Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Horn Bow Restoration (2)
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Lee Ji-hee recalled what Team Leader Kim Tae-seok had said not long ago.
The user, Hyun-soo, had met the conditions for a God Class.
One was to reject a Legendary Class, and another was to achieve two astonishing feats within his profession.
Hyun-soo had currently accomplished one of those feats.
“Team Leader. The creation of Gwangmyeong was one of the astonishing feats, right?”
“That's right.”
“Then this restoration will be included too, won't it?”
Kim Tae-seok let out a small sigh.
“Yes, if he pulls this restoration off, it will be another astonishing feat.”
It was an undeniable fact.
However, Kim Tae-seok shook his head.
“But it won’t be easy because of the restriction. It would be great if it were purely a matter of skill, but…”
In the real world, a blacksmith’s skill could determine everything.
But this was, in the end, a game.
Just as a higher-level swordsman was far stronger than Han-ul, the greatest swordsmanship prodigy in the real world.
It meant that real-world skills alone weren't enough.
Kim Tae-seok’s fingers tapped away at the keyboard.
“It could certainly take longer than the mithril did. In fact, I think the real issue might be something else.”
“What is it?”
“This is a restoration. You could say it's different from an original creation made by Hyun-soo. It’s the process of restoring something that was already made.”
Lee Ji-hee’s expression showed she didn’t understand why that was a problem.
“Let’s put it this way. A chef creates an original dish. Then, he has another chef taste it, gives them the same ingredients, and asks them to recreate it. Do you think they could replicate the exact same flavor?”
“…Ah.”
Lee Ji-hee understood.
“Right. The materials given to Hyun-soo are the same. But he only saw it with his eyes and felt it with his hands, as if just tasting it. Restoring it won’t be easy.”
“Unless he’s an incredible restorer, it won’t be easy, I see.”
“Exactly. And if his restoration methods and skills were combined, there should be guidance on the restoration process, but there’s nothing like that because of the restriction.”
That was certainly true.
Then, a thought occurred to Lee Ji-hee.
Cooking with the same ingredients…
“Team Leader.”
“Hm?”
“But what happens if the second chef makes a more delicious dish than the first one?”
“…?”
Caught off guard by the piercing question, Kim Tae-seok’s eyes widened.
“We-well, of course…”
The request was for a restoration.
If the dish looked the same but tasted better, what would the client say?
“They’d probably be thrilled that it tastes better… right?”
***
Having begun the restoration, Hyun-soo could clearly feel it.
‘A VVIP capsule versus a standard-issue one. They’re worlds apart…’
It was only a 15% difference in sync rate. But a person’s limits could be decided within that 15%.
The Olympics, where national athletes gather!
Does the winner win because their skill is twice as good as everyone else’s?
No. It was often just a little more. They were just a tiny bit better than the rest.
This 15% was a much bigger deal than one might think.
Because of this, Hyun-soo was certain.
He was now capable of much more precise and perfect work than when he had crafted his first sword, Gwangmyeong.
Also.
‘Restoration work is fun.’
If others heard him, they might say something like this.
‘How is that fun?!’
It was perhaps like saying, “Studying is the most fun thing in the world for me!”
But for Hyun-soo, it was genuinely fun.
‘Maybe this is why people say they enjoy studying?’
When you study, you continuously accumulate new knowledge.
That person probably finds joy not in the act of studying itself, but in acquiring that knowledge.
Hyun-soo was similar, but slightly different.
While the process of creating was enjoyable in itself, he felt a thrill in anticipating what kind of result his efforts would produce.
What kind of piece will emerge this time?
What can I make that’s even better than before?
“First things first…”
The first step was to bend the wood.
He had to bend the mulberry, bamboo, and oak.
He needed to hold them end to end and make them maintain their curved shape.
However.
‘Why won’t it bend?’
Hyun-soo noticed. It was because of the restriction.
Just like last time, that restriction was preventing an easy creation process.
“Shall I lend a hand?”
“…Aren’t you busy?”
“It’s fine. Besides, isn’t this the process of restoring a memento left by my father?”
