“By the way, why are you calling?”

    It wasn’t that he didn’t like it. When he was about to become dark, Eunha always guided him to the bright light. He liked the girl’s voice, the consideration contained in it, and the liveliness. The girl was a milestone and a guide for him.

    I was just curious. It was rare, if not impossible, for Eunha to call him this late at night. She was a girl who would rather text than call, unless it was a quiet time.

    [Ah, I wanted to let Sihyuk hear Unnie Woojoo’s voice. That’s it, hehe. When I insisted that I share a room with Unnie, the doctor moved us into the same room!]

    “Ah, indeed.”

    Shihyuk remembered the morning phone call. Did Woojoo regain consciousness? He was glad to be considerate, but he was worried that it might be too much of a burden to a patient who had just regained consciousness. After all, there must be a lot of things that sisters want to talk about.

    “Hey, Galaxy. But, Woo Joo only woke up today, and there’s something to talk about between the two of you-”

    [Just a moment! I’ll change it for you!]

    Even though he tried to politely refuse, Eunha was stubborn. It was an unbecoming behavior for a girl who always thought of others first and was considerate.

    There was a sound of something talking from the other side, and a sound like they were arguing. The image of the sisters bickering came to mind, and a smile came to Si-hyuk’s lips without him knowing.

    There must be a reason. Eunha is innocent, but she is not the type to push things forward without a reason.

    [Sigh, you idiot. Go away! [Eek…] It’s me, Sihyuk. It’s been a while.]

    “It’s been a while. Are you feeling better?”

    [I’m okay… I guess it’s still too early to say that. It seems like there’s no place that doesn’t hurt. When I begged for a potion, or at least a painkiller, they gave me a thin potion instead of an IV pack. Thanks to that, I feel a little better.]

    He laughed bitterly at the voice of the universe pouring out its heartache, wondering if it wasn’t a joke that some Awakened people who couldn’t stand the pain were using [Berserk] in the hospital.

    “Don’t push yourself too hard. If it’s uncomfortable, it’s okay to stop now.”

    [No, no. I appreciate your kindness, Shihyuk, but I’ve been unconscious for a few days, so even though I’m tired, my mind is clear. Rather, I can’t sleep, so it’s better if we can at least talk like this.]

    Certainly, there was a hint of fatigue in his voice, but his pronunciation was clear and refreshing. It seemed to signal the smooth progress of the universe, so Shihyuk was secretly happy.

    [More than that, Sihyuk. Are you worried about something?]

    “… That,”

    This is another time where I feel like I’ve been caught off guard.

    [I think I know why Eunha insisted on handing over her phone. Shihyuk, your tone is the same as usual, but your voice is somewhat weak. I can tell, so how much more so, Eunha. Is there something going on?]

    “… … .”

    I thought deep down that I had covered it up well.

    The young wild flower seemed to have seen through the blacksmith’s thoughts. Sensing his intention to hide his worries, she did not pursue them further, and must have secretly expressed her worries through her older sister.

    [Eunha just left, saying she was going to the bathroom. Is this something you can’t tell me or Eunha about?]

    If you have worries that you can’t confide in yourself, it would be good if you could talk to someone else and get help.

    He felt that kind of intention from Eunha, who even gave up her seat. Shihyuk was grateful for the girl’s consideration for him and for thinking of him.

    “Fact-”

    But how should I explain it? Asura. Darkness. Mistake. Oath. It’s difficult to know where to begin, and even if I explained it, it wouldn’t solve anything, and if I’m not careful, the galaxy could end up in danger.

    “To gain experience, to learn more and grow. As the old man said, I want to meet and get to know many people instead of just focusing on work, but that doesn’t work out well.”

    So what he ended up confessing was something else. What. If you look at the importance of the work, it may have been a lower priority, but it was also an important concern for further growth.

    [Yeah, I think I get the gist of it. The point is that you’re having trouble making friends and that’s why you’re worried.]

    “… Yes.”

    The universe neatly summarized the story of Shihyuk – the efforts to meet, the depressing reality that nothing much changed despite many trials and errors – in one sentence.

    Even though it was true, I felt a bit uneasy.

    [Don’t worry too much. It’s a bit embarrassing for me to say this myself, but Shihyuk is a good person. He’s basically kind and upright. He’s also surprisingly considerate. The more you get to know him, the more you realize he’s a genuine person. He’s hard to approach, but once you do, everyone will recognize that.]

    “… Is that so?”

    He scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly ticklish and embarrassed at the honest compliments he heard from others.

    [If there’s a problem, it’s probably his appearance. It’s hard to approach him easily. To be honest, Shihyuk’s appearance isn’t that lively, right? He’s fine in person, but he doesn’t dress up at all. His fashion is dark and gloomy, and his demeanor feels a bit distant. He’s got a nice build, but he rarely expresses his emotions, so he’s kind of scary. It’s late to say this, but when I first saw Shihyuk, he acted tough, but I was actually a little scared. If I had met him alone in a back alley at night, I would have screamed and yelled, “Awakened!”]

    “… … I see.”

    The sharp criticism sunk deep into her tender heart. A series of ruthless, blunt remarks. Shi-hyeok’s rising mood subsided in an instant. It was not an ordinary high-level move to pick up and put down.

    The universe laughed quietly at the subdued answer. Oh, I didn’t mean to bother you.

