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Chapter 2 …
I Became a Genius Blacksmith That Hunters Are Obsessed With
“What the hell, damn it.”
A curse slipped out after Gangcheol rolled across the floor because the notification window had blocked his vision.
But unlike the harsh words, his face was beaming.
“I actually awakened?”
There were an estimated one hundred thousand Awakened in Korea.
Whether they entered dungeons or not, they earned noticeably more than ordinary people.
The reason was the Coin System.
Whenever an Awakened performed activities related to their profession, they accumulated Coins that could be used to expand skills or increase stats.
If someone awakened as a warrior, even practicing swordsmanship would earn them a small amount of Coins.
Then, once an Awakened reached a certain level, they could actually withdraw and use those Coins.
‘I heard you can even exchange them for cash….’
The exchange rate and available items varied depending on the rank of the profession, but one thing was certain.
Coins meant money.
So even a low-grade Awakening was considered a blessing.
“If possible, I hope it’s a sword-using class.”
Gangcheol quietly imagined a bright future.
‘If I awaken, I can personally test the swords I forge. I can sell them to my teammates while I’m at it, use that as marketing, buy better materials with Coins….’
It wasn’t a completely unreasonable idea.
The only flaw was that he intended to do an entirely different kind of hard labor just so he could make money doing the hard labor he actually enjoyed.
Realistically speaking, if he made money as a Hunter, there would be no reason to continue working as a blacksmith.
Once again, the average Hunter earned far more than people in most professions.
Whether they were sword-wielding warriors, spell-casting mages, or even Pathfinder-types who only mapped dungeons, it was all the same.
Compared to them, blacksmithing was simply one of the most replaceable, labor-intensive 3D jobs.
But that conclusion never existed in Gangcheol’s mind.
If making money had been his only goal, he would have given up the forge long ago.
Ever since he inherited the workshop, there had been more days spent surviving on his savings than days when the business actually turned a profit.
Gangcheol continued blacksmithing out of pure love for the craft.
And now, all of a sudden, the means to support that passion had fallen right into his lap.
This is absolutely going to work!
With excitement written all over his face, Gangcheol shouted,
“Status Window!”
The window that appeared read:
Geum Gangcheol (Human)
Profession: Metallurgist (3rd Generation) (Mythic) ▶ More
Forge Level: 1/7 (0%) ▶ More
Skills (Remaining SP: 0)
0. Tutorial (Limited, 1/1) ▶ More
1. Eye of Insight (Mythic, 0/6) ▶ More
2. Coin Exchange (Advanced, 0C) ▶ More
Special Notes
- Holder of an Inherited Profession
“A blacksmith…!”
It really is my perfect calling.
His overwhelming joy lasted only a moment.
Looking at the Status Window, which consisted of only a handful of lines, Gangcheol’s expression twisted.
The fact that it wasn’t a combat class was one thing.
But there was just… too little.
Normally there should be stats.
There should be multiple skills.
That way he could invest Coins to grow stronger and earn even more Coins.
A short Status Window basically meant his potential ceiling was low.
No matter how good Coin Exchange was, if his stats were poor, there would obviously be a limit to how many Coins he could earn.
“…Seriously? You got my hopes up just to do this?”
As soon as he grumbled, another notification popped up.
—Kid, this isn’t a dud. Seriously. It’s good. Really good.
“…?”
Another window appeared before the confused Gangcheol.
—It’s unbelievably amazing. Just give it one try. Try it, try it.
It even spoke in an absurdly bizarre tone.
* * *
After several minutes of misunderstanding-filled conversation between Gangcheol and the notification window, he learned a few things.
The most reassuring discovery was that his expected Coin income wasn’t actually much lower than other professions.
“Then why are there so few skills? What about stats? At least give me Strength or Constitution. That’d make working easier.”
—You worked just fine before Awakening. Besides, doesn’t a blacksmith just need to be good with iron? Are you planning to go out and fight, kid?
“Well… that’s true.”
—Judging from your hesitation, you were about to start talking about wood, leather, gathering materials, and all that. Admit it.
“But still… the number of skills.”
—Everything you need to work with iron has already been carefully prepared for you. Don’t worry, kid.
