episode_0031

“This… I can’t accept this kind of treasure.”

The words of the universe were resolute.

She was momentarily dazed by the continued destruction of common sense, but then she came to her senses and continued speaking – driving a wedge between Eun-ha and Si-hyuk.

“Do you not like the items?”

“No. That’s not it. Rather, I want it so badly that I’m going crazy. But, this is for you who created such rare items in the world.”

If you say you’re not greedy, you’re lying.

As a strategy series awakener, the universe has engraved in its bones what kind of results the equipment’s performance will bring. I dare say that even an S-class strategy series awakener would turn their eyes when they see this equipment.

Perhaps it was worth calling. No, the universe was thinking that if they fought over this, a world war might break out.

But what suppressed that sticky greed was the reason and conscience of the universe.

Not only was she not a fundamentally evil person, but she was also a black person. There was a galaxy next to the universe.

Having spent most of his life with this innocent and pure younger sister, isn’t there something Woo-joo has seen and learned from her? She wasn’t like Kim Jin-hyung.

“How much effort did it take to make something like that? How many precious materials did they use? If you think about it like that, you can’t accept it. There is a limit to unmerited favors.”

There may come a day when I regret this choice. No, it would be a lie if I said that I didn’t feel any regret even as I said those words right now. But the universe was able to smile, turning down these masterpieces before its eyes.

“I think it’s too much to receive something like this with just a few words and a few days.”

“When I heard that.”

Shihyuk smiled with half-open eyes. It was a smile that was a little more distinct than before, which was barely visible. He was reawakening his dead emotions little by little as he experienced and learned things while being with his sister.

Even with the equipment right in front of him, Shi-hyuk was showing a small amount of joy at the words of the eldest sister who was considering him.

“Moreover, I would like to give these items to you both as a gift.”

When the blunt and expressionless man smiled, Tae came to life. When a pure smile appeared on Si-hyuk’s dull, gloomy and unappealing face, he looked like a completely different person.

‘What, you could laugh like that?’

Woojoo felt his face flush for some reason and answered the question in a nonsensical manner.

“That, and the equipment’s performance is so great! … Others might approach with malicious intent to steal the equipment. That would definitely be dangerous. If they’re [villains], they’d probably threaten our lives.”

“Um… .”

“And, if these things fall into their hands, I don’t even want to imagine what would happen. It would be total chaos. If it’s Mr. Shihyuk who made the equipment himself, he would know better than I how ridiculous its performance is.”

“… … .”

The smile on Shihyuk’s lips faded a little. He looked sad for some reason.

“Indeed.”

“Do you remember what I told you earlier?”

Shihyuk continued talking as he walked to the corner of the blacksmith shop.

“I was once in the [Daon Hammer] guild with Kim Jin-hyung. But I ended up cutting ties with him and leaving. … To be exact, I was kicked out.”

And he unwrapped the black cloth that had been covering something in the corner. A pile of black lumps that had lost their shape and light. They were the products of his failures as he continued to work as a craftsman for nearly a year.

“I’ll tell you why.”

Shihyuk took the two smallest ones and headed to the Mana furnace. He then lit a black fire in his hand, placed it in the furnace, and pushed the failed pieces into the flames.

‘[Ignition]? No. It’s not [Fire Magic] either. The mana wavelength is constant, and there’s almost no mana loss. That’s not a [Skill], it’s just that Shihyuk’s mana is ‘flame’…!!’

The universe and the blushing galaxy were both shocked and speechless at the sight of the absurd destruction once again. Shihyuk took out the failed works that had now turned into lumps of coal and laid them out on the shelf.

Then he picked up the hammer and struck it with some force.

Taang, bang. The hammering sound was low, not the cracking sound of metal hitting metal, but a clear, transparent sound. It sounded like a piano. The rhythm was a sad lyric song filled with the sorrow in one’s heart.

What was made with the hammer was a small ring.

Si-hyuk, who was looking at the finished ring, lightly pricked his own eye and wiped the tears that had formed on it. Then he lit the fire again and heated up the ring.

The series of actions felt more like a ritual than a special technique possessed by a craftsman.

The ring that was finally completed was as black as ink and darker than a shadow, as if it were swallowing up the surrounding light.

“Wear these, wear them on a necklace, or just keep them in your pocket. That way, your gear won’t be noticed by anyone else.”

