Chapter 138
Chapter 138
Civil Servant Hunter’s S-class Resignation Log – Chapter 138
It felt like a boundary had been drawn, because the inside of the forge was sweltering with heat. She unwound the scarf Do Jun-young had given her as a gift.
"It's pretty warm in here, isn't it?"
"To produce the best flames, I've gathered all the fiery energy from Gwanak Mountain here. Is it too hot?"
"No. It's just right."
As she sat down on the spacious wooden floor, he soon brought her a glass of chilled tea. The ice floating in it cooled her down nicely.
"Have you finally come around to accepting my sponsorship offer?"
"No. Actually, I have enough items already. Instead of sponsorship, I'd like to entrust you with some repairs. Would that be okay? I'll pay, of course. And I brought a letter of recommendation."
When she handed over the recommendation letter bearing Song Han-na's name, Shin Do-won rubbed it lightly with his rough fingertips. It was a touch filled with nostalgia.
"It's been a while since I've seen this name. Is she doing well?"
"She's as healthy as ever. She'll probably outlive us by another hundred years, no problem."
"That's unexpected good news. I was worried because she's so tough. Now I can set my mind at ease."
"You were worried about someone as tough as her?"
"Do you know that the tougher something is, the more easily it breaks? One tiny crack, and it shatters in an instant."
Se-ra immediately understood what Shin Do-won meant. Her mother's death. That had been the biggest reason Song Han-na had become so unyielding. It also meant that the one thing that could break Song Han-na was her mother's death.
"I'm glad she's okay now. It seems your presence has erased that crack."
He must have heard about Se-ra and Song Han-na's relationship. Se-ra nodded vigorously at his relieved words. Since she had survived instead of dying, Song Han-na's mind would never waver again.
'If I could just beat that bastard adult form within an inch of its life, there'd be no more worries.'
So it could never harbor any ill intentions. Se-ra rolled her eyes, wondering how she could make that happen.
"You came not for item sponsorship, but for repairs."
"Ah, yes."
Se-ra set down her teacup and pulled the shattered Crimson Flail and Jacket of Revival from her inventory. Shin Do-won frowned at the state of the ruined flail, then his eyes widened in shock at the Jacket of Revival that followed.
"You're entrusting this to me for repairs?"
"Is it difficult? The flail makes sense, but the jacket isn't that badly damaged..."
He blinked, his expression turning peculiar. His hand caressed the jacket gingerly.
"I don't know if I should be happy or sad about this."
"Why?"
"I've been looking for someone to wear my final creation. But repairing the Jacket of Revival... Well, that's an honor in its own way."
Final. Se-ra's eyes widened at the word.
"Final? What do you..."
"I don't have much time left to live."
Shin Do-won, who looked so healthy, confessed his future with calm indifference. Se-ra's head spun.
"Why would you say something so important so casually...!"
"It's not that important. I've known for thirteen years that this day would come."
Thirteen years ago was the time of the Great Cataclysm. And Shin Do-won was a first-generation Awakener. There must have been conditions during his awakening or when contracting with the adult form.
Se-ra checked his information for the first time in ages.
Name: Shin Do-won (A-rank)
Trait: Unique Ability Type - Blacksmith
Contracted Adult Form: None
Special Notes: Former contractor of the adult form 'God of Fire and Volcanoes.' Afflicted with arsenic poisoning.
The adult form 'God of Fire and Volcanoes.' And arsenic poisoning. That alone was enough for Se-ra to piece it together.
Hephaestus, one of the twelve gods of Greece. The renowned god of blacksmiths was the 'God of Fire and Volcanoes.' Countless blacksmiths dreamed of contracting with him, but there was one problem.
His contractors were doomed to arsenic poisoning and a short life. Hephaestus granted his contractors the pinnacle of blacksmithing skill in exchange for their lifespan.
Shin Do-won must have become an exceptional blacksmith through his contract. But he couldn't escape the shortened life, and now death loomed before him.
Weakened to the point of contract termination, he was now seeking the final place to burn his body and hammer.
"...Are you ill?"
Even though she knew, Se-ra asked. Shin Do-won's face hadn't wavered from start to finish.
"You could call it an illness."
