The Punch That Sold the Rings
A certain cafe in a certain city. Just as the girl finished draining the last of her warm latte, two women entered the shop. It was Pyo Yeojeong and Lee Minyoung. Pyo Yeojeong was decked out in a hat, mask, and mismatched glasses, clearly trying way too hard to hide her identity. Lee Minyoung, on the other hand, showed up in comfy casual clothes. Even so, the vibe she gave off was totally different from her usual self. If you weren't paying attention, you might mistake her for someone else entirely.
"As expected of an agent...."
"Heh, what do you think? Pretty cool, right?"
"You just ruined it with that line."
"Eek."
The reason I'd called them here today was simple: to uncover the truth behind the Hunter Association's announcement about the barrier rings.
"But what can we even do about it?"
"You're right, we do need to approach this carefully. It could turn into the government cracking down on a private business."
Pyo Yeojeong and Lee Minyoung both looked worried. Fair point. According to the article, there were no issues with the rings' performance.
"But if those rings are fakes, that changes everything."
No matter how I thought about it, there was no way hunters could replicate mana barrier rings in such a short time. They must've pulled some kind of trick.
"Vice-leader, you really need to hear me out without getting offended? I think you're amazing and a fantastic blacksmith. I don't know much about metallurgy anyway. I'm being super careful saying this, but—"
"Why are you beating around the bush like that?"
"Don't think you're the only one who can make them. That's a sickness, a real sickness."
Pyo Yeojeong said it flatly. From their perspective, they thought I was being stubborn out of pride.
"Even so, you've only been awakened for a month. Those guys have been living as awakeners for 30 years. Their tech's gotta be better."
"Exactly. It's frustrating that they kept it hidden and are only pulling it out now...."
That was back when I didn't have the Craftsman Gallery's knowledge. I spread out several blueprints on the table.
"Ring, necklace, bracelet.... What's this?"
"Artifact blueprints."
"Are blueprints usually this complicated?"
"Mana artifacts have a lot to consider."
The blueprints I'd plagiarized from the gallery included node positions and mana injection methods.
"This is the design for the rings we sell. I usually cut kobold scrap down to about 10g, then preprocess it by removing unnecessary nodes and leaving only the core ones. At this size, the nodes are so dense they self-illuminate."
"What'd you say?"
"Barrier rings have their core nodes clustered together, so it's relatively easy. Anyway, the key part comes next. While heating the iron and shaping it, you have to track the bouncing nodes and keep them connected. At minimum, ensure mana links to at least one core node—"
"Uh... Vice-leader, sorry, but I still don't get it...."
"Don't talk like only you know this stuff."
Tsk. I clicked my tongue and pulled a ring from my pocket. It had a different design from our usual barrier rings. Lee Minyoung picked it up and examined it closely.
"It's pretty. Can I try it on?"
"It'll explode 30 seconds after you put it on."
"Kyaa!"
Lee Minyoung dropped the ring in a panic.
"The mechanisms are the same in both rings. Trigger activates the barrier."
"Th-then why does this one self-destruct...?"
"I tweaked two node lines. One triggers the barrier on wear, the other suppresses mana from escaping the ring."
"......?"
"The mana that should vent out for the barrier gets trapped inside, churns around, and eventually the pressure causes a mana explosion."
Think of it like microwaving sealed food.
"So you showed us this ring to say...?"
"Artifact crafting is an extremely delicate and finicky process. Making one without the method is like hoping a monkey banging on a typewriter spits out Shakespeare."
Randomly linking nodes means it won't even activate. Like how Alt+F4 closes a window on a computer, but mashing Alt, F4, 5, Enter, G, spacebar, and random keys does nothing. That's why the sword hilt I made earlier, with over 100 nodes, had no special functions.
"So we have to assume they know the crafting method too?"
"If hunters had this level of knowledge and skill, would they have sat on it?"
They would've poured everything into weapons and armor. A real hunter blacksmith would've been born in no time. But they're still relying on items farmed from the tower.
"I get what you're saying."
"They must've used a trick or some abnormal method to make the rings."
"Right? Let's head out then."
"Hold on, I didn't finish this."
"Ask them to put it in a takeout cup."
"I have a tumbler. Ow! Should've asked for it in the tumbler from the start. They give discounts for that."
Somewhere, you can fire guns in public and no cops show up. Somewhere else, they push eco-friendliness with tumbler discounts. What a fucked-up world.
The destination was just about 1km away. Even on foot, it'd be quick, but we took an unofficial Mercenary Support Agency vehicle. They even assigned a driver. Lee Minyoung sat shotgun, while Pyo Yeojeong and I took the back. I scooted a bit closer to Pyo Yeojeong.
