Chapter 56
Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: 12. Master Blacksmith (1)
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Yoo Jeong-yeong.
His life was completely different before and after meeting Kang San.
Before, he'd lived like a cog in a machine, trapped in a monotonous daily grind. Now, every day burst with color. He lost track of time dreaming of a better tomorrow, one that surpassed even today.
Whoosh.
Roar.
The forge's flames roared to life.
His skin glowed red from a full day of work, but his expression held a hint of frustration as he gazed down at his creation.
"This isn't it."
The result before his eyes.
It wasn't satisfactory.
Visually, it looked sharply honed, but there was no trace of the stat improvements Kang San could achieve. Weeks had passed since Kang San had passed down his forging techniques. Yoo had reflected on those teachings and produced countless items, yet he'd never achieved anything meaningful even once.
'When Kang San taught me his techniques, there was something special in his work—something different from mine. An intangible force beyond this world's common sense. Without infusing that, no amount of repetition will change the results.'
It was a highly abstract concept.
In truth, if Kang San hadn't conveyed that sensation through his skill transfer, Yoo might have outright denied the existence of such a force. At least, that's what this world's logic dictated. The system quantified transcendent powers, and he'd never heard of some new force that couldn't be explained by numbers.
Roar.
He reignited the forge.
He repeated the process.
Endless repetition with no results, yet Yoo didn't find it grueling.
Clang!
Clang, clang!
Before meeting Kang San.
He'd had no hope.
For blacksmiths like him, work was just labor to restore durability—replaceable drudgery that eroded their pride. But now it was different. Kang San had shown him a new future, proving that advancing in this craft would open up entirely new worlds.
With a future or without one.
It was night and day.
Even if today ended in failure, even if he went home empty-handed.
Clang!
Yoo swung his hammer with unwavering resolve.
The trouble started like any other day.
Orders piled up.
Personal work only came after hours, so Yoo threw himself into the tasks.
"Raid's coming up soon, so I can't be late. Hurry it up, yeah?"
One customer said.
A brash young man tossed his sword over carelessly.
Then, as if planning to wait, he plopped into a chair at the back, gawking around like he was at a zoo. An irritating customer, but Yoo was used to such attitudes in this line of work. He calmly inspected the item.
Top-tier among D-Rank items.
It didn't suit the man's skill level—probably some rich kid riding family connections. The high-grade mana stone provided for durability enhancement gave it away.
Roar.
Yoo proceeded with practiced ease.
He cranked up the forge's heat, melted the mana stone and steel alloy, and poured it onto the blade.
Sizzle—
Smoke billowed up.
By normal logic, the sword should have melted, but the mana-infused alloy glowed as it seeped in. This was the crucial part. Yoo hammered furiously.
Clang!
Clang, clang!
His muscles bulged.
With countless repetitions under his belt, there was no hesitation. He just wanted to finish quickly and send the guy packing. D-Rank items took time, so he focused intently. Then, at some point, strange phenomena appeared in Yoo's vision.
Swirl.
'What the hell is that?'
Every hammer strike.
A blue haze rose like mist.
He first thought it was an illusion.
Assuming eye strain from fatigue, he blinked repeatedly to check again.
But it persisted.
It didn't fade.
The blue, rippling haze clung to the sword, surging violently with each hammer lift. It grew sharper with every clang. What he'd dismissed as a hallucination suddenly sparked a realization.
'No way.'
What Kang San had described.
The intangible force Kang San had let him experience.
It might be that.
Whether from his accumulated experience, Kang San's imparted sensation, or the high-grade mana stone this time—whatever the reason, he couldn't let this chance slip.
'Kang San said to guide the intangible energy, letting it naturally seep into the blade.'
He raised his arm.
Mana rose with it.
As the hammer fell, mana struck the blade like lightning.
Flash.
The mana scattered completely.
A simple strike wouldn't do.
After repeated attempts, Yoo confirmed that the impact point determined how much mana was absorbed. Precision work. With consistent force at the exact spot, mana didn't scatter—it seeped in, if only partially.
'This is it.'
A shiver ran through him.
From then on, he entered a trance.
He swung wildly, oblivious to fatigue or the obnoxious customer.
In this moment.
He had stepped into new territory.
His face flushed beet red, breaths ragged, time forgotten as he immersed himself.
