Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Smelting Sword (2)
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Hyun-soo was handed the document containing information on the individuals Nel had shortlisted.
On it was the name ‘Dragon Knight Risel’.
“Dragon Knight Risel is a level 323 high-ranker, officially ranked 21st in the country.”
Hyun-soo stroked his chin.
Rank 21 and a special class… he must be truly formidable.
“He is not currently affiliated with any guild. While his official ranking is public, he is a player who has not revealed his face.”
“So people know the name Dragon Knight, but he's not someone people would recognize on sight?”
“That's correct.”
“What kind of artifact does this person want?”
“An artifact imbued with a dragon.”
“A dragon?”
Hyun-soo looked puzzled.
An artifact imbued with a dragon, just like that?
Nel showed him the contents of the message.
[Hello, Blacksmith Hyeon. I would like to commission an item. I want an artifact imbued with a dragon. It doesn't need any special abilities. As long as a dragon appears, that's all that matters. I would be very grateful if you could contact me.]
[Hello, Hyeon?]
[Hello…]
[Hello ^^]
[I'm in a bit of a hurry, Hyeon.]
[Hyeon?]
[Hyeon…]
[…]
Seeing the messages Nel showed him, it was true.
Dragon Knight Risel was saying that all he needed was for a dragon to be imbued.
“I wonder why.”
“Perhaps just seeing a dragon could trigger a class awakening. Much like how Bakeu changed to a new class.”
That certainly made sense.
But Hyun-soo shook his head.
“He seems too desperate for just that.”
“...That is true.”
Nel had already conducted a basic background check on him.
“I heard he's approached everyone from the top information guild, Imun, to ranker blacksmiths, summoners, and even sculptors, asking them to show him a dragon. I also wondered if his desperation was simply due to his class.”
Hyun-soo nodded.
But Nel prompted him to turn the page.
“But he's just one person on the list. There's also Ian, the number one ranked archer. His request is simple. He wants the most powerful composite bow in the country.”
“Still, Risel is more appealing.”
Nel understood what Hyun-soo meant. A desperate man was bound to offer a generous reward.
“The player Risel is indeed the best option. There are rumors that he's the child of a corporate magnate, though there are also whispers that he's practically been disowned.”
Still, there was a reason for her caution.
‘Even for someone like Hyun-soo, creating an artifact imbued with a dragon wouldn't be easy.’
Because he didn't have the skill for it.
It wasn't as if Hyun-soo could just use a skill and poof, trap a dragon inside, was it?
“If the rumors are true, Risel could be a great help to us in the future. Advertising is a prime example. His family's conglomerate has a diverse advertising portfolio. Also, while Ian belongs to a guild, Risel does not.”
This meant they might even be able to recruit him into their guild.
Currently, Gwangmyeong needed a strong damage dealer.
While Bakeu was a high-ranker, he belonged to a support class and couldn't function as an exceptional damage dealer.
Someone who could deliver a powerful blow if anyone messed with Gwangmyeong.
Nel awaited Hyun-soo's decision.
And Hyun-soo had a gut feeling.
‘This might be another person who will change my life.’
And though Nel was worried, Hyun-soo was confident.
‘An artifact imbued with a dragon...’
A small smile formed on his lips.
Though it wasn't imbued, Hyun-soo had once restored something related to a dragon in the real world.
“I'll go with player Risel.”
Having made his decision, Hyun-soo sent a message.
***
[Hello, this is Hyeon's Smithy. Regarding the artifact imbued with a dragon you mentioned, it is possible to craft it.]
Tae-ha couldn't believe it.
Even he knew his request was absurd.
To see a dragon in Ares, where none had ever appeared.
To summon one, even if it was just by imbuing it into an artifact.
The only reason he had made the request to a blacksmith was because he had to try every possible avenue.
Tae-ha calmly suppressed his excitement.
‘It could be real, or it could be a lie.’
Blacksmith Hyeon was just one of the famous blacksmiths he had contacted.
[Thank you for your message. If it's not too much trouble, could we meet and talk in person?]
[I don't really meet with people.]
Rumors about Hyeon were rampant. Some said he was a fat man in his fifties, others that he was a fictional character created by a blacksmithing guild.
To Tae-ha, none of it mattered.
All he needed was the dragon.
Tae-ha's mind raced.
[You don't have to show your face. I'd just like to meet and talk. And as you may know, like you, I also prefer to stay out of the public eye.]
It was an invitation to meet, with both sides holding leverage over the other. After what seemed like a long pause, Hyeon replied.
[I've heard you're the son of a prominent figure.]
This Hyeon seemed meticulous. He was using what Tae-ha kept hidden from the public to create his own advantage.
[^^;;]
[Come to the Prea domain. There's a smithy with no sign. Come there. As promised, I won't show my face.]
[Okay.]
Before logging in, Tae-ha made a call.
The man was famous in the country.
He was one of Ares's foremost experts, known as a Skill Specialist.
A Skill Specialist analyzes players' skills, determining their potential and future growth paths.
“Find out if it's possible for a blacksmith to imbue a dragon.”
He had sent out the requests because he was grasping at straws.
But now that a blacksmith claimed to be able to do what everyone said was impossible, he needed to confirm if it was truly feasible.
Tae-ha logged in immediately.
[You have connected to Ares.]
Risel headed straight for the Prea domain and soon found himself standing before a smithy with no sign.
As a ranker, Risel knew what this usually meant. In ninety percent of cases, it was because the owner was so obscure they hadn't bothered to put up a sign.
And then something else perplexed him.
