Chapter 312

[Reward granted: 'Tailor's Discipline'.] 

[Dexterity has permanently increased by +100.]

[Tailor's Discipline (Lv. 1)] 

[Passive] 

[The discipline of a craftsman who refuses to let difficulty rush a steady hand.

- The probability of a production attempt succeeding increases the longer the creation process is maintained without interruption.]

Viper looked at the system prompts and couldn’t stop being overjoyed at the rewards he was getting. A hundred dexterity points in a single burst was a massive jump for a production player.

And the vest itself—he ran his thumb over the tight seams. He had managed to craft an Epic-rated item fewer than ten times in his entire playthrough. 

Viper smiled. He looked up at the hovering cloth.

"I am ready for the next one," Viper said.

The Phantom floated near the ceiling of the quiet workshop.

A large, detailed schematic appeared on the central wooden table. A small, carefully wrapped bundle of dark monster hide and silver thread materialized right next to it.

"Trial two," the Phantom announced. "You are provided with a Unique-rated blueprint for Kruger's Gloves. You are provided with exactly one set of materials. Complete the item."

[The Quest [Tailor's Trials] has been updated!] 

[Trial 2] 

[You are provided the Unique-rated blueprint [Kruger's Gloves] and one set of materials.]

[Objective: Complete the Unique-rated [Kruger's Gloves] using one set of materials ]

[Reward: [Tailor's Hands], Dexterity + 100]

Viper looked at the bundle. He didn't reach for it immediately.

Crafting a Unique-rated item was famously difficult. Even for a top-ranked production player, the success rate for high-tier gear was incredibly low. The first few attempts usually resulted in ruined materials and an inferior-rated product. Viper had only ever crafted a Unique item once in his entire playthrough, and it had taken him six costly failures before he was able to successfully create one at that rating.

Now, he had to do it on the first try.

Viper picked up a pair of brass shears from the table. He turned them over in his hands, testing the weight. He quietly noted that the equipment provided in the ancient hall was vastly superior to anything available in the current tailor shops he had visited. The tension on the hinge was perfectly balanced, and the blades were sharper than a sword.

He unrolled the dark hide. He deliberately slowed his breathing as white steam started to come out of his mouth. He activated his [Genesis Breath] skill his Guildmaster had taught back in Stormbreak.

He didn't just cut the material. He took his time, feeling the grain of the leather, finding the exact angle where the shears would face the least resistance. Because he deliberately drew the process out, refusing to take a single shortcut, his new passive skill went to work.

[You are extremely concentrated and the Tailor's Patience skill has been activated.]

[Health, Defense, and Dexterity will rise by 110% for one hour.]

He stitched the silver thread into the dark hide. He kept his hands slow and steady. Viper tuned out the quiet humming of the magical lights. He tied the final knot and laid the finished gloves on the table.

[You have successfully created the unique-rated item [Dark-hide Gloves]!]

[An unique-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +12 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +300.]

Ding.

[You have successfully completed Trial 2.] 

[You have completed the Unique-rated Kruger's Gloves using a single set of materials.] 

[Reward granted: 'Tailor's Hands'.] 

[Dexterity has permanently increased by +100.]

[Tailor's Hands (Lv. 1)] 

[Passive] 

[The hands of a craftsman who improves with every piece of cloth he makes.

- The stat gain for successfully creating an item is increased by 50% for the Dexterity stat.]

Viper stared at the dark leather resting on the table. He had actually done it. It was only his second Unique-rated item ever, and he finished it on the very first try without ruining a single scrap of material. Not to mention the fact he activated his [Tailor’s Patience] skill which he rarely ever was able to activate.

Viper rolled his wrists, marveling at how light his fingers felt. His joints moved fast and incredibly precise.

He read the new system windows. Another hundred points of Dexterity. He did the math in his head. If every single trial handed out a hundred Dexterity points, he was going to walk out of this room with half a lifetime of stats. For a brief, greedy second, he genuinely hoped this test would just keep going forever.

He let out a short breath of white steam, shaking his head to clear the thought. He needed to stay focused.

"Excellent," the Phantom said. The hovering cloth drifted higher toward the painted window. "A craftsman must not rely on excess materials to cover for his mistakes. Now, we test your creativity."

The gloves vanished from the table. In their place, five large spools of material appeared. There was thick wool, fine silk, coarse linen, raw cotton, and a reel of shimmering blue mana-thread.

"Trial three," the Phantom instructed. "You are provided with five distinct materials. Produce fifteen separate Rare-rated items, each with a different effect. You may only use what is on this table."

[The Quest [Tailor's Trials] has been updated!] 

[Trial 3] 

[You are provided 5 distinct materials. Combine them and create 15 different clothes.] 

[Objective: Produce 15 distinct Rare-rated items, each with a different effect, using only the materials given.] 

[Reward: [Tailor's Insight], Dexterity + 100]

Viper smiled.

He looked at the five spools on the table. The thick wool retained heat but was heavy. The fine silk was frictionless but tore easily. The coarse linen was stiff and blended into earthy backgrounds. The raw cotton was highly flexible and absorbed sweat. Finally, the blue mana-thread acted as a magical conductor, capable of binding opposing properties together.

Viper didn't have fifteen separate Rare-rated blueprints memorized for these specific materials. But he didn't need them. He activated his [Freeform Tailoring] skill. It was a high-tier production technique that provided a blank, universal blueprint from a [S-Rank] quest. The final shape and rating of the item relied entirely on the crafter's manual skill and their understanding of the raw materials.

He didn't think about the Phantom watching him. He took the heavy wool and stitched the mana-thread directly into the lining. The thread infused the wool's natural warmth with magic.

[You have successfully created the rare-rated item 'Mana-Infused Woolen Scarf'!] 

[Item Effect: Resistance to low-level ice magic is increased by 15%.]

[A rare-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +2 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +30.]

Next, he layered the fine silk over the coarse linen. The linen gave the garment a sturdy structure, while the silk outer layer allowed weapons to slide right off it.

[You have successfully created the rare-rated item 'Silk-Lined Duelist Vest'!] 

[Item Effect: Physical evasion is increased by 5%.]

[A rare-rated item was produced, so all stats have permanently risen by +2 and reputation throughout the continent has risen by +30.]

He moved straight to the third item, entirely losing himself in the rhythm of the work.