The Nameless Extra: I Proofread This World

A short while later, Gared returned.

”Here it is, Father.”

In his hand was what appeared to be an arrow. But on closer inspection, Ruvian saw it was far larger than a normal arrow.

The shaft was thick and made entirely of metal, with a broad, elongated head that looked better suited for punching through heavy armor than hunting ordinary prey.

But its size wasn’t the only thing that caught his attention.

Instead of the familiar silvery sheen of steel, the entire arrow had a distinct bluish hue — one that glimmered faintly beneath the workshop lights.

Judging by the way Gared carried it, the weapon also appeared to be unusually heavy.

’An arrow?’

Ruvian tilted his head slightly.

’Hmm... That’s quite an unusual design.’

At first glance, it resembled an oversized steel bolt more than something meant to be fired from a conventional bow. Still, there had to be something remarkable about it. Otherwise, Dain wouldn’t have been so eager to show it to him.

Gared approached the nearby workbench and carefully lowered the arrow onto its surface.

Clank!

The heavy metallic clang was louder than Ruvian had anticipated, suggesting that the weapon was even denser than it appeared.

Dain grinned with undisguised pride as he gestured toward their creation. ”Well, there you have it, lad! Go on, take a closer look at this beauty!”

Ruvian approached the workbench, his eyes glued to the strange arrow in front of him. He didn’t hesitate much, and quietly activated [Identify].

==========

◇ Item: Azuresteel Arrow

◇ Type: Enchanted Arrow

◇ Grade: S

◇ Enchantment: [Absolute Absorption]

◇ Description: An huge arrow capable of absorbing energy from external sources, regardless of its nature or attribute.

◇ Absorption Capacity: Unlimited (24 hours Cooldown)

==========

’...Huh?’

Ruvian blinked.

’Wait a second. What the hell is this?’

He went through the description once more, wanting to make sure he hadn’t misinterpreted anything. Yet, the longer he studied it, the more difficult it became to believe what he was seeing.

’Energy absorption? Regardless of its nature?’

That alone was already an extraordinary enchantment.

From what Ruvian understood, artifacts capable of absorbing energy were exceedingly rare, and even those came with considerable limitations.

Some could only absorb Mana, while others were made to withstand specific elemental attributes. And even then, how effective they were depended on several factors — the materials used and the skill of the Enchanter who made them, among other things.

Yet, the arrow before him appeared to possess none of those restrictions.

’Unlimited capacity...’

Ruvian almost wanted to laugh at the sheer absurdity of it.

Did that mean this arrow could absorb an inexhaustible amount of energy without ever reaching its limit?

If the description was to be believed, even the most devastating spells unleashed by an Archmage could potentially be swallowed whole by this weapon — and that was merely one of the countless possibilities Ruvian could think of.

’Good grief... Isn’t this a little too ridiculous?’

He had encountered his fair share of formidable artifacts before, but something possessing such an absurd property was certainly not what he expected to discover in a blacksmithing workshop.

Much less one that had apparently been forged by a father and son who had only recently begun crafting weapons together.

”Well? What do you think, lad?” Dain’s enthusiastic voice interrupted his thoughts.

Ruvian raised his head, finding the old blacksmith watching him with an expectant grin.

”Honestly? I’m rather impressed.”

”Hahaha! I knew you’d appreciate it!” Dain burst into hearty laughter before giving Gared a proud pat on the shoulder. ”But you know, lad, most of the credit actually belongs to this brat here.”

”Oh?”

Ruvian turned his attention toward Gared.

”Really?”

”Aye! He’s the one who came up with the idea and handled most of the forging. I merely lent him a hand with a few things here and there.”

Dain grinned.

”He said he wanted to try his hand at something different for a change, so I figured I’d let him experiment a little. Never imagined we’d end up creating something like this!”

”Father, you’re making it sound far more impressive than it actually is,” Gared muttered with a slight frown, although he hardly seemed displeased by the praise.

”Hah! And what’s wrong with an old man taking pride in his own son?” Dain retorted with another hearty laugh.

Watching their exchange, Ruvian couldn’t help but smile faintly. However, his attention soon drifted back toward Gared.

’Hold on... Dain said Gared made this, right?’

Ruvian found that rather hard to believe. Not that he doubted Gared’s talent, of course. Dain had already spoken highly of his son’s progress, and he had no reason to question the man’s judgment.

But even so, something about the whole situation didn’t quite add up.

’If I remember correctly, forging a weapon with an enchantment this powerful shouldn’t be possible through conventional blacksmithing alone.’

There was a good reason enchanted weapons fetched considerably higher prices than ordinary ones.

Forging the weapon itself was only half the work. Depending on the properties they wanted to achieve, blacksmiths often had to enlist the help of an Enchanter or a skilled Rune Inscriber to imbue their creations with magical properties.

And even then, the more complicated the enchantment, the greater the expertise required to make it work.

Something capable of absorbing an unlimited amount of energy was certainly no ordinary enchantment. Ruvian could only imagine the level of craftsmanship and magical knowledge needed to create such a thing.

