*Clang! Clang! Clang!!!!*

The quiet smithy echoed with ferocious reverberations.

*Clang!!!*

With the final strike.

Gangwoo, in his small Violet Ruin Construct body, lifted the glowing red sword.

At that moment.

*Ding-*

[Violet’s 104th work has been born.]

[Successfully crafted: Severing Longsword!]

*Ding-!*

[Due to the effect of Blessing of Ruin, Severing Longsword has been upgraded to Severing Longsword:破.]

One welcome notification after another appeared.

Gangwoo stared at the system window floating before him and smiled with deep satisfaction.

*Ding-*

[Severing Longsword:破]

Grade: B

Crafter: Violet

Durability: 305/305

Attack Power: 400

Agility: +155

Vitality: +174

Description: A longsword crafted with utmost care by a blacksmith granted the title of legend. His extraordinary power lingers within it.

Effects

– 70% increase in cutting force on attack.

– 10% chance to generate an Orb of Ruin on attack.

‘It worked.’

Gangwoo had been running an experiment.

Crafting a sword identical to the one that earned Stoss’s recognition during his job-change trial.

‘The Severing Longsword.’

He figured it was a good way to test what would happen when Stoss’s experience and Blessing of Ruin met—what final product they’d create together.

And through the crafting process, Gangwoo realized a lot.

*I messed up from the smelting. The design was way too ugly.*

From the base metal smelting that formed the sword’s foundation, to the longsword’s appearance, even the tempering timing—everything had been lacking.

But Gangwoo deliberately kept the process similar.

That way, he could make an exact comparison with the sword he’d made before.

And the finished product exceeded all expectations.

*Ding-*

[Retrieved Severing Longsword from Inventory.]

Gangwoo took out the longsword he’d made during the job-change trial and compared it to the one he’d just crafted.

[Severing Longsword]

Grade: B

Crafted By: Violet

Durability: 215/215

Attack Power: 350 (↓100)

Agility: +115 (↓40)

Vitality: +121 (↓53)

Description: A longsword forged by ‘Violet,’ trained under Stoss’ Teachings. Despite lacking experience, her skill is exceptional.

Effects

– Cutting power increased by 60% (↓10%) on attack.

The attack power alone was off by a full 100 points—and even the attached stats differed by nearly 90.

Every detail—the materials, the forging process—was the same.

All that was added was Stoss’ experience and the Blessing of Ruin, yet the gap was this vast.

He’d only gained a single job change, but the difference was truly staggering.

Still, Ha Gangwoo’s gaze didn’t linger on the weapon’s attack power or stats. It stopped on one line.

[-Has a 10% chance to create an Orb of Ruin on attack.]

That was the effect granted by the Blessing of Ruin.

‘Orb of Ruin?’

Wasn’t that Ru’s trait? And now a single sword swing could generate an Orb of Ruin?

“Good.”

The moment he saw the effect, Gangwoo understood.

What kind of synergy the Blessing of Ruin and item crafting could produce.

‘It’s tied to the Ruin Constructs’ traits.’

Exactly: creating Ruin Construct–exclusive items.

Didn’t he switch to the Legendary Blacksmith class expressly to gear up his Ruin Constructs properly?

And now, Ruin Construct–exclusive items?

What would happen if he fully kitted out Ru with a matching set of exclusive gear?

Thump—thump—

Wouldn’t Scenario 2 become a breeze for just Ru alone?

-Here, Ru. Take it.

Ding-

[You have issued a command to your Ruin Construct.]

Gangwoo placed the longsword in Ru’s hand, then rolled his stiff shoulders.

Afterward, he shifted his gaze with a hint of regret.

‘What about that?’

His eyes landed on a single piece of metal, cold and still on the floor.

[Rupicel]

Grade: ???

Crafted By: Violet

Description: A high-purity metal obtained by smelting Rupicel Mineral. Rupicel is known as the hardest substance in the world.

The grade was ???. That was exactly why Gangwoo had high hopes for this mineral.

Items with a ??? grade had shown broken effects before—like Barzel’s Appetite or Asrul’s Lust.

If he used this material, he was confident he could craft a ???-grade item.

But Gangwoo couldn’t make anything from that mineral.

He’d succeeded in melting and smelting the Rupicel Mineral, but the moment he swung his hammer down—CLANG!—a system prompt appeared.

Ding-

[Insufficient Strength.]

[Insufficient Skill Proficiency.]

Even after earning a legendary title, it still wasn’t enough.

What kind of mineral carried such harsh restrictions?

A fierce urge surged in him—to level up right now and learn ‘Violet’s’ job skills.

But Ha Gangwoo forced himself to calm down.

‘First, let’s finish setting up.’

There was still work left to do.

Gangwoo closed his eyes tightly, as though making up his mind.

Against the darkness, countless crafting recipes rose to the surface.

-A forging method that sharpens a blade to its absolute edge.