Lord Bance remained by Hyun-soo’s side.
“Are you going to keep helping me?”
“…If you wish, I shall. Restoring my father’s keepsake together… it would be quite meaningful.”
At those words, Hyun-soo gave a bitter smile.
“I think you’ll be wanting to run away, though?”
“…?”
Bance let out a bewildered laugh and sat down facing Hyun-soo. He joined him in pressing down hard on the wood he was holding.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I am a lord and known as a skilled swordsman. Do you think I would want to run away from a task like this? Hahahaha!”
Three days later.
“Can’t I go back now…?”
“No, you can’t.”
“…”
Bance was about to go mad.
Agh, it’s so boring, I’m losing my mind!
For three days, they had done nothing but repeat the task of bending the materials.
His back ached as if it would snap, and his arms trembled uncontrollably.
But Hyun-soo was different. He tied the ends of the wood together with wire.
“You should rest a bit.”
“I’m fine. This part is easy.”
“…?”
Bance looked at Hyun-soo with an uncomprehending expression.
“Are you mad?”
A small smile played on Hyun-soo’s lips as he shook his head.
“After working in that hot smithy every day, working in this cool air can’t help but feel easy.”
“…Ah?”
Bance understood. That did make sense.
Then, a question arose.
“Do all blacksmiths usually take this long?”
“Not here, I imagine.”
“…Not here?”
“Yes. Here, they receive the aid of mystical powers and the help of Lord Ares. Things are probably crafted and restored in a flash.”
“Then what about where you live?”
“Where I come from, this level of grind is commonplace.”
Bance looked at the young man, Hyun-soo.
Truthfully, he still had doubts about whether he could actually restore it.
But the way he had identified the materials without even a close look was very impressive, and Hyun-soo was full of confidence.
And what he trusted most were his palms.
‘Palms calloused from blisters that burst, tore, and healed over and over…’
Those palms were proof.
Lord Bance, who was also a swordsman, developed blisters on his hands just like that whenever he trained.
But it was rare for them to become so thoroughly calloused.
“It’s done now. I can handle it alone.”
Hyun-soo grinned. His earlier refusal to let him leave had just been a joke.
“…I’ll just stay by your side.”
The work was so arduous and taxing that Bance decided to simply watch.
The reason was that he found Hyun-soo’s expression interesting.
‘How…’
How could he wear such a happy smile?
Making something all day might be fun.
But after a day, two days, three days, it was human nature to get bored and want to run away.
Yet Hyun-soo was humming and seemed to be enjoying himself.
‘Is he madly in love with his profession?’
And so, Lord Bance watched the young man named Hyun-soo.
Three days passed.
*Shave, shave—*
“Now I’ll start shaping the mulberry wood.”
Five days passed.
“It’s finally shaped well. Now I’ll use the mulberry and bamboo to make the bow’s frame.”
Another week passed.
“Phew, the joining work is finally done. Now I’ll start shaping the water buffalo horn.”
Bance silently watched Hyun-soo.
Another four days passed.
“Now I’ll boil the binding agent.”
*Bubble, bubble, bubble.* The substance called the binding agent simmered into a thick consistency.
Bance continued to just watch him.
It was an indescribable feeling.
Watching the young man do his utmost for the memento his father left behind, a smile unknowingly formed on his face.
“Now I’ll make the sinew backing from whale tendon.”
The sinew backing made from whale tendon was, quite literally, a pure white cord.
How many days had passed?
About twenty?
Lord Bance slowly rose to his feet and drew his sword.
*Shinggg—*
“No matter how bored you are, you’re not going to kill me, are you…?”
Hyun-soo joked with a smile, and Bance shook his head.
“I can’t very well kill you out of boredom, so I thought I’d practice my swordsmanship.”
Bance was speaking indirectly.
More than twenty days had passed.
It was possible that it would take even longer.
A young man doing his best to restore his father’s memento.
Bance wanted to be of help to him.
That was why he would try to pass it on.
“What do you say? Would you like to learn?”
***
[You have gained 1 Dexterity.]
