“Enhancement coupon?” Wilhelm muttered as his eyes shot wide open in surprise.
Wilhelm Maybach was the head blacksmith of the Mercedes Workshop as well as the leader of their high-performance artifact department—the Cradle of Genesis.
He was a tall man with slick back hair and a neatly trimmed beard. He was also wearing a perfect-fitting tuxedo suit. He was a middle-aged gentleman that resembled a noble more than a blacksmith.
“Yes, sir.” The staffer nodded.
“Don’t tell me you’re talking about that enhancement coupon our workshop first sold when it was opened seven hundred years ago? And it’s a +12 enhancement coupon, you say…?”
“That is correct.”
“Oh my god…” Wilhelm covered his face with his hands. He then said in a tired-sounding voice, “To think that someone still possesses that thing… enhancing an artifact twelve times is going to cost us a fortune…”
He lamented the news of the enhancement coupon because guaranteeing an enhancement was an extremely difficult task. Even seasoned blacksmiths would fail if they made even the slightest mistake.
Therefore, every workshop had an enhancement machine that enhanced artifacts with the same success rate in front of their shops.
Why would they do that?
It was all because there had been a few people who had lost all sense of reasoning and went berserk after the enhancement on their artifacts failed, which led to them murdering the blacksmiths out of rage.
Thus, the workshops decided to replace all enhancement services with machines since the success rate didn’t really differ much, and the blacksmiths wouldn’t get harmed if the artifacts they were enhancing were destroyed upon enhancement failure.
Well, there were cases where the enraged players destroyed the machines, but it was better than the blacksmiths getting murdered.
However, the fact that they had to guarantee the success of the enhancement was a heavy burden, not to mention doing it twelve times on the same artifact.
“But we don’t have a choice. This is the promise our forefathers made, so we will have to honor it. Go and tell the customer to wait for a bit.”
“Yes, head blacksmith-nim.”
The staffer bowed toward Wilhelm and left his office.
***
‘Wow~ Their interior design is out of this world. It’s much more luxurious compared to the Bavarian and Autonika Workshops. This place is making the shops of those workshops look like a roadside smithy…’ Siegfried thought.
It was then…
“Hello, my name is Wilhelm Maybach, and I am the head blacksmith of the Mercedes Workshop.”
“Ah, hello. My name is Siegfried.”
They shook hands and greeted each other.
“I heard that you brought the enhancement coupon issued by our workshop seven hundred years ago.”
“Yes.”
“Have you decided which artifact you wish to enhance?”
“Not yet, I’m planning on looking for an artifact right now.”
“Hmm…” Wilhelm rubbed his neatly-trimmed beard before showing a catalog to Siegfried.
Flip, flip, flip…
Siegfried flipped through the pages before stopping at a page. ‘I can’t waste twelve enhancements on Unique items… The Legendary items are a bit iffy, too… remember… This is twelve. Not one or two but twelve. I need to choose the best artifact…’
The tier one step higher than Legendary was Epic, but those items could only be obtained after satisfying certain conditions rather than crafted.
The Universal tier was totally out of the question. It would be impossible for the Mercedes Workshop to craft one even if they sacrificed the souls of their blacksmiths to craft it.
‘I wonder if they have a Mythic weapon. Let’s see, blunt Weapons… blunt…’ Siegfried flipped through the pages and found one blunt weapon that could be crafted by the Mercedes Workshop.
[Gaia’s Fist]
[A mace infused with the power of the Earth Goddess, Gaia.]
[The mace’s power brings forth destructiveness equal to a calamity.]
[Rating: Mythic]
[Attribute: N/A]
[Level Restriction: 210]
[Attack Power: 4,000]
[Durability: 100/100]
[Additional Stats: Strength +500]
The mace called Gaia’s Fist completely captivated Siegfried.
It wasn’t really strange that he was enthralled as it boasted an Attack Power stronger than Level 250 maces, and the five hundred extra additional Strength it gave its user made it a no-brainer choice even without any of its extra perks.
It was hands-down the best weapon a melee damage dealer could imagine.
