A Visionary's Gamble
"Honestly, I'm impressed, Senior. To think you'd look that far ahead." Realistically or not, Bae Jang-wook was genuinely in awe of Lee Jong-guk's far-reaching vision.
"It's nothing. You'll be able to do this much too once you get to my age."
"But... realistically, there still seem to be quite a few problems."
"Name them."
"First of all, Kim Tae-hyun doesn't have an agency right now. He hasn't needed one so far. Since we just edited and broadcasted the recorded gameplay videos he sent us, a contract with only our station was enough. But if he's going to be on broadcasts regularly, he needs a solid agency behind him. It's not like he's only going to work with our station, is he?"
"Exactly. That's why I've already wrapped up talks with the CEO of SI Entertainment. They welcomed the idea with open arms."
Bae Jang-wook's jaw dropped. Lee Jong-guk's sheer proactivity was on an entirely different level!
"S-SI Entertainment...?"
This wasn't some minor agency. It was a massive entertainment powerhouse managing top-tier singers and actors. As a backing force, they weren't just sufficient—they were almost too good!
"Did SI Entertainment really rate Kim Tae-hyun that highly?" In the game, Tae-hyun received all kinds of praise, but he had never done anything in the broadcasting industry. It was hard to understand why they would value him so highly.
"The CEO is a close friend of mine. And I pitched him well, calling Tae-hyun a diamond in the rough."
"Still, it's quite surprising."
"True. That notoriously picky CEO agreed surprisingly fast after hearing about him. Maybe he already knew who Tae-hyun was?"
"Was he interested in gaming too?"
"Since his niece is in it, he couldn't not be interested. Anyway, is the agency issue resolved?"
"Yes, yes."
"Any other issues?"
"Well..." Bae Jang-wook trailed off. This was perhaps one of the biggest hurdles. "Kim Tae-hyun has zero interest in broadcasting."
"...What?"
"He barely lifts a finger for the gameplay videos as it is. He's rejected every single proposal I've made."
Bae Jang-wook had subtly brought it up to Tae-hyun before, asking if he'd like to guest on other gaming shows. If Tae-hyun agreed, he would be an absolute A-list guest in the gaming world. But Tae-hyun had coldly refused. Simply because it was too much of a hassle!
"Did you explain it to him properly?"
"Even so, he said it was too much of a hassle..."
"My word..." Lee Jong-guk looked genuinely taken aback. Anyone else would have bowed in gratitude and promised to do their absolute best. Such full-scale support was the ultimate dream of any young gamer! It wasn't just about being famous among players; it was a chance to break into mainstream television!
"I think it's because his family is incredibly wealthy, so he doesn't really lack anything..."
Hearing Bae Jang-wook's words, Lee Jong-guk nodded. "If that's the case, there's a way."
"Really?!" Bae Jang-wook stared at Lee Jong-guk with wide eyes. As expected of a legendary veteran! He even had a solution for a problem like this!
"Yes. You go and convince him."
"...Excuse me??"
"You go and convince him."
"N-No, he won't listen to me..."
"Then keep persuading him until he does."
"..."
Bae Jang-wook had forgotten. Though he looked gentle on the outside, Lee Jong-guk was a notoriously hot-blooded man! If the boss says do it, you do it! There was only one answer now. Bae Jang-wook swallowed his tears and nodded.
"Understood..."
"Good. I'm counting on you!"
Standing up from his seat, Bae Jang-wook felt a lingering doubt. What did Lee Jong-guk see in Tae-hyun to be so absolutely certain? Was he seeing something that Bae Jang-wook had missed?
"Ahem, I see... So that's how it is."
"Indeed! Oh my, your skills are truly magnificent! You could easily work for the Oston Royal Family!"
"Don't talk nonsense."
"..."
Tae-hyun had no intention of visiting the Oston Royal Palace anytime soon. He simply had too much of a guilty conscience.
• You are receiving direct instruction on crafting methods from Blacksmith Gonrdo.
• You can receive assistance from Blacksmith Gonrdo during crafting.
• The number of Orichalcum Arrows you can craft with your current ingots is 1.5.
"What do you mean, one and a half?!"
Tae-hyun was dumbfounded, but he decided to craft as much as he could for now. However, the other players were even more dumbfounded. Here they were, supposed to clear the 6th floor of the dungeon, and Tae-hyun was just sitting there crafting with an NPC!
On top of that, he was even using Gonrdo's items to set up his workspace.
"Hey! Why are you using that!"
It was a rare consumable item they had saved for emergencies: the Prefabricated Powerful Furnace! When used, it temporarily summoned a small furnace on the spot, granting powerful buffs to equipment repairs and enhancements.
Seeing Tae-hyun casually waste such a valuable item, the Woodstock Guild members were utterly flabbergasted. But before Tae-hyun could even offer an excuse, Gonrdo stepped in.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun has stepped forward to help you all, yet you dare show such insolence! Apologize at once!"
"..."
The Woodstock Guild members stared blankly. They had suffered through a grueling chain quest just to bring this legendary blacksmith here, and this was how he treated them? There truly wasn't a single NPC in this world you could trust!
"Calm down, Gonrdo. What do they know?"
"Count Kim Tae-hyun!"
"This is why being a blacksmith is so tough."
"You speak the absolute truth!"
The two of them were in perfect harmony.
"Just help me make this. Here."
"Understood! I shall do my utmost!"
Crafting: Orichalcum Arrow
⚠️ Warning: Crafting may fail.
Clank, clank, clank—
?!
Tae-hyun stared at the system message in surprise. Thanks to his absurdly high Luck stat, he had long been a stranger to any system warnings regarding crafting failures. To think such a message would pop up now!
Tae-hyun, who had been casually swinging his hammer, suddenly tensed up.
