The Legend of the Master Blacksmith
Whoosh! With a solemn face, a member of the Power Warrior Guild swung his weapon at Tae-hyun.
"Huh?"
"Hey. How did you miss that?"
"Guild Master. I know our guild doesn't care about skill, but since we're gathering the absolute elite here, maybe we should actually test people's abilities first."
The moment he failed, his fellow guild members immediately showered him with warm, encouraging words! Such was the tight-knit bond of the Power Warrior Guild.
"N-no... I'm just nervous."
Tae-hyun realized something.
Ah. There's no way these guys can hit me.
Even the most elite high-rankers had to rack their brains to bypass Tae-hyun's absurd Luck and evasion rate. What hope did the average members of the Power Warrior Guild have?
"Boo! Step down! Step down!"
"You absolute embarrassment!"
As the jeers rained down, tears welled up in the eyes of the guild member holding the weapon.
"It's not his fault," Tae-hyun intervened. "It's because of my stats and skills."
"See?! I told you, you bastards!"
Of course, the other guild members didn't shut up. They merely lowered their voices to a stage whisper.
"No way. He's definitely just trash."
"If we kick him out, our share of the cut gets bigger..."
"If we show them this as-is, even the Guild Alliance is going to get suspicious," Tae-hyun muttered.
"True," Lee Da-bi agreed.
If some completely unknown, low-level player suddenly managed to deal damage to the infamous Kim Tae-hyun, it would raise immediate red flags.
"Do we have a lot of steel swords in the Power Warrior inventory?"
"Huh? Oh, yes."
They were the cheap weapons handed out for free to new recruits—perfect for beginners who had nothing else, but completely useless for high-level players.
"Could you bring all of them to me?"
◈ Durability: 30/30
◈ Attack Power: 30
A decently crafted steel greatsword. To the eyes of an outstanding blacksmith, however, it is clear that it lacks sufficient steel and is poorly balanced.
Thanks to Tae-hyun's skills, he could see the detailed hidden description of the equipment.
Tae-hyun swung his hammer and began modifying the weapon. He chipped one side of the blade to make it jagged, roughly ground down the other side, and sprayed dye over it to add color...
The resulting creation:
◈ Durability: 10/10
◈ Attack Power: 45
A greatsword modified by an exceptionally skilled blacksmith. However, because the original base weapon was so mediocre, the modifications did not yield any major effects. Having been shaved down by half, it is highly unstable and looks as though it might shatter at any moment.
"How is it?"
"It looks incredibly cool... but why did you make this?"
The weapon Tae-hyun had modified certainly looked spectacular. Perhaps because of the dye, it seemed to radiate a mysterious aura.
"If the Guild Alliance asks how you managed to deal damage to Kim Tae-hyun, tell them this: there's a certain blacksmith who crafts weapons that are highly effective against him."
"Ooh...!"
"What a brilliant idea!"
The guild members looked at Tae-hyun with eyes full of absolute, boundless admiration.
It's like he was born to scam people!
"I think we should come up with a name for the blacksmith too," one of them suggested.
"Really? Hmm... how about Xi Jinping?"
"...Why of all names...?"
"Well, it's a name the Guild Alliance is already familiar with."
It was the alias he had randomly used when he and Kane went to raid the Guild Alliance before! Though Tae-hyun didn't know it, the Guild Alliance was still desperately searching for Mao Zedong (Kane).
"They'll fall for it much easier if it's a name they recognize."
A legendary masterpiece crafted by a top-ranking Chinese blacksmith! A weapon so powerful that it could pierce even the defenses of the legendary Kim Tae-hyun!
...That was the narrative they planned to spin for the video.
"Alright, is everyone ready? Let's go!"
Tae-hyun put on a highly realistic performance. Every time a guild member swung the sword, he would stagger backward, screaming, "Argh!" and "Aaargh!"
"T-that sword really does look amazing!"
"It looks like a legendary blade!"