“As you can see, I didn’t use [skill].”

Shihyuk’s voice softly echoed through the blacksmith shop. He confessed his shortcomings meekly in a deep voice filled with many emotions.

“I can’t see the [status window].”

“… … .”

“I left the guild because of these shortcomings, and although I have achieved achievements, I still cannot use my skills, so I do not know the details, except to estimate the level of my equipment.”

The universe was silent at that heartfelt confession.

The fact that the Awakened could not open the [Status Window] and its derived [Skill Window] was like a disability. It meant that they could control mana and had a slightly more advanced body, but they could not grow their abilities or learn or master skills.

The universe vaguely assumed that he must have special skills to be able to create such equipment. It never thought it would be the other way around.

What kind of efforts did he put in to get to this position?

He is halfway between a normal person and an awakened person, so how has he been treated so far?

How did a crow survive when it couldn’t mix with a flock of swallows and magpies?

And if that crow had caught the eye of a group like Kim Jin-hyung… .

The universe is choked.

Suddenly, Sihyuk could feel the warm body temperature wrapping around his waist.

It was a galaxy.

The girl hugged him tightly with her small body, buried her face in his back, and screamed with all her might.

“Mr. Sihyuk is an amazing person!!”

Look at what he achieved after all that persecution and humiliation. He never gave up on his path, and in the end, he was unable to create [rare grade], [unique grade], or [legend grade] items, but he was able to create items that were far greater than those.

“And, he’s a really good person!!”

If Shihyuk had been burning with revenge, he could have easily destroyed everything that had tormented him. Eunha remembered the whirlwind of flames. That mighty power was enough to burn everything that stood in his way, his enemies. However, he just stood there, hovering still.

“I will affirm you! So, cheer up, you!”

The girl’s voice ended with a faint tremble.

A girl was crying on his behalf.

I was cheering him on and supporting him, with tears and snot running down his clothes.

So Si-hyuk laughed instead of Eun-ha.

The fact that there was a being who could sufficiently enter the path of a hero, a girl who could read the minds of others, and a wild flower growing on the side of the road affirming and supporting one’s life felt like a salvation that no honor could fill.

“Sorry, I… .”

Shihyuk smiled at Woojoo, who was hesitating and lowering his head.

Both are honest, don’t look down on others, and are considerate of others.

“That’s why I’m going to give you two a gift.”

Shihyuk slowly released Eunha’s hand that was holding him and headed towards the back of the large mana furnace.

“You said earlier that space is a rare thing in the world, but that’s a bit off.”

There was a warehouse there.

When Shihyuk picked the lock and opened the door, it was filled with a lot of ‘unranked’ equipment.

[Practice #172] [-], [Practice #98] [-], [Practice #75] [-]… .

Countless pieces of equipment that the great craftsmen had made for practice but had yet to find an owner were sleeping, waiting for the day they would open their eyes.

Their performance is all at least [Unique Grade] or higher.

These are the things that Shihyuk has been steadily creating over the years since he gained enlightenment.

“Since you’ve come this far, why not take some of these too?”

He was the first to throw a joke at others.

“If you don’t take it, I’ll throw it away.”

……joke?

-.-.-

“Really, it still feels like a dream. I can’t believe it.”

“Should I pinch your cheek, sis? … Oh no!”

Unlike when they were climbing the mountain, the universe and the galaxy were now carrying their luggage in both hands as they descended the mountain. Nevertheless, the two of them were walking lightly as they climbed the mountain. It felt like they were running on fluffy clouds.

Although the gifts they had been forced to receive felt like a heavy burden, their hearts were filled with gratitude for the favor and joy at the trust they had received.

“I never thought something like this would happen. … You know? I leveled up my [Item Appraisal] skill.”

“Hehehe, my heart is still pounding.”

Galaxy touched my forehead. Something caught on her fingertips. It was a black ring that Sihyuk had made for her. The girl laughed heartily at the ticklish feeling.

“Really, my heart is pounding too. Mr. Sihyuk is truly an amazing person.”

“… Sister too?”

Oh, Eunha felt something suffocating in her chest. She had clearly been feeling good until just now, but for some reason her heart sank and she felt impatient and restless.

“He received something like this, so of course he should be excited. He really owes Shihyuk so much that he doesn’t know how to repay it.”

“Aha… .”

