The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 310

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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 310
310.
-KC Bank deposit amount…….
Balance: ……
Ding—!
“It’s here.”
JBS Headquarters building.
Han In-gu, the PD, broke into a broad smile as he watched his phone vibrating.
He checked it right away.
“Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands…… Gasp.”
Han In-gu’s hands trembled at a deposit figure in denominations he’d never seen before in his life.
It was an astronomical sum.
“The performance bonus…… came in even higher?”
On top of that, the money that arrived was in a far higher denomination than he’d anticipated.
“JBS really went all out!”
Han In-gu and his team had received a tremendous performance bonus from JBS.
It was all thanks to Jin-woo, the blockbuster series they’d struck gold with this time—Soul Blacksmith.
“This is the kind of performance bonus you get when you pull off something insane like this.”
The series he’d created, Soul Blacksmith with Jin-woo, had pulled JBS up from the depths.
It had been just yesterday that JBS was being ridiculed by every other broadcast network, dismissed as incompetent and hopeless.
No matter what show aired, the channel’s image was so thoroughly damaged that nobody watched it.
One series had reversed everything.
Viewership ratings skyrocketing madly.
And an endless stream of advertisements rolling in.
JBS’s revenue climbed insanely.
Netflix was continuously talking about signing additional investment contracts.
Of course, since the investment deal wasn’t JBS’s decision to make, JBS couldn’t say much about it.
But regardless, JBS was becoming increasingly cocky, its shoulders rising higher by the day.
“Our influence is only just beginning.”
Countless advertisements.
Numerous talented PDs joining the network.
And if there was one thing that mattered most, it was the company’s external image.
JBS had been a latecomer, essentially an abandoned broadcaster. No one thought there was any hope for JBS, so talented people would choose other networks to audition for instead.
No one was coming in, and no one was watching.
Now JBS had transformed into a place everyone preferred.
All of this was thanks to Soul Blacksmith.
“Honestly, even if they’d given us five billion won, it wouldn’t have been weird.”
Of course, Han In-gu was very satisfied with this performance bonus. He’d earned it through genuine hard work.
On top of that, headhunters were constantly sending him offers.
“This is a reversal of fortune.”
-JBS really has an eye for talent.
-They discovered Jin-woo.
-Jin-woo wasn’t even that famous back then. Absolute bargain hunting;;;
Jin-woo hadn’t been as famous then as he was now, but he was still rising in prominence.
But when the rumor spread that JBS had snagged him, it only solidified their reputation further.
JBS has an eye for talent!
This positive image was precisely what JBS needed.
Not long after Han In-gu confirmed the deposit, the National Director summoned him.
“Ah, our precious gem of a PD!”
The National Director greeted Han In-gu with a beaming smile the moment he walked in.
The National Director had been smiling constantly these days.
It was the National Director who had believed in Han In-gu when everyone else wanted to fire him.
Thanks to those results, the sponsors were also giving the National Director considerable clout.
“You called for me, sir?”
With his status elevated, his confidence naturally rose as well.
“The thing is…….”
Now JBS needed to take the next step. And to take that next step, they needed Han In-gu’s power.
“What about it, PD Han? How do you think it’ll go?”
At the National Director’s words, Han In-gu’s expression became thoughtful.
The current contract with Netflix had ended.
Naturally, since Soul Blacksmith was such a blockbuster hit, JBS wanted to continue it.
Netflix felt the same way.
But what mattered most here was Jin-woo.
Jin-woo was at the center of all this impact. No matter how much JBS and Netflix wanted to continue working together, if Jin-woo refused, it was over.
“I think I’ll need to talk with Jin-woo about it. I’m not sure yet, honestly.”
Han In-gu had no authority in this. Of course, he was planning to prioritize Jin-woo’s wishes above all.
He had no intention of simply relaying what JBS wanted.
“We’d love to do another one with Jin-woo, of course. It probably won’t happen, though? No, we’re practically begging you on our knees! You understand, right?”
As the National Director spoke, he gave Han In-gu a knowing look. It was the look of someone saying: you’ve worked with him for three seasons now—go try to convince him properly.
But Han In-gu knew Jin-woo well.
He wasn’t the type to be swayed by such sentiment.
Of course, there might be benefits to doing another one together, given what they’d accomplished.
‘He might want to work with me again.’
But he couldn’t guarantee Jin-woo would choose JBS.
“I’ll mention it to him, but I’d advise against expecting too much, sir.”
“Right, PD Han! I’m counting on you! Trust me, okay?”
Walking out of the National Director’s office, Han In-gu chuckled to himself. He never would have imagined seeing the National Director so desperate.
‘The National Director believed in me, and I’ve repaid him properly.’
He’d proven it with three Netflix series and completely transformed JBS.
“This is more than enough.”
Han In-gu knew well that Jin-woo wouldn’t choose JBS.
“Though he might not choose to work with me again, either.”
Ding-ling—.
His phone rang just then.
-PD Han. It’s Jin-woo.
It was a message from Jin-woo.
