The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 99

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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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Chapter 99
Episode 99.
-Orihalcon Crafting Success: 980,000 Views
“980,000 views?”
Not even a full day had passed yet.
And it had already hit 980,000 views.
-Trending Video #2
It had climbed to the second spot on the trending videos list, and comments were pouring in in real time at an astonishing rate.
The like count was overwhelming, and there were zero dislikes. The metrics were surprisingly stellar across the board.
Jin-woo checked the video.
Clang! Clang!
“Oh. Dongwoo.”
Jin-woo marveled at it.
“His old skills are showing. This guy’s got the right touch for this kind of work.”
When people do what they love, they really do excel, don’t they?
“I should send the next one right away.”
Jin-woo immediately sent the World Tree’s Judgment crafting video.
-Sending next footage. Nice work, Dongwoo.
As Jin-woo was composing the email, he noticed an email from a familiar sender.
“It’s from Suomisa?”
It was the first email from them since he’d received one while hunting the steel beast in Rootown.
“Hmm.”
Jin-woo checked the email from Suomisa in his inbox.
-Hello, Jin-woo. I am writing on behalf of Suomisa’s vice president……
The email was quite lengthy.
In brief, it boiled down to this: the broadcasting company JBS wanted to sign a contract with Jin-woo.
Suomisa would serve as the intermediary, and if Jin-woo was interested, they proposed meeting to discuss the details further.
“So if I understand correctly, they want me to provide videos, which they’ll produce into a program under the JBS name and broadcast?”
He’d received similar proposals from Eternal Sunshine before.
“Do they know who I am?”
It had only been a little over a month since he’d started.
“Some people probably have their suspicions. There are quite a few users who came over from there, after all.”
Even so, Jin-woo had no intention of publicly declaring himself as Jin in New Gene. If he’d meant to do that, he would have changed his username to Jin long ago.
In New Gene, he was simply Jin-woo.
“It does sound like it could be fun.”
Jin-woo pondered for a moment. But he didn’t dwell on it too long.
“Why not give it a shot? It’d be interesting. Plus.”
What appealed to him most was the mention of inter-broadcaster competition.
-This is a ratings war between broadcasters. All four major networks are running programs in tandem with this Main Scenario, and frankly, JBS is the furthest behind among them.
Everyone knew JBS was lagging behind.
“JBS has a lot of gaps compared to the other broadcasters.”
Despite being called one of the “Big Four,” the top three networks were treated as major broadcasters while JBS was considered a distant latecomer.
That was precisely what sparked his interest.
That this latecomer, JBS, was reaching out to him for success.
“I’m a latecomer too.”
He’d started New Gene a full year behind everyone else.
“It might be fun to create an interesting story with a fellow latecomer.”
Jin-woo sent a message right away.
-Let’s discuss the details.
* * *
Western restaurant.
The meeting took place in a fairly private dining establishment.
The three who arrived early exchanged greetings.
“Thank you for arranging this, Vice President.”
Han In-gu, a PD from JBS, bowed deeply to the vice president.
“Actually, I pushed for this. If I hadn’t made the arrangements, the whole thing would’ve been scrapped.”
“You took quite a bold gamble.”
When he’d first heard the pitch, the vice president thought Han In-gu had made an awfully risky choice.
The other broadcasters were busy trying to poach top-ranked players by any means necessary.
Those players had established fan bases, so once they signed on, viewership and ratings were all but guaranteed, and they could generate hype.
“To recruit a user who hasn’t even broken into the top 100. Of course, the achievements and records Jin-woo has compiled recently are quite considerable.”
It was unique.
JBS was one of the Big Four, yes, but it was the lowest-ranked of those four networks to attempt recruiting a user outside the top 100.
“I didn’t think ranking was what mattered most. For a program, I believed star power was the key.”
Star power.
Han In-gu had judged Jin-woo to be a user who would become a star.