The words that followed brought a sense of relief.

It rose sharply and then subsided in an instant, and now it was calm. The girl, who couldn’t figure out what was going on, tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

This is strange. Why is it like this?

The universe wrinkled its nose at such a galaxy.

“No, come to think of it, I don’t think I have to pay it back.”

“Huh? Why?”

“There is something like that.”

Phew, the universe sighed and walked ahead, leaving my foolish little brother behind. It would take time for the girl to realize those innocent feelings.

The girl who didn’t know English just followed her older sister’s footsteps.

-.-.-

Woof.

“Don’t worry. I won’t forget you.”

Woof.

“Okay. I guess I should go now. Show me the way.”

Late at night, in a workshop in Gangbuk-gu.

A man with the eyes of a pig and a cowardly, timid man with the appearance of a mouse were having a conversation.

◦ ◦ Fuck what is a crowd!

The pig was frowning, his face turning red.

He drank the glass he was holding in his fat hand in one go and then threw it on the floor, still angry. The glass broke and shards flew.

“It’s not my fault. Don’t do this here… .”

Watching this, the mouse could not bring itself to speak up and only timidly expressed its opinion.

“Hey! Don’t you have any other means? Those motherfuckers are holding on for dear life, so find a way to make them kneel!”

“What if we recruit other craftsmen, have them do the repairs, and then intercept them and manipulate them?”

“… That’s fine. I’ll definitely trample on those bitches and make them howl. Just wait and see… !”

While they were plotting their dark scheme.

Knock knock, a knock was heard on the closed workshop door.

“What the fuck. Hey. Do you have any guests at this hour?”

“Oh, no. The workshop door was already closed… .”

“Then what? Hey!! Business is over! Get out!”

“… … .”

Someone outside the door was momentarily silent at the verbal abuse.

And then Woo Ji-jik forced open the iron door of the workshop and came in.

“I didn’t know you’d all be gathered in one place. Thanks to you, I don’t have to go through the hassle of walking twice.”

He was a dull-looking man.

He was wearing a black beanie pulled down low, and his long, unkempt hair fell down to his nose, obscuring his vision. He was well built, and the dark brown parka he was wearing had red spots here and there.

A gloomy, gloomy-looking man with a dark side.

It was the man that Kim Jin-hyung had previously encountered.

Kim Jin-hyung continued to threaten with a trembling voice, recalling the horror he had experienced a few days ago.

“You, you. What the hell! How the hell did you find out where I was! Did those bitches call you? You’re a criminal! Do you know who I am-!”

“Senior Kim Jin-hyung.”

“That damn senior, senior! When did I ever meet a kid like you? You keep talking nonsense-!!”

“… Still don’t remember? It’s okay. Even if you do know, you’ll soon forget.”

The gaze of the gloomy and gloomy-looking man spouting unintelligible words turned to Kim Jin-hyung’s side.

“I don’t know who you are…! I, I did nothing wrong! I just did what I was told! Trust me!”

Park Min-geun, who was cowering at the sight, spewed out a mean defense. It was a typical, mean trick of the author, who shifts responsibility to others and tries to avoid it. Kim Jin-hyeong, who was furious at this, screamed loudly.

“박민근, 이 개새끼야! 헛소리하지 말고 경찰이나 불러! 너 이 씹새끼! 여기까지 와서 폭력 행사하시려는 모양인데, 이거 감당할 자신 있어? 내가 가진 인맥 전부 끌어와서, 늬들을-”

“Let’s go there.”

A blue flame formed in the man’s hand. The flame, which resembled moonlight, was a flame that saved the three thousand worlds and converted the evil and the noble.

As he turned over his palm, the blue flames fell to the ground like snakes and entangled the two villains in an instant.

“Ahhh-! What the heck is this!! It’s hothhh!!”

“Save me! I was wrong-! Please!!!”

The flames burned them both, but strangely enough, the men who resembled pigs and mice were not burned. They only felt the excruciating pain of being burned.

“I will not take your life. I will never, ever hurt you.”

“What are you saying-! You [villain] bastard! Knock-off-gooo!!!!”

“Please save me! Please save me!! Please save me!!!”

The man’s brow furrowed as his screams became louder.

Then, the blue flames began to move as if they were alive, and as the man wished, they covered the mouths of the two criminals. Unable to even scream, they could only tremble in agony.

