The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 42

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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 42

 

A factory in Paju.

 

Its official name was Daesan Factory, and people inside called it the Production Department or Production Center.

 

As Choi Hyun’s car entered, a staff member came out and was waiting for Choi Hyun.

 

“I received the contact. I’m Department Manager Park Hyeon-mu, in charge of operations here.”

 

A respectful greeting.

 

Since it was a contact from the Secretary Manager, he had no choice but to be respectful.

 

He was an ordinary person, not an awakened one, and had a pleasant, round appearance.

 

“Where is Executive Director Lee?”

 

“He’s at the site working with the workers. But I didn’t hear the reason for your visit separately, may I ask?”

 

“Just, well. I came to see what kind of person Executive Director Lee is.”

 

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

 

He doesn’t ask further.

 

Thanks to that, he could be guided to where Lee Yeong-han was without burden.

 

The place they moved to was the building where the Production Department was located, and as soon as they entered the Production Department building, loud shouting could be heard.

 

“No, you bastard! Why are you doing it like that!”

 

A voice that rang out loudly.

 

Even without asking, he seemed to know who it was.

 

“Is that the Executive Director?”

 

“Haha… Yes, that’s right.”

 

Department Manager Park laughed awkwardly.

 

It seemed this wasn’t the first or second time he’d seen this.

 

“Does he usually shout like that?”

 

“He’s not like that every day… but… there are times when he gets specifically sensitive.”

 

“When?”

 

“When the new product planning season approaches.”

 

“Ah?”

 

So there’s a reason for everything?

 

Around that time, the two people arrived in front of Lee Yeong-han, who was scolding some unknown worker.

 

Lee Yeong-han was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties, and the first thing that came to mind upon seeing him was none other than ‘dwarf’.

 

‘He reminds me of the dwarfs I saw in the Black Gate back in the day.’

 

Black Gate.

 

The name of gates that appeared from the 2nd Great Catastrophe, unlike the gates of the 1st Great Catastrophe that were simply implemented like game stages, the Black Gates of the 2nd Great Catastrophe were connected to ‘another world’, whether real or fake.

 

And he had met alien race dwarfs through the otherworld gates a few times, and Lee Yeong-han in front of him had exactly that vibe.

 

‘Maybe because he likes alcohol, his skin tone is slightly red, his body is square and solid, something like that.’

 

If he just had a long beard, he’d be a perfect dwarf.

 

And to add one more thing, he was still a person with no memory of him.

 

He’d find out the details by digging into it now.

 

When Park Hyeon-mu and Choi Hyun stood quietly waiting for him, Lee Yeong-han only shifted his gaze to look at the two people after he had finished sufficiently dealing with his subordinate.

 

“What?”

 

Informal speech thrown out immediately.

 

However, Choi Hyun replied without showing any sign of displeasure.

 

“I’m called Choi Hyun. I recently joined Daesan Guild as an advisor due to various consulting matters.”

 

“Advisor? You look too young for that?”

 

Then Park Hyeon-mu added an explanation.

 

“You know about the Shirai Guild import issue from before, right? He’s the one who resolved that. And he’s also the person who recently conquered the Growth Tower.”

 

“Shirai? Growth Tower? …Ah!”

 

Only then did he seem to remember, opening his mouth and pretending to know.

 

Then he nodded and looked Choi Hyun up and down before speaking.

 

“Then I guess I should call you Advisor Choi. But what brings someone like you all the way to Paju?”

 

“I heard that you’re currently handling both research and development and field operations simultaneously, Executive Director.”

 

“So?”

 

“From now on, I’d like to take charge of the research side, so I came to get your permission, Executive Director.”

 

“…What?”

 

Lee Yeong-han’s head tilted.

 

Then fire began to enter his eyes.

 

Instead of answering, Choi Hyun went forward and examined the item that the employee who had been getting scolded was making.

 

What was being made was heavy armor.

 

A product worn at level 30, named ‘Daesan Heavy Armor 30’.

 

It was named this way because it was heavy armor made by Daesan and worn at level 30.

 

‘What dizzying naming sense.’

 

Choi Hyun gestured toward the heavy armor and said.

 

“Daesan Heavy Armor 30. This is also your work, Executive Director?”

 

“So?”

 

“The average specs for level 30 defensive gear are 700 durability and 100 defense. But Daesan Heavy Armor 30 has 850 durability and 120 defense. The specs are about 20% better, but it weighs 30% more than equipment with similar specs. The price is twice as expensive as Chinese products.”

 

“What are you trying to say?”

 

“If I succeed in raising the specs of this more than now and also cutting the production cost in half, would you hand over the research department?”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s exactly as you heard, Executive Director.”

 

“No, suddenly coming here and what is this…”

 

It was absurd.

 

A young punk appeared and what?

 

Of course, he knew this wasn’t just any ordinary young punk.

 

The Shirai Guild incident that broke out before was really a troublesome matter.

 

And what about the Growth Tower?

 

He too was someone who lived watching the news.

 

But absurd was still absurd.

