Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Value of Hyeon (1)
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While Hyun-soo was asleep.
[The people of the Kasel territory are spreading the story of their benefactor.]
[That story reaches some of the people you have passed by or those who need you.]
His story was spreading rapidly.
Some of the people he had passed by. Those with whom he had built a high level of intimacy.
Ares's beginner town.
Ren, a blacksmith who had been repeating his forging, trembled at the story he heard.
“Hyun-soo…? Are you saying he saved the Kasel territory?”
“That's right. But why are you so happy about it?”
“Of course I am. He’s my master!”
The blacksmith named Ren, who had since risen from a beginner to an intermediate blacksmith, began to boast about his greatness.
And in the lord’s castle, also located in the beginner territory.
*Fwiiiip—*
*Thwack!*
Lord Bans, having hit the bullseye with a master archer’s horn bow, looked down at the weapon and smiled faintly.
“My lord, have you heard the news?”
Upon hearing the story, Lord Bans laughed heartily.
“Hahahaha! I knew that fellow would accomplish something great. Let me tell you what kind of man he is…”
Rumors travel a thousand leagues. But something else spreads even faster. A remarkable achievement.
“He remade my father’s keepsake. Do you see this bow!?”
The soldier tilted his head, watching the excitedly chattering Lord Bans.
And Daeng, the Tower Master of the Sword Blacksmiths’ Tower, smiled gently.
“I knew he could do it.”
The story continued its journey across a thousand leagues, while Hyun-soo remained deep in slumber.
[Inspiring stories about you, the benefactor of the Kasel territory, are spreading far and wide.]
[These stories prove that you have walked a noble path.]
[You have gained 100 Fame.]
[You have gained 30 Charisma.]
Even while he did nothing, his story was making him grow stronger.
And that story also reached someone who desperately needed him, someone who was searching for him.
A man with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s and a massive, powerful frame.
Sword King Barad.
He needed a sword, right now, that could make him stronger.
There was a being he absolutely had to cut down.
To slay that being, he needed that sword.
That was why Sword King Barad had repeatedly spoken to Rod, who had now become his successor, and he had answered.
‘I’ve passed on the story. Perhaps he’ll come after some time has passed?’
But Rod’s expression lacked conviction. He had heard that this was a man who had also refused his own offer.
Sword King Barad listened to a report from his vassal.
“…The Kasel territory? Isn’t that the place that borders our kingdom?”
“…That is correct. It is said that a single blacksmith saved the territory when it was on the verge of being overrun by the undead.”
“…A blacksmith?”
“Yes. They say he repaired an unrepairable artifact.”
Barad rose to his feet without realizing it. He looked out at the darkness beyond the window.
He could feel it.
‘He’s coming.’
That the man would appear before him in the near future.
***
The blacksmith Hyeon.
He was currently a hot topic among blacksmiths. Literally, only among blacksmiths.
The vast majority of regular players, with his subscriber count at a mere 30,000, had never even heard of him.
Perhaps it was to be expected.
People often don’t remember anyone outside the top ten.
In fact, many don’t even bother to click.
Currently, the number one blacksmith guild in Korea had about 2.9 million subscribers.
And the world’s number one blacksmith had 70 million subscribers.
30,000.
A lot, if you look at it one way, but a little, if you look at it another.
While Hyun-soo was still asleep.
A user posted on the Ares community forum.
[Yo, you guys know a blacksmith named Hyeon?]
[Who’s that, you dweeb? Lmao.]
[FR lol.]
The community users were consistent as ever.
[Oh? I know him. He’s the guy who made Hyeon’s First Custom-Made Sword, right?]
[Ah, that Hyeon is this Hyeon?]
[Yeah, same Hyeon, I think? Why?]
[They’re saying the planned Kasel territory update was canceled because of this user.]
[…The hell are you talking about? How can one user stop an update? Not even the rank 1 player could do that.]
