"What? So that's how it is!" Smith stared at Kenley in disbelief. He never expected to have such an obvious flaw exposed.

  But then, his eyes flickered, and with a sly grin, he chuckled,"Say, why don't you become my apprentice? I can tell you've got talent. If you agree, I promise to teach you my most prized techniques."

  System Notification: Smith has offered to teach you the lifestyle profession【Blacksmith】. Accept?

  Kenley fell into deep thought. Smith was no ordinary blacksmith—he had forged legendary weapons. Becoming his apprentice might even grant access to rare, secret blueprints.

  However, Kenley decided to remain calm. No rush. Lifestyle professions were extremely important—in the game, each player could only have four lifestyle professions at most. Once filled, no more could be chosen.

  At the start of the game, he had already been assigned a non-combat subclass—【Farmer】. That left only three valuable slots. He had long planned for those to be professions that enhanced combat ability, such as Alchemist, Potion Master, or Apothecary—all crucial for battle.

  One slot for one advantage. Wasting a profession meant losing a potential combat tool. This decision had to be made with extreme caution.

  "No, no, this is too important. I need time to think about it." Kenley immediately stalled for time. No way was he making a rash decision. Right now, he was the only player in this world. Even though Tia was a strong potential ally, this wasn't just a game. He needed to secure as many survival, combat, and reconnaissance methods as possible.

  Smith wasn't upset at Kenley's refusal. Instead, he chuckled, his sharp eyes twinkling with amusement."That's fine. I have plenty of patience. I believe you'll change your mind, young man."

  Change his mind? That wasn't certain. Blacksmithing was indeed a solid profession, but with one production job already locked in, did he really want to use up another slot instead of a combat-related one?

  "Are we going to keep talking about this, or are we getting back to the mission?" Kenley rolled his eyes.

  Smith nodded."Here's the job. Using this Cloak of Light, you need to find a way to steal these three pairs of boots and replace them with the correct sizes. Once you've completed this task and I personally verify it, the Cloak of Light is yours. How about it?"

  "Deal." Kenley agreed instantly. His only concern was that Smith might change his mind later. If that happened, there was no telling when he'd get another chance to obtain a legendary-tier cloak like this.

  "Hold on, kid. No need to rush. I haven't finished talking yet." Smith smacked his thigh.

  Kenley squinted at him."Wait… You're not about to back out, are you?" He grinned, but his tone carried a hidden edge.

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  "No, no! It's just… these boots won't be easy to steal. I figured I should warn you first…" Smith sighed, seemingly resigned. He really must be worried about this whole thing blowing up into a city-wide scandal—he had even gone out of his way to prepare a warning.

  "Oh? That so? Alright, let's hear it." Kenley let out a small breath of relief. If Smith had tried to back out, he wouldn't have hesitated to drag this whole affair to the Adventurer's Guild. If it came to that, even Smith wouldn't be able to weasel his way out of the consequences.

  "That's right. First of all, the Lytalia household has a special magic door. Even if you go in wearing the Cloak of Light, it will still trigger a magical trap. You'll need to find a way to bypass or disable it."

  Wait… Why hadn't he encountered this before? Every time he visited Lytalia's place, she was the one who opened the door for him.

  "What else?" Kenley asked, still uneasy.

  "There's also the matter of the Black Mountain Spider in Parisha's house—"

  Smith hadn't even finished speaking when Kenley shot up from his seat.

  "Mr. Smith, isn't this difficulty way beyond what a Rank One Warrior like me can handle? A Black Mountain Spider? That's a Rank Seven magical beast! You're kidding, right?"

  Kenley's brow furrowed. Was this some kind of joke? A Black Mountain Spider? That was a beast straight out of Perron's lair, infamous for its web-sensing ability. Once it spread its silk all over the place, even the slightest disturbance—a single strand of hair falling onto it—would immediately alert the creature.

  If he had the genuine Cloak of Light, he might have considered taking the risk. But attempting this mission with a mere imitation? Absolutely not.

  "I refuse." Kenley rejected it outright.

  "Young man, calm down and let me finish!" Smith huffed, a flicker of surprise in his sharp eyes. So he knows about the Black Mountain Spider? Impressive.

  Tia, too, had a troubled look."Master, I've heard of the Black Mountain Spider as well. It's a Dark Lord's lair beast—only Heroic-tier adventurers with a Silver Body or Paladins can handle it. My master is only Rank One; I fear this task is beyond his capability…"

  Smith's expression darkened. He huffed, stroking his beard before snapping,"What's with the panic? You two already agreed to the contract! It's too late to back out now."

  Kenley was speechless. This old man… He only revealed half the story and left out the most crucial details. Was he trying to get them killed?

  After this, Kenley swore to himself—never accept a mission without questioning every detail. Those bad habits from his gaming days? He needed to fix them.

  "Alright, alright. My apologies, Master. Please, continue… I'm all ears." Kenley let out a long breath and sat down again.

  "That's more like it…" Smith grumbled before explaining,"It's not as bad as you think. That Black Mountain Spider was hatched from an egg Parisha found and brought home. It's only just reached Rank Three—nothing too scary if you're careful."

  Rank Three Entry-Level (Level 30).

  Kenley's expression darkened. Just one step away from Bronze-Tier.

  On the Aude Continent, advancing to Bronze and Silver was a massive leap in power. He was still just a Black Iron-tier commoner—with low health and fragile combat ability. A Rank Three magical beast? He wouldn't even stand a chance.

  He and Tia together wouldn't even be a proper appetizer for that spider.

  Kenley arched a brow but held his tongue. He'd at least hear Smith out before deciding.

  "Parisha has a habit of hoarding valuables. The boots I gave her? She's never worn them. She probably hid them in her underground cellar. All you need to do is use the Cloak of Light to sneak in and swap them out. Simple."

  Kenley took a deep breath, inhaling slowly before exhaling just as carefully.

  That Black Mountain Spider was going to be a problem. He would have to be extra careful—one mistake, and it wouldn't be just the mission that failed. His life would be over.