Chapter 59

Chapter 9: The Tower (1)

Yeonwoo started walking down the hill.

The place he was currently in was called the Outskirts, the area outside the Tower.

It was the midpoint between the Tutorial and the Tower of God.

A massive city had formed as countless people who made their living around the Tower gathered in one place.

Therefore, players who had just completed the Tutorial usually did not think of visiting the Outskirts.

Their minds were solely focused on climbing the Tower.

Even if they did, they would only consider it a place to gather necessary items for their strategy, not a place to stay for long.

But Yeonwoo was different.

Unlike other players, he did not immediately climb the Tower.

Instead, he stayed in the Outskirts.

He had a lot to do here.

* * *

‘It must have been around here, right?’

As soon as Yeonwoo entered the Outskirts, he first looked for the market.

It was a market similar to those commonly found in the real world, with vendors setting up stalls in designated areas.

The sound of haggling could be heard from all directions.

In Yeonwoo's hand was a photograph.

A photograph left behind as a memento along with a pocket watch, given by his younger brother. It was a photo taken with his old comrades from Artya.

The photo was faded, but fortunately, the faces of the people and the location were still distinguishable.

What Yeonwoo was looking for was one of the people in the photo and the background where the photo was taken.

‘Judging by the photo, it must be around here.’

Yeonwoo compared the photo with the market several times to find the location.

However, as time had passed, the market had changed, so he had to trace back from the main buildings.

Despite the strange-looking non-humans and people in various outfits passing by, which would normally catch one's eye, Yeonwoo paid no attention to his surroundings.

Fortunately, since the people here came in all shapes and sizes, wearing a mask didn't draw much attention.

In the Tutorial, he was a solo player, and to the newbies, he was just a story from a completely different world.

‘Is this it?’

Yeonwoo turned a few corners and stopped in front of a blacksmith's shop.

A dilapidated building that looked like it was about to collapse. The hammer and anvil mark indicating it was a blacksmith's shop was also very worn out and hard to read. It didn't seem like anyone was looking for it.

But it was the same as the background in the photo.

He was sure.

This was it.

“...”

Yeonwoo stared at the hammer and anvil mark for a moment, then put the photo back in his pocket and opened the door.

“Excuse me.”

Creak.

The door made a strange sound as if it was about to fall off.

The inside was as messy as the exterior.

Dust bunnies rolled around on the floor, and there were stains on the walls.

But.

‘The weapons are clean.’

Yeonwoo carefully examined the various weapons displayed along the walls.

His eyes were imbued with magic, and a new pupil opened between his irises.

The Dragon Eye.

[Henoba's Advanced Iron Sword]

Category: Two-handed Weapon

Grade: C+

Description: An iron sword refined by the dwarf Henoba. It boasts excellent durability and a long lifespan.

[Henoba's Great Bow]

Category: Two-handed Weapon

Grade: B-

Description: A bow made by the dwarf Henoba. It is made from a minotaur's horn and sinew. The string is so tough that it can't be drawn with average strength.

[Henoba's Jet-black Helmet]

Category: Headgear

Grade: B

Description: A helmet refined by the dwarf Henoba. It has a built-in characteristic that blocks sound in the dark.

...

‘All of them are high-quality items.’

The Dragon Eye sees the truth. Of course, by using the flow, it was possible to read the potential and characteristics of each item to some extent.

Thanks to this, Yeonwoo could tell how good the weapons were, despite their shabby appearance.

This was an advantage that only someone with excellent discernment could have.

Of course, there were still things that the Dragon Eye couldn't fully grasp.

[Henoba's ???]

Category: ???

Grade: ???

Description: A ??? refined by the dwarf Henoba. ?????.

Yeonwoo stroked a dagger that was the only one among the weapons to be heavily rusted.

It was about 10 centimeters longer than the greatsword he had, but shorter than Krashna's dagger.

There were two things the Dragon Eye couldn't read.

Either it was too messy or.

‘It's so outstanding that it can't be grasped yet.’

It looked like the former, but Yeonwoo thought it was the latter.

His ‘intuition’ told him so.

In terms of strength and material, it was definitely not something made easily. Even if the rust was a cover, it couldn't hide the quality inside.

‘I want it.’

Yeonwoo had already obtained various good artifacts during the Tutorial.

The black bracelet, Krashna's dagger, the Goblin King's eye, the five-colored monster gem, Hargan's crown, and Vigrid.

And the rewards from the Tutorial that he hadn't fully confirmed yet, such as the Beast King's lion mane helmet and Eblis' egg.

