Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Chapter 62
Master Craftsmen's Showdown (3)
August 31st.
The event of the Heavenly Demon Cult called the Craftsmen's Showdown was just one day away.
All 15 craftsmen had already arrived at the site.
The event area was on the Heavenly Demon Cult's construction site, where temporary buildings had been erected to provide their accommodations.
Though temporary, fifteen single-story buildings were built around a square clearing, making it quite comfortable.
And it was decided that construction would be halted during the event.
The total duration of this event was one week.
Of this, only the first day, third day, and last day would be open to the public.
In the central large clearing, 15 temporary forges had been set up.
Only the buildings housing the forges were temporary; the items and equipment inside were by no means shabby.
While here, they could do whatever they wanted freely. Meals were prepared whenever they requested, and the same went for alcohol.
—What should we do now?
They asked this question often. I answered simply.
—Do what you want to do. There are no restrictions, and even during the actual event, we won't interfere with whatever you do.
I promised that even if they didn't leave their quarters, it wouldn't be a problem.
—Instead, we will use your names. Of course, we will absolutely never do anything to damage your reputations.
Jimun Seo-saeng leaked the names of the 15 craftsmen to the media one by one, advertising that the world's greatest blacksmiths had gathered.
"They must be among them, right?"
I watched them from a distance.
Jimun Seo-saeng answered my question carefully.
"If we're talking about probability, it's fifty-fifty."
What I was paying attention to wasn't the eight selected based on their careers, but those chosen for their skills.
"I think at least one of the two should be here. Maybe both."
And so the Craftsmen's Showdown began.
September 1st.
Though called an event, there was nothing special about it. The place was simply opened to the public so they could watch the craftsmen making items.
Though an enormous number of visitors gathered, there wasn't much for them to see.
They were actually more interested in the site where the Heavenly Demon Cult's main base would be built than in the craftsmen's work.
This atmosphere changed around evening.
From morning, a total of 7 teams had used the forges. By evening, this increased to 10 teams.
The weapons they made were revealed around evening.
The first two swords completed were held in the hands of the Hundred White Blood Corps.
One was a slender Chinese-style sword, and the other was a European-style bastard sword held with both hands.
Two members of Hundred White Blood Corps each wielded a weapon and engaged in a sparring match.
The craftsmen who made the weapons were seated in splendid red chairs in the places of honor.
Thus, a sparring match unfolded before the watching craftsmen.
I instructed them to proceed with the sparring safely. Especially the European-style weapon, unfamiliar to the hand, was bound to be dangerous.
—Don't let the weapons break.
That would be a great disrespect to the blacksmith.
In my previous life, I might have actually tested whether the weapons would break, but circumstances were different now.
Nevertheless, the ordinary people poured out continuous exclamations of admiration. They were mesmerized by the martial artists' flashy and fast movements.
When the sparring ended, thunderous applause erupted.
At that moment, I approached the blacksmiths and said,
"If you wish, you can sell them. Of course, there will be no commission fees."
The two craftsmen declined to sell.
Among them, the blacksmith who made the Chinese-style sword said he would donate it to the Heavenly Demon Cult. In response, the other blacksmith said it was a good idea and donated his as well.
They chose fame over money.
In fact, if they just made their names known here, there would be no shortage of demand.
The sparring matches held on the first day ended with just two.
At 8 PM, all spectators and media were expelled, and the schedule wrapped up. However, the sound of the craftsmen's hammering didn't stop until that night.
Third day.
Even before spectators entered, the blacksmiths were in the midst of hammering.
The names of the two blacksmiths who created weapons on the first day had been featured in the news several times.
Their weapons were already being called by names derived from them.
Having learned the power of that fame, the blacksmiths actively made weapons.
On the third day, sparring matches were held five times.
The spectators were enthusiastic about the sparring and even suggested buying the weapons. Their faces showed conviction that possessing those weapons would make them martial arts masters, too.
Unfortunately, none of the blacksmiths sold their weapons. They all donated their weapons to the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Thus, on the third day, such a crowd gathered that the entrance became paralyzed, and spectators had to be limited.
