#31 Master of Forging (2)
For now, we'd made it clear that Beltsmets was still kicking, putting out the most urgent fire. Sure enough, it felt like a warning shot, and our rep on the dark web had skyrocketed vertically.
"Now the problem is the Tower."
After all, we'd taken down the Butcher, one of their members. Naturally, we'd end up on the Tower's radar. Ray picked up on my mutterings and asked,
━So how do you even get into that Tower thing?
'Honestly, I don't know the details myself.'
The Tower was an organization shrouded in absolute secrecy.
Actually, calling it an "organization" felt a bit off. It was more like just a ranking of villains.
But having worked under Seol Rokjin, I knew that some of the Tower's villains were pretty tight-knit.
About half of them, maybe, stuck together like glue.
I didn't know the nitty-gritty since dealing with the Tower was Seol Rokjin's job, but I found out later when the Blood Demon got killed by a hunter—the Tower villains all mobilized for revenge at once.
That revenge spree was so brutal that afterward, no one even breathed a word about hunting or capturing Tower villains.
On the flip side of that tight-knit "Tower," there were guys like Butcher Park Sang-pyeon—on the list but outsiders, not really part of the group. The former were the true core members, but what I wanted was the latter's position.
━Why's that?
'I've already got Beltsmets. Joining another outfit feels off, and those guys are real villains. Not like me, just wearing the villain skin half-assed.'
Villains among villains. The elite of the Tower's elite had racked up atrocities too vile to even speak of. No plans to cozy up with that crowd.
'The issue is if they want us.'
Park Sang-pyeon never got recruited his whole life. He seemed content just being on the list, but he never made it into the real Tower.
They didn't take just anyone as kin.
What about Beltsmets? Would they see us as kin worth having?
Unfortunately, my guess was yes.
Not many in Korea pull off a stunt this flashy. But we had to turn it down.
Hmm. Rejecting an invite from the worst of the worst. Could we even survive that?
━Ahem. Tricky indeed.
"Hey, no point worrying about rice cakes from someone who won't even share soup. Might as well not sweat it."
For now, we had no clue if the Tower was watching us or what.
"Anyway, now we've got breathing room. Time to build that workshop."
Lots to do, but top priority was a forge we could use here. That way we could process mana stones and craft artifacts. Had to mod that demonic sword Park Sang-pyeon carried too. It was stashed in a corner, but it made me uneasy, yeah.
For the forge's core heat source, we'd use the Crimson Flame mana stone propping up the base for now.
Just temporary till we found something better. Mana draw for base maintenance was negligible anyway.
Processing mana stones could wait a bit—we needed that bracelet ASAP. Without it, I was just your average B-grade awakener.
━Better than nothing, right?
'Sure, unlocking the three-stroke made me way stronger than before. But compared to what people think? Pathetic.'
My abilities were overhyped right now.
Folks didn't know I'd been constantly recharging mana via the bracelet mid-fight, so they thought my reserves were ocean-deep, plus that lightning show.
I couldn't stop laughing at posts pegging me as a 7-star.
Me, bedridden a week after one blast? 7-star? Knowing what a real 7-star monster like Yuseonje was like, it was hilarious.
The bubble was massive, but I needed it awhile longer. Couldn't pop it—needed to inflate it more. Time to forge that bubble machine.
Workshop it was.
Han Seohyun freaked at my announcement.
"Again? More construction?!"
"Yeah, can't keep using someone else's forever."
"Ugh, so annoying."
I got it—more brick-making sucked.
"Planning to make you a staff with that mana stone."
"Huh?!"
Han Seohyun stared, wide-eyed.
"Jaeho's better off boosting physicals, I can use the bracelet. You're the one who can fully tap that stone's mana."
"Whoa!"
He shot up from his seat.
"Where do we start?"
━Kid's so predictable.
I chuckled.
We'd put the workshop outside. Plenty of empty rooms in the base, but no way were we cramming an ultra-high-temp furnace in one.
Underground would've been efficient (warmth rising for free ondol heating), but Han Seohyun would've rioted, so nixed it.
"Hm."
I'd mimic Geum Doctor's personal workshop. With Ray's perfect recall, blueprints were quick.
Once done, full-on brick mode.
"Argh! Thought I was done with this forever!"