But the most important information was something else entirely.
Everyone awakened as a combat class.
Except him.
“You? The only exception?”
—Not me. You.
“Why?”
Even people who never entered Gates should be able to awaken, shouldn’t they?
Maybe knitters.
Or chefs.
He wasn’t expecting any particular answer.
But the notification simply replied lazily.
—Kid, do you know how the internet works? You still use it anyway. Just accept it.
“If you’re going to explain something, at least explain it properly, you bastard.”
Still, the system wasn’t completely unwilling to offer useful advice.
“So I definitely shouldn’t tell anyone I’ve awakened.”
Being able to exchange Coins meant he had a way to make money.
But not being a combat class meant he had no means of defending himself.
In other words, if he bragged about it, he’d be kidnapped somewhere and turned into Mining Bot Mk.1.
—Good choice, kid. Your father never told you he awakened either, remember?
“Huh? Wait… what? Dad?”
For a longer moment than before, the notification seemed to pause, as though trying to recover from a slip of the tongue.
—I’m too lazy to explain now. Just do the tutorial. You only get one shot at it.
“You have to explain that! Hey!”
—Would you like to begin the Tutorial?
Yes / Yes
“God damn it!”
—Prepare yourself for the impact.
At that instant…
Gangcheol’s old, worn-out workshop burst into light.
Broken machines suddenly began operating on their own.
People who hadn’t been there appeared.
The heat of the forge and the sounds of conversation filled the building.
“Looks like the boss is working during the day today?”
“Apparently someone ordered a fully customized longsword.”
The workshop, which had been silent for so long, was suddenly full of familiar faces chatting naturally.
They were the employees who had quit shortly after his father disappeared inside a Gate.
“Boss…? Then that means…”
“Gangcheol!”
At the end of Gangcheol’s gaze stood—
“…Dad?”
A younger Gangcheol walked straight through his stunned present self.
Only then did he realize…
This wasn’t reality.
It was one of his memories.
“So this was when he forged that important sword.”
A hazy conversation resurfaced in his mind.
“Come watch me work. It’ll help you someday.”
“Couldn’t you just show me when that day comes?”
“Brat. Has anything I’ve ever told you been wrong?”
Young Gangcheol shrugged in confusion.
His father laughed heartily before beginning to sort through the steel laid out on the workbench.
—Stop spacing out and watch the steel that’s glowing red, kid.
“Ah…”
Gangcheol shifted his gaze.
Only then did he finally understand why his father had insisted he watch.
“It’d be nice if we had some flat bar fresh from the steel mill, but since a Gate opened in Pohang, I guess we’ll have to use recycled steel.”
“You’re just looking for another excuse to work more, aren’t you?”
“Haha, you caught me. Anyway, we’ll have to use those forged truck springs this time. Let’s see…”
His father—
No, the Second Generation Metallurgist—
examined each piece of steel one by one.
The moment he picked one up…
It glowed red.
But it wasn’t glowing uniformly.
“Hmm… this section will need to be reforged later.”
The area his father kept touching glowed even brighter.
Back then, Gangcheol couldn’t see it.
Couldn’t understand it.
“Can you really tell what’s wrong just by touching it?”
“Someday, you’ll be able to tell just by looking.”
His father had been right.
Back then, Gangcheol hadn’t understood.
Now…
He understood more clearly than ever.
At least, the awakened Gangcheol did.
He could literally see where stress had accumulated inside the steel.
He could even see information about who had forged that particular piece of metal.
—The Eye of Omniscience. It lets you see whatever information you want.
“So Dad was always seeing things like this?”
—If you’re curious, earn lots of Coins and keep paying for the upgrades.
The notification teased him.
But Gangcheol no longer cared.
At last…
He understood why his father had always been right.
It was the one thing that fundamentally separated him from every other blacksmith—including Gangcheol himself.
His father’s next words broke his thoughts.
“Always inspect the steel before you start working. I don’t need to remind you anymore, right?”
“You’ve said it so many times I even mumble it in my sleep.”
“Good. Then I’ll make sure you start sleep-talking about everything else too. Watch carefully.”
