Literature (1)
People only realize what discomfort is after they've experienced comfort. That hits especially hard for someone like me, who went from living in modern civilization to suddenly getting dumped in the wild.
The Gallery exists, sure, but most tasks still have to be done by hand. Nothing comes without effort. No tapping your smartphone to order delivery food, no buying machines with a click. Why am I saying this?
Clang!
"Hot hot hot hot!"
I'm feeling the importance of machines in real time. I'd just hammered, and sparks flew right at my face, freaking me out. I'd swear I controlled my strength properly, but the sparks shot up high anyway.
How much force control does this even need?
I eyed the glowing yellow-hot Mithoricon ingot. Gotta hammer this thing relentlessly to rough out the shape.
Medieval folks did this by hand? No wonder blacksmiths were treated like premium labor. It looks romantic from afar, but trying it yourself? Hell no. Romance my ass—it's brutally tough. The heat alone is insane. Sweat pours like rain, so I have no choice but to wear an apron against the sparks.
No wonder they snap at anyone who talks to them.
It's all about the routine. Deviate, and you don't get the shape you want. Even basic shaping hammers need precise force control—what about the rest of the process till completion? Sure, metal doesn't explode like it does for me, but still tough.
The dwarf probably makes it look easy.
The more I hammered, the more I respected that dwarf. And the more hollow I felt. Novel or comic protagonists pick it up in no time. Stats skyrocket exponentially, but skills? No perks—you grind them yourself.
Maybe that's why. I glanced at the sky and muttered softly.
"……Status window?"
[Huh? What'd you say?]
"……Nothing."
Yeah, figures. I let out a deflated chuckle and kept hammering.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Safety rules are written in blood—I'm learning that the hard way. Plenty of close calls, including the first explosion. Hammer down, and metal shoots off somewhere like whoosh! Or rockets to the sky like a missile, crashes, and boom. Not to mention massive sparks threatening my face. So I even wore a gas mask for safety.
Thankfully, it got better once I got the hang of it.
It's the recoil that's brutal.
I could infuse the hammer with aura, but cross the threshold and boom. No aura, and the metal doesn't shape right.
Guess I gotta do it raw.
Aura control's still tricky. Dial it max low, and it becomes a missile. So I used mana only for body enhancement and hammered away.
The shape I wanted: cylindrical. That's the base. Once cylindrical, taper the back end slightly pointy.
"Mister. Hold this tight."
"Mm."
Once roughly shaped, time to bore the center. I asked Ludwig to grip it firm, then positioned a thick stake in the middle. Perfect for punching a hole. Hammered the stake hard.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Strike before it cools, and a hole forms in the center bit by bit. Even Mithoricon can't stand against heat. Stake nearly wrecked, though.
After punching the big center hole, a few refinements, then into the oil barrel.
Sizzle!
About two hours later, the hammer head was done. Shove wood in the hole, and finito.
Why make a hammer? Simple: The dwarf wouldn't give me a one-use disposable.
The gifted hammer got flattened. Force without aura pancaked the front. Steel couldn't beat Mithoricon—damaged it. Gotta make an extra later as thanks.
Handle from local wood should work.
Finally, the handle from scattered wood around. Jammed it in tight and secured. Two and a half hours total for a Mithoricon hammer.
Time for food. Took forever. But not all time on hammering—heating ate it up. Makeshift furnace means long heat times. Need a proper forge, it seems.
Good thing I'm not smelting ore myself. Would've quit ages ago.
I snapped a pic of the dull gray Mithoricon hammer and posted to the Gallery.
Title) My First Handmade Tool
(Photo of YasaengGrill holding the Mithoricon hammer)
Thanks to the dwarf's help, my first handmade tool. Planning to make tons more with this hammer from now on
ㄴCheonma) Not bad for a first handmade piece.
ㄴSwordTasteStar) You haven't hit the grindstone yet, right? Hammer should be fine?
ㄴStarlightPrincess) Any plans to try alchemy?
ㄴYasaengGrill) Alchemy too? No time.
ㄴStarlightPrincess) Too bad. If you ever want to, just say. I'll support you.
ㄴBut who you gonna experiment on if you learn alchemy?
ㄴKkobong?
ㄴPoor Kkobong;;
ㄴYasaengGrill) I'm not that trashy, guys.
ㄴStarlightPrincess) Exactly. Who do you take Grills for!
ㄴYasaengGrill) Not all, just one bite.
ㄴStarlightPrincess) …….
ㄴlolololol
ㄴlmao
ㄴYou some kinda palace eunuch? lmao
ㄴPassingDwarf) If you got any conscience, gimme a hammer.
ㄴYasaengGrill) Now I don't wanna even more.
ㄴPassingDwarf) C'mon man. Just one.
ㄴYasaengGrill) Ok. But first, gotta make from the furnace. It's for heating—can you draw blueprints?
ㄴPassingDwarf) Ok, hold up.
ㄴJealous of the dwarf.
ㄴLooks like plain scrap metal, no one'd notice lol
ㄴPeak inefficiency lolol
nMithril and Oriharukon hammer. Every blacksmith's dream….
