Cheongyacha Workshop and the Secret of Kisik
Gwak Chunsik's Oresik Dojo Jeju branch—the Cheongyacha Workshop, specialists in Kisik. Their leader, Yoon Kwang-su, had successfully developed a new technique by blending the universal Oresik he'd learned at the dojo with their own proprietary know-how, allowing them to establish a new branch on Jeju Island.
The art of forging items using nothing but hands wrapped in aura—no fire, no water required. Kisik. In the game, it was renowned as one of the essential skills for any blacksmith route, prized for its incredible versatility.
But.
"Even my apprentices, after years of training, barely manage to grasp the basics. No matter how much of a prodigy you are, Young Master, learning Kisik might be a bit—"
"What was that?"
I freely morphed the aura cloaking my hand, shooting him a glance. Anyone who could wield aura could change its shape like this without much trouble, but seamlessly shifting it moment to moment into smooth, fluid forms was on another level entirely.
A control technique I'd picked up only after studying Oresik operation under Gwak Chunsik himself. He'd trained at the dojo—he'd have a good idea of my current level.
"Does this still fall short of your standards?"
"……No issues there."
Of course not. The mechanism was fundamentally based on Oresik, so for someone like me who'd mastered the original, it wasn't much of a challenge.
Creating something new was the hard part—learning it? A breeze.
Provided, of course, you had the Oresik capacity and aura control to handle it.
"Can you walk me through the process?"
"It'll take quite some time, though—is that alright with you, Young Master?"
"I didn't earn the title of elder's disciple for free."
This wasn't a game where I could just acquire it outright. But for someone already attuned to the sensation of aura like me, it was child's play. The flow felt familiar, almost intuitive.
In the game, it was just a buff to secret acquisition speed. If my hunch was right, though…
I let a broad smile spread across my face.
"Well, as you wish, I'll teach you—but…"
He trailed off, glancing back. The apprentices, who'd been staring blankly at us, tilted their heads in confusion.
"What the hell are you gawking at, even with the young master here?! Get back to hammering!"
At Yoon Kwang-su's shout, they snapped back to their stations, cloaking their fists in aura and resuming their training. They slammed their fists into the objects before them.
Kaang!
Kaang!
Kaang!
Kaang!
With the resounding echoes filling the cavern, he turned back to me and raised his fist, showing off his aura-wrapped hand.
"This is Cheongyacha's secret art: Kisik. The technique of forging items anew by cloaking your hands in aura."
With that, he pulled a mana stone from his pocket and placed it on his palm.
A moment later.
Tzzzzzt—
The mana stone atop his hand glowed red-hot, slowly losing its shape. He cupped it between both hands, kneading it like clay until it formed an ingot, which he then set on a nearby rock.
And then.
Claaang—!
Claaang—!
Claaang—!
It was flesh meeting metal, yet the clashes rang out like steel on steel. Before long, the mana stone stretched into a long rod. He stopped hammering, and it cooled rapidly into a solid bar.
"Generate heat through rapid, intense friction with aura to soften the hardness, then shape it by striking with the other hand. That's the basic principle of Kisik. And items reshaped this way retain their original properties to the maximum degree."
As he spoke, he heated the elongated mana stone red-hot once more, placed it on the rock, and hammered away with his fist. Thud! Thud! The long form gradually took on a defined shape.
Finally, a dagger forged entirely from mana stone lay before us.
"……So that's Kisik."
"Exactly. And with monsters, villains, and raiders littering the area, sourcing materials is a breeze."
That was why they'd set up shop on Jeju. Of course, choosing a demonic realm like this just for materials already marked them as out of the ordinary…
"Bad material, maybe? Needs more refinement."
He crumpled the mana stone dagger barehanded and started hammering it again. Maybe trying to understand them logically was the mistake to begin with.
I mean, what blacksmith forges and shapes with their bare hands in one go?
Yeah, best not to overthink it. I just needed to extract that one bean from the pod.
Leaving him absorbed in his new creation, I circulated my aura along the path he'd shown me. Crimson aura enveloped my hand—not the usual loose cloak for punches, but a different sensation entirely.
I gripped the rock beside me, and it crumbled away like clay under my fingers.
"Oh."
It worked. Better than expected, even.
The sensation was intriguing, so I kneaded the rock enthusiastically.
"W-Wait, Young Master—what are you doing right now?"
"Hm? Using Kisik just like you showed me."
"No, not that… that thing in your hand."
"What's wrong with it?"
Was there something off with the clay?
"……That's a granite golem's head."
"Huh?"
I slowly looked down at the pliable lump in my hand.
It did have a slightly brighter hue than ordinary rock.
"This squishy thing is a granite golem's head?"
"Yes. Normally, it's so tough you'd have to pour in heaps of aura just to pry it loose… As expected of the 'Great' Young Master! Piece of cake for you, huh?"
Hey, I didn't know that.