Even the guild members themselves were thoroughly impressed.
"A bounty request has been submitted. What should we do?"
"Already? I heard the guys we gathered got wiped out and fled. Surely they aren't asking for a bounty after running away empty-handed?"
"It doesn't seem so. Looking at the video, they apparently pursued Kim Tae-hyun into the ruins afterward and attacked him."
"They chased Kim Tae-hyun into the ruins?!"
The Guild Alliance executive gasped in shock. No matter how fearless they were, had they completely lost their minds?
"Play the video!"
The executives watched the footage and stared in utter disbelief. Kim Tae-hyun was visibly panicking.
— Haha! As if an attack like that could ever damage me... Urgh! What is that weapon?! Fall back for now! Kane! Block them!
"What on earth is that weapon?! Find out immediately!"
"Should we... pay out the bounty?"
"...Pay it. The event has only just begun, and they deserve it after achieving a feat of this scale."
Even if they planned to stiff them eventually, they couldn't refuse to pay right at the start. It was better to milk them for all they were worth and discard them later! Besides, they had plenty of questions to ask.
"In exchange, find out exactly what kind of weapon that is and how it managed to deal direct damage to Kim Tae-hyun. See if it has some kind of curse on it!"
The answer arrived almost instantly. Upon hearing the news, the guild executives issued an emergency order.
Find the blacksmith player named "Xi Jinping" immediately! Bring him into our guild by any means necessary!
To think such a talent existed—the world truly was vast! And to top it off, he was a fellow Chinese player. It felt as though he had been custom-made for the Guild Alliance.
"Bwahahaha! Those Guild Alliance cowards don't even dare to show their faces."
"Boss, I don't think it's time to celebrate just yet."
"Shh. He's in the middle of filming a promotional video right now."
"..."
Taking advantage of the Guild Alliance's inability to launch an immediate counterattack, Kim Tae-san was aggressively uploading promotional videos left and right.
He was in the middle of uploading absolute masterpieces like Raid the Guild Alliance's Fortress! and The Guild Approved by Kim Tae-hyun!
"You said their guild members are holding out in that fortress over there, right?"
"Yes."
Even if the main force of the Guild Alliance was concentrated near the capital, the outskirts of the Auston Kingdom were far from empty. The Guild Alliance's greatest strength was their sheer, overwhelming numbers! It was a common sight to see groups of their members huddled together, defending fortresses scattered all across the kingdom's borders.
When high-level players holed up inside a fortress, it became surprisingly resilient—so much so that most bandit players would give up trying to raid them.
"Alright. Bring that out."
"You mean... that?"
There was only one thing "that" could refer to.
"Whoa... it looks exactly like Tae-hyun!"
"Look at those wicked, sharp eyes!"
It was Kim Tae-hyun's slime clone! Kim Tae-san's group had even sat the slime clone atop a palanquin. It looked incredibly majestic and imposing!
The guild members inside the fortress panicked at the sight.
"It's Kim Tae-hyun!"
"N-no, wait. I heard Kim Tae-hyun is currently in the Asbian Empire."
"He could have traveled back in the meantime!"
"Why would he even come here? What is there to gain from a tiny fortress like this?"
"Then what the hell is that?!"
"Maybe it's... a lookalike..."
"I'll go check it out."
A rogue player dashed outside in a hurry.
⟨ Eye of Truth ⟩ ➔ ⟨ Reveal Hidden Secrets ⟩ ➔ ⟨ Illusion Pierce ⟩
"Boss, should we take that guy out?"
"No, leave him be."
Even though the rogue's stealth had been compromised, Kim Tae-san didn't pursue him. The reason for his approach was glaringly obvious.
The rogue returned and spoke in a voice thick with despair.
"...It's the real deal."
"What?!"
"R-run!"
"Hey, we agreed to hold out here! Are you really going to abandon this fortress? Do you know how much work we put into—"
"Is this really the time to worry about a stupid fortress?!"
