Chapter 15
Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Auction (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hyun-soo slowly opened his eyes and was shocked by the hologram floating before him.
[Current Bid: 1,008 Gold.]
[Final bid in 10 seconds.]
[10, 9, 8…]
“1,000 gold?”
1,000 gold was a huge sum, a whole million won.
“Wow, incredible…!”
Was the value of an artifact in Ares much higher than he'd thought?
[Hyeon's First Sword has been sold to Blam of the Golden Shield for 1,008 gold.]
[The buyer has left a blind review.]
*A review?*
Hyun-soo checked the review with a puzzled expression.
[Hello. I am Blam of the Golden Hammer Guild. It is an honor to purchase the first artifact crafted by the blacksmith named 'Hyeon'.]
*Why is he praising me so much?*
[I stretched my budget a bit to buy it. But I made the purchase considering that it has no usage restrictions and that it marks the beginning of the brand for the blacksmith, Hyeon.]
[I hope we can continue to have good transactions in the future. Additionally, if you are interested in an exclusive contract, please contact our Golden Hammer Guild at any time.]
“Ah…”
Hyun-soo could now understand why the price had exceeded his expectations.
*The Golden Hammer Guild…*
Hyun-soo had heard of the Golden Hammer Guild.
A fairly well-known blacksmith guild in Korea.
Then, Hyun-soo clicked on 'Golden Hammer' on the side of the auction board and entered its page.
“Wow, 780,000 subscribers…?”
A whopping 780,000 people had signed up to be notified whenever the Golden Hammer Guild posted an item.
“How many have I gained?”
He knew that even level 100 blacksmiths averaged fewer than 10 subscribers.
This was because most blacksmiths naturally used the auction boards.
There were statistics showing that over 500,000 users in Korea were blacksmiths.
Since every one of them used the boards, only the famous ones saw their subscriber counts grow.
[Hyeon's Smithy Subscribers: 211.]
“…?”
Hyun-soo tilted his head in confusion.
He'd heard that increasing your auction board subscriber count was harder than leveling up.
And when he entered his personal space, Hyeon's Smithy, the message box was blinking.
He clicked on the message box and found several messages.
[Hello. This is Revil from the Blue Hammer Guild. I am messaging you to discuss a contract with 'Hyeon's Smithy'...]
[Greetings! I am Tae-hoon, the master of the Tae-hoon Guild. Our Tae-hoon Guild...]
[Hello?]
[A message from the Red Anvil Smithy...]
About five of the messages were recruitment offers or contract proposals.
“…”
Hyun-soo stood there for a moment, overcome with a new sense of emotion.
At his father's smithy, people who were interested in things like weapons were extremely rare.
It was even more so in Korea, where weapon ownership was prohibited.
But here, everyone wanted them.
Instead of complaining to the district office to 'get rid of that damned smithy!', they recognized its value.
“One million won…”
It was precious money earned from his first artifact sale.
With a small smile, Hyun-soo closed the auction board.
*Not yet.*
Hyun-soo knew that receiving so many messages meant his value was higher than he'd thought.
There was no need to rush.
And Hyun-soo was certain that his value would only increase from now on.
Before long, Hyun-soo arrived in front of the lord's castle.
“Who are you?”
one of the two guards with crossed spears asked.
“I've come with a letter of recommendation regarding the restoration of the lord's bow.”
The guard glanced at the letter and nodded.
“So there are two outsiders seeking the lord today. Follow me.”
Hyun-soo wore a puzzled expression.
*Two?*
That meant another user besides himself was already meeting with the lord.
Hyun-soo followed the guard.
***
“Is it true? Is there truly no way to restore it here?”
The face of Bannes, the Lord of Bardin, crumpled as he sat in his chair.
It was because of Bell, the outsider who had visited the castle.
Bell looked like a skilled blacksmith at first glance.
“As you know, this place is called the beginner's zone. Skilled blacksmiths from the outside cannot enter. Even if some managed to, most of them would have been unable to restore it.”
At Bell's explanation, Bannes couldn't help but nod.
“That is certainly true.”
Quite a few outsiders had visited Lord Bannes before.
But none of them had been able to say with certainty that they could restore it.
The first reason.
In the first place, entry into the beginner's zone itself was restricted.
While there were a few, they were mostly blacksmiths in their level 50s.
To begin with, the restoration skill for blacksmiths could only be learned at level 80 or higher.
Just as Bell was about to add another word to the sighing Bannes…
“Another outsider has arrived.”
“Another outsider?”
“Yes, he came with a letter of recommendation from an instructor named Relsson.”
Lord Bannes was in a hurry.
His father's heirloom, burnt to a crisp in a castle fire!
He was desperate enough to do anything to restore it.
In truth, being a lord, he wasn't someone who would meet just anyone.
This was especially true for outsiders.
Outsiders were full of greed. Whenever he went out into the town, he would hear things like this.
‘Lord, just 100 gold!’
‘Lord, let's be friends~!’
‘Hey, he's just an NPC, why are you doing that?’
‘Who knows? He might give a hidden quest. He's a lord.’
‘Oh? Loooord!’
They were not a pleasant bunch.
Bannes, who normally distrusted and disliked outsiders, was now in a state of grasping at straws.
And as the newly arrived outsider entered, Bannes's face contorted.
Soon, a guard spoke to the outsider.
“Sit, and show some respect.”
The outsider was wearing armor that was rusted beyond recognition.