“What led you to that conclusion?”
The vice president was purely curious. Of course, Jin-woo’s progress had been remarkable. But that was something only those with insider knowledge could piece together; there were aspects outsiders couldn’t know.
“I’m also a crafting-class user myself.”
Han In-gu explained.
“The equipment being auctioned lately has been extraordinary. The rate at which grades are improving is extraordinary too.”
Then he brought up the Shark Net community and MiTube.
“There are quite a few posts on the community praising the Jin-woo user. You could call it cult-like popularity, but building that kind of following in such a short span is difficult. Especially for a crafter.”
On top of that, even the famous MiTuber Fritz had praised Jin-woo.
“That Fritz is famous for being ruthlessly candid. Yet that MiTuber made a video full of praise. He knew that would provoke backlash if he did that.”
Han In-gu believed there was a reason for everything.
“I believe Jin-woo is at his lowest point right now. After this, I think he’ll grow beyond anyone’s control—surpass the top 100, break into the top 10, and maybe even reach first place!”
Han In-gu spoke with passion.
The vice president smiled wryly watching him.
“Of course, Jin-woo is certainly an exceptional user. But it seems the other broadcasters don’t see him that way.”
“That’s right. Honestly, even at JBS, I’m the only one who thinks like this.”
Han In-gu laughed awkwardly.
“But I’m certain. There’s one more thing I’ve heard. There’s that Jin, right? You know?”
Jin.
The legend of Eternal Sunshine.
In that instant, GM Kim Na-yoon’s eyes lit up. She had already been convinced that Jin-woo was Jin.
“There’s a possibility that Jin might be the Jin-woo user. The story goes that he waited patiently like a cheetah, and once he was ready, he appeared. Of course, it might’ve been said in jest. But if we consider that Jin couldn’t start for some reason and has only now begun……”
Han In-gu could make sense of all the overwhelming accomplishments Jin-woo had shown so far.
“The legend has returned. This can’t help but succeed.”
With that, he bowed once more.
“Nothing’s confirmed yet, but I’m truly grateful for you arranging this meeting.”
“Not at all. As you said, nothing’s been set in stone yet. Let’s complete the contract and celebrate together!”
Before the vice president’s words had even finished, footsteps echoed.
And Jin-woo entered.
Quite tall.
And his frame was larger than expected, his entire body a mass of muscle.
“Hello. I’m Jin-woo.”
As Jin-woo greeted them, the JBS PD took his hand. The PD caught himself from reacting audibly—Jin-woo’s hand felt as solid as a pot lid.
“It’s great to meet you! I’m Han In-gu from JBS. And this gentleman is——”
“James Kim, vice president of Suomisa.”
“Oh! So you’re the vice president.”
Jin-woo greeted him brightly.
Someone far more significant had shown up than expected. He hadn’t anticipated the Suomisa vice president attending in person.
The vice president, like Han In-gu before him, shook Jin-woo’s hand and caught himself from reacting—the hand was truly enormous. And solid.
As if he’d actually been swinging a hammer for years.
“This is GM Kim Na-yoon. She handles monitoring and will be providing narration for this program.”
“Hello!”
GM Kim Na-yoon found herself greeting him far louder than intended.
Jin truly had more presence than she’d imagined.
Looking at those bulging biceps, she thoroughly understood why Jin-woo could create such remarkable equipment.
“Shall we start with dinner?”
Jin-woo, sensing the atmosphere had grown slightly tense, broke the ice first.
“Yes, let’s eat!”
It was quite a fine establishment.
The dishes arrived beautifully plated and were all exquisite; Jin-woo felt thoroughly pampered.
‘This kind of meeting isn’t so bad.’
Once the vice president had eaten his fill, he exchanged a glance with Han In-gu. It was time to get down to business.
“The reason we wanted to meet with you, Jin-woo, is——”
Han In-gu explained how the broadcasters were creating programs in conjunction with the Main Scenario.
