episode_0087

When I was young,

Have you ever played a prank like this?

They say they cheer for no reason while making a whooshing sound with their mouths,

Like putting a blanket over your shoulders and jumping up and down,

Even if it looks funny to others, I think it looks cool and shout, “Transformation!”

Just like a main character in a cartoon.

Looking back, it was just a foolish and vain delusion, but at that time, at that time, I really believed that it was possible.

Those days when I was so innocent and naive, the whole world seemed to sparkle and feel round and soft.

A time full of dreams and hopes, without mistakes or defeat.

Everyone has probably dreamed of a grand ideal at least once.

For example, a president, an astronaut, a world-famous actor or idol.

I will probably remember my reckless days, when I was drunk on courage and dreamy, and fell asleep every night with my heart full of excitement.

It was the same for them. No, perhaps even more so.

As you manifest mana and gain powers different from those of ordinary people, you become able to view the [Status Window] and are called an Awakened One.

Because I felt special and different from others.

-Can’t I become like [Admiral Yi Sun-sin]? Maybe I can become like Baek Hyun-man!

Everyone thinks that way at least once.

But usually dreams end as dreams.

Reality is different from dreams. It’s painful and hard. It’s dirty. It’s different from the ideal they had in mind.

Life is like that. I keep getting tossed around here and there. It’s so hard I could die. The more I chew and swallow, the more the sweetness drains away, making it tough and dry.

Above all, it is not fair. The starting line and the speed are different. There is a limit to luck and talent. The size of it is different for each person. It is absolutely not the same for everyone.

Some people succeed right away, while others succeed after seven or eight attempts. For others, it is difficult to overcome even after a hundred attempts.

This is not limited to the general public. It is the same for the Awakened.

Even if they have the same experience, A will develop [skills] while B will not. Even if they train with the same intensity and number of times, A’s stats will increase while B’s will not. Through hard work, A will finally obtain glory and [titles], but B cannot.

[Status Window] only shows the numbers and abilities. It does not show potential or growth rate.

Rather, it is even more cruel in some ways because it directly exposes the overwhelming gap in talent between each person.

The gap between dreams and reality. Frustration. An inferiority complex that grows because there is something to compare it to.

Sooner or later, they come to realize.

Becoming like Old Man Gong, becoming like [The Greatest] is not something that just anyone can do.

Those who hit a wall eventually compromise with themselves. In the harsh reality, the size of their dreams gradually shrinks and their hearts break and fold.

Because I don’t want to be sick anymore. Because it’s hard. Because I’m scared to try. Because I’m afraid of failure. Because I don’t want to lose anymore. Because I don’t want to try.

The swamp of giving up is so sweet. Compared to this guy, any piece of fancy cake is just chewing on a sponge.

The poison called defeatism eats away at people like that.

Those who jumped into this world with grand ambitions in their hearts were like that-

“Selling low-grade magic stones! Also selling leather!”

“Selling teeth!”

– Having lost both passion and will, I returned to the beginner section I had previously passed, and chose to settle down among the rookies who were just starting out and the onlookers.

=====

“So, I don’t know what your intentions are, but this place won’t be of much help.”

“… … .”

Shihyuk, who learned something he didn’t know, kept his mouth shut.

Just like when I first met Park Gwang-deok, I felt like something was difficult to explain and ambiguous. The tinker noticed him and raised one eyebrow.

“Your face looks a bit uncomfortable.”

“… It’s a little different from what I thought.”

Heo Yong-tae snickered at the unexpected sound. Judging from his answer, he could guess why this blacksmith had come to experience [Chakgapsa].

“What, you were hoping to experience something adventurous and noble? Wake up. It’s full of kids who are barely making ends meet or trying to make a killing with their remaining money through stocks, Toto, or gambling.”

“… … .”

“But don’t look at them too harshly. They are in a situation where they can’t find another way out, so they can’t do anything. They are just struggling to make a living. If anyone could become a hero in the first place, would you call them a hero?”

As he said that, Heo Yong-tae patted Shi-hyeok on the head as if he was waking up someone from a deep sleep. It was the attitude of an adult dealing with a child who was still in a dream.

“Even after [Admiral Yi Sun-sin] died and the king changed, their reality hasn’t changed much. All they do is try hard to survive.”

You couldn’t blame them for being weak. Rather, it was Shihyuk who was strange.

People are not solid. How many people can stand up after being hit, broken, pointed at, falling down, and bleeding countless times? How many people can throw away everything after losing something precious, and run straight without bending or bending, looking only at one point?

He is abnormal because he can’t even open the [Status Window] or use [Skills] and only desires the ideal.

Shihyuk was silent. It was difficult to agree with his values, but he understood it in his own way.

…then.

“Then why did you lend me the tools and stove?”

“… Huh?”

“The tinker lent me these for some reason, didn’t he?”

Shihyuk looked straight at Heo Yongtae and asked him directly.

[Chakgapsa], where the number of newbies is decreasing and the number of veterans is increasing. Now, it is a craftsman’s tool that is almost useless.

