Chapter 002
Chapter 002
'...Where am I.'
Barkan slowly sat up and held his head.
It throbbed. His vision was dizzy and spinning.
He touched his head and felt bandages wrapped around it.
Barkan looked around blankly.
'An unfamiliar style.'
It was a strange indoor space.
A square structure made of clean, white stone on all sides.
Judging by the smell of alcohol and medicine in the air, it seemed to be an infirmary.
'...Did I collapse?'
It seemed someone who found him must have moved him here.
Barkan retraced his final memories.
He had dueled with a red dragon named Ivan, and he had won on the sixth attempt.
After that—
"...Did I die?"
Barkan muttered to himself, startled.
Instead of his usual low, heavy, dwarf-like voice, a much younger and unfamiliar male voice popped out.
"W-what is this...!"
Only then did he look down at his two hands.
Ten fingers wiggling intricately and fair, soft palms.
Barkan was horrified by the strange palms and jumped up.
"My calluses! My calluses are all gone!"
Great Beard, have mercy.
For a dwarf, thick calluses were as natural as a beard. And they were gone?
After throwing a tantrum for a while, he finally managed to calm down.
"That dragon bastard Ivan definitely... at the end..."
He had said he couldn't turn back time, but a minor trick was possible.
"So that trick was stuffing me into a dying human's body."
Barkan grumbled as he examined his body.
He knew it instinctively.
The original owner of the body must have died right before Barkan opened his eyes. Barkan had taken over the empty vessel.
'This brat's name is... I see, it's Kang-hyun.'
Barkan closed his eyes and examined the memories left in the body.
The name was Kang-hyun. Age 18.
And, this place is...
'Earth?'
It was a different world, completely unlike the one Barkan knew.
'What kind of place is this?'
Barkan clicked his tongue in disbelief.
He was just about to examine Kang-hyun's memories in more detail.
Bang—
The door opened, and a girl rushed in.
Her short, silver-white hair was soaked with sweat.
"Kang-hyun! Hyun-ah, are you awake?"
Barkan reflexively looked behind him.
There was no one there.
"...Are you talking to me?"
"You're awake! Thank goodness!"
The girl pulled Kang-hyun up from the bed.
"There's no time! Let's go, quickly!"
"Wait, hold on. Where are we going?"
"Don't you remember? You had an accident during the entrance exam and came to the infirmary."
"...Entrance exam?"
The girl checked her wristwatch and ran even faster.
"Ugh. It's really tight. Let's go, hurry!"
"What?"
Caught off guard and grabbed by the wrist, Kang-hyun was dragged along the long hallway.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
"Excuse me, coming through! Sorry! Coming through!"
"Eek! What the hell are you doing!"
The girl shoved people aggressively as she ran down the hallway.
After running for a while, they arrived at a large auditorium.
"Phew, phew... Thank goodness. We're not late yet. Go, hurry!"
The girl pushed Kang-hyun forward.
Suddenly shoved into the auditorium, Kang-hyun finally had the leisure to look around.
The place was full of humans. They were all looking at Kang-hyun.
A large banner caught his eye.
[Lumen Academy 192nd Entrance Exam]
'Lumen Academy...'
Kang-hyun's memories slowly clicked into place.
Dungeons and monsters appearing all over Earth, encroaching on the surroundings.
The educational facility that mass-produced hunters to deal with them was the Academy.
And Kang-hyun had been in the middle of taking the entrance exam for that Academy.
'So it was the Production Specialization Department entrance exam.'
A man with glasses approached. It was the exam supervisor, Park Jin-cheol.
"Examinee 128, Kang-hyun. Is that correct?"
"Yeah. That's right."
Park Jin-cheol's eyebrows twitched.
Oh, damn. Kang-hyun clicked his tongue inwardly.
He had answered like a dwarf without thinking.
Kang-hyun's current age was 18.
He was just a fresh-faced greenhorn, not even a pup.
"Sorry... I mean, I apologize. I'm a bit dazed from the head injury."
"Never mind. Can you continue the exam?"
"The exam?"
Kang-hyun looked around.
He saw teenagers in their late teens standing in front of portable furnaces and anvils. Most were already in the quenching stage.
"Pfft. That bastard is back? I thought he'd just leave out of embarrassment."
"Seriously. I saw him earlier, he was incredibly clumsy. Does he even know how to make a kitchen knife?"
"A kitchen knife? Didn't you see him drop his hammer earlier and crack his own head open?"
The examinees whispered, looking at Kang-hyun.
"Quiet over there! If there's one more disturbance, I will have you removed."
When Park Jin-cheol warned them, the examinees shut their mouths tight.
The gazes directed at Kang-hyun also vanished.
"Examinee, your seat is over there."
Kang-hyun walked to his assigned spot.
The exam time was...
"You have 1 hour remaining."
