Chapter 554: Technological Revolution (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 554: Technological Revolution (1)
At first, he didn't think much of it.
Hundreds of customers visited Miracle every day, and those who could truly be considered VIPs always made reservations in advance. Anyone walking through the front doors unannounced was just an ordinary customer. Ha Seong-tae had fully intended to handle this customer with his usual routine, but the moment he inspected the sword, a strange sensation washed over him.
Snug.
'Well, look at this.'
The way it settled so securely into his palm—it was extraordinary.
While most swords failed to stay true to their fundamental form, this blade felt as though it had been forged with absolute consideration for its wielder. In fact, that was obvious just from looking at it. Slightly shorter than a standard longsword, its dimensions clearly reflected the user's preferred combat style, proving it was a custom piece crafted by a true blacksmith. When he tilted the blade under the light, a pristine gleam flowed smoothly down its surface.
'Whoa.'
An exclamation of pure admiration escaped his lips.
It was incredibly solid.
He hadn't seen a sword of this caliber in recent memory. The blood, sweat, and tears of a master craftsman were evident in every inch of its creation. Even so, he couldn't classify it as a top-grade item just yet. While its physical craftsmanship was undoubtedly magnificent, in this chaotic era of fighting monsters, steel weapons were no longer evaluated solely by their physical quality.
It all came down to the Skill Manifestation Rate.
A weapon's true value could only be recognized by how well it accepted mana.
'This weapon is probably only outstanding in its physical craftsmanship. What an ironic reality. When you use a Crafting Skill to raise the Skill Manifestation Rate, the weapon's physical quality inevitably drops due to the reliance on the skill. Of course, a high Skill Manifestation Rate alone doesn't guarantee a top-grade rating, but a form this perfect is highly likely to have been forged entirely by hand, completely bypassing any Crafting Skills.'
Drawing from his years of experience, Ha Seong-tae reached a conclusion in an instant.
Maintaining a calm expression, he began to test the Skill Manifestation Rate. But the moment he channeled mana from a mana stone into the blade, something shocking happened.
Whoosh!
"……?!"
The mana was sucked in instantly.
The sword glowed brilliantly, its radiant form proving that the weapon had perfectly accepted the energy. His mind spun in confusion. Since it was physically perfect, it should have shown deficiencies as a mana weapon—yet in that brief instant, it had completely shattered his expectations. He could no longer treat this as a routine appraisal. Examining the sword with a grave expression, he increased the amount of mana he injected.
Whoooosh!
First, F-rank mana.
Once it absorbed that perfectly, he gradually increased the output to E-rank, D-rank, and then C-rank.
Park Cheol-min's weapon devoured the mana like a hungry ghost, greedily drinking it down until it reached the level of B-rank mana.
'This is insane.'
There was no doubt about it.
This weapon...
...was a B-rank.
Ordinary people might just think of it as a good weapon, but from the perspective of a craftsman who forged mana weapons himself, this was an entirely different beast. A physically flawless steel weapon with a B-rank Skill Manifestation Rate. Frankly, even calling it B-rank felt like an understatement; its capacity to absorb mana was unbelievably efficient.
He swallowed hard.
This was far beyond his level to handle.
This was a matter that required calling the Master immediately. Ha Seong-tae looked up at Park Cheol-min and asked cautiously, "Where did you get this?"
He regretted the question as soon as it left his mouth.
There was no way anyone would easily reveal the creator of such an incredible masterpiece.
However...
"It's a standard-issue weapon from the government. Is there a problem with it?"
"……This is standard-issue?"
Standard-issue.
At that completely unexpected word, Ha Seong-tae's mind ground to a halt.
* * *
The current situation.
Park Cheol-min couldn't quite make sense of it.
During the recent war against the Great Disaster, every single member of the directly controlled unit who had been bestowed a sword by Roman Dmitry had reacted with nothing but awe. The true value of the blade had been revealed on the battlefield. It wasn't just that its Skill Manifestation Rate was outstanding; no matter how many enemies they faced, the edge never chipped, bent, or dulled.
