Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: To Survive (2)
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“Oh, no, no. Don't be so hasty. I may have said I wasn't taking custom orders, but that's only because I haven't been feeling well lately…”
“My goodness. At your age, you shouldn't overdo it. Please disregard what I said.”
“Hey now, young man. Just wait a moment. How can you be so impatient!”
Veins bulged on Im Deok-hwan's hand as he gripped my arm.
…It hurts.
Where is this strength coming from? He was just groaning and wheezing a moment ago.
“I meant I'm fine now! Right now! Ah! I feel a surge of vitality! I won't be able to stand it if I don't forge something right away!”
Im Deok-hwan swung his arms around, showing off his vigor.
I thought I heard the crack of a joint, but I tried to ignore it.
Right behind him, Old Master Wang's eyes darted left and right in disbelief.
“Then, may I ask for your help?”
“Of course! Ah, but I can't use my workshop. Chun-bae, I'm borrowing yours.”
“Aren't you just assuming you can use it instead of asking, my friend?”
“What's yours is mine. If you keep this up, I might have to bring up that old debt.”
“Goodness, how long are you going to hold on to something from thirty years ago… Fine, fine.”
Come to think of it, the two old masters were childhood friends and rivals.
Though for rivals, Old Master Im was the one with both natural talent and a diligent work ethic, so Old Master Wang was always the one who lost.
“The more I look at it, the more certain I become. With this, it should be possible.”
The reason Old Master Im quit blacksmithing was related to his lifelong dream.
A single sword, inspired by a sudden dream one day.
But the mineral needed to perfectly realize that sword did not exist.
He spent three years just searching for the right material.
Having failed to find it during that time, Old Master Im fell into despair, gave up on his dream, and put down his hammer.
And then I came along, bringing Black Steel, a material perfectly suited for what Old Master Im had been searching for.
It was as if flames were blazing in his eyes.
“Young man, what's your name?”
“It's Kim Se-hyeon, sir.”
“Mm. I'll remember it. I shall forge my life's masterpiece for you. Since you're the one who procured the mineral and helped me achieve my dream, it's only right that you should have it.”
“Really?”
The corners of my mouth turned up on their own.
Custom-made items are always expensive.
That's why I'd come prepared with a certain amount of coins, but he was more generous than I expected.
“Yes, really. As long as I can achieve my dream, that's enough for me. A weapon only shows its true potential when wielded by the right owner. I've seen many people in my life, but I can already clearly picture you wearing that sword. No, I can't imagine anyone else wielding it properly. This is your sword, and yours alone.”
Im Deok-hwan smiled, then his gaze fell to my waist.
“But that sword you have also looks fine. More than fine, it could be called a masterwork.”
“It is. However, now that I've obtained a good material, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have another fine sword for the future, which is why I made this request.”
“Mm. It's good to cherish your sword, but preparing for the unexpected is also a fine attitude.”
“I'll help too. Leave the odd jobs to me.”
“I don't need your help. Are you trying to get in on this?”
“Don't be so stingy. Heave-ho!”
The two blacksmiths began their work.
Old Master Im started refining the Black Steel, while Old Master Wang worked on the framework for the hilt.
Watching them, a question suddenly occurred to me.
“By the way, do monsters not attack this place?”
“Monsters here? Heh heh. Not a chance.”
Old Master Wang chuckled, stroking his beard as if the idea was ridiculous.
“There are hundreds of traps set up around here. They're designed to activate automatically when they sense the unique energy of those monster bastards. There are other devices, too.”
So the faint sense of danger I felt on the stairs was from the traps.
I had considered wiping out the nearby monsters to ensure the two old masters' safety, just in case, but it seems that won't be necessary.
The problem is time.
Even this place isn't safe from the Red Zone.
It's stopped for now, but it will soon start expanding again.
The sword needs to be finished before the Red Zone swallows this place.
“Do you have an estimate of when it will be done?”