Granite golem. One of Jeju's toughest monsters in terms of hardness. In the game, it was so ridiculously durable compared to its drop value that players avoided it…
And its head—the hardest part—was this?
"Hey, Yoon Kwang-su! I'm in utter awe of the young master's profound, flawless skill. A material that took me days to work… in mere minutes… Truly the young master!"
"……Obviously."
……Even with my honed senses, I hadn't expected this level.
* * *
I floored the throttle, racing the motorcycle along the coastal road.
"Never thought I'd live to see the day I enter a sanctuary first. The apprentices wouldn't believe it."
Yoon Kwang-su muttered from the back seat in disbelief, chuckling wryly.
"The head of Cheongyacha's workshop, afraid of a sanctuary? Shocking."
"Wouldn't you be? Crosses drop from the sky just for getting close. I've crossed paths with Hallasan Cathedral's bishop a few times on business, but that woman's no saint either."
Seemed the bishop had quite the notorious reputation, fitting for one of Jeju's major powers.
"……You remember what I told you beforehand, right?"
"Yes. Treat you not as the young master, but as Calione's hitman. Right? Never imagined you were with Calione, though. Makes sense, given your talent and strength—they must've named you heir to Oresik."
Fortunately, they didn't seem too hung up on my Calione ties. Maybe hearing about the alliance with Elder Gwak Chunsik helped them accept it.
Ahead, the cathedral's spire came into view. Tension radiated from behind me.
He'd instinctively grasped that a single gesture from Augustus could mean incoming attacks.
There she was, right in front of the cathedral—like she'd been waiting—lounging in a camping chair, smoking.
She didn't even glance our way, meaning she'd been watching us since we entered sanctuary range.
I killed the engine and sat in the empty camping chair opposite her. Only then did she stub out her cigarette on the ground and look up.
"……You actually brought him."
"Told you I'd prove it. So, changed your mind yet?"
She snorted at my words and turned to gaze at the cathedral entrance.
The doors swung open. Yohan—carrying a box that radiated holiness at first glance—approached slowly and stood behind her.
"That it?"
The bishop nodded at my question.
"Yeah. The holy relic sustaining this sanctuary—and the source of my power—Ascalon. I've kept my end, so show the goods at the trade site. Yohan?"
"Yes, Bishop."
At her call, Yohan bowed solemnly, knelt on one knee, set the box on his lap, and slowly opened it. An ancient sword revealed itself.
"That's Ascalon. Real or fake, his face'll tell you… But it's genuine."
I glanced at Yoon Kwang-su beside me.
"Ooooh… Th-that's the holy relic…! Heh-heh, heh-heh-heh-heh!"
Yup. Reaction confirmed it.
Just to be sure, though.
"Mind if I take a closer look? I have an appraisal skill."
"Appraisal skill? ……Fine, long as you don't pull any nonsense."
With her permission, I stood and reached out toward Ascalon.
◈ The sword said to have been used by Saint George to sever the evil dragon Fafnir's breath. Dramatically amplifies the user's holy power and can activate a sanctuary in the vicinity.
◈ Deals 2.5x holy damage to evil-aligned foes; up to 7x against dragonkin.
"Genuine, alright."
Extra damage to evil attributes, devastating to dragons. No wonder it earned the moniker "Fafnir Slayer." Dual specialization against evil and dragons—against a Fafnir that fulfilled both, up to 7x damage. The ultimate anti-Fafnir weapon.
"Even with Ascalon, taking down Fafnir easily is impossible. Legend says even Saint George couldn't pierce its scales with Ascalon alone—he needed another weapon."
To deal that damage, you'd have to breach the dragon's scales—its greatest feature and strongest shield. Lacking penetration, she was right: Ascalon alone wouldn't cut it against Fafnir.
That's why.
"Here. With Cheongyacha's workshop head here, no worries on that front."
That was the whole reason I'd brought him.
"……You did say you'd tweak Ascalon a bit. So, what's the plan? Reinforce it?"
She assumed weapon enhancement, given the blacksmith. Yoon Kwang-su leaped to his feet, fists clenched in excitement.
"Y-You're giving me a shot at enhancing Ascalon? You mean it, Hitman?!"
I gave the feverishly thrilled pair a calm reply.
"Huh? Enhance? No plans for that."
"Hm?"
"Pardon?"
They stared at me, dumbfounded.
"Wait, you said 'a little tweak,' but no enhancement? Then what, you brought him just to polish it? Enough to pierce the scales?"
"You called me here for just polishing?!"
"……You two are seriously misunderstanding something."
"Misunderstanding? What do you mean? Then what are you planning to do with Ascalon?"
Her face twisted in utter confusion. I'd said no to enhancement—but I'd never mentioned polishing.
Just…
Crimson aura flared around my hands.
Fierce yet gentle flames.
And with Ascalon laid beneath them—
Krunch—!
"Ah."
"!!"
"!?"