In addition, it would take a very long time before it would get power crept by most weapons because of its massive Attack Power. In other words, Siegfried could use it for a very long time.
Lastly, its destructiveness would definitely increase explosively once it was enhanced twelve times.
“I choose this one.”
“Gaia’s Fist…?”
“Yes...” Siegfried nodded before immediately asking, “How much is it? Since it’s in the catalog, it should be for sale, right?”
“Hmm… that artifact costs…” Wilhelm mentioned the price.
“Excuse me?”
“As I said, that artifact is going to cost…”
“W-Wait a second.”
Siegfried suddenly felt dizzy, and he grabbed the back of his head.
“O-Owner punk! What’s wrong with you?”
“My blood pressure… it went up all of a sudden…”
“Hey! Get a grip! You’re going to end up like that Chae Hyung-Seok guy at this rate!”
“Yeah… I need to get a grip…”
Siegfried nearly ended up like Chae Hyung-Seok after hearing the price.
‘What kind of a weapon costs thirty times the Heavenly Silk…?!’
This mace called Gaia’s Fist was so expensive that Siegfried nearly had a stroke after hearing its price tag. In fact, it was so expensive that he had to sell a third of everything he had looted so far just to be able to afford it.
“Discount…”
“Our workshop has a no discount policy even to our VVIP customers.”
“Do you have all of the materials? What if I go and procure the materials you need?” Siegfried asked in hopes of being able to pay for a portion of the weapon with his body.
However, it was futile.
“I apologize, but we already have all of the materials we need,” Wilhelm flatly rejected his offer.
“…”
“Oh, but you may purchase it on an installment basis.”
“I-Installment?!”
“It will come with an annual interest rate of twenty-eight percent, but many customers still avail it.”
“That… that’s basically loan shark rates, no…?”
Siegfried suddenly became depressed. He couldn’t help but wonder.
‘Ah… Should I just go to the Bavarian or Autonika Workshops…?’
However, it didn’t feel right to use the Mercedes Workshop enhancement coupon on an artifact from another workshop.
‘No, let’s try to haggle a bit. Buying this at its price tag is something only a lunatic would do…’ Siegfried thought.
He decided to grill Wilhelm.
Until when did he plan to grill him?
The grilling would last until he gave him a quest, of course…
***
“Wilhelm-nim.”
“Yes, customer-nim?”
“Is there no other way for me to purchase this weapon at a cheaper price?”
“I can guarantee you that it will not be possible if we’re the ones who are going to craft it.”
“Hmm?”
Siegfried noticed something.
“Then, what if the workshop doesn’t have to craft? Will it be possible, then?”
“You are quite sharp, customer-nim. Yes, it is possible.”
“How?”
“You may purchase a finished product somewhere on the continent.”
“A finished product?”
“Actually, the Gaia’s Fist on that catalog is a high-quality replica of the real Gaia’s Fist.”
“Then, where is the real Gaia’s Fist?”
“As far as I know… the real Gaia’s Fist is at the temple serving the Goddess Gaia…”
“As far as you know?”
“I’m sure you’re aware, but Goddess Gaia-nim’s temple was swallowed by a dimensional rift three years ago, and half of their temple is in the rift…”
A message popped up in front of Siegfried.
[Search for the Mythical Weapon]
[Investigate the Goddess Gaia’s temple that has been swallowed by a dimensional rift, and search for the mythical item, Gaia’s Fist.]
[Reward: N/A]
[Progress: 0%]
A quest popped up.
‘There it is!’ Siegfried rejoiced inwardly.
He would have cursed inside and muttered to himself that the quest was definitely going to be a chain quest, but it was different this time.
‘I’d rather pay it with my body instead…’
He clenched his fists after recalling the weapon’s price tag. He was determined to do anything as long as he didn’t have to spend his own money.
“I will try looking for it.”
“Hm?”
“Thank you for the information.”
Siegfried thanked Wilhelm and left the Mercedes Workshop. Then, he headed straight to the temple of Goddess Gaia.
***
The temple of Goddess Gaia was as big as an average kingdom because the dimensional rift had distorted the space around it.
