Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Blacksmith Escort Mission
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“What kind of sin did I commit in my past life...?”
“What do you mean past life? It’s all because of the crap you pulled just ten days ago.”
“......”
No Jun-yeop’s mood soured even further after getting called out by the very person exhausting his body and mind.
Baek Do-jin, sprawled out comfortably and slurping his drink, looked like a massive bedbug.
‘When the hell am I going to get freed from this guy?’
Kang Jae-hyeok’s request had been simple.
Teach Baek Do-jin archery until he could hit bullseyes consistently in Beginner Mode.
The first few days, he’d thought it would be easy.
In Beginner Mode, the distance to the target was up to 90 meters max, and the target ring was 120 centimeters in diameter.
Even the 10-point bullseye was only about 12 centimeters across, but any ordinary person could hit it consistently with enough practice.
Meanwhile, Expert Mode doubled the distance and shrank the target to a fifth the size; Hell Mode had multiple targets popping up and moving in real time; Ragnarok Mode made them even smaller and added cover plus penalty rules. Those all demanded high stats and archery skills, but Beginner Mode was child’s play anyone could enjoy.
That’s right.
No Jun-yeop had been brimming with confidence.
No matter how little talent Baek Do-jin had for archery, as a Player, he’d surely become a deadeye marksman in Beginner Mode in no time.
No, with the future Bow Saint personally passing down his know-how, he’d even master Expert Mode easily.
But what was reality like?
Baek Do-jin was still dying in Beginner Mode.
He’d gotten better about not completely missing the target, but his best score hadn’t improved beyond a 5-point ring.
‘This isn’t just a lack of talent or focus. Doesn’t he have some kind of spatial perception disorder?’
No Jun-yeop, now seriously suspecting as much, looked at Baek Do-jin with pity.
‘Of all people, a Flash Step user has spatial perception issues? Isn’t the world just screwing him over?’
Flash Step was infamous.
Word was, it required pinpoint coordinate designation without a millimeter of error, then swiftly channeling mana along the shifting path to the target for perfect execution.
In combat, where lives hung by split seconds, controlling it at will was practically impossible.
In fact, the three prior Flash Step users before Baek Do-jin had all failed to reach high-rank Player status.
Records showed they’d suffered repeated severe injuries from their own skill, eventually developing trauma and all but sealing it away.
Geniuses with top-tier focus, mana control, and spatial perception were rare enough, and the odds of one of them awakening Flash Step were vanishingly low.
‘Flash Step’s rarity is one thing, but this...’
Suddenly.
No Jun-yeop realized why Baek Do-jin obsessed over archery despite his lack of talent.
‘There’s no better training for the three essentials a Flash Step user needs than archery.’
There was no way that brute Baek Do-jin had figured it out himself...
‘Kang Jae-hyeok must’ve advised him.’
What a weird guy.
For someone so young, he had this oddly wise and benevolent air.
Jun-yeop stared at his right hand.
The one Kang Jae-hyeok had grabbed.
The strength and warmth transmitted through that firm grip still felt vivid.
Without it, No Jun-yeop might’ve drowned in rage and shame, committing a massive blunder.
‘I thought he was just some lunatic at first...’
When a mere freshman slapped him with a challenge.
No Jun-yeop had suspected it was some new suicide method.
He couldn’t imagine losing.
Yet Kang Jae-hyeok shattered everyone’s expectations with victory and changed so much in just ten days.
The biggest shift was the fading divide between the two Archery Club factions.
Once No Jun-yeop lost, his faction lost momentum.
Once Kang Jae-hyeok extended a hand, Jang Yeon-ju’s faction couldn’t mock his anymore.
Above all, Kang Jae-hyeok didn’t distinguish between No Jun-yeop’s faction and Jang Yeon-ju’s.
Among the members who’d delivered black rock mackerel on his orders, both factions were randomly mixed.
Guys who’d snarled at each other like dogs and monkeys on the way out came back from their delivery—no, mission—with a warm, fuzzy vibe. It was absurd.
‘His reason for taking low-rank requests was unexpected, though.’
Nobles... He’d thought they were all stiff-necked pricks.
Of course, Kang Jae-hyeok was pretty rude himself.
Bam!
Look at him now.
Kicking the door open was his standard entry to the range.
A few startled club members slipped, their hands jerking.
“See? Archery practiced only in quiet settings lacks real combat value, right?”
Jae-hyeok, who’d disrupted training, scolded the members instead.
And yet it sounded so plausible no one argued.
‘Doesn’t mean you have to kick the door, though...’
There were plenty of ways to make noise or startle shooters without wrecking stuff, right?
...Anyway.
Jae-hyeok was rude, but somehow different from other nobles.
His selfish attitude hid intent to help others.
Watching from the side naturally built fondness.
‘Guys who raged about making Lion’s Castle students—let alone sky-high seniors—deliver fish are now the first to follow that kid.’
No Jun-yeop was staring hard at Jae-hyeok striding into the range when.
He stopped.
Jae-hyeok halted right in front of No Jun-yeop and frowned.
“The club president’s here, and no greeting?”
“Uh...? Uh, uh....”
Screw seniority—Jae-hyeok’s scolding was oppressively natural.
No Jun-yeop reflexively started to stand and bow when Do-jin, beside him, clicked his tongue.