“In the first place, I did not come here to avenge my sister, nor did I seek my own revenge.”

“Even if I personally took revenge, Eunha wouldn’t be happy. She said that I am someone who has overcome the past and is moving forward, not someone who is obsessed with resentment and takes lives.”

But, as he continued to speak, his face was terribly numb.

“I came as a craftsman, not as an avenger.”

“In today’s society, a craftsman is not just someone who makes and manufactures equipment. It’s someone who provides equipment that warriors can trust and rely on for fighting. That’s what a craftsman is.”

It was a story that the man had heard from his teacher over and over again.

The man continued his speech at length to the two people who were unable to come to their senses due to the burning pain, recalling the maxims of [The Greatest] that he had seen, heard, and remembered.

“The weapons crafted by artisans and the armor repaired by them contain the trust of the warriors who trusted and entrusted them to them. In that sense, in a broad sense, artisans can be said to help and fight alongside the warriors. They must do their best to repay that trust.”

“What warrior in the world would use equipment that would cut down his life? Would he trust and use equipment from an untrustworthy craftsman? In the end, a craftsman who loses trust is as good as dead as a craftsman.”

“And you guys have lost trust.”

The intensity of the blue flames increased. Now, it enveloped their entire bodies, and even penetrated their insides, and the heat permeated even the bones and organs of the pig and mouse. Even so, the two did not even faint from shock. Even death seemed to avoid them.

“Not a personal revenge. As the most advanced craftsman among the craftsmen currently standing on their own two feet.”

“I can’t forgive the craftsmen who have petty selfish desires for their equipment.”

“I will judge the craftsmen who have lost trust without any selfish motive.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t kill you. However, I will take back all your authority as a craftsman.”

“The equipment you make will lose its light, and your skills will not respond to you. No matter how much you knock, your equipment will not be imbued with mana.”

“I will also burn and cleanse all the evil fruits that have been achieved through malice.”

“I won’t listen to complaints. I decided so.”

The flames that covered the sinners began to spread throughout the workshop. The craftsman’s workshop was engulfed in flames, and the expensively made mana furnace and melting furnace collapsed like sand castles. The souls of all the equipment in the workshop were being sucked out.

Only then, perhaps satisfied, did the man’s eyes, which had been strangely distorted, regain their original form. As always, he opened his mouth again in a flat, low voice.

“… But, I’ll give you a conclusion. 20 years. Let’s say that.”

“After 20 years, your equipment will be able to refill with mana. Well, if you try harder than I did before, you may be able to shorten it even more.”

His voice echoed like a thunder in the workshop engulfed in flames.

“I’m sorry, I said earlier that I would judge without any selfish motives.”

“I will cancel. I can’t say for sure that it doesn’t exist. Please understand. I am still immature and lacking.”

The workshop building collapsed into a heap of ashes.

Fortunately, the large fire that had engulfed the entire building was quickly extinguished by an ambulance that arrived early that morning after being reported by a nearby resident, without spreading anywhere.

Fortunately, the owner of the workshop, Park Min-geun, and his acquaintance Kim Jin-hyeong, who were present at the workshop, were rescued safely.

They were unharmed, without any injuries, but they had no recollection of what had happened that day, perhaps due to the shock from the sudden accident.

The police secured CCTV footage from the area and investigated the situation in detail, but were unable to find any clear evidence or a criminal. Judging from the fact that there were no signs of intrusion, the investigation was concluded to be an accident caused by a power outage or gas leak in the building.

The incident was concluded like that.

but.

“[Status Window].”

“[Status Window].”

“Ehhh, what the fuck… .”

“Fuck, fuck, fucking shit!!”

However, for some reason, Jinhyung Kim and Mingeun Park are unable to activate the [Status Window].

To be precise, I could summon a translucent window, but it was all blackened as if by fire, obscuring everything so that it was completely unintelligible.

They searched for doctors and tried some elixirs that were said to be good, but [Status Window] did not return.

I even went to the shaman awakened one who could exert divine powers, which is very rare among the awakened ones in the strategy series, and begged for help.

“This is a problem. It’s not something I can do for you.”

All I got was a summons accompanied by an unknown sound.

Kim Jin-hyung and Park Min-geun’s [Status Window] has not returned. As someone said, it will probably not return in 20 years.

They are no longer craftsmen.