The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 44

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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 44

 

“President, I heard that Executive Lee surrendered to Advisor Choi.”

 

“Executive Lee?!”

 

Han Yu-won reported what she had received from Park Hyeon-mu to Jang Hae-hyeon.

 

At that news, the corners of Jang Hae-hyeon’s mouth curved into an arc.

 

“Huh… How did he manage to win over that sensitive Executive Lee so quickly?”

 

“He improved the Daesan Medium Armor 30 in real-time right in front of Executive Lee.”

 

“In real-time right in front of him?”

 

“Yes, and he even cut the production cost and armor weight in half while dramatically improving performance.”

 

“What?! Is that even possible?!”

 

“That’s why Executive Lee was completely won over. He just glanced at the Daesan Medium Armor 30, immediately listed the necessary materials, and made it right in front of Executive Lee, so he had no choice but to acknowledge it.”

 

“Still, no matter what, even if the advisor is skilled, Executive Lee has his pride… Well, maybe it was useless pride in front of an overwhelming genius?”

 

“That might be part of it, but… Manager Park thinks he was charmed by Advisor Choi’s character.”

 

“Character?”

 

Han Yu-won relayed exactly what she had heard from Manager Park.

 

The sight of Choi Hyun improving the Daesan Medium Armor 30 and comforting Executive Lee, and consequently Executive Lee shedding tears while acknowledging Choi Hyun.

 

“…”

 

Jang Hae-hyeon was shocked after hearing the story.

 

‘A 20-year-old comforted a man in his 40s?’

 

It was shocking.

 

He knew Choi Hyun wasn’t an ordinary person.

 

He had topped the hunter exam and even conquered the Growth Tower in one go.

 

And that wasn’t all?

 

His repair skill was level 7.

 

This was a world first.

 

Currently, the maximum repair skill level in Korea was level 5, and even overseas, only one person had reached level 6.

 

Just looking at his listed specs, he was an incredible existence.

 

But he thought this was one thing and crafting was separate.

 

Especially product planning.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon wasn’t an awakened, but as the president leading a crafting guild, he knew how difficult this field was.

 

To create new products in this market with almost no references, you had to try combining countless materials by changing numbers one by one like headbutting bare ground.

 

In that sense, the Daesan Medium Armor 30 was a product that belonged to the mid-to-high tier among level 30 medium armors in the industry.

 

This wasn’t a subjective evaluation.

 

Sales figures proved it.

 

‘But he achieved a spec upgrade with repair skill, not crafting skill, just by looking at such a product?’

 

He even cut the production cost and armor weight in half while dramatically improving performance.

 

Could this even be called a reasonable phenomenon?

 

Suddenly, goosebumps rose all over his body.

 

Choi Hyun had said.

 

He saw something from the System at the top of the Tower.

 

Through that, he would end the age of great upheaval.

 

He didn’t know what exactly he had seen, but as soon as his words ended, he was achieving impossible miracles one after another like a god performing miracles.

 

Even his character was flawless.

 

With that level of ability, there should be at least some arrogant aspects, but instead he comforted and embraced a man twice his age, and a very sensitive Executive Lee at that.

 

‘Perhaps that person is…’

 

Jang Hae-hyeon doesn’t believe in God.

 

It was the same when the great upheaval occurred.

 

Some said God was angry, but Jang Hae-hyeon thought the opposite.

 

If there really was a God, shouldn’t the God we believed in so much have stopped them?

 

Therefore, for Jang Hae-hyeon, God was an existence that protected us.

 

Giving food to the hungry, shelter to those shivering in cold, and solving problems when they arose.

 

Perhaps that’s why Jang Hae-hyeon finally saw God today for the first time.

 

A god named Choi Hyun.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon’s eyes became firm.

 

“Is Advisor Choi still in Paju?”

 

“Yes, he said he’d receive the handover from Executive Lee and handle some business there until the interview.”

 

“Then I can’t just sit still either. Please prepare the car. I need to go see the chairman.”

 

“Understood.”

 

If even God lives so busily, who am I to sit in the president’s office wasting time?

 

Jang Hae-hyeon gathered the transaction documents with Han Yeong-min and left the company.

 

* * *

 

“Wow, you’re really amazing. How did you think to combine these materials like this?”

 

Daesan Factory.

 

Lee Yeong-han’s tension was at its peak.

 

Because it was fascinating no matter how many times he looked.

 

To him, Choi Hyun was like a vending machine.

 

Poke it and something comes out.

 

Put something in and results come out immediately.

 

It was fascinating.

 

It was fun.

 

So it felt truly amazing.

 

He redesigned his creations one by one, making them reborn anew.

 

The embarrassment that arose in the process?

 

Envy, jealousy, inferiority complex?

 

Of course there was none of that.

