Chapter 20
Chapter 20
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: The Master's Gear
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Grandpa! Do you know how much this guy dissed my equipment?!"
Somehow sensing he wouldn't take her side, she started venting at her grandfather instead.
But he just chuckled softly.
Once her anger seemed to subside a bit, he finally spoke.
"Yujeong, you didn't even hear him out fully. The customer still has more to say, doesn't he?"
"What's there to hear—"
"He looks about my age, but he's impressive."
"Huh?"
Yujeong turned to Jeong-hyeon, wondering if she'd misheard.
He had pointed it out bluntly, but it was his honest thought.
Working with monster hides wasn't easy.
It was on a whole different level from basic butchering, which could barely count as first-stage processing.
Not to mention forging weapons or armor.
Plus, the flaws he'd noted were just from overeagerness—nothing that experience wouldn't fix and turn into strengths.
Of course,
"Still, I'd like to buy yours, sir."
Potential and reality were two different things.
He had no intention of buying obviously flawed items just because he was a customer.
"Hahaha!"
Whatever struck his fancy, the grandfather burst into loud laughter at Jeong-hyeon's words.
Then he offered a handshake.
"I like that. Name's Doil."
"Jeong-hyeon."
Naturally, the goodwill didn't end with a handshake.
"E-rank gear, eh. Everything out front was made by my granddaughter. Sorry she got upset—I'll give you something I made specially, Jeong-hyeon. Same price as hers, just this once. What do you say?"
"Grandpa, why sell to a guy like that on those terms?!"
His granddaughter Yujeong was the one throwing a fit now.
Jeong-hyeon might've said nice things, but he could've just changed his tune in front of her grandfather.
And even if sincere, nitpicking the maker's work right to her face wouldn't sit well with a young heart.
But Doil just chuckled and scolded Yujeong.
"A customer with that eye for quality won't be satisfied with average stuff. A true craftsman gives the customer what they want—not just pushes what he has. That's what separates artisans from merchants, remember?"
It could sound like a jab even at folks in the same workshop.
But nothing unreasonable, so Jeong-hyeon nodded.
"Come on in. What rank are you after?"
"Looking for E-rank gear."
With two of his three traits now E-rank, claiming F-rank felt a bit embarrassing.
Hunter traits didn't dictate much anyway.
Money bought A-rank or even S-rank gear, no problem.
Ranks were just convenient labels matching the monsters a given rank hunter typically hunted—no laws or systems enforcing it.
Jeong-hyeon followed Doil into the workshop's inner storeroom.
A faint oil scent mingled with the inevitable monster hide smell of hunter gear.
They didn't go deep.
Higher-value items would be further in, naturally.
"What you're after should be here."
Doil stopped and spoke. Jeong-hyeon picked up the first armor set that caught his eye.
He didn't know Doil's exact skill level, but at this tier, Tadan orc or red goblin hides counted as top-grade materials.
The one he grabbed was Tadan orc leather.
But the moment he felt it in his hands, he couldn't help exclaiming.
"Wow..."
"How is it? To your liking?"
"Impressive..."
No need for more words.
Yet Jeong-hyeon and Doil nodded as if that said it all.
The leather, properly oiled, slid smoothly without a single snag.
None of the sloppy finishing from Yujeong's pieces.
Even the hard-to-reach chest interior or back—every surface uniform and perfectly smoothed.
The edges were meticulously done too.
"How much for a set like this?"
"Same as Yujeong's price—seven hundred."
"And yours normally?"
"Heh, probably over fifteen hundred."
Huge price gap.
But understandable.
Everything he'd seen touring the workshop met a solid baseline, but Doil's transcended it.
Worthy of gear made from one rank higher materials.
'No wonder he discounts his granddaughter's work so much.'
Sure, she'd be the apple of his eye, but he seemed strict on quality.
All the more reason to trust him.
"This one it is."
"No need to look more?"
"No point."
A set like this for seven hundred?
An unbelievable deal.
Even at full fifteen hundred without the favor, he'd buy without complaint.
Doil nodded, called Yujeong, and had her pack the selected armor.
"Anything else?"
"Thinking of grabbing a dagger set too."
"Hmm..."
He had the mace, but needed a backup weapon.
With D-rank Throwing Skill acquired, what was there to hesitate over?
Without prying eyes, he could outdo the mace's destruction by far.
Weapons were racked beside the armor.
Impeccably maintained, they gleamed despite the dim interior.
This time, Doil opened a nearby drawer and pulled out a case.
"Daggers don't sell much, so just this one set."
Blades about 10cm long.
Small, but ten razor-sharp daggers aligned neatly in the case.
Jeong-hyeon examined them closely, picking one up.
"Marium?"
"Oh, sharp eye."
Doil praised him, but anyone with basic knowledge recognized the unique metal from mine gates like the Mari Mine.
Higher-level mines turned grayer with more mana saturation.