I wondered why Heo Yong-tae readily handed them over. It probably wasn’t just to tease him.

“… Well, it’s nothing special.”

Heo Yong-tae, who had been silent for a moment, did not deny it. He shrugged his shoulders once while still crossing his arms and continued speaking.

“Park Kwang-deok, that guy. I was a little worried because he seems to be hanging out with bad idiots these days. But when I saw Lee Si-hyuk, I thought he came to his senses a little bit. That’s the first reason, and the second is… .”

The tinker’s hand, which had been scratching his earlobe, quickly turned to someone.

He snatched the longsword from the waist of a passing strategist, along with its scabbard, and struck it with all his might toward the anvil next to the brazier where Sihyuk was sitting.

“Oops! My hand slipped!”

The long sword’s waist almost bent like a bow.

“No, fucking my longsword!! Ah! It’s the tinker hyung-!”

Heo Yong-tae stopped the screaming attack.

“Be loud, get it fixed and go to the gate, you motherfucker. I’ll pay half the repair cost.”

The skill with which he intercepted and finished off a weapon that had reached its limit of durability was vicious. However, the control of the force used to make repairs possible was exquisite.

“While I’m trying to catch these bastards who don’t even know how to [evaluate items] and don’t take care of their equipment, and who only know how to save money but not their lives, I’m going to have them fix it for me.”

“… … .”

Shihyuk nodded silently as he watched him kick the grumbling butt of the strategy series while telling them to go eat something while the equipment was being repaired since it was lunchtime.

It may be a little, no, a little extreme, but in reality it was an action for that person.

The state of the Awakened One’s longsword just now was quite dangerous. It was to the point where I wanted to ask why they didn’t manage it to this extent. Even though [Chakgapsa] was a low-grade gate and relatively safe, if they had confronted the monster head-on with that weapon, it would have been torn in two in an instant, causing great trouble.

“Experienced people who are somewhat familiar with the gate are more indifferent to safety than complete beginners. The third reason is, there it is. Look at it.”

Heo Yong-tae’s chin was pointed towards a specific stall.

Shihyuk’s gaze followed his head, and he saw a young craftsman taking out a mana crystal, his eyes sparkling and his mouth squeaking in the smoke from the stove.

“Isn’t it so bad?”

“… … .”

It’s a harsh assessment, but as Heo Yong-tae said, his skills weren’t that good.

I took it out too quickly. The crystals, which had not completely disappeared, were hanging out in the tongs, like pudding with marshmallows in them, with unmelted pieces here and there.

“It’s just that the number has decreased a lot, but it’s not like all the beginner craftsmen have disappeared. It’s frustrating to see a piece of shit sitting on the stove when it’s not even worth a damn. If it keeps up like that, it’s going to be a disaster. Will they be able to make a living like that? ”

The grumbling tinker poked Shihyuk with his finger.

“That’s why I wanted to see Lee Si-hyuk’s hammering and learn from that frustrating thing.”

“Are you talking about my hammering?”

“Yes, there is a limit to learning how to be a craftsman on your own. In places like [guilds], they select disciples and try to learn know-how by eye while acting as apprentices, but these days, most people are paid to teach. Those who are poor have to build their skills by starting from scratch. This can lead to bad habits and unnecessary trial and error.”

“… … .”

The tinker continued, frowning as he watched the novice craftsman hunching over in despair after hammering the hammer a few times.

“There are a lot of guys out there that need repairs, and there happens to be a craftsman with decent skills, so he’d be a good example to show off. That’s why I set the stage.”

“… I am not at a level where someone can look at me and learn.”

Heo Yong-tae slapped Shi-hyeok on the shoulder and giggled as if he had heard a funny joke.

“Don’t be so humble. When I shook your hand earlier, I saw that it wasn’t a hand that had been used once or twice. And it was really good.”

Was this the reason why he was touching the hand he was shaking? To gauge the level.

Sihyuk, who had been hit without even knowing it, awkwardly grabbed my hand. Although he had finally learned how to kill his presence, he didn’t know he would be perceived in this way.

Even though he could not figure out his exact skills, the tinker seemed to trust the unmistakable marks of a craftsman carved into the thick hands of Shihyuk that he held in his hands.

However, questions remained.

“There is no way to have the tinker repair everything one by one without having to use me, and have the craftsman take me as his disciple and teach me.”

A craftsman recognizes a craftsman. There was no way that Shihyuk could not have guessed Heo Yongtae’s skills.

I don’t know why he was called a tinker, but he was clearly a skilled man who was respected by others.

There was no reason to entrust the work to a blacksmith with no connections, repair the equipment of the worrisome strategy series, and teach apprentice craftsmen.

“I’m a mob.”

Heo Yong-tae lifted the sunglasses he was wearing.

“He’s already a half-dead craftsman.”

The pupils of his eyes, visible through the ugly, sunken eyes, had a cloudy light.

Bellerophon, who flew up to pursue a dream he could not achieve because of his pride, but fell.

These were the words of a blacksmith who had failed in his challenge.