“Is it club president or Kang Jae-hyeok? Can’t even tell a joke.”
“......”
“Not a joke—a test. The results are worrying. You’re not gonna go blabbing you’re the Archery Club president, right?”
“...You fucking bastards.”
The moment No Jun-yeop flushed with humiliation at being toyed with by a kid and a dog.
“I want you to take a request.”
Jae-hyeok’s expression turned serious.
“Know Gri-si? I need you to go there and track down the Song Clan Castle blacksmith.”
“Gri-si?”
“Not copper—Gri.”
“...Who cares about that crap? Sending high-class talent like me to find some guy? Forgotten I’m the future Bow Saint?”
“You lost to Kang Jae-hyeok.”
“Baek Do-jin, don’t butt into human conversations.”
Si, gun, gu, dong, eup, myeon, ri.
Back during the Great Change.
South Korea’s administrative districts vanished by the dozens, scale irrelevant.
Add North Korea’s damage, and it topped a hundred units.
Adapting to the new world and unifying with the North created or merged dozens more.
Many place names got forgotten or distorted in the process.
But only scholars lamented it.
In modern society, Gate counts mattered more than national geography.
People these days knew Gate names better than place names.
Jae-hyeok was no exception.
“Gri-si’s security is apparently pretty dangerous. Your mission’s basically escort duty.”
“Escort? Moving with the client?”
“Yeah. Find the Song Clan Castle blacksmith with the client, then get both out safely. That’s the request.”
It looked plenty tough.
So No Jun-yeop was puzzled.
“Why not go yourself?”
He hated to admit it, but.
No Jun-yeop had been thoroughly beaten by Jae-hyeok and lost the club presidency.
For high-difficulty missions, Jae-hyeok stepping up made more sense.
“Because you’re stronger than me.”
But Jae-hyeok thought differently.
“If we’d fought real combat instead of archery rules, beating you would’ve been tough. You admit that, right?”
“Hmm, hmm... Yeah, sure...”
As No Jun-yeop’s mood lifted with face saved, his lips twitched.
“Losing the club presidency on archery rules is legendary.”
Baek Do-jin tackled again.
Unable to take it anymore, No Jun-yeop locked him in a headlock when.
“Jang Yeon-ju senior’s coming too.”
Jae-hyeok dropped a bombshell.
“W-what?”
No Jun-yeop jumped.
“Teaming with Jang Yeon-ju? You nuts? Is this a hit job? Client’s a psycho?”
“Should clients micromanage student relationships?”
“...No. Outsiders wouldn’t even know we’re on bad terms.”
Calmed and convinced, No Jun-yeop asked.
“So who’s the client?”
“Me.”
“......”
Stunned by the unexpected answer, No Jun-yeop stared blankly before snapping to, veins bulging on his forehead.
“You son of a—! You’re screwing with me on purpose! Was taking over the club just to fuck me over?!”
“No way. As client, I just want to entrust it to reliable experts.”
“...Tch.”
Just ten days ago.
No Jun-yeop would’ve cursed him out and swung fists.
But he’d been manhandled by Loren and Jae-hyeok.
He’d learned humility.
Plus, watching Jae-hyeok had subtly shifted his heart.
Curious what scheme this was, he decided to take the request.
“What’s the pay? Club president’s fee ain’t cheap.”
“You’re not president.”
“...Goddamn, that pisses me off.”
***
That night.
Back at the dorm, Jae-hyeok texted Butler Hwang.
-Tomorrow morning early, sending two students as escorts. They’re top-notch, so rely on them.
-So soon?
-Butler Hwang scouted the potter fast, so I gotta respond quick.
Butler Hwang’s intel exceeded Jae-hyeok’s expectations.
Finding a House Kang potter could’ve taken months or years; he’d done it in four days.
-Glad Butler Hwang’s only weakness is cooking.
-No big deal. Song artisan’s contact was in my phone.
-...Why’d it take four days then? You sure cooking’s your only flaw?
-What could I do if he didn’t pick up? Don’t mistake this old man for incompetent. Anyway, complying so fast with Young Lord’s request—surely the two tomorrow aren’t Young Lord’s friends?
‘Friends?’
Jang Yeon-ju maybe, but calling No Jun-yeop that would be a mistake.
-No.
-As expected. Still, moving in a day means loyal subordinates? How long since enrollment, and already... (cat folding arms and sighing emoticon) You’re not planning school violence like the eldest miss, right? No money for lawyers, so please restrain yourself.
“......”
Maybe the person in this world who trusts me least is Butler Hwang?
Long time together can turn toxic.
Gazing at the moon outside and reciting impromptu verse, Jae-hyeok logged into the community.
Sure enough, a message from the conscientious merchant had arrived today too.
Claiming a massive treasure this time.
Attitude totally flipped.
Detailed item info fully disclosed.
Finally following basic merchant etiquette.
‘The more I think, the more infuriating.’
Perfect stress relief.
-The stuff you sell is too low-level. No interest.
Click.
After venting to the merchant and healing wounds from Butler Hwang, Jae-hyeok went to bed relaxed.
Same time, a grand mansion in some western nation.
“Not even this satisfies him? A true whale. Maybe time to pull out that item...?”
The man operating as conscientious merchant on the community grinned eagerly.