8. No Entry for Womanizers

The sound of a whetstone echoed.

Normally, the sound of a grinder would be heard in a blacksmith shop. Nothing unusual about that. But why did it feel like a bug crawling up my spine?

"......"

The workshop was dimly lit.

A single ray of evening sunlight seeped through the window, slicing diagonally across the workshop floor, and at the end of that light was Han Serin.

She was squatting in the corner, holding a whetstone between her knees.

Scraping, scraping—

Han Serin was sharpening her blade.

A red glow rose around the whetstone.

Uuuuung...

"......"

That guy already decided on the sides. This matter, remember it.

"......Did you not see the notice at the entrance...? It must have been written there......"

"No entry for womanizers is written."

"Then why did you enter so boldly......?"

"I am a pure person who has never seduced anyone."

Sting!

Han Serin lifted her blade... no, the whetstone she had been sharpening.

"Damn liar......!"

"Pointing a person with a blade is not proper etiquette."

"I read the internet......! Portal main, Hunter Gallery, Tower Strategy board, real-time search...... Everything is only about Mujin and that woman! The fateful combination of the genius producer and the new hunter......!"

Kong.

The door closed behind me.

I turned around. No one was there.

The door handle turned by itself, and

Click. Locked.

"......I knew. That kind of third-rate, crappy blacksmith like me...... will eventually be abandoned like this......"

Scraping.

"I knew from the beginning...... but I was deluding myself...... Even for a moment, I dreamed, I was the fool...... Me, like that......"

Scraping.

"Artemis...... Virgin Goddess...... Pure...... That woman, the naming from the beginning shows the scheme......! 'I am a pure bow but I will only shoot it for you' like a cliché message......! Falling for such blatant temptation...... Uuuu."

"The Greek myth wouldn't be that lewd, though."

"All myths are lewd......! You don't know about Zeus turning into a swan......!?"

Han Serin lifted her head. No highlight appeared in her eyes visible through her hair.

I just borrowed a long-range weapon because the 10th floor boss was flying around.

Why do I have to be treated as the mistress?

What sin did I commit in my previous life?

"Just shooting an arrow to catch a chicken."

"Don't make excuses!!"

Uuuuung!!

"Calm down. Let's verify the facts first. This bow is a rental."

"......Rental?"

"Yes. I borrowed it briefly from Yooseong. Rental fee 0 won. Since it's free, I used it."

Free.

In this capitalist society, where is there a purer and more innocent motive than this.

Han Serin's pupils shook.

"So you borrow it whenever needed...... and use it only when necessary......?"

"Yes."

Now it makes sense.

"Th, then......!!"

Han Serin's face turned pale.

"Worse than a second-hand one!! It's a one-night stand!! Borrowing it for a moment when needed, treating it roughly, and sending it back coldly when the job is done......! More shameless......! Filthy......! This cursed hunter......!"

"Why do you convert weapon rental into one-night stand? Should I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠learn Korean again?"

"Then what is this ambassador contract......?! In the news, they were talking about exclusive contract or something......!"

"Business partnership. The condition is to hand over only practical data under the guise of ambassador."

"Ambassador? Public love declaration in front of camera flash......!?"

This person's brain probably has a factory that specializes in delusions. Go away, Yooseong's Giga Factory.

Thud.

Han Serin's shoulders shook as she sat on the floor.

"Anyway...... If you were going to abandon me anyway...... You shouldn't have been kind from the beginning......! You shouldn't have bought me pizza......! Pepperoni...... Why did you buy pepperoni......! Since that day, even the smell of pepperoni makes me cry......!"

"It was just dinner."

"You picked it up, so you take responsibility!!"

"It wasn't a stray cat."

"Huuuuk......"

A sigh escaped.

If left like this, I won't be able to leave today.

This workshop is easy to enter but hard to leave. Like a cursed dungeon.

I opened the inventory and took out today's loot.

Flash-

A pair of huge feathers appeared with blue light.

Blue lightning flowed along the shaft, and wind blew from the feather tips.

"This. It came out from the 10th floor. Albatross's Storm Feather."

"......Y, you're giving it to me......?"

"Yes. As always."

"To that woman...... you don't give......?"

"I hand over only data to Yu Hayeon director. No real material in the contract."

"......"

"And I have definitely rejected the exclusive contract."

I placed the feather on the counter.

Han Serin slowly stood up.

Her gaze went to the contract framed on the counter.

A single sheet of paper with my name and her name written side by side.

"You rejected the exclusive contract......? The offer from the chaebol's precious daughter......?"

"Of course. I hate troublesome shackles."

A highlight returned to Han Serin's pupils.

Flash.

The dead eyes came alive, and then the face colored from the neck.

