Second World Online

The silence in the back room of the "Waterwheel" shop was broken only by my ragged breathing and the hissing of the remaining embers in the forging hearth. My avatar’s body had reached the Fatigue Limit, making every movement feel heavy as if I were moving underwater. Yet my eyes remained fixed on the system notification blinking brightly in the corner of my vision.

[System Notification: Your Blacksmith Profession has reached Level 10 (Maximum for Basic Rank).]

[To break the limit (Limit Break) and reach the Apprentice rank, you require 10 Attribute Points (AP).]

I had a fairly abundant reserve of AP. Without the slightest hesitation, I pressed the [Confirm] button.

Ding!

[System: 10 AP have been consumed!]

[Congratulations! You have broken through the basic class limit. Your Blacksmith Profession is now officially at the [Apprentice] rank.]

[Perk Unlocked: Ability to forge low-tier magical metals (Mithril, Dark Iron) and install basic Rune slots on equipment.]

A golden light enveloped my body for a moment, giving a warm sensation that slightly lessened the effects of my fatigue. I smiled in satisfaction. This Apprentice title was the key to creating armaments that could pierce the logic of the game.

However, my happiness was slightly delayed when I realized one crucial thing: my forging hammer, the [Novice Blacksmith Hammer], had a severely cracked handle after I had used it to strike the steel plates for making the Frag-Grenade earlier. Its Durability was left at less than five points. The same went for my iron tongs and molds, which had already begun to wear out.

To forge harder metals at the Apprentice rank, I needed equivalent equipment.

"I need a new hammer. And maybe a denser anvil," I muttered while washing my face with cold water from the wooden barrel in the corner of the room.

I put my gray cloak and the Gargoyle’s Visage stone mask back on. After making sure there were no players in the back alley, I slipped out. My destination was the local blacksmith NPC in Silvergrass Village. It was not far from the square, just a wooden hut with a stone chimney that always billowed smoke.

Arriving there, I was greeted by an old dwarf NPC named Brokk.

"Ah, a craftsman! What can I help you with, Young One? Buy nails? Or horseshoes?" Brokk greeted in his hoarse voice.

I opened his trade menu. My smile immediately faded. The list of goods sold by Brokk was pure garbage. Basic Hammer, Copper Tongs, Leather Bellows. All of them were Novice-rank equipment labeled white (Common). There was not a single piece of Apprentice-rank (Uncommon/Rare) equipment that I was looking for.

I exhaled a long breath. "Of course. This village only sells goods for players who take the cooking sub-skill. This game system has never made my life easy."

Realizing there was no point wasting time here, I turned around and walked quickly toward the Teleporter point in the middle of the village square. Several players were still gathered there, appearing busy discussing the crazy prices of the mud bombs I had sold that morning, but thanks to my mask, no one recognized me.

I stepped onto the Waypoint stone disc. "Teleportation. Destination: Main City StoneBrook."

Blue light swallowed me. In the blink of an eye, the scent of rural grass was replaced by the thick smell of coal smoke, street dust, and the bustle of thousands of players. I appeared in the magnificent square of StoneBrook City. Without wasting time enjoying the beautiful medieval architecture, I immediately headed toward the Production District on the eastern side of the city.

This district was a paradise for crafters. The sounds of hammering, magic-powered saws, and small alchemy explosions could be heard from every corner. The air temperature was twice as hot as in other districts.

I walked toward a large building there.

The building was made of sturdy red brick with a giant crossed-hammer statue above its door. Entering the lobby, I was immediately greeted by rows of display cases showcasing gleaming weapons and armor. I ignored all of that and walked toward the Master Blacksmith NPC named Thorek who stood behind a steel counter.

"I need work equipment. The good kind," I said without preamble.

Thorek looked me up and down, snorting softly at the sight of my stone mask. "Prove your skill first, little girl. We don’t sell precision goods to beginners who will only break our hammers."

I brought up my profession badge that now shone silver. Thorek nodded in appreciation.

"Apprentice, heh? Not bad for an Elf. Here’s my list of goods."

I opened his merchant menu, and my eyes immediately sparkled. Here, the equipment was far more complete. I did not hesitate to use a portion of the 170 Gold Coins from my bomb sales. I bought:

[Dwarven Apprentice Hammer] (Rare): Priced at 15 Gold Coins. Provided an additional 10% Success Rate and reduced fatigue penalty when forging steel.[Titanium-alloy Tongs] (Uncommon): Priced at 5 Gold Coins. Tongs capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures of magical metals without melting.[Runed Whetstone] (Uncommon): Priced at 3 Gold Coins. A whetstone that granted a sharpness bonus (+5 Physical Damage) to blades sharpened with it.

