Chapter 73

< Blacksmith Debut (3) >

Finally, the heartfelt dedication to my parents, which was almost like an acceptance speech, came to an end. Apart from the fact that my name had taken the place where my parents should have been, it was quite good. It was touching, filled with the sincerity of an F-rank who had undergone a complete transformation.

...I think I could probably endure being locked up for about a month now. But really, Myeongwoo, how can you do that so casually? If I were Myeongwoo's parents, I would have been moved to tears... We're just friends, after all... Not even close friends or lifelong buddies; we've only known each other for less than two months.

‘Damn... Everyone is looking at us like we’re in a relationship...’

It’s not just here. At the press conference, questions mentioning my name were also being raised.

Ugh... Well, it’s fine. Myeongwoo is doing this with good intentions. It’s just a bit embarrassing. It’s a shame that I failed to divert attention.

I had expected to be overshadowed when a blacksmith with no item creation rank limit appeared, but it seems the opposite is happening. Myeongwoo, you should just bask in the spotlight yourself; why are you passing the ball to me?

A little while later, the conversation ended, and Myeongwoo and Yelim returned to the waiting room. Yelim was hugging the Ice Tree Spear without putting it in her inventory, and Myeongwoo was looking straight at me with a wide smile.

Unlike before, no one stopped him as he came over to me. Everyone seemed to be watching as if they had made a pact.

“How was I?”

Myeongwoo asked with a beaming face. How was I, indeed.

“You did well.”

I can’t lose it here. I have to smile.

He really did speak well. He didn’t miss anything. He also handled the guild-related questions well, saying that he would focus on training for a while since he had only recently acquired the skill and didn’t plan to join any specific guild, but would be open to support.

“Just, passing the ball to me like that was a bit much, wasn’t it? This is your moment, after all.”

Myeongwoo glanced around and spoke.

“I did it on purpose.”

“...What?”

“Of course, it was with genuine sincerity, but emphasizing it publicly was intentional.”

...This guy used to be so innocent, kind, and shy. Could it be a side effect of the skill?

“Why...?”

“To let everyone know that touching you is off-limits.”

Myeongwoo said this clearly, as if he wanted everyone to hear.

“That’s why I said I wouldn’t reveal the S-rank item until I made one. An S-rank weapon would have the desired effect.”

He looked proud and satisfied. Honestly, I was a bit taken aback and bewildered.

“Thank you. Really.”

Those two words came out naturally. How could I not be grateful? I had wanted to be recognized sooner, but I held back. Even in the moment of finally seeing the light after a long darkness, he didn’t enjoy it alone.

He’s giving so much that I wonder if I should accept it. What more can I say in front of him?

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Seeing him act shy, I knew this was the Myeongwoo I knew.

“No one will touch me if they’re afraid of getting on your bad side, right?”

I said it jokingly, but it was true. Unlike Giseong, who could only boost a Hunter’s stats, a blacksmith who could enhance a Hunter’s actual abilities would be valuable. If I were kidnapped again, all Hunters, from high to low, might roll up their sleeves to please Myeongwoo.

Even if he overexposed our friendship, it would be hard to use me as a hostage to extort valuable equipment. It could be a huge win if done right, but a mistake could ruin everything.

“You’re really reliable.”

Although the gazes filled with ulterior motives are a bit uncomfortable.

The world’s first equipment-making Hunter, who appeared with S-rank top-tier weapons!

The owner of the Golden Forge, Myeongwoo Yu, revealed that there are no limits to the item creation rank!

A hand of God appears, with no rank limits!

An F-rank Hunter becomes SS-rank overnight!

The secret to acquiring an SS-rank skill?!

The press conference video was featured on the main page of major portals, and articles related to Myeongwoo quickly flooded all sites. The real-time search rankings were dominated by Myeongwoo Yu, the owner of the Golden Forge, the Ice Tree Spear, S-rank equipment, SS-rank equipment, and no rank limits, among others. My name was there, but I’ll ignore it.

The comments were overwhelming. While there were some negative comments, most people were envious. Since an F-rank Hunter had hit the jackpot, people were even more interested. Many comments asked how an F-rank Hunter could acquire a good skill.

