EP 4: The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
The broadcast was proceeding smoothly. Llywelyn. A British countess, a mage at the peak of the Heaven and Earth Realm, disciple of the grand alchemist Karno, and a master-level alchemist. One of the two seal managers of the great demon of Nazi Germany. A high-ranking user on the Alchemist bulletin board. Hermes. The one who succeeded in crafting Alkahest, the pinnacle of alchemy. The terrorist who rendered an entire city inoperable in an instant with a 12,000-meter pillar of fire. A Nobel Prize winner and a top-tier user on the Alchemist bulletin board. Over 1.2 million viewers from around the world had gathered to watch these two monsters clash.
“In a little while, you’ll get to see me beat Hermes into the ground.”
She continued the broadcast with a cool, chic demeanor. Meanwhile, a chat message appeared in Llywelyn’s view.
Llywelyn’s expression crumpled.
“...What do you mean by ‘tone’?”
“I. Said. What. Do. You. Mean?!”
Llywelyn slammed the desk.
Llywelyn was at a loss for words. She knew that when she got angry, her speech unconsciously changed and her personality turned vicious. ‘Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve stayed angry for this long.’
Realizing her mistake belatedly, Llywelyn scratched her head.
“......Well. Once I crush that damn Hermes bitch, I’ll go back to normal. So, um. Yeah. Sorry about that.”
She received a jab in the side. Viewers later recalled Llywelyn’s attitude at the time. And this statement would become a lifelong dark history clip for her. For hundreds of years afterward, whenever the clip was uploaded as a donation, Llywelyn would beg for it to stop—but that’s a story for later.
“Ah. That. Hermes activated the temple barrier. In a magical sense, those things can’t exist here anymore, so there’s no need to worry about that.”
BOOM! CRASH! BOOM!
Loud noises echoed from outside.
Llywelyn scratched her cheek.
“Uh... well....”
‘If they physically destroy this commercial building, that’s a different story.’
*****
CRASH! (Commercial building value -2 million won)
THUD! (Commercial building value -12 million won)
CRACK! (Commercial building value -40 million won)
“Hey. Are you okay? Your complexion....”
“...I’m fine.”
Yoo Ji-tae ignored the sounds coming from outside. If he didn’t ignore them, he wouldn’t be able to endure it. ‘My building is collapsing.’
BOOM!!! (Current commercial building value: 3.932 billion won)
‘And it’s still collapsing right now.’
EP 4: The Blacksmith Hides His Identity
He forced his legs to move faster. The building collapsing was painful, but what mattered now was treating Wi Seol-ah’s wounds. No—her body was genuinely growing colder by the moment. Her legs dragged, and blood streamed from the corner of her mouth.
He held Wi Seol-ah tightly and walked toward the restaurant. The dripping blood soaked into salt and ash. He glanced back unconsciously and was shocked. She had lost too much blood. No matter how much she transcended human limits as an ability user, this was dangerous.
‘If only I had come down sooner.’
“I’m fine. I’m really fine....”
Lately, he’d been hearing “I’m fine” a lot. Even when they were clearly struggling, they acted as if they felt guilty for making him worry. He didn’t like it.
“...Enough. There’s a skilled doctor over there. I’ll make sure she saves you.”
Wi Seol-ah smiled with a pale face.
“...I’m glad. That you’re worried about me.”
“Don’t talk.”
“Really, I feel like I could die happy. Truly.... I mean it.... I’m just so grateful.”
She smiled at him with hazy eyes. He touched her cheek. It was terrifyingly cold. He was afraid of women. But right now, he was more afraid of Wi Seol-ah dying. The thought of the one who cherished him dying right beside him was unbearable.
He opened the restaurant door. The bodyguards, Lee Se-rin, and Han Ye-jin rushed over to take Wi Seol-ah. The bodyguards laid her down and kept talking to her. Lee Se-rin looked at him. She seemed to want instructions, but there was nothing he could do here.
He walked straight to Llywelyn.
“Llywelyn.”
Llywelyn looked between him and Wi Seol-ah, then nodded.
“Well, I understand the situation.”
“Please. There’s metal embedded in her heart and lungs, and severe burns all over her body. You can fix her. I’m begging you.”
Llywelyn fell silent for a moment at his words.
“Why should I treat that girl?”
“I’m begging you. If you heal Wi Seol-ah, I’ll fight you as much as you want.”
Of course, it was a lie. He had no intention of fighting Llywelyn to the death. His mind was filled only with thoughts of running away. But even now, Llywelyn harbored killing intent toward him. He had somewhat anticipated her next words.
“I refuse.”
In that instant, a cold shock rippled through his entire body, as if a long blade had pierced him through.
“Our fight is already a confirmed condition. And that wasn’t the intent behind my question.”
“What are you talking about?”
Anger surged at Llywelyn’s roundabout way of speaking. A rage more intense than his fear of her boiled up. He felt like he was losing his mind. But anger wouldn’t help. He analyzed Llywelyn as a person and crafted his response accordingly. The design of a tool is defined by its purpose. Scissors cut paper by applying shear force in opposite directions, and electronic circuits direct desired voltage and current to specific points. His goal was to make Llywelyn treat Wi Seol-ah. The only material he had was his tongue. He wove his words according to his own design.
