Chapter 61
Chapter 61
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: The Frosty Mine (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Bakeu considered waiting to sell the smithy, rather than selling it right away, one of the best decisions he’d ever made.
When Hyun-soo brought the money to buy the smithy, he was overjoyed.
What was this feeling? Was this what it felt like to have a son?
It was simply the hope that the boy would live a good life.
The fact that Hyun-soo had sent him a whisper was proof that he was doing well these days.
[Bakeu: I'm doing well. The weather's getting hotter, so be careful not to overheat.]
Bakeu looked around and gave a bitter smile.
‘It’s definitely hot…’
So hot here, in fact, that it could melt everything away.
[Hyun-soo: Do you remember the promise we made a while back? The one where I said I’d craft an artifact for you.]
“Hm?”
Of course, Bakeu remembered. He’d been in the middle of clearing the Salamander’s Dungeon at the time, so he had written his request to the best of his ability.
[Hyun-soo: Have there been any changes to the artifact you want? I plan on crafting and sending it to you soon.]
[Bakeu: I’m fine…]
Bakeu stopped typing the whisper and shook his head.
He had shown the boy kindness, and if Hyun-soo couldn’t repay it, it would weigh on him for the rest of his life.
‘Could it be…?’
A sliver of hope he hadn't realized was there prompted him to ask.
[Bakeu: No changes to the request. You said you were a blacksmith class, Hyun-soo, right? What’s your level?]
[Hyun-soo: It’s still low, I’m at 59 ^^;;]
Bakeu wasn't particularly disappointed. It had only been a tiny flicker of hope, after all.
‘I’ll have to keep it safe in my inventory.’
A level 59 blacksmith. He had a pretty good idea of what kind of artifact the boy would send.
Usually, someone at that level was a beginner blacksmith.
But Bakeu would treasure it. Hyun-soo’s earnest heart, trying to repay him somehow, was just too endearing.
[Hyun-soo: I’ll send it to you as soon as I can!]
[Bakeu: Alright, I’ll be looking forward to it.]
Ending the whisper, Bakeu let out a small smile and pushed himself to his feet.
‘How many more tries do I have left?’
The job quest was to clear the Salamander's Dungeon.
He only had a few chances left. If he failed, the job quest would be permanently deleted.
His opportunity to become the unofficial number one ranked tank would vanish.
“Should I try putting in a request with the creator of the Sword King’s sword?”
He shook his head.
‘I heard other rankers are constantly sending requests, but he’s not accepting any.’
There was no way the smith would accept a request from the still-unknown Bakeu.
Once again, Bakeu began scouring the auction house, hoping to find a decent shield.
***
After finishing his whisper with Bakeu, Hyun-soo found himself standing before the portal leading to the Frosty Mine.
[You have entered the Frosty Mine.]
[You are the first to enter.]
[For one week, EXP and drop rates will be doubled.]
[You have gained 30 Fame.]
[A story will begin within a few days.]
“Heh…!”
It was thrilling. Double experience and drop rates for a week.
‘Well, it makes sense they wouldn’t let just any user into the Frosty Mine.’
After all, the Frosty Mine was a source of pride for the Goyard Kingdom.
At the same time, one thing puzzled him.
‘A story will begin within a few days? Does the story start as soon as a user enters?’
Of course, that was something Hyun-soo would have to experience to find out.
Just then, a young miner walking by gave him a curious look.
“You seem like a foreigner. How did you get in here?”
He looked to be about nineteen years old.
“I received an entry pass from the royal family.”
“I see. My name is Banya, I’m a miner.”
“I’m Hyun-soo. A blacksmith.”
“A blacksmith? It’s surprising to see a blacksmith come to a mine.”
The young man named Banya looked intrigued, and Hyun-soo took the opportunity to ask a question.
“Is there a miner here by the name of Rek?”
“That’s my father. Why are you looking for him?”
“There’s something I’d like to ask him.”
The young man, Banya, was kind to Hyun-soo.
“I can take you to my father. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.”
Hyun-soo began walking with Banya.
As they walked, he continuously scanned the mine. Soon, he spotted something peculiar.
‘Hm…?’
The mine had many entrances he could enter. About eleven of them.
One of the entrances was swarming with monsters, all of which had bodies made of stone.
The monsters were contained by a blue barrier, unable to move beyond a certain area.
“It’s strange, isn’t it? That place is a type of dungeon. Monsters spawn in various places throughout the mine. Normally, they should be appearing everywhere, but a hundred years ago, a mage came here and cast a spell for us.”
It was an interesting story. And as Hyun-soo observed the mine, he realized something.
“Are those chunks attached to the monsters Cold Iron?”
Stuck to the bodies of the stone monsters were, indeed, pieces of Cold Iron.
“That’s right, it’s Cold Iron. But you’ll be in for a world of hurt if you get greedy.”
“…Why is that?”
“You foreigners talk about that, that…”
“Levels? I’m level 59.”
“Those things over there are all what you’d call around level 110. And since their bodies are made of stone, they’re incredibly difficult to kill.”
Watching Banya lick his lips, Hyun-soo’s eyes glinted with interest.
“Tsk, that dungeon probably has the most minerals left, but for us miners, it’s just a shame.”
Over time, the yield from a mine inevitably decreases. Minerals weren't an infinite resource.
Hyun-soo resumed walking with Banya.
“Oh, and not just anyone can enter this mine. It’s a dangerous place, after all. That man over there is my father.”
Banya suddenly stopped and pointed to a spot. A man was there, directing the other miners.
[Mine Foreman Rek - Lv. 231]
“I’ll be on my way now.”
“Thanks for showing me.”
Hyun-soo thought the boy was exceptionally kind. Then, he headed toward Rek.
Rek, wearing a hard hat, was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in charge.
“A blacksmith?”
“Yes.”
“I see. What brings you here?”
“I want to know if there’s a mineral here superior to Hundred-Year Cold Iron.”
Hearing this, Rek’s brow furrowed.
‘A mineral superior to Hundred-Year Cold Iron. Such a thing does exist.’
But Rek felt no reason to tell him about it.
Rek believed this information should not be revealed.
If word got out that such a thing truly existed in the Frosty Mine, greedy foreigners might come flocking.
Of course, the man before him had an entry pass from the royal family.
If someone living in Ares had received such a pass, he would have thought nothing of it.
‘But not a foreigner.’
Therefore, Rek needed a way to politely send him away.
“Have you learned the skills of a miner?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“An average miner digs up about three ores a day. Ninety percent of that is regular iron ore, and the rest is Cold Iron. If you can mine forty ores in one week, I will tell you whether a mineral better than Hundred-Year Cold Iron truly exists.”
By now, other miners had gathered around.
“Did you hear that? He has to mine forty ores. Forty in a week! Even I can only get twenty a week.”
“Mr. Blacksmith, just go on back home. The mine is dangerous.”
Rek had intentionally given Hyun-soo a task he couldn't possibly accomplish.
Rek spoke.
“Do you understand? The mine is a far more dangerous place than you think. So please, go back.”
“Hahahaha, go back to your smithy and make some artifacts!”
Hyun-soo fully understood their concerns.
He had heard about the dangers of mines countless times from his father. In the past, miners risked their lives to excavate minerals.
‘So they won’t give up information about the minerals easily, huh?’
And though the miners were acting tough, they didn’t seem like bad people.
It felt like they were deliberately trying to make him leave. Then, an amusing idea popped into Hyun-soo’s head.
‘I know more about stone than anyone. If I actually make it, this might be possible.’
He asked.
“If I bring back more than forty, will you apologize for laughing at me?”
Regardless of their intentions, Hyun-soo was annoyed. A whole crowd of miners had gathered to mock him.
Rek was certain.
‘It’s impossible.’
Even he himself could barely mine thirty ores a week.
“If you do it, I’ll give you the Ten-Year Cold Iron I have.”
“What if I mine a lot more than that?”
At his inexplicable confidence, Rek laughed.
“Then wouldn’t I have to give you something even better?”
*Ting!*
[Chain Quest: Mine 40 Ores in a Week]
Grade: A
Requirement: One who has received Rek's offer.
Reward: Varies depending on the number collected.
Failure Penalty: You will not be able to hear information about minerals superior to Hundred-Year Cold Iron.
Description: Prove your qualifications as a miner by mining 40 or more ores.
“I’ll see you in a week.”
Rek gave a bitter smile. He had proposed an impossible task, hoping the man would leave, but instead, he was filled with an unknowable confidence.
Hyun-soo then walked not toward the mine, but in a different direction.
While walking with Banya, he had spotted a very old, abandoned smithy.
Stepping inside, Hyun-soo smiled.
“You’ve given me a problem that’s far too easy.”
Hyun-soo planned to quickly craft an artifact. A Damascus longsword.
‘I’ve already made one before, so it’ll be smooth.’
Once in the Tower of the Sword Blacksmith, and once while hunting Stone Golems.
Ironically, despite having made two already, this was the first time Hyun-soo was crafting one for permanent use.
And he was confident the process wouldn’t be too difficult.
Hyun-soo began to craft.
‘I already have two successful products.’
And there was one more thing Hyun-soo was sure of.
Something was different now compared to when he had made the Damascus dagger in the Tower of the Sword Blacksmith.
‘Back then, I didn’t have God’s Custom Production. Now, I do.’
The power to remove unnecessary effects and maximize desired ones.
He also incorporated another idea.
‘I’ll add the power to temporarily transform the longsword into a pickaxe. That way, I can use it as both a longsword and a Damascus pickaxe.’
Four days later, it was complete.
(Hyeon's Seventh Custom-Made Sword.)
Grade: Unique
Durability: 12,000/12,000
Attack Power: 332
Requirements: None for the creator, Level 50-200.
Special Abilities:
·Slicing power against stone increased by 170%.
·Durability damage from stone reduced by 70%.
·Active Skill: Damascus Pickaxe.
Description: Hyeon's seventh custom-made sword, created solely for cutting stone. It can also transform into a pickaxe.
With a satisfied expression, he left the smithy.
***
“Chief, that blacksmith is in the mine next to us.”
Mine Foreman Rek, who had been mining, froze mid-swing.
“Didn’t he go back?”
He hadn’t seen the man for a few days, so he assumed he had left.
“No, sir. After you told him to bring back forty ores, he went into the mine on the fourth or fifth day.”
Rek gave a bitter smile.
“So he only mined for three days?”
“Yes.”
“Then there’s no need to even look.”
Finishing his work for the day, Rek stepped outside. He soon spotted the man named Hyun-soo coming out of the mine.
‘Foreigners have it so convenient.’
Using that thing they called an inventory.
‘Or did he not manage to mine a single one?’
That was also possible. An inexperienced person might not be able to mine any ore at all.
After being so confident, too. Rek clicked his tongue and then asked.
“So, how’d it go? Did you mine a lot?”
“Yes.”
“…You did?”
At that, Rek wore a puzzled expression. How many could he possibly have mined in two or three days?
Seven at most, if he was lucky.
“Take them out.”
The man thrust his hand into the empty air. Ores began to fall from within.
Thud, thud-thud-thud, thud—
Soon, a flood of minerals poured out.
*Clatter-clatter-clatter-clatter—*
Rek counted them with his eyes.
‘Ten… twenty… thi-thirty? Forty… ni-ninety!?’
Staring at the small mountain of ore, Rek asked.
“Y-You. Don’t tell me you were hiding your true identity? Were you a legendary miner in disguise!?”
“No.”
“Then?”
Hyun-soo smiled.
“I’m a blacksmith.”