Third day evening.
Once all the spectators returned, the blacksmiths' eyes changed.
Now all that remained was the last day.
Four days later would be their last chance.
Everyone said they would make just one weapon. Among them were some who had been making just one weapon for the last day since the first day.
And so on the sixth day.
Thirteen forges poured out scorching heat. Though already drenched in sweat, their hands didn't stop.
Only 2 forges were empty.
These hadn't been used even once since the first day.
And on the sixth day, in the afternoon.
One person who hadn't shown themselves entered a forge.
He first requested a tent and covered his entire forge. He said it was fine if there was nowhere for the heat to escape.
And so the last day dawned.
Spectators who had heard the rumors had been camping in tents since two days ago, waiting to enter.
The capacity was only 5,000 people.
Within 30 minutes of opening, that number was filled. Except for 2,000 people on standby, everyone else had to be turned away.
On the last day, the girl group Fairy guided the spectators. This too was Jimun Seo-saeng's plan.
With this, Fairy gained the image of being a girl group officially associated with the Heavenly Demon Cult.
The blacksmiths didn't present any finished products until afternoon.
Then around 4 PM.
The Japanese blacksmith who had been working since the first day brought out a single-edged sword with a blade that extended gracefully and curved slightly.
It was a traditional sword used by Japanese samurai.
The one who received the sword was Hundred Tiger Ghost.
Upon seeing the sword, Hundred Tiger Ghost exclaimed in admiration repeatedly.
The Japanese blacksmith cleaned up his forge as if everything was finished.
Next was the German blacksmith. He too had made only one sword until now.
It was a sword used by the 18th-century German royal cavalry, and like the Japanese sword, it was a single-edged sword with a thin blade. The blade width was even thinner, and it had a round handle that completely covered the hand.
Plante held that sword.
The sparring between the two instantly quenched the thirst of spectators who had been waiting tediously.
Holding good weapons, they ignored my command to go easy and displayed flashy swordsmanship.
However, there was a difference in the martial artists' capabilities. When each one's individuality clearly emerged, Hundred Tiger Ghost began to dominate.
—Hundred Tiger Ghost.
When I called him through transmission, Hundred Tiger Ghost began to show mercy.
Thanks to this, Plante switched to offense, and they achieved balance.
When the fierce battle reached its peak and they distanced themselves as if to deliver the final strike, So Iryeon intervened and declared a halt.
Sounds of disappointment poured from the spectators' mouths.
However, when the two martial artists showed courtesy and clasped their fists, they responded with applause.
The two blacksmiths seemed satisfied with the sparring and greeted me with courtesy.
After that, weapons were completed one by one and sparring continued, captivating the spectators.
8 PM.
The last sparring ended.
There had been six sparring matches, and there was also a sequence where So Iryeon alone displayed sword techniques.
This was because a total of thirteen swords had been completed.
The spectators exited and the entire schedule ended.
The blacksmiths moved to a place prepared by the Heavenly Demon Cult and drank and ate alcohol and food to their hearts' content.
Everyone went elsewhere, but I still remained at the forge site.
This was because the light in the forge that had requested a tent hadn't gone out.
I waited for him at the spot where the sparring had taken place.
10 PM.
The tent fell to the ground.
A man holding a single sword emerged from within.
The sword was crude. But when it absorbed the moonlight, a blue light swirled around the blade.
Tremendous Yeogi.
The blacksmith stood before me and held out the sword.
I received the sword. I laughed without realizing it.
The natural reaction of a martial artist seeing a famous sword.
"So the real Cheollu came."
I looked at him.
He was a Westerner in his late forties. He wore blue overalls and a white t-shirt. A youth repairing cars in a movie wore clothes like this.
His broad face and stubborn lips were impressive.
In my previous life, he had a gaunt frame and sharp feeling, but in this life, he had a solid appearance.
"Why did you lie?"
His speech was direct.
Hearing the voice of Cheollu, who couldn't hear or speak before, felt strange.
