Trait: Humble Apprentice

"Become an Apprentice Blacksmith!"

Golden words appeared before him, and Roland felt a surge of joy. He did not hesitate in the slightest.

Since he could hold multiple professions anyway, it made no difference which one he chose first.

He did not yet know the attribute and skill requirements for other professions, and continuing to deliberate would only waste time.

Besides, given his current circumstances, any path would be an improvement.

Never mind a Blacksmith Apprentice profession so closely tied to his current situation—even if the job were hauling manure at the village entrance, he would grit his teeth and take it.

[Profession acquired successfully. Current profession: Blacksmith Apprentice]

[Attribute bonus gained: Strength +1, Agility +0.5]

[Trait gained: Humble Apprentice]

[Humble Apprentice: Significantly improves the learning efficiency of forging-related knowledge]

As the text on the panel continued to flicker, Roland felt a burst of strength emerge from nowhere within him. The iron tongs that had felt somewhat heavy just moments ago now seemed much lighter.

"Changing professions can not only improve attributes, but also grant entirely new traits?"

Before Roland could properly experience the changes in his body, Hawk's booming voice rang out beside him.

"Boys, gather over here!"

"Yes!"

Upon hearing the call, the youths' eyes lit up. They set down their tools and hurried forward.

Roland was no exception.

At this time every day, Hawk personally taught them forging techniques.

If they wanted to pass the assessment, setting everything else aside, they at least had to become competent at forging.

"Watch closely!"

Seeing the focused expressions on the youths' faces, Hawk nodded in satisfaction.

He used the iron tongs to place a fired metal ingot onto the anvil, then picked up his hammer and struck down with force.

Amid a series of clanging sounds, the ingot's originally rough surface gradually became smooth. Its strange shape stretched and lengthened under the blows.

Before long, the rough form of a dagger emerged.

"Did you all see that? The force, rhythm, and placement of each strike are all extremely important!"

"If the force and rhythm are wrong, the metal ingot can easily crack! And if the placement is wrong—"

Hawk's hammer struck the anvil in a crisp rhythm. As he demonstrated the proper forging stance, he carefully broke down the key points of every movement.

The youths from blacksmith families had bright eyes and nodded in sudden understanding from time to time. But far more youths had nothing but confusion written across their faces.

Although Hawk's explanation was detailed, the material covered too much ground and was mixed with a great deal of technical terminology.

For people with absolutely no foundation, it was indeed quite difficult to understand.

In the past, Roland had been like the other youths. Even when he listened with full concentration, he had always ended up completely bewildered.

On top of that, the rule forbidding them from touching ore without permission meant he never even had the chance to try. He had never managed to grasp the essentials of forging.

But now, as Hawk's voice entered his ears, he felt completely different.

It was as though his mind had entered a tranquil state, and some invisible shackle had suddenly been removed.

The once obscure and incomprehensible secrets of the craft now unfolded layer by layer, as if strands of silk were being drawn apart. They became clear principles that he rapidly understood and absorbed.

"Alright!"

After using the tongs to pick up the rough dagger blank and toss it into cold water, Hawk lightly clapped his hands. He set down the hammer leisurely and spoke.

"You've all been learning for a while now. Who wants to come up and give it a try?"

At Hawk's question, excitement flashed in the youths' eyes, and they all looked eager to try.

However, just as they were about to step forward, a somewhat confident voice suddenly rang out.

"Let me do it, Mister Hawk."

Before the words had even faded, a tall youth slowly stepped out of the crowd.

"It's Marco."

Once Roland recognized him, his brow furrowed slightly.

Marco's father was the most famous blacksmith in Blackwater Territory. It was said that even the Baron treated him with great courtesy.

Every youth present knew exactly what it meant to offend him.

Thus, quite a few of them withdrew the feet they had raised. Some even took half a step back on their own initiative, making way for Marco.

"Oh? Marco?"

Hawk raised his thick eyebrows.

"How has your father been lately?"

"Thank you for your concern, Mister Hawk. My father is still in good health."

Marco smiled faintly, then strode toward the forge and picked up the hammer.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After a series of blows, the red-hot metal ingot quickly began to change shape.

Although a few cracks appeared on its surface, compared with Hawk's casual result from earlier, it was already not far off.

At the sight, Hawk immediately frowned.

After pondering for a long while, the hot-tempered old blacksmith finally spoke slowly.

"Your striking rhythm has some issues, but I'll say you pass."

"Thank you, Mister Hawk!"

Marco immediately beamed with delight. Like a victorious lion returning from battle, he held his head high and strode back into the crowd.

Seeing this, the other youths quickly hid the envy in their eyes and rushed forward to try their hand at it.

Unfortunately, praise was not what awaited them.

"Trash! Trash! Did you take everything I just said as wind in your ears?"

"Force, rhythm, and placement—none of them can be lacking! Is this how I usually taught you?"

"Get back! Don't let me see you again!"

The roars were like thunder, making all the youths shudder.

Hawk, still not fully venting his anger, let out a long breath. Only after a moment did he mutter.

"Who else wants to try?"

Upon hearing the question, the youths looked at one another. In the end, they all lowered their heads, not daring to meet Hawk's eyes.

Just as the oppressive atmosphere gradually settled over the entire area, a clear voice suddenly broke the silence.

"Mister Hawk, let me try."

The moment the words fell, Roland was already standing before Hawk.

"Who's this guy?"

Seeing Roland's somewhat thin frame, the youths immediately began to whisper among themselves.

"His name seems to be Roland? I heard he's quite good at Ore Firing. Mister Hawk even praised him this morning."

"Hmph!"

One of the youths who had just been scolded seemed to be trying to save face. His face flushed red as he said disdainfully.

"What's the use of being good at Ore Firing? That craft is nothing like forging!"

Hawk paid no attention to the other youths' remarks. He merely nodded lightly and handed over the hammer.

"Thank you, Mister Hawk."

Roland accepted the hammer neither humbly nor arrogantly, then stood before the anvil and took a deep breath.

Knowledge of forging seemed to come alive in his mind, drifting and gathering before finally forming a practical set of steps that was easy to follow.

Bang!

As the first hammer fell heavily, Roland's eyes immediately lit up.

[You have successfully completed a forging task and gained 1 experience point.]

[You have comprehended the skill: Forging]

"I comprehended a skill on my first attempt?"

Looking at the flashing golden words before him, Roland felt a rush of surprise and joy.

The skills he had gained before, whether Bellows Operation or Ore Firing, had required dozens of repeated practices before they could awaken, only after his movements had become proficient.

The requirements for gaining experience were even harsher. Usually, he had to complete the entire sequence of movements perfectly.

Yet now, after becoming an Apprentice Blacksmith and activating the trait, he had successfully awakened a skill and gained an experience point on his very first attempt!

"Is this the transformation brought by changing professions?"