I'll Do It For Free
After finishing the request and returning to the dormitory, Kim Ilshin washed away the bloodstains clinging to his body. It had all belonged to the enemy. He hadn't sustained a single scratch in this battle.
Whirrr—
The phone he had left on the side vibrated. Checking it, he saw that the reward for the request had already been deposited. 11.78 million won. It was a large sum for a single request, but considering the danger posed by the Black Tiger Gang, it was appropriate.
Including that, he had gained much from this request. Combat experience, the Blood Soul Stone, and one more thing.
Swoosh…
He spread his mana and connected it to his circuits, just as he had done when facing the Black Tiger Gang members. The name that had flashed through his mind was Mist Spirit Vision. A circle composed of minute mana allowed him to grasp not only the movements within its range but also the terrain in detail. He could walk without difficulty even with his eyes closed.
‘It’s useful.’
It would be useful not only for combat but also for searching and tracking. His proficiency was still low, so he could only expand it to about one meter, but later, he would be able to dominate vast spaces without restriction.
‘I must train diligently.’
After adding Mist Spirit Vision to his training list, Kim Ilshin lay down on his bed. It was a bit early to sleep, but he closed his eyes early to shake off any lingering fatigue.
The next day, after finishing his classes, he headed to the shopping district inside the academy.
“Come on, everyone, take a look before you go!”
“Student, come here! We got some good stuff in today! You’ll never regret it!”
There were many people soliciting customers as he walked down the street. However, the quality of the goods in those shops was uniformly poor. He walked straight toward his destination without needing to stop anywhere else.
The place he arrived at was a small, shabby weapon shop in the corner of an alley.
‘It looks like it might collapse soon.’
Despite its appearance, it was a famous weapon shop that everyone in the know was aware of. Even if the prices were devilish, the quality was unquestionable. The owner of the shop was, after all, a dwarf.
The Great Cataclysm that occurred in 1945. At that time, various dimensions were connected to this world in the form of dungeons, and what popped out from them were not just enemies. Beings that had lived in groups with order in other dimensions had also crossed over into this world. Most of them disappeared or went into hiding, unable to adapt to the culture and laws of human society, but there were some who successfully adapted and lived on. The most representative race among them was the dwarf. They boasted dexterity far superior to humans and were active in various related fields.
The most representative of these was, of course, metallurgy.
Ding-
As he entered the weapon shop, he saw a blonde woman slumped over the counter. True to her race, she was as small as a young child. A physique that only reached an adult's waist and a youthful face. Fortunately, she had no beard. Her name was Hana Lin. Despite her appearance, she was a person who would later stand at the pinnacle of metallurgy, and her skills were already complete.
“You came to find a sword, right?”
The question came out of nowhere. When he lightly asked back how she knew, Hana Lin answered with a listless expression.
“Looking at your hands, you’re a swordsman. If a swordsman comes here, it’s to find a sword, obviously.”
It was an amazing eye. Regardless of his skill, it hadn't been long since Kim Ilshin had started training with the sword. Even though the calluses hadn't even firmly set in yet, she had noticed he was a swordsman.
While Kim Ilshin approached the counter, Hana Lin pulled out three swords from below and laid them out.
“Just pick one from here and take it.”
It looked like she was recommending swords. However, to Kim Ilshin, there were many problems.
“These don’t look like very good swords.”
“What do you think the problem is?”
Hana Lin asked back as if she had been waiting for it. Kim Ilshin pointed them out one by one.
“This one has impurities mixed into the iron, and this one has the center of gravity misaligned. This one is too hard, so it will get damaged quickly.”
With Kim Ilshin's talent, which even allowed for communion with swords, it would have been harder not to notice the problems. Upon hearing the answer, Hana Lin nodded satisfactorily.
“Hmm, you have a good eye. Take the one in the middle. No, not that one, the one next to it.”
When he picked up the sword Hana Lin pointed to, it felt like it had been custom-made. It was a part where he could confirm her good eye once again. However, there was another reason he had come here.
“I didn't come to buy, I came for a personal commission.”
“Eeeeh? Then you should have said so sooner! You know I don't take just any request, right? If there’s no material or money that I like, I don't take it. I’m a busy person.”
He ignored her and took out the Blood Soul Stone. Hana Lin’s wide eyes trembled violently.
“Th-this… is this really yours…?”
“Yes. I got it from this request.”
“How did you fill the gauge…? You’re not involved with anything weird, are you?”
“When I got it, it was about 80 percent, and I filled the rest with criminals. I have authorization from the police station, so the source is certain. I want to use all of this to make a sword.”
Now Hana Lin was even drooling. Her trembling hands were slowly reaching out toward the Blood Soul Stone.
