Liam went through his usual m routine before entering the game.

  He appeared in Striking Wood Town, waiting for the others. One by one his friends logged in.

  “M.”

  “Hey guys!”

  “Mirage! You’re on time today.”

  The mood was joyful while the party gathered. Soon they were ready to tinue leveling.

  However, Silver Bde soon noticed Liam’s hesitant movements.

  “Mirage? What’s up with you?”

  “Suys. I think I won’t join you today.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Expert, are we dragging you down?”

  “My friend, did something happen?”

  Liam frowned faintly as noticed the stroions of his friends. inally, he was hesitant, but maybe it was good to take a break. The party’s relian Liam might be going a bit too far.

  Although Acacia performed well yesterday, he still lost his life twice, which was quite dangerous. One more death and he would’ve forfeit one of his perma lives.

  However, Liam might not always be there to take on the most dangerous tasks.

  With such thoughts going through his mind, Liam resolved himself.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just rather dull. I need a short break from leveling.”

  The other didn’t know what to say. Some looked at Liam skeptically.

  However, he was indeed speaking the truth. Leveling purely for the sake of it dide Liam. Leaving other pyers far behind took too much fun out of the game.

  He would rather have others catch up to pose some challenge. Naturally the other party members couldn’t uand him despite trying their best.

  “Expert, didn’t we agree to form a successful guild? Shouldn’t we be able to endure some dry leveling?”

  Looking at Cye’s disappoi eyes, Liam felt a pang of guilt.

  “Don’t worry Cye. I haven’t fotten about it. With me here there is no way uild won’t reach the top. A few levels won’t make much of a difference.”

  Cye didn’t know what to answer, pouting and turning her head away.

  Suddenly Silver Bde frowned. Watg the party members, she got a simir feeling like Liam.

  “Guys, maybe this is not a bad thing.”

  “What do you mean?”, asked Fortune.

  “Maybe we are growing too depe on Mirage. I think it will be good for us to make our own experiences.”

  Hearing these words the others also began to pte.

  “I agree with the young dy.”, said Watchful Eye dryly.

  The others rolled their eyes. Of course, Watchful Eye would agree, he aid by Silver Bde after all.

  However, the others couldn’t help but feel like there was some truth to Silver Bde’s words.

  The first to nod approvingly were Silent Acacia and Quickstep. The professional pyers khat they couldn’t heir personal growth.

  Otherwise, such a leisurely attitude might not cause problems immediately, but when fag other pros their fws would be revealed.

  After all, no matter how well Liam directed the team, if they couldn’t aplish their assigasks, they would still lose against other teams.

  With some people agreeing the others couldn’t help it but think deeply as well.

  Soon they had to admit that Silver Bde had a point.

  Liam shot the female tank a thankful and appreciating look. Once more Silver Bde proved that she had great talent as a leader, notig such a fw before it could grow further.

  Silver Bde Mirage before addressing the party:

  “Then it’s decided. Mirage will do his own thing today. We will tinue leveling. Our warriors and thieves should all try to lure the wargs at least once.”

  The people called out by Silver Bde felt the pressure but didn’t refute.

  A short while ter Liam watched the backs of his friends as they left the town. He did feel flicted, but his mood improved when a message reached him.

  [Mirage Fan #1: Liam, how long do you need? I’m waiting!]

  [Bleary Mirage: On my way.]

  Liam couldn’t help but feel a warmth in his heart whenever he read his sister’s name.

  At first, he was surprised that this name was still avaible. However, he quickly admonished himself for this sign of unnecessary vanity.

  It didn’t take long for Liam to reach the elven novice vilge. A few pyers reized him as he got off the hawk, prompting him to hastily get out of their sights before a crowd could build up.

  Once again, his urge to find a tool to hide his identity increased.

  But now was not the time as Liam approached Ebonora’s house, finding a cute elf anxiously sing her surroundings.

  As soon as Serena spotted her brother, a smile bloomed on her face, and she waved him over.

