[ It’s a Scam ]
“What’s with this sudden talk about… TV appearances?”
This was so out of the blue. But it didn’t seem that way to the sly man sitting across the table.
“We need to make your face well-known.”
“…Wouldn’t it be better for my personal safety to do the opposite?”
“Not at all. The information about you will spread worldwide within a day after the negotiations are over. There’s no use in trying to hide.”
I had anticipated this, but hearing it from someone else made me suddenly feel worried. Thoughts of various crimes targeting awakened individuals with low stat grades but useful special skills quickly flashed through my mind.
How much would I be worth?
“So, it’s safer to make you more recognizable. It’s much harder to approach someone everyone is watching than someone no one is paying attention to.”
That was true. Going on TV and drawing attention would mean there would be more eyes watching me.
“Even if you get kidnapped, it’s more likely that a witness would contact someone. They might think, ‘Why is a Haeyeon Guild member hanging out with people from other guilds in a strange place?’”
“I’m not a guild member; I’m an employee. A regular employee.”
He was trying to pass me off as a guild member.
“Haha, you just feel so close to us, Han Yujin. It’s like you’re part of the guild. Regular employees feel a bit more distant, don’t you think?”
“You shouldn’t discriminate.”
“You’re right. Guild members and regular employees are all family. And Han Yujin, you’re family to us too.”
“…Please make sure to distinguish between them.”
Dealing with this guy was exhausting.
“A cute monster appearing on TV for the first time would easily draw attention. And Peace is very affectionate, isn’t he?”
“He’s sweet, cute, and lovable.”
By now, he’s grown into quite the handsome creature. He still looks a bit young, but his mane has become fuller, his tail longer, and his horn shines with a golden glint.
Whoever owns him must be proud to have such a good-looking pet.
I couldn’t help but smile fondly, and Seok Gimyeong smiled back, as if sharing my sentiment. Why are you smiling at me like that?
“Due to confidentiality, we can only start preparing after the negotiations are over, but I’ll make a thorough plan in advance. You can leave it to me.”
“Team Leader Seok, your handling of matters is trustworthy. I’ll wait in peace.”
Of course, it’s only your handling skills I trust.
Upon hearing my words, the snake looked like he was thinking of a golden calf he had locked in his safe. I couldn’t care less what he’s imagining.
“If you have any questions or needs, feel free to contact me at any time.”
“Haha, sure.”
I’m sure I’ll be dealing with Seok Gimyeong frequently for a while. It’s still better than being slashed with his sharp tongue, so let’s try to get along.
“Hey, Peace, did you behave well while I was gone?”
-Grrr
Peace, who had been lying on my bed, jumped up and purred. Because our space had become cramped and I was still keeping the Beast Taming skill a secret from Yu Myungwoo, Peace had moved his sleeping spot to my spacious bedroom.
The bed’s covered in fur. Good thing I’m not allergic.
“You’ll soon be able to roam freely, so just hold on a little longer.”
I said as I held Peace close. He’d grown more than three times heavier since the beginning, making my arms feel weighed down. Peace’s growth had slowed down; on the third day, he had only gained another 0.5 kg. That was a stark difference compared to the first day, when he gained 2.8 kg, and the second day, when he gained 3.1 kg.
His rank still showed as C. His strength had increased considerably, so if he started as a lower C-rank dungeon monster, he was now at the level of a higher C-rank dungeon monster.
‘So, when they say he’ll transform into an adult, does that mean he’ll stop growing at a certain point and then suddenly mature when specific conditions are met?’
The growth period had consistently shortened with training. At this rate, he’d become an adult soon.
After playing with Peace for a while and feeding him, I headed back out. Now I needed to check on Myungwoo. Why do I have so much to do?
Carrying a variety of blades that Myungwoo had bought in advance, I headed toward Haeyeon Guild’s equipment maintenance team. It was a department that large guilds usually had, responsible for maintaining and repairing various items.
