The Regressor Plays the Game Too Well - Chapter 102

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 102
Episode 102
Nível had never truly intended to take Jin-woo on as a disciple.
The young man hadn’t appeared particularly desperate, after all.
He seemed merely to be seeking refining knowledge out of practical necessity.
Yet something genuine in his spirit had resonated with Nível.
It was in those words about wanting to become the greatest.
That aspiration—to learn from the greatest—had stirred something within the old master’s heart.
But skill was another matter entirely, wasn’t it?
I could see the confidence and pride that came with aiming for the pinnacle.
Those with such unwavering self-regard rarely lacked talent.
Even without natural gifts, they possessed the capacity to crush those blessed with mediocre abilities through sheer, relentless effort.
It was the proper bearing of one who dared to aim for greatness.
Because I saw that in him, I accepted Jin-woo as my disciple.
And I gave him a formidable task.
Hehehehe.
I had said anyone could do it, but that was far from the truth.
Refining iron ingots demanded immeasurable effort and suffering.
The very process of removing impurities was tedious and grueling.
Yet if one failed at this, the iron would weaken and shatter easily.
What if a weapon broke mid-battle?
No—it wouldn’t even reach that point.
It would snap during the forging itself.
This foundational work was paramount, the most critical step of all.
One’s talent and skill could be discerned entirely by how well one executed this refining.
For this reason, I commanded Jin-woo to bring me ten refined iron ingots.
Honestly, being his first attempt, he would struggle.
He might not even manage to return by tomorrow.
I hadn’t expected him to arrive tomorrow at all.
Hehe, go and suffer a little. If you wish to become the greatest, you must endure such trials as a matter of course.
As I muttered to myself, I caught the smile tugging at my lips and found myself laughing bitterly.
How long had it been?
They say the elderly talk to themselves, and it was true.
Even in this dying moment, I felt such passion.
It had been far too long.
I nodded, thinking of Jin-woo.
I couldn’t say what level of talent he possessed, but one thing was certain.
‘If even a single iron ingot is properly refined, he would be a genius.’
I wondered if Jin-woo could manage even one properly.
I chuckled with curiosity and reignited the flames in my forge.
I need to finish this before he arrives.
That way, I can decide whether to teach him anything or not.
Nível thought this to himself, then briefly wondered if Jin-woo might bring multiple ingots before shaking his head.
No matter how talented, a first attempt at forging an iron ingot maxes out at one.
If he brought multiple?
‘Then he’d be a god.’
Nível chuckled at the absurd thought, his expression brightening for the first time in ages.
* * *
Meanwhile, Jin-woo stared at the Quest, lost in thought.
Create an iron ingot.
This was essentially a test of my abilities.
The real question was how to create this iron ingot.
Did I have a skill for it? Had I ever done it before?
Neither—so would it really be easy?
Well, I’d have to try to know for sure, but it definitely wouldn’t be simple.
But.
‘It’s not that difficult.’
Had I forged an iron ingot before my regression?
No, I hadn’t.
But I’d watched plenty of videos about it!
I headed to the Ore Shop and bought a large quantity of iron ore.
Forging an iron ingot required roughly ten pieces of iron ore.
To be safe, I purchased up to three hundred pieces.
I might need them later anyway.
It was expensive, but what did that matter?
I had 125 billion won and 3.8 million gold.
This was pocket change!
Then I casually stopped by a nearby Blacksmith.
I rented a hot furnace and prepared the molds and other equipment necessary for forging an iron ingot.
‘Hmm, to forge an ingot like this, you need a specific temperature and specific duration, right?’
You also had to stir occasionally to remove impurities.
The process was quite complex, but I recalled numerous videos.
I had teachers for everything!
The PanTube videos I’d watched before my regression.
Specifically, Zik’s videos.
How to best remove impurities.
‘First you harden it in the mold, then reheat the ingot and… smash it, right?’
I couldn’t recall the exact details, but that was roughly it.
Melting iron ore required a furnace with extremely high temperatures.
This place seemed perfect for that.
Jin-woo decided to start by attempting the experiment for the first time, beginning with the process of melting iron ore.
Several blacksmiths watched his work with expressions of bewilderment.
“Hey, who is that foreigner over there?”
“Huh? I saw him for the first time earlier too. He paid a rental fee to use the furnace.”
“A rental fee? What forge did he learn from?”
“I’m not sure, but judging by his form, he seems skilled.”
“That’s what I’m saying. Have we ever seen a foreigner like that before?”
Foreigners usually just loaf around, after all.
Yet here he was, working with such dedication?
Of course, from Jin-woo’s perspective, he was taking it easy.
After all, this first piece was merely an experiment.
But since I had to rely solely on memory, I concentrated as much as possible.
Then.
“What!? He’s adding bone powder there?”
“Wow! Most people don’t even know that!”
“He’s got the fundamentals down.”
“Looks like he’s making an iron ingot. He definitely has the touch. Must have trained for a long time.”
The blacksmiths watching from the sidelines spoke in unison.
It was their first time seeing a foreigner who was properly trained.
But the reality was different.
Jin-woo was standing before a furnace for the very first time in his life.
The blacksmiths were so unaware that I was executing everything with such proficiency.
After pouring the molten metal into the mold, I sprinkled bone powder over it again.
Then, after letting it cool slightly, I heated it further and brought the hammer down directly onto the anvil.
It wasn’t simply a downward strike.
I brought the hammer down in a gentle arc.
Though it seemed effortless, the hammer was heavy.
That weighty hammer came down directly onto the heated metal.
Clang!