‘With this atmosphere, many more people will check their special skills before going to the Awakening Center.’

[The owner of the Golden Forge, Myeongwoo Yu. Both domestically and internationally, there is intense interest in this first blacksmith Hunter.]

The TV was repeating how amazing our Myeongwoo is. More, more.

“Wow, Yelim, look at this. It’s a surefire way to get an SS-rank skill.”

Yelim, who was playing with Blue and destroying a one-person sofa, giggled. Yelim, that’s the one we bought just yesterday.

“What’s the method? I want so many skills!”

“Isn’t the world buzzing about the SS-rank skill of the Golden Forge’s owner these days? Acquiring such a high-rank skill completely changes your life. But usually, it’s hard to even awaken... Why is this so long-winded?”

“Ah, it’s clickbait. It will probably end with something like, ‘How to get it? Weather, health, and so on, but SS-rank skills are the best.’”

Yelim said, throwing Blue up to almost touch the ceiling.

- Squeak!

“But I thought you didn’t like looking for such things. Didn’t you get featured in articles and real-time searches before? Back then, you barely watched TV.”

“It’s not the same as my situation.”

Back then, I didn’t open my internet browser for days after seeing the articles. Why bother? No matter how positively they wrote about me, there would always be trolls. Even if a kind Messiah performed miracles and showed mercy, there would always be those who would call it a scam, say he thinks he’s Jesus, and leave nasty comments. That’s why I avoid articles that mention me, even a little.

Even if I pretend it never happened, I’ve already been through enough. Why would I want to stab myself in the eye again? I don’t even check my SNS comments much.

“Eunja. Do you need any items? Anything you want?”

Myeongwoo, who seemed embarrassed and couldn’t look at the TV directly, suddenly asked. He’s going to make something. What do I need?

“I can only use stat-boosting equipment... Making stat-boosting equipment would be a waste of time and materials.”

“What about special effects?”

“Special effects? Hmm...”

What kind of special effects? Something to help the kids grow? Or maybe something to transfer skills or titles to others without contact? That would be too versatile.

“Special effects don’t mean you can do anything, right?”

“Yeah. Basically, it depends on the materials. To add a special skill to an item, you need the right material. Like the Ice Tree Spear, which is made from materials with strong cold properties.”

So it’s not all-powerful.

“Do you have any materials that can transfer skills?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then how about defensive skills? Not the kind that completely block everything, but something that increases physical defense, even for a limited time.”

As a bonus, one more skill. To share an attack skill effect with someone, you can’t use a regular shield. If my body’s defense could be A-rank or higher for a short time, I could safely share the ‘Double Attack Skill Effect’ title in emergencies.

“The most common materials are related to defense. I’ll try making one.”

“Don’t overdo it. It would be nice to have, but it’s not necessary.”

Even if the dungeon difficulty increases faster, it will be over a year before high-level dungeons appear. By then, the kids will be strong enough that we won’t need to share skills.

The best thing is to avoid situations where I have to use my F-rank body.

It’s been a month since the first dungeon raid after the regression. That means the cooldown for my ‘My Kid is the Best’ skill, which I used on the kids, is over. Time flies.

I chose the Cold Resistance (A) skill for Yelim without hesitation. With the Ice Tree Spear, which enhances ice attributes, resistance was essential. Elemental resistance skills usually grow fast, so it’s best to get and level them up to S-rank quickly.

Yelim only needed to level up 10,000 more without any special conditions.

On the other hand, Myeongwoo had a tough choice.

‘I can’t tell which skill is best just by the name.’

Many of them seem to be special skills.

[Unacquired Optimal Skills

Master of Hammering (A)

Delicate Fingertips (A)

Fire Resistance (A)

Metal Classification (A)

Sharpening Knives (A)]

There were five unacquired optimal skills. Except for Fire Resistance, they all seemed related to crafting and were all useful.

‘Should I just let him get them in order?’

Thinking about it won’t make the skill description window appear. Since the cooldown for ‘My Kid is the Best’ is only a month, I might as well let him get all of them.

First, Master of Hammering. When I chose it, the conditions appeared. Unlike the owner of the Golden Forge, it only required a 5-level increase. The other conditions were probably already met, like hammering a thousand times.

