Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: 12. Master Blacksmith (3)
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Kim Min-young's eyes changed.
Sponsor.
It felt like a scoop.
For Kim Min-young, who had been about to end the interview, there was no choice but to throw in an additional question.
"As far as I know, investments in blacksmithing skills are rare. If it's not too rude, who exactly invested in you, Yu Jeong-young?"
"That's..."
It was a direct question.
Kim Min-young was thoroughly prepared.
To interview a blacksmith, she had quickly checked the industry and knew it wasn't promising enough to warrant talk of investments. That's why the existence of a sponsor was suspicious. It was a precise question, and Yu Jeong-young, who hadn't anticipated it, found herself at a loss for words.
She had thought too simply.
She had blurted it out with Kang San in mind, but now she needed to weave a plausible story around the situation.
Yu Jeong-young spoke.
"For now, I can't reveal exactly who it is. The person isn't very interested in worldly affairs, but on the day we first met by chance, they said that to me. That nothing in the world is unimportant. That the moments when blacksmiths pour their blood and sweat into their work hold that much value, and no matter how much a system exists, don't let it define your limits in advance. From then on, I started dreaming new dreams. People say item enhancement is beyond human capability, but doesn't the world originally lack any 'absolutes'? Thanks to their unwavering support, I could focus on the forge, and in the end, I achieved this impossible feat. Without that person, I wouldn't be where I am today."
It was a fabrication.
She had created a new scenario.
But Yu Jeong-young felt no guilt.
Though different from the truth, Kang San's benevolence was no different.
He had given her his techniques, even yielded the pioneer position—what else could you call it if not a sponsor?
And she had merely rephrased(?) Kang San's warm words in a similar vein.
"So, sponsorship without any strings attached?"
"Yes. That person only hopes for the advancement of this industry. They don't even want to be revealed because of this incident."
"...What an amazing person."
Kim Min-young was impressed.
Lately,
she felt like she was meeting truly good people.
The Wangsimni Tanker who didn't turn a blind eye to others' hardships, Kim Chun-sik who willingly risked his life for civilians despite being a soldier. And now this sponsor who helped the neglected blacksmith industry—each showed different kinds of goodwill, but they were all remarkable in their own way.
Finally, she asked.
"Could you tell us about your future plans?"
The future.
It was a question that made her heart race.
Dreaming of a brilliant tomorrow, Yu Jeong-young looked into the camera.
"This is just the beginning. I'll develop the technique further and prove that their choice was right."
It was chaos.
As soon as Yu Jeong-young officially acknowledged the facts, love calls poured in from the major guilds watching the situation.
"Sign an exclusive contract with us. We'll offer 1 billion won in annual salary."
"I heard the attack power increased by just 1 through item enhancement. It's an incredible discovery and achievement, but you'll agree you still need plenty of time to develop the technique further. We'll support your research funds. I don't know how much your sponsor is providing, but isn't more research funding always better? No matter how long it takes to produce results, or even if the technique doesn't advance further. If you promise to work with us later, we're willing to sign a contract right now."
"I'll buy that technique. How much? 1 billion? 2 billion? Name your conditions."
Offers flooded in from all directions.
In fact, as one guild mentioned, the effect of the item Yu Jeong-young enhanced this time wasn't all that impressive.
Just 1.
She had improved the attack power by 1.
But those who could think saw profound meaning in the clear result of creating something from nothing. Until now, no one had achieved what Yu Jeong-young did. Countries had tried everything to enhance items, but the only success was artifact engravings with magic. That wasn't truly improving item stats—it was merely a medium for casting spells.
If
the technique advanced to boost attack power by 10 instead of 1.
Or even 20, 30.
It would be a revolution.
The value Yu Jeong-young's technique could generate was immeasurable, beyond even daring to estimate its future potential.
Amid it all, she also received contact from the government.
They offered sweet deals like technical support, but Yu Jeong-young rejected them all.
Two reasons.
First, she couldn't share Kang San's technique.
The profits were the same.
And the second reason.
'It's an impressive discovery, but as the people proposing to me say, I've only boosted attack power by 1 so far. The interest they're showing me now is betting on the future, not the present. No need to get carried away.'
Yu Jeong-young had made a resolution to herself.
She would definitely earn great wealth.
30%.
Even at that rate, enough to ensure Kang San never regretted his choice.
'I will repay you.'
One step back for ten steps forward.
Yu Jeong-young judged it was time to build her foundation.
The world was like a hot pot.
It boiled over at the first discovery, but as Yu Jeong-young showed no further movement, it cooled just as quickly.
