Daily Life
Opening a new gate with two masterpieces and one grand masterpiece, but what's with this 30-day waiting period?
It's a bit annoying, but since there's still work to finish here, it's not all bad.
After all, since it opened, it's also a situation where it's hard to receive requests from there right now.
But the reputation has risen too? What's good about this rising?
At that moment, the system window responded to my thoughts as if reacting, displaying another sentence.
Due to the improvement in reputation, you will receive the following effects.
1. You can trade with all sects, companies, the Murim Alliance, and Demon Cult remnants.
- You can trade with all forces existing in the Jianghu, such as Shaolin, Huashan, and the Zhuge Family.
- Forces that have made a name for themselves in the Jianghu will offer more reward money.
2. You are the top blacksmith in the Jianghu. Due to this, you receive attention from all forces.
- Powerful forces can place orders for custom crafting with you by staking a lot of money.
What the hell is this?
Originally, the request window was full of small fry, bandits, and lowlifes, but now I can receive requests from famous forces like Shaolin and Huashan that even people who don't know about the Murim world would know.
The Dangga's initial reward was in the millions, so the other side might offer tens of billions.
After finishing the Dangga request, if there's time left, it might be worth checking it out?
“Excuse me, great hero? Are you looking at something?”
“Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought.”
Biryung waved her hand in front of me, as if wondering if I was seeing things.
“Haha… It’s fine. By the way, these weapons are really amazing… Each one is on par with the master’s sword, and especially your father’s sword is top of all time; there’s no shame in calling it that.”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sincere or just being nice, but given her serious expression and the way she’d always been, it didn’t seem like lip service.
Top of all time… not the best in the world, but calling it that makes my shoulders puff up.
“Thanks, Master. And about these weapons…”
“Wait… great hero.”
I was about to discuss how to dispose of the weapons, but Biryung suddenly cut me off.
“Feel free to speak casually. I’m just a mere apprentice, but using titles makes me feel a distance. Haha…”
“Apprentice… around 20 years old, huh.”
Right, Biryung looked like a young adult despite the title of forge master. Still had that fresh feeling?
Sigh… but when trying to speak casually, what to call her?
“Um… then just call me Biryung…?”
“Yes! Please call me that!”
Biryung smiled a bit, looking pretty.
I hoped she would smile more often.
“Um… yeah. Then let’s finish what I was about to say… These weapons, I’ll call the rest of the swords after making them all. There might be things to fix, so…”
“Okay, got it! Then come back in two days?”
“Um… yeah, two days should be enough. Come then.”
“Okay, then I’ll come back then. If anything happens, please contact me!”
Wait a second.
But how to contact? She probably doesn’t have a phone number or anything…
Status window?
The system window read my thoughts and displayed another sentence right in front of me.
If you want to communicate with the client, say 'Connect'.
…
What kind of game interface is this, talking about TIP?
“Then it’s getting late, so I’ll be going. Oh, and this…”
Biryung rummaged through her pocket and handed me a round pill.
“As the saying goes, medicine and poison are one sheet of paper apart, our Dangga is skilled in medicine too. It’s not a grand medicine, but a fatigue recovery pill, so take it before sleeping!”
Ho… a Murim fatigue recovery medicine?
I don’t know if it surpasses modern medicine, but since she says so confidently, it must be great.
“Anyway… I prepared this because I thought you might be overdoing it because of us. I hope it helps.”
“Thanks, Biryung, I’ll eat it well.”
“Haha… yeah. Then I’ll really be going. See you next time.”
Biryung bowed slightly toward me, then opened the dimensional gate and returned to her own world.
Biryung had left, and it was late at night, so I should go to bed too.
I was so exhausted from hammering all day in front of the forge that I didn’t even have time to care for my body.
My bones and muscles were screaming at me to stop, so it was time.
If I did more here, I wouldn’t be able to get up tomorrow…
Roughly turning off the forge fire, the starry sky came into view.
“Hah… beautiful.”
For a while, living was hard, so I didn’t have the spirit to look at the night sky, but now that I had some leisure, I could look at the night sky.
“What’s that? That girl from earlier?”