    Perhaps it was because of the considerable amount of affection she had accumulated, but the voice in which he weakly nodded reminded her of a large, stray dog and she found it cute.

    Woo-joo, whose mouth was loose like a chatty aunt, continued talking.

    [Ahaha, did I speak too frankly? Um, sorry. But don’t worry too much about it. You can’t judge someone by their appearance, right? There are also girls who approach you gently like Eunha. [Sister, did you call?] No, can you stay a little further? [Hee-eeing…] And, I think Si-hyuk is taking fate too seriously.]

    [Think about it more comfortably. You have a wonderful way to get a meeting. Why, it’s what Sihyuk does best.]

    A flash of lightning flashed through his mind. What he was best at. What he was confident in, despite having nothing to brag about. Perhaps, what he had eaten more than a spoonful of rice in the past.

    hammer.

    “… Blacksmith, work.”

    [Yeah, that’s right. Don’t you often meet people in the same industry or people whose work is related to each other? You don’t have to meet people only by chance or in everyday life. If the intention is not bad, I think it’s okay to have a relationship that is formed with a clear purpose.]

    Indeed, Shihyuk was impressed by the simple and clear answer.

    It’s good to dig deep in one place, but sometimes it’s also important to look far and wide. He was thinking too hard because his thoughts were focused on one side.

    [And there are many places where you can have such encounters.]

    “! Is there anything, a good place?”

    [Gate. From what you say, Sihyuk. You haven’t been there much, have you? Not only the attack-type Awakened ones, but also the production-type ones come and go quite actively near that entrance.]

    Gate. Shihyuk scratched his chin. Embarrassingly, he had never been there.

    [Daon Hammer] Even during his days, his teacher would scold him to go around and gain experience, or at least go out and have fun… But he was so focused on making equipment that he would just stay locked up in his workshop and not come out.

    There is a way like that. Foolishly, my heart is pounding a little now.

    [In cases like by-products or quick disposal of spoils, it is often resolved on the spot rather than at the auction house. Above all, when equipment needs simple maintenance or minor repairs, the help of street craftsmen is often sought. Although the fee is higher. In any case, isn’t it a good place to start a relationship?]

    “That’s great. It helped me a lot.”

    Shihyuk reflected. In the past, he had just blindly followed the words of the old man, just like he had hit the hammer, but the craftsman was unable to think broadly. He was still very immature.

    If you want to see a tree, you have to go to the forest. If you want to catch a fish, you have to go to the sea. So if you want to meet people, if you want to make equipment, you have to go to the people who need it.

    “Thank you very much.”

    [What, it wasn’t that big of a deal.]

    The universe gave a muffled voice at his sincere gratitude.

    [Rather, I should be the one thanking you, Sihyuk. I can’t count the number of times I almost died, but was saved thanks to the [fruit] you helped me achieve.]

    It really was.

    The universe has survived time and again thanks to the power of the dagger that Shihyuk created.

    In the beast’s tentacles, if it weren’t for [Re-leap], I would have been cut off from the waist and died right away. No, if it weren’t for the explosive increase in percentage ability before that, I wouldn’t have been able to endure it.

    And the last moment.

    When [Neulhaerang] threw the universe and galaxy behind her, and desperately hid the galaxy behind her to save at least her younger sister – thanks to [Fruit], the universe was barely able to save its life.

    [Restart – When moving forward, ignore 5% of damage taken.]

    In that crisis, an effect that would have been impossible originally was forcibly activated. Was it because he became a shield for the galaxy? Was it because he was hit before his precious younger brother?

    Well, it was just luck, and something about [Restart]’s judgment being quite flexible didn’t seem right to me. It was a strange thing.

    [Fruit] must have understood the master’s heart and was impressed by it, so she gave it strength – others might think it was stupid, but the universe was sure of that thought.

    [Thank you so much, Sihyuk. Your [fruit] saved me and the galaxy.]

    “… No. Just, thank you for surviving. I am more grateful.”

    Shihyuk smiled slightly at the heartwarming gratitude. The equipment I made was of great help to someone. As a craftsman, there is nothing more joyful than this.

    Woo-joo, who seemed embarrassed after saying that, cleared his throat slightly and changed the subject.

    [By the way, Mr. Sihyuk. Are you just going to meet someone?]

    “? Yes, that’s right.”

    [Ahaha, I also thought that, just like how Mr. Shihyuk readily made extraordinary treasures like [Wildflowers], he was going to make equipment for others.]

    “… .”

    [Oh, that’s not a bad thing at all. It’s a good thing because it helps other people a lot just like we did, and it’s also a good thing for Shihyuk.]

    “… Hmm.”

    [But if you hand over such a treasure to someone else in front of other people, there will really be chaos, right?]

    “!!”

    [Mr. Sihyuk? Why aren’t you answering all of a sudden?]

    “… .”

    [Hey, you weren’t planning on making something up on the spot if you met a good person, were you?]

    “… … .”

    I had a rough idea that my equipment was superior to the items made by other craftsmen, but because I didn’t have [Item Appraisal] or [Status Window], I didn’t really realize how much of a problem it would cause in the world.

    Because of that, Shihyuk didn’t really realize how ridiculous a craftsman he was. To be honest, he had forgotten.

    [… No?]

    “… … … .”

    He never answered that question.

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