Strike 37

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Knight Commander Karl.

Before becoming the commander, he was a local born and raised in the Cassel territory.

After the Bell of Ramas broke, the undead attacks intensified.

As the commander of Cassel territory, he quickly grasped the severity of the situation.

“We will soon fall…”

The Prime Kingdom is a nation at war.

A small border territory like this won’t receive any reinforcements.

The route here is too perilous for troops, and their lord himself is in despair.

“Find any means possible.”

That was the lord’s order, but Karl saw no way out.

At that moment, a foreigner named Hyun-soo infused a sword with holy power.

Karl humbly asked for Hyun-soo’s help.

Before Hyun-soo could reply, Karl spoke up.

“If you repair the Bell of Ramas, our lord will reward you handsomely. At least 30,000 gold.”

“30,000 gold?”

Hyun-soo’s eyes sparkled.

30,000 gold, an enormous sum.

About 30 million won in Korean currency.

A thought flashed through his mind.

‘My father’s forge…’

He never forgot it.

Hyun-soo grew up in that forge, and the day they had to sell it haunted him.

He sold it to protect his father, cursing his own weakness. Real estate tycoon Kang Hyuk-soo had made a promise then.

‘If it’s before construction, I’ll give it back anytime.’

Hyun-soo clenched his fist.

‘The land where the forge stood is worth 330 million.’

Selling the forge, Hyun-soo learned about real estate transactions.

‘I’m not sure if construction has started, but this could stop it.’

Real estate deals usually require a 10% deposit, then 90% at a later date.

Hyun-soo now had two months without worrying about his father’s medical bills or his own treatment.

‘Repairing this bell could buy time to reclaim my father’s forge.’

Yet, Hyun-soo also remembered what Dang had told him.

‘Maybe, if I do a good job, I could get the minerals the lord has?’

Karl’s face lit up.

“Well, if you manage the repair, our lord might consider giving you those minerals. How about it, will you take on the challenge!?”

Ding!

[Quest: Repair the Bell of Ramas]

Grade: A

Requirement: Accept Karl’s offer

Reward: 30,000 gold.

Failure Penalty: Decreased affinity with Karl.

Objective: Repair the Bell of Ramas.

Hyun-soo agreed.

“I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”

Karl nodded, a look of hope on his face.

Then he added thoughtfully.

“Ah, do you know of the Golden Shield Guild?”

“The Golden Shield?”

It was a familiar name to Hyun-soo; they had bought his first sword for a hefty price.

“Yes, I know of them.”

“They took a crafting request from us, though the lady who took it said it would be difficult.”

Hyun-soo understood why Karl mentioned it.

“She seemed doubtful she could do it.”

It was a matter of double quests. Karl seemed apologetic for making such a proposition to her.

“You shouldn’t worry about it.”

Hyun-soo nodded. It was irrelevant to him.

Hyun-soo smirked.

“Unfortunately, I won’t be able to check the bell until tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“I’m too tired.”

“Ah…”

Commander Karl, like a puppy in need, understood Hyun-soo’s exhaustion.

“Understood.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

In reality, Hyun-soo was very tired. If the repair was possible, it would be best undertaken in top condition for Karl’s sake.

[You have logged out.]

“Ugh…!”

Exiting the capsule, Hyun-soo stretched mightily.

He got out of bed, craving a beer, and fetched one from the fridge.

Pssht-

Gulp gulp-

“Ah…!”

The cool refreshment soothed his throat.

Beer in hand, Hyun-soo sat at his computer.

“The Golden Shield Guild…”

The conversation with Karl piqued his curiosity. He logged onto the auction site.

[Hyun’s Forge Subscribers: 35,415.]

The subscribers were slowly but steadily increasing. He looked at his inbox.

[Unread Messages: 999+]

“…?”

Having neglected his messages for so long, they had piled up to about 1,100. He searched for “Golden Shield” in the inbox.

There were messages from Rune, the master of the Golden Shield Guild.

[Hello, Hyun? The weather today is really… ]

[Hyun! I’d like to revisit our earlier contract talk. Offering 300 million won for a one-year deal… ]

[Hyun, if you have any conditions, please let me know. I’ll leave my personal number: 010… ]

Master Rune was persistent.

This could be comparable to courting a loved one.

But Hyun-soo still had no intention of joining the Golden Shield Guild.

“Actually, I’m glad.”

He smiled as he scrolled through similar messages.

His decision not to join was vindicated.

When Rune initially offered 200 million won a month earlier, Hyun-soo wavered.

But now, the offer had increased by 50%.

Hyun-soo was confident his value would continue to rise.

‘Of course, signing now would easily reclaim my father’s forge.’

But Hyun-soo wouldn’t undersell anything, whether it was weapons or himself.

He knew his worth better than anyone. Hyun-soo jumped into bed, ready for sleep.

***

Ares Changed the World.

No one can deny this.

A game enjoyed by 2.5 billion people worldwide, its immense impact led to the corporatization of its users.

