Baron Vans received the hornbow from Hyun-soo and stroked its frame.
“It’s just as it was…”
It looked exactly like the bow his father had once held.
Though it seemed to have lost its signs of use, that was unavoidable.
This hornbow was indeed as he remembered.
In this world, NPCs could verify the properties of artifacts, thanks to the mystical powers of Ares.
Baron Vans, with a trembling expression, examined the archer’s hornbow.
(Archer’s Hornbow)
Grade: Epic
Durability: 3,500/3,500
Attack Power: 253
Requirement: Level 80 and above
Special Abilities:
· Agility increase by 0.9%.
· Accuracy increase by 22%.
· Bow attack speed increase by 17%.
· Bow Mastery +1
· Passive skill: Wind-like Archery.
· Active skill: Triple Shot.
Description: The archer’s hornbow, intricately and superbly remade, surpassing its original creator.
“Good heavens!”
Baron Vans gasped in amazement.
At first glance, it seemed like a successful restoration.
But this was more than just restoration; it was an upgrade.
“How is this even possible…?”
His father’s heirloom was not just restored but elevated to a higher grade!
“Though it’s not a perfect restoration, you’ll be satisfied, right?” said Hyun-soo, with a wry smile.
Yes, a perfect restoration would have meant an exact replica.
Baron Vans chuckled.
“Improving my father’s heirloom, thank you. I’m grateful!”
Who wouldn’t be pleased with an upgrade?
‘I wanted an exact replica!’
But realistically, no one would complain in such a situation.
Baron Vans embraced the newly recreated archer’s hornbow.
“I won’t lose it again…”
His expression showed how precious the bow was to him.
For Hyun-soo, the restoration had been a fulfilling task.
It had taken about 40 days, though in game time, that was roughly 13 days in reality.
‘I’ve gained a lot from this.’
40 days of repetition had honed his skills, adding around 80 to his dexterity, and steadily increasing his strength and stamina.
Hyun-soo knew the biggest weakness of blacksmiths.
‘They can’t procure their own materials.’
Blacksmiths, by nature of their profession, only repeat the cycle of crafting and selling, using the proceeds to buy materials and craft again. Therefore, they often lag behind other players in terms of level.
However, if one starts in the beginner’s zone like Hyun-soo, the stat difference with other players would steadily grow.
Moreover, unlike other blacksmiths who lacked combat skills, Hyun-soo could be self-sufficient in gathering materials.
He checked his newly acquired title.
(The Restorer Beyond Limits)
Multiple Titles
Grade: A
Special Abilities:
· 18% increased chance of creating a superior-grade artifact during restoration.
· 3% increased chance of creating a superior artifact during crafting.
This was a multiple title.
Already obtained by several individuals.
The condition for achieving ‘The Restorer Beyond Limits’ seemed to be not just restoration but upgrading the grade.
But Hyun-soo wasn’t particularly disappointed.
‘No one at my level has this title.’
Then came the notification of the quest completion.
[Linked Quest: Restoration of the Archer’s Hornbow Completed.]
[You have completed the quest with extraordinary success.]
Baron Vans smiled at Hyun-soo.
“I can’t just stand by after receiving such a valuable gift.”
The artifact’s grade upgrade was immensely valuable.
Baron Vans had a soldier bring in some money.
[You have received 1,000 gold.]
The original reward was 500 gold!
The reward doubled!
And that wasn’t all.
Ordinary blacksmiths usually lack any substantial combat skills.
But Baron Vans was now imparting his swordsmanship to Hyun-soo.
After placing the bow aside, Baron Vans picked up a sword.
“How much longer do you plan to stay here?”
“I think I’ll stay for another month.”
Now Hyun-soo had to craft his own bow with the remaining materials and also repair the ancient, rusted armor of the Light lord.
“The Prime family’s swordsmanship you’ve been learning is just a watered-down version for the direct descendants. How about I teach you the real Prime swordsmanship, exclusive to the direct line?”
Ding!
[Baron Vans offers to train you in a more advanced level of Prime swordsmanship.]
[Your current training progress will be deleted.]
[The more advanced Prime swordsmanship is of Epic grade.]
Baron Vans smiled slightly.
He wanted to teach the direct family’s swordsmanship, much like how Hyun-soo upgraded the Archer’s Hornbow, as a valuable gift in return.
“It won’t be easy, just as you faced limitations while crafting the artifact. It’s going to be tough for your body to adapt.”
“I’ll do my best to learn.”
Thus began the training in the more advanced swordsmanship.
Certainly, the level of swordsmanship Hyun-soo was trying to master was challenging, and his progress was slow.
He dedicated five hours each day to sword training, spending the rest of his time crafting bow and restoring armor.
In the flow of time, Baron Vans was sincerely impressed.
‘What are you exactly…?’
He didn’t just teach three simple sword movements. He covered the basics, understanding, application, cutting, thrusting, and blocking techniques.
It wasn’t just about teaching skills; it was to prepare Hyun-soo for the outside world.
And Baron Vans was grateful.
In his mind, he still had the image of Hyun-soo tirelessly working day and night to restore his father’s heirloom.
And among those memories, the ‘genius blacksmith’ stood out vividly.
But now, his perception was changing.
‘Why doesn’t he get tired?’
He never seemed to tire.
He learned his sword skills for five straight hours.
‘Why does he learn so quickly?’
He was like a sponge.
Teach him one thing, and he’d learn two, sometimes even applying them creatively.
‘Why does he make me feel so anxious?’
It was incomprehensible.