“Ah.”
Gangcheol let out a quiet gasp.
—You figured it out, kid?
After that…
Neither Gangcheol nor the notification wasted another word.
Whenever his father activated a skill, the notification calmly announced its name.
Gangcheol silently engraved every one of them into his memory.
—Design. Reveals structural flaws and points where force is concentrated.
—Forming. Applies to every stage of shaping.
—Heat Treatment. Lets you see the temperatures of iron and fire.
Throughout every step of forging the blade…
The Eye of Insight was used.
Gathering.
Smelting.
Design.
Forming.
Heat treatment.
Every skill existed for one purpose—
To ensure that if there was even a scrap of metal available, it could be turned into a usable sword.
“So you really only need this one skill.”
—Then it’s time to get to work, kid.
“Obviously. First…”
For the first time, it looked as though Gangcheol and the notification were finally in agreement.
“I’ll forge a sword.”
—No. First, deal with the customer who’s demanding penalty fees.
…Apparently not.
—No, seriously! He threatened to shut your shop down today!
“True enough.”
—Then get to work! Time to get rid of that nightmare customer!
“But today’s just the interim inspection. The deadline’s still three days away.”
—Hey! You nodded when you were inspecting the steel! You even said, ‘Oh!’ I heard you!
The notification was becoming increasingly frantic.
The tutorial had shown Gangcheol one enormous hint.
The steel had defects.
Both the steel already in use…
And the steel that hadn’t been used yet.
The intended solution was obvious.
Use his new ability to solve the immediate problem.
But contrary to the system’s expectations, Gangcheol remained completely relaxed.
“Yeah, I can see defects in the steel now. But I still have to hide the fact that I’ve awakened.”
—Th… that’s true.
Scratching the back of his head, Gangcheol continued,
“So I can’t solve it directly anyway. But if I can see things the way Dad did… forging swords sounds ridiculously fun now. Doesn’t it?”
“……”
“So Dad kept something this amazing all to himself. Heh.”
Grinning to himself, Gangcheol walked over to the rack where steel bars were stored.
Leaving the customer’s steel untouched, he muttered happily,
“Man… making knives sounds fun, but forging a longsword sounds fun too. Which one should I make?”
Choosing was difficult.
Being a fanboy—
No, crafting—
was fun.
For now…
Gangcheol decided to satisfy his own desires first.
* * *
“I’m home.”
“Welcome back. You look cheerful to—… Wait, what’s this?”
His mother accepted the plastic bag and looked surprised.
She wasn’t asking because she couldn’t recognize it.
The rich smell of fried oil mixed with spicy seasoning immediately stimulated her appetite.
The unmistakable mascot holding a fried chicken drumstick.
It was a takeout bag from a fried chicken restaurant they hadn’t seen in a very long time.
“I made a little money.”
Gangcheol said with a smile.
It was the kind of warm, benevolent smile that reminded people of the Buddha himself.
He had spent roughly eight hours enthusiastically pretending to work while actually indulging in his favorite hobby.
During those eight hours…
He earned 12 Coins.
After exchanging them…
They became 240,000 won.
“And yours?”
“I’ve got something to check in my room, so I’ll eat there. Make sure Ahyeon gets some too.”
He left one chicken behind and carried the other into his room.
—You’re a good family man, kid.
“Of course.”
—I’d feel a lot better if you were an equally good company president.
“I’m working, taking care of my family, and keeping up appearances all at once.”
—All at once?
Gangcheol reached into the chicken bag and pulled out something long.
It was the customer’s steel bar.
—Wait, kid… are you one of those workaholic slaves who voluntarily takes work home?
“I didn’t have any way to figure it out before.”
—And now?
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
The moment the notification questioned him, hurried footsteps echoed outside.
Gangcheol smiled.
“They’re here.”
—The solution?
Gangcheol nodded.
“She’s strong, but not exactly bright. If I want information out of her, I need to buy two whole chickens.”
—Didn’t you leave two chickens outside?
“My little sister isn’t heartless enough to steal Mom’s share too.”
The footsteps stopped outside the door.
Then—
Bang!
The door flew open.
“Chicken!”
