Writer Lim spoke.
“P, PD, the number of viewers is continuously increasing. As soon as his face appeared on the live broadcast screen, the numbers quickly went up.”
“How much did it increase?”
“About 200 people tuned in just within a minute.”
Producer Kim Min-woo was surprised.
An influx of 200 viewers in just a minute was unprecedented.
“We’ve only been seeing declines so far.”
Producer Kim Min-woo knew a fact too.
Their program’s interview segment was called ‘The Room of Truth’ by viewers.
It was named so because most people, who expected to see something impressive, often revealed their less admirable true selves.
Now, if a new guest seemed just ordinary, some viewers would immediately turn off the show as a joke.
Hence, the viewership often dropped by hundreds just a minute into the show.
‘Who would have thought that Crazy Rookie looked so handsome.’
Kim Min-woo murmured in admiration.
Standing in the illuminated space, Crazy Rookie was quite tall, nearly 184cm.
He was dressed in a neat suit, and his hair was stylishly waxed up.
The virtual styling space was quite unique.
Enter the desired styling, and in just a second, the outfit or hairstyle changes.
It’s an easy place to find the most fitting clothes and hair for oneself.
“If Blacksmith Hyun had also appeared, it would have been even more impactful.”
“Blacksmith Hyun, you know the rumors.”
“Yeah.”
The current live broadcast title was ‘Crazy Rookie with a Weapon Made by Hyun.’
Regrettably, the external rumors about Blacksmith Hyun were not very favorable.
“The basic one is a fat man in his 50s, or he’s too short. Or he’s a real-life dwarf. You hear a lot of that.”
“It’s the image Hyun created, so it can’t be helped.”
Blacksmith Hyun was maintaining a sense of mystery.
People, curious about this mystery, inevitably created various rumors.
Especially since he never showed his face, most guessed he was unattractive, accounting for over 90% of the speculation.
‘If he had that face, that would truly be a cheat character.’
Producer Kim Min-woo smirked wryly.
In fact, both Crazy Rookie and Blacksmith Hyun were hot topics, but Hyun was overwhelmingly more popular.
If Hyun was a 7, Crazy Rookie was a 3.
Although Crazy Rookie was an impressive user, Blacksmith Hyun, being a blacksmith, had his fame continuously spreading.
‘Did he make the Sword of King Barad? That explains it.’
Kim Min-woo watched Crazy Rookie standing still, then regained his focus.
“PD, you should proceed with the interview.”
“Ah, right.”
Lately, AJ Broadcasting Company had a very small budget, so they couldn’t afford an MC.
Therefore, Kim PD himself approached to interview him.
***
After completing his self-styling in the styling space, Hyun-soo was quite nervous.
He wasn’t naturally inclined to appear in front of the public, so it was accurate to say he was somewhat frozen.
Soon, the PD approached.
“Let’s proceed with the interview. But first, could you look at the screen in front?”
Hyun-soo could see the chat window floating prominently in front of him.
-So handsome……
-Came here to feel good, now I feel depressed, this is a depression-inducing broadcast, he’s damn handsome, f**k……
“The reaction is good.”
Hyun-soo watched as the number of viewers continued to increase.
“I have a few questions for the interview, how old are you?”
“23 years old.”
“Ah, the prime age. Recently, you’ve been called Crazy Rookie, do you know why?”
“Yes, I believe it’s because I won the Super Rookie competition.”
“I saw the video too, it was really impressive even though it was pixelated?”
“Thank you.”
Kim PD was surprised how smoothly he was leading the interview.
What pleased him more was the evident importance the guest placed on manners.
‘Handsome face, talented, and polite. Incredible.’
The chat window was getting hotter too.
-If it’s this Crazy Rookie, I can give him my heart, will you go crazy for me?
-Lol, so funny.
-Sitting upright during the interview, too cute.
-I see sweat on his forehead. Want to wipe it off. Lick.
-Licker, get kicked out.
-Licker has donated 20,000 won.
“You have your first donation during the interview. 20,000 won.”
“There are donations too?”
-Doesn’t know anything?
-You gotta break it to taste it, lol.
-Lick, lick.
-Licker has donated another 20,000 won.
-This guy, donating every time he licks, lol.
“Yes, all donations, after deducting a fee, go to the guest since we’re an internet broadcast.”
“Ah, that’s great.”
Producer Kim Daekook glanced at the viewer count, noticing Hyun-soo’s smile.
‘10,000 viewers?’
For just an interview, they had already reached 10,000 viewers.
‘Maybe it’s all about looks?’
Producer Kim continued with his questions.
“What’s your profession?”
“For now, I’m focused on gaming.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?”
“I wish I did.”
This was just for the show’s promo, not that important.
AJ Broadcasting Company didn’t delve deep into personal matters, especially occupations, as they were sensitive to their audience.
Then the conversation about Crazy Rookie concluded.
“Crazy Rookie, you’re answering questions on behalf of Blacksmith Hyun, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
That’s when it happened.
-Blacksmith Hyun has donated 100,000 won.
“Oh, looks like Blacksmith Hyun is watching.”
“Seems so.”
Hyun-soo noticed something.
‘Nel?’
Nel was clever. He was laying the groundwork to dispel suspicions.
-Isn’t this the first time Blacksmith Hyun has shown up in public?
-So what did he reveal? Lol
-Can you make me an artifact, please?
-What’s the grade of King Barad’s sword?
Seizing the moment, Producer Kim asked a trending question.
“Hyun, you’re watching, right? Can you share info about the sword you made for King Barad?”
He then glanced at Hyun-soo, who deliberately answered after a 10-second delay.
“Ah, just got a message. If viewers exceed 150,000 during the live broadcast, Hyun’s Forge will be open.”