"No pain?"
"Fortunately, no pain or symptoms. Just a shortened lifespan. What a blessing."
His forearm, clenched into a fist, was still as robust as in his prime. With no pain or symptoms, his arms could still wield the hammer.
"Don't pity me. I was prepared from the start, and I have no regrets about that choice. I've done everything I wanted to do. Except for one thing."
"What's that?"
"To die while forging armor to the very end."
His eyes, blazing like the flames in the furnace, stared straight at Se-ra.
He wasn't dying now. He literally wanted to burn his life away.
"That's why I offered you sponsorship. You killed that damned monster bird from Cheolwon Dungeonsomething my weapons couldn't touchso you're more than qualified."
"..."
"I've chosen you, Yoon Se-ra. Make armor for me, not yourself, and you take it."
It was an overwhelming presence. The forge's heat felt like it came entirely from him, not Gwanak Mountain.
To Se-ra, who had only ever thought of her own survival, it was an aspiration she couldn't comprehend.
"I can't understand your life."
"You don't have to. It's mutual."
Shin Do-won calmed his energy as if he'd never been excited.
"So, will you do it? If you want, I'll repair the Jacket of Revival too. But this flail... it's best to let it go. The weapon's lifespan is over."
"And if I say no?"
"Take it."
As if he had no attachment, Shin Do-won immediately returned the jacket and flail fragments.
"This is a good opportunity, but I still prefer you wearing something of mine. If our terms don't match, then it's not meant to be."
Without a shred of lingering regret, Shin Do-won rose from his seat. The black leather apron draped over his shoulders fluttered lightly with the movement.
"It was nice meeting you anyway. I was glad to hear about Association President Song directly. Give her my regards."
"You're awfully impatient. I asked what you'd do if I refused, not that I was refusing."
When Shin Do-won turned back, Se-ra set down her teacup and stood up. Her eyes met his squarely.
"Fine. I accept your proposal, Mr. Shin Do-won. I'm curious to see the skills of Korea's top first-generation creator firsthand. If it doesn't meet my standards, that's the end for you. If you want to go out in a blaze, do it right."
Se-ra pulled Heat from her inventory. Shin Do-won, whose eyes were sharper than anyone's for weapons, felt his gaze shake violently.
"As you can see, I'm someone who wields something like this."
"How in the world did you..."
"Forge it properlyenough that you feel like dying at the hammer. Unless you want an embarrassing end. Just like you said, for your sake."
At Se-ra's radiant smile, Shin Do-won let out a groan. He'd thought his presence had overwhelmed her, but that was arrogance.
The forge, filled with all of Gwanak Mountain's fiery energy, was trembling under Yoon Se-ra's aura. Shin Do-won felt bone-deep what she'd done.
Having lost his composure to Se-ra for a moment, Shin Do-won soon let out a hollow laugh and sat back down. Se-ra neatly gathered her energy, sat, and sipped her iced tea.
"You really can't judge Awakeners by age. The top contributor to the Labyrinth Dungeon isn't just anyone."
"I'm pretty impressive, right? It's all thanks to my god. Respect my god."
"You get along well with your adult form. That's fortunate. Plenty of Awakeners suffer because of theirs. Especially when greater power comes with greater cost."
Se-ra's hand paused mid-sip. Perhaps because she'd seen his information, she couldn't let the words slide.
"If I may ask... Did something similar happen to you, Mr. Shin Do-won? Is your illness related to your adult form contract?"
"I said I was prepared from the start. I knew before contracting. It was my choice."
Then Se-ra had no right to say anything more.
"I'm fine. My adult form doesn't demand anything from me."
If anything, she felt a slight debt because it demanded nothing. She wanted to do something for him, but she only ever received. She wanted to give, but with no idea where he was, she couldn't do a thing.
Giving wasn't everything, but when you cared for someone, you wanted to do at least something.
'Don't just get touched by wordstalk to me. Even something small.'
At the response that he was already satisfied, Se-ra snorted. Typical.
"You're blessed. Cherish that good relationship. If it ever breaks, the sense of loss is indescribable."
Se-ra looked up sharply. But his resolute demeanor as he drank his tea told her not to ask more, and she held her tongue.