Capítulo 1: 1, Forging Dreams, One Blade at a Time
The hammer rang out, clashing against the glowing red iron as the fierce heat swirled around me. Just a short distance away, my father watched intently, his expression serious.
"Here we go…"
With a sizzling sound, I quenched the metal and polished it… and from this labor, a knife emerged.
Having watched my father's craftsmanship for years and tried to emulate it, I hoped I was improving... right?
"Can you take a look at this?"
"...…"
My father silently examined the knife before lifting it.
I held my breath, observing him closely.
"It's about a 65."
"Is that all...?"
Disheartened by his words, I noticed the corners of my father's mouth turn up in a wry smile.
"Well, for a high schooler, that's not bad. If you reached the level of a master so easily, what place would that leave me as your father?"
"I just want to succeed the family business as soon as I can…"
"You're aiming too high for a freshman… Honestly, I'm glad you want to take over, but as a student, it's also okay to enjoy yourself a little!"
I am Renna, the eldest son born to a blacksmith father and a manga editor mother. From a young age, I've admired my father's work, aspiring to become a blacksmith myself.
"Anyway, that's enough for today… Today's Yuna's birthday, right? Have you prepared her gift?"
"I've made her a new accessory, at least…"
Yuna is my younger sister, more on the cool side and not one for many words, but the world sees her as a beautiful girl. She's kind, lovely, and the pride of my heart.
The sibling relationship was so good that their friends envied them. Well, to be fair, those friends thought of the sister as a bit of a tyrant, strong-willed and clearly in charge.
I picked up a handmade accessory nearby, a design inspired by stars, and I felt quite proud of it.
"Honestly, you'd be better off in the jewelry business than as a blacksmith," I said.
"This is just a hobby. It's fine to do a little bit, but I couldn't handle it every day," my father mused, looking puzzled as he commented that he thought blacksmithing was tougher.
Thirty minutes later, the birthday party for my sister began at home. Yuna blew out the candles on her birthday cake, and we each took turns giving her gifts. Our parents presented her with cosmetics and new clothes, and finally, it was my turn.
"Happy birthday, Yuna," I said.
"Thank you... um, can I ask for one more thing, big brother?"
"Sure? That's unusual for you to ask. What is it?"
Yuna wasn't one to usually be demanding, so I really wanted to fulfill her request.
"I want you to swing that arm in a game!"
"???"
It was an unusual situation for siblings: Yuna was into games, but I barely played at all... My mind was filled with confusion.
"I want you to swing that arm in a game!" she repeated.
A few minutes later, I found myself in my sister's room. The wall was adorned with the accessories I had gifted her over the years, each one displayed with care.
A little embarrassed, yet knowing I should be happy because I'm cherished, I try to brush aside my shyness.
"Here you go, big brother—this is the full-dive VR headset for you!"
I receive the brand-new device with wide eyes, while in my sister's room, there sits a well-used version of the same headset.
"This thing is expensive… how did you get it?"
My sister is just a middle schooler, three years younger than me. I know she got one for her birthday, but there's no way a middle schooler could casually buy a gadget worth several thousand yen. Even with allowance, that would be tough.
"It's a secret. At least it's not anything illegal, so you don't have to worry."
"Okay, okay…"
Her assertiveness catches me off guard.
"The game software is already installed, so just boot it up and launch Fantasy Freedom!"
"Wait, hold on! You need to explain more. This is way too unclear—what do I do in the game?"
She talks so fast, totally unlike the usual slow pace of my sister, and I feel overwhelmed. But I can't just dive into the game without understanding.
"Well, um… I'm playing this game called Fantasy Freedom, and in it, players can craft their own weapons…"
"Wait… do you want me to make a weapon for you in the game?"
"Yep! You're quick on the uptake, big brother! Hurry and log in to your room!"
Unlike her usual demeanor, my sister urged me on with an excited, rapid-fire tone. It was her birthday, after all, and I figured I could indulge her a bit. So, I headed back to my room without hesitation.
I put on the full-dive VR headset to start the game "Fantasy Freedom." Since I had borrowed my sister's headset once before, I struggled for a few minutes to get it running.
"Welcome to Fantasy Freedom!" the software announced as I was immersed in a space that felt like being high above the clouds. I set up my account and read through the terms of service. In simple terms, they basically said to play nicely and follow the rules.
Although I'm not a big gamer, I'm used to creating accounts from online shopping sites.
"Now, please create your character!" the game guide prompted.
"Okay, please choose between random or custom settings... Random gives you a little boost in stat points... But why is there a stat adjustment here?" I thought. Since I planned on playing just a little, I opted for the random choice. A message popped up asking, "Really, are you sure you won't regret this?" I selected "yes," and my vision went momentarily blank before a mirror appeared, revealing my character.
She had white hair and pale eyes, small and delicate in appearance, clearly ill-suited for the hard labor of a blacksmith. The simple clothes she wore enhanced her fragile look. Next to the mirror, her stats appeared—and they clearly indicated she was a mage.
