Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys Chapter 7: Chapter 6: Level Up! The Counterattack Against Bullying
Previously on Wizard starting from shoeing donkeys...
However....
As Rein’s right hand gripped the jagged iron shovel offered by the master of donkey hooves, he completely miscalculated the tool's heft, causing him to stumble and lose his footing instantly.
This blunder triggered a fresh wave of mockery from the arrogant, wealthy brats.
It was clear they were sneering at Rein, believing he had overestimated his own capabilities.
Rein’s complexion flushed deep red; he had merely misjudged the shovel's weight, it wasn't as if he lacked the strength to lift it.
Standing nearby, Baal gave a slight shake of his head, appearing doubtful that Rein possessed the skill to repair the hoof correctly.
After all, Rein’s lanky frame suggested his physical power was quite meager.
"Rein, you....," George, who was standing right there, also worried that Rein’s choices were too reckless, turning him into a laughingstock for the other boys.
As a loyal friend, George felt somewhat ashamed to even look up.
Yet, the bonds between young boys are straightforward; George remained silent and instead focused all his energy on pinning the hoof down for Rein.
Rein gave George a silent nod of appreciation.
"Shush!"
Thanks to George’s firm grip, Rein didn't have to waste much energy steadying the hoof with his left hand. Though his right hand moved the shovel with a bit of clunky hesitation, he successfully sliced away the rough burrs.
True skill reveals itself the moment the work starts!
Watching from the side, Baal’s expression brightened as he thought, "Not bad! Even though this lad Rein is a bit scrawny, he clearly understands the technique of hoof trimming, using the shovel's own weight to glide along the hoof's edge."
The pretentious children suddenly went quiet!
It was obvious to everyone present that Rein had actually mastered the art of trimming hooves!
While he might be slightly green, that was only when measured against Master Baal.
George’s eyes went wide as he stared at Rein working on the donkey’s hooves, unable to turn away.
"My God! Rein, you only started learning this a few days ago and you can already do it! That is truly incredible!"
Hearing George’s admiration for Rein, the boy with the freckled face looked on with contempt, saying:
"Pfft~ What’s the big deal? It’s just shoeing a hoof, it’s not like it’s swordsmanship!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
Seeing Rein actually command the spotlight, the arrogant rich kids felt a surge of resentment bubbling inside them.
...
Rein, meanwhile, completely ignored the drama surrounding him.
At that moment, his attention was entirely consumed by the system alerts appearing in his mind.
[You've performed hoof trimming, insight improved!]
[Your skill in Trimming Hooves has improved, Experience +5]
[You focused on trimming hooves, Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points +2]
"Sss! Getting hands-on experience provides so much progress!"
It was exactly as he had suspected!
If he maintained this momentum, increasing his Blacksmith Apprentice Profession level would happen very soon!
No!
There was no reason to wait!
It was highly likely that he could reach level 2 in his Blacksmith Apprentice Profession this very day!
By the time he finished all four hooves, Rein was drenched in sweat, yet his eyes shone with intensity!
"Well done, Rein! You are capable of trimming hooves on your own now," Baal remarked, nodding in validation of Rein’s talent.
"Thank you, Master Baal," Rein replied with a firm nod.
"And what about the rest of you? If you intend to vie for the Blacksmith Apprentice slot, then start learning for real!" Baal turned toward the other servant children, shouting with a stern look.
In front of Baal, the pretentious kids didn't dare show their arrogance, but the looks they threw at Rein became much more malicious.
Previously, they hadn't cared about Rein’s hard work because they felt superior; now, Rein had earned Master Baal’s respect and made a name for himself quietly!
This was something they found intolerable!
By lunchtime, Rein could feel a heavy tension in the air.
Aside from his best friend George, even the other boys from poor families avoided speaking to Rein.
Was it jealousy?
Or had the rich kids stirred them up?
Rein wasn't certain, but he didn't really care.
He wasn't going to slow his progress toward power just because of other people's petty opinions!
However, the arrogant kids were deeply offended by Rein stealing the limelight.
"Rein, they hate seeing you succeed," George noticed the atmosphere and spoke up to comfort him.
"I know, George! Don’t worry about it, I’m perfectly fine."
It was unavoidable that he would face this once he began to stand out.
But with his cheat-like system, that day was destined to arrive eventually.
In his past life, Rein had become well-acquainted with these dynamics.
Schoolyard bullying!
Workplace politics!
The core principle remained the same.
That afternoon, the servant boys continued the labor of nailing horseshoes.
Once Rein finished the trimming, Master Baal followed up by nailing the shoes on.
With the work split between them, Baal felt much more relaxed, and his opinion of Rein continued to rise.