“Come back in three days.”
“Isn't that too short?”
“It's enough. I'll be pouring all the strength I've accumulated into this one task.”
“Understood. I'll be back in three days.”
“Mm. Just try not to faint when you see the finished product.”
Leaving the confidently boasting Old Master Im behind, I left the workshop.
I acted nonchalant on the outside, but inwardly, I was filled with great anticipation.
A sword crafted by one of the world's top blacksmiths using the best mineral in existence.
It's impossible not to be excited.
[The 'Lame Blacksmith God' shows interest.]
He sure has a nose for this.
The gods don't usually show such direct interest.
It must mean this project will give birth to something incredible.
When I stepped outside the building, a red shadow had fallen over everything.
The sun was already beginning to sink below the horizon.
The distant Red Zone had already drawn closer.
[Rank]
1. Hwang Chan-jin (7)
…….
Checking the rankings, I saw that Hwang Chan-jin had already progressed another stage.
Is he really planning to go all the way to 10?
He'll safely avoid elimination from the mission, but he'll also make more enemies.
Most importantly, it will be difficult for him to enter crowded places like the shelter.
He'd become a target of resentment the moment he stepped inside.
“No, knowing his personality, he'd probably just ignore them and confidently say something like, 'If you think you can beat me, then come at me'...”
“Are you talking about me?”
On my way back to the shelter, Hwang Chan-jin's voice came from between the abandoned buildings I was passing.
Speak of the devil.
Hwang Chan-jin landed nearby and scoffed.
“Talking behind someone's back is not a good habit.”
“What? Why are you here? This direction has nothing to do with the mission, does it?”
“...I have my reasons. What about you? What are you doing here?”
“Well, I have my reasons, too.”
I shrugged and threw the same answer back at him.
Normally, he would have gotten annoyed in a situation like this, but Hwang Chan-jin said nothing.
Instead, he was watching me with a calm, sharp focus.
“And what might those reasons be?”
“I don't see why I have to tell you.”
“No, you have to tell me.”
Hwang Chan-jin's eyes flashed as he placed a hand on his sword.
We usually had light squabbles, but this time, something was different.
The atmosphere suggested he was truly ready to fight me to the death.
Neither he nor I would gain anything from fighting here.
So why.
“I just went to see an acquaintance.”
“An acquaintance? Who?”
“A blacksmith. Old Master Wang. You know him, don't you?”
I chose to take a step back.
At that, Hwang Chan-jin also fell silent.
I had no desire to fight Hwang Chan-jin here either.
Regardless of winning or losing.
Instead, my curiosity grew.
About why Hwang Chan-jin was in this state.
“You're the one being unusually persistent. Is something wrong?”
“...Nothing's wrong.”
Hwang Chan-jin openly showed his discomfort, as if he didn't want to discuss the topic any further.
He's truly a selfish bastard.
It seemed clear he was hiding something.
“Why don't you take a break? You're in first place by a huge margin.”
“Easy for you to say.”
Once I noticed, I saw more evidence that Hwang Chan-jin was not in his normal state.
His face was more haggard than usual. His voice was laced with exhaustion.
His clothes were dirty and disheveled.
Seeing the faint dark circles under his eyes, it looked like he had been active almost without rest.
It was a clear sign that he was abnormally obsessed with the mission.
“You know full well what one can obtain by clearing all the missions in first place.”
Of course, I knew.
A fitting reward for those who pass the trials.
According to that statement, clearing all missions in first place would grant one a piece of exceptionally good equipment.
Not just good, but something that would be of great help in the next chapter.
“It's already too late for me. I'll have to aim for other rewards.”
I shrugged as I replied, and Hwang Chan-jin's eyes narrowed slightly.
“You even went to the other world intentionally. You're truly an unpredictable bastard. Come to think of it, how did you even get back…”
In the middle of his sentence, Hwang Chan-jin's eyes suddenly widened, and he turned in a certain direction.