“So, you too have come for the restoration. What is your name?”
“It's Hyun-soo.”
“Hyun-soo, you say. What level of mastery have you reached?”
“Are you referring to the mystic power?”
Bannes slowly nodded.
“Unfortunately, I have not yet learned the mystic power.”
“…”
Lord Bannes's face crumpled miserably.
The mystic power was what NPCs called the outsiders' skills.
But he hadn't learned such a power.
Bannes, recalling the name Relsson, asked.
“Did you perhaps come straight from the hunting training ground?”
“That's right.”
Lord Bannes felt it wasn't even worth talking anymore.
He let out a small sigh. He turned his head away from him without a second thought.
*I'll kick him out as soon as this conversation is over.*
Yes, this person named Hyun-soo was what the outsiders would call a level 1.
He was just another one of the greedy people he had seen in town.
He didn't know how he got the letter of recommendation.
But he had not the slightest intention of entrusting the restoration request to someone so shabby and insignificant.
That's why he turned back to the blacksmith named Bell and gestured with his chin.
Bell, who had been quiet for a moment, met Bannes's gaze and then glanced over at the user named Hyun-soo.
*What's this beggar doing here?*
I'm one thing, but what's with that guy?
What's a level 1 doing here, thinking he can restore the lord's bow?
If he was going to come, he should've done something about that rusty armor.
But it was none of his business.
*I just need to do my job well. Hehe.*
In reality, Bell was not a blacksmith.
He looked like a blacksmith, but he was actually one of the thief classes, a 'Traversing Thief'.
The Traversing Thief was a hidden class and could learn some rather special skills.
First, he could change his appearance.
This also applied to artifacts.
Second, he would not be penalized for breaking a bet or a promise made with someone.
Third, he could traverse any restricted beginner's zone.
The reason the level 70 Bell had come here was to take advantage of Lord Bannes's desperation.
*Even if it's completely burned, it should fetch a decent price. Or I could commission another blacksmith to restore it and then resell it.*
And even for a thief, research was essential. He continued the conversation from before.
“As I was saying, it is absolutely impossible to restore it here. You will have to take it outside and entrust it to a skilled blacksmith.”
“Hmm... As you know, by the will of the great god Ares, I cannot leave this land.”
NPCs who cannot move from a fixed location. They are called Guardian NPCs.
Bannes was one such Guardian NPC.
*So this is a quest no one can clear anyway, kekeke~*
Bell was thrilled.
Didn't Bannes just say with his own mouth that he couldn't leave?
That meant he was dying to have it restored but had no way to do so.
In that case?
“If it isn't too much to ask, I would like to take it myself to a blacksmith I know and have it restored.”
“You, yourself?”
“Yes, since it's impossible to do it here, it's only right to take it outside.”
“Mmm, but still, it is my father's precious heirloom…”
Bannes was deep in thought.
Even to his eyes, the restoration seemed difficult.
Then, a question suddenly occurred to Bannes.
“Do you know the type of bow and its materials?”
The charred bow was burned so badly that it was difficult to even identify its type.
To Bannes's sharp question, Bell replied.
“Yes, this bow is a Western-style bow commonly used in my world. It's called a recurve bow. It can certainly be restored. So please, allow me to take it outside and restore it. If you still find me untrustworthy, we can make a Vow of Ares, can we not?”
Bell made a bold proposal.
He intended to break that promise using the effect of one of his skills, 'False Promise'.
Moreover, the Vow of Ares carried significant weight within this game.
Failing to fulfill it resulted in a penalty.
Bell was using that as leverage to gain his trust.
When Bell himself brought up the Vow of Ares, Bannes's resolve wavered.
It was certainly true.
The domain Lord Bannes ruled was a beginner's zone, and no matter how skilled someone was, it was unlikely they could restore this precious heirloom here.
“…Is that the only way?”
In the end, Lord Bannes took the bait.
He wanted it restored, no matter what.
But the person before him was saying it.
That it was absolutely impossible to restore it here.
In the end, Bannes had to agree.
“How much will be needed for the restoration?”
“300 gold should be enough.”
Bannes, who had closed his eyes in thought for a moment, was about to slowly nod his head.
Just then.
“…It can be restored.”
A voice was heard.
Bannes slowly opened his eyes and turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
The voice belonged to the level 1 outsider named Hyun-soo.
Bannes looked puzzled. So did Bell.
Why was he suddenly spouting nonsense and ruining a done deal?
To say it can be restored here?
According to Bell's research, that bow could never be restored here.
No, in the first place, it wasn't a quest designed to be completed.
His face hardening, Lord Bannes rose from his chair.
“I was speaking with a blacksmith of a higher caliber than you. How dare you interrupt our conversation with such nonsense?”
But the outsider named Hyun-soo's expression was unwavering.
Soon, Lord Bannes drew his sword.
*Shing—*
“Can you stake your life on it?”
At that question, the outsider named Hyun-soo fell silent for a moment.
***
Hyun-soo had been listening in silence.
If someone had already received the quest, it was right for them to speak and proceed first.
But the situation was taking a strange turn. He felt something was off every time he heard the user named Bell speak.
Bell had said.
That the bow was a type of Western bow.
Bullshit.
Hyun-soo had made that bow hundreds, no, thousands of times at the smithy.
“Can you stake your life on it?”
To Bannes's question, Hyun-soo nodded.
“Yes.”
The type of that bow was a *gakgung* (角弓).
A traditional Korean bow.