[I heard he repaired something called the Bell of Lamas?]
Then.
[The Bell of Lamas? What nonsense is that? The Bell of Lamas is unrepairable.]
[Huh? No, it’s not? I heard he repaired the Bell of Lamas and made something like Hyeon’s Second Custom-Made Bell?]
[Dude… the Bell of Lamas itself can’t be repaired. (Screenshot.)]
[…Huh? You’re right. But I confirmed it myself? (Screenshot.)]
Hyeon's Second Custom-Made Bell.
When the item information was posted, people fell silent for a moment. One of them, after a careful look, spoke up.
[Whoa, that’s insane…?]
[Holy… a user made this? Aren’t there very few users who can make something like this?]
[And it’s a wide-area artifact, damn?]
[The description says he recreated an unrepairable artifact. What does that even mean… damn?]
[How do you recreate something that’s unrepairable? It can’t be fixed in the first place?]
[Idiots, falling for it again. Sigh. That's obviously photoshopped.]
[They fall for it every time lololol.]
It seemed the spark of interest was about to die down again. And then, there was a user typing away at their computer.
[I work in a Photoshop-related field. I checked, and it's not a composite. It's real.]
[No proof means what? Lol.]
[(Photo.)]
The man had actually presented his employee ID card, with his face covered.
[It’s… it’s real…?]
[Yo, what is this? How do you repair an unrepairable artifact!]
[How the f*** did he do it?]
[It’s real. My friend who’s in the Kasel territory right now said he got to touch the bell and everything.]
[Holy…]
Among them was someone who had been keeping an eye on Hyeon and had taken an interest in him.
No, to be precise, someone who had become a fan.
[Hyeon. He’s the real deal, so go subscribe to Hyeon’s Smithy.]
[OK, link pls.]
[Oh, subscribing!]
And one woman, following suit, clicked her mouse on the subscribe button for Hyeon’s Smithy.
[You have subscribed to Hyeon’s Smithy.]
[Hyeon’s Smithy Subscribers: 78,997.]
The subscriber count had already jumped again.
The woman who pressed the subscribe button.
It was Nel, Kim Hye-in.
She looked utterly exhausted.
But with a Golden Shield corporate meeting coming up soon, she fought off her drowsiness and endured.
***
Mun-su, the CEO of Golden Shield, spoke.
“I’m thinking of offering 700 million. What do you think our chances are?”
The break room.
They were talking before heading into the meeting.
They, too, were aware of the freshly emerging issue.
In fact, an online article had just been published.
[The Emergence of a User Who Recreated an Unrepairable Artifact. Blacksmith Hyeon. Who is He?]
[Ares Experts Speculate Blacksmith Hyeon, as Seen in His Name, is One of the Blacksmiths Aiming for Brand-Building.]
He repaired an unrepairable artifact?
This was an astronomical event that defied common sense.
This alone would cause Hyeon’s value to skyrocket.
Golden Shield had previously proposed an offer of 400 million won.
But it had been shot down by Hye-in.
“Do you think it’ll work? With Team Leader Kim Hye-in’s personality? If we suggest 700 million, she’ll probably storm out of the room.”
“Hmm…”
CEO Mun-su let out a groan.
But, hoping against hope, he said.
“Will it really not work? But repairing an unrepairable artifact is an incredible feat, isn’t it?”
CEO Mun-su was also the 12th-ranked blacksmith in Korea.
So he understood its true value.
However, there were several potential problems.
“Team Leader Kim Hye-in doesn’t believe anything she doesn’t see with her own eyes. It was the same last time. Plus, she’ll probably say something like this.”
“Like what?”
“That there’s no point in signing someone who’ll just take 700 million and slack off.”
“Ah…”
Mun-su completely agreed with that sentiment.
Realistically, how many players took that money and just lazed around?
Of course, those types were all kicked out once their one-year contract was up.
“Sigh. But I understand Ms. Kim Hye-in. Honestly, she’s the one who saved the Golden Shield guild.”
