Ivana stood before Broken, holding a wooden basket tightly in her hands. A shield was strapped to her back, and a sword was sheathed at her side.
“I brought this food for you,” she said with a warm smile.
Despite her efforts, Broken couldn’t take his eyes off her, marveling at the transformation. She looked like a genuine warrior now. Hadn’t she been just a chef before? Or had she always had a combat class but chosen not to reveal it? Her level was clearly above 200! One striking difference was her name, now glowing purple, signifying her status as a Special NPC. He distinctly remembered her as a Common NPC!
Ivana noticed his silent contemplation and felt a twinge of confusion, wondering if he had grown tired of her cooking.
“Broken, have you grown tired of my food? I can cook something different for you,” she said softly, pulling back her wooden basket.
“No,” Broken answered immediately, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
“Sorry… I was just lost in my thoughts. I didn’t know you also had a combat class! How could I have missed this before?”
He then took the wooden basket from her hands. “Thanks, Ivana. I’ve really missed your cooking.”
Ivana’s face lit up as he accepted the basket. “I told Mr. Fokil that I wanted to be an adventurer, and he gave me this armor, sword, and shield,” she said proudly.
“But level 200?” Broken was astounded.
Ivana nodded quickly in affirmation. “Yes! After getting my new class and doing some monster hunting, I went from level 175 to level 200.”
“Level 175 to 200? In such a short amount of time? But how?” Broken was even more shocked to learn she had been level 175 all along. Even when they had hunted together in the forest, she had never shown any sign of combat ability.
Players and NPCs have different methods of leveling up. While Players must diligently grind experience by slaying monsters and other creatures or completing quests, NPCs gain their levels naturally as they go along with the progress of the world and through their own rigorous training. With sufficient dedication, many NPCs can reach higher levels than regular Players.
Broken’s eyes widened in awe as he glanced at Ivana. In such a short amount of time, she had achieved the unthinkable; from a Common NPC with a Chef class, she had transformed into a Special NPC with a Shielder class.
“You’re amazing, Ivana,” he said. “I don’t know how you managed to get the combat class, but you’ve become a whole new person. I would be honored if you’d join me on a monster hunting adventure.”
Ivana shook her head humbly. “I wanted to be an Adventurer, so I trained diligently and eventually got invited to join an Adventurer’s Party. And here I am now. There’s nothing special about me.”
She said this as if she were unaware of her new status as a Special NPC.
Broken was uncertain about the specifics of Immortal Legacy, but he was sure that whatever Ivana had achieved must have been something significant. He thought about speaking to Freya, Goldrich, or Maylock to see if they had any idea how such a drastic transformation could occur. It was clear that something monumental must have happened to her, resulting in this instant transformation.
“What are you doing in this town?”
“I’m searching for an ingredient for a new recipe I want to make with herbs from near this town,” she replied, her tone calm and warm. “Also, I knew you were around, so I thought I’d take the chance to meet you and prepare these foods for you.”
“I didn’t expect to run into you here, but I’m also glad to see your transformation.” “I’ve heard many amazing things about you, Broken. It seems you’ve changed a lot too.”
“Not really. I’m just doing my work, crafting a new item. It might take me up to a week.”
“I know you’ll be very focused on your work, huh?” she giggled. “Just like always.”
“I’ll go now. Do you have any other plans? Do you want to join me? Or maybe you want to hunt in the forest? I can ask Freya to accompany you.”
“I’d like to join and see your work if that’s okay?” Ivana asked, her eyes gleaming with interest.
“With great pleasure,” he replied, returning her smile.
They walked side by side, heading towards the blacksmith workshop. As they stepped inside, the hot air and clanging of metal greeted them like a wave. Ivana followed behind him, her long blonde hair gently brushing against her back like a caress, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. They were a striking pair: a blacksmith with mysterious potential and a stunningly beautiful Special NPC who was hard to take one’s eyes off.
The blacksmiths and other adventurers in the workshop paused their work to look at them.
“Is he offering blacksmithing services to a Special NPC?”
“Does he really think he can meet the needs of a Special NPC?”
Another blacksmith chuckled. “I bet he’s just trying to impress the pretty woman.”
Titonor, an Advance Rank Blacksmith, strutted up to the duo with a devious smirk on his face.
“Hey, my lady,” he addressed Ivana in a silky voice, attempting to charm her. His gaze then shifted to Broken, whom he dismissed as a mere beginner. His expression made it clear that he wanted nothing more than for them to part ways.
“He’s just a beginner,” Titonor declared. “You should leave him and commission your weapon or equipment with me. I’m the best blacksmith here.”
Tension filled every corner of the room as everyone wondered who would win this encounter -the professional smiths or the supposed amateur.
Broken appeared to ignore Titonor’s presence. He walked away and stayed focused on his workstation, which was surrounded by a dizzying array of forging tools.
Ivana, however, appeared taken aback by Titonor’s intrusion. She shook her head politely. “No, Broken is my friend. I came to accompany him while he worked on his new item,” she replied. “Thanks, but I don’t need any blacksmith services for now, as a Master Rank blacksmith crafted the armor and weapon I’m using.”
Everyone could see the high quality of Ivana’s armor and weapon, confirming her words.
“My apologies, but I assure you Broken is hardly a beginner. He is far more superior than that,” she added with a smile before gracefully making her way over to the workstation where
Broken sat.
The room fell into a hushed silence, the blacksmiths exchanging glances. Titonor’s face contorted with frustration, but he remained quiet, unable to refute Ivana’s calm confidence.
As Ivana took her place beside him, Broken finally looked up from his work and acknowledged her presence with a warm smile.
“I might have hesitated to have you near these forging tools in the past, but now that you’ve got this combat class, I’m the one who should be careful not to offend you, or I might be in
trouble,” he said, chuckling.
Ivana giggled. “I’m still the same Ivana you knew, Broken… I still love to cook.”
The warmth between them was palpable. It was clear that nothing could come between them -not even an unwelcome visitor. With a serene smile, Ivana reached into the wooden basket and pulled out the dish she had prepared for Broken. She went the extra mile by feeding him a piece of bread she had baked.
“This has better ingredients. Do you like the taste?” she asked.
Broken answered with a smile, “That’s a question with an obvious answer, Ivana… I never once doubted your cooking skills.”
Meanwhile, the little group of blacksmiths around Titonor were abuzz with anger towards Broken. He had been carrying himself with a newfound confidence that they found thoroughly irritating. And now, he was here flaunting his skills alongside a very beautiful Special NPC in
front of everyone.
“The hell with him!” one of them spat angrily. “He’s nothing more than an arrogant blacksmith, and I want to give him a good beating this time! He comes here flaunting his skills and is accompanied by that beautiful Special NPC, probably unaware of his true
identity.”
“No doubt he’s a mere amateur trying to show off his worthless skills,” said another
blacksmith.
“But he is an Advanced Rank Blacksmith, isn’t he?” another pointed out.
“Yeah, but his disgusting behavior, not respecting us as his seniors makes me sick,” another
grumbled.