“If dungeon items have a breakage rate below a certain level, they can be repaired using normal methods. Of course, the materials have to come from dungeon byproducts.”
As we rode the elevator down, I explained to Myungwoo.
“So they should have regular maintenance tools too. It wouldn’t hurt to get acquainted with the maintenance team. If you gain any related skills, you might end up working there.”
Not just working, but taking up the position of team leader. Or we could create an entirely new department. Even then, it wouldn’t hurt to know more, as he would need assistants with relevant skills.
“That’d be great. Honestly, I don’t want to do dungeon raids.”
“Right. You can just enter low-level dungeons occasionally for leveling up, taking it easy.”
Why would anyone in their right mind send a future SS-rank blacksmith into dangerous situations? If anything happened to him, it’d be a worldwide loss. I’d make sure he’s safe on the bus ride to and from work.
We had to pass through another security checkpoint to access the equipment maintenance team. Beyond an ordinary office with desks, chairs, and computers, opening a thick door released a wave of warm air.
Beyond the protective wall, there was what looked like a mana furnace. It resembled a small blast furnace but was used to melt down various dungeon metals by boiling refined mana stones. It was essential equipment for item repairs.
“Which one of you kids has the Sharpen Blades skill?”
A middle-aged man, bulky and wearing protective gear, approached us and tossed each of us a blue towel. It felt cool to the touch as I caught it. Other people in the room had similar blue towels draped around their necks or tied around their waists.
“This seems pretty handy.”
“It costs mana stones to maintain.”
So, it’s expensive. This is why items developed from dungeon byproducts don’t become widely accessible. It’s impossible until mana stones become cheaper.
“As you’ve been informed, we need a machine to sharpen these blades.”
There’s no rule that you must use a grindstone to painstakingly sharpen each blade. Just in case, it’s worth testing.
I opened the skill window for my precious kid and pulled up Yu Myungwoo’s status.
[Sharpen 10,000 Blades (Progress: 71/10,000)]
While I was training Peace, Myungwoo had diligently sharpened knives in the kitchen. According to him, as he sharpened blades, the grindstone’s sharpness buff would activate even without using the skill.
‘It probably counts as one blade if the skill activates automatically from sharpening it.’
It’s easy to verify, which is nice. You could also re-sharpen a blade once the skill effect wears off. The grindstone’s buff lasts for three hours, so you don’t actually need 10,000 blades. In the past three days, Myungwoo had only sharpened thirteen blades.
“Here’s a special grinder. It can easily grind dungeon metals.”
The middle-aged man said as he knocked on the sturdy machine firmly anchored in place.
Now that I think about it, do all the people here have special skills related to equipment? There are quite a lot of them, though. Curious, I decided to check the status of the man in front of me.
[Awakened ? Lee Minseok
Current Stat Rank C
Potential Stat Rank D~C
Optimized Initial Skills
Precise Soldering (B) Acquired
Hammering (C) Failed to Acquire
Stamina Up (D) Acquired]
Precise Soldering, huh. Looks like a repair-related skill. Hammering is a bit ambiguous from the name alone, but he failed to acquire it. It’d be a shame if it was a C-rank special skill, but I don’t need to concern myself with how this well-off man lives.
I continued examining the others. All seven, aside from Lee Minseok, were awakened too. However, four of them had stats above E-rank, but their skills were common F-rank ones. Of course, it’s possible to acquire skills outside of the optimized ones, and useful level 10 skills might emerge, so they might not just have F-rank skills.
In any case, all their stats were above the level of ordinary people. Perhaps it’s because their work required strength.
“Yujin?”
While I was looking around, Yu Myungwoo nudged my arm.
“Just looking around. Take out a knife and try sharpening it. How do you use this machine?”
“See the holder there? Secure it tightly and press the button.”
“You don’t hold it by hand?”
“Didn’t you say your stats are F-rank? You’ll cause an accident.”