Han Seohyun danced his "joy" at manual labor after so long.
"Haha, no need to be that thrilled, kid."
━Anyone can see he hates it.
'Words have power. Better stay positive.'
Han Seohyun practiced it best.
"Whoa! Only a few million bricks this time? Done in a flash!"
How grind-hardened was he? Kim Jaeho pitched in, hauling mud like a 30-year vet.
━Villain squad or labor brigade?
"All for saving the world."
Right, right. I smiled warmly.
"Boss! Slacking?!"
"Nah, site supervisor."
━Slacking!
"You're slacking!"
Their twin nagging echoed as I stood. My sneaky break failed.
We kept personal training amid workshop construction. Building to get stronger, skipping training would flip priorities.
Result: Han Seohyun finally turned Butcher Park Sang-pyeon's corpse into a skeleton.
Black mana gathered at his gesture, piercing it to summon an armored skeleton.
Unlike the first barebones summon, this one held a weapon.
Definitely next-level.
"Oho."
Made from the Butcher, it looked different—black bones proving dark magic origins, not plain white.
Clang test: way tougher. Movements smoother, nimbler than the first's stiff jerks.
"How'd you contract it?"
What'd he do to get the Butcher's soul's okay? Han Seohyun grinned.
"Know you can torture souls too?"
"Uh?"
"Worked."
Topic for that smile? Whatever—his mental health left my hands ages ago.
Anyway, even top-tier, its job was set: brick-hauling.
"Two haulers speed things up!"
Whitey and Blackie straight to the site.
Construction time slashed.
Three days: workshop and furnace done.
Like the house—mana-flow bricks, circuits engraved overall.
Extras for ultra-heat tolerance.
Five circuits here: superheat, auto-repair, flame resistance, durability boost, shape-shift.
Even newbie three-stroke circuits.
Obvious for thousands-of-degrees temps.
Not hard. Easier than the house, just one room extra.
More hands now, all skilled up.
First material? Way too good for me.
Pulled out Evrika's mana stone.
"Honestly, if I process it, 30% loss easy."
━Not easy—definite.
"Ugh."
No one to hand it off. Wanted criminal now—black market iffy.
Geum Doctor? Didn't wanna hear regrets.
━Butthurt.
'Not butthurt. Nope. Zero regrets.'
Refining method simple, though.
"Just constant superheat."
Yep. Best way: heat.
Mana stones are monster-accumulated mana clumps. Impurities inevitable. Burn 'em pure—that's refining.
Fired up the furnace. Crimson Flame circuits hit thousands of degrees.
Placed Evrika's stone in the blazing heart.
Days of this.
Heated fast. No change at first, then sweat-like impurities dripped from the glowing red surface.
Purifying.
Soon as done, staff for Han Seohyun. No fancy processing—beyond my skill.
Keep shape, form staff: B-grade plus easy. Give him that.
Upgrade later.
━Really just for the kid?
"Splitting loses output. Whole thing? Gotta be his."
I'm mid/close-range dealer. Pre-frontliner, need melee sometimes—that size weapon's cumbersome.
Fine for backline Han Seohyun, not warriors.
Bracelet suffices.
━No greed?
"I'll milk it for all it's worth instead. Don't worry."
Do Chae-hee exhaled raggedly at the psychometrist's arrival.
"Hello."
"Yeah, this the scene?"
Yoo Chaerin, mid-20s woman, looked exhausted on sight. Frizzy cardigan, dark circles to her jaw.
Even fiery Do Chae-hee couldn't yell at her. Felt guilty suddenly.
Yoo Chaerin touched the floor. Wobbled dizzily, then steadied and spoke.
"Hm, caught a few scenes..."
She spoke slowly.
"Seems like the three in Beltsmets. Han Seohyun called one 'Boss.'"
"Face?"
Do Chae-hee pulled a photo.
The face found in Australia.
"Seen this?"
"Kinda... Quality's blurry anyway."
Psychometry wasn't foolproof. Reads all memories, pulls irrelevant bits sometimes. Strike? As Do Chae-hee deflated,
"Oh, one notable thing."
Yoo Chaerin sketched in her notepad.
"One guy came to the morgue. Black robe like this."
Do Chae-hee frowned.
"Who's this?"