Chapter 89
Chapter 89
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Unboxing (3)
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The viewers were thrilled.
-Did our country just get its second legendary artifact creator?
-That’s seriously insane… I’ve never seen a sword like this before.
-I’m so moved. Our country’s been getting mocked for being a gaming lightweight lately.
-I wonder what grade the sword he made for Risel is?
The viewers' excitement stemmed from the fact that someone from Korea had achieved what only Smith, the world’s number one blacksmith, had done.
That excitement.
[Hyeon's second legendary artifact. Let's begin the unboxing.]
Risel’s words turned their thrill into cheers.
Unboxing.
It literally meant opening a box.
Recently, it had come to mean thoroughly examining a new product.
-For real?
-Nah, tell him to stop lying!
-The artifact Risel is unboxing is the second legendary one?
-Even Smith the blacksmith has only made one.
-Really? Then maybe my bow is…?
-Ian’s here again, lol.
A sword was slowly drawn from the box.
The back of the grip was shaped like a dragon's head, and the beautiful blade curved once like a wave.
And on the flat of the blade, a familiar name was inscribed.
Smelting Sword.
-Smelting Sword?
-Is that the same Smelting Sword I know?
-Looks like it. It looks exactly like the one I saw at the National Science Museum recently.
-Wow, that sword looks so damn cool ㅠㅠ
-Hyeon-nim, amazing. Hyeon-nim, amazing. Hyeon-nim, amazing. Hyeon-nim, amazing!!!!!!
At first, the viewers were simply happy and delighted that an artifact they knew had become a reality.
-Is my heart actually pounding right now…?
-I wonder what abilities Haemosu’s Smelting Sword will have.
-How in the world did he make that?
Risel was clever.
[I don't like to drag things out. I'll open the detailed information and start the review right away.]
(Hyeon's Twelfth Custom-Made Sword)
Grade: Legendary
Durability: 8,000/8,000
Attack Power: 534
Requirements: Level 300~450, Dragon-related class.
Special Abilities:
·All stats +1.3%
·Attack power against animal-type monsters +70%.
·Damage taken from animal-type monsters -45%.
·Active Skill: Dragon-Imbued Sword.
·Active Skill: With the Dragon.
·Passive Skill: Dragon's Claw.
Description: Hyeon's second legendary sword, custom-made for the Dragon Knight Risel.
In front of their computers, or perhaps their TVs, most viewers had the same thought.
It’s incredible.
It’s magnificent.
I want it so badly.
But even if they couldn't have it, just watching was fun and exciting.
They imagined it.
What if I were holding that sword, swinging it at monsters?
The monsters would melt in an instant.
-The creator who made two swords like this is in our country? Subscribed.
-I’m subscribing right now, too. I’m actually excited to see what other artifacts this blacksmith Hyeon will make.
-Yeah, I'm hyped… This is the first time I’ve been excited about a blacksmith. Am I falling for you lol?
Risel began using the skills, demonstrating the effects of the Smelting Sword.
And this reaction wasn't just coming from the viewers.
Im Seok-tae, a manager at Pureun Daily, the country's top news agency, shot up from his seat.
“What? A creator who’s made two legendary artifacts has appeared in our country? Write an article, now! No. Put it on the hot-line. We’re going to make this person a star.”
“A star?”
“Yes, a star. The world’s number one blacksmith, Smith, made one. But this guy made two! And it’s the Smelting Sword? Hey, is there anyone in this country who doesn’t know the Smelting Sword? The person we’re promoting this year is Hyeon the blacksmith!”
News agencies everywhere began to write their articles.
[Hyeon the Blacksmith. Writing a New Legend.]
[Hyeon the Blacksmith. Who is He?]
[Auction House Rankings in Upheaval. Hyeon's Smithy Rapidly Gaining Subscribers and Climbing the Ranks.]
[Hyeon. Just How Far Will He Go?]