A total of 23 Gold Coins floated away in an instant, but this was an absolute investment. After making sure my inventory was full with additional supplies such as high-quality coal and a bundle of flexible steel wire thread [Steel Wire Thread], I immediately returned to the Waypoint point and teleported back to the "Waterwheel" shop in Silvergrass Village.

The moment I returned to the safe and tightly locked back room of my shop, I removed my mask and took the Titan’s Ironbark Longbow from my back. I placed that giant-sized weapon on my long wooden table.

This Epic-tier bow was a monster. Made from Ironbark wood core that was as hard as steel, this bow delivered extraordinary damage. However, this weapon had one fatal weakness for my class: its Draw Weight was too insane.

Every time I fully drew this bowstring to use skills like Piercing Gale Arrow, I had to sacrifice nearly all of my stamina. I could not hold that draw for more than three seconds before my virtual muscles trembled heavily. This made it difficult for me to aim at fast-moving targets, and its Attack Speed -30% penalty prevented me from shooting in succession when pressed.

I needed a way to reduce the draw weight of this bow without reducing its spring power or launching strength.

In the real world, humanity had solved this problem in the 20th century with a genius invention: the Compound Bow.

The working principle of a compound bow was different from traditional bows (Recurve/Longbow). Instead of relying solely on the flexibility of the wood, a compound bow used a lever system driven by cables and asymmetrical cams mounted at both ends of the bow.

The main intelligence of these asymmetrical cams was the "Let-off" effect. When an archer drew the compound bowstring, the initial draw did indeed feel extremely heavy, but when the draw reached its peak point, the asymmetrical cams would rotate past their pivot point. That draw weight would suddenly plummet drastically sometimes by as much as 80% lighter!

Meaning, if the Titan’s Ironbark required 100 pounds of force to draw, with this cam system, I would only need to hold 20 pounds of force while aiming. I could aim for hours without trembling hands, yet when the arrow was released, the full 100 pounds of force would return to launch the arrow at destructive speed!

"This game system allows absolute freedom in Crafting as long as I can make it logically," I muttered, a mad scientist’s smile beginning to form on my face. "Let’s bring modern technology into this fantasy world."

I reignited the forging hearth. This project would combine the skills of Carpenter and Blacksmith.

Step one: Creation of Asymmetrical Cams.

I took the remaining pure steel bars and put them into the hearth. After they turned bright red, I placed them on the anvil and began swinging the newly purchased [Dwarven Apprentice Hammer]. The sensation was immediately different. The impact of this hammer felt extremely stable, absorbing the recoil of the strike so that my wrists did not tire quickly.

I did not shape this steel into boxes or blades, but instead struck it into two egg-shaped (elliptical) metal pieces. This was extremely difficult. Compound bow cams must not be perfect circles; it was this off-center elliptical shape that would later manipulate the laws of physics to create the let-off effect.

I spent a full two hours, using a chisel to create cable track grooves around the edges of the cams, and drilling the axle holes precisely outside the center point. I balanced the weight of both cams until there was not a single gram of difference.

Step two: High-tension Cables.

Ordinary bowstring made of Bog Troll sinew would stretch if used in a cam system, and that would ruin shooting accuracy. I needed something rigid yet flexible.

I switched to the alchemy table. I mixed pine tree resin with monster oil, then heated it. I took the [Steel Wire Thread] I had bought in the city and twisted it together with the remaining Bog Troll sinew. The combination of steel to maintain shape so it would not stretch, and troll sinew to absorb shock force. I boiled that combined cable in the hot resin mixture to fuse its fibers and protect it from rust.

Step three: Modification of the Titan.

This was the part that made my heart pound with dread. I had to cut and modify my own Epic-tier Titan’s Ironbark Longbow. If I made a mistake here, this weapon worth thousands of gold coins would become extremely expensive firewood.

I placed the giant bow on a wooden vise. Using a fine-toothed saw that I had coated with wind elemental magic so it would cut more smoothly, I carefully split both ends of the bow, creating ten-centimeter-long fork gaps.

The Ironbark wood resisted every inch of my sawing, producing a rough creaking sound as if it were screaming in pain. Sweat flooded my eyes, but my hands supported by massive Dexterity did not tremble at all.

After the ends were perfectly split, I used a manual drill to bore holes in the sides of the forks. I inserted the axles, placed the cams I had made into the middle of the fork gaps, and locked them with rivets.

Final step: Stringing.