’But judging from what Dain just told me, they somehow managed to make this all by themselves...’

Ruvian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Neither Dain nor Gared had mentioned receiving any assistance from an Enchanter.

And judging by how casually Dain had described the forging process, the old blacksmith didn’t seem to fully comprehend just how extraordinary their creation actually was.

’That’s strange.’

Ruvian contemplated the possibilities for a moment. Then, a sudden realization crossed his mind.

’Wait... Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever inspected Gared’s status before.’

He had already examined Dain’s [Character Sheet] during their previous encounter in Natoris Town. Yet, for some reason, he had never bothered to inspect his son’s.

’Could there be...’

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to find out.

With that thought in mind, Ruvian quietly activated his Editorial Skill.

[Activating Skill: Character Sheets]

==========

---『STATUS PROFILE』---

◇ Name: Gared Forgewell

◇ Age: 19

◇ Spellcore: Tier 1

◇ Rank: Fifth-Class Magus

◇ Magic Affinity: None

[Mana Resonance: (7/100)]

==[General Attributes]==

Strength: D-

Agility: E+

Endurance: D+

Vitality: D+

Perception: D

==[Mage Attributes]==

Mana Control: F+

Casting Speed: F-

Magic Power: F

Mental Strength: D

Mana Sensitivity: F+

Mana Essence: [180/180]

==[Innate Blessings]==

- [Blessing of the Fortuitous Forge]

◇ Effect: Any item personally forged by the bearer will receive a powerful enchantment upon completion. The nature and properties of the enchantment are determined by the bearer’s intention and will.

- [Blessing of the Prodigious Blacksmith]

◇ Effect: Grants the bearer exceptional talent in the art of blacksmithing, allowing rapid mastery of forging techniques, enhanced craftsmanship, and an instinctive understanding of metals, materials, and their properties.

==[Affinity Mastery]==

- [N/A]

==========

’Haha... as I thought.’

Gared did possess a blessing.

*****

The gentle sound of running water echoed throughout the spacious bathroom as cold water steadily filled the bathtub.

It was part of the luxurious private quarters Silvena had personally arranged for Ruvian’s stay at the headquarters. Needless to say, the woman hadn’t spared much expense.

Once the bathtub was sufficiently filled, Ruvian stepped inside and slowly lowered himself into the cold water.

”Haaah...”

He leaned back against the edge of the tub, letting out a long, satisfied sigh as the refreshing chill washed over his body.

’Good grief... what a long day.’

He hadn’t done anything particularly strenuous since arriving at the headquarters, but somehow, dealing with one thing after another had left him feeling rather exhausted.

For a while, Ruvian simply remained there, enjoying the silence. Eventually, however, his thoughts wandered back to what he had discovered at the blacksmithing workshop earlier.

’Seriously, though... how did I manage to overlook someone like that?’

Had he not decided to visit Dain and Gared today, he might have remained completely oblivious to the young blacksmith’s extraordinary potential.

Two blessings, both perfectly suited for blacksmithing. And one of them could grant powerful enchantments to anything he personally forged, depending on his intentions.

’Haha... Isn’t that practically cheating?’

Ruvian shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

’Well, I’m certainly not complaining.’

Having someone like Gared working under the Golden Fortune Corporation would undoubtedly prove useful in the future. In fact, Ruvian had already come up with a few ideas for putting that extraordinary talent of his to good use.

Before leaving the workshop earlier, he had entrusted Gared with a rather interesting task. He could still remember the young blacksmith’s reaction when he first brought it up.

—”A task... for me?” Gared asked, looking somewhat taken aback. ”What exactly do you want me to make?”

—”Hmm... How about a set of armour capable of absorbing Mana? Something similar to that arrow you made.”

—”Armour that absorbs Mana?”

—”That’s right. And if possible, I’d prefer something lightweight. There’s not much point in having good protection if you can barely move around in it.”

Gared scratched the back of his head, looking rather uncertain.

—”Well, I’ve never tried making anything like that before...”

—”That’s fine. I’m not expecting you to get it right on your first attempt.”

—”I see. In that case, I suppose I could give it a try.”

—”Great. Oh, and one more thing.”

—”Hm?”

—”If you manage to make one, see if you can produce a few more before I return from my dungeon expedition.”

—”W-Wait a minute! You’re asking me to make more than one!?” (+500PP)

Ruvian chuckled softly as he recalled the bewildered look on Gared’s face.

’Haha... I suppose I might have gotten a little carried away.’

Of course, Ruvian hadn’t entrusted Gared with such a demanding task solely because he wanted the armour. He had another reason for it — one that had more to do with the young blacksmith himself.

With blessings as extraordinary as his, it would be a shame to let all that potential go to waste. And what better way to sharpen his skills than to have him tackle increasingly difficult projects?

’Well, let’s see how far he can go.’

With that thought, Ruvian scooped up some cold water and splashed it over his shoulders.

──────── ? ────────

[Chapter 420: The Fortuitous Forge]

Plot Points = 292,000