He looked at the weapon the original owner had been making on the anvil.
"Good grief."
He was speechless.
The center of gravity was a mess. The blade was twisted, and it was hard to even guess what he had been trying to make. There were clear signs of haphazard hammering.
It was fit for a junkyard.
'Why did this kid apply to the Production Specialization Department when he doesn't even know how to hammer?'
Kang-hyun habitually stroked the spot where his beard used to be.
...There was no beard.
'Tsk.'
Swallowing a sigh, he picked up the exam hammer.
The balance was passable. It was a waste of money to buy, but not unusable.
Five fingers wrapped around the hammer.
'It feels strange.'
Having lived with three fingers for so long, the sensation of holding a hammer with five fingers felt awkward.
Kang-hyun slowly adjusted his grip strength.
'For now, I have to salvage it somehow. If I fix the shape and the center of gravity, it should be decent enough to look at.'
Kkang—!
The hammer swung down.
'Phew. That was close.'
Lee Se-rin, the girl who had brought Kang-hyun from the infirmary, caught her breath as she watched Kang-hyun return to his seat.
Lumen Academy's Production Specialization Department. Getting admitted was as hard as plucking a star from the sky.
To think he'd fail because he cracked his own head open while hammering in such a place.
'Ugh. Just imagining it makes me dizzy.'
Kang-hyun and Lee Se-rin were childhood friends.
To be more precise, it was closer to a relationship where Lee Se-rin's family took care of Kang-hyun.
Lee Se-rin's family had worked hard to get Kang-hyun an opportunity for the entrance exam through a special admission...
"Is that the guy? The one who smelled like alcohol since earlier?"
"I heard he was drinking and partying at a club until the day before the entrance exam. Tsk, they shouldn't even let guys like that take the exam."
Lee Se-rin honestly had nothing to say.
She knew better than anyone how lazy Kang-hyun usually was.
However.
Kkang—! Kkang—!
Lee Se-rin's eyebrows twitched.
'That... is that Hyun?'
The hammering was different.
Until just a moment ago, it was Kang-hyun who kept dropping the hammer and cracking his own head.
But now, he was hammering rhythmically, precisely hitting the center of gravity.
Kkang—! Kkang—! Kkang—!
The sound was changing.
At first, he put strength into it awkwardly, but as he continued to hammer, a rhythm began to form.
The sound of metal being struck became uniform.
'What on earth... is happening?'
Lee Se-rin leaned forward without realizing it.
The whispering around them died down.
Heads began to turn toward Kang-hyun.
Kkang—!
The first hammer strike rang out.
The surrounding examinees didn't even bother to look.
It was that guy who cracked his own head open by dropping the hammer earlier. It was a waste of time to even keep an eye on him.
Kkang—! Ka-kang—!
'My arms are too long. I need to close the distance a bit more.'
Kang-hyun adjusted his posture little by little as he hammered.
It was a weak and frail human body, not the sturdy, thick-boned frame of a dwarf.
The arm length, the center of gravity, the sensation of his fingers—everything was different, so his wrists ached if he applied even a little bit of force incorrectly.
Ten minutes passed.
Kkang—! Kka-ang—! Ka-ang—!
"......?"
The examinee next to him turned his head without realizing it.
The sound had changed.
Until just a moment ago, the hammering had been erratic, but it had suddenly become rhythmic.
It was uniform, precise, and had no wasted motion.
Twenty minutes passed.
"Hey. Look at that."
Someone whispered.
Thump, thud—
Blood flowed from Kang-hyun's palm. The delicate skin had torn and turned red.
It was a moment where he missed the tough palms of his dwarf days, but Kang-hyun intentionally blocked out the distracting thoughts.
"......"
He didn't care about the pain.
Heat it in the furnace, strike it with the hammer.
Only that mattered.
Ka-ang— Ka-ang—!
Thirty minutes passed.
Kang-hyun's hammering sound pierced through the metallic clanging of dozens of other examinees.
It was slow yet rhythmic, a clear, resonant sound of iron being struck.
It was undeniably peerless.
'It's like he's become a different person.'
Park Jin-cheol was standing behind Kang-hyun at some point.
As a supervisor, checking the personal details of all examinees was basic.
Naturally, he had checked Kang-hyun's as well.
'A wastrel who came in drinking the day before the exam, with terrible metallurgy skills.'
The skills he had actually witnessed from Kang-hyun were indeed terrible.
At least, until he returned from the infirmary.
'The kid is definitely a novice.'
Kang-hyun's palms were all torn and bleeding. His hands, holding the hammer and tongs, were shaking from lack of strength.
It was proof that his usual training was lacking.
'But his posture keeps changing. It's improving, little by little.'
Twenty minutes ago was better than ten minutes ago, and now was better than ten minutes ago.
Does this make any sense?