  “Liam, you’re here.”

  “Of course.”

  “What are we doing today?”

  “I just wao ask you the same.”

  Seeing Serena fall into ption, Liam couldn’t help but ask:

  “Don’t you want to cook something?”

  “Yes. But no.”

  “What… does this mean?”

  “It means what it means.”

  Liam blinked his eyes in fusion. He could only regard it as the logic of a child.

  “So, should we ehe kit… or not?”

  “No.”, said Serena as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

  “I want to learn smithing.”

  “Smithing? How e?”

  “Because all those strong people respect the smithing grandpa.”

  “Well… that’s because smithing is difficult and exhausting. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  “Of course! I’m really strong now!”

  Liam couldn’t help but chuckle watg Serena presenting her biceps. But nothing could be seen uhe wide sleeves of her mage robe.

  “Ok the’s go.”

  Liam quickly led the way. He was quite ied in smithing himself, having also lear in his previous life.

  There was a lot the profession could provide, especially ier parts of the game.

  Serena walked in front of Liam happily, leading the way in case her brother would get lost.

  Soon, the siblings reached the vilge’s smith. Despite the white hair and slight wrinkles around his eyes the old elven smith still looked dignified, showing little signs of ageing.

  If it wasn’t for the NPCs calling him old Reanadao the pyers might not sider the smith a senior at all.

  When Serena and Liam arrived, he was zing off behind his ter, not showing any regard for potential ers.

  “Wele.”

  “Greetings, Smith. Would it be possible to rent your Smithy for a while?”

  The old elf didn’t look happy speaking to Liam. He clearly didn’t have a high opinion of nephilim. But at least he didn’t chase the siblings out.

  “3 silver per hour.”

  Serena’s eyes opened wide, staring at the smith.

  “3 silver? Where would we get…”

  “Here!”

  As Liam nontly handed over 9 silver, Serena turowards him with a baffled look. She peeked into her own iory where a pitiful two silver id.

  With this amount of money Serena could already be sidered wealthy for her level, having ear from selling her baked fruits.

  The smith took Liam’s money, grunted, and nodded with his head towards a door at the side.

  Taking Serena with him, Liam ehe smithy. An unfortable heat weled him.

  The smithy sisted of the typical anvil and furnace. However, the various tools hanging from the walls would immediately surprise an experienced smith.

  There were maremely precise chisels, tools to engrave plicated patterns, and solutions to apply the desired sheen to the products.

  Elves were known for the geous designs of their ons. Often times bcksmiths spent more time oifying than on hardening and sharpening.

  This was often a point of flict between the famous dwarven bcksmiths and the elven ones. However, in terms of pure power dwarven products indeed held the upper hand.

  paratively elves stood out when it came to imbuing magito objects.

  All of this was far away from Serena and Liam, though. The two siblings took a few seds to get aced to the air in the smithy before approag the furnace.

  Serena looked at everything with bright eyes. But she quickly felt awkward, realizing that she uood almost nothing about the work of a bcksmith.

  A clever idea came to the young girl’s mind. She put on a cute smile, turning to Liam:

  “We only have one firepce. Why don’t you start?”

  Liam chuckled upon hearing his sister’s gracious offer. He didn’t expose her.

  “Sure.”

  Liam took out a recipe which had been waiting in his iory for a long time. It tained instrus on how te a basic dagger.

  “Here, take a look. First, we need a bar of iron.”

  Liam carefully expined each step. He took out iron from a crate at the side. The necessary 43 copper were automatically deducted.

  , the material was held into the furnace. Serena took the job of ting the seds.

  As stated in the recipe they retrieved the iron after 20 seds, when it burned white hot.

  Liam held the iron with a pair of tongs. A dot rojected onto the material, telling the pyer where to hit with his hammer and how much power to use.

  Following the instrus and drawing from his experience Liam worked quickly, watg the iron take form bit by bit.