Then, without another word, he vanished as if on urgent business.
…What was that?
'The eighth mission shouldn't be in this direction.'
He said he had his reasons.
Hwang Chan-jin must have his own thoughts on the matter, but…
“Alpha.”
[Yes, Lord.]
“Follow him, but don't get caught.”
[As you command.]
This might be a chance to get closer to Hwang Chan-jin's secret, one that even Jun Bo-ra couldn't uncover.
I watched the direction Hwang Chan-jin had disappeared in for a moment before turning away.
The deep crimson leaves waved like hands.
The real start of this chapter is coming soon.
This stalemate, where everyone is holding back and watching each other instead of progressing with the missions, will be forcibly broken.
A time when everyone will desperately struggle to get into the rankings.
'First place isn't bad, but…'
The proofs piled high in my leather pouch clinked against each other, making a pleasant sound.
'Depending on the situation, I might have to make a different choice.'
***
It was a dead city.
The shelter had lost all its vitality, to the point where it felt that way.
A destroyed, gray city with no lights.
In the distance, a blazing red barrier marked the boundary of the Red Zone.
The unawakened, trembling with a vague fear of what the future held.
Low-level players, who had lost hope and were just listlessly surviving.
High-level players, frustrated by their inability to find a way for everyone to survive together.
And those not present here, who believed only in their own survival, regardless of what happened to others.
A crowd of people, each showing their true colors in the face of some transcendent power.
“It looks like the aftermath of a nuclear war.”
Jo Min-ah muttered.
“But we can't just stay like this forever, can we?”
“So you're saying we should proceed with the mission?”
“What I mean is… I don't think things will continue to be this convenient for us.”
Jo Min-woo scuffed the ground with the tip of his shoe, a displeased look on his face.
“Hyung. What do you think?”
“She's right, to an extent.”
Before I could answer, someone else appeared and replied in my stead.
It was Lee Min-hwa, the master of the Hongryeon Guild.
Lee Min-hwa gave a slight bow in greeting, and I nodded back.
“Considering what the devil did, it's a definite possibility. It didn't seem to care much about how many of us survived, and the angel hasn't appeared again since that one time. I think the angel is practically a bystander, while the devils are just enjoying our reactions. If that's the case, something is bound to happen soon.”
“But the devil disappeared, didn't it?”
“Hmm? Can we be so sure there was only one devil?”
Lee Min-hwa gave a subtle smile.
Good insight.
'One Who Covets Treasure' became my subordinate, which is the only reason a devil hasn't shown itself for a while.
There are plenty of other devils who could intervene in the main quest and throw the story into chaos.
“…I'm more curious about why the angels aren't helping. They're angels, aren't they? They're supposed to be beings who fight devils and help people.”
Jo Min-ah lowered her head.
Lee Min-hwa couldn't readily answer either and remained silent.
Angels as beings who oppose devils and help people.
As someone who knew their true nature, I could only laugh at the thought.
'A preconception.'
There's no difference in how angels and devils view humans.
One side sees them as tools, the other as toys.
I figured I'd have to correct this perception of angels as allies sooner or later.
“I agree. It would be much easier if more people awakened.”
Lee Min-hwa's regretful gaze turned toward the ordinary people.
Just then, as if it had been part of the conversation all along.
A third party's voice was heard.
[That's because there's a limit to the total amount of power, so it can't be given to everyone.]
As if time had stopped, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.
It wasn't just us; it applied to everyone present.
[I was wondering why things weren't progressing…]
Silence.
With a sigh, the newly appeared 'something' silenced the noisy area in an instant.
No one knew the identity of the newcomer, but they probably realized it instinctively the moment they saw it.
Unlike 'One Who Covets Treasure,' which appeared as an SD character, this one looked similar to a human but with uncanny violet skin, a horn protruding from its forehead, and bat-like wings.
That it was a devil.
[I don't know what you all think you're doing. Are you on strike or something?]