Marium came from early-stage mana-infused ore mines, pale purple.
Mana made it top-tier for low-rank weapons.
Performance blew away standard gate minerals.
But what really drew Jeong-hyeon's gaze was something else.
"Unique pattern."
"Just decorative. Mixed in a metal same grade as marium."
"Won't that weaken the strength?"
"Nope. Makes it stronger, actually."
Impossible by normal logic, but gate metals might have unknown synergies.
He checked the rest—no other sets with similar minerals.
"How much?"
"Seven hundred."
Marium dagger set matching armor price? Odd.
Jeong-hyeon eyed Doil questioningly, and Doil chuckled.
"Haven't taught Yujeong weapon forging yet. Can't make 'em."
Reason enough to accept, even if it felt like a rip-off.
Total pushed past his budget,
'But damn, I like it...'
Once seen, that dagger kept pulling him.
Subtle purple blade, perfect grip fit.
Jeong-hyeon surrendered.
"I'll take it."
"No regrets."
Doil grinned, calling Yujeong again.
'Felt like a similar scene at the rental shop...'
Jeong-hyeon felt a twinge of unease.
***
"Well, take care."
"Thanks."
After paying, Jeong-hyeon took his gear from Yujeong.
It skimmed his living expenses tight, but with gates soon, it'd be fine.
Meanwhile, Yujeong still sulked.
Lingering grudge, apparently.
'No way she'll stay mad till next time.'
He planned repeat visits for gear needs, but brushed off the awkwardness.
As he headed out,
"Yujeong, you there, old man?"
He bumped into an unexpected newcomer.
"Huh?"
"Aren't you Hunter Jeong-hyeon?"
Middle-aged man, balding up top.
Park Cheol-yong from the rental shop.
Recognizing each other, Cheol-yong greeted warmly first.
'Whoa, fancy meeting here. But... uh...'
He trailed off, glancing between Jeong-hyeon and Yujeong, then whispered,
"You've got good taste, but... you didn't buy from that girl, right?"
Meant to be quiet, but loud enough for Yujeong.
"Hey, Uncle Cheol-yong! What's wrong with my stuff?!"
"No, just saying, heh heh."
Now Jeong-hyeon saw—Cheol-yong's speech matched Doil's.
Explained where he picked it up.
Jeong-hyeon smirked and replied.
"Nah, bought from President Doil."
"...What?"
Cheol-yong looked stunned.
Jeong-hyeon bowed politely and left.
"Mace's holding up great. Armor got beat up on a job... but I'll return it on time."
"Y-yeah."
Cheol-yong accepted the greeting awkwardly.
Once Jeong-hyeon was gone, Doil emerged.
"You're here."
"Wait, old man! You really sold to that young guy?"
Cheol-yong pressed without even greeting, then caught himself with a cough and straightened up.
Doil chuckled and nodded.
"Of course I did."
"Man, Yujeong. Old man eat something funny today?"
"What're you saying?! Tch, already pissed 'cause Grandpa sold whatever to that jerk."
"Haha, yeah, wouldn't make sense."
Yujeong snapped at the nonsense—already in a mood—and Cheol-yong scratched his neck, nodding.
Just how shocking was it that Jeong-hyeon bought Doil's gear?
Who was Doil?
While most crafters specialized in armor or weapons, he mastered both near-perfectly—one of the few.
Mostly retired from production now; current stock was old stockpiles.
He took custom orders from top guild and association hunters, but only when he felt like it—always in demand.
Even among Korea's elder artisan hall of fame at the association workshop, Doil was publicly the best.
Reason Cheol-yong, once an aspiring crafter, still frequented Supreme Forge.
"That kid's decent, sure... but enough for you, old man?"
"Decent or not—who cares? Got surplus, so sold it."
He said that, but Doil didn't sell to just anyone.
Even with ready-made stock.
He rarely emerged from the back as is.
Especially low-rank stuff now fully Yujeong's domain.
Why would a top hunter gear specialist bother with some low-rank nobody?
Cheol-yong gaped, and Doil laughed, adding,
"Call it a hunch, but feels like that kid'll be back."
"Huh? Well, obviously... after your gear, no turning back."
Plus, using Cheol-yong's rental now.
The difference was night and day.
But Doil shook his head casually.
"Nah, next time he'll buy way better gear than this. Crazy talk, I know."
"Huh? What do you..."
Cheol-yong tilted his head.
Hunters didn't reawaken except rarely—F stayed F, couldn't hit A.
Level caps existed firm.
Gear upgrades didn't leap suddenly.
So what did Doil mean?
He seemed half-disbelieving himself, but Doil didn't spout nonsense.
Having met legends from the gates' early days—Doil was legendary himself, low-profile or not.
His insight went without saying.
Watching them, Yujeong thought,
'Just what makes that guy so great?'
Her grudge against Jeong-hyeon wouldn't fade easy.