And it wasn't just the viewers and reporters.
Hwarang, the number one guild in the Korean Ares rankings.
The top guild in Korea, with numerous high-ranking blacksmiths and over a thousand members.
Lord Maseuru, the guild master who hadn't relinquished the number one spot for two years, also wore a surprised expression.
“He made two legendary artifacts? Try to recruit him to our side, whatever it takes.”
Maseuru had noticed one thing.
‘Even the unofficial rankers and high-rankers who paid no attention to a blacksmith named Hyeon will start to take interest now.’
Those at the top usually paid no mind to those climbing from below.
Most would stumble and fall on their way up, and those already at the top simply weren’t interested.
But the high-rankers and unofficial rankers needed something too.
‘Artifacts that could make them even stronger.’
Lord Maseuru was certain.
‘He’s going to receive quite a few messages today. But more than that, I’m curious.’
He wore an intrigued expression.
‘Just how high will he climb in the auction house rankings?’
***
[Current Viewers: 423,013]
AJ Internet Broadcasting had recently been in a crisis.
The popularity of the Time Attack Dungeon had waned, and their average viewership had hovered around 40,000.
In the year 2040.
The fervor for internet broadcasting had far surpassed that of the once-popular terrestrial and cable networks.
And during this time, AJ Internet Broadcasting had been recording its lowest viewership.
Their previous peak had been around 200,000.
And now, they had surpassed that, hitting 400,000.
Director Lee was fielding a relentless barrage of calls.
“Congratulations? Haha. What did I do? Hyeon did it all.”
“What? You want me to connect you with Hyeon?”
“An ad deal for Hyeon? Why are you telling me that?”
Eventually, the calls became so overwhelming that Director Lee turned off his phone.
“Kim PD.”
“Yes, Director.”
“How did such a lucky charm roll its way to us? Huh? I feel like I want to do something for him. If he were here, I think I would’ve given him a kiss.”
Kim PD felt the same.
“How high do you think Hyeon will go today? How high he goes is what’s important.”
It had to be.
If so, AJ Internet Broadcasting would continue to be mentioned as the station where Hyeon first appeared.
“What should we do for Hyeon? Ah, should I offer to introduce him to my good contacts? I do know a lot of people in the media. Or maybe…”
To that, Kim PD said just one thing.
“Director.”
“Yes?”
“Just give him money.”
“…Ah?”
Director Lee understood. He meant they should add to the donation money and give it to him.
Giving extra money to a guest was unusual, but it was well within the director's power.
And what Kim PD meant was that they should do whatever it took to make Hyeon feel good about AJ Internet Broadcasting.
The problem was this.
“Do you think Hyeon will even come back to our station?”
He might be headed for the major leagues now.
“Of course, even if Hyeon doesn’t come to our station, I’ll help him if he asks. If he asks me to make a connection, I’ll do it right away.”
Hyun-soo didn’t know. Director Lee, who had once been a director at one of the top three terrestrial broadcasting stations and boasted an incredible network of contacts.
To him, Hyun-soo had been imprinted as a benefactor.
***
[What are you doing? Go subscribe to Hyeon's Smithy.]
Nel watched the unboxing of Hyeon's creation conclude with those final words.
She recalled the whisper she had received from Guild Master Rune when she left the Golden Shield Guild.
[Rune: Nel. I hope you’ll reconsider. I’ll support you wherever you go. But it won’t be as easy to build up as it was with our Golden Shield. No. That’s already impossible. You know full well that our country is dominated by blacksmith guilds that have already put down roots. I can say for certain. That guild will never become as great as our Golden Shield.]
Rune was a gentleman and not a bad person.
His words certainly had a point.
Surpassing guilds that had been putting down roots for three years was a difficult task.
And it was also true that Golden Shield was one of the top guilds in the country.
Nel, too, was quite surprised.
‘Is this the power of Hyeon?’
