Hammer Time and Alcohol Hell
The rhythmic **clang! clang!** of hammers echoed across the blacksmith street, bright and cheerful.
“Funny how the sound of work is actually fun.”
I muttered the thought to myself, shaking my head in disbelief.
Looks like I’d caught the bug too.
I wasn’t a **Workaholic** like Meister Han Yohan, after all.
Hammers were for sharpening, not for enjoying the noise.
Yeah, right.
“Lord, you’re a brilliant work addict.”
“Every single drop of sweat you shed is magnificent, Master.”
No. What kind of demons are these?
I was just hitting steel and bone because I enjoyed getting stronger.
Not because the work itself was enjoyable.
“Addiction to achievement is the highest form of work addiction.”
“Excuse me? Is that another person?”
“What are you saying?”
“You’re hitting the core of things a little too well.”
The knight’s subtle jab doubled the damage.
The moment I stepped into Hanil Blacksmith.
“Welcome back.”
A deep voice greeted me from the shadows.
A pair of glowing red eyes. Mana aura rolling off them like thunder.
“You stayed up again?”
“Haaam. I had to finish the forging stage.”
Chief Apprentice Nam Jinwoo stepped out, rubbing his messy hair.
He looked like the best master craftsman and top apprentice in the country.
The kind of people who would wait years for armor or weapon commissions.
Men whose names were known across the globe.
“Park Hunter’s here?”
“Today’s the day.”
“Since it’s a good day, I brought something to celebrate. Come on, one drink.”
The three masters wandered in, still chuckling.
What day was it, you ask?
It was the final adjustment day for Meister Han Yohan’s masterpiece—**Gigant Armor**.
“Huff.”
It was nerve-wracking.
Meister Han Yohan’s usual gruff face loosened as he spoke.
“Let’s get straight to work.”
“Master, you said you’d listen if I spoke straight, remember?”
“I’ve been waiting a long time.”
But why was the hammer in my hand trembling?
I could see the veins bulging on it.
It looked strong enough to crush a monster’s head in one swing.
Actually, without **Gigant Armor**, would Cross Gate exploration be completely impossible?
As I walked inside the workshop, two **Gigant Armors** were already waiting for the final tweaks.
**【Master. What is this armor?】**
Megus’s majestic voice boomed from the Death Space.
“**Gigant Armor**.”
I gave him the basic explanation, and Megus let out a short, impressed “Oh!”
**【The technology here is surprisingly advanced.】**
Oh.
Unexpected praise.
“Is it that interesting even to an ancient alchemist?”
**【With this method, the missing link in mass-production techniques might finally be filled.】**
User—activate the armor’s link device. Hybrid joints. Establish the movable system. All that stuff.
Megus launched into a long, incomprehensible list of unknown terms.
Enough already.
My life is zero!
My head was spinning from Megus’s grand explanation.
The country’s top alchemist, CEO Bang Gyeongrok, rolled up his sleeves.
“Finally the last one.”
“Congratulations.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re one step closer to becoming a century’s invention.”
“Stop boasting. If I hadn’t done it, this mission wouldn’t even exist.”
“It would look good on the family name.”
You two. You’re just chatting, right?
Bang Gyeongrok added and modified the mana circuits.
**Zzt!**
**【Hmmm.】**
**Zzt!**
**【That’s not how you do it.】**
Ah.
The groans kept coming from Megus.
It was fine in the Death Space, but if I’d been in Korea with the number one alchemist, I would have started a fistfight.
“It’s done. There’s nothing left to adjust.”
**【Hmmm. If you adjust the left shoulder line 42, right shoulder line 24, and the central nervous system line 13, mana circulation will rise by twelve percent.】**
The critical points were absurdly detailed.
I would have shrugged it off if I hadn’t known.
But once I heard Megus, the exact problem jumped out.
It was the **Golden Rule**.
My teeth felt gritty, like I’d been chewing red pepper powder.
It was too weird to ignore.
Whatever.
“CEO Bang, may I have a word?”
“Of course.”
“The output of these mana circuits seems lower than expected. What if I add more?”
“Hmm. Good idea. Let’s try it.”
“And this shoulder part…”
The more Bang Gyeongrok spoke, the tighter his expression became.
I wasn’t planning to poke around like crazy.
After Megus’s points, the **Golden Rule** started sending warning vibes.
No comfort here.
“Work addict.”
“Why?”
“Should I follow what the Necromancer from Gudo-dong said?”
“What? You’re taking criticism without even getting angry.”
“He said this young man is the best with bones. I believe him.”
Hah.
I felt a weight lift.
Megus.
Before you start yapping, at least get permission.
If I hadn’t noticed, I would have let it slide.
But after you made me feel uneasy, I couldn’t just ignore it.
Once the mana circuit modifications and additions were finished, a strange calm washed over me.
Hah.
“Let’s test it right now.”
Meister Han Yohan, wearing the **Gigant Armor**—or rather, piloting it.
**UUUUUNG!**
Massive mana surged through the entire suit.
