The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 96

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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 96

I came home.

It took several days to go to Hasan and come back.

Nothing in the world had particularly changed.

If anything, it was only the upward-trending figures of Daesan and Paragon.

Paragon’s general guild member enrollment rate was soaring day by day, equipment production was being accelerated, and the Yuk-mang-seong, Tamers, and party members personally cast by Choi Hyun were all doing their best to hone their skill levels.

I arranged a place for Shasha to stay within Paragon.

I could have found her a house nearby, but since she was still poor at Korean and this was an unfamiliar foreign land, there were many things I needed to take care of.

At the same time, the naturalization process was also underway.

Naturalization itself wasn’t particularly difficult.

In these times, especially if the naturalizing person was an awakened individual with abilities, they were recognized as national talent and naturalization proceeded at super high speed.

On the day when all such minor tasks were completed, Choi Hyun gathered all the party members in the Paragon Underground Training Ground.

It was to introduce Shasha.

Finally, An U-ju came in with a cheerful greeting.

“Hello, President~ Oh, who is the person next to you?”

Once An U-ju had gathered, Choi Hyun introduced Shasha to the party members.

“I was away for a few days. It was to bring a healer to recruit for our party, so in that sense, let me introduce her. This is Shasha Ivanov, a Russian healer who will be working with us from now on.”

“Hello, I’m Shasha.”

“Oh, a Russian person?”

“Hello.”

Bow-

Each reacted in their own way.

Shasha also used Korean at this moment.

Because she had studied basic greetings in advance.

But that was all.

So Choi Hyun continued the explanation.

“Since Shasha doesn’t know Korean yet, I’ll be handling interpretation for a while. Now let me introduce everyone to Shasha as well. The people here are the raid team I directly operate that I mentioned before, in order…”

The introductions continued.

After finishing the basic introductions, Choi Hyun said to everyone.

“Have you all learned the footwork technique during this time? By the way, Shasha has already learned the footwork technique while coming to Korea with me.”

“What?”

“Oh.”

“Hmm.”

Surprised reactions.

But fortunately, everyone said they had learned it.

The reason for surprise was learning the footwork technique in such a short time.

“The reason I summoned you all today is not only to introduce Shasha, but also because I feel that the minimum preparations are now complete.”

An U-ju asked.

“Minimum preparations?”

“Yes, while gathering dealers, tankers, healers, and nukers is basic when forming a party, I think nukers for area damage are actually a matter of choice, so all the positions I consider essential have been gathered.”

“Then are we going to raid together now?”

“Yes, that’s the plan. In that sense, let me tell you about the raid team I’ll be operating from now on…”

Just as he had explained to someone before, he explained the same thing to them this time.

The raid team Choi Hyun would operate would consist only of humanity’s best personnel, and if he judged that someone wasn’t helping the overall strength, he would boldly replace them with other members.

Simply put, if you want to keep playing as a starter, maintain your skills.

“Then what happens to the replaced members? End the contract and bye-bye?”

“No, they’ll have to do other work. Like conquering gates or dungeons with relatively lower difficulty. In that sense, our raid team’s name will be the 1st Squad from today.”

“1st Squad?”

“I’ll continue recruiting raid team members worldwide. But even if there are many, it’ll probably be 20 to 30 people. So basically, our raid team will be called the 1st Company, and among them, the team I directly participate in raids with will be called the 1st Squad.”

“The rest become the 2nd Squad?”

“That’s right. The 2nd Squad will be active handling other missions.”

“Hmm.”

An U-ju stroked her chin and said.

“Looking at just the danger level, the 2nd Squad seems better, but if you go from 1st Squad to 2nd Squad, wouldn’t that feel really bad?”

“Not necessarily. If there’s a specialized talent tailored for conquering a specific area, I plan to boldly replace squad members and go out. So you don’t need to think of it as just being demoted.”

“But you still can’t erase that uncomfortable feeling, right?”

“Well, that can’t be helped. But what you all need to keep in mind is that this isn’t a game or sport, but a fight against reality. I hope you all approach this with the mindset of soldiers or firefighters. Especially…”

Choi Hyun looked at Maeng Bu-yong and said.

“Bu-yong, you understand, right?”

“…Yes, of course. I always keep that in mind.”

There was no need to explain separately to Shasha.

Because he had already explained everything during the process of coming to Korea.

“Now, in that sense, our 1st Squad’s first goal is to clear all Black Areas that exist domestically.”

“What? All of them?”

“There aren’t that many. It’ll be quick if you work with me. In that sense, we’ll start with equipment setting and proceed with position training for each of you. You need to learn well. That way you can train the newcomers when they come later.”

“Us?”

“Yes, you.”

At those words, An U-ju grinned.