Sizzle—
Smoke rose.
After quenching and lifting the blade, Yoo's face lit up.
"...I finally did it."
Goosebumps prickled his skin.
Just before.
The sword had +30 attack.
That single +1 point upgrade met the C-Rank threshold, elevating the item's grade.
A miracle.
An unprecedented, absurd feat.
That's when it happened.
"Ah, I'm late already. Hand it over."
Snatch.
The customer yanked the sword.
Unaware of the circumstances, he couldn't just stand there gawking at Yoo's awe.
He turned to leave.
But as he checked the sword while stepping away, he froze like a statue.
"Huh?"
He blinked.
But no matter how he looked, something was off.
The customer turned back to Yoo with wide-eyed shock.
"What the hell is this?"
From that point, no excuse could calm things down.
Yoo claimed he didn't know how, but the customer ranted excitedly, spitting as he spoke.
"Whoa, damn. This real? How'd you do it? You don't know? Bull, don't lie. I watched you work for ages—something huge happened, right? Yeah, yeah, I get it. I believe you. But you're not gonna charge extra just 'cause the rank went up, are you?"
No need for a long talk.
The guy wasn't in the mood for conversation.
Yoo tried to stop him, but he bolted from the forge.
A dire situation.
He'd meant to keep the technique secret, but now it was about to leak because of this customer.
And that wasn't all.
"How the hell did you pull that off?"
"...Boss."
The master of Iron Forge.
Ma Deok-hwan asked.
He'd overheard the customer and looked stunned.
Yoo hesitated.
Ma worked like a machine, but he'd always looked out for Yoo. Even when blacksmiths were looked down on, he'd hustled to ensure fair treatment.
But.
A contract was a contract.
He couldn't spill on Kang San's affairs.
"...Luck. Or rather, I stumbled onto some realization by chance."
"Knew it."
Ma Deok-hwan's face brightened.
He pulled Yoo into a bear hug.
"I knew you could do it. I'm proud of you, Jeong-yeong!"
Spilled milk.
Before Yoo could contain it, the customer blabbed to his contacts.
That friend wrote an article, and within less than an hour, it hit as breaking news.
What a fast world.
Meanwhile, Yoo tried contacting Kang San, but Kang San had just finished training and gotten home, missing his phone checks. By the time Kang San saw the missed calls, the shocking news of a Korean blacksmith upgrading an item's rank had already rocked the world.
In a cafe.
Yoo, hat pulled low, spoke.
"Calls are blowing up everywhere. Everyone knows by now how valuable this technique is. I only proved a +1 attack boost, but human-enhanced item power means infinite potential. Kang San. I'm truly sorry for letting it spiral like this. I should've kept it secret, but things got out of hand. I leave how to handle this entirely to you—the technique's rights, who benefits from this situation. It's all yours."
Beyond the contract.
Yoo meant it sincerely.
It was impossible without Kang San, and he still had much to learn.
Kang San pondered.
This incident.
Should he claim the technique as his?
Item enhancement was a revolution.
It would shake the world, and the pioneer would reap fame and fortune. That's why Yoo came to him. Media called Yoo the Korean blacksmith, but correcting that to give Kang San everything would be right.
But.
'I have other priorities.'
This issue.
He'd considered it.
Fame brought benefits, but Kang San lived a life of inevitable sacrifices. He couldn't devote much time to crafting. What little he did was limited; trials could strike anytime, anywhere, forcing him to struggle for strength every moment. It felt wasteful. Pioneering prestige offered much, but he lacked the time to exploit it fully.
In contrast.
Yoo was perfect.
Succeeding in enhancement without Blood Demon memories showed his potential for growth. Yoo's passion for the craft suited a pioneer, and his personal brand would amass more wealth and honor than Kang San stepping forward.
He tapped the calculator.
What profited most?
What was the better choice?
After long thought, Kang San spoke.
"Just accept it."
"Pardon?"
"Be the pioneer in my stead. Step forward, claim you pioneered this new realm, develop the technique, and rake in the wealth it brings. I won't interfere. Unless something major happens, I won't reveal I'm the source. Just fulfill the contract perfectly."
Simple.
He'd focus on clearing his karma while living richly off others' earnings—the ideal setup.
"30% of all future profits. Stick to that, and the contract stays hidden from the world."