 

“I heard on the news that you’re a blacksmith Player… but hasn’t the ink on your Hunter license not even dried yet?”

 

“The ink has dried plenty. More than that, what do you think about the proposal I made? If I succeed in improving Daesan Heavy Armor 30, I’d like you to acknowledge me then. As an advisor hired by Daesan, I’m thinking of taking the position of chief research officer of the Production Department and doing an overall rebranding of Daesan.”

 

“…”

 

Lee Yeong-han’s brow furrowed.

 

Originally, with his personality, he would have gotten angry first.

 

But he became a bit curious.

 

Because Choi Hyun’s expression, confident to the point of being shameless, somehow stimulated his curiosity.

 

Moreover, Department Manager Park had whispered that the President had sent him directly.

 

Then it would be okay to watch once.

 

He nodded.

 

“Ah, well, fine. Let’s try it once. The President wouldn’t have sent you for no reason, and honestly, age doesn’t matter in front of ability. If you really succeed in improving this, then I’ll give you the research department position, no, the CTO position I’m currently holding. So, how long should I wait for you?”

 

It was a somewhat sarcastic tone, but consent had been given anyway.

 

Then that was enough.

 

Choi Hyun smiled and said.

 

“No need to wait, let’s go right now. Let’s go to the workshop and I’ll call up the recipe, so try making it yourself directly. Department Manager, do you happen to have paper and a pen?”

 

“Ah, yes, here they are.”

 

When Park Hyeon-mu offered the notebook and pen he always carried, Choi Hyun took them and wrote down the materials.

 

“Please prepare these materials. Where is the workshop? Let’s go to the one you use, Executive Director.”

 

“…Good grief.”

 

Still absurd.

 

But since he had agreed to it, he played along.

 

Lee Yeong-han guided them to his exclusive workshop.

 

After waiting briefly, employees appeared loading materials onto a cart.

 

After checking the materials Choi Hyun had brought, he nodded his head.

 

“That’s right.”

 

“Wait a moment.”

 

Lee Yeong-han examines the materials that arrived.

 

Then he frowned.

 

“What is this? These are heavy armor materials?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Are you joking? What are you going to make with these things?”

 

“Well.”

 

“What?”

 

“If you can’t believe it, I’ll show you directly. Please step aside.”

 

Rather than explaining a hundred times until his mouth hurt, it was better to just show him once.

 

Choi Hyun placed the Daesan Heavy Armor 30 on the workbench.

 

Then he summoned the Hammer of Repair and checked the heavy armor’s information once more before striking.

 

[ Daesan Heavy Armor 30 ]

 

– Type : Item

 

– Restriction : Level 30 or higher

 

– Durability : 850/850

 

– Defense : 120

 

– Options : None

 

# Heavy armor upper body piece made by Daesan Guild.

 

Simple information.

 

There were no additional options or anything.

 

Since it was a mass-produced item.

 

Of course, mass-produced items could have options attached if desired, but ordinary mass-produced items had no options like this.

 

‘There’s also no weight indication shown separately.’

 

But most people weigh things first before configuring their armor.

 

You need your Strength and Stamina stats to support you in order to move around wearing weapons and armor.

 

‘In that sense, this is a bit heavy for its required level.’

 

Even just the upper body piece alone was this much, so when you add the lower body, shoes, helmet, and weapons, the weight would be beyond imagination.

 

That’s why mainly tanks wore them, and to reduce weight, they often adopted tactics of giving up weapons and just holding large shields to endure.

 

‘And then they get beaten like dogs and die.’

 

A tank shouldn’t just stand there stubbornly enduring.

 

Based on high health and defense, they should read the battlefield with more composure than other positions and actively care for party members at the right timing.

 

That’s the real role of a tank.

 

In that sense, equipment made heavy just to increase defense a bit was close to being a failure.

 

Just as a chef cooks while thinking of those who will eat, a blacksmith should also make equipment with consideration for the user’s position.

 

That was what Choi Hyun considered good equipment.

 

Finally, he raised his hammer.

 

Clang!

 

When he struck the heavy armor, it began to glow.

 

[ Enhanced Repair is activated. ]

 

[ Dexterity is activated. ]

 

[ Ultra Focus is activated. ]

 

[ Disassembly Repair is activated. ]

 

As the skills activated sequentially, white lights began to rise from the heavy armor.

 

Surprisingly, there were no murky colors.

 

This was because this heavy armor was made exactly as the designer intended, with the correct manufacturing method and all the designed materials included.

 

This was the difference from items dropped in dungeons or gates.

 

Items dropped in dungeons or gates all had stories behind them, every single one.

 

Though it was unknown from what era or world they were made, most were created differently from their original blueprints due to harsh environments during production.

 

But modern mass-produced items had no murky colors because they were made exactly as designed with all materials included without shortage.

 

That’s what made it interesting.

 

Despite having no murky blocks, it appeared to be a failure with poor completion.

 

‘I’ll show you the real thing.’

 

Clang!

 

Choi Hyun’s hammer began to swing again.

—————
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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