The impulse lingers, the quest endures.
Triumphing over the Rock-Eating Worm and witnessing its end, Pepper collapses spread-eagled as the level-up sound cuts through the tension. "Phew… exhausted."
Strategy, training, and sheer effort secured victory. Catching their breath, Pepper checks their status: three levels gained, new and evolved skills acquired. "I'll check skills later. First, grab the worm's drops and report to the smith in Fasteia."
Despite only an hour of play, fatigue hits like a ten-hour marathon. Pepper collects the Fatal Knife and worm materials, trudging out of the mine's depths. At the entrance, players stare and murmur, but Pepper, too drained to engage, sprints back to Fasteia.
"Whew…" In Fasteia's inn, Pepper saves and logs out. Azusa removes the VR gear, setting it aside. "I won…"
Defeated by the worm on day one, the Rock-Breaking Strategy quest began. With preparation and dual Fatal weapons, Pepper overcame the time limit, achieving revenge. "Stronger foes await beyond Fasteia," Azusa muses. "I'll forget early monsters… but not you, centipede worm." Clenching a fist to their chest, Azusa sleeps for three hours, waking to evening.
After a nap, bathroom break, water, and CalorieMate, Azusa logs back into Shangri-La Frontier as Pepper. "Time to report to the smith!"
In the game's evening, Fasteia glows with lit facilities, some NPC homes locked. Pepper heads to the weaponsmith under an orange sunset sky.
"Hey, old man," Pepper calls, entering.
"Kid! Took so long, I got worried!" the smith says.
"Sorry for the scare," Pepper bows.
"Did you beat it?"
"Yeah, it was tough, but I won." Pepper places worm drops on the counter as proof.
The smith's face hardens with resolve. "Kid, if you're okay with it, can I have those materials?"
"For what?"
"Inspired by the Fatal Hammer you left for repair, I've got a vision for a new weapon. It needs worm materials. No pressure—it's your call."
The smith's passionate gaze burns with a craftsman's zeal. Pepper, unwilling to dampen it, agrees. "A new weapon? Exciting. Can you repair my gear alongside it?"
"You got it! Come back later—your weapons will be fixed, and a masterpiece awaits!" the smith beams.
Leaving the worm materials and Fatal weapons, Pepper steps outside, checking new and evolved skills: Hard Strike, Accel, Rush, Foresight, High Press, One-Leap Jump (boosts jump height), Tap Step (enhances evasion), and Boot Attack (trades stamina for attack speed). Spot Edge evolved into Spick Edge. "Thanks to Skill points, I learned a ton."
In Shangri-La, combat experience and skill mastery drive new skills and evolutions, demanding strategic play. "I want to combine skills at the Skill Gardener and pick a sub-job… So much to do."
With 20 points from three levels plus five saved, Pepper allocates: 3 to Strength, 8 to Agility, 5 to Stamina, saving 6 for later. Gazing at the twilight, the smith calls them back.
On the counter: fully repaired Fatal Knife and Hammer, plus a new hammer—blue-black veins webbing its surface, black spikes circling its head like the worm's maw. Beside it, a book with a hammer emblem radiates power.
"Here it is!" the smith booms. "Lock-on Breaker, my life's greatest work, crafted from worm materials. That book's its recipe—I've got a copy, so it's yours!"
Laughing heartily, the smith's pride shines. Pepper, glad for their choice, checks the items, nearly choking in shock.
Lock-on Breaker (Unique Weapon)
Inspired by the Fatal Hammer, crafted with Rock-Eating Worm materials. Holds untapped digging potential, seeking rare minerals like its source.
Boosts damage against the nearest enemy.
Smashing mineral items restores durability based on rarity.
Lock-on Breaker Recipe
Recipe for crafting the Unique Weapon Lock-on Breaker. Show to a smith with materials to produce.
Doesn't occupy inventory, can't be stolen via PK, cannot be discarded.
Insane. The Lock-on Breaker is a frontline beast, boosting criticals and restoring durability by smashing minerals—a brutal solution to weapon breakage. The recipe, a cursed tome, enables mass production of this game-breaking weapon without inventory cost or theft risk. This isn't starter-town gear—it's endgame-tier, capable of sparking wars if mishandled.
"'Unique' changes everything…" Pepper realizes the Rock-Breaking Strategy quest aimed to create this weapon, branching based on material handover: Lock-on Breaker alone or with the recipe. Before they can process, the smith casually drops a bombshell: "Thanks to you, kid, I shared this with other smiths! Worth it!"
"Wait, shared—?" A result screen interrupts, plunging Pepper into confusion:
The starting town's smith forged a new weapon.
Its craft spread across the frontier.
Special Quest: [Rock-Breaking Strategy] completed.
Weapon Category [Small Hammer] added.
[Small Hammer] unlocked at weapon shops across Shangri-La Frontier.
Accept Special Quest: [Roaring Scheme in the Marsh]?
YES or NO
What? I got insane loot, and now more chaos? Isn't this quest type one-and-done?!
The world stands still, yet human ingenuity and courage grant challengers new evolution. A fresh wind blows from Fasteia, rippling across the frontier…