“Myeongwoo, level up before your stats get higher. It gets harder to level up as your rank increases.”

Myeongwoo, who was feeding ribs, nodded. It must be delicious. It feels a bit guilty that a world-renowned Hunter is feeding me.

“I was planning to level up to the easy range.”

“Yelim will be taking a ten-day break soon. Want to go together?”

“I’m good with that.”

Myeongwoo is C-rank in stats but low in level and not a combat Hunter, so a mid-to-low D-rank dungeon would be suitable. Can the forge teleportation be used inside dungeons?

“The forge has living facilities, right?”

“Yeah, on the second floor.”

“It will be really useful when you can enter high-level dungeons with higher stats. It’s like having a safe place to rest.”

High-level dungeon raids involve exploring dangerous lands for days. A safe resting place would be as sweet as honey, even for strong combat Hunters.

If it can be used in real dungeons, Myeongwoo is a perfect all-rounder. I want to ask Yuhun to raid dungeons with him. But he’s probably too busy making equipment.

The next target for ‘My Kid is the Best’ after Yelim and Myeongwoo is none other than Peace.

[Time to Adult Transformation (56:15)]

Thanks to the frequent play, only 56 hours, about two and a half days, are left. With the skill, I can reduce the time by up to three times, so it will be done in a day.

I’ve equipped strength and health-focused gear, prepared training equipment, and stocked up on fatigue recovery potions.

“Come on, Peace. Let’s finish quickly.”

- Roar!

Peace answered with a strong tail wag.

A full day passed. I feel half-dead.

“...Peace, can you find my phone for me?”

I said, lying on the makeshift bed. I took it out to avoid breaking it during training, but I can’t remember where I put it. Even if I remembered, I couldn’t get up.

- ?

Peace, still in a fluid form, brought my phone and placed it in my hand. She’s so smart. It’s like she understands everything I say.

“It’s a bit past seven.”

Dinner time. I need to take care of the kids’ meals and have my own dinner. I’ll just take a thirty-minute nap.

I closed my eyes and opened them again. It was eleven. Damn. Peace, who had climbed into bed and was lying next to me, tilted her head.

“Aren’t you hungry? You should have woken me up.”

- Growl

I was about to call Myeongwoo but remembered I had turned off my phone because of too many calls. I called the dormitory management office, and they connected me to the intercom.

[Don’t worry. I took care of the meals. The unicorns also told me you probably wouldn’t come today.]

“Really? Thank you!”

[Take care of yourself.]

Says the one who’s talking. Anyway, I’m glad. Now that Myeongwoo is C-rank, he can take care of Blue, which is great.

I got off the call and got out of the makeshift bed. Peace also jumped down. Ouch, my back.

“Peace, aren’t you done growing?”

- Roar?

“Can you show me once more? Can you grow again? Please?”

I gestured, and Peace backed away. Then, a moment later, a non-hot flame-like aura appeared, and Peace grew.

She’s bigger than when she was a sub-adult. About twice as big.

Her majestic red body with a golden mane was impressive. Despite her size, she didn’t look clumsy. She had a sleek, agile form, more like a cheetah than a lion or tiger. Her pointed ears and fluffy tail still made her resemble a fox.

[2nd Tier Unicorn Subspecies ? Flame Horned Lion Peace

Current Stat Rank: S

Possible Growth Stat Rank: A~S

Optimal Initial Skills

Flame Breath (S) Acquired

Flame Dash (A) Acquired

Gigantification (A) Acquired

Fire Resistance (A) Acquired]

“Great! You’re S-rank and have all the initial skills!”

I was a bit worried since I didn’t fully awaken her, but I’m relieved. Peace, you’ve really grown up. When I reached out, she touched her head to mine. Now, just hugging her head fills my arms.

“Our Peace, you’re so handsome.”

- Growl

Her growl is completely different from when she was small. Should I take Peace with me when Yuhun goes to the S-rank dungeon in a few days? It might be too early, but I should contact him.

After informing him that Peace’s growth was complete, Yuhun came down to the training room a little later.

< Blacksmith Debut (3) > End

ⓒ Geunseo