By the way, my status still lists my gender as male. Is this what my friend was talking about—a "trap"? Have I made a serious mistake? Even as those thoughts swirl in my mind, it seems I can't turn back now, so I press on.
Next, questions appear, and I start answering.
Q: Why did you come to this world?
A: To forge weapons for my sister.
Q: Which do you prefer, magic or swords?
A: Swords, but I love hammers the most.
Q: What is your favorite fantasy race?
A: Fairies.
Q: What is the most essential thing for survival?
A: Life.
Q: What would you take to a deserted island?
A: A complete tool set.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Sandwiches.
How will this affect the game? As I ponder this, a multifunctional military shovel materializes in front of me. Why a shovel? Is this really my starting equipment? What kind of game is this? I pick up the shovel.
Then a prompt appears, asking me to enter a name. I type in "Lena," my real name in katakana. Suddenly, the text declares, "Enjoy Fantasy Freedom!" and my vision goes completely white. When it clears, I find myself in an unfamiliar town.
As I look around, uncertain of what to do in this strange place, I spot a beautiful blonde girl with large breasts holding a sign that reads, "Welcome, blacksmith's brother!"
...Is that... Yuna?
"......"
My younger sister Yuna is quite short for a middle schooler, well... she's a late bloomer. I can understand her longing for a sexy body, but...
"Hey, you with the shovel—you're the one my sister asked to play the game, right?"
Just as I was debating whether to speak up, she spoke to me first.
"And you're the one who gets accessories from your brother every year?"
When I asked for confirmation, Yuna, a stunning blonde beauty with a sexy figure, flashed a sly smile as if she understood everything.
"I can't believe my brother has a sister—well, I'll go ahead and send a friend request."
Her fingers moved quickly, and suddenly a screen appeared right in front of me.
"'Lily has sent you a high friend request.'"
Without thinking, I responded with a hi, and then Yuna suddenly hugged me, a kind of physical affection she usually doesn't show.
"W-wait!?"
"Yay, so cute!"
"Isn't this character breaking too much!?"
I could only feel confused as my sister nuzzled against me. And, seriously, did everyone around us see this and look at us strangely?
"Could you let me go... is this grip too tight!?"
"At level one, you can't escape my grip!"
I tried to break free by sheer force, but it didn't budge...
However, after seemingly satisfying herself by petting my head for a while, she finally released me.
"Hey, we were supposed to be talking about making weapons, so why am I being turned into your doll...?"
"Sorry about that! She was just my type, and I couldn't help myself. Being her brother, I thought it'd be okay to offer a little affection, so I sent a friend request with an enthusiastic bear hug!"
"Whoa, easy there… Well, it's fine, I guess. So where's the blacksmith shop?"
Today, I decided to go along with whatever was happening. Still, I needed to ask Yuna about the original purpose of our visit.
"First, we need to check our stats and set our classes."
"Check stats and set classes? Alright, let me pull up my stats."
I manipulated the system screen and brought up my status. It displayed: 'Lena Level 1 / Class Not Set,' along with low strength and defense values, what seemed like average dexterity and agility, and high intelligence and luck scores.
"Wow, you look like a mage... But these numbers... Big brother, you must have set my character appearance without much thought."
"Can you tell from the stats?"
"Of course! But with these numbers, I can't do any blacksmith work. My strength is too low to even lift a hammer..."
"What?! No way! So my sister's promise can't be fulfilled because of my stats?"
"Should I start the character creation all over again?"
"That'd be such a waste! Leveling up would be better! I'll join you, so let's level up together!"
'Party request from Lily received.'
I tapped 'yes' as instructed by the system.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a green health bar labeled "Lily" and, of course, another green bar that seemed to indicate my own health.
"Hey, Lena! Here, just call me Lily, okay? In this game world, using real names is a big no-no. For now, just follow me!"
"Uh, okay..."
I thought to myself, but I had registered under my real name anyway. Regardless, I followed my sister Lily.
We left the town and entered an open field where, in the distance, I saw a stranger battling a gelatinous monster.
"First, we need to set up your class, Lena," Lily said.
"Class setup...? How do I do that? Nothing happens when I touch the status screen..."
"Well, you don't have any skills or achievements yet, so you need to get at least one skill first."
As she spoke, Lily pointed at a nearby rabbit with horns.
"Start by defeating that! After that, you should gain a combat skill."
"What, defeat it with a shovel!?"
"I have no idea why we start with a shovel as our initial weapon, but if you equip it, your attack stats should be high enough to take it down."
"That's ridiculous... Huh? Something's glowing..."
I felt exasperated by my sister's insane suggestion to fight with a shovel, but I noticed a glowing spot on the ground. Curiosity drew me in, and I approached it, plunging the shovel into the ground. At the very least, I figured digging at a glowing spot this early in the game wouldn't lead to my demise.
Status de energia semanal
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Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder