"So this game was finally released."
I was sitting in front of my computer, scratching my fat belly while staring at my Steam wishlist. At last, the game I had been waiting for so long had come out.
"I forgot to buy it during the pre-order."
I grabbed my credit card, its limit almost completely maxed out, and bought the game that cost over fifty dollars. I launched it right away.
And what game was it?
A Danmachi game!
Yes, they had finally released an open-world MMORPG focused entirely on Danmachi's story. Other games had come out before, but they were mobile games centered around gacha mechanics.
Honestly, I hate gacha games.
I opened the game with a smile on my face, and a pleasant melody began to play.
I adjusted the settings, cranking the graphics up to the highest possible quality, before entering the character creation menu.
I always put a lot of effort into character creation. I always make a handsome character—an appearance I could never achieve in real life. That's what games are for, right? Escaping reality.
"Black, straight, long hair. Very light blue eyes, so light they could even be hypnotizing. 195 cm tall, with a well-defined body that's very pleasing to the eye."
Hmm… This is really good.
The graphics were so impressive that I could almost imagine what it would be like to look like that in real life. Every woman in the world would come running toward me, drooling, if I looked exactly like this.
I was satisfied.
"Now I need to choose a class."
I'm a big fan of RPGs, and the class I always choose is blacksmith. Strangely enough, I'm really good at it. I always have great luck forging items. I can create high-quality gear even when I'm still at a low level.
After choosing the blacksmith class, I finally clicked the "Play" button.
The game started, and I found myself in the center of Orario. Many players were walking around the map, doing beginner quests. I did the same.
Before I realized it, several hours had passed.
The game was extremely well made and very enjoyable to play. Of course, I spent the rest of my credit card limit to make my progress a little easier.
"How about trying to forge another sword? I've already forged a few items before, but I didn't have much luck."
It almost felt like my luck didn't work in this game.
I picked up the materials and placed them in their proper slots, and the game automatically began forging a sword. Everything was very simple—though I had studied blacksmithing before, and it definitely isn't that simple in real life.
I smiled as I watched my character hammer away like crazy.
I waited anxiously for the result.
Then, a message appeared in the game's global chat.
[ Congratulations to player "LegendaryBlacksmith" for forging the first Legendary-class sword! ]
I didn't know they would announce it to the entire server.
My heart started racing.
Then, a private message arrived.
GMGod – Congratulations on forging the first legendary sword. Click here to claim your reward → HERE ←
Without thinking, I clicked it.
GMGod – Congratulations on claiming your reward.
Despite receiving that message, nothing happened. The only things in my inventory were the materials and the legendary sword I had just forged. I felt betrayed. What kind of joke was this?
I tried to send a message to "GMGod," but private messages were blocked.
"Son of a bitch!"
I cursed, and my heart began pounding even faster.
Then…
I started to feel hot. Soon after, my left hand began to tingle. It was a very strange sensation—something I had never felt before.
"What's going on?" I ignored whatever was happening on my monitor and stood up.
I stepped over all the trash scattered on the floor and headed toward the equally disgusting bathroom.
As soon as I entered the bathroom, a sharp pain struck my chest.
Still confused, I left the bathroom and noticed that my computer monitor was glowing—glowing far more than it should. A golden color was spreading across the entire room.
Then, my vision began to darken.
"Shit…"
Those were the last words I muttered before losing consciousness.
####
"Hmmm…"
Making a sound with my mouth, I began to feel something soft beneath me. Sensing that something was wrong, I opened my eyes all at once. What I saw was a completely unfamiliar ceiling.
A high ceiling with a luxurious appearance. There was even a beautiful, ornate chandelier.
"What the hell?" I murmured, then tried to move my arm.
But I couldn't—there was something heavy resting on it.
Feeling extremely nervous, I slowly looked to the side. And what did I see? A woman. A woman with an appearance that immediately draws attention. Short, red hair. But what stands out the most is the scar on her face.
Even so, that scar does nothing to diminish her beauty. She's beautiful enough to take my breath away.
"Hephaestus?" I murmured her name. There is no doubt about it—this woman is Hephaestus.
She wasn't like the illustrations or the anime. She is far more beautiful. So beautiful it felt unreal. I couldn't take my eyes off her face.
'But why is she lying on my arm? Wait a second…'
With my other hand, I lifted the blanket and realized that I was completely naked.
Not just me—Hephaestus was naked too. Even though it was dark beneath the blanket, I could still make out her body.
My heart felt like it was about to explode.
Then it happened.
Hephaestus, lying on my arm, slowly opened her eyes.
Her red eyes, the same color as her hair, met mine. Her delicate lips curved into a smile as she spoke.
"Good morning, Eryk. Did you sleep well?"
Hearing her words, I didn't know what to say.
Then it happened.
A wave of memories began flooding into my mind.
Memories of someone with the same name as me—but who isn't me.
Someone so powerful that he can break the rules of this world.
Someone who can turn even an ordinary human into a monster simply by placing a weapon in their hands.
The "God of Blacksmith."
And…
The husband of the Goddess Hephaestus.