-That means no, lol.
-Last time we hit 150,000 viewers was two years ago…
“That’s what he said?”
Producer Kim, receiving Hyun-soo’s wry smile, continued, “Maybe we can reach it with our best effort…?”
“Right, maybe.”
Producer Kim then posed more detailed questions to Hyun than to Crazy Rookie.
“What’s your job?”
“I’m a blacksmith.”
“Ah, of course. Your level?”
“That’s a secret.”
“Where do you live?”
“In Seoul.”
“How old are you?”
“That’s a secret.”
“How tall are you?”
“That’s a secret.”
Producer Kim looked puzzled.
‘This is tricky…’
-Isn’t that too secretive?
-Is he really an old man? Lol
-How old? Fifty. How tall? 150cm. Probably why he’s so secretive. Lol
Hyun-soo thought about these questions. Too much mystery could damage Hyun’s image.
He decided on one thing.
“He says he’ll prove it with his creations.”
“With his creations?”
-Whoa, confidence…
-Wow…
-Exactly, who cares about the blacksmith’s face! It’s all about the creations.
-Right, right. Who cares who Hyun is! A blacksmith is defined by their work.
And Producer Kim was impressed.
‘Wrapped it up in one sentence.’
Blacksmith Hyun, responding to the discontent with promises of proving himself through his creations, had raised expectations.
The anticipation was immense.
Producer Kim then concluded the interview.
“Crazy Rookie and Hyun will be taking on the Time Attack Dungeon.”
Time Attack Dungeon.
A dungeon that must be cleared within a set time, with records being updated for faster completions than others. It’s a staple content of AJ Internet Broadcasting.
“You have 10 days. Hyun, you’ll need to create 3 artifacts during this time.”
-3 in 10 days? Wow…
-That’s tight, lol.
-Even top blacksmiths would struggle to make 3 in 10 days at regular grade.
Certainly, Producer Kim’s demand was quite challenging.
For average blacksmiths, a quick crafting skill was essential.
However, speeding up the crafting process reduces the chances of producing higher-grade artifacts.
It typically takes 4 days for average blacksmiths to craft an artifact, considering rest after crafting.
-Hyun’s overconfidence might backfire LOL
-Artisans don’t blame their tools, but they do blame time, lol.
-If he crafts one every 3 days, he’ll end up with all regular grades.
Hyun-soo was already familiar with the Time Attack Dungeon.
“He says he’ll give it a try.”
“Then, in 10 days…”
At that moment…
-Blacksmith Rowen has donated 500,000 won.
-???
-Second in the blacksmith rankings?
-Seriously, Rowen?
-Isn’t he the top guild master in our country?
-Wow, one of the three top artisans!
This was due to the sudden appearance of Rowen, the second-ranked blacksmith and guild master of the top-ranked guild.
Soon the chatroom quieted down as if on cue.
-May I set a mission?
Hyun-soo looked at the chat. Producer Kim swallowed nervously, watching him.
Then, after a 10-second pause, Hyun-soo answered.
“Yes, he says.”
-If a rare artifact is produced within 10 days, I’ll donate 1 million won, 3 million for an epic, and 10 million for a unique.
“?”
It was a bold offer. Hyun-soo was surprised by the amount.
“Why such a large amount?”
Soon, Rowen’s message appeared in the chat.
***
Black Anvil Forge.
Top blacksmith guild in Korea.
Number one in forge subscribers.
Rowen gazed at the monitor with a dry, unemotional look.
“I set the challenge because it’s not an easy task.”
Black Anvil has access to data not publicly disclosed by Blue Inc.
Creating three artifacts in ten days is doable.
The problem is that it tires out the character.
Continuous auto-crafting decreases the grade of the artifacts over time.
And he must craft one every three days.
Rushing like that usually results in artifacts 10% lower in grade and effectiveness.
‘The second consecutive creation drops by 25%.’
The grade and effectiveness of subsequent artifacts might drop as much as 45%.
‘Why is he boosting like this?’
Rowen knew.
So far, Hyun had spaced out his auction items over a long period.
Meaning, he focused on crafting quality artifacts and selling only those.
Then he raised his reputation with his mysterious persona.
Of course, it wasn’t Rowen’s place to interfere.
But a decision needed to be made.
‘Blacksmith Hyun. Should I recruit him? And for how much?’
He knows Hyun is already receiving offers in the billion range.
Rowen decided to watch the broadcast and judge for himself.
‘I’m a master-level blacksmith.’
The first, third, and himself – these three were the only ones called master craftsmen, and their actual blacksmithing level was also at the master level.
‘Even I would struggle to produce anything above rare under those conditions.’
The damn system is the problem.
‘There’s no way anyone better than us exists, so it won’t happen.’
But there’s still hope even if the grade is low.
‘If the effect is good relative to its grade…’
The real reason he set this mission on the broadcast was to gauge his value.
‘How much should Black Anvil offer him?’
He would only call out the fair price.
There was nothing more for himself.
After all, Black Anvil’s reputation was high.
Rowen typed in the chat.
-I have high expectations for you, Hyun. But there’s a condition. If you don’t create an epic, can you reveal the information about King Barad’s sword?
This is assumed to be epic.
‘He’s deliberately not revealing it.’
Hyun is cunning. People must be guessing it’s unique. But if it’s unique, that’s an incredible achievement.
Keeping it hidden must have a reason.
Better to pretend it’s unique than reveal it’s just epic.
Then Hyun, through Crazy Rookie, responded.
“He agrees.”
Rowen was excited.
“How much should I offer you?”
His value was of interest.
It didn’t matter how much. Rowen had always bought out all blacksmiths with money.
Cliche Novel 
💵💲💰 Thanks for the chapter!!
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Time to cash in some money
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