A prime example was the Blacksmith Guilds.

In a world where in-game purchases were legal, these guilds turned into corporations by buying and selling artifacts.

The same was true for the Golden Shield Guild.

Mun-su, the master and representative of the Golden Shield Guild, heard a resolute voice.

“We cannot approve this.”

“Team Leader Kim, you know as well as I do. Even if others don’t, Blacksmith Hyun is the hottest name among the blacksmith guilds right now.”

“Offering 500 million a year? Sir, for a user whose identity is still unknown?”

In the Golden Shield corporate meeting room.

Their conversation revolved around the signing fee for Blacksmith Hyun.

Mun-su had heard rumors.

The rumor was that the top-ranked blacksmith guild offered 400 million. Other executives supported Mun-su.

“Team Leader Kim, Blacksmith Hyun’s first custom-made sword sold for 50 million!”

“Maybe bringing Blacksmith Hyun on board could rapidly elevate our guild!”

Despite their words, Hye-in remained unmoved, and she had her reasons.

“Remember when we brought in Blacksmith Kay, only to find out the artifact was actually made by another blacksmith nearby? wasn’t it?”

“Cough cough…”

“Ahem!”

“Last time, we brought someone on board, and they just took the signing fee, didn’t make any artifacts, and went on a vacation after winning the lottery, right? And then there was the time before that… and this time… and the next…”

She sighed and ruffled her hair.

“Do you know how hard it was for me to clean up those messes?”

Everyone fell silent.

There was a reason why a mere team leader could raise her voice like this.

Young but recognized for her talent, she was an elite.

Her origin might be unknown, but she excelled in all fields.

The Golden Shield had faced many shaking events.

And it was Hye-in who had resolved them all. Despite such incidents, she had grown the Golden Shield.

A member from the start and the most capable talent.

She said, “There are too many rumors about Blacksmith Hyun. What’s important is that nothing has been confirmed. You all know that.”

Rumors that Hyun had mastered all blacksmithing fields.

Rumors of him having a consumable skill allowing him to create such items temporarily, making him unreliable.

“I won’t believe it until I see it with my own eyes.”

Hye-in needed certainty about how Blacksmith Hyun could create such artifacts.

Was it a one-time thing, or was it permanent?

Mun-su sighed in response.

“Alright, I’ll think about it more deeply.”

Hye-in stood up.

She headed straight to the company’s prepared capsule.

‘If only I could be sure of his abilities, I might have agreed.’

But she thought it was too soon.

Hyun hadn’t been around for long, and she was curious too.

‘What kind of person is he? How old could he be?’

With so many stories around, she couldn’t help but be curious.

[Connecting to Ares.]

Nel opened her eyes in Ares, sighing. She found herself in the Cassel territory.

She brushed back her hair.

Her expression was laden with guilt.

She was a high-level blacksmith and a user who had taken a request from Knight Commander Karl to make a bell similar to the Bell of Ramas.

‘I’ve failed, it’s impossible.’

She had never even attempted such a repair.

‘Repairing an irreparable artifact isn’t outlined anywhere, and auto-repair doesn’t work either.’

That’s why she tried to create it, but ultimately failed.

The Bell of Ramas was of epic grade.

But the value of a wide-ranging application artifact was beyond imagination, and currently, the Golden Shield didn’t possess such an item.

She walked to meet Knight Commander Karl.

Karl noticed her and looked intrigued.

“Ah, you’ve arrived. How did it go?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Nel was usually decisive, both in reality and in virtual reality.

But not when it came to matters related to the Cassel territory.

This was likely because Cassel territory was the first place she visited after starting Ares.

Additionally, she had a love-hate relationship with this place, feeling a particular attachment to it.

Karl consoled her.

“It’s alright. Another outsider has come. He might be able to repair it.”

“What? Someone said they could repair it…?”

Her face crumpled. Such a thing seemed utterly impossible.

“To be precise, he said he would check if it’s repairable and do his best. Somehow, I think he might manage it. Thank you for trying.”

Karl then hurried off.

Nel’s brows furrowed.

‘Impossible, it can’t be…’

In her understanding, it was undoubtedly a difficult task.

‘Could it be?’

A scammer? But she reserved judgment.

The person could be a high-level user with a special class she was unaware of.

Soon, she spotted the user standing in front of the Bell of Ramas.

The user’s level appeared before her eyes.

[Lv.40]

“…?”

The level check was an automatic result of a special title she possessed.

She was convinced.

‘A scammer…’

Many had tried to exploit the Cassel territory for profit.

‘It’s obvious.’

She walked briskly, her breath quickening.

‘This territory might disappear from the map soon.’

She despised those who sought to profit from such a place.

‘Time to see this scammer’s face…!’

Nel believed in physiognomy. Most who had caused significant harm to the Golden Shield Guild had untrustworthy appearances.

“Excuse me!”

“…Yes?”

Seeing his face, Nel was surprised.

‘Why does he look so… handsome?’

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