-A method that grafts flames onto a weapon.

-The formula for forging the finest sword in the world.

……..

…..

….

.

Every single one was the crystallized sweat and craft of Stoss.

The Severing Dagger he’d just made was proof-of-concept — a trial run. But the experiment was over.

Which meant Gangwoo’s next weapon was decided.

-The dagger formula Stoss had perfected to peak performance.

The highest-grade item he was capable of forging.

The moment Gangwoo selected the item, its blueprint unfurled inside his skull like a scroll.

[Stoss’s Peak-Performance Dagger]

-High-Purity Metal

-Essence of Ecstatic Blessing

-Blessed Timber of Ecstasy

-Refined Stone of Ecstatic Blessing

Four ingredients in total.

And the first one — the metal — mattered most.

Gangwoo dove straight into the Auction House.

-Platinum Ore — B-grade

-Titanium — A-grade

-Vanadium — A-grade

-Dark Shadow Ore — C-grade

-Enhanced Essence — C-grade

-Blessed Timber — B-grade

-Mana-Infused Refined Stone — C-grade

……..

…..

….

..

.

“All garbage.”

Nothing caught his eye.

He could tell, now that Stoss’s knowledge lived in his head.

Every mineral listed in the Auction House was substandard.

‘No Adamantium. No Ecstatic Blessing materials either.’

And the essence, timber, and refined stone — all critical — missed the mark too.

Even with Stoss’s techniques, materials this poor…

Even the perfect formula would barely squeeze out an A-grade item.

‘No choice.’

But the Auction House was his only source for minerals, so Gangwoo let out a long sigh and reached to buy.

His index finger hovered over the purchase icon.

Then, like a thunderclap, one item blazed into his mind.

‘……’

The very item that had shipped with the DLC — Forest of Lament.

The [DLC — Dismantler].

Gangwoo immediately checked the item lying dormant in his Inventory.

Ding-

[DLC — Dismantler]

Grade: ???

Description: The Gaia System has released the Dismantler! Turn your useless items — the ones gathering dust — into something new. Smash them clean! A flood of crafting materials and Enchant items will pour out!!!

Effect

-Grants one Dismantler unit.

‘How much did I pay for this?’

He’d bought it from the DLC store back when his head was full of Forest of Lament — couldn’t even remember the price.

But the description hooked him.

“So it gives me crafting materials.”

And not just materials — Enchant items too. No need to hesitate.

Gangwoo activated the DLC — Dismantler at once. A fierce halo of light gathered in one corner of the Smithy.

Ding-

[Dismantler]

Durability: ∞/∞

Description: Breaks down items to produce various materials.

(The grade of materials produced increases based on the item’s grade and performance.)

The machine looked like something out of a laundry room—a squat metal box with a hatch in front.

The instructions seemed as simple as a Status window.

‘So I just put stuff in.’

Ha Gangwoo stood in front of the Dismantler and picked up a single item.

[Mana-Imbued Iron Dagger]

Grade: F

Crafted By: Violet

Durability: 11/11

Attack: 11

Vitality: +7

Description: An iron-forged dagger. The handiwork of a skilled Blacksmith is evident.

Effects

– Strength +10

It was the first dagger he’d ever made, back during his Job-Change trial.

Gulp.

He wouldn’t hesitate to throw it on the ground right now, it was that expendable.

Gangwoo slid the dagger into the Dismantler’s slot.

Ding—

[You have placed the Mana-Imbued Iron Dagger into the Dismantler.]

[Would you like to dismantle it?]

[Yes/No]

(Warning! Dismantled items cannot be recovered.)

Gangwoo clicked ‘Yes’ without a moment’s hesitation. And then—

CRRRUNCH—

The hatch slammed shut, and a violent roar filled the room—the whine of a motor and the grinding screech of metal being chewed apart.

Still, maybe it was because it was his first piece.

“Doesn’t feel great.”

The sound of the item being ground down wasn’t exactly pleasant.

About a minute later.

Ding—

[Mana-Imbued Iron Dagger dismantling successful!!!]

A System window appeared.

Phshhhhh—

Smoke hissed from the Dismantler as the hatch swung open.

Inside lay a single, small item.

Ding—

[You have acquired Black Iron Ore.]

[Black Iron]

Grade: D

Description: Iron imbued with dark mana, bearing a pitch-black sheen. It has the property of blocking mana.

“Not bad.”

Black Iron. A mineral from Stoss’ memories.

Its mana-blocking property made it excellent for forging shields and armor.

Grinding up a mere F-grade item had yielded a D-grade ore. And Black Iron was a rare ore even among D-grade materials.

So what would happen if he dismantled the B-grade ‘Severing Longsword’?

‘Maybe I’ll get S-rank.’

Without a second thought, Gangwoo pushed the Severing Longsword into the Dismantler.

