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Chapter 2
Early the next morning.
Namgung Kang arrived at the training ground as usual.
“Ugh—”
He quickly suppressed a loud burp.
That was close.
As the leader of the Namgung Iron Sword Division, he had an image to maintain.
Letting out such an uncouth sound would be embarrassing.
Did anyone hear that?
He quickly looked around.
No one in sight.
No presence detected either.
Good.
“Whew… I ate and drank too much yesterday.”
A rare, warm family dinner had ended in indigestion.
And indigestion ruins your whole day.
The best cure?
Training.
“Alright… let’s get moving.”
Since he was going to train anyway—
He drew the sword his son gave him.
Shing—
“Even hearing it again… what a smooth, beautiful sound.”
He held the sword up to the sunlight.
The light seemed to split along its blade.
“And the sword aura… it’s incredible.”
This was the kind of weapon only top-tier masters possessed.
Yet now, he held one in his own hands.
“It’s too much for me… but I’m happy.”
It was a gift from his son.
How could a father not feel joy?
And to use such a sword to perform Namgung martial arts?
As both a father and a warrior—
How could he resist?
Now he understood why children jumped with excitement over new shoes.
Still, he felt a bit uneasy.
Normally, such a sword should go to the family head first.
So he had warned his son during dinner.
But his son was smart—he would understand.
“…Alright.”
He couldn’t hold back anymore.
Namgung Kang steadied his breathing.
He closed his eyes and slowly circulated his internal energy.
Once his body moved beyond normal human limits—
He began his training.
Maybe it was because of the sword—
But his body moved even more smoothly than usual.
Soon, he entered a state of complete focus.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
If I want to surpass legendary weapons like Ganjiang, Moye, and even the Heavenly Sword and Dragon Saber—
I need to keep hammering.
Clang! Clang!
So what do I need to make today?
A famous sword.
‘At least five of them.’
During dinner at Cheongpung Inn, my father hinted at something.
Normally, such swords should be presented to the family head first.
‘At least the head of the Namgung Family is reasonable enough not to take away a birthday gift.’
Still…
People are people.
If others receive good swords and one person doesn’t—
Of course they’d feel upset.
If I were the family head?
I’d definitely complain.
Then my father would get stressed, lose his hair—
And suddenly baldness becomes a family trait.
‘No!’
Baldness is unacceptable!
I must protect our hairline!
Which means—
I need to make more famous swords!
“Before awakening, it took me days to make one… but now, I should be able to make five much faster.”
My stamina and internal energy consumption are reduced by half.
And the chance of creating masterpieces increased by 30%.
If I can’t do it with this, I might as well quit.
Clang! Clang! Clang!—Ding!
“…Huh? Ding?”
What was that sound?
[Namgung Kang is extremely satisfied with the famous sword.]
[Namgung Kang greatly cherishes the famous sword.]
[Resonance activated.]
[You learn the most suitable martial art for your current level.]
[You have acquired Namgung Byeokcheol Sword.]
“…What is this?”
Am I dreaming?
Martial arts aren’t something you just “get.”
You have to read manuals, understand them, train endlessly—
Only then can you learn them.
It’s not like hunter skills where you just use a skill book and instantly learn it.
If martial arts worked like that?
Ordinary people wouldn’t exist.
Only legendary geniuses would.
And those manuals?
They’re insanely hard to understand.
Even though they’re written in Chinese characters I learned—
They still feel impossible.
Like a math textbook.
That’s why I only grasped the basics.
Which is exactly why my martial talent is mediocre.
But now—
I didn’t even read a manual…
And I just learned a martial art like a skill.
“The status window doesn’t lie… so this must be real.”
The technique was already forming in my mind—
As if I had practiced it for years.
Still—
Seeing is believing.
I grabbed a sword and stepped outside.
As a high-level blacksmith in the Namgung Family, I have my own training ground.
I have to earn my own money—
But the benefits are great.
“This is why even being a servant in a great house is better.”
“Whew…”
I stood in the center.
Calmed my breathing.
Closed my eyes and recalled the technique.
Then—
I moved.
Following the flow of the Namgung Byeokcheol Sword.
My body executed smooth, powerful movements—
Sharp enough to split steel.
After about an hour—
I lowered my sword.
“…It actually works?”
It still felt a bit unfamiliar—
But the technique was complete.
So how did I learn something I never trained?
The answer was clear.
Activates when someone is highly satisfied with an item you created.
Effect:
- Copies one useful ability from the user permanently (one time only)
※ If the skill exceeds your level, training is still required
“Resonance…”
This wasn’t something I had in my previous life.
I lost my old S-rank blacksmith traits—
And got this instead.
And now I see—
It’s basically skill copying.
What kind of cheat ability is this?!
Even with just top-tier crafting—
I could aim to become the best blacksmith in the world.
But with this?
Even closer.
Not just that—
I could go from average talent to a true genius.
But…
There’s a problem.
A big one.
“Namgung Byeokcheol Sword… is a high-level martial art only taught to members of the Iron Sword Division.”
And I’m just a blacksmith.
In the martial world—
Leaking martial arts is a serious crime.
Even basic techniques are tightly guarded.
If an outsider uses them?
They could be hunted down and killed.
“This isn’t something to take lightly.”
If this gets exposed—
It won’t just affect me.
It could also cause trouble for my father.
Even if his achievements protect me—
I can’t rely on that.
So what should I do?
“…I’ll hide it.”
That’s the only answer.
But can I hide it forever?
The martial world is full of ticking time bombs.
Even the Namgung Family isn’t untouchable.
There are other major factions, sects, and alliances.
If something goes wrong—
I might have to use this martial art to survive.
“…I could silence witnesses…”
But—
Even though I’ve killed villains before—
Killing just to hide a secret?
That doesn’t sit right with me.
“Haah…”
I let out a deep sigh.
I dreamed of becoming the greatest blacksmith—
But I might lose my head before that.
Still—
I can’t just give up.
So what’s the solution?
The answer came quickly.
In any world—
Power rules.
The strong are absolute.
“If I reach the level of a top master…”
No one would question me using unknown techniques.
At that level—
Copying and analyzing martial arts is normal.
And more importantly—
I could live a long life.
That’s why I aim to be the best blacksmith.
The best are protected.
Even here in the Namgung Family.
“Alright… I’ve decided.”
“Until I reach the level of a top master—”
“I won’t use these copied martial arts carelessly.”
“I’ll hide them… and focus on blacksmithing.”
And if I have to use them?
“…I’ll pretend it wasn’t me.”
Who would believe a blacksmith used a martial art he never learned?
“…Maybe I should wear a mask too?”