“Ahak! Son of a bitch, startled me!”
“What? Son of a bitch? This guy can’t say anything to his dad!”
While admiring the night sky, suddenly father’s voice from behind made me jump.
But that girl from earlier… no way…
“Father, weren’t you sleeping?”
“I’m not a bear or anything. What time is it now? Why would I still be sleeping? I woke up a long time ago.”
“Then come in, why…”
“Wait! I’m not that clueless. It looked hot in there, how could I go in?”
Hot?
The forge being hot so I can’t go in? No.
Father’s career is ahead of mine…
Then…?
“How far did you see…?”
“Um… I peeked through the forge door and saw Biryung crying and hugging you. So I peeked again and closed it.”
…
Son of a bitch. This is really fucked up.
“Ah… no, father, that’s not…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, kid. At my age, I’ll see my son finally get married!”
“No!!”
“Joke. Don’t get angry, son…”
A joke but so harsh. What if Biryung heard…
“Yeah… you’re finally becoming a man…”
Father leaned on the railing looking at the night sky.
“I was a man from the beginning, right?”
“A man is bullshit… Hwan. A man is someone who, even while sweating and crying, has something to protect.”
“Something to protect? What kind of words are those?”
“For example, like me, the forge or you. Why would I do dangerous manual labor?”
Father did manual labor in the day, drove for hire at night, and fell asleep immediately upon coming home.
Despite the lack of a daily life and considering his age, he didn’t show any reluctance in the hard work…
I secretly knew father’s efforts.
Because father worked hard for me and the forge, I worked hard without rest.
“You’ve finally got something worth protecting. That girl from earlier, right.”
To protect Biryung…
Father’s words aren’t just about physically protecting her.
Of course not, because I’m not confident in fights, and moreover, Biryung is strong, at least as strong as any awakened person in Korea.
Listening to father’s words, I suddenly had something to ask.
“Father. Then, if… really if… I have to risk my life for you or the forge, should I?”
“What kind of words are those, kid. Why else would I be living like this? It’s natural.”
So, father’s words carry weight now.
Father’s words seem like a sense of responsibility to be held as a man.
The reason he said that is to have the responsibility to the end for Biryung.
Of course, I think that way.
He’s the first customer I met after gaining my abilities…
The one who gave me human warmth when I was just hammering all day in front of the forge.
I have to do my best.
“Hah. It’s dark. Let’s go to bed.”
“You slept like that and then sleep again?”
“Then what are you going to do?”
“Huhu… go up and wait.”
Can’t just sleep on such a good day.
Time is just right, around 10 PM.
I got money, so maybe treat my stomach a bit?
Then about 40 minutes later.
“Chicken delivery~”
“Yes~ thank you!”
“Enjoy~”
The delivery guy’s flat greeting ended, and I took the chicken and cold beer.
“Hwan, what’s all this?”
“What? I want to have a drink. For the first time in a while.”
I don’t know when the last time I drank with father was.
After father divorced mother, he was in a drinking slump for a while, then after sobering up, he didn’t touch alcohol.
After that, he was busy, so no time for a drink.
On a good day, have chicken and beer.
“Damn… bring it. Come on, let’s have a drink with my son.”
“Gladly~”
So, sitting with father, eating chicken and drinking beer, talking about trivial things, it was quite enjoyable.
It was fun to eat chicken and beer without worrying about money at night.
It was fun to laugh with father and talk about ordinary daily life.
Even to maintain this life in the future, I have to work harder.
Pay off the debts, earn enough money not to lack anywhere…
Become famous in the forge, and if father picks up the hammer again, that’s the best.
“Okay~ let’s clean up.”
“Yes~”
After about 1 hour 30 minutes.
The chicken and beer are all gone, roughly cleaned.
Then simply brush teeth and shower, change clothes.
“But you slept like that, did father sleep?”
“I can sleep anytime, man~ sleep well!”
Father looked at me and laughed “kukuk” then said sleep well and went to his room.
Hng~ I should sleep too. Oh, I almost forgot this.
I ate the pill from earlier with water and threw myself on the bed.
I hope days like today repeat.