-I wanted to tell you…….
As PD Han read through the message, his eyes began to widen.
“This luck of mine just keeps coming.”
Jin-woo said he wanted to work with PD Han.
Of course, he said they should discuss the details when they met.
-There will be offers coming in, so I’d prefer if we discussed them without JBS involved.
At those words, PD Han immediately sent a reply.
-Yes. Understood!
“Now’s the timing.”
PD Han had quite a bit of cash reserves at the moment.
“I’ll go freelance.”
He was thinking of launching his own production company, bringing his team with him.
“Then we can take external contracts from streaming platforms!”
Han In-gu was certain of it.
With Jin-woo, he could stake his life on his future.
* * *
Positano, a southern city of New Gene.
This Positano was a neutral territory, belonging to no kingdom whatsoever.
It was a place where players from Grona, Malen, and Avalak could gather together, and it held considerable symbolic importance.
“The Quest Marker is pointing to this area for now.”
As Jin-woo entered Positano, the Quest Marker began to shift subtly.
“Looks like it’s deeper inside Positano?”
The Quest Marker that had shifted was pointing slightly downward.
Jin-woo moved according to the marker.
A plaza came into view.
“Looking for people to hunt the coastal caves! Need a Healer!”
“Looking for a group for underwater dungeons!”
“Urgently seeking mermaid gills!”
“Iridescent scales for quick sale!”
Countless players were crowding the plaza noisily.
Jin-woo was wearing a lightweight robe that obscured his body.
The robe gave off a strong Necromancer vibe. Of course, his muscles were quite large, so he ended up looking like a well-built Necromancer, which was somewhat contradictory.
‘Necromancers are traditionally nothing but bones anyway.’
The historical accuracy was unfortunate, but since he possessed the unique hybrid class of Necromancer and Soul Blacksmith, his own accuracy was sound enough.
Thanks to the robe, Jin-woo could move freely around Positano without revealing his identity.
‘Oh.’
The players here had special marks above their heads.
‘Marks indicating which kingdom they belong to, it seems.’
It was a mark that showed which kingdom a player had their base in.
‘In neutral territories, they say small-scale conflicts can break out constantly.’
Also, depending on which kingdom controlled a neutral territory, the benefits changed accordingly.
‘So Avalak Kingdom has people here too.’
There were quite a few players affiliated with Avalak Kingdom, more than he’d expected.
Of course, compared to Grona or Malen, it was still a tiny fraction.
“What?”
“Why are there so many Avalak players?”
As if reflecting Jin-woo’s thoughts, players who had just entered Positano looked bewildered.
“There can’t be this many.”
“Usually it’s hard to even see one or two, but the plaza has more than ten right now.”
“Why’s that?”
“Oh!”
Both seemed to realize it simultaneously.
“That person’s from Avalak Kingdom, right? Jin-woo?”
“That’s it. That’s why they switched over!”
At their words, Jin-woo laughed despite himself.
‘Someone who knows how to invest.’
Choosing a base could be seen as a form of investment.
After all, what you could obtain varied depending on each kingdom’s strength.
‘For now, there’s nothing to gain.’
After all, Positano itself remained a neutral territory.
‘It might be fun to change neutral territories one by one.’
For now, Positano was under a Conflict Prohibition.
‘The prohibition on conflict was negotiated between the kingdoms, wasn’t it?’
He could tell from the notification that appeared the moment he entered Positano.
-Conflict Prohibition Zone!
-Due to agreements between kingdoms, conflict is prohibited until 00:00:00.
An indefinite Conflict Prohibition.
‘Getting it will be difficult then.’
But that was only temporary.
‘What’s this?’
The Quest Marker that had been glowing had turned gray and lost its luster.
-The Quest Marker has been deactivated.
-Positano is in neutral territory status.
-Positano’s port is not open.
“What. Why isn’t it open?”
The island city of mechanical engineering of Sakra Island, where the last disciple of the Old Master was located, required a boat to reach.
‘It was called Sakra Island.’
-Port Opening Condition: The port opens only when Positano belongs to a kingdom.
“Hmm.”
For Positano’s port to open, some kingdom had to conquer this neutral territory.
“So any kingdom—Grona, Malen, or Avalak—needs to take control first for the port to open?”
Jin-woo smiled slightly.
“But if given the choice.”
It would be better if it became Avalak territory, wouldn’t it?
Jin-woo quickly scanned the plaza.
As those players had said earlier, there were relatively few Avalak-affiliated players.
“Fifteen.”
Meanwhile, players from other kingdoms numbered over a thousand.
“Fifteen is enough.”
But the problem was that conflict was prohibited in this neutral territory.
Then a boom shook the ground.
Kaboom—!
“I have received the King’s command!”
Whoosh—.
Suddenly, the kingdom emblems above each player’s head began to glow bright red.
“Positano now belongs to the Grona Kingdom!”
-Positano’s peace has been shattered!
-Conflict begins!
“Interesting.”
Jin-woo smiled slightly.
“The timing works out well.”

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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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