Strike 83

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Hyun-soo received information about the person Nel had selected.

There, the name ‘Dragon Knight Lisel’ was written.

“Dragon Knight Lisel is level 323 and ranks 21st in our country’s official ranking, a high-ranking individual.”

Hyun-soo stroked his chin.

Being 21st with a special job class, he must be truly formidable.

“He is currently not affiliated with any guild and has revealed his official ranking, but not his face.”

“So people know the name Dragon Knight, but not many would recognize him on sight?”

“That’s correct.”

“What kind of artifact is this person looking for?”

“An artifact imbued with a dragon.”

“A dragon?”

Hyun-soo looked puzzled.

An artifact imbued with a dragon, just like that?

Nel showed him the note.

[Hello, Blacksmith Hyun. I would like to request a commission. I am looking for an artifact imbued with a dragon. It doesn’t need to have any special abilities. Just having a dragon would be enough. I would really appreciate it if you could contact me.]

[Hello, Hyun?]

[Hello……]

[Hello^^]

[I am in a bit of a hurry, Hyun.]

[Hyun?]

[Hyun……]

[……]

The content shown by Nel confirmed it.

Dragon Knight Lisel was indeed only asking for a dragon to be imbued in it.

“Why do you think that is?”

“Seeing a dragon could even awaken a job class. Just like Mr. Bark who switched to a new job.”

That was a reasonable point.

But Hyun-soo shook his head.

“That seems too desperate, though?”

“…That is true.”

Nel had already gathered some basic information about him.

“The top information guild, Limoon, or even the blacksmith rankers, summoner rankers, even the sculptors, all were approached to show him a dragon. I too wondered if his desperation was merely for a job reason.”

Hyun-soo nodded thoughtfully.

But then, Nel suggested they turn the page.

“However, he’s just one of the candidates. There’s also Ian, the top-ranking archer. Ian’s request is simple. He wants the most powerful longbow made in the country.”

“Still, Lisel seems more appealing.”

Hyun-soo’s sentiment was understood by Nel. Those who are desperate often offer more generous rewards.

“Lisel does seem the best choice. There are rumors that he’s a child of a major corporation, almost like a prince, but that’s just hearsay.”

Still, there was a reason to consider the alternative, Ian.

‘Even for Hyun-soo, making an artifact imbued with a dragon won’t be easy.’

Because he lacks the skill.

Hyun-soo can’t just easily create an artifact and imbue a dragon into it without the necessary skills.

“If the rumors are true, Lisel could be a great help to us later. For example, advertising. The ads from Lisel’s group are varied. Also, unlike Ian who is part of a guild, Lisel isn’t.”

That means we might be able to recruit him into our guild.

At the moment, Bright Future needed a strong damage dealer.

Although Bark was a high-ranker, he belonged to a support job class and wasn’t a prominent damage dealer.

Someone to deliver a powerful blow when Bright Future is threatened.

Nel waited for Hyun-soo’s decision.

And Hyun-soo had a hunch.

‘This person might change my life.’

Despite Nel’s worries, Hyun-soo was confident.

‘An artifact imbued with a dragon…’

A small smile appeared.

Though he hadn’t imbued anything with a dragon before, Hyun-soo had restored something related to dragons in reality.

“I’ll go with the Lisel user.”

Hyun-soo made his decision and sent a note.

***

[Hello, this is Hyun’s Blacksmith Shop. I can make the dragon-imbued artifact you mentioned.]

Taeha couldn’t believe it.

Even to himself, the request seemed absurd.

Meeting a dragon in Ares, where no dragon had appeared.

Moreover, to imbue it into an artifact and invoke its presence.

The only reason he made this request to the blacksmith was out of desperation to try every avenue.

Taeha calmed his excitement.

‘It could be real, or it could be fake.’

Blacksmith Hyun was just one of the famous blacksmiths he had requested.

[Thank you for the note. If it’s not too much trouble, may I meet and discuss with you?]

[I don’t usually meet people.]

Rumors about Hyun were rampant. He was either a chubby man in his fifties or a character created by some blacksmith guild.

To Taeha, such stories were irrelevant.

He just needed the dragon.

Taeha pondered.

[You don’t have to show your face. I would like to meet and talk. And as you might know, I too prefer to stay away from the public eye.]

It meant they would meet, each holding the other’s vulnerabilities. After some deliberation, Hyun responded.

[I’ve heard you’re the child of someone influential in the political and business world.]

Hyun seemed meticulous, using his own hidden aspects to set his terms.

[^^;;]

[Come to Domain Freya. There’s an unmarked blacksmith shop there. That’s where you should come. As promised, I won’t show my face.]

[Okay.]

Before logging in, Taeha made a phone call.

He called someone famous in the country.

A well-known Ares expert, referred to as a skill specialist.

A skill specialist analyzes users’ skills, their potential, and future growth directions.

“Please check if a blacksmith can really imbue a dragon.”

He had made the request out of desperation.

But now, when a blacksmith said what everyone thought impossible was possible, he needed to verify its feasibility.

Taeha immediately logged in.

[You have logged into Ares.]

Heading straight to Freya domain, Lisel reached an unmarked blacksmith shop.

Lisel, being a ranker himself, knew about these scenarios. In 90% of the cases, it’s because the blacksmith is so unknown that they don’t bother with a sign.

And something else that perplexed him.

[Intermediate Blacksmith Shop.]