“Gasp!”
“Insane!”
“What!?”
The sound was impossibly clear and pure.
It was the kind of sound that would startle anyone who heard it.
Sure enough, the blacksmiths stopped their work and watched Jin-woo intently.
How could such a sound even be produced?
Even the blacksmiths who had worked here for over a decade stared at Jin-woo in incomprehension.
No, it must have been luck at first.
Luck.
It had to be.
There was no way a foreigner who had only recently arrived in this place could produce such a sound.
All the blacksmiths came to the same conclusion.
I lifted the hammer once more.
And then.
“Hssss.”
I drew in a breath and brought the hammer down again.
The speed, the power, and the balance—my hammering was flawless in every way.
As the hammer struck the heated metal once more.
Ding―――――――――――――g!
An even clearer, more crystalline sound rang out than before.
The blacksmiths abandoned their work and began crowding around me.
I was so focused that I didn’t notice any of it.
“Incredible!”
“What in the world!”
“Is this foreigner a master craftsman in his world too?”
“No, if this is the standard, I’d believe he’s not just a master but a legendary artisan!”
“Incredible! He reminds me of Nível, the legendary one from ages past!”
“Yeah, truly amazing.”
I sprinkled bone powder again while producing a continuous stream of crystalline sounds.
Then I hammered it, placed it back in the mold, and rapidly increased the furnace’s heat.
To melt the iron.
And I repeated the entire process once more.
To remove as many impurities as possible.
During those three repetitions, the blacksmiths kept their eyes wide open, unwilling to miss a single moment, even in the intense heat.
And the moment I poured the molten metal into the mold for the final time.
They all gasped in awe.
“Ahhh.”
“Ahhhhh.”
“Wowww.”
“Hahhh.”
Each gasp mingled admiration and reverence.
Even as they uttered such sounds, I didn’t turn around.
I only stared at the messages that appeared before me.
[You have achieved a perfect refinement!]
[Congratulations!]
[You have completed your first perfect iron ingot!]
[You have acquired the First Title, ‘Demon’s Refining Talent’.]
[You have acquired a First Title.]
[Through the Title Hunter effect, you gain an additional stat point.]
『Demon’s Refining Talent』
→First Title
→A title bestowed upon the first user to complete a perfect iron ingot
→Smelting success rate increased by 10%
‘What in the world is all this?’
Jin-woo stared at it with a bewildered expression.
A perfect iron ingot?
Isn’t that something even Zik couldn’t make?
Wait, I made this?
Jin-woo unconsciously glanced at his Crafting skill.
This doesn’t seem to be the effect of that either.
It wasn’t a skill related to crafting success.
If anything, the ‘God Who Embraces Creation’ title did add a 10% success rate to all crafting.
Could that have resulted in a critical success?
But that doesn’t seem right either.
Then does this mean I truly obtained it through my own strength alone?
“Incredible.”
Maybe I do have some talent after all?
Then I should finish making the rest.
But then…
“Why are you all staring like that?”
“Ah, um…”
“Oh, ah!”
Jin-woo turned to look at the blacksmiths standing behind him and asked.
The blacksmiths struggled to respond to his question before finally opening their mouths.
“W-would it be alright if we watched for a bit?”
“You’re just so skilled…”
“We’d like to watch and learn from you.”
The blacksmiths swallowed hard and waited for Jin-woo’s answer.
It was a request he could refuse.
Even if he declined, there was nothing they could really say about it.
But if they could observe Jin-woo’s work process, it would surely be beneficial to them as well.
Please!
As all the blacksmiths gazed at him with such earnest eyes,
Jin-woo chuckled and spoke.
“It’s no trouble at all. Go ahead.”
“Ah! Thank you so much!”
“Heh! As expected, talented individuals truly have generous hearts!”
“Thank you! Thank you!”
“Overwhelmingly grateful!”
“Hehehehe!”
Jin-woo chuckled at the grateful blacksmiths and resumed refining with renewed vigor.
At this pace, tomorrow was meaningless.
I could finish today and seek out Nível.
* * *
Meanwhile, Nível stood before a furnace that still hadn’t reached the desired temperature, sweat streaming down his face.
To think I’d perspire so heavily over a furnace with merely this much heat.
I must have rested far too long.
Nível gazed at his aging, infirm body with resentful eyes.
But somehow, I must raise the temperature by tomorrow.
With that resolve, the moment I attempted to increase the furnace’s heat further.
The sound of the shop door opening echoed.
“I’ve arrived, Nível.”
“Huh?”
Has a full day already passed?
No, that can’t be right.
Looking at the time, only five hours have elapsed.
A beginner completing ten iron ingots in that span?
Absolutely impossible.
Unless they were a blacksmith with ten years of experience.
Or if they’d done sloppy work.
Surely they’re not bringing something like that and claiming excellence?
Nível thought it couldn’t possibly be so.
And stepped outside.
There stood Jin-woo with a confident expression.
Seeing that, Nível thought to himself.
‘Ah, sloppy work indeed.’
Should I scold him?
Or should I teach him properly?
While I was pondering this.
Jin-woo grinned and set down the iron ingots he’d crafted.
“I’ve completed them all.”
“Huh! Iron ingots, you see, are—what?”
Nível was about to scold him when.
The iron ingots Jin-woo had handed over caught his eye.
They should have been crude by any measure.
But they were nothing of the sort.
They were utterly flawless.
Even closing and reopening my eyes yielded the same result.
Nível picked up an iron ingot with trembling hands and examined it closely.
Only then could I finally speak.
“Gack!? What the hell is this!?”

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