This—this was something Park Jin-cheol was experiencing for the first time in his life.
Either Kang-hyun had been hiding his skills on purpose, or—
"...He's an absurd genius."
Park Jin-cheol muttered to himself and realized his mistake too late.
He wondered if he had broken Kang-hyun's focus.
Ka-ang—! Ka-ang—!
Kang-hyun was silently hammering away.
It was terrifying concentration.
.
.
.
"Time is up. Everyone, please stop and wait."
Kang-hyun, who had been sharpening the blade, let go. His overworked muscles trembled.
Pressed for time, there were many parts he regretted.
"Tsk. It's tight."
It would have been nice if he had 30 more minutes.
He had managed to set the edge, so he would avoid failing, but it didn't meet Kang-hyun's standards at all.
What's more unbearable than a failure is a mediocre result.
'Tsk. Should I break it? Break it and make it again?'
His fingers twitched with the urge to break it, as if bugs were crawling all over his body.
Kang-hyun sighed, debating whether to break the weapon or not.
"Haa. If only this body were a little better... or if I had more time."
It was impossible to remake it right now.
Without calluses, his palms stung. His muscles were overworked, and his joints were creaking.
"My heart feels a bit tight, too; this body is really..."
Every time he hammered, his heart pounded so hard he thought he would die. It even felt like the hot sensation starting from his heart was leaking out into his hands.
Just how much did this young guy drink to leave his body in this state?
"I'll have to suffer until I get some calluses."
He had a long way to go.
Just as he was grumbling like that.
Ding—!
[You have crafted the item 'Recycled Black Iron Dagger'!]
[You have revived what was close to junk with a level of skill unbelievable for a novice blacksmith!]
[The techniques and skills used in this dagger are close to first-class.]
[Appraisal result: 'Rare' grade.]
A translucent window appeared before Kang-hyun's eyes.
Wondering what this was, Kang-hyun stared blankly before recalling the concept of a 'Status Window.'
An existence that appears when you fully craft something with your own ability or achieve a great feat.
Not only the original Kang-hyun but most of the examinees would never have even seen one.
'...Who is this bastard to dare evaluate my weapon?'
Kang-hyun was annoyed. What kind of thing is this system?
And on top of that, 'Rare' grade?
'Phew. Still, I guess it got a fairly high grade?'
Kang-hyun, recalling his memories about grades, had his face twisted like a demon.
Weapon grades were divided into 'Common', 'Rare', 'Heroic', 'Advanced', 'Epic', and 'Legendary'.
Kang-hyun's dagger was 'Rare', the second from the bottom.
Considering it was a Rare grade among his peers, and that he had revived a piece of junk, it was an immense achievement.
'Second from... the bottom? The dagger I made, only that?'
To Kang-hyun, it was an absurd evaluation.
No matter how bad the original state was, and no matter how messed up his body was...
Grind, grind—
In his past life, he was praised as the best blacksmith in the Dwarf Kingdom, and in the end, he made a famous sword that could cut down a dragon.
'Do you know how hard dragon scales are! Even if a Swordmaster comes, if the sword is lacking, they can't cut a dragon! My sword cut down such a dragon!'
To Kang-hyun, this was an insult, no, a declaration of war.
'Let's endure... I must endure...'
His cool-headed reason shouted to endure, while his instinct screamed to smash the dagger.
Just as Kang-hyun was fighting his twitching destructive impulses.
Fortunately, the supervisor Park Jin-cheol shouted into the megaphone.
"Examinees, please wait at your seats with the weapons you have made. The evaluators will come to you personally."
A woman stood up in the corner of the testing hall.
The examinees stirred.
"It's Professor Kim Se-young."
"The person who created the world's first Ego Sword? Is that really Professor Kim Se-young?"
Amidst the agitated examinees, Kim Se-young quickly began the evaluation.
"Examinee 19. What did you make?"
"Y-yes! I made a straight sword using the Damascus technique!"
Kim Se-young didn't even lift the sword.
"Only 20 folds? If you were going to do that, you shouldn't have bothered. Don't you know that folding requires at least 600 layers? Basics come before technique."
Fail.
"Is this... intended to be a skewer? You couldn't even stab a goblin to death with this. Why don't you just go camping and roast marshmallows instead?"
Fail again.
"You were given plenty of time, yet the center of gravity is a mess. I'm very disappointed. It's only fit for a circus."
Fail again.
Harsh criticism continued.
Whether it was trying to show off technique but failing the balance, the blade not being sharp enough, or mana not being transmitted properly.
Professor Kim Se-young continued with painfully accurate evaluations.
Finally, she arrived in front of Kang-hyun.
"Examinee 128, Kang-hyun. Is that right?"
"Yeah, that's... that's right."
"What did you make?"
Swish—
Instead of answering, Kang-hyun held out the dagger.