“Are you scared, Llywelyn?”
“...What?”
The broadcast was still on. Chats flooded in at his statement.
Llywelyn stared at him as if he were insane. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Llywelyn. I’ve heard you’re one of the top five alchemists in the world. They say you perfectly inherited the techniques and spirit of the grand alchemist Karno, and that you’re a figure worthy of respect.”
“...Well, that’s true, but.”
Llywelyn still hadn’t grasped the intent behind his words. So he piled on more.
“When you crafted Alkahest at Samjin Street, I heard your story. The attitude of challenging and failing at the elixir Alkahest—which no one in history had ever reproduced—under the pretext of saving someone, I’ve always thought that was truly heroic.”
Chats began sprinkling praise for Llywelyn after hearing his words. Now that he had built her up, it was time to tear her down.
“To someone like you, a simple injury should be nothing. The fact that you’re not treating Wi Seol-ah right now means you’re using it as a check against me. You’re neglecting a patient for such a petty reason.”
“Where did the spirit you inherited from your master go? Where did the pride you had when you challenged the elixir to save a noblewoman disappear to? Are you neglecting a life just because of pride... and caution toward an enemy? A woman who’s a peak Heaven and Earth Realm alchemist... is letting someone die for such a trivial reason? And that girl has nothing to do with our match—she’s an outsider.”
Llywelyn closed her mouth as if at a loss for words. The public opinion in the chat was going wild. Llywelyn pressed a hand to her forehead.
“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking why you aren’t doing it.”
“I’ve never performed surgery before.... I’m not the kind of person you think I am.”
Hephaestus’s purpose was crafting. It could be extended to skill acquisition, but he had never laid hands on another person’s life. It wasn’t suited for healing. He poured everything into his words. First, he praised Llywelyn’s honor and skill. Then he said that not saving Wi Seol-ah now would destroy that honor. It was fortunate the broadcast was on. It helped him pressure her, who cared about others’ gazes.
Llywelyn leaned back on the sofa.
“At least in this situation, you’re superior to me. So I won’t help. Isn’t it more despicable of you to use your comrade’s crisis as a tool to gauge my remaining strength?”
“.......”
The chat went wild, and donations like [Hmm. Maybe you don’t have it?] and [Ah, Teacher L] started coming in, but Llywelyn didn’t change her decision. She was still observing him. He approached the lying Wi Seol-ah again. She seemed to have used some healing magic, but her condition had only slightly improved. Healing magic was the highest-level technique taught in medical school. Only two thousand students who entered medical school after the national exam, which hundreds of thousands took every year, could master this advanced magic. For bodyguards specialized in combat, or for Lee Se-rin and Han Ye-jin, emergency first aid was the limit.
He considered many things. Should he dispel Kynee, reveal he was a man, and beg for help? Then everything about him would be exposed on the broadcast. He stroked Wi Seol-ah’s cheek. With his back turned, he spoke to Llywelyn.
“You said that with the current me, I have that power. Is that true?”
“Yes. In this situation, you have no reason to ask me for help. Honestly, at this point, I’m not even sure. Maybe you’re just messing with me.”
“...Got it. That’s enough.”
He picked up Wi Seol-ah and headed for the kitchen.
“No one follow me.”
Llywelyn stared at him with contempt—and expectation.
*****
He cleared the large kitchen table and laid Wi Seol-ah on it. He assessed the current situation. The materials in the kitchen were mostly for cooking. There were no medical tools. Even if he acquired medical knowledge right now, there would be limits to treatment. Crafting Alkahest was impossible due to lack of materials. Using a low-grade elixir would only temporarily restore stamina. Without treating the wounds, she would eventually die. Calling for medical personnel from outside was impossible due to the corpse soldiers of the Wolgeukseong Army. He was in the Refined Realm and didn’t know any usable healing magic.
“...Yet Llywelyn said I could do it.”
Then... it must be this.
[Hephaestus’s Temple Barrier (S)]
[A temple barrier blessed by the blacksmith goddess Hephaestus. The deity guarding the temple punishes those who invade it and bestows divine blessings upon those who serve the god.]
The temple. And the blessing. Hephaestus’s Temple Barrier was currently active. That was proven by the corpse soldiers burning into salt and ash.
“...Is there nothing else?”
Hephaestus clearly referred to his skill. Greek and Roman mythology. ‘Asclepius, called the god of medicine, was said to have revived even the dead.’ But he wasn’t certain. He opened the Alchemist bulletin board.
[Can you heal people with the Temple Barrier???]
Author: [Beginner][High School Grad] Hermes
There’s an injured person here. Does anyone know about the Temple Barrier? Please help.
Soon, a few comments appeared.
His hand paused briefly before posting a new thread. The one at the bottom seemed to have some useful information. That person’s name was Paracelsus.