Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Red Drake's Leather
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[Red Drake's Leather]
[Grade: Rare]
The leather from a drake that failed to become a dragon. Its hardness falls short of a dragon's scales, but that also means it's considered the finest leather aside from dragon scales.
Kang Hyuk checked the message floating before his eyes and grinned.
'Red Drake. Among the dragonkin monsters, it's one of the most ferocious—second to none. That's why its leather alone commands a grade without needing anything else.'
A fine beast leaves behind fine hide.
And high-grade monsters drop top-tier materials.
'If this leather ends up in the hands of a master blacksmith, who knows what kind of result it'll yield.'
That was why Kang Hyuk had decided to take this leather with him even before leaving the warehouse.
The rare items gathering dust here wouldn't provide much boost to his current power anyway.
Even if something did help, the effect would be negligible.
But.
'If an item made from this leather reaches Unique or even Legendary grade, its value and utility would be incomparable to any rare item.'
Purely in terms of potential, this leather outshone even the gauntlet and ring from moments ago.
Of course, there was a catch.
'Crafting isn't easy. No matter how good the material, the end result depends heavily on the blacksmith's skill.'
Even artisans hailed as masters sometimes failed.
In that sense, what this leather would become remained an unknown.
But.
'If it's that blacksmith I know, he'll minimize the risk.'
With that thought, Kang Hyuk's lips curved upward.
'He might even deliver something far beyond my expectations. A master blacksmith who's one of the top 20 meisters...'
Korea's greatest artisan.
Park Je-woo of the Wave Hammer.
'If it's him, he'll craft me a pair of "gauntlets" worthy of my power using this leather.'
Yongsan, once famous for its computer markets.
Now, it had transformed into a massive production hub where every workshop guild in Korea gathered.
'Not every Awakener gets combat talents or abilities.'
Rare cases granted crafting skills or all sorts of other abilities.
And this production center in Yongsan housed nearly a thousand blacksmiths.
A number so vast it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say every blacksmith in Korea was here.
That included Park Je-woo, who would later be revered as a master artisan and the nation's top blacksmith.
'He hasn't made his name yet, but given his talent, he can already produce masterpieces.'
Proof lay in the items he'd crafted as a novice blacksmith, later reappraised and fetching astronomical prices.
All his artifacts had random special stats, but that was the point.
'A rare item's efficiency can rival a Unique one depending on its special stats. And Park Je-woo could imbue those special stats reliably.'
That drove his value sky-high in the future, rivaling S-Rank Hunters.
Even he, in that future, had only obtained one after becoming Association President.
'The gauntlet I got back then was a Legendary item that let me wield five elemental magics freely.'
Perfect for someone vulnerable to magic like him.
But Park Je-woo's creation didn't just patch his weakness—it surpassed it.
'The Power of the Giant. It was the only artifact that could handle that power.'
The Power of the Giant wasn't magic or mana.
It was a bizarre ability that annihilated everything with pure physical force alone.
Most items shattered under its backlash.
That's why he'd gone without a weapon for so long.
'But that gauntlet from Park Je-woo withstood the force bursting from my fist perfectly. And it even amplified my output.'
That was why, at Lv 2, Kang Hyuk had chosen this leather from the warehouse.
A rare gauntlet couldn't handle the Power of the Giant anyway.
Even if it could, it'd hit durability limit and turn to scrap in no time.
'...Better to entrust it to a sure bet like Park Je-woo and get a weapon made just for me. The issue is finding him before he makes his name.'
He muttered to himself and scanned his surroundings.
'Start with the biggest workshops. Around now, the top one should be the "Phainan" Workshop.'
He set off.
The paths twisted confusingly, but it wasn't too hard.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Hammer strikes echoed everywhere.
He just followed the loudest one.
And his judgment hit the mark.
Bang! Bang! Bang!!
A deafening hammer rhythm assaulted his ears as he spotted a massive sign reading "Phainan" over the entrance.
Stepping inside, a receptionist greeted him.
"...Welcome to Phainan, the premier production workshop! Do you have a reservation?"
Kang Hyuk replied.
"No reservation."
"I see. Well... Do you know someone here?"
"I'm looking for Park Je-woo."
"Park Je-woo... Let me check... Park Je-woo?"
The clerk looked up.
"Hmm... He's here, but I recommend someone else. This guy's got a lot of issues."
Kang Hyuk tilted his head.
The Park Je-woo he knew was kind-hearted, renowned for his excellent character.
'Same name?'
He asked cautiously, but the clerk shook his head.
"Doubt it. Among Yongsan's blacksmiths, the only Park Je-woo is ours."
"...Mind sharing what the issues are? With Park Je-woo?"
"That's personal info, so..."
As the clerk trailed off, Kang Hyuk pondered briefly before answering.
"I'll go with him."