CEO Mun-su nodded.
She was a genius.
Sales, planning, finance. She excelled in every field.
Initially, the Golden Shield guild was just a decent, mid-ranked guild.
Frankly, with the 12th-ranked blacksmith as a member, it shouldn’t have been just “decent.”
That’s how unimpressive Mun-su’s salesmanship and guild-building skills were.
The moment she joined, everything changed.
If they just followed her words, guild members were recruited left and right.
If they sold items according to her instructions, they received up to 1.5 times the projected amount.
‘Yes, she’s a genius at growing guilds. No, a genius at growing guilds and people.’
The answer she had given when he first asked why she had joined a guild like his was also amusing.
‘I just wanted to try growing one.’
She had also cleaned up many of the messes Mun-su had made.
“I’ll just bring it up lightly. If not, well, we’ll just have to listen to Team Leader Kim.”
“Let’s do that.”
“Sounds good.”
“That’s the best approach.”
They entered the conference room.
Inside, Hye-in was pressing her temples, looking tired.
She seemed to have been busy with something lately and hadn’t been seen around.
But since she was someone who always did her job impeccably, no one paid it any mind or took issue with it.
The meeting began.
During the meeting, CEO Mun-su carefully broached the subject.
“Ahem, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but Blacksmith Hyeon is making headlines again. They say he repaired an unrepairable artifact.”
A quick glance.
“It’s an incredible achievement. Repairing an unrepairable artifact. I don’t need to tell you the extent of its potential. Of course, it could just be the power of a one-time-use skill.”
Mun-su agreed with what Hye-in had said before.
The custom-made items Blacksmith Hyeon had created.
Only two had appeared so far.
The problem was, what if they were created by a skill with a limit of 5 uses, or 10 uses?
In fact, there were many who possessed such skills.
That was why he was being cautious.
“But considering his potential, we were thinking of offering around… 700 million. What is your opinion, Team Leader Kim?”
*Crack—*
“…?”
The moment Mun-su said those words, the pen Hye-in was holding snapped.
She scowled, her bloodshot eyes scanning the conference room.
CEO Mun-su swallowed hard.
The atmosphere in the room froze over.
He had touched a nerve.
This time, he had really touched a nerve.
Yes, maybe it really was too much.
Promising an annual salary of 700 million won to a user who had only made two custom items…
“It was an unrepairable artifact. He took an unrepairable artifact and turned it into that. And you’re offering a mere 700 million!?”
She scoffed.
“We should be offering at least 1 billion! No, even that’s not enough!”
*Thwack—*
Slamming both hands on the table, she looked at CEO Mun-su and the directors and said.
“We at Golden Shield will have to mobilize every last bit of capital we can pull together!”
***
Hye-in couldn’t hide her excitement.
A mere 700 million?
Unthinkable.
A one-time creation?
That wasn’t it either.
A blacksmith who grants serendipitous opportunities standing beside him?
That wasn’t it either.
A special class?
That wasn’t it either.
No matter what label you tried to attach, it couldn’t match his value.
That was the exclusive domain of the chosen ones.
What is talent?
What is a genius?
Does the highest-paid soccer player in the world earn that salary because he’s twice as fast and his shots are twice as powerful as other players?
‘No. That’s not it.’
It’s because he holds a very slight edge.
A genius is someone who can see up to 120 in a realm where others can only reach 100.
It was just like that.
Hyeon was a genius. A blacksmithing genius.
Furthermore, considering that there are almost no real blacksmiths left in the present day, his rarity was immense.
On top of that, he was equipped with diligence and passion.
His value would become immeasurable in the future.
Moreover, she had heard Hyun-soo’s voice as he ran with the bell in his inventory.
He had responded to her words, ‘I want you so badly.’
‘You want me? Then tell me. My value.’
Alright, I’ll do it.
I will raise your value to its absolute peak, right here and now.