“This is a bit serious… I think I might have bitten off more than what I can chew…” Siegfried clicked his tongue upon arriving at the temple.
“Yes! Kyu! It looks extremely dangerous too!” Hamchi agreed.
A soldier guarding the entrance of the temple approached him and asked, “Are you an Adventurer?”
“Yes, I am.”
“If you are planning to enter this dimensional rift, then I suggest that you rethink your decision.”
“Why?”
“This dimensional rift is not a single rift. We have confirmed the presence of seventeen rifts inside this huge dimensional rift. We currently have no idea how many other rifts are in it, so you could get trapped forever if you step in—”
However, the soldier couldn’t continue speaking.
It was because Siegfried and Hamchi had ignored him outright and stepped into the rift.
“I guess you can’t stop people from killing themselves…” the soldier shook his head.
“I agree…”
“Ack! You scared me!” the soldier jumped in surprise. ‘Where the hell did this guy come from?’
A man suddenly appeared like a ghost, and he entered the rift after Siegfried.
Gringore.
He had completely turned into a ghost after becoming the Phantom Singer.
***
[Alert: Your character has been swept away by the dimensional rift!]
[Alert: You will arrive at a random dimensional rift.]
[Alert: You have entered the City of Nightmares!]
Siegfried arrived at the City of Nightmares to look for clues about Gaia’s Fist.
“What kind of place is this…?”
“Owner punk! This place is too eerie…!” Hamchi looked around and trembled in fear.
The City of Nightmare resembled an abandoned city enveloped in a thick dense fog, and it felt as if a ghost would pop out of nowhere at any moment.
Gwuoooo!
In addition, the blowing breeze sounded like pained groans, as if heralding the appearance of a horde of zombies or wraiths.
“I should probably infuse lightning energy into my weapon…” Siegfried took out the mace that he had bought from the Bavarian Workshop and infused his mana into it.
It seemed obvious that they were going to run into undead monsters here, so he got ready to fight before they appeared.
“Kyu?” Hamchi’s ears perked up. “Hey, owner punk.”
“What?”
“I can hear someone shouting and running toward us from that direction.”
“Really? How many are there?”
“Just one,” Hamchi said.
Gringore suddenly appeared out of nowhere and said, “I think that person is screaming, not shouting.”
“Ack! You f—scared me!” Siegfried exclaimed, almost cursing at the scribe.
“Hey, scribe-nim.”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Can you please make your presence be felt? You’re going to shorten my lifespan at this rate…”
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“What if you turn into a ghost at this rate? Your presence is getting fainter and fainter by the day you know. I can’t even tell whether you’re there or not.”
“I am not doing this on purpose… this power is slowly erasing my presence…” Gringore replied while breaking out into a cold sweat.
Meanwhile, Siegfried was deep in thought. ‘Just how sensitive are these guys' senses? I thought I was quite sensitive, but these guys are on a whole different level…’
The changes Deus had made to his body had catapulted him to the upper echelons of Adventurers when it came to senses, but his senses still couldn’t compete against an animal and a possessor of perfect pitch.
“Ack!”
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An Adventurer suddenly popped out in the distance and screamed while running past Siegfried and the others.
“AAAAAAAH!”
“Hey! Hold up!” Siegfried shouted.
However, Adventurer did not even pretend to have heard him before disappearing again into the distance.
“What was that all about?” Siegfried tilted his head in confusion.
“Keke! You damned insect. Do you finally realize what you got yourself into?”
Then, he heard a familiar voice from behind. He instantly turned around and saw Chae Hyung-Seok smirking at him. It was a smirk filled with disdain.
‘Chae Hyung-Seok?’ Siegfried doubted his eyes.
He was definitely sure that Chae Hyung-Seok had suffered a stroke and was in the emergency room right now, so how was he playing the game?
However, Siegfried did not have the time to continue doubting what was happening. He was suddenly overcome with immense fear, and his legs started trembling.
“O-Owner punk! What’s wrong with you?!”
“Your Majesty!”
Hamchi and Gringore rushed to his side, but he didn’t respond to them.
Siegfried was retreating one step at a time after being overwhelmed by extreme fear.
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