Stringing a compound bow was a geometric nightmare. I had to attach the end of the steel cable to the upper cam axle, wind it along the elliptical groove of the cam, cross it in the middle of the bow (creating a cable guard so the arrow could pass), and attach it to the lower cam.

I used an improvised wooden press to bend the super-hard Ironbark limbs while I hooked the cables into their positions. When I released the press, the Ironbark wood rebelled, trying to return to its straight form, and the steel-troll-sinew cables instantly tensed as tight as piano strings.

Kringgg... A low humming sound came from the extremely stretched cables. The steel cams at both ends locked perfectly into place.

I stepped back, panting as I sought oxygen in the room air that was still hot from the hearth’s heat.

On my work table, the Titan’s Ironbark Longbow had completely transformed. The bow that had once looked like a primitive giant-race weapon now looked like a futuristic killing machine that combined organic natural elements and mechanical precision.

Suddenly, a deep purple glow mixed with golden sparkles radiated from the bow, illuminating the entire back room of my shop. The system notification sound exploded in my head, louder than usual.

Ding!

[System: Warning! An Illegal Modification of a weapon blueprint has been detected!]

[System: Analyzing the physics laws of the modification... Analysis Complete.]

[System: Physics Logic Accepted. Modification Declared SUCCESSFUL!]

[System: You have successfully created a Unique Prototype Weapon! Blacksmith and Carpenter Profession Levels gain massive EXP!]

The item status screen appeared in front of me. I swallowed saliva that felt dry.

[Titan’s Ironbark Compound Bow – Rarity: Epic (Evolving)]

A longbow relic of the Titan race that has undergone a mechanical revolution never before seen. Utilizes an asymmetrical lever system to manipulate draw weight.

Base Damage: 480 Physical Damage (Increased from 400).

Durability: 600/600

Corrected Status Requirement: Strength 10 (Lowered from 15).

Special Effect 1 (Titan’s Heavy Draw): Physical attacks from this bow ignore 25% of the opponent’s Armor.

Special Effect 2 (Mechanical Let-Off): When fully drawn (Full Draw), draw weight is reduced by 70%. Stamina consumption for aiming is drastically reduced, increasing Accuracy by 40%.

Special Effect 3 (Kinetic Snap): Attack Speed penalty is removed. Arrow projectile speed increases by 30%.

Crafted by: Syl.

"Lowered from 15 Strength to 10..." I whispered, my eyes unblinking as I stared at the holographic screen.

My current Strength requirement was 17.5. That meant I could now use this bow as freely as I used a beginner’s bow! The Attack Speed -30% penalty that had always haunted me had now been completely removed by the cam system that launched energy instantly.

I could not hold myself back. I reached for the middle (riser) of the compound bow. This bow still felt extremely heavy when lifted due to the additional steel components, yet when my left hand gripped its handle and my right hand drew its cable string, the miracle of physics occurred.

The initial draw was extraordinarily hard, forcing me to use all the strength in my arms. However, when the draw reached about seventy percent, the asymmetrical cams at the ends of the bow rotated past their fulcrum points.

Click.

The sensation of weight on my fingers suddenly vanished, as if someone had cut half the weight of this bow in mid-air. My hand that usually trembled holding the Ironbark draw could now hold the string near my cheek extremely, extremely lightly. I could even turn my body and aim in every direction inside the room without losing my stamina!

This was perfection. A 70% let-off had been achieved.

I slowly relaxed the draw so that a dry fire would not occur and damage the bow. I placed that mechanical masterpiece on my back, beside the quiver containing a dozen Zephyr’s Judgment arrows.

I had successfully outsmarted the laws of Second World Online with real-world science. With this ultra-fast launching bow, the shrapnel-launching grenades in my pocket, and the lightning arrows on my back, I was no longer merely an archer or an alchemist. I was the only walking artillery system inside this game.

I looked at the virtual clock on the system interface. The night was not yet too late. My hands and mind now itched to try this new toy of mine.

I opened the Friend List panel and clicked on the name Yuuki.

Syl: Hello, Captain. Still want to hunt tonight? I have a new toy I want to test.

The reply came almost instantly, decorated with many excited emoticons.

Yuuki: Of course!! Me, Lumina, and Flora are bored grinding in the Whispering Plains! Where does Big Sister Syl want to take us? A Dungeon? Or fight a Field Boss again? :D

I smiled thinly in the darkness of my shop. I typed a short reply that would probably make them all die of fear and excitement at the same time.

Syl: We will not be hunting a Field Boss. We will be entering a Level 30 zone. Prepare your courage, because tonight, we are going to level that area with the ground.