Chapter 204
Chapter 204
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 204
>Chapter Title: Shattered Pride
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>Chapter 204
Rhon took pride in his work.
He might not excel in other areas, but when it came to reinforcement, no one could surpass him. That was his pride.
In this field, at least, he was the best.
Of course, if you looked at it objectively, he wasn't quite at the top.
There were four artisans ranked higher than him in the Artisan Tournament, and above all artisans stood the Grandmaster.
‘But I'm still young.’
Unlike the majority of artisans, who were in their mid-thirties on average, he was only twenty-eight.
He was at an age full of promise.
He believed he had more than enough potential to reach the top someday.
That conviction had driven his reinforcements, leading him to his current position...
Kaang—clang—
‘Un... unbelievable.’
But now, for the first time, that conviction was on the verge of crumbling.
Clang—
Kaang—
The clear, resonant sound of weapon and hammer clashing rang out purely.
“Ooh... that sounds good.”
“Makes my mind feel at ease somehow.”
“But isn't Kaiser doing better than expected? Is it luck?”
He could hear the players marveling at the crisp sound that cleared the mind the moment it reached their ears.
But Rhon had no time to marvel.
It wasn't just the sound of hammering a weapon.
‘The resonance of the weapon itself...’
Why were artisans called artisans?
What made their reinforcements have a higher success rate than ordinary players?
Why did regular reinforcers constantly complain about slippery hands and exploding weapons?
It wasn't that the NPC reinforcers were incompetent.
Even with stacks of support skills and probability-boosting items, regular reinforcers ultimately had to rely on luck.
But artisans were different.
‘Feeling the vibration of the metal transmitted through the hammer to pinpoint the strike points and vital spots. How well you do that is what separates an artisan from a mere blacksmith.’
It was because of the ‘Resonance of Iron’ skill that artisans gained.
A cheat skill that let them sense strike points and vital spots more clearly and feel even the subtlest vibrations with heightened sensitivity.
Even in high-level reinforcements, where luck was still needed, artisans could cover up to a certain point with skill alone.
‘That's why artisans are special. And only after becoming one does the true path of the blacksmith open.’
But even with the ‘Resonance of Iron’ skill, fully sensing the resonance was no easy feat.
Communing with iron to feel its resonance was incredibly difficult for modern people.
-The state of becoming one with iron and conversing with it.
Blacksmiths called that the dream realm, and the one who achieved it a Grandmaster.
Like all artisans, Rhon dreamed of becoming a Grandmaster.
He lacked talent in crafting, but he had it in spades for reinforcement.
‘How in the world...’
That was why Rhon sensed resonances better than anyone.
Even resonances created not by his own hand, but by someone else's!
Kaaang—clang—
A sound so clear it felt refreshing.
Devoid of any impurities.
A unique tone that could only come from perfect resonance between iron and hammer, without the slightest dullness.
‘...How the hell is a guy like you hitting the strike points so precisely!’
The sound only a Grandmaster could produce was coming from that man.
A mere combat-class player without even production skills was demonstrating a Grandmaster's realm.
‘This can't be real. No, right. It's just luck. Can't be skill. Beginner's luck or something.’
They said denial was the first mental process when facing the unbelievable.
Rhon was no exception.
It had to be coincidence.
Beginner's luck or whatever. A clueless hammering that luckily produced that sound.
He rationalized it that way.
Kaang—clang—
[Reinforcement succeeded perfectly.]
[Perfect reinforcement achieved in the awe-inspiring realm grants maximum values.]
[+2 Nimble Green's Sword has been created.]
“Your turn now.”
“Whoa... perfect reinforcement? Maximum values? What is this?”
“Jackpot... Isn't that a message only Grandmasters or top-tier artisans get?”
“I heard even Rhon has only seen it a few times... And isn't the title he's challenging right now based on that?”
But it didn't take long for that rationalization to shatter.
Awe-inspiring realm.
A phrase that appeared only when achieving perfect reinforcement in a state beyond mere admiration, into awe.
It required striking every single strike point without a single deviation from start to finish, making it rare even for artisans.
And that phrase had come from that punk?
‘L-Luck...’
Kaang—clang—
[Reinforcement succeeded perfectly.]
[Perfect reinforcement achieved in the awe-inspiring realm grants maximum values.]
[+4 Nimble Green's Sword has been created.]
‘...Twice could be luck. I've done it twice mys—?’
Clang—kaang!
[Reinforcement succeeded perfectly.]
[Perfect reinforcement achieved in the awe-inspiring realm grants maximum values.]
...
No matter how he denied it, the man's hammer blows didn't stop.
Every time the hammer fell, that same clear sound rang out, followed by the Resonance of Iron reacting and messages appearing.
Kaang—clang!
[Reinforcement succeeded perfectly.]
[Perfect reinforcement achieved in the awe-inspiring realm grants maximum values.]
[+10 Nimble Green's Sword has been created.]
[Perfect reinforcement in the awe-inspiring realm achieved 5 times in a row.]
[Condition fulfilled.]
[Title ‘Awe-Inspiring Reinforcer’ acquired.]
[Awe-Inspiring Reinforcer]
-Rank: Heroic
-Description: Title granted to reinforcers who demonstrate the awe-inspiring realm.
Once may be coincidence or luck, but if it repeats, it's no longer luck—it's skill.
-Effects: Reinforcement stones required reduced by 20%.
