The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 54
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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 54
Guild establishment doesn’t happen overnight.
The establishment process is more complicated than expected.
That’s why he left everything to Jang Hae-hyeon.
After that, Choi Hyun ordered various things from the auction and visited Daesan Factory located in Paju.
Daesan Factory was still running hot day and night without rest.
It was all thanks to Lee Yeong-han, who had been freed from stress.
Lee Yeong-han welcomed Choi Hyun’s visit.
“Oh my, Choi Advisor, you’ve come?”
“Yes, Executive Director. Have you been practicing juggling?”
“I’m working hard at it. At this rate, I think I’ll be able to reach the goal you mentioned soon.”
“As expected of you, Executive Director.”
Good dexterity stats were indeed good.
While an ordinary person couldn’t do it even with several days, a Player with dexterity stats would complete the juggling mission without much difficulty.
He nodded and asked.
“How are the others doing?”
“Everyone’s puzzled but still practicing well. Though their progress is a bit slower.”
“That’s because you’re so outstanding, Executive Director. But they must succeed. These are skills that will be of great help in the long run.”
“I understand. I’ll take responsibility and make sure they complete it. By the way, what brings you here at this late hour?”
“Ah, it’s nothing major, but I have something to tell you and something to ask of you, so I came to visit.”
“Then shall we go to my office?”
“Let’s do that.”
They moved to the Executive Office.
Then he informed him about the subsidiary establishment that he had discussed with Jang Hae-hyeon earlier.
“Hmm, certainly if that happens, material supply will become smoother and we’ll be able to reduce production costs further.”
“It will be a long-term project. So, I think I’ll be away from the office more often from now on.”
“Ah, I was somewhat expecting that. You mentioned it in advance before too. But did you come here just for this? You could have just called for something like this.”
“Still, in a way, I’m getting promoted first, so I felt sorry and wanted to tell you in person.”
“Hey, don’t ever think like that. It’s natural for capable people to get promoted first.”
“Thank you for saying that. And besides this subsidiary matter, there’s something else I’d like to ask of you.”
Then Jin Hyeon-geun knocked on the Executive Office.
“Director, all the items you ordered have arrived.”
“Please move all of that to the Executive Director’s workshop.”
“Yes, understood.”
As the boxes came in, Lee Yeong-han asked.
“What did you order?”
“Materials.”
“Materials?”
“If I remember correctly, your current crafting skill level is 5, repair is 3, gathering is 2, and processing is 2, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“And currently the highest crafting skill level in this field is 6.”
“Yes, but they’re all overseas. And there are only a handful of them.”
“In that sense, you need to be the first in Korea to obtain level 6 crafting skill.”
“Me?”
“Were you planning to stay at level 5?”
Not at all. Of course I have dreams of becoming the best too. I’ve never let go of that thought or given up. It’s just that there were so many things to do at the company that I had little time for myself, so I was putting it off… Well, I suppose that’s an excuse too.”
“I’ve never thought of it as an excuse. I think your multitasking ability is the best among all blacksmiths in the country. But now that you’ve stepped back from research to take on operations, I think you have more time than before. That’s why I’m making this request.”
“I thought you were going to ask for something else… You don’t need to worry about that. Even if it takes time, I’ll definitely achieve it.”
“I always believe in you, Executive Director. That’s why I ordered a gift for you along with making this request.”
“A gift?”
“Yes, in that sense, here.”
Choi Hyun handed over a notebook.
Inside were blueprints of some object.
“What is this?”
“It’s a blueprint for a training tool to improve crafting skill proficiency.”
“A training tool blueprint?”
“As you know, for crafting skills to grow, you need more precise and sturdy craftsmanship anyway, right?”
“Right?”
“This is a blueprint for an object that will help with that process. It’s a kind of puzzle, officially called a Smith Puzzle.”
“Smith Puzzle means it’s a puzzle for blacksmiths?”
“Yes, that’s right. The structure is so complex that following the blueprint naturally accumulates experience and leads to level increases.”
“Such a thing exists?”
It doesn’t.
At least not in this era.
But it exists in the future.
This was discovered after the 2nd Great Catastrophe, and was one of the things Choi Hyun had reinterpreted and improved into various versions.
“Yes, it exists. So based on this, please practice whenever you have time from now on. Smith Puzzles are very sensitive puzzles, so they’ll be of great help. So let’s first achieve level 6 with this, then gradually raise the others.”