"You okay?"
"With what?"
"Everything. Stuff related to me, or what's happening now."
"Just gotta think it's fine. You said you can't melt down anyway."
"......Good, then."
I pulled back to give her space again. A few seconds later, the car stopped.
"Already there?"
"No, sir. There's a crowd blocking the access road; we can't go further."
"We'll get out here and walk."
"Sorry, Vice-leader."
"No worries."
I got out after her overly apologetic farewell. We were near an old traditional market. The target spot was just 100 meters away—which meant a 100-meter-thick wall of people stood between us and it.
"Jeez, why are there so many?"
"Who wouldn't come when it's basically 'one life for a steal'?"
"Then sell it in a bigger space."
"It's to draw aggro. Crowded spots make it look way busier."
"And picking a traditional market must be for that pro-commoner image-making crap."
Ridiculous. We shoved our way into the bustling market. After about 50 meters, a hawking song started up. It was a girl's voice, sounding like a middle or high schooler at most.
Don't miss Gu Cheonhwan's mana barrier ring, regret it forever♪
Save your family's lives easily, chance right now, today only♪
The lyrics were cringey compared to her youthful voice. Even she looked embarrassed, her face flushed red.
"Yeojeong, who's that girl?"
"Dunno. Family?"
"Never seen Gu Cheonhwan's face. No way."
"Mom could be pretty."
"Not her either. Just checked—nothing on Gu Cheonhwan's family or registered hunters. Zero info."
When did she even check that? A mysterious girl appearing out of nowhere. Definitely someone to watch.
"Probably part-timer."
"Yeojeong, would you do that for money? Her face is about to explode from shame."
"Sorry. Definitely not a part-timer."
We found a spot with a good view of the girl. Her song just ended, and she immediately started selling rings to the crowd.
"This is the mana barrier ring made by Hunter Gu Cheonhwan, staking his honor."
"Gimme 10!"
"...Sorry, but limit's 2 per person."
"What kinda rule is that! Hand over the rings!"
"Card okay?"
"...Cash gets a discount."
"Here too! Me too!"
Gu Cheonhwan's rings sold like hotcakes. Everyone shoved cards at her like they were mesmerized. At a million won a pop, but no one seemed to care about the price. If you could buy a one-life insurance for a million, I'd be tempted too. Still, shouldn't people think twice before buying?
"Hold up!"
"Huh?"
"What are you doing! We were just gonna peek, Vice-leader!"
"Don't you need to demo the performance before selling? How do people know if it's a real barrier ring or candy?"
The girl's face stiffened at my comment. Not like I'd hit a nerve or pissed her off. More like trembling in fear—
"Who's curious about the ring's performance?"
A man emerged from behind the stage. A massive build, easily double the size of an average adult male. D-rank hunter Gu Cheonhwan.
"Heard there's a customer who wants to check the ring."
"That's me."
"You saw the news too, right? You saying you can't trust the Hunter Association?"
"Why would I? But to decide whether to run or fight in danger, don't you need to know the shield's strength?"
"Haha! Performance, yeah, performance matters!"
Gu Cheonhwan chuckled darkly and approached the girl.
"Watch closely. I'm going all out."
"What? Wait—"
Gu Cheonhwan swung a fist at the girl.
BOOM—!
A powerful shockwave erupted behind the girl's back. It happened too fast to stop. Everyone stared in shock.
"Urgh...."
The girl... just clutched her stomach, no life-threatening damage. The mana barrier coating her skin had protected her. It hadn't fully blocked a mere D-rank hunter's punch—the shield was distorted and flimsy, on the verge of breaking. But it worked.
"See? She's fine!"
"Y-yes, urk, totally... fine. Ugh...."
"Got it? Without the barrier, this bitch wouldn't even have a body left."
"......"
"If you get it, buy the damn ring already. Hey, you, what're you waiting for? Take their money!"
Gu Cheonhwan vanished backstage. The crowd and the girl were left.
"I'll take two rings."
"H-here you go...."
She sold out the rest. Too bad—the girl who survived a D-rank hunter's punch had ignited an desperate desire in everyone to have those rings. What a fucked-up world.
The next day. In a different spot in the same city, the same three people gathered. Simple reason: for the girl.
"Is this okay? If we move rashly, your identity could be exposed, Vice-leader."
"Yeah, didn't you say you wanted to live quietly?"
"Who said we're shooting an action flick?"
"Then what?"
"Just headhunting. Safely."
To recruit a new employee for Friedwen.