Chapter 6: Leveling Up and Standing Up
Chapter 6: Leveling Up and Standing Up
As Rayn Carlan took the sharp iron shovel from the hoofsmith, he misjudged its weight, causing him to stumble slightly. This elicited a burst of laughter from the fake second-generation boys.
Their mockery seemed to ridicule Rayn's overestimation of his abilities, though it wasn't that he couldn't handle the weight of the shovel.
Master Barl shook his head slightly, seemingly unconvinced that Rayn could successfully trim the hoof. Rayn's spindly physique and weak strength were apparent to all.
"Rayn, you..." George, standing nearby, felt that Rayn was being too impulsive, allowing the other boys to laugh at him.
With a slight increase in strength, Rayn felt energized, as if he could now handle hundreds of hooves without rest.
[You focus on hoof care, Blacksmith Apprentice Experience +2]
This was the greatest reward after leveling up his Blacksmith Apprentice occupation.
George, with his simple friendship, didn't say anything. Instead, he used all his strength to help Rayn hold the hoof steady.
The fake second-generation boys had strong opinions about Rayn's showboating.
After a moment's thought, Rayn decided to save the skill point for later.
Previously, Rayn's diligence hadn't bothered them, as the fake second-generation boys had always felt superior.
He didn't want to be a weakling anymore, nor did he want to be bullied. Increasing his strength was the only choice at this stage.
What mattered now was the attribute point and skill point displayed at the bottom of the panel.
Rayn wasn't entirely sure about the system to do, but he didn't care.
With all his might, Rayn slapped Prominent Brow hard across the face!
As he began to stand out, such situations were inevitable.
But with his golden fingers, this day would come sooner or later.
Even as a good friend, Rayn felt a little embarrassed.
"Damn it! I had to endure yesterday, but not today!" Rayn's gentle eyes turned fierce.
[Hoof Repair Level 2 (255/300)]
"And you lot? If you want to apply for the Blacksmith Apprentice position, learn properly!" Master Barl turned to the boys and shouted sternly.
The fake second-generation boys fell silent. Anyone could see that Rayn had learned hoof trimming, though he was still a bit unskilled compared to Master Barl.
Name: Rayn Carlan
A true master reveals their skill with a single move.
Workplace Bullying!
Rayn flipped back to the first page of the transparent box, the attribute page.
Getting stronger with each point? No, it was his hard work that earned these points.
Today, he might be able to level up his Blacksmith Apprentice occupation!
[You focus on hoof care, Blacksmith Apprentice Experience +2]
The logic was the same.
Read the flawless version at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+Book_Bar
With Rayn's help, Master Barl's work became much easier, and he began to view Rayn more favorably. As evening approached, Rayn finally received the long-awaited system notification:
If each level-up only granted one skill point, these points would be precious.
The servants closest to Rayn were left speechless.
[Shoeing Level 1 (45/100)]
After Rayn finished trimming the hoof, Master Barl nailed on the horseshoe.
As expected!
Rayn, however, paid no attention to what was happening around him.
Even George, his closest friend, and the other commoner boys stopped talking to Rayn.
Though still not on par with Master Barl, Rayn had undoubtedly improved significantly since the beginning.
"Hiss! Doing it myself actually gives so much more experience!"
He wouldn't let others' opinions slow down his path to strength!
Eagerly, he flipped to the second page of the transparent box and carefully examined it.
After trimming the hooves of four horses, Rayn was sweating profusely, but his eyes shone with excitement.
George stared at Rayn's hoof-trimming posture, his eyes wide with amazement.
After a filling meal, when Rayn returned to the dormitory, he was stopped by Prominent Brow and Speckles.
"Rayn! You're something else! Showing off today, huh?" Prominent Brow patted Rayn's face with a challenging expression.
【Blacksmith Apprentice Level 2 (0/300)】
His strength immediately increased to 5.
"Thank you, Master Barl," Rayn said, nodding heavily.
In the afternoon, the servants continued with the task of shoeing horses.
【You have gained insight from hoof care!】
【Remaining Skill Points: 1】
【Congratulations! Your Blacksmith Apprentice level has increased!】
This also meant that the difficulty of leveling up would increase incrementally.
Rayn nodded to George without saying a word.
"I haven't encountered any other Blacksmith Apprentice skills yet. If I learn a skill that's extremely difficult to improve, like weapon forging, would it be better to allocate skill points then?"
Or was it the fake second-generation heir's doing?
Occupation: Blacksmith Apprentice Level 2
Constitution: 5
Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Spirit: 8
Clearly, Rayn's strength attribute was the lowest, no thanks to his slender build.
Rayn realized that while his strength had increased noticeably after adding a point, his hunger intensified as well.
Master Barl nodded approvingly, acknowledging Rayn's skill.
"Slap!"
The sound reverberated, making Prominent Brow's head ring. He stumbled, almost falling to the ground.
Thanks to George's effort in holding him down, Rayn didn't need to exert much force to secure the hoof. Although his right hand was still unfamiliar with the iron shovel, he managed to trim the rough edges smoothly.
Even though Rayn knew his occupation level would increase today, the sight still filled him with joy.
【Your understanding of hoof care has improved!】
In his previous life, Rayn was used to such situations.
But things were different now!
"What's there to be proud of? It's just hoof trimming, not swordsmanship!"
Skill point recovery status? Amazing!
Jealousy?
"Rayn, they can't stand to see you succeed," George said comfortingly, understanding the situation.
Rayn noticed that to level up his Blacksmith Apprentice from Level 2 to Level 3, the required experience had increased from 100 to 300 points.
【Your Hoof Trimming skill has improved. Experience +5】
Upon hearing George's praise for Rayn, Speckles seemed disdainful and said,
Suddenly, Rayn felt a warm current surge from his heart, spreading throughout his body. He felt as if he was soaking in a hot spring, and all the fatigue vanished instantly.
When Rayn returned to the task, his mental state surprised everyone. With his increased strength, Rayn's hoof trimming became at least 20% smoother.
Next was the allocation of skill points.
Facing Master Barl, the fake second-generation heirs dared not show any defiance, but their eyes toward Rayn were filled with malice.
Regarding the allocation of attribute points, Rayn didn't hesitate. He decided to address his weaknesses first.
Master Barl was impressed, thinking, "Impressive! Although Rayn is a bit weak, he has indeed grasped the technique of hoof trimming. He uses the weight of the iron shovel, following the outline of the hoof."
The fake second-generation heirs, seeing Rayn's success, felt even more displeased.
"Wow! Rayn, you've only been learning for a few days and you're already this good! You're incredible!"
So, it wasn't about skill points making you stronger, but effort equaling strength!
"Whoosh!"
As Rayn was about to allocate a point to shoeing, he suddenly paused.
The slap stunned Speckles and the few fake second-generation heirs who were watching the show. They couldn't believe Rayn dared to strike!
Prominent Brow, however, was even more shocked by Rayn's slap. But this was just the beginning! "Bang!!"
Rayn delivered a knee strike to Prominent Brow's stomach, right below the diaphragm, causing him to vomit his dinner all over the ground. A sour stench filled the air.
"Go! Let's beat Rayn up for daring to fight back!" Speckles shouted, and the other fake second-generation heirs immediately rushed forward to gang up on Rayn.
Ignoring them, Rayn kept his head down and continued punching Prominent Brow relentlessly as he vomited. His ferocity was terrifying.
(End of Chapter)
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