“It’s similar to a sports team system. I’ll learn hard and then really work the kids hard when they come in below us.”

“If you have the skills for it.”

“Don’t worry. Working with the President, who would I dare lose to?”

“Good. Then let’s start equipment setting and training in earnest before going out to the field from today. Just come to this underground training ground by 9 AM every day. Everyone do individual training here. First, we need to get the equipment sorted.”

“Wait a minute!”

An U-ju raised her hand.

“What is it?”

“Are you really going to name our team 1st Company, 1st Platoon?”

“Of course?”

“If you’re going to distinguish titles like the military anyway, please give us a unit name too – what unit’s 1st Company, 1st Platoon.”

“It’s not even a real military, so attaching a unit name seems a bit much.”

“Didn’t the Alchemist guys upstairs even make a team name called Yuk-mang-seong?”

“That’s a research department. They don’t go to the field.”

“Hmph, are you guys okay with this?”

“Yeah.”

“Sure.”

Kim Ha-geom and Maeng Bu-yong nodded.

Only An U-ju felt disappointed.

I thought about asking Shasha too, but gave up since I couldn’t speak Russian.

That was the moment when Paragon Guild’s elite raid team, the 1st Company, 1st Platoon, was born.

* * *

Time passed quickly.

Everyone began producing results one by one.

Executive Director Lee Yeong-han succeeded in creating the initial type of living parts and finally procuring enough quantity for 101 Tamers to use.

Naturally, the training of Tamers using them was also in full swing.

Recovery potion manufacturing work was also in full swing.

While solving Alchemist Puzzles, Yuk-mang-seong members created and accumulated recovery potion ingredients whenever they had time.

The factory for secondary processing of recovery potions was almost built and equipped with facilities.

Equipment setting for 1st Squad members as well as intensive position training education was conducted.

Then finally, the time came to shake the world again.

It started with the list of new areas that the Great Covenant had newly generated and extracted.

Choi Hyun said to Jin Hyeon-geun.

“The time has come. I’ll deploy the 2nd Company. I’ll mark the location, so tell everyone to prepare their equipment and get ready for the first deployment. Call the reporters too. Have our internal media team prepare as well and proceed with the live broadcast.”

“Understood.”

Finally, it was time to show what they had prepared.

The location was Cheonggyesan.

People began gathering there.

– Paragon going live?

– Huh, what’s this?

– They’ve been quiet for a while, what are they going to show us this time?

– I’m excited lol

The rising excitement of the people.

At Cheonggyesan, soldiers were already deployed for crowd control.

The name of the newly formed dungeon here was ‘Dark Swamp’.

True to its name, a swamp area had formed in the vicinity, and the type of monsters created by that swamp were none other than ‘Ogres’.

“Good evening, this is PBS reporter Han Seon-an. I’m currently here to report on Paragon’s conquest of the newly formed dungeon at Cheonggyesan, the Dark Swamp.”

Paragon had claimed it as soon as the dungeon was created.

That’s why this was the first time the Dark Swamp was being revealed to the world.

The exploration had already been completed by the Great Covenant.

That’s how it was discovered that the dungeon’s main monsters were ogres.

– Ogres?

– Wow, ogres aren’t easy.

– That’s gonna be tough as hell lololol

– It’s even a swamp area?

– To handle it properly, you’d need to bring mages to fill the swamp and charge in, or set up tanks and bombard them with ranged attacks.

– But if they all rush out at once, wouldn’t that be fucked?

– That would be fucked.

– Ogres have insane damage and their defense is even more crazy.

– But what if Paragon deploys?

– Pa!

– Ra!

– Gon!

The amplification of expectations.

However, it wasn’t as heated as when Paragon was determined to set the world ablaze.

That was because what they had shown before were innovative performances never seen before.

That’s when it happened.

“Groooooar!!”

A roar coming from inside the dungeon.

It was an ogre.

For some reason, one ogre had burst out of the dungeon.

“Whoa!”

“An ogre’s coming!”

“What? It’s not time for a dungeon break yet, why?!”

“Hunter! Where are the hunters!”

It instantly became chaos.

That’s when it happened.

Swoooosh-

The sound of something cutting through the wind from somewhere.

It sliced through the chaotic crowd and shot toward the ogre like a missile.

Thwack!

The thing that flew like a missile stuck to the ogre’s face.

Its identity was a mask.

“A mask?”

A mask that covered the ogre’s entire face.

As if wearing a cursed mask, the ogre clutched its face and writhed in pain.

That’s when it happened.

“Hey, over there!”

Someone’s shout.

At that shout, everyone’s gaze turned to where the man was pointing.

Where their gazes converged was the sky.

And people could see it.

The countless Living Parts filling the sky.

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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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