"Th, the exclusive is...... only for me...... That means...... So...... My woman is only you......!"

"About the weapon, right?"

"H, hehe...... Yes...... For a hunter, a weapon is like a woman...... Just some cheap rental bow rolling around outside...... It was just a disposable tool to fulfill desires......"

"It's a high-end high-end weapon."

"Two households are the hunter's romance, so I'll close my eyes...... But the main wife is me, right......?"

"About the weapon, right?"

"Hehe......"

A gloomy laugh leaked out.

Han Serin covered her mouth with her hand, but through the fingers, hehehe continued to come out. Whether laughing or having a fit, it was unclear.

Whoosh!

Fire lit the forge that was extinguished. The bellows began to move on their own.

Uung, uung.

The swords hanging on the wall vibrated all at once.

The entire workshop rumbled low.

Han Serin's hair floated up. The red-black light from the forge colored half of her face.

"......A better sword."

Her voice changed. The voice of a craftsman.

"By making a better sword......?"

"Yes?"

"If there's a sword that can cut through heaven or earth...... I don't need something like a rental, right......? That's right......?"

Han Serin picked up the Storm Feather. The feather bounced blue lightning in her hand. She didn't blink.

Han Serin walked in front of the forge.

She tied on the apron, tied the hood, and picked up the hammer.

Clang.

The first hammer strike fell.

"I will make it...... So that the customer doesn't need to go elsewhere...... So that I don't need to leave this workshop...... Forever......"

Clang. Clang.

"......The last words are a bit long."

"Hehe......"

Crash-!

The hammer struck the anvil.

Black flames scattered everywhere.

A miracle scene where jealousy turns into productivity.

For now, I calmed her down...

I don't know if this is really calming.

"Then, when it's complete, contact me."

"Hehe...... ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Look forward to it...... Hehe......"

I left ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the workshop. Fortunately, the door was open again.

Clang, clang, clang.

The sound of the hammer behind me sped up.

A menhera blacksmith is tiring.

A few days later.

"......Eh?"

The 11th floor was a ruined fortress city.

Broken walls, broken towers, weeds growing between the stone floors.

Hunters were everywhere in those ruins.

They gathered in parties, lighting campfires, checking equipment, spreading maps and having meetings.

From the 11th floor, it was said they share fields with other tower climbers.

I had read it in the community.

I read it, but now it felt real.

There were people in front of me.

And all those gazes were focused on me.

"Eh......? That kid, no way."

"Black coat with a herringbone pattern...... Baek Mujin."

"In less than a month, 11th floor."

"Is that the Artemis case on the back......?"

Murmurs-

"Did you hear the rumor? Sponsored by Yooseong Group and climbed up."

"Not sponsored, but sponsored. The youngest daughter sponsored."

"The rumor that Baek Mujin is exploiting Yu Hayeon’s weakness is likely."

Gossip is contagious. Once one starts, it spreads across the field.

"Actually, it's said to be a product of a national secret project. A human modification experiment subject raised in the underground bunker under Namsan."

"The boss of that back-alley workshop that visited last time is actually a government agent managing experimental subjects?"

"Wow, not Yooseong's dog, but a government dog."

I learned for the first time today that when internet rumors and community conspiracies combine, a person becomes a 'chaebol girl blackmailer and government secret experiment weapon'.

People's imagination really has no end.

Since there's no point in responding, I just passed by.

"Stop there, coward!"

I ignored and walked.

The boss room was said to be in the center of the fortress. The ruined grand cathedral. Along the way to there, groups of skeleton soldiers were placed.

At that moment.

Flash!

Someone jumped down from the broken wall.

A woman. Brown hair tied high in a ponytail.

Black martial arts uniform with sleeves rolled up. Sun-tanned skin. Sweat drops on forehead.

Bandages wrapped around arms, legs, and backs of hands.

"I found you! Baek Mujin!"

She pointed straight at me with her finger.

"......Me?"

"I waited for you to crawl up from the 11th floor!"

"Why me? Why?"

"You weak shell that doesn't train your own body, but lives off the capital of large corporations and the sinister power of blades, and mocks the tower!!"

"I am a model hunter who utilizes equipment appropriately."

She ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠clenched her fist.

Thud. Thud.

The sound of joints cracking came from between the bandages.

"True martial arts only sprouts from the body forged with blood and sweat! Relying on iron is evidence of a loser who doesn't trust himself! Humans can break rocks and fly in the sky without weapons!"

Her eyes were too clear. Eyes sparkling ridiculously.

"......Can I fly?"

"Not yet!!"

"......"

I stared blankly at her.

"My name is Kwon Hanbyeol! I will become the world's strongest hunter someday! Fight me, Baek Mujin!"

What is this?