Ugh, the painful memories of Pan-On 1 are coming back...
When Tae-hyun played as a blacksmith in Pan-On 1, he had no Luck stat to speak of. Back then, his life was a repetitive cycle of crafting and failing, crafting and failing. Now, thanks to his Luck stat, he didn't have to suffer through such misery. It was a stark reminder of how much had changed.
"I heard Kim Tae-hyun has a high Blacksmithing skill..."
"How high?"
"Maybe Intermediate?"
"Hey, he's busy leveling up his combat skills. How could he have reached Intermediate Blacksmithing?"
Watching Tae-hyun relentlessly hammer away, the Woodstock Guild members whispered among themselves. Even though the situation was absurd, seeing a top-tier ranker actually use a production skill was a rare opportunity.
• Successfully crafted Orichalcum Arrow.
• Your Intermediate Blacksmithing skill has evolved into Advanced Blacksmithing.
• You have acquired the Title: Master Engineering Blacksmith.
• You have acquired the Lazedan Blacksmith's Secret Skill: Unstable Enhancement.
• Your Reputation has increased significantly.
Yes!
Tae-hyun pumped his fist. His calculations had been spot on. He had figured that crafting the Orichalcum Arrow would push his near-max Intermediate Blacksmithing skill over the edge to Advanced. Thanks to that, he had even managed to level up!
He had barely managed to scrape his way into the late 70s. While others had already broken past level 100 and were eyeing the late 100s, he was still stuck in the late 70s. Sometimes, thinking about it made him feel a bit emotional.
Regardless, with the additional bonuses from the Advanced Blacksmithing skill, this was an overwhelming success.
But... why is the Secret skill a Lazedan Blacksmith skill?
The Lazedan Blacksmith. A specialized blacksmith subclass that utilized bizarre and unique skills like Counterfeit or Disguise. Tae-hyun had acquired a few of these skills and was using them quite effectively.
However, that didn't mean he wanted his ultimate Secret skill reward to be of this variety. It was a hard-earned Secret skill, after all! Weren't there plenty of other amazing options? From crafting advanced magic swords to all sorts of things, why did it have to be a Lazedan Blacksmith skill of all things?
• Allows the enhancement of equipment with the 'Unstable' property.
• If equipment with the 'Unstable' property is enhanced, it will be destroyed after a certain period of time.
Tae-hyun's face contorted as if he had swallowed a bug. What kind of ridiculously extreme skill was this?
Can I even use this?
Just like Counterfeit, the defining characteristic of the Lazedan Blacksmith seemed to revolve around this 'Unstable' property...
Completely oblivious to Tae-hyun's inner turmoil, Blacksmith Gonrdo clapped his hands and cheered.
"Count Kim Tae-hyun! Advanced Blacksmithing! That is truly magnificent!"
"...?"
"??"
"???"
"????"
The Woodstock Guild members' heads whipped around in unison. What did he just say?
"Advanced???"
"I didn't mishear that, did I?"
"No, he definitely said Advanced..."
Currently, only the top-ranking dedicated blacksmith players possessed the Advanced Blacksmithing skill. Yet Tae-hyun, who held a combat-oriented class, possessed a Blacksmithing skill of the exact same tier!
The Woodstock Guild members stared at Tae-hyun with looks of utter shock.
"Is it really Advanced?"
"Is there a law saying I can't have Advanced?"
"N-No, it's not that... but how on earth did you do it?"
Swallowing his pride, the Woodstock Guild Leader subtly sidled up to Tae-hyun and began to pry. It was simply too baffling to let slide. Just what kind of class had a skill tree that allowed for this?
"It's simple."
"...?"
"Just craft diligently and use it diligently."
"..."
The Woodstock Guild Leader felt as if he had just been told to "just study hard focusing on math, science, and English."
Just as the Woodstock Guild Leader was about to protest, Tae-hyun cut him off.
"More importantly, we're about to run the dungeon, so hand over your gear. I'll give you all some extra buffs."
"Gonrdo already did that."
"It's better if two people do it. The buff skill he uses and the one I use will be different."
"I suppose that's true."
The Woodstock Guild Leader meekly began to lay his equipment down. Receiving buffs from two blacksmiths was certainly beneficial, and he was also curious to see what kind of buff skills Tae-hyun possessed.
However, watching this from a distance, Cain's face contorted in sheer horror.
T-That!
"Hey, you guys come get some too."
"Yes!"
The Power Warrior Guild members happily trotted over and lined up. Seeing this, Cain subtly backed away, widening the distance between them.
"Aren't you going to line up, Cain?"
"I-I have a sudden stomachache..."
"...?"
"Luck? What kind of effect is this?"
"I've never seen this buff before."
The Woodstock Guild members tilted their heads in confusion after receiving Tae-hyun's buff. It was a completely different kind of buff than any they had ever received from other blacksmiths.
Cain patted the Woodstock Guild Leader on the back.
"Hang in there, buddy."
"??"
The Woodstock Guild Leader brushed Cain's hand off in annoyance. He had absolutely no idea what Cain was playing at.
Meanwhile, Tae-hyun finished up his work. Contrary to Cain's wild misunderstandings, Tae-hyun hadn't actually done anything malicious. After all, he could easily turn these people into human bombs at a moment's notice if the need arose! There was no reason to ruin their relationship so early. If he wanted to exploit them later, it was better to stay on friendly terms for now.
He had only taken their gear to accumulate skill experience and to satisfy his curiosity about what kind of equipment a guild of Woodstock's caliber used.
They use decent stuff. Prioritizing magic defense over physical defense, and MP recovery over HP recovery...
Members of large guilds typically followed the meta—the most optimal, standard builds. Just by looking at this, Tae-hyun could easily predict what kind of equipment options other major guild members would be running.