“It is certain! It is definitely a Blacksmith!” “There has never been a Blacksmith Awakened, not just in Korea, but in the world. Isn't it more plausible that they're monopolizing a Gate where Standard weapons and armor drop, rather than a Blacksmith Awakened having appeared?” “A Gate like that has never been discovered either!” “But…….”
The Vice Guild Master of the West Sea Guild was certain.
The Standard series that had recently been listed on the Exchange and was becoming a hot topic.
That it was an item made by an Awakened who awakened as a Blacksmith.
However, because the Guild Master was still skeptical, sending a direct message after barely getting permission was all he could do.
Some time later.
“Look at this!” “Swift Rabbit Spear?” “They say it's a spear made from a Horned Rabbit's horn! Do you still not believe it? Logically speaking, considering how many Horned Rabbits Awakened have defeated so far, is there any way such a weapon would appear for the first time now!”
The Vice Guild Master presented solid evidence to the Guild Master.
A weapon that had never been discovered until now, the Rabbit Spear.
This was exactly the solid evidence.
Considering how many Horned Rabbits Awakened have defeated so far, if such an item dropped from a Horned Rabbit, it would have been known long ago.
Furthermore, just reading the item description indicated that it was an item made by someone.
At this, when the Guild Master acknowledged it and nodded.
“I will post a scouting thread on the community immediately!” “On the community? Not a direct message?” “They're not even reading the direct messages, let alone sending a reply. We must at least post it on the community to quickly show our guild's intent to scout them!” “No. If we do that, wouldn't it show that we are desperate? The contract conditions will also rise. Above all, how will our West Sea Guild look to others.” “This is not the time to care about such things! If the person named Steel Hammer really awakened as a Blacksmith, we must bring them in even if we have to pay billions!” “Ahem…….”
The Vice Guild Master proposed a new method.
Posting a scouting thread on the Awakened Community.
He didn't like it at all, but because the Vice Guild Master's opinion was so firm, the Guild Master reluctantly nodded.
Was it thanks to such effort?
That evening.
“It arrived!”
A reply arrived from the direct message sent to Steel Hammer.
The content of the reply wasn't very long.
It was just a short reply stating they wanted to check the scouting conditions.
However, just with that, the Vice Guild Master was startled and urgently ran.
“Guild Master!” “What is it this evening! Did a Gate summons break out or something?” “We got a reply from Steel Hammer!” “Steel Hammer? ……You mean that Awakened suspected to be a Blacksmith?” “That is correct!” “Did you seek me out at this hour just for that?” “What do you mean, just for that!”
He reported to the Guild Master.
However, the Guild Master's reaction was quite lukewarm.
“Then just send a reply, why did you come all the way to me?” “Shouldn't we coordinate the terms of the scout!” “Is there anything to coordinate? If they are really a Blacksmith…… offer them terms fitting an A-rank.” “What do you mean, A-rank! To someone who might be the world's first Blacksmith, just a…….”
An A-rank contract.
When even an S-rank contract wouldn't be enough.
No, when even offering a signing bonus several times that amount, regardless of rank, wouldn't be enough, an A-rank contract.
The Vice Guild Master shouted in refutation, but.
“Vice Guild Master.” “……Yes.” “Reflect on the fact that we are the West Sea Guild, a massive guild of South Korea.”
The Guild Master's thoughts were firm.
“We never bow our heads to others. Others might beg to join the West Sea Guild, but for us to beg that person to join is impossible.” “But…….” “I will allow up to an S-rank contract.” “……Understood.”
After hearing those words and stepping down.
The Vice Guild Master thought.
That right now, the West Sea Guild might have kicked away a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with their own two feet.
“What material should I try using next~”
The Blacksmith's Hunting Ground.
Perhaps it was a consideration for me, but it was a place where only the weakest monsters were gathered.
Even so, the types of monsters were quite diverse.
Earth Toads, Giant Earthworms, Little Stones, and so on.
As such, the types of materials obtained from them were also diverse.
“Let's try this one this time.”
While having a pleasant deliberation among them, I...
[ You are using the Crafting skill. ]
Analyzed the power of the material and...
[ Crafting is complete. ] [ Crafting Evaluation: S ] [ You have obtained the 'Little Stone Helmet'. ]
Made an item fitting it.
Just doing this couldn't be any more fun.
Mealtime came while making items like that.
“Today, it's Braised Spicy Chicken!”
As always lately.
Today as well, I ordered delivery.
Braised Spicy Chicken.
I feel like it used to be a menu you could eat plentifully at a reasonable price in the past.
I don't know why Braised Spicy Chicken is so expensive these days.
Choosing boneless for a large size, even adding just a few toppings, the price exceeds fifty thousand won.
If it were the me of the past, let alone Braised Spicy Chicken, even the price of old-fashioned whole chicken would have been burdensome.
DING-DONG-.
“Coming~”
The present me is not the me of the past.
Because the items made from monster materials, which I newly launched this time, are selling at incredible prices.
Tens of millions of won were piled up in my account.
Even at this very moment, as items sell, several million won is flowing in.
“Hehe, looks delicious.”
I also ordered a proper meal.
Soy Sauce Braised Chicken, Gochujang Braised Chicken, Cheese Braised Chicken, and even Aged Kimchi Braised Chicken.
I ordered a large size for all