Nel felt she could now confidently say to Rune:
‘You were wrong, sir, and I was right.’
She was looking at the subscriber rankings, updated in real-time, and the number of subscribers that had increased in just one day.
It wouldn't be just her.
She presumed many people were looking at the subscriber count right now.
The top blacksmith guilds in the country.
The news agencies.
And the high-rankers.
Most of them were likely thinking the same thing.
‘This is legendary.’
With a trembling heart, Nel called Hyun-soo.
[The phone is turned off and will be connected to voicemail…]
The excited Nel finally came to her senses.
Hyun-soo had said he was going to the hospital today. She had heard that he always turned off his phone when he went to see his father.
Nel then checked the real-time search rankings on her computer's portal site.
[19th - Hyeon's Sixth Custom-Made Sword.]
[17th - Smelting Sword.]
[15th - Hyeon's Twelfth Custom-Made Sword.]
Looking at the rank at the very top, Nel's heart pounded.
Because a name she was so proud of was there.
[9th - Hyeon's Smithy.]
***
A VVIP hospital room.
After uploading the information for the sword he had made for Sword King Barad, Hyun-soo came straight to the hospital.
Every Monday.
Hyun-soo always met his father at the same time.
Looking at his father, who had been lying peacefully on a ventilator for over three years, he spoke.
“It's all thanks to you, Dad.”
The Smelting Sword.
He had been able to restore and craft it all because of the advice and teachings from Hyun-tae.
Without his father's teachings in the past, Hyun-soo would never have been able to create the Smelting Sword.
He had taught him many other things as well, making Hyun-soo who he was today.
“I’m thinking of trying to hold a hammer again in reality, too. To do that, I'll have to become more successful in this game, Ares.”
Yes, he had to succeed.
So that the doctors who said it was impossible would find a way to treat his father when faced with the power and money Hyun-soo could offer.
And so that when his father returned, he would be proud to see that people recognized being a blacksmith as something more valuable than they thought.
So he could live a great life, even as a blacksmith. As the visiting hours came to an end, Hyun-soo took out his phone.
‘The broadcast must be over by now, right?’
The moment he turned on his phone, it was flooded with a torrent of calls and notifications.
[Subscriber count has been updated.]
[Subscriber count is updating at a record pace.]
[Your rank is climbing at a record pace.]
He had intentionally turned it off. On the day he met his dad, he wouldn't be able to concentrate if he was distracted by such things.
Nel had taken several screenshots and posted them in the Gwangmyeong Guild chat.
[Nel: (Screenshot), (Screenshot), (Screenshot), Guild Master, I know you’re probably with your father, so I’m posting this update on our results.]
Hyun-soo was stunned.
‘What on earth happened?’
During the unboxing, Hyeon's Smithy had climbed to 9th in the real-time search rankings.
Another screenshot.
[Current Viewers: 440,013]
“…?”
The peak viewership for the unboxing.
‘Is that even possible in Korea?’
Hyun-soo soon realized that a surprising number of foreigners must have tuned in as well.
His heart began to pound like crazy.
Hyun-soo had originally expected Risel's review of the Smelting Sword to land him around 40th in the subscriber rankings.
He instinctively knew that thanks to the power of his capable manager, Nel, he had climbed much higher than that.
And in the guild chat, he saw Nel's meaningful words.
[Nel: Hyun-soo, did you know?]
Hyun-soo looked on with a puzzled expression.
[Nel: It's a first. For an individual blacksmith, not a corporate one, to climb this high.]
Her confident words amplified Hyun-soo's anticipation.
Hyun-soo recalled his previous subscriber count and rank.
‘438,113 subscribers and 48th in the subscriber rankings.’
Hyun-soo hurriedly logged into the auction house to check the current status, and his jaw dropped.
[Hyeon's Smithy Subscribers: 710,113.]
[Current Korean Smithy Subscriber Rank: 19th.]
It was the moment his name settled into the top 20.