Park Cheol-min, too, had been completely captivated by it.
And so, the war ended.
Although he had maintained the sword meticulously and there were no visible issues, he had visited the repair center just in case. If there was some hidden flaw he didn't know about, and if neglecting it caused the sword to break, Park Cheol-min felt his own heart would truly shatter alongside it.
In his life as a Hunter, he had never held a weapon like this.
Because he treasured it so deeply, he had bypassed the local repair centers in Incheon and traveled all the way to Miracle in Seoul.
And now, he was facing this absurd situation.
The Master of Miracle.
The greatest artisan in the Korean Empire.
Summoned by Ha Seong-tae, he had appeared and was now staring at Park Cheol-min with a solemn expression.
"I will get straight to the point. The reason I rushed over here is because your weapon, Mr. Park Cheol-min, is extraordinary. There are plenty of weapons in the world with high Skill Manifestation Rates. Since I have personally crafted A-rank weapons, I wouldn't be this shocked by a high Skill Manifestation Rate alone. The issue is the physical craftsmanship of the sword itself. Mr. Park, are you familiar with 'Crafting Skills'?"
"……Not in detail."
"That is usually the case. After the Great Disaster broke out, most Awakened chose the path of a Hunter, but there are also those like us whose combat abilities were lacking. Crafting Skills are the core element in creating mana weapons. Normally, to forge a steel weapon, one must endure long hours of grueling labor in front of a hot furnace. However, a mana weapon cannot be completed through that method alone. One must use a Crafting Skill midway through the process to open a pathway for mana, and the rank of the mana weapon is determined by the proficiency of that Crafting Skill. Thanks to this, humanity obtained powerful weapons to fight monsters. But because this process neglects the traditional forging of steel, the physical craftsmanship of these mana weapons inevitably suffers."
It was a dilemma.
Focusing on the physical quality of the sword meant it couldn't absorb mana, while focusing on mana absorption meant the physical quality suffered.
This was why named artisans were so highly sought after.
The weapons they crafted boasted a Skill Manifestation Rate of A-rank or higher, while simultaneously possessing incredible physical durability. Yet, Park Cheol-min's sword showed absolutely no compromise. No matter how outstanding a sword made by a named artisan was, it was always evaluated under the premise of being a 'mana weapon.' Park Cheol-min's sword, however, possessed a level of quality that felt as though it had been painstakingly forged by a master who had dedicated decades of his life to the craft, completely independent of its Skill Manifestation Rate.
Therefore, it was unbelievable.
How could a sword like this possibly be standard-issue?
"Your sword, Mr. Park, boasts a perfect balance. So please, tell me honestly. Where on earth did you get this? Unless someone has lost their mind, there is no way they would distribute a sword like this as standard-issue. If you could share the secret of this sword—no, even just its origin—I will compensate you handsomely."
The Master was certain that Park Cheol-min was hiding the truth.
He had no choice but to think so.
Since it was a treasure that would make any artisan drool, the term 'standard-issue' simply could not explain the origin of such a masterpiece.
Park Cheol-min was equally flustered.
His sword really was standard-issue.
Roman Dmitry had forged thirty-one swords and distributed them to the members of his directly controlled unit. While the quality of the swords was magnificent, they were undeniably standard-issue. Of course, everyone had made a huge fuss about how incredible they were back then. Although the war had made the sword's value even more apparent, they were not artisans, so they hadn't fully understood just how extraordinary the weapon truly was.
He was at a loss for words.
Park Cheol-min remained silent.
Although the other party was offering a handsome reward, revealing that Roman Dmitry was the creator was a highly sensitive matter.
Perhaps reading his thoughts, the Master spoke up.