“Master! Output exceeded one hundred fifty percent on the first try!”
“Even higher than my calculations. The extra adjustments did it.”
Nam Jinwoo and CEO Bang’s eyes widened.
**Clank. Clank.**
『It feels like the armor is part of my body.』
Meister Han Yohan’s walk looked completely natural.
Like the armor was living skin and joints.
『No problem in Cross Gate either.』
“Congratulations, Master!”
“Don’t forget my help, you work addict.”
『The **Gigant Armor** is finished thanks to Park Hunter.』
“Tch. That I can accept.”
『Thank you. With your help, I finally completed my lifelong dream.』
**Clank.**
Meister Han Yohan bowed deeply while wearing the **Gigant Armor**.
For some reason, my chest felt warm.
**【Master.】**
“Hm?”
**【Shouldn’t we try developing this way too?】**
“Then I’ll ask for the crafting method.”
**【You dare belittle this old man!】**
Whoa.
The size of the amplified thought made my head spin.
**【Using the **Gigant Armor** blueprint, it would be quick.】**
My words had clearly struck the ancient alchemist’s pride.
**Gigant Armor**.
Not strictly necessary, but having it would be a huge benefit.
While operating the undead army, the biggest risk was “myself.”
If I wore it, I’d be safer, right?
“Do whatever you want.”
**【This old man’s enthusiasm is rising!】**
While I was quietly conversing with Megus, the three masters shouted in excitement.
“Fire the shot!”
“I’ll lay out special rice wine today—everyone get one glass!”
“Park Hunter’s eating too, right?”
How could I refuse a day like this?
“I don’t drink rice wine, but that’s okay, right?”
“Huff. I brought other alcohol too, so it’s fine.”
“I only drink when I can’t take it.”
“Hahaha. That’s what it was? Then let’s drink until we can’t take it anymore.”
“Senior Jeong brews better liquor than he hammers, so I’m looking forward to it.”
Hahaha.
I was the kind of person who stayed until the very end even after the forge closed for the day.
I’d let you know that alcohol wasn’t my match.
The pride built from the after-party:
“Hey, you drink well. One more round.”
“Ugh. Uuuugh.”
“You’re already done? What are we going to do?”
“We haven’t even started yet.”
“Park Hunter, if I eat this and get drunk, it’ll be a little disappointing.”
Save me.
This place is hell!
I had to chug rice wine until I passed out in the endless alcohol swamp.
Uweeeek.
Looks like I’m brewing another masterpiece with these guys!
* * *
I was drowning in alcohol hell and wasted the entire next morning.
“Ugh. Ack. Ouch.”
I thought I was actually dying.
“Great Lord. Here is honey water.”
“Thank you.”
How did Zaug know honey water was good for hangovers?
No.
There was no time to think about that.
**Glug— glug—**
“Hah. I’m feeling a little better now.”
“Lord, drink some water too.”
“Great Lord, is this cold water you just brought?”
“Yeah.”
“Hangover requires warm water, Great Lord. Are you trying to assassinate me by giving me stomach pain?”
“Hahaha. You don’t know anything but magic.”
“You didn’t help even though I was suffering.”
“It’s better than assassination, isn’t it?”
“Ugh.”
“Lord, here is warm water.”
“You! Cowardly!”
**Whoosh.**
After drinking warm water, my head cleared a little.
“Alcohol is a poison, too. The Heavenly Martial Body will neutralize it quickly.”
Long live the Heavenly Martial Body.
I slowly got up and filled my stomach with kalguksu.
“I wasted the entire morning.”
“I apologize, Lord. I should have protected you better.”
“You told the servants to stay in the Death Space, remember?”
The regret was still there.
Half a day gone, but what could I do?
I had to get things done.
“The ordered Tyrant’s heart arrived too.”
The concentrated essence of the recent experiments.
With the **Golden Rule** as well, I could finally achieve something.
I took out the neatly packaged heart and entered the Death Blacksmith.
“Should I place the raptor carcasses here?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Hahaha. It’s only natural for the first sword of Lord to do so.”
In the past, the knight would grumble about carrying heavy burdens.
Isra the knight had changed a lot.
I lined up the raptor carcasses and Tyrant’s hearts, then pushed the inherited abilities of my subordinates to the absolute limit.
**Heavenly Martial Body**
**Origin of Magic**
**Golden Rule**
I read the body structure.
I analyzed the flow of mana.
Then I engraved the other properties with the **Golden Rule**.
**Spirit Eye**
The moment I visualized the ultimate talents from every field woven together.
**Zzt!**
I could sense that a tiny trace of the green aura from the Tyrant’s heart had infiltrated the raptor as well.
“I found it.”
The mana I hadn’t noticed even with **Spirit Eye**.
Once the **Golden Rule** was added, it became crystal clear, almost touchable.
**Saaak!**
I rolled up my sleeves and reached out to the visible aura.
I’d handle the surge quickly.
Today, I felt a real hope for visible results.