“Even the master of the Sanullim Workshop said he could only touch fragments, but I get to have this whole thing…”
Just as her hand was about to touch the Blood Soul Stone, he tucked it into his pocket. Hana Lin’s eyes flickered like a puppy whose toy had been taken away in front of its eyes. He stepped back and said.
“But I was just thinking of going somewhere else.”
“…Why?! Why, why, whyyy! I can do better!”
Hana Lin, who hurriedly ran out and grabbed Kim Ilshin’s pant leg, shouted while begging. She was so surprised that tears welled up in her large, childlike eyes.
“No, looking at what you showed me earlier, your skills didn't seem that good.”
“That was a failure I took out to test you! I’m actually good!”
He had known, but he opened his eyes wide as if he hadn't expected it.
“Testing me without permission? I don't feel very good about that.”
“I’m sorry! When you came in earlier, your eyes looked extraordinary, so I wanted to test you…”
“Your speech is a bit informal for a customer.”
“I’m sorry!”
Only now was her attitude appropriate. He crossed his arms and muttered as if he were truly troubled.
“Well, they do say your skills are good. It’s hard to find someone else, too.”
“Right?! So—”
“Informal speech?”
“Th-that’s right?! So why don't you leave it to me? I’m really confident!”
Thinking it was enough now, the grip on his pant leg loosened. However, she returned to it at his next words.
“But I heard it’s expensive here. I’m a student, so I’m a bit short on money. Wow, this sword is really expensive too.”
“Half price! I’ll do it for half price!”
“How much is half price?”
“About 600…?”
He laughed at the sight of her still trying to pull a fast one. A blacksmith is someone who makes their name known through the works they create. Just by handling a precious material like the Blood Soul Stone, one’s fame would soar to the high heavens. It meant they had the skill to be trusted with such a material. If he took the Blood Soul Stone to another workshop, people would line up to pay him to make it. However, he had chosen this place because Hana Lin’s skills were superior to theirs. But her attitude was still lacking. He turned his back without hesitation and said without regret.
“Sorry.”
“Free! I’ll do it for free! Instead, let me engrave my name on it…!”
He stopped and glanced at Hana Lin’s face. Her eyes couldn't have been more desperate. She should have done this sooner.
“Hmm…”
After making a sound as if he were agonizing over the final decision, he handed the Blood Soul Stone to Hana Lin.
“I’ll do that. I’ll concede on the engraving.”
“Th-thank you! It will probably take a week, so please write down your contact information before you go!”
Hana Lin, holding the Blood Soul Stone in her hands, jumped around like a child who had received an early Christmas present and went into the workshop in the back. Immediately after, the sound of her working the bellows hard could be heard.
‘I’m looking forward to it.’
Kim Ilshin came out with a refreshed expression. The process hadn't been very smooth, but it was a satisfactory deal for both the blacksmith and the customer. Truly.
A week passed. Hana Lin had been so absorbed in making the sword that she couldn't even open the shop, but it wasn't finished yet. Because of that, the Crescent Moon Sword was still tied to Kim Ilshin’s waist. Since Joo Chae-rin had told him to use it as he pleased and return it when he was done, he planned to use it until the sword was finished.
‘Is it dungeon strategy practice today?’
A hero has many duties, but the main one is just one: dungeon strategy. It is to raid and extinguish dungeons that are created regardless of location and threaten the safety of citizens. Therefore, dungeon strategy practice classes are periodically scheduled in the academic curriculum. The assigned points are also high. The number of people entering a dungeon varies depending on skill or inclination, but the academy recommends at least four people.
However, as the number of students dropping out increased while moving up to the third year, most of the original teams had vacancies. The teacher, who was well aware of that, gave them time to form teams before the practice. That was the reason the atmosphere in the dungeon strategy practice room was chaotic right now.
“…Do you happen to have a team right now? We’re short on vanguard members.”
“Ah, sorry. I’ve already submitted the list.”
Everyone was busy looking for team members because being with good teammates meant a high possibility of receiving high scores. In the midst of that, Kim Ilshin’s surroundings were relatively quiet. However, it wasn't that they were ostracizing him like before. Rather, they were watching each other to recruit him.
He had won the sparring match against Park Jun-hyeok and completed Joo Chae-rin’s assignment. It was even said that he had successfully handled a mid-to-high difficulty request a while ago, so the rumors that he was pulling weird tricks had also died down. Therefore, to teams that didn't have all their members, he was like a lottery ticket with a fairly high winning probability.
“Wow, those two?”
“Are they crazy, what is this?”
It was then that the surroundings became noisy. There were two people walking confidently toward Kim Ilshin, who was sitting down.
“Kim Ilshin. Join my team.”
“You, come to our team.”
Baek Ha-yeon and Seo Ye-ryeong, who spoke at the same time and looked at each other with surprised eyes.
“No.”
Kim Ilshin refused without a moment’s hesitation. He had no intention of forming a team.