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Chapter 06 …
The Genius Blacksmith That Hunters Became Obsessed With
Gangcheol recalled what the notification window had told him during the tutorial.
Viewing any piece of information once cost 1 Coin.
It had said that people usually checked information about five times a day, so it calculated the daily cost as 5 Coins.
Apparently, if you checked it about five times, you’d be getting your money’s worth.
A month had roughly twenty working days, so that came to 100 Coins.
A year would technically cost 500 Coins, but since using it for a year practically meant using it for life, that amount became the price for permanently unlocking the skill.
“…Isn’t that an absurd discount?”
Gangcheol asked.
His tone sounded casual, but there was unmistakable suspicion mixed into it.
—I told you already. I also benefit if my student levels up quickly.
“That just makes it sound even more suspicious. The discount is practically on the same level as a one-year gym membership.”
—Isn’t cheaper better? Gym memberships are cheaper if you buy the yearly plan too, aren’t they?
“Yeah, but some gyms collect everyone’s membership fees and then disappear.”
—What would I gain from scamming you? It’s not like I can run away anywhere. Right?
“…Ah, good point. Then I’ll gladly take it.”
Realizing it was undeniably a bargain, Gangcheol smiled brightly.
Then it announced another 50% discount.
That reduced the price to 250 Coins.
Exactly the amount he had just earned.
Meaning he could permanently unlock one category of information right now.
If that was the case, then the very first thing he needed to unlock was…
“Forming.”
—Oh? That’s unexpected. I thought you’d learned something from what happened this time.
“None of the stages are unimportant.”
Until recently, Gangcheol had believed that some stages of blacksmithing were absolutely more important than others.
For example, rather than simply choosing the highest-quality steel, he had believed that creating a design suited to the steel’s characteristics—and then applying heat treatment appropriate to that design—were more important.
Up until now, there had been nothing particularly wrong with thinking that way.
After all, plenty of craftsmen and users argued exactly that.
—For someone saying that, you made your choice awfully quickly.
The notification window was right.
The odds of something like this happening again were low.
But there was no guarantee it wouldn’t happen again.
If someone had told the Gangcheol of just one week ago that his forge would be destroyed because Hunters started fighting each other inside it…
He would have chased them away for talking nonsense.
But once you experience something that unbelievable…
You start worrying even about things that should never happen.
Gathering materials through harvesting.
Smelting iron ore and adding various elements to produce steel with an even composition.
Designing equipment suited to its intended purpose.
Cutting, grinding, drilling, and bending steel plates according to the blueprint to create the blank.
Then heat-treating that blank so it would achieve the performance it was designed for.
The problem this time had occurred right at the materials stage—
the harvesting and smelting process.
It wasn’t even a stage Gangcheol had been unaware of.
Considering that, the speed at which he had made his decision really was almost reckless.
“I already made one mistake. What can I do about it now? It’s over, and I don’t have the luxury of dwelling on it.”
He paused.
“I’m not perfect when it comes to forming either.”
Then…
Gangcheol slowly looked around his workshop.
There wasn’t a single part of it that remained intact.
The grinder and electric saw used for shaping steel.
The power hammer used for forging.
The versatile anvil and even the tree stump it sat upon.
Everything had been crushed beyond proper use, and thanks to the scammer’s skill, many of the components had simply vanished.
“And…”
Gangcheol let out a quiet sigh.
“When you’re the head of the household, you still have to make money after something like this.”
—So you’re saying unlocking Forming means you still have a way to earn money?
Gangcheol nodded.
—Very well. If you’ve made up your mind…
I’ll spend 250 Coins to permanently unlock the Eyes of Forming.
A pleasant warmth spread throughout Gangcheol’s body.
Then…
—
250 Coins have been consumed.
The Eyes of Forming have been permanently unlocked.
You may now view information related to Forming at any time without spending additional Coins.
That was the last notification.
Gangcheol left the forge.
The walls had cracked so badly that even after closing the door, the lock wouldn’t latch.
Normally he would have tried something.
Today…
He simply leaned the door shut as best he could and went home.
“I’m back.”
“Gangcheol? You’re home? Oh my… why are you covered in so much dust…?”
His mother’s eyes widened.
She clearly wanted an explanation, but Gangcheol lazily waved a hand.
He looked too exhausted to explain anything.
“A little dirty, huh?”
“…Honestly, for a second I thought you were someone living on the streets during one of my dispatches.”
“Oh dear, at least shake yourself off first.”
“Come outside for a moment so I can dust you off.”
Without resisting, Gangcheol followed her outside while she brushed the dust off his clothes.
“Is the bathroom free?”
“No. Ayeon just got back from the Academy.”
“You’re not planning to go straight into your room without washing, are you? Looking like that?”
Behind him, his mother warned that she wasn’t going to clean his room afterward.
But Gangcheol barely heard her.
He no longer had the energy to care.
Flop.
The moment he threw himself onto the bed…
Metal shavings and bits of concrete scattered all over the blanket.
‘I’ll just… sleep first… Then… I’ll think about everything later…’
It had been an exhausting, chaotic day.
The immediate crisis had passed.
But countless new problems had appeared.
The forge needed repairs.
He had to claim compensation for the damages.
And somehow…
He still had to earn money starting tomorrow.
In many ways…
This was the most troubled day Gangcheol had experienced in recent years.
Yet…
Strangely enough…
He didn’t feel anxious at all.
Just before sleep claimed him, those words echoed once more in his ears.
“I think… I’ve finally met a real blacksmith.”
A real blacksmith.
Since becoming the owner of Gangcheol Workshop, it was the first genuinely positive evaluation he had ever received.
‘Honestly… they were right.’
Even as consciousness faded away…
The corners of Gangcheol’s lips curled upward in a satisfied smile.