Yu Jeong-young's achievement.
In truth, it was all based on one whistleblower's testimony.
The claim that attack power went from 30 to 31 could be a lie, or a setup with the whistleblower.
Around that time, Yu Jeong-young entered secluded training.
It was a decision to build her foundation rather than ride the wave, but her silence only fueled the rumors. Before long, people concluded her actions were fake.
Expectations had been high,
so disappointment was equally great.
The title of Master Blacksmith plummeted to the ground in an instant.
At that moment,
a discussion about this was taking place at Heavenly Firmament.
Team 3 at Heavenly Firmament.
One manager said,
"We're no longer in contact with Yu Jeong-young. According to the forge master there, she's entered personal retraining, but we suspect she's avoiding the situation because the interest grew bigger than expected. Moreover, that whistleblower was known for spreading sensational rumors everywhere."
"Still, it was Kim Min-young's coverage, so it's reliable, right? What do they say?"
"Reporter Kim Min-young is sticking to her original stance. Well, it's an exclusive interview, so she probably doesn't want to ruin it."
Just a few days.
The Yu Jeong-young wave was massive.
She was given the title Master Blacksmith, and Korean guilds scrambled to recruit her. Yet she rejected them all. If she had joined one guild or allied with the government, they would have been furious, but her sudden choice of secluded training made the public's reaction understandable.
It didn't make sense.
For someone seeking wealth and fame,
this was the perfect time to capitalize.
"Let's put the Yu Jeong-young recruitment issue aside for now and move to the next agenda. We're proceeding with the group promotion for Project B Team. All current members of B Team are rated D-Rank, and they've safely cleared a C-Rank raid for the group promotion."
"The press?"
The head of the table.
A woman asked back.
She was Jeong Hye-mi, daughter of Jeong Man-seop and team leader of Heavenly Firmament Team 3.
"We've already contacted the press. The group promotion results will be widely reported immediately."
"Everyone, focus on this project. As you all know, Project B Team is something we've poured our hearts into at Heavenly Firmament, from selecting members to managing them. If it falls short of expectations, what do you think will happen? People will look at Heavenly Firmament unfavorably. They'll click their tongues, saying the nation's top management agency no longer lives up to its reputation. So, there can't be even a hint of scandal. Got it?"
"Yes."
Project B Team.
It was Jeong Hye-mi's initiative.
Heavenly Firmament fully backed her, aiming to raise Project B Team as Heavenly Firmament's representative raid party.
She was confident.
Jeong Hye-mi had always succeeded, and above all,
'I can't lose to my brother.'
Project A Team.
She heard the team led by her eldest brother had already been rated C-Rank.
She couldn't fall behind.
Family or not, she had no intention of lagging even slightly.
The meeting ended.
Jeong Hye-mi left the conference room first, and a Team 3 member hurriedly followed.
"Team leader."
She turned her head.
Without responding, she stared blankly, and the team member pulled something out.
"I think you need to see this."
"What's this?"
"Well..."
She checked the documents.
From Project B Team's test day.
It was the applicant list for the group promotion happening alongside, and as she flipped through, the team member's voice came.
"That day. It seems your younger brother is taking the group promotion too."
She stopped.
Her hand froze.
Just then, her brother's name appeared.
[Jeong Chan-woo]
'This kid really.'
For a moment,
her head throbbed.
She had left him alone because their father told her not to interfere, but this wild child was bound to cause trouble. The recent ant cave subjugation seemed to have succeeded by luck. From what she heard, the mage's abilities were impressive, but group promotion was different. It was structured so no one could pass on individual strength alone, and the biggest issue was the penalty for failure.
One year ban on group promotion attempts.
This was to prevent reckless bus riding.
To stop people from advancing on party members' strength despite lacking skill, group promotions had restrictions. Yet people still took them because those who passed group promotions received better public evaluations than individual tests. Unless you were exceptionally strong enough to handle monsters solo, group promotion served as a certificate of teamwork proficiency.
Especially when bidding on government-run hunting grounds, if prices were equal, parties with group promotion history got priority.
She had to stop him.
There was a separate project for Jeong Chan-woo; she couldn't let this blemish it.
But
'He's not the type to listen to me.'
Jeong Hye-mi and her brother were six years apart.
Unlike their stoic eldest brother, he was the lovable little sibling she had cherished and cared for since childhood.
Jeong Hye-mi sighed.
She was known for being strict at the company, but when it came to her brother's issues, she couldn't be so rigid.
"Just leave him be. But."
She handed back the documents.
And then,
"That day, I'll go to the site myself."
She organized that day's schedule in her mind.