ㄴThey'd gouge eyes out to get one lol
nPlus the dwarf's a real deal.
"Huh. Really?"
Slightly risky comments made me pause. Maybe don't give it away? Then the dwarf replied.
ㄴPassingDwarf) Let 'em try to find it lolol Straight to auction if they do.
ㄴlololol
ㄴIf I can't have it, no one can!!!
nBuncha crazies lol Truly dwarven thinking.
I smirked. Anyway, nothing to do till the World Tree sapling arrives—skill grinding's fine.
Shower first. Body soaked from the brutal heat. Washed up, prepped dinner.
Wonder what tomorrow brings.
With that thought, the day slipped away.
[Breaking: Alvenheim Unveils New Weapon]
[Controllable guardian? Wtf is that?]
[You can even ride it?]
[What'd those elf bastards make;;]
Alvenheim's queen dropped a massive hook.
……Rideable guardian? Kinda tempting.
*****
Gu-chil, Blood Cult remnant and executive. Last thing he remembered inside the whale's belly: sticky, slimy sensation. Pitch black, battling giant fish, thrashing to escape stomach acid. Eyes adapted to dark, outer arts training helped him hold out.
But the sky whale's gut was too vast. Too tough. Internal power could've punched through organs, but no dice. So he endured, endured, until swept past stomach to other guts. Not by choice—dragged along.
That's Gu-chil's last memory.
"Nngh……."
Gu-chil groaned, forcing sticky-shut eyes open. Vision blurry at first, cleared with blinks. Fully restored: not guts, but fur. Pitch-black fur with a vaguely human face smack in the middle.
"Ooh!"
"……."
A gorilla. Gu-chil blanked at the sight. Dreaming? No—sensations too vivid.
While he processed, the gorilla left. Room empty except him.
Where…… am I?
Gu-chil scanned with eyes only. First: body check. Barely lifted head, raised arms—max effort.
Skin……
His skin? Disaster, even charitably. Swollen bursts, peeled patches everywhere. Some ointment traces, but meaningless.
Without outer arts training……
Would've melted entirely. Dizzying thought.
Checked for other injuries. Discovered something.
"Gaaah……."
Body full of breaks. Didn't notice rising—sensations returning brought pain. Looked like a high fall, naked. Emergency care saved worst-case.
That white gorilla from before? Made splints too?
Splints on left arm, left leg. Gu-chil puzzled. That gorilla do first aid? Unclear.
Wait. White gorilla?
Late realization: original mission. Why in this damn forest? Seek Blood Demon's heir, with duty. Heir a gorilla? Absurd, but seems found.
No. Forest's full of 'em. Verify first.
Problem: limbs wrecked, can't move proper. Gu-chil propped upper body, scanned.
Cave he was in—not natural. Stacked stones laboriously for sturdy walls.
White gorilla built this?
Knew gorillas smart, but this level? Some even spoke—no surprise.
God, hurts like hell. Gotta force internal power circulation.
As Gu-chil tried stirring sluggish internal power—
Swish— Gorillas appeared. Big one, flanked by two. Gu-chil flinched at the standout leader. Huge build, ragged clothes—odd vibe.
The gorilla stared, then rumbled.
"You awake?"
"……Huh?"
Gorilla words clear in ears. Not foreign—pure Jungwon tongue. Archaic dialect, but home.
White one was…… Ah, this guy's taught by Blood Demon too.
Gu-chil sorted brief confusion. Gallery showed Kkobong, white gorilla—but heard this black one too. Kkobong has brothers, also Wi Ho Chang's pupils.
Mission nearly done. Gu-chil calmed excitement, replied.
"Thanks to you, I lived. Grateful."
"Hm?"
Gu-chil's Jungwon reply widened leader gorilla's eyes in shock. Didn't expect same tongue.
Not the only surprise.
"You one of the great apes Blood Demon—Wi Ho Chang taught?"
"How know master's name?"
"Master," huh. Gu-chil inwardly scoffed. Master? In Jungwon, equals father at least. Gorilla calling great Blood Demon "master"? Tempted to show place—but busted limbs say no. Bide time.
"I'm Gu-chil, of the Blood Cult Blood Demon founded."
"Call me Wiheuk. Name master gave."
"Where's Blood Demon?"
"Sadly, ascended to heavens."
Leader gorilla—Wiheuk—grew more curious chatting. Thought some shit-stained sky-faller at first, but tied to master. Unlike that sloth guy.
"Any Blood Demon relics? Books, records left?"
"Wait. Fetch."
Casual as you like, off for keepsakes.
Soon, Wiheuk returned with a scroll. Not paper—rectangular wooden slats. No paper here, so substitute.
"Read. Watch rest, hand over."
"Hm."
Even gorilla wary, eh. Gu-chil nodded, took scroll carefully.
This……!
Blood Demon's final legacy. Likely secret manual. Heart pounding, he unrolled.
Wooden slats, carved with sharp tool. First line:
[If you're reading this, abandon all hope.]
"……."
Truly literary.