As the sun began to set, Rein finally saw the system notification for his level up:
[You've performed hoof trimming work, insight improved!]
[Your skill in Trimming Hooves has improved, Experience +5]
[You focused on fixing horseshoes, Blacksmith Apprentice Professional Experience Points +2]
[Congratulations, your Blacksmith Apprentice Profession Level has increased!]
The Blacksmith Apprentice level went up?
Rein was filled with excitement!
He immediately opened the second page of the translucent interface to inspect the changes.
[Blacksmith Apprentice lv2 (0/300)]
[Fixing Horseshoes lv2 (255/300)]
[Nailing Horseshoes lv1 (45/100)]
[Remaining attribute points: 1]
[Remaining Skill Points: 1]
Just as he thought!
Even though Rein expected the level up today, seeing it actually happen made it difficult to hide his delight.
Furthermore, his Fixing Horseshoes skill was nearly at level 3.
But those weren't the most vital rewards!
The most important part was that the bottom of the panel now displayed 1 Attribute Point and 1 Skill Point.
This was the ultimate prize for reaching level 2 in the Blacksmith Apprentice Profession!
Does leveling up make one stronger?
No, it was his hard work that earned these points.
So, it wasn't just leveling up; it was effort equals power!
After a moment of thought, Rein flipped back to the first page of the interface—the attribute screen.
Name: Rein Carlan
Profession: Blacksmith Apprentice lv2
Constitution: 5
Strength: 4
Agility: 6
Spirit: 8
It was obvious that Rein’s Strength was his weakest stat; given his thin frame, he was naturally lacking in power.
But that was about to change!
Rein didn't hesitate on how to spend his points; he needed to fix his weaknesses first.
He was tired of being viewed as fragile and didn't want to be a target for bullies; investing in Strength was the only logical move right now.
A single point might not be a massive change, but it would at least give him the power to strike back.
After a brief pause, Rein assigned the point to Strength.
His Strength immediately rose to 5.
Instantly, Rein felt a warm wave of energy erupt from his heart, flowing into his limbs and throughout his entire frame. It felt as soothing as a hot spring soak, causing his exhaustion to vanish in a heartbeat.
Moreover, that single point made Rein feel as though he was overflowing with vitality, as if he could handle hundreds of horseshoes without needing a rest!
Does spending points actually restore your condition?
This effect was staggering!
Next were the Skill Points.
Rein almost spent the point on Nailing Horseshoes, but he stopped himself.
If he only received one Skill Point per level, they were incredibly rare.
He noticed that the experience needed for Blacksmith Apprentice level 3 had jumped to 300, up from the previous 100.
This meant the difficulty of progression was scaling up.
"I haven't even seen other Blacksmith Apprentice skills yet. If I eventually learn something much harder to level, like weapon forging, wouldn't it be smarter to use the points then?"
After considering it, Rein decided to hold onto the Skill Point for the future.
When Rein returned to the task at hand, his renewed vigor shocked everyone!
With his increased Strength, his efficiency in trimming hooves had surged by at least 20%.
While he still wasn't on Baal’s level, the improvement from when he started was massive.
The boys working near him watched in stunned silence!
At dinner, Rein devoured three and a half large bricks of black bread and gulped down three bowls of soup, even licking the pot clean—a sight that left the other servant children speechless.
Rein realized that while the Strength increase was significant, it also made him incredibly hungry!!
Once he was full, Rein headed back to the dorms, only to be intercepted by the boy with bushy eyebrows and the one with freckles!
"Rein! You really put on a show today, didn't you?" Bushy Brows stepped forward, mockingly patting Rein’s cheek with a sneer.
"Damn it! I had to take it yesterday, but today is a different story!" Rein’s calm eyes suddenly filled with a savage light.
"Slap!"
Using every bit of his new strength, Rein delivered a stinging slap to Bushy Brows' face!
The impact made Bushy Brows' head ring, sending him stumbling back, nearly hitting the floor!
This strike left Freckles and the other watching rich kids frozen in shock; they couldn't believe Rein actually had the guts to hit back!
As for Bushy Brows, he was so dazed by the blow that it took him several seconds to even process what happened.
But Rein wasn't finished!
"Boom!!"
With a brutal knee strike, Rein caught Bushy Brows right in the solar plexus, causing the boy to retch and vomit his entire dinner onto the floor...
A foul, acidic smell immediately filled the room!
"Get him! Trash that brat Rein, he actually fought back!" Freckles screamed, and the surrounding rich kids lunged forward to swarm Rein.
However, Rein ignored the others entirely. He tucked his head down and focused all his fury on the vomiting Bushy Brows, swinging his fists with a terrifying, murderous intent!
This level of raw, ruthless violence was truly bone-chilling!