“Understood. Thank you for your consideration. But where did you get this and how did you learn about it? I thought I knew most items, but this is really the first time I’ve heard of it.”
“Well… I’ll give no comment on the source.”
“Understood. I won’t pry further. But if such a good thing exists, wouldn’t it be better to distribute it to everyone from the start?”
“That makes sense too, but since the existence itself is unfamiliar, we needed proof that it has great effects. So please be the first to start and become a model.”
“If that’s the reason, I understand. Then those boxes piled up there must be materials for the Smith Puzzle?”
“That’s right.”
“You’re thorough as always. Don’t worry. No matter what happens, I’ll show you spectacular results.”
“Then I’ll trust only you, Executive Director. When you achieve all of these – dexterity, super concentration, and Smith Puzzle – I’ll give you the next task then.”
“Understood. But I’m curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“This Smith Puzzle, how many times do I need to solve it for the skill level to increase?”
“You only need to solve it once. But it won’t be easy. The structure is very complex and sensitive, so it won’t complete if even the slightest thing is off.”
“Oh… that sounds interesting. People like us don’t level up by killing monsters in the field, so I was a bit disappointed that there was no fun in clearing missions, but this gets my blood pumping after a while.”
He smiled at those words.
It was a smile meaning whether he could really enjoy it that much.
That’s because Smith Puzzles were more difficult than expected.
‘Especially from level 5 onwards, it’s really hellish.’
You only know this by experiencing it directly.
But Lee Yeong-han would succeed.
No, he had to succeed.
He was currently the highest-level blacksmith in the country that Choi Hyun could use without worry.
‘Well, I think Executive Director’s training quest is about enough.’
Now shall I go meet that guy?
Choi Hyun checked the time and sent Jin Hyeon-geun home.
Then he drove alone and started moving somewhere.
* * *
The place he drove to was Daerim-dong.
Originally a place with poor security due to many Korean-Chinese people centered around Chinatown, it had become one of the representative slums after the Great Catastrophe.
Choi Hyun drove slowly into the interior.
Daerim-dong was gloomy.
Combined with it being nighttime and most streetlights being broken, the lights from a few shops were all there was.
But what maximized this gloominess was none other than people.
“Ugh…”
“Ugh….”
“Ahh…”
Groaning sounds echoing from the darkness.
Monsters or ghosts?
No.
They were human.
Sounds made by people sprawled messily on the street.
They weren’t in pain.
They weren’t drunk either.
They were all high on drugs.
“Tsk tsk, when the world goes to hell, those kinds of things are the first to spread.”
After walking a bit further, Chinatown appeared.
The situation there was the same.
But there were also some decent people.
They had set up stalls outside and were drinking, and compared to the people sprawled on the street, they looked relatively neat.
Of course, that was only in comparison to them.
Their bodies were covered in tattoos – they were members of the local organization ‘Daerim-seong’ based in this Daerim-dong area.
So-called Korean-Chinese gangsters.
When Choi Hyun parked his car in front of them, their gazes fixed on Choi Hyun and the car.
A luxury sedan that didn’t belong in this kind of place, appearing in the middle of the night no less – they couldn’t help but be curious.
After parking the car, Choi Hyun pulled out the dashcam memory card and destroyed it.
Then he summoned a hammer and began smashing the car.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Not only the hood but also the windows shattered, and the car became a wreck.
The startled gangsters said:
“What the hell?”
“Why is that bastard acting like that?”
“Why is he destroying his own car?”
After sufficiently destroying the car, Choi Hyun looked at the gangsters and said:
“Why are you bothering me?”
“What?”
“I was just minding my own business, so why are you attacking me?”
“What the hell is this bastard talking about right now?”
Bewildered, one gangster approached with a bottle of soju.
Choi Hyun swung his hammer as if he’d been waiting for it, breaking the guy’s collarbone.
“Aaaahhhhh!!”
The next one, and the one after that – he struck down every single one of them with his hammer without discrimination.
He didn’t kill them.
Instead, after rendering them unable to move, he asked the one who was still relatively intact:
“What are you going to do about my car?”
“You crazy bastard…! You’re the one who did that…!”
“What? You don’t have money so I should get it from your boss?”
“When did I ever say that?”
“Got it. Then that’s what I’ll have to do. Where’s your boss? Ah, since you’re Daerim-seong, he must be over there.”
Crack!
After crushing the mouth of the guy he was talking to, Choi Hyun headed toward Daerim-seong’s headquarters.
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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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