"Because I had no way to find you."
"What's your reason for finding me?"
"To create a rival for you. You were too bored in your previous life, weren't you?"
"I no longer make swords. I'll be going now."
He turned around.
I asked,
"Is it okay if someone else uses the name Cheollu?"
"It doesn't matter. Cheollu wasn't my name anyway."
"Then why did you come?"
He looked at me again.
"I wanted closure. To put my previous life into a final sword."
I held out the sword before him.
"Isn't this sword insufficient for that?"
His eyebrows twitched.
"It's an excellent sword, but to call it a sword made by Cheollu, it's just ordinary level. Is it okay for this to be called the sword that closes your previous life?"
As if his pride was stirring, Cheollu stared at my hand.
More precisely, he was looking at his sword.
At that moment, the door to the lodging that had been silent for the entire week opened.
And a short black man with a gaunt build appeared.
He came out holding a sword with a blade width of 1 meter. Then he threw the sword at me.
—Cheong Ak-sal, it's done.
Before Cheong Ak-sal could move, I stopped him and looked at the sword's movement.
The sword soared into the air and then fell in an area about 1 meter away from me.
Whooosh!
The sword, reacting to the impact with the ground, was engulfed in flames.
The magic circle I had expected wasn't visible.
The blade was spotlessly white, and both edges were sharply honed.
'So this is a magic sword.'
Not a sword temporarily made by drawing a magic circle.
Six gems were embedded in the handle, and splendid patterns were engraved in gold. It had a completely different feel from Cheollu's crude sword.
The black man stood before me with an angry face. He looked ready to throw a punch at any moment.
"Thief!"
His first words toward me.
"Thanks for the greeting."
"How dare you sell my name with a toy-like sword!"
His personality was eccentric and fiery.
At that moment, a cool breeze blew between us.
"Torto, hello."
"Ice Witch!"
The Witch grabbed the sword Torto had thrown on the ground. The flames completely disappeared when they touched the Witch's hand.
"Your skills have declined quite a bit?"
At the Witch's criticism, Torto flared up.
"Because there aren't many materials in this world."
"Instead, there are many other materials. Though, I suppose they're materials that aren't easy for you to obtain."
The Witch looked at Torto and asked,
"If you had the materials, could you make it properly?"
"Of course!"
The Witch smiled and extended her hand to me.
I handed Cheollu's sword over to her.
The Witch held both swords and struck them together audibly.
Then Torto's sword was scratched. On the contrary, the thinner sword of Cheollu was superior in strength.
The Witch said with disappointment,
"To think it's only this level."
Torto shouted, screaming,
"I told you there are no materials!"
Now he lunged as if to fight.
I took back the two swords the Witch was holding. Then I struck them together with the same internal energy.
Torto's sword split cleanly in half.
Inside the white blade, a cross-section with dozens of layers was visible. Though it was amazing that so many layers were stacked in such a thin cross-section, I didn't show it.
"If I had the materials, that toy wouldn't even be a match!"
The words I wanted came out. I looked at Cheollu and asked,
"That's what he says?"
"Are you telling us to compete?"
As expected, Cheollu had a calm personality, making him a difficult opponent. He wasn't the type to fall for provocation.
"I'll tell you precisely. Torto was the greatest craftsman in the magic world. No one could follow him. Just like you."
Cheollu looked at Torto for the first time. Torto glared at Cheollu as if to challenge him.
Cheollu observed him for a moment, then looked at me again.
"What do you want?"
"Show your skills. Then I'll give you compensation matching those skills."
"I don't like being tied down."
"In our previous life, I never tied you down either. All you get are benefits."
Cheollu already knew this part.
I said the same thing to Torto.
"I created this noisy occasion solely for you two. If you show your skills, I'll give you the compensation you want. If you don't want compensation, we won't interfere with you anymore either."
I added one more line that they could all hear.
"However, only if you have the skills."
Both their eyes changed.
Seeing this, I thought of one weapon I dreamed of.
'A sword made by both craftsmen together.'
I hid my true intentions and looked at them.