 

Well, you’d need at least some comparable aspect to feel such emotions, but right now to Lee Yeong-han, Choi Hyun seemed like his father from childhood who was no different from Superman.

 

“I can completely reconstruct all the combination methods by the end of today. Then all that’s left is purchasing as many materials as possible from the market and filing patents for the combination methods I’ve created.”

 

“Ah, patents are important. If we don’t file patents, those bastards will somehow steal just the recipes and sell them under different brands.”

 

“And about the four policies for Daesan’s rebranding that I mentioned earlier. Let me emphasize once more…”

 

“Ah, don’t worry. I’ve got it down pat. Now that you’ll be handling the research side, I’ll focus solely on taking care of the workers. You’ve given us perfect product blueprints, so if we can’t produce products with these, it wouldn’t be our responsibility.”

 

It was exactly as he said.

 

Through the curse of memory, Choi Hyun found cost-effective optimal materials available at the current time and created new combination methods for all products.

 

This work wasn’t particularly difficult.

 

He just had to transfer the information from his memory as is.

 

Then all that remained was registering patents for these combination methods, the workers’ proficiency to handle the explosive demand that would soon arise, and advance procurement of materials to prepare for the resulting material cost increases.

 

And when all of this was ready, he could conduct the interview at the right time.

 

Lee Yeong-han asked.

 

“But Advisor, it might be a bit late to ask this now, but may I ask you one question?”

 

“Yes, please go ahead.”

 

“What level is your crafting skill?”

 

“I haven’t raised it.”

 

“What?”

 

“I have my reasons for not raising it. I don’t plan to raise it in the future either. Instead, I plan to maximize my proficiency in repair and material characteristics.”

 

“What do you mean… Why did you make such a choice?”

 

“It was a strategic decision. Because I don’t plan to stay here permanently—I plan to directly tackle gates and dungeons.”

 

“Directly?”

 

“That’s why I climbed the Growth Tower. To jump into the field directly, I need repair more than crafting. And frankly, when most blacksmiths are going all-in on crafting skills, is there really a need for me to do the same? Of course, it would be better if I could craft directly too, but just knowing proper recipes is enough to dominate the mass-produced market.”

 

“But that’s only true for mass-produced items. You know that we blacksmiths didn’t choose this class because of mass-produced items, right?”

 

“Right. It’s because of the desire to create something new through items in unknown territories or occasionally discovered otherworld equipment crafting methods. But I’m more focused on gate conquest than that. And just by raising repair skills to a decent level, I can modify equipment almost as well as crafting. You saw it yourself with the Daesan Medium Armor earlier, right?”

 

“That’s… true, isn’t it? So that’s the kind of thinking you had. I never could have imagined it. You really seem to be an amazing person, Advisor.”

 

“No. More than that, crafting skills are crafting skills, but… Executive, what is your current overall level composition?”

 

“All of it?”

 

“Yes, all of it.”

 

“My general level is 41, crafting skill is level 5, repair is level 3, and gathering and processing are both level 2.”

 

“I see. Then do you happen to have Hyper Focus and Dexterity?”

 

“Hyper Focus and Dexterity? No, I don’t have them. What are those?”

 

“Ah, you don’t have them. Just a moment.”

 

Choi Hyun makes a phone call somewhere.

 

Then Jin Hyeon-geun appeared from somewhere.

 

“Advisor, I’m here.”

 

“Ah, welcome.”

 

Jin Hyeon-geun sets down a box.

 

Inside were a bunch of balls about the size of children’s fists.

 

They were juggling balls.

 

Choi Hyun picked them up and started juggling.

 

He started with two juggling balls.

 

Then three.

 

Then four.

 

Soon the number of balls and the range became very large, and when it reached 15 balls, the juggling balls nearly touched the ceiling of the Executive Office.

 

“Wow.”

 

“Whoa.”

 

The two people exclaimed in admiration.

 

After finishing his juggling, Choi Hyun caught all the falling juggling balls and said.

 

“Executive. From now on, put everything else aside and practice juggling whenever you have time.”

 

“Me?”

 

“Yes, the standard is 15 balls for 35 cycles. The criterion for 35 cycles is when the first ball completes 35 rotations.”

 

“W-wait a minute. All of a sudden?”

 

“This is the easiest way to obtain Hyper Focus and Dexterity skills. To be blunt, you could get skill pages and learn them that way… but since these are skills based on fundamental movements, you probably won’t be able to find them. By the way, I don’t know about others, but you as the Executive who will control employees on-site must know how to do this.”

 

“What do you mean by that…”

 

“All other employees will do this too. And this will become a mandatory course for all blacksmiths belonging to Daesan. Now, shall we start? I’ll work on the redesign, so Executive, you spin the balls.”

 

“…”

 

Lee Yeong-han was at a loss for words.

 

And Jin Hyeon-geun, who was nearby, thought.

 

How fortunate he was that he wasn’t a blacksmith.

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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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