“JBS is also putting together a broadcast program. We believe you’re perfectly suited to be the star of that program. That’s why we wanted to have this discussion.”
After saying that, Han In-gu grew visibly tense.
Jin-woo could easily have declined right then. In fact, some top-rankers did prefer to focus solely on gameplay.
They questioned whether there was any real need to appear on broadcasts.
“After all, the viewership numbers come out well. Especially with the Main Scenario.”
But Jin-woo showed no sign of resistance.
Han In-gu continued his explanation.
“So JBS is offering……”
Broadcast fees.
And details about how the program would proceed.
‘The fee is appealing.’
Thirty million won per episode. Han In-gu said they would pay thirty million won each time Jin-woo sent in a video, with additional bonuses based on viewership numbers.
“……and that’s how it would work!”
“Those are decent terms. But I’m curious about something. Why did you choose me?”
Jin-woo asked.
Not a famous ranker, nor even a combat-class user. Compared to the users signed by other broadcasters, he had a lower potential to generate buzz.
In short, he wanted to know why they were recruiting him when he had weaker competitive standing than users at other networks.
Han In-gu was about to speak but stopped himself.
He sensed instinctively that this was the most critical moment.
He could say anything—that he saw potential, or that as a fellow crafter he was sure it would be a hit, words laced with hope and flattery.
But none of that felt right.
“I’ll be honest with you.”
So Han In-gu decided to tell the truth.
Setting everything else aside, the single reason Han In-gu had pushed for this program was one thing alone.
“Instinct.”
Instinct.
“A feeling that if I build a program around you, it’ll be a massive hit.”
At that, Jin-woo let out a short laugh.
Then he extended his hand.
“I like your instinct.”
Jin-woo offered a handshake as he spoke.
“I’m happy to do this. But could I add one more condition?”
JBS’s program would air through MiTube.
“You mentioned providing bonuses based on viewership numbers, right? I’d like to take those bonuses in something other than money.”
Jin-woo had no intention of taking the viewership-based bonus in cash.
“I’d prefer to receive them in in-game currency.”
And Jin-woo looked toward the vice president.
“Well……”
The vice president paused to consider. Offering in-game currency as compensation wasn’t difficult—it depended on what kind of currency it was.
“What kind would you want?”
Jin-woo grinned at the question.
“Could I get good materials?”
* * *
The meeting concluded.
“Please distribute the materials right after the viewership target is hit.”
Jin-woo’s proposal was accepted, and the contract was finalized.
After Jin-woo left, Han In-gu departed as well.
The two remaining sat in silence for several minutes, clearly impressed by what had just transpired.
“I don’t even need to ask. I’m pretty sure it was him—Jin.”
At Kim Na-yoon’s words, the vice president nodded.
“I was thinking of asking outright.”
But the mood hadn’t been right. Throughout the meeting, Jin-woo had firmly maintained control. If they’d asked and been wrong, it could have been utterly disastrous.
“Like Na-yoon said, we don’t need to ask.”
It seemed unmistakable—that legendary Jin from Eternal Sunshine.
“Does he actually craft the equipment himself? There’s no other way his body could be like that.”
The vice president recalled his Synchronization Rate.
“That’s why his Synchronization Rate was at eighty percent.”
“It’s higher now.”
“It’s higher?”
“Yes. I think it might go even higher.”
……
Truly monstrous physiology.
“Na-yoon, count on you for this.”
“Yes! Don’t worry!”
Of course, what mattered most was the videos Jin-woo would provide.
“But will it be okay with only crafting videos?”
“That’s not our concern. JBS will figure it out.”
* * *
“Preparations are complete.”
Jin-woo summoned First, Pour, and Moltus.
Hisssssss——
“Let’s go in.”
-You have entered Miro Fog Tower!
-Item drop rates have been adjusted to 300% for 24 hours!
-24:00:00

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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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