Users had to visit blacksmith shops appropriate for their level. 

Since they couldn’t enter every shop, blacksmiths would display signs to indicate the level they catered to.

‘Intermediate level means around level 130, right?’

But as nothing was certain yet, Lisel entered the shop.

He saw a firmly closed door, likely where the blacksmiths rested.

Lisel could hear a voice from inside.

“Welcome, I am Blacksmith Hyun.”

“Lisel here.”

It was unexpected.

The voice from behind the door sounded too young.

“I came to see if you really can make what I’ve requested before placing the order. It’s really important to me.”

“I understand.”

Lisel spoke confidently.

“If I’m satisfied, I’ll pay a fair price. You know the rumors, right?”

He subtly hinted at his wealthy background.

Lisel cautiously asked.

“Can I know how you plan to make it?”

“…As you know, I have many secrets.”

Lisel felt frustrated.

“I’ve come all this way, can’t you share a little, even if it’s a trade secret?”

“I’m sorry.”

Lisel thought about setting a condition. He would pay a certain amount immediately if Hyun could show the possibility of the creation.

But then.

[Drood: I have reviewed the matter mentioned by Lisel and this is my subjective opinion.]

Drood. He was the skill expert.

His subjective opinion, yet with an accuracy of 95%, he was the country’s top analyst.

[Drood: In the game Ares, there currently isn’t a skill that allows embedding animals or summons into weapons.]

Lisel’s brow furrowed.

[Drood: Therefore, I analyzed and searched whether such a blacksmith with that job class exists. If there were such a person, there would have been at least one such weapon traded or disclosed globally. However, there has never been any such trade or disclosure of such weapons worldwide.]

This meant that in the game Ares itself, it wasn’t possible to imbue artifacts with animals or summons.

[Lisel: How sure are you?]

[Drood: I am 99.9% certain.]

The pieces of the puzzle were coming together.

Hyun couldn’t reveal how he made his products. And judging by his blacksmith shop, it’s estimated to be for levels 120-140.

Hyun hasn’t revealed his face, and nothing about him is clear.

A hypothesis forms.

‘Was the rumor true?’

Rumors displace other rumors, giving birth to new ones.

Mystique breeds all sorts of speculation.

Some even claim that Blacksmith Hyun is a fictional character created by an emerging guild.

Just looking at the current situation, it seems so. A level 120-140 blacksmith capable of imbuing a dragon?

The one in front might just be a puppet.

If they start talking about a ‘down payment’ here…

‘I might become a sucker who’s been caught in their trap.’

He might just take the money and disappear.

Then.

“About the down payment…”

Lisel’s patience snapped at the sound from inside.

“Enough.”

Silence fell beyond the door.

Lisel received a more shocking whisper.

[Rageun: Young master, your grandfather has just passed the critical phase.]

Lisel felt a mix of emotions. A sense of injustice and anger rose within him.

It was a relief that his grandfather had passed the critical phase.

But he despised those who tried to exploit this situation.

Lisel calmed himself and spoke in a cold voice towards the door.

“I came here clinging to straws. A loved one on their deathbed wanted to see a dragon. That’s all I wanted.”

No sound came from beyond the door. He didn’t know why he was revealing all this.

Was it just a complaint?

“But you, you haven’t told me anything about how you’ll make it, what skills you’ll use. You just want to use me.”

A cold expression formed on his face, yet a wry smile appeared.

Tears streamed down one eye.

“I was desperate, and you tried to take advantage of that.”

A venomous look appeared in Lisel’s eyes.

“I didn’t know you had such a story. I’m sorry.”

“Even if you know now, it seems nothing will change. It seems like you called me here to take advantage of me…”

Lisel was ranked 21st in the country. He was issuing a warning.

The moment he stepped out of here, he would expose the true face of Blacksmith Hyun.

Just as he was about to leave.

“I’ll prove it now.”

Creak-

At that moment.

Lisel felt something flying towards him. It lodged itself into the wall beside him.

It was a beautiful sword.

A sword with a curved tip and elaborate decorations.

Then.

[Drood: But there is a 0.1% chance.]

As the whisper came, Lisel’s eyes turned to the grip of the sword.

Something started writhing from the grip.

[Drood: This happens when the supercomputer Ares acknowledges and bestows that power.]

The writhing thing was only as big as an adult man’s middle finger.

It slowly wrapped around the sword, ascending as if soaring.

[Drood: The reason this phenomenon occurs is because the supercomputer deems it fit for this power to be imbued.]

A long body, green scales, eyes and jaws like a snake, and long whiskers growing on its chin.

‘Yes, this is…’

Kee-heeeeek!

‘A dragon…’

The sword with the engraving ‘Dragonlight Sword’ (龍光劍) slowly faded away, and the small dragon vanished as well.

Lisel felt an indescribable thrill run through his body.

He slowly turned around.

The man who realized that 0.1% chance was walking out through the open door.

Facing him, Lisel almost lost his breath.

Because the face of the man who now stood before him was all too familiar.

He asked confidently,

“The commission fee is quite steep, are you okay with that?”

Lisel stared at him for a long while. He had doubted, and the man had proven himself, now wanting to show his worth.

Lisel handed him a piece of paper and a pen.

“Write it down.”

***

Hyun-soo, holding the paper and pen handed by Lisel, looked puzzled.

‘Write it down?’

Then Lisel, with a confident voice, said,

“Write down any amount, and I’ll pay it.”

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