[Your affinity with Bance has increased.]
[You have gained 1 Dexterity.]
[Your affinity with Bance has increased…]
For over twenty days.
Hyun-soo had been working while listening to these notifications.
Then, suddenly, Lord Bance spoke.
“What do you say? Would you like to learn?”
*Ting!*
[Skill Quest: Prime Swordsmanship Training]
Grade: B
Requirement: One who has received Bance’s offer.
Reward: Prime Swordsmanship.
Failure Penalty: Decrease in affinity with Bance.
Description: Bance is a lord and a renowned swordsman. Learn his swordsmanship through training. Acquire the skill upon reaching 80% training completion.
‘A swordsmanship skill? And it’s even Rare?’
Hyun-soo wore a puzzled expression at Bance’s sudden offer to teach him swordsmanship.
Seeing the lord’s faint smile, he nodded.
“I accept.”
In Ares, the blacksmith was a production class, known to be extremely weak.
But if he could learn a swordsmanship skill, it would be a great help to Hyun-soo.
“I will show you three movements of my swordsmanship. You will watch with your eyes and continue your work.”
“Yes.”
Hyun-soo continued with his task.
Another two days passed.
[You have achieved 5% training completion.]
The quest description clearly stated he needed to achieve over 80% completion.
While restoring the horn bow, Hyun-soo also spent about two hours a day learning the stances from him.
Skills could be obtained like this through skill quests, or more easily through skill books.
The work was now 99% complete.
Truthfully, Hyun-soo was growing weary.
No matter how much he loved his profession, a task that continued for over a month was bound to exhaust anyone.
Only the final step remained.
It was the task of balancing the horn bow by warming it over a fire.
Exhausted from the strenuous labor, Hyun-soo spoke.
“Is there a reason you’re so keen on restoring this bow?”
Bance, who had been swinging his sword, smiled faintly.
“When I hold that bow, I remember the time I spent with my father.”
The reason Hyun-soo loved this profession.
It was because, sometimes, it was a profession that touched someone’s memories.
As Hyun-soo worked, Bance spun his tale.
“My father was a cold man. He was someone who paid no mind to his son. One day, after my mother passed away, my father changed. The beginning of that change was this: ‘Bance, my son, would you not like to learn the bow?’”
Hyun-soo’s hands moved more deftly, balancing the bow.
“He must have been trying to change, for the sake of me, who was left alone after my mother’s passing.”
Hyun-soo lifted the bow to check its balance, then warmed it over the fire again.
“When I first shot the bow, I wasn’t very good. But in a tone softer than usual, he taught me how to shoot, one arrow at a time.”
The bow, as it found its balance, looked almost identical to the one Bance had first held.
“After he passed away, I found comfort in looking at that bow. It was like feeling my father’s warmth.”
Yes, the bow Hyun-soo was restoring was not just a bow.
It was his memory, his recollection of his father.
“That is why.”
Looking at Bance’s bright smile, Hyun-soo smiled back.
“That’s a fine memory.”
Just as he had his own, Bance too had memories with his father.
Seeing Bance’s eyes redden at the poignant memory, Hyun-soo slowly rose.
Finally, Hyun-soo began the last step.
It was the end of the bow-making process.
*Twang—*
He nocked an arrow on the bowstring and drew it with all his might. A moment later, that single arrow flew true, striking the target perfectly.
*Thwump—*
Immediately, a notification rang out.
[You have demonstrated a restoration technique that defies the common sense of a blacksmith at your level.]
[You have accomplished a marvelous feat that will never be repeated in the beginner’s zone.]
[A blacksmith superior to the original has restored the item with greater precision and skill.]
[The grade of the Sharpshooter’s Horn Bow has increased.]
[The Rare artifact has been upgraded to an Epic artifact.]
[You have gained 1 point in all stats.]
[You have gained 30 Dexterity.]
[You have gained 30 Fame.]
[You have acquired the title ‘Restorer Who Surpasses Limits.’]
Hyun-soo smiled as he presented the bow to Bance.
“Please, have a look. At the memories of your father.”