In the workshop of a so-called "legendary" blacksmith, there was a blacksmith who was finishing his last project. The legendary blacksmith's name is Greg Greyson, who is known for his scarred forehead.
He was sweating a lot, like he was showering, as he brought down his hammer one last time. The metal sang a beautiful note that echoed through the stone walls of his workshop like the last note of a symphony.
And then, the project he was working on was finally done. Greg whispered, "Finally... fucking finally...! It takes a whole year to perfect this son of a bitch."
"I've created...!"
"The Sword of Eternity."
The blade shone on his anvil with the sound of 'zinggggg', sending out so much power that the air around it sparkled to praise the creation. It was covered in runes that moved like living things and glowed with golden light.
For forty years of his experience, Greg has made weapons that could split mountains, armor that could withstand the wrath of gods, and artefacts that have turned ordinary men into legends. Even kings and emperors had begged him to create weapons, as those who possessed a Greyson blade determined the outcomes of entire wars.
They called him Saint Warhammer and he was also the best blacksmith in all of history. But all Greg felt was exhaustion as he looked at his work of art.
"One last sword," he said quietly as he reached out to look at the blade. "Then I'm done with all of this tiring bullshit, I could spend my days sitting in front of my own farm."
He knew something was wrong as soon as his calloused fingers touched the metal. The runes lit up so brightly that they blinded him, and the sword started to shake crazily. The workshop was filled with a high-pitched whine that got louder with each passing second.
Greg said, "Oh shit!"
"Not this bullshit again---"
He only had three seconds to see the humor. After making thousands of weapons that couldn't be broken, his last creation was about to do what no monster or army had ever done, which is to kill the Warhammer Saint.
BOOM!
The blast was massive with a shockwave that came after the white light, and it knocked down half of the mountain where his workshop was. The famous forge, the priceless materials, and all the artefacts turned to dust in a flash.
And what about Greg? He died, quite peacefully actually. For him, this means no more commissions from those meddling nobles, and adventurers will no longer have to beg.
He didn't want any more blood on the blades he had made. He never thought that dying was this peaceful because it can make him ignore all the bullshit he faces. But someone woke him up from his eternal sleep.
"Wake up, Chosen One!"
Greg's eyes flew open to see something that made no sense at all. He was floating in a never-ending white void, looking at three beings that could only be called gods.
One looked like an old man with a beard made of light from the stars. Another one looked like a beautiful woman surrounded by flowing water. And then the third was anticlimactic because it looked like a cornball, well let's just call it orb of pure golden light that floated and hurt to look at directly.
"What the fuck...?" Greg spoke very well, even though he was confused.
"Rejoice!" the old man yelled. "You have been chosen to be born again in a new world."
"A world full of adventure, danger, and never-ending war!"
"The fuck is happening to me!? Am I dead?" Greg asked, still trying to figure it out.
"Very much so," said the water goddess with a smile.
"Your sword blew up in a very impressive way while we were looking at ya'!"
"You were... watching?"
"We watch many things," the orb hummed.
"So, let me get this straight... the three of you are all perverts, watching a man's every move who wants peace. Don't tell me you three were watching me shower too!?" Greg looked disgusted.
"What!? Of course not, don't be absurd!" The Water Goddess answered with a blushing face.
"None of that mattered anymore. We have chosen you, the best blacksmith in your world, to do something bigger in ours."
Greg didn't like this. "What kind of purpose?"
The three gods looked at each other. The old man cleared his throat. "Five great races are always fighting in our world."
"People, elves, dwarves, demons, and beastfolk. For hundreds of years, they have been fighting, and the balance of power is constantly changing."
Greg said, "Sounds awful."
"Yes! That's why we need you." The goddess of water smiled.
"We will give you the Blacksmith System, a divine power that will let you make weapons and gear that no mere human can understand."
"With your skills and our system, you will make artifacts that change the course of history!"
The orb went on, "You will give heroes weapons. Make legendary swords that people will sing about for years to come, and don't forget the armor that will change the course of battle.
"Through your forge, the wars will go on, the stories will flow, and our world will be full of conflict and glory!"
There was a long pause. Greg gazed at the three gods, his expression conveying a deep, profound resignation to everything.
He said, "Fuck no."
The gods blinked. The two with faces did, though, because the orb got a little dimmer.
"Excuse me?" the old man asked.
"I said no." Greg put his arms across his chest. "I just died because I made too many weapons."
"Forty years of my life, thousands of blades, and every single one of them had blood on it."
"I saw kings fight with my swords. I saw adventurers die while wearing my armor because they were too sure of themselves.
"I think I'm done being a blacksmith."
"But... you're getting a second chance!" the goddess of water said.
"Godly power! A whole new world! "Adventure!"
"I don't want to go on an adventure. I want peace." However, Gred had other intentions that influenced his decision. "Okay fine, if you're sending me to another world."
"I'll go back to being a blacksmith because that's what I know. But I won't make another weapon. Not a dagger, not a sword, not even a spear. I'm done making weapons of war."
The orb pulsed with anger. "How dare you say no to the gods?"
"Meh, who cares anyway?" Greg shrugged his shoulders. "I died already. What are you going to do about it? Kill me?"
"Done that already. Or maybe sending me to hell? It can't be worse than spending the rest of your life making weapons."
The three gods huddled together and whispered quickly. Greg waited patiently, crossing his arms and floating in the void. For forty years, he had to deal with rude customers. Three gods weren't that different from three stuck-up nobles.
At last, the old man turned around. "Okay. We will give you the Blacksmith System anyway."
"Creating things is up to you. But remember this..."
"...the system will look at what you've made and give you rewards based on how powerful and good they are. You might change your mind when you see what you can do.
"Don't count on it," Greg said under his breath.
The water goddess waved her hand and said, "Now go! Come back to life in our world."
"May you find the peace you seek, no matter how foolish it is."
The empty space started to spin. Greg felt himself being pulled away, and his mind started to fade again. The last thing he heard was the voice of the orb:
"He'll make weapons again. Trust me, guys."
Greg opened his mouth to argue, but everything went black fast. When he woke up again, he was in a small cottage with a small bed. There was a lot of light coming in through a window, and birds were singing outside.
And then he was surprised by a blue screen in front of his face that was see-through. "Oh, fuck!"
[BLACKSMITH SYSTEM TURNED ON]
"I thought the gods were trying to kill me..."
[Hello, Greg Greyson]
[Current Rank: Not Ranked]
[First Quest: Make Your First Weapon]
[Reward: +1 Skill Point]
Greg slowly sat up and looked around. He noticed he has young hands, a small room, and a whole new life ahead of him. He could already tell that the gods expected him to begin forging legendary swords once more. Well, they were going to be a letdown anyway.
"Okay, system," Greg said with a smile. "Let's make something that has nothing to do with war."
[The gods are confused]
"Shut the fuck up! This my new life now!"