The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 14

At his deepening gaze, Choi Hyun added his words.

“I have quite a lot of things I’m planning. So if I have to be tied down somewhere and take responsibility, it would be troublesome in many ways. However, if I’m in an advisor position like the two previous consultations, I think I could help you based on more reasonable compensation and affection for the company.”

“I see. But appointing you as an advisor is…”

Jang Hae-hyeon’s words trail off.

Certainly, Choi Hyun had been of great help to the company through two consultations.

And there was a high probability he would be helpful with future problems as well.

Because he had shown what he was capable of so far.

But he had never considered giving up an advisor position.

Especially not to a twenty-year-old who had just become a hunter.

However, his contemplation didn’t last long.

Regardless of social conditions, Choi Hyun was someone who had proven his worth.

“Understood. Then I’ll hire you as an advisor.”

“Thank you. I don’t need a fixed salary. However, when consultation is needed, I’ll have it calculated separately each time.”

“Would that be alright?”

“Yes, I don’t need to worry about money anymore. Instead, I’ll cover all expenses myself, so I’d like you to assign me one secretary who can handle small tasks—someone tight-lipped and capable.”

A secretary… Understood. If you have anything you need the secretary to do right away, could you tell me first? I’ll get the work started first and have it handed over to the secretary who’ll be hired later.”

“Thank you. Then for now, I’d like a sedan for personal use, a residence for me to stay in, business cards with Daesan’s name on them, and a large warehouse not far from the residence.”

“Will you be using the warehouse as a workshop?”

“Something like that. I’m thinking of developing my repair trait, so I plan to bring in a large quantity of weapons that need repair. If possible, I’d like Daesan to prepare them. Of course, I’ll bear all related costs.”

Jang Hae-hyeon nodded and refilled the glass.

“Understood. Then I’ll have the secretary prepare what you need and contact you soon. Also, I sincerely thank you for forming a connection with our Daesan through this opportunity.”

“I look forward to working with you as well.”

Cheers!

The two men’s glasses clink in the air.

* * *

The next day, a call came from an unfamiliar number.

“Hello.”

– Hello, Advisor. I’m Jin Hyeon-geun, who will be assisting you from today. The vehicle and residence for your use have been assigned, so I was wondering if I could come pick you up now to show you around?

“Yes, I’ll send you the address.”

As expected of Daesan.

They worked fast.

A secretary was immediately assigned, and a corporate vehicle and residence provided by the company were arranged.

Jin Hyeon-geun was a man in his thirties with a stern impression and a reasonably good build.

Choi Hyun extended his hand first to Jin Hyeon-geun.

“I’m Choi Hyun.”

“I’m Jin Hyeon-geun, who called you. I look forward to working with you.”

Jin Hyeon-geun was from Jang Hae-hyeon’s direct Secretary’s Office.

So he had influence and speed when it came to handling Daesan-related matters.

“Official working hours are from 9 AM to 6 PM, but feel free to contact me anytime regardless of working hours.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

He didn’t say it would be fine.

Because he didn’t know what might happen when.

And if any overtime work came up, he planned to pay Jin Hyeon-geun appropriate compensation for it.

Afterward, Jin Hyeon-geun drove directly and guided Choi Hyun to the residence provided by the company.

The residence was a 25-pyeong apartment in an excellent location with great security—quite an expensive place.

Inside, all necessary appliances and furniture were already provided, so there wasn’t anything special Choi Hyun needed to prepare.

“The President said not to feel burdened and to use it comfortably. If you have any belongings to move, I’ll move them for you.”

“There’s nothing to move. From now on, if there are items that need to be purchased under my instructions, please buy them with the corporate card and bill me. I’ll handle the costs for everything, down to the smallest detail.”

“Yes, understood.”

“How is the preparation of weapons that need repair that I mentioned to the President going?”

“We plan to select the easiest ones to repair and move them to the designated warehouse.”

“Easy-to-repair weapons?”

“Yes, since you’re doing proficiency work for the repair trait, he said he’d carefully select and send them.”

“Please don’t do that, and instead gather mainly what are called junk items.”

“Junk?”

“If you go to junk shops or the lowest-grade disposal facilities, you’ll see. Most weapons that don’t seem worth repairing are sent to the garbage dump without being repaired.”

“Ah, yes. Understood.”

While he appreciated Jang Hae-hyeon’s consideration, Choi Hyun, who was once a world-class blacksmith, thought there were no easy-to-repair weapons among cheap weapons.

‘It doesn’t require special techniques, and at most it’s just hammering.’

Surprisingly, blacksmiths and most other crafting classes didn’t require special expertise for what they did.

Bluntly speaking, repair skills were just about hammering the target with a repair hammer infused with mana, and even crafting was just mimicking blacksmithing by hammering according to designated recipes.

‘Of course, after intermediate level, more precise techniques and knowledge are required, but at least not now.’

Choi Hyun checked the time.

“I’ve checked the residence and car, and given all instructions, so now you can comfortably go about your business, Hyeon-geun. You can use the company car too.”