"Really? Workshops usually don't push out complaint-heavy smiths, so I'd like to suggest another..."
"It's fine."
The clerk shrugged.
"Alright then... no helping it. Head to Workshop Room 4 on the third floor."
Kang Hyuk nodded and moved on.
The sweltering heat unique to forges washed over him.
At the far end of Phainan Workshop's forges.
He paused before Workshop Room 4.
"Hey, you fucking bastard."
A harsh curse flew from the slightly ajar door.
"I said finish it by this week, didn't I?"
Kang Hyuk's eyes narrowed.
Through the gap, the scene magnified as if right before him.
In one corner of the workshop.
A man surrounded by a thug-like gang.
"H-Hyun-wook... Give me a bit more time... Item crafting isn't that simple—"
"Fuck. Then pay up! You borrowed money, couldn't pay it back, so you said you'd make the item yourself!"
"B-But... I paid back the principal... It's just the interest..."
"That interest is the key! You wrote the contract yourself! Principal plus interest! Right, Park Je-woo?"
Overhearing, Kang Hyuk muttered.
"So that's the 'issues'."
He stroked his chin, watching a bit longer.
"Hah, fuck... I didn't want to say this much, but you're hopeless."
E-Rank Hunter.
Na Hyun-wook smirked wickedly.
"Can't deliver on time, can't pay interest. Guess you'll have to hand over that one little sister of yours."
"W-What!? You can't—"
"Families pay for your shit, punk. Your sister's pretty cute from what I saw. She's legal now, so she can mix drinks, gain some social experience, and pay off your debt."
Park Je-woo thrashed in rage.
"You bastard! You forced the loan on me... You! And now my sister...!"
Na Hyun-wook activated his ability, as if waiting.
E-Rank physical enhancement.
It coated his skin in steel instantly.
"Guh!"
Like a sledgehammer to the gut, Park Je-woo crumpled.
Na Hyun-wook grabbed his hair, yanking him up with a grin.
"Pissed off?"
"You... fucking bastard..."
"What're you gonna do? You signed, stamped, and inked it yourself."
"Hyun-wook, sorry. Please, not my sister..."
"Then fucking deliver. Or..."
Na Hyun-wook licked his lips.
"You know what I'll do when I don't get paid?"
He raised his hand to slap Park Je-woo's face again.
Ting~
The door to Workshop Room 4 swung open.
Na Hyun-wook and his gang halted, turning toward the sound.
A man in a black mask stood there.
"What, a customer?"
Na Hyun-wook spat and stood.
"Hey, mister, can't you see we're busy?"
"We were here first, so fuck off!"
"Taking customers in this situation, asshole?"
The gang amped up the intimidation, pressuring Kang Hyuk.
Unfazed, Kang Hyuk spoke calmly.
"Article 3. Hunters are forbidden from using abilities in any situation unless it's an on-site emergency."
He stepped forward.
That instant.
"Article 3, Paragraph 2. If a Hunter uses abilities to injure a civilian or another Hunter, they may be arrested on the spot."
Kang Hyuk vanished.
"...!"
Na Hyun-wook's gang's eyes bulged.
As they searched for him, screams erupted.
"Guh!"
"Aaaagh!"
Startled, Na Hyun-wook whipped around.
His gang lay frothing on the ground.
'W-What the hell?'
Panicking, he powered up.
Searching for the vanished man, a chill hit from behind.
'...!'
E-Rank but seasoned, he reacted fast, coating himself in steel.
Crackle!
His right arm armored, he swung backward.
No impact.
Na Hyun-wook spun into an uppercut, steeling his whole body.
That moment.
"What?"
His confident punch was blocked.
"W-What?"
Never expecting a block, Na Hyun-wook panicked.
He tried pulling free, but his arm wouldn't budge.
Looking up, he saw a man a head taller gripping his fist.
'...Strong! Way beyond a nobody like me!'
Instinctual realization.
He gave up pointless resistance.
But not desperate thrashing.
"W-Who are you! D-Do you know who I am?"
"..."
"Thanos Guild, rank 52 in Korea! Ever heard of Thanos Master, C-Rank Hunter Lee Han-ul of the Advance?"
Kang Hyuk scoffed at the furious shout.
"Haha..."
The dry laugh halted Na Hyun-wook's outburst.
Trembling in rising fear, eyes darting, as Kang Hyuk spoke.
"I figured you were trash, but you're even worse... So."
He gripped Na Hyun-wook's fist tighter.
"That's all for excuses?"
Na Hyun-wook's mouth gaped.
Alarms blared in his head—something was wrong.
Discarding pride, he tried to apologize.
Crack.
Something snapped.
Na Hyun-wook's pupils dilated as pain surged from his fist. He muttered.
"Steel... broke?"
Looking again at his fist.
"Aaaaagh!!!"
It was mangled beyond recognition.