unlocked (Mythical-class and above)]

CHA (Charm): 10 MFT (Mental Fortitude): 10

[These stats are unique to Mythical-class entities. They cannot be seen by ordinary players. They cannot be trained in ordinary ways.]

Leo was overwhelmed by the multiple notifications firing at once.

He had just chosen his class—it had not even been a day—yet his class was already evolving into a Mythic grade?

He did not know the concept of this grade. What was the highest grade? Legendary? Epic? Mythic?

Leo unknowingly muttered, "What in the hell is going on? Am I some kind of chosen protagonist character in this game? I just chose a class and just happened to awaken some weird-ass talent, and now I hit some random shit and who knows what flew into me, and all of a sudden I am a Mythic-class bearer."

"Hehe... haha... hahahaha..."

"Damn."

"This is too cool. It’s sick."

Leo whistled.

The system was not done.

Prompts kept coming.

[Eternal Flame]

Passive Skill

The flame which burned through eternity, born in the primordial era, also known as the primordial fire, can be summoned at will for both battle and forging.

Combat Mode:

Weapon coated in Eternal Flame—+25% bonus fire damage.

Inflicts an 8-second burn (15% STR per tick). [Requires mana to sustain]

Crafting Mode:

+20% crafting proficiency.

It can refine any raw materials to a pure state.

Currently can refine ore of a rank not greater than the player’s rank +1.

Devour: The Eternal Flame can consume other flames—enemy fire attacks, ambient fire, hostile flame magic. Each devour feeds the flame toward evolution.

Other great flames—especially the top 100 great flames—can be devoured to rank up the Eternal Flame.

[Fire that has never died. It burns eternally, and there is nothing in the world it can’t burn.]

This was a fire-related passive skill, so basically he now had his own fire which could even purify ores and could be used for fighting. Leo nodded and checked another skill.

[Weapon Memory—Type: Passive]

The ability inherited through the ancestors who have forged all kinds of weapons.

Only by wielding the weapon you forge will you be able to find the limit of the weapon you forged and find your way to break through that limit.

You can use any weapon without any class limits.

As you wield any weapon, you will start to accumulate weapon proficiency, and as proficiency increases, you can learn all related class skills—including unique class skills—but all weapon-related skills are based on your understanding and comprehension.

No penalties. Basic attack chains for weapons will be unlocked after a certain level of proficiency is reached.

Proficient: +10% damage with this weapon type. Unlocks ability to learn active skills from associated combat classes.

[Mastery persists across all weapons of the same type.]

"Finally, something good that can help me in fighting. The world is cruel; I can’t always keep forging. I need to be strong enough to be able to protect myself." Leo had a determined expression. And it seemed the next passive he got was a defensive skill.

[Forge-Born Body—Passive Skill]

Every strike of the hammer tempers not just metal, but flesh. Your body has been reforged by the primordial fire.

Physical DEF +20% Fire RES +50% Poison RES +25% Fatigue threshold doubled.

Stamina lasts longer. As you keep tempering your body, it will be strong enough to withstand blades.

[Has a chance to evolve into a special physique.]

"Oh!!! It’s not just defensive, but it also helps in forging."

The skills he unlocked still grew. He could not keep up with all the skills at once.

[Soulforge Attunement—Type: Passive]

Items you personally forge and wield deal +10% bonus damage.

Items you forge have a chance to gain self-repair—1% durability per minute while sheathed.

The higher the player’s blacksmithing rank is and the higher the crafted item is, the higher the probability to trigger more than 1% durability recovery per second, with the max percent capped at 10%.

The self-repair effect is totally random and a matter of probability.

You do not have the ability to bestow such an effect yet. It all depends on your hard work and fate.

This skill was similar to the talent he awakened previously, just that his talent could make bonded equipment unbreakable permanently, while this could give the equipment the ability to repair itself.

[Forgefire Strike—Type: Active]

Cooldown: 6 seconds. Cost: 30 MP, 10 Stamina

Concentrate the Eternal Flame into a single explosive burst. The next weapon strike deals +150% STR as bonus fire damage and applies a 5-second burn.

Can be used with any equipment. Effects doubled when used with a hammer.

(The Eternal Flame will not consume separate MP.)

[The fire that builds can also destroy.]

[Anvil Drop—Type: Active]

Cooldown: 10 seconds. Cost: 45 MP, 25 Stamina

Leap into the air and use the Eternal Flame to manifest the ancestral anvil and slam down with your weapon, bringing the anvil down onto enemies, creating a 5-meter shockwave.

Deals 150% STR damage to all enemies in range. Staggers smaller targets.

Can be used with any equipment. Effects doubled when used with a hammer.

[If a forge or anvil is nearby, the impact ring resonates—increasing the stagger duration by 1 second.]

[Rising Forge—Type: Active]

Cooldown: 8 seconds. Cost: 35 MP, 15 Stamina

A rising uppercut strike charged with molten force. 180% STR damage.

Launches the target into the air.

Can be used with any equipment. Effects doubled when used with a hammer.

Can be followed up with mid-air attacks or Forgefire Strike while the target is airborne.

"Woahhh..." Leo’s eyes were shining reading the skill descriptions.

"Three active offensive skills, haha, and I am a blacksmith. I don’t think normal players get these many skills."

A blacksmith who can fight? Leo was already picturing himself charging into a battle with a sword and slaying monsters.

"Let’s see what else we’ve got."

[Hyperfocus—Type: Active]

Duration: 25 seconds.

Cooldown: 60 seconds.

Cost: 80 MP, 50 Stamina + 5/sec

Push your mind and body beyond natural limits.

DEX +30%

Stamina consumption reduced by 60%

Perception range tripled.

[Accelerates your brain and thinking to the limits and enhances your senses to the extreme, such that the world seems to slow down.]

The last skill sounded too cool. Wouldn’t he be invincible if he used this skill?

He was very happy to awaken such skills, as he did not know how he would have been able to awaken attack skills as a blacksmith.

But a Mythic class was really different.

Leo thought the notifications had finally stopped.

But...

[Blacksmith’s Eye—Type: Active Utility]

[Cost: 5 MP]

[Can detect any item or weapon and see the full stat panel of the item when activated. Can be used to appraise.]

[The weapon to be appraised should be visible. Can be used amidst a battle state.]

[Detected that the talent perk Forge-Sight has a similar ability.]

[Merging talent perk Forge-Sight and Blacksmith’s Eye.]

[Merging Successful]

[New Skill Created: Forge-Sight]

[Forge-Sight—Type: Utility]

Your eyes see what others cannot. You have transcended eyes.

Passive Effect:

Automatically identifies material composition, purity, and entities within 5 meters.

Active Effect 1: Deep Scan

Cost: 10 MP

Deep scan of a single target—reveals upgrade paths, hidden traits, enemy stats, and weaknesses.

Active Effect 2: Appraisal

Cost: 5 MP

Can detect any item or weapon and see the full stat panel of the item when activated.

Can be used amidst battle state.

[Every flaw is visible. Every potential is known.]