The Severing Longsword—the item that had earned him Stoss’ recognition, a B-grade Artifact.

Gangwoo knew its value from the Auction House.

It outperformed every single item listed there, a sword worth at least two hundred million won.

But Gangwoo’s hand didn’t waver.

[You have placed the Severing Longsword into the Dismantler.]

[Would you like to dismantle it?]

[Yes/No]

Gangwoo selected ‘Yes’. And then—

CRRRUNCH—

The sound of a hundred-million-won item being brutally torn apart echoed through the room.

So passed another minute.

Ding-

[Severing Longsword dismantled — Great Success!!!]

The welcome system window appeared alongside the chime.

Vwoom-

A fierce golden light bloomed around the Dismantler.

He’d only dismantled an item, yet suddenly — a golden effect.

Anyone else might have wondered, but Ha Gangwoo just quirked the corner of his mouth, intrigued.

“Great Success?”

Because he already knew why this effect had appeared.

From Enhancement all the way to item crafting,

the Gaia System had something called infinitesimal probability.

And every one of those probabilities was influenced by the Luck stat.

Right now, Violet’s Luck stat was a staggering 335.

He couldn’t say for sure that was why, but the item dismantling had just achieved a Great Success.

Thump-thump-

Suddenly, Ha Gangwoo’s heart began to pound wildly.

Hadn’t the Dismantler’s description already said it?

(The grade of materials generated rises according to the item’s rank and performance.)

The materials’ grade rose based on the dismantled item’s rank. The item he’d just fed it was a solid B-rank. And on top of that, he’d scored a Great Success.

Gulp-

Nervous expression on his face, Ha Gangwoo slowly approached the Dismantler, and soon spotted a single item inside.

[Rainbow Ore]

Grade: S

Description: A legendary ore. Infused with intense Mana, it serves as material for legendary Artifacts.

In Stoss’s memories, this was one of the top ten finest ores in existence.

“No way.”

Thump-thump-

Ha Gangwoo gripped the Rainbow Ore in his hand and lifted the corner of his mouth.

An S-grade metal material.

What kind of item would he create once it was finished?

Without a moment’s hesitation, Gangwoo tossed the ore into the forge. Clang!!! He began the work of crafting the finest item he could make.

***

A quiet garden.

Soft moonlight drifted through the dense thicket of trees.

“Bye. Take care. I’ll send word again when Unni gets back.”

Chae Seohyun smiled a bitter smile and stroked Mimic’s small head.

Chae Seohyun’s heart was uneasy. Because a wave of anxiety pressed in — the fear that today’s meeting with Mik might be their last.

But whether she sensed that or not,

“Goodbye!”

Mimic beamed a wide smile, then trudged-trudged her way inside the building.

Chae Seohyun watched her, waving her hand, and only when Mimic had vanished did her expression harden cold.

Like someone who had steeled herself for death.

“Stay well.”

Leaving behind something that sounded lonely, Chae Seohyun slowly stepped into the park, where deep darkness lay settled.

Meanwhile.

Mimic, for her part, looked inexplicably excited, hopping up the stairs and turning into a hallway.

There, a woman spotted Mimic and peeked out.

“Mik, you came?”

It was Kim Hyojoo, the Hope Repository employee.

“Hello!”

Whether from familiarity or habit, Mimic bobbed a quick bow at Kim Hyojoo, then hurried off with brisk steps.

“Wait! Gangwoo is—”

Kim Hyojoo tried to call after her, but Mimic had already vanished.

“…I’ll ask him tomorrow, I guess.”

Just as Kim Hyojoo was feeling let down—

Mimic slipped into the Hope Repository sickroom and pulled the door connecting to My Room wide open with a long creak.

And there she found him.

“You’re here?”

In the center of the cozy living room—a man who welcomed her with a warm smile.

Mimic bared her teeth in a grin, then launched herself forward, slamming into Ha Gangwoo’s arms.

Thud!!!

Her full-body tackle hammered into Ha Gangwoo’s stomach.

With a grunt, Ha Gangwoo crashed onto the floor, landing hard on his backside.

“Welcome home!”

Mik’s clear voice rang in Ha Gangwoo’s ears.

Hearing her voice, he found himself smiling without meaning to.

‘Good call, choosing the dagger.’

He felt satisfied with his choice.

Because he’d just felt it—plain as day.

How long Mimic had been waiting for him. How she’d been getting by all alone.

So Ha Gangwoo spread his palm.

A dagger glowing with fierce light snapped into his grip.

Ding—

[You have summoned the Ruin-Imbued Rainbow Dagger from Inventory.]

[Ruin-Imbued Rainbow Dagger]

Grade: L

A masterwork forged from Stoss’s memories, second to none even compared to the best items—and a gift for Mik.

“A present. Take it.”

“Wow…”

Ha Gangwoo handed the dagger to Mik. She stared at it, unable to hide her astonishment.