"I completely understand your hesitation. I won't force you. If you refuse, I will accept it. However, I hope you can understand why I am so desperate. That sword... it is nothing short of a revolution. The grading system for mana weapons established in this world prioritizes the Skill Manifestation Rate. But if we can also elevate the physical craftsmanship of the sword alongside it, the entire grading system will change completely. To be honest, the current ranks would become meaningless. By today's standards, it is a B-rank, but your weapon possesses a uniqueness that goes far beyond that. So please, even if it is just the origin, tell me. Depending on how it was made, a technological revolution might be upon us."
His voice was filled with genuine desperation.
In the end, after pondering for a long moment, Park Cheol-min spoke.
"……Whether or not to reveal the origin is not a decision I can make on my own. Please give me one day. I will think it over carefully and let you know whether I can tell you the truth."
* * *
"……That is the situation."
It was Kim Jun-hyeok.
Having received the report from Park Cheol-min, he relayed the story exactly as he had heard it to Roman Dmitry.
Miracle's request.
They were desperate.
They acted as if they would gladly sell their very souls if that was the price demanded in exchange for the sword's origin.
In truth, this was unexpected even for Kim Jun-hyeok.
He, too, was a layman when it came to forging. He only knew that Roman Dmitry had crafted exceptionally good swords. He had never imagined that it would drive an organization like Miracle into such a frenzy.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"When I first began learning about the Korean Empire, I thought its history was truly arduous. A land surrounded by the sea on three sides, teeming with powerful nations nearby. A small population, and even its resources are limited. Mayor Kim Jun-hyeok, what do you think is needed for this tiny piece of land, the Korean Empire, to rule the world?"
"We need overwhelming military power. In a chaotic era, nothing surpasses raw, practical strength."
"Indeed. This nation must become strong. To become strong on its own rather than relying on external forces, the people of the Korean Empire need a foundation upon which to grow. That is why I am imparting martial arts, starting with the directly controlled unit. Centered around three organizations—the directly controlled unit, the guardian unit, and Baek-il—the Korean Empire will grow, and in the near future, it will possess military power beyond anything imagined before. However, that alone is not enough to rule the world. Strong as this nation may be, the geographical conditions of the Korean Empire force us to rely on other countries for our resources. Merely being self-sufficient in certain areas is not enough."
He turned his gaze.
Beyond the window, the city stretched out.
When he had changed the nation's name to the Korean Empire, he had drawn a picture in his mind.
Handing over those swords to the directly controlled unit was never meant to be a simple act of providing them with necessary weapons.
"We need a weapon of our own. A powerful weapon that will force the global market to revolve around this nation. Miracle's reaction represents that very possibility. If a single sword I crafted can shift the paradigm of mana weapons, people in a world desperate for survival will be frantic to obtain these new arms. They will cross the oceans to come to this land, willing to give us everything we desire."
The new world.
There was a massive hole in the foundation of this world.
Hunters had grown strong to fight monsters, but they could not clearly explain how they had achieved that strength. It was development driven by the System. Instead of blood, sweat, and tears—such as creating their own martial arts and experiencing countless trials and errors—they had formed a new civilization in a short amount of time through the convenient method of the System.
Crafting was no different.
Mana weapons were completed through Crafting Skills, and while humanity gained weapons to fight monsters, they lost the details. The intense heat of the furnace, the rhythmic method of hammering steel, the realm of senses that had to be seen and felt directly rather than through a skill—it was all gone. Of course, making a good mana weapon required effort, but the meaning of that effort was vastly different from the past.
Examining the weapons of his current life, he became certain.
Just as the martial arts he imparted to the directly controlled unit and the guardian unit had caused a sensation, his crafting techniques could also spark a revolution.
Here, in the Korean Empire.
Roman Dmitry dreamed of a new Dmitry.
If the foundation of Dmitry had been the technology of refining steel, he now held the technology in his mind to make the Korean Empire flourish in his current life.
The advancement of technology.
The Korean Empire would be at its center.
Roman Dmitry was painting a new future to solidify the Korean Empire's standing, going far beyond mere military power.
Therefore...
"Tell Park Cheol-min. Tell him to reveal that I made that sword."
As always, Roman Dmitry did not hide the truth.