The young man he knew as just a genius blacksmith had exceeded all his expectations.
He was a genius not only in blacksmithing but also in his dedication and effort.
Just like how he meticulously crafted and refined the bow over 40 days.
That’s how he became a genius blacksmith.
While Baron Vans was exhausted after the sword training and needed a break, Hyun-soo would return to the forge to continue his work.
And on the last day.
Hyun-soo heard a notification.
[You have achieved 100% proficiency.]
[You have mastered Prime Swordsmanship.]
Shortly after, his bow making was also complete.
Ding!
[You have created an unbelievable bow in the beginner’s zone.]
[The grade is being assessed.]
[It is of Rare quality.]
[Please name the bow.]
Hyun-soo had made two bows in a short time. This was possible because, while restoring the archer’s hornbow, he had also been gathering materials for the other bow.
Baron Vans seemed impressed when he glanced at him, readily accepting the bows.
One, as the notification indicated, turned out to be a Rare artifact.
Ding!
[An extraordinary bow of a caliber that may never again be seen in the beginner’s zone has been created.]
[The grade is being assessed.]
[It is of Epic quality.]
[Please name the bow.]
The other was thus an Epic grade bow.
Hyun-soo decided not to name the bow he would use after himself, ‘Hyun.’
[You have named the bow as Hyun’s Second Bow.]
He planned to sell this Rare bow.
And for the second bow of Epic grade.
[You have named the bow as the Buffalo Horn Bow.]
He intended to use the Buffalo Horn Bow regularly.
Hyun-soo opened the auction board hologram.
‘It’s been a while.’
He noticed his subscriber count had slightly increased.
[347 subscribers to Hyun’s Forge.]
He started writing about the second auction item.
[Hyun’s Second Bow.]
Description: Unfortunately, there’s a level restriction again. But it seems very useful relative to its level.
As he finished writing, a notification popped up.
[Please set a starting bid for the auction.]
Hyun-soo realized he had made a mistake in the previous auction.
It had been set to ‘automatic auction’, a system where the sale completes automatically if bids reach nearly ten times the initial price.
Normally, the auction should run for a set time, with the highest bid at the end determining the sale.
The time can be set from a minimum of one hour to a maximum of three days.
He chose 24 hours this time.
Pausing for a moment at the starting bid, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.
‘This one is of the same grade as the previous, but its performance and materials are much better.’
He realized that the high final bid in the last auction had been for show.
Nevertheless, this auction’s starting bid was significantly higher than the last.
[Starting the auction at 500 gold.]
Five times higher than the previous starting bid.
But Hyun-soo was confident.
‘This artifact is much better than the last one.’
***
Master Rune of the Golden Hammer Guild ranked 12th among South Korean blacksmiths and 87th overall – a notable ranker in the scene.
While browsing the auction board, Rune’s curiosity was piqued by a particular user’s forge and he decided to check it out.
[Hyun’s Forge.]
It had been well over 20 days since the first auction item from Hyun’s Forge was listed.
At the time, blacksmith Rune had been skeptical, annoyed by his deputy guild master’s fuss over an item for levels 1-50.
‘Why the big deal over a low-level auction item?’
But his opinion changed once he saw the information his deputy had sent him.
Rune had immediately ordered a bid on the artifact, which he eventually acquired.
He took out ‘Hyun’s First Sword’ from his inventory.
A beginner’s zone sword he’d bought for a million won – quite an expensive purchase.
Holding the sword, Rune used his top-tier blacksmith skills to recheck its composition.
[Lowest-grade iron ore from the beginner’s zone]
It still amazed him, a truly special artifact.
Generally, two things determine the high grade of an artifact: exceptional materials that surpass standard grades, and the blacksmith’s skills and level.
But what was astonishing about this ‘Hyun’s First Sword’ was that it seemed to deviate from both norms.
‘If it’s made from the lowest-grade iron ore in the beginner’s zone, does that mean it was crafted by a level 1 user…?’
How was this sword made?
Moreover, in the blacksmith’s community forum, where posts could be left, he saw various comments.
[Is this the place? The forge where Golden Hammer Guild was duped into buying a sword, lol.]
[What was Rune thinking buying this? Just give me the money instead!]
Rune couldn’t help but smirk bitterly.
‘Look at these comments.’
Some were clearly written in jest, while others were not.
He noticed some rival blacksmith guilds intentionally downplaying Hyun’s Forge.
Then, one comment caught his eye.
[Just guessing here. Maybe this user got a special chance at level 1 and obtained an Epic or Legendary class?]
Among the crowd, there were those who weren’t just stirring up trouble.
Rune agreed with this sentiment.
It sounded far-fetched, but there had been many such precedents.
Players who met named NPCs at the start of the game and gained special powers!
This seemed quite plausible.
‘If that’s the case, I should pay more attention.’
If he could recruit this player or sign an exclusive contract, they could be a tremendous asset to the guild.
But there was also this perspective.
[Ah, folks, don’t overestimate. It’s clear. A named NPC probably just showed how to make the sword and helped make it once.]
This too was a possible scenario.
Its credibility was bolstered by the fact that no auction items had been listed for over 20 days.
That could mean there were no worthy items to sell, or perhaps the skills weren’t there to produce them.
‘Is this just a flash in the pan?’
Feeling disappointed, Rune was about to close the auction board when suddenly…
[Hyun’s Forge has started an auction for ‘Hyun’s Second Bow.’]
“…!?”
Was it exceptional or not?
The second auction item appeared, ready to prove its worth.
Cliche Novel 