It was a crude dagger without a single flashy decoration.
Kim Se-young's eyes narrowed as she lifted the dagger.
The center of gravity was perfect. The blade was evenly sharpened. It naturally clung to her hand when she held it.
Even if she flipped it, swung it, or stabbed with it, there was no strain on her wrist.
'There are some minor flaws... but the overall completion is nearly perfect.'
Kim Se-young's eyes sparkled as she examined the dagger.
"Examinee Kang-hyun. This dagger, it wasn't like this from the beginning, was it?"
"No. It was a mess... grind, so I hammered it back to life."
"......You revived it."
Kim Se-young also knew about the waste Kang-hyun had initially made. He had been noticeably incompetent.
A piece of garbage that was half-finished. Something that belonged in a scrap metal yard.
'And he revived it like this in 2 hours?'
Kim Se-young frowned. It wasn't an easy task even for her.
"Oh my. This dagger, it has a grade?"
"Grind, grind... Yes, that's... right."
"Why didn't you say so?"
"I didn't think it was... phew, a level worth bragging about."
At the mention of the grade, Kang-hyun almost had another seizure. It was humiliating to death that it was only the second-lowest grade.
Of course, that was from Kang-hyun's perspective.
From the perspective of an ordinary examinee or Professor Kim Se-young, it was an incredible feat.
[Name: Recycled Black Iron Dagger]
[Type: Dagger]
[Grade: Rare]
[Description: A dagger revived from what was close to junk by mobilizing superior skill and sense. The unique dark luster of the black iron has blended well into the blade. The delicate sense of the blacksmith who made it stands out.]
"Rare grade... This is truly amazing."
Kim Se-young examined Kang-hyun's dagger for a long time.
An examinee receiving a grade?
"He got a grade?"
"How on earth did he make it... No, wasn't he the guy who was making a lump of iron in the first place?"
"What the hell did he do?"
The examinees stirred.
Most of them had never even received a Common grade, let alone a Rare grade, among their peers.
"Were you short on materials and time?"
"I used them as efficiently as possible."
"Ha. Efficiently..."
That wouldn't be as easy as it sounds.
Kim Se-young, who had been swinging the dagger around, raised her mana.
Wuuung—
The dagger was deeply dyed in blue mana.
"The mana conductivity is also excellent."
Kim Se-young nodded.
"This is amazing. This is a very well-made dagger. You even infused mana into it, however faintly. I don't think I could have made this even if I were at Examinee Kang-hyun's age."
The highest praise.
Kang-hyun, who had been listening with his arms crossed as if it were natural, twitched his eyes slightly.
'Infused mana? What does that mean? I never worked on anything like that?'
Good grief.
Could it be that there were even unintended parts in the result?
The only strange thing during the work was... channeling the heat from his pounding heart into his fingertips.
Could it be that the unpleasant heat had stuck to the weapon?
'Let's break it. That thing must be broken.'
Kang-hyun made up his mind.
A creation that deviates from the creator's intent must be disposed of.
Kim Se-young nodded.
"Examinee 128, Kang-hyun. Congratulations. You have passed the first round."
Passed.
The testing hall stirred at the result no one expected.
"......Did Professor Kim Se-young just pass him personally?"
"No, wait, he didn't make it from scratch, he revived a ruined one?"
"Well, it makes sense if it's a Rare grade. I haven't even received a Common grade."
Gazes of awe, admiration, jealousy, and suspicion poured out from all around.
Kang-hyun ignored the whispering and stared at the dagger.
It kept catching his eye. It felt like seeing a bug in his beer.
He had finished it in a rush, and its condition was too bad from the start.
He also didn't like that he had to submit a mere 'Rare' grade dagger.
'A sword like that is going to remain in the world under my name?'
Unacceptable. It was fine to call it the instinct of a grumpy dwarf.
Perhaps that was why.
Swish—
Kang-hyun raised his hand.
"What is it?"
"If I passed, can I... can I break this dagger?"
Kim Se-young's eyes went wide at Kang-hyun's words that he wanted to break it himself.
"......Since you've already passed the first evaluation, the subsequent disposal is up to the examinee. It doesn't matter if you break it. Dealing with the aftermath is the student's job."
"? Professor Kim Se-young. What kind of bullshit—"
Supervisor Park Jin-cheol, who was behind them, tried to say something, but Professor Kim Se-young stopped him.
For some reason, Professor Kim Se-young's eyes were sparkling as she looked at Kang-hyun.
"Are you really going to break it, Examinee Kang-hyun? This is a very well-made dagger. I can guarantee it with my name."
Kim Se-young's final persuasion.
Kang-hyun shook his head.
"This is a failure... I don't want to leave something like this under my name."
Kang-hyun lifted the dagger.
And brought it down on the anvil.
Ka-ang——!!