Reinforcement success rate increased by 5%. All stats +5.
[Hidden option unlocks after 100 successes of perfect reinforcement in the awe-inspiring realm.]
“Ooh, what's this? A title? Is it okay to get it this easily?”
“...Th-That's...”
While Do-hyun casually exclaimed at the sudden title, Rhon stared in horror, eyes bulging wide.
His pupils shook nonstop in disbelief, and understandably so.
“Whoa. Isn't that the title Rhon was challenging for this time? Wasn't that why he came here?”
“Jackpot... Kaiser got it? And he's not even production class?”
“Honestly, doesn't Kaiser seem better? Feels faster and clearer somehow.”
“You feel that too? I thought the same...”
“Above all, only Kaiser gets the awe-inspiring realm message. Rhon's only gotten it twice, right?”
“Two is already impressive, but Kaiser's on another level. How's he good at fighting AND reinforcement?”
That title was the sole reason Rhon had come here.
He'd seen the awe-inspiring realm message up to four times in a row here, so the vibe felt good and he'd stopped by... but five in a row?
‘The one I kept failing at... that guy got it? In one go?’
He couldn't believe it.
It defied logic.
‘Right, this is a dream. Gotta be a nightmare.’
Faced with one absurdity after another, Rhon reached the denial-of-reality stage.
But against his wishes, this was cold, hard reality.
A low, cold voice confirmed it.
“What're you waiting for? It's your turn.”
“......”
Staring at the Nimble Green's Sword, now glowing blue and no longer living up to its name, Rhon broke out in cold sweat.
‘Heroic rank max reinforcement is +12...’
And Nimble Green's Sword was a heroic-rank sword.
Meaning this was the final reinforcement.
If he succeeded now, would that guy fail?
He shook his head.
The hammer swings without a hint of hesitation were still fresh in his mind.
‘Then we'd switch order for the next weapon.’
He'd get first strike, and he'd have to do the final +12 himself.
And the final max reinforcement on any weapon had abysmal odds.
All reinforcements had hellish probabilities at their maximum stage.
That was why they were called devilish +10, +12, +15, and so on.
Gulp.
If it were a rare-rank with +10 as max, he might manage. As an artisan with Resonance of Iron, he had confidence up to +10.
But heroic +12?
‘...Even I have no confidence in +12.’
Given enough time and chances, sure.
But succeed in one try?
No artisan could claim certainty.
Not unless you brought the legendary Grandmaster called ‘that one.’
“What're you doing? Hurry up.”
As Do-hyun urged Rhon, who hesitated to take the weapon, the surrounding murmurs grew louder.
“What, why isn't he taking it?”
“...No way he's scared, right?”
“An artisan scared of a reinforcement duel against a non-production player? Rhon, who placed top 5 in the Artisan Tournament?”
“But honestly, in this situation, doesn't Kaiser look more like the artisan?”
“What? He's really chickening out? Lame.”
By now, even the players could read the room.
Delay any longer, and he'd go down as the artisan who fled a reinforcement duel against a combat class out of fear of losing.
But pushing ahead with reinforcement wouldn't change anything.
Losing would tarnish his name either way.
‘Fuck, what the hell am I supposed to do!’
In this no-win dilemma, Rhon rolled his eyes frantically before finally snapping.
What he chose was to throw a tantrum.
“Fuck, this is cheating! Cheating!! What kind of bullshit situation is this! Pretending to be an artisan when you're not—cheating! How the fuck is that combat class doing this!”
“Ugh, you're annoying. What's with the cheating bullshit all of a sudden? I just got to the Empire—where would I even get practice?”
“Th-That...”
Rhon was struck dumb by Kaiser's perfectly valid counter.
No one in the Empire was unaware that Kaiser had just set foot on imperial soil.
And reinforcement was a system unlocked starting from the Empire.
Meaning Kaiser had provably done his first reinforcement in Galos at the earliest.
But he couldn't back down like this.
He couldn't let his built-up reputation vanish so pathetically.
He was Rhon, the promising young artisan with a bright future!
“You bastard!!! What trick are you pulling!! A mere combat class, not even a blacksmith, succeeding five awe-inspiring reinforcements in a row? You expect me to believe that! There must be some cheating...!”
“Got it!!”
As he flailed desperately to prove foul play.
A heavy shout suddenly boomed from behind, snapping Rhon's mouth shut. A voice that made his body react first. A voice very familiar to Rhon.
‘...N-No way, that voice?’
And his guess hit the mark.
“Tsk tsk... Pathetic. Refusing to admit defeat and throwing a tantrum like a five-year-old... What a disgrace.”
An elderly man with white hair approached with hands behind his back.
His pure white mustache and beard, matching his hair, and his wrinkle-covered face evoked the image of a sturdy ancient tree.
Anyone interested in reinforcement would recognize that face instantly.
“Whoa... Isn't that Aison?”
“Jackpot, that artisan NPC?”
“Why's Aison here?”
“I heard word spread about Rhon and Kaiser's reinforcement duel already... Did Aison hear and come?”
The near-Grandmaster NPC hailed as the artisan of artisans, rumored to become one soon.
A top reinforcement artisan with few peers, the object of admiration for all blacksmith players dreaming of guidance.
“M-Master...?”
And the old man was also Rhon's master.
Artisan Aison Briem had appeared in the reinforcement alley.