Thirty minutes later, Kim Tae-san's group leisurely took over the completely deserted fortress.
"Bwahahaha!"
"Um, Boss."
"?"
"The younger guild members are asking if they can use that clone to make a little pocket money."
"...How?"
Kim Tae-san was puzzled. Were they going to use it for some kind of exhibition? It would certainly be incredibly popular!
"They want to use it to claim the bounty..."
"???"
Human nature truly was the same everywhere.
[The Steam Motorcycle has been obtained from the box!]
"I-I got it... I actually got it!"
Alcott couldn't believe his eyes. It had actually dropped from the box!
"This isn't... a dream! It's not a dream!"
He felt as though his luck had absolutely exploded lately. Not only had he acquired a territory, but now he had even pulled this incredible mount from a random box!
With the steady income generated from his new territory, Alcott had been buying up the Power Warrior Guild's Engineering Random Boxes like a man possessed.
This was the same Alcott who had once fallen victim to the Arena in the Valley of Despair and Sorrow! Truly, old habits died hard. But the stats of the mount were simply too spectacular to ignore—boasting a massive durability that put ordinary rare mounts to shame, along with a variety of powerful built-in skills!
[Common Scrap Metal has been obtained.]
[Rusty Bolt has been obtai...]
[Rusty...]
Of course, the journey to get here had been incredibly grueling. Though Alcott hadn't realized it, a massive crowd of viewers had been flocking to his stream every time he opened a box.
Alcott fondly believed his viewership had grown because he was now a lord, but that wasn't the case at all. They had all gathered solely to watch him suffer!
Among the crowd were members of the Power Warrior Guild themselves. It was a truly diabolical marketing strategy! And Alcott had fallen for their encouragement hook, line, and sinker.
"Thank you, guys! For your sakes, I will absolutely pull it!" Alcott had declared.
And then, against all odds, Alcott had actually pulled it.
"???"
Alcott was utterly bewildered. Why was everyone reacting like this?
No, wait. That doesn't matter. I got it! I actually got it!
Alcott threw his hands in the air and began to cheer. The joy was simply too overwhelming to contain!
"I pulled it! I actually pulled it, you bastards! Long live Kim Tae-hyun, you idiots!!"
However, Alcott was so drunk on his own success that he didn't even realize what he had just blurted out.
"Tae-hyun, someone finally won the grand prize from the random boxes."
"What? I thought you guys would just rig the draw and take it back for yourselves!"
"..."
Lee Da-bi was temporarily left speechless—mostly because her guild members had actually suggested doing exactly that! It was Da-bi who had desperately held them back. This was a long-term business. If they lost the players' trust over a stunt like that, there would be no turning back. Slaying the goose that laid the golden eggs was the height of stupidity!
"...Well, we couldn't risk getting caught!" she huffed.
"True. So, who won it?"
"Alcott."
"Alcott? Man, that guy is lucky."
It's not luck... it's more like brute-force effort...
In terms of the sheer volume of boxes purchased, Alcott was easily in the top tier. While other groups pooled their guild resources to buy them, Alcott had bought them all entirely on his own. He had literally poured every single penny of his territory's revenue into those boxes!
"What should I craft for the next grand prize..." Tae-hyun mused.
• The Red Scorpion Tribe of the Asbian Empire, having sensed the power of a dragon, is approaching!
• Loyal to the Empire's Emperor, the Red Scorpion Tribe will never forgive a dragon. They will investigate the situation and report back to the Emperor.
Gasp.
The system message was enough to make him choke on his own breath! He either had to eliminate them or persuade them. Otherwise, he was completely doomed.
Even if the Emperor couldn't come in person, Lee Se-yeon, acting on the Emperor's orders, would almost certainly charge in, screaming, "Do you hate seeing me succeed that much?!"
Tae-hyun looked around the ruins. A massive, powerful army of Dragon Undead stood in perfect, orderly formation.
...Yeah, persuasion is out of the question.
How on earth was he supposed to explain this?