“If you have somewhere to go, I’ll drive you there.”

“No, I’m going to a nearby PC Bang now. If there are no separate instructions, handle your work, and when you’re done with work, study personally or just wait near me until working hours end. If you want to exercise, let me know in advance and go to the gym. I’m serious.”

“Understood.”

One of the virtues of a good secretary is not making you say the same thing twice.

In that sense, Jin Hyeon-geun was a good secretary.

Soon after Jin Hyeon-geun left, Choi Hyun really headed to a PC Bang near the apartment as he had told Jin Hyeon-geun.

More precisely, to a capsule room called a PC Bang.

“Welcome.”

Upon entering the capsule room, an employee greeted Choi Hyun.

Choi Hyun glanced around the inside of the capsule room and said.

“I’d like to use the Infinity Program. I know how to operate it.”

“I’ll guide you to a seat right away.”

After being guided to a seat, Choi Hyun immediately began setting up the program.

The Infinity Program was the program used in the final survival round of the hunter exam, supporting full-dive mode—simply put, a program that made you feel all sensations in virtual reality exactly like in real life.

‘That’s why it’s dangerous. If you set the sensory sync rate to 100%, even in virtual reality, there’s a risk of shock death from extreme pain.’

That’s why he was going to use Infinity.

Because Infinity provided the same level of danger as reality but with free environment settings, making skill acquisition through repeated actions much easier.

‘Until Jin Hyeon-geun finishes setting up the warehouse, I’ll learn as many basic combat skills as possible here.’

What he wanted to obtain now were things as important as agility and dexterity.

Of course, they were basic level types, but it was still much more efficient to get them in virtual reality than to acquire them directly in the field, which is why he came to the capsule room.

‘Anyway, skills above basic level can’t be learned no matter how much you roll around in Infinity.’

The System wasn’t stupid.

No matter how much Infinity provided real-like sensations, it wasn’t real, so there were limits on the types of skills that could be obtained in virtual reality.

However, this was enough for Choi Hyun.

[ The configured program will start. ]

After connecting, the place where Choi Hyun opened his eyes was a vast and desolate land.

[ You can control the situation anytime through the command words you entered. ]

“Start right away.”

[ Starting the configured program. ]

Whirrrr!

The program executed.

Then someone in fencing attire was summoned before Choi Hyun’s eyes.

“Let’s start right away.”

Nod-

Choi Hyun decided to call this guy Fencing.

Fencing was the fencing character that Choi Hyun had set up.

The sword it held was a sabre among the fleuret, épée, and sabre—one capable of both thrusting and slashing.

Fencing nodded and closed the distance like the wind, beginning to swing its sword.

Bang!

The sound of air bursting.

Since he had set the power to maximum, even the act of thrusting itself caused the air to burst.

‘If I get stabbed, I’m done for.’

Was that all?

Choi Hyun had set his stamina to the minimum here and raised the pain level to maximum as well.

In other words, the moment he got stabbed by that sword, he would die while experiencing pain close to death.

Of course, he wouldn’t actually die.

This was inside a virtual reality program after all.

But even so, he made these settings because he needed such an extreme situation.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Bang!

The intermittent sound of bursting wind.

At the same time, Choi Hyun moved his body diligently without counterattacking even once.

[ Footwork is activated. ]

[ Ultra Focus is activated. ]

As he began moving in earnest, Footwork and Ultra Focus activated simultaneously, assisting Choi Hyun’s movements.

He still had no intention of counterattacking.

He had set up this situation to only dodge without counterattacking in the first place.

‘Today I’m leaving here with at least 5 skills.’

Time was gold.

Therefore, if there were skills he absolutely had to obtain in this round, he planned to create optimal routes to minimize time waste as much as possible.

Footwork, Dexterity, and Ultra Focus were also obtained with the same plan.

Fencing’s fierce attacks continued.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swoosh!

Fencing’s attacks were fierce.

It was definitely world-class level, probably because it was programmed with data collected from professional players.

But Choi Hyun was no pushover either.

Though his class was blacksmith, unlike those who were cooped up in rooms just crafting, he had lived as a fighting blacksmith who roamed battlefields and workshops, achieving remarkable feats.

‘I’ve met plenty who were worse than this.’

To such a Choi Hyun, something like Fencing.

It was at a level he could sufficiently dodge.

But the System wouldn’t judge it that way.

Looking at data values alone, Choi Hyun was currently a complete beginner who hadn’t raised a single stat or level.

When such a beginner dodged all the attacks from fencing players of this movement level without getting hit even once, using only Footwork, the System would eventually have no choice but to acknowledge it.

It was after quite some more time had passed like this.

Finally, a System reaction appeared.

[ Remarkable movement. ]

[ Your movements appear chaotic but demonstrate amazing evasion ability. ]

[ Conditions have been met. ]

[ You have acquired the skill ‘Nameless Movement Technique’. ]

Seeing the notification, the corners of Choi Hyun’s mouth shot up.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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