Each of them was something that could be used up to the mid-lower levels.

Especially the black bracelet and Vigrid, with their unique inner strength, could be used up to the upper levels if the sealed options were unlocked.

Thanks to this, Yeonwoo's standards had become so high that he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.

Yet, this dagger had a mysterious power that captivated him at first glance.

‘It just happens to be the right size for a dagger I need.’

In G-Block, he mainly used Vigrid, but his main skill was wielding two greatswords in both hands.

This dagger seemed to fit perfectly with Krashna's dagger.

‘This must be the place where Jungwoo used to frequent.’

Once, the workshop that exclusively supplied artifacts to Artya, which reached the 5th rank in the clan rankings.

The items made by the blacksmith, who was one of the best in the Tower, were fitting.

So, he turned his head to check the other weapons.

“Who are you?”

Suddenly, the back door opened, and a grumpy dwarf appeared, frowning.

He was short, with a beard that almost touched the ground, and his arms and body were as solid as a bull.

He was holding a sword hilt in both hands.

Dwarf Henoba.

The owner of this dilapidated blacksmith's shop.

And.

‘The dwarf in the photo. He looks exactly the same.’

The dwarf who was smiling with his brother in the faded photo.

The person his brother mentioned several times in his diary.

If he were asked to name the person he relied on the most in ‘Artya,’ he might have stuttered because there were too many.

But if he were asked to name the person he relied on the most in the ‘Tower,’ he could confidently name just one person.

Henoba.

A father-like figure to him.

His brother confidently called Henoba ‘father.’

‘Father.’

In fact, the Yeonwoo brothers didn't have many memories of their father.

They only knew that he had passed away in an accident when they were very young.

However, a vague memory of him always smiling and hugging them remained.

If this was the person his brother called ‘father’ without hesitation.

There must be something to it.

That's why Yeonwoo wanted to meet this person first after completing the Tutorial.

‘He was also the one who stayed by Jungwoo's side until the end.’

However, Yeonwoo didn't take off his mask and introduce himself.

His innocent brother had confidently called him one of his few ‘friends’ and ‘father,’ but Yeonwoo couldn't easily believe it.

He had to doubt everyone until he was certain.

“I came to buy weapons.”

“Weapons?”

Henoba sneered as if it was absurd.

Yeonwoo nodded.

“Yes.”

“Even after seeing this place?”

Henoba pointed at the almost ruined building with his chin.

“Is there a problem with that?”

“You're crazy. I don't have time for jokes, so get lost!”

Henoba tried to pass by, ignoring Yeonwoo.

Yeonwoo blocked his path with his longer legs.

“I'm not joking. I really came to buy weapons.”

“Alright, fine! I don't sell weapons, so get lost!”

Henoba pushed Yeonwoo hard and walked past, as if he didn't want to talk anymore.

It felt like he had collided with a wall.

Yeonwoo watched his back as he tried to enter the workshop and said casually.

“Is it because Artya was disbanded?”

“...!”

Henoba turned his head sharply.

His eyes, distorted with a single emotion, were filled with intense anger.

“Brat, don't speak lightly.”

‘That's it.’

Yeonwoo was certain.

Henoba was originally Artya's exclusive blacksmith.

Although he wasn't a player and thus not a member, he was close enough to be considered one.

Thanks to the excellent weapons he provided, Artya was able to successfully clear each level.

And the reason he wasn't selling weapons.

“Have other clans put pressure on you? To join them?”

“You, I told you not to speak!”

“But given your personality, you must have rejected their offer. And the clans must have retaliated by harming your customers.”

Naturally, the blacksmith's shop would have seen a sharp decline in customers. When an occasional customer who hadn't heard the rumors came, he would have chased them away to protect them from retaliation.

The picture was clear even without seeing it.

“You...!”

Henoba's face turned red and then pale.

“If that's the case, you don't need to worry. Just sell your items.”

“...”

Henoba said nothing.

Yeonwoo let out a small laugh.

They say dwarves are tough on the outside but soft on the inside. It seems to be true.

In the end, Henoba, with a frown, threw the items he was carrying onto the floor.

“Fine. If you want to buy so badly, go ahead. What do you want?”

“I like this one.”

Yeonwoo picked up the dagger he had just pointed out.

For a moment, a myriad of emotions flickered in Henoba's eyes.

Then, he regained his composure, frowned, and looked Yeonwoo up and down.

“But do you have money?”

Yeonwoo smiled and said.

“Can't I buy on credit?”