So, this special grinder isn’t for ordinary people. Using a machine for everything probably wouldn’t count toward the skill.
Just in case, I had Myungwoo secure a knife to the holder. With a loud noise, the machine started grinding the blade. However, even after the knife was ground down to the point of breaking due to the machine’s power, there was no change in progress. Just as I thought, it won’t work.
“Isn’t there a regular grinder?”
“A regular one? There’s one in the crafting room over there. It’s good for delicate work because you can control the pressure with your foot.”
That sounds perfect.
“Thank you.”
I went into the crafting room with Myungwoo. Amidst various tools scattered around, there was a much simpler-looking grinding machine. I hope this one works.
Myungwoo sat on the chair in front of the grinder. He turned on the machine, took out a kitchen knife, and placed his foot on the pedal.
The grinder started turning.
After a slight hesitation, Myungwoo moved the blade toward the grinder. The sharp, grating sound came intermittently, then began to stabilize. His awkward movements gradually became more proficient.
Soon after,
[Sharpen 10,000 Blades (Progress: 72/10,000)]
“It worked!”
Success. Hooray for technology.
“That’s great. You’ll finish this in no time.”
“Yeah! Once I get used to it, I’ll be able to sharpen more than a hundred a day!”
How long did that just take? It didn’t seem like much time had passed.
Myungwoo, still excited, took out another knife. His expression as he got into position was calm, different from his usual demeanor. So he can make that kind of face too.
Then he started grinding the blade again. This time, he was faster. There was no hesitation like before.
Clang
A sharpened knife fell to the other side of the chair, and a new knife was in his hand. The once dull blade, which I had bought cheaply from a junk dealer, began to shine.
So, just sharpening it makes it this good. Is it because of the skill?
While I was briefly lost in thought, Myungwoo had started on his fourth knife. His movements had become entirely adept, slightly adjusting the direction as he ground the blades. Even to my untrained eyes, it was neither too much nor too little—just efficient motions.
He looked like a craftsman who had been sharpening knives for ten years.
‘…This is a scam.’
What is this? How long has it even been since he started here?
‘Why did he stick to administrative jobs in the first place?’
He should’ve pursued a technical career. What a waste that he ended up in the liberal arts. If he’d chosen the right path, he’d have been walking down a successful road without ever meeting me.
As I sighed inwardly, I watched the blade being ground. Even though it was just a simple task repeated, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Smooth and fluid, like flowing water. His movements were as precise and unerring as a machine, and even the noise had turned into a soft rhythm. The blade sparkled as it came back to life.
As the cooling water splashed, scattering droplets, the gleam of the blade combined with it, creating an almost artistic scene.
Who knew that sharpening knives could look so impressive? Amazing. Truly a scam.
Clang
With the sound of a falling knife, the machine stopped. Myungwoo lowered his hand and turned to look at me.
“You’re still here?”
“Oh, I got caught up watching.”
Wait a minute, are all the knives already sharpened? I bought quite a lot, though.
[Sharpen 10,000 Blades (Progress: 115/10,000)]
…He’s sharpened over forty blades. How much time has passed? I haven’t timed it, but it must be under an hour. Maybe even faster. I thought it’d take about 4-5 minutes per blade, even with a machine.
These aren’t just quickly sharpened either. The pile of blades is all gleaming like new products. It could be due to the skill being applied, but it’s not easy to activate the skill without consciously using it in the first place.
“At this rate, you’ll finish in ten days.”
“Yeah. This machine’s good.”
Myungwoo said casually. What a frightening guy. Pretending to be normal, but you also have the talent for SS-rank skills.
“I should probably buy… around three hundred more knives?”
“Yeah. There’s still a lot of time left before the skill duration ends. Sorry about this.”
“No, it’s fine. Totally fine. Don’t worry about it.”
I’ll invest as much as needed. Absolutely.
–TL Notes–
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