[Beginner-Intermediate Smithy.]
Players had to go to smithies appropriate for their level. Since they couldn't just enter every one, the owner would display its status for all to see.
‘Beginner-Intermediate... that means he's only around level 130?’
But since nothing was certain yet, Risel went inside.
There, he saw a single, firmly closed door.
He presumed it was the blacksmiths' break room.
Risel could hear a voice coming from behind the door.
“Welcome. I am Blacksmith Hyeon.”
“I am Risel.”
It was unexpected.
The voice from beyond the door sounded far too young.
“Before I make a formal request, I came to see if you can truly craft it. This is extremely important to me.”
“I understand.”
Risel spoke with confidence.
“If I am satisfied, I will pay a price to match. I'm sure you've heard the rumors?”
He was subtly alluding to the fact that he was from a wealthy family.
Risel asked cautiously.
“Is it possible to know how it will be crafted?”
“...As you know, I have many secrets.”
Risel grew frustrated.
“I came all this way. Even if it's a trade secret, you could at least tell me something.”
“I'm sorry.”
At that, Risel considered making an offer. He would pay a certain amount on the spot if Hyeon could just show him it was possible.
But then.
[Drode: I have looked into the matter you mentioned, and this is my subjective opinion.]
Drode. He was the Skill Specialist.
Though he called it a subjective opinion, he was the country's top analyst with a 95% accuracy rate.
[Drode: Within the game of Ares, there are currently no skills that allow one to imbue a weapon with a summon or an animal.]
Risel's brow furrowed.
[Drode: Therefore, I analyzed and searched for any blacksmith with such a class. If someone like that existed, there should be at least one instance of such an item being traded. However, globally, no such weapon or armor has ever been traded or revealed.]
This meant that in the game of Ares itself, it was impossible to imbue an artifact with an animal or a summon.
[Risel: How certain are you?]
[Drode: I am 99.9% certain.]
The pieces of the puzzle started to fit together.
Hyeon claimed he couldn't explain how it was made. And his smithy suggested he was only between level 120 and 140.
Hyeon hadn't shown his face or revealed anything.
A hypothesis formed in his mind.
‘Were the rumors true?’
Rumors make other rumors disappear and give birth to new ones.
This air of mystery led to all sorts of speculation.
Some even claimed that Blacksmith Hyeon was a fictional character created by an up-and-coming guild.
Just look at the situation now. A level 120-140 blacksmith who could imbue a dragon?
The person in front of him could be a puppet.
If he were to mention something like a ‘down payment’ now...
‘I might just be a sucker they've reeled in.’
He could just take the payment and disappear.
Just then.
“As for the down payment…”
The voice from inside snapped Risel's patience.
“Enough.”
Silence fell beyond the door.
Risel received an even more shocking whisper.
[Rageun: Young Master, I've just been told your grandfather has pulled through.]
Risel's emotions were in turmoil. An inexplicable sense of injustice and anger washed over him simultaneously.
He was relieved that his grandfather had pulled through.
But he despised those who would try to exploit this.
Risel composed himself. He stared at the door and spoke in a cold voice.
“I came here grasping at straws. Someone precious to me, on their deathbed, wanted to see a dragon. That was my only wish.”
There was no sound from behind the door. He didn't know why he was even saying all this.
Was it just a lament?
“But you won't tell me anything—not how you'll make it, not what skill you'll use. You're just trying to use me.”
His expression turned cold as he let out a smirk.
And yet, a tear rolled down from one of his eyes.
“I was desperate, and you tried to take advantage of me.”
A venomous glint appeared in Risel's eyes.
“I didn't know about your circumstances. I apologize.”
“Even if you know now, I doubt anything will change. It seems you lured me here to make a quick buck…”
Risel was ranked 21st in the country. He was issuing a warning.
The moment he walked out of here, he would expose Blacksmith Hyeon's true colors.
Just as he was about to leave.
“I will prove it now.”
Creeeak—
In that instant.
Risel sensed something flying toward him. It embedded itself in the wall right next to him.
It was an exquisitely beautiful sword.
A sword with a curved blade and ornate decorations.
Then.
[Drode: However, there is a 0.1% possibility.]
As the whisper arrived, Risel's eyes were drawn to the sword's grip.
Something began to stir on the grip.
[Drode: This possibility occurs when the supercomputer, Ares, acknowledges it and bestows that power.]
The slowly squirming thing was no bigger than an adult man's middle finger.
It slowly began to ascend, coiling around the sword as if rising to the heavens.
[Drode: This phenomenon occurs because the supercomputer has judged that it is right for this power to be imbued in this item.]
A long body, greenish scales, eyes like a serpent's, and long whiskers on its chin.
‘Yes, this is...’
Kieeeeeeeek!
‘A dragon...’
The sword, engraved with the characters for Smelting Sword (龍光劍), slowly faded away, and the small dragon vanished with it.
An indescribable thrill ran through Risel's entire body.
He slowly turned around.
From the open doorway, he was walking out.
The one who made the 0.1% possibility a reality.
Facing him, Risel nearly stopped breathing.
Because the man who now stood before him had an all-too-familiar face.
He asked confidently.
“The commission fee is a bit steep. Is that all right with you?”
Risel stared at him for a long moment. He had doubted, and the man had proven him wrong. Now, he intended to act accordingly.
Risel handed him a piece of paper and a pen.
“Write it down.”
***
Hyun-soo took the paper and pen from Risel with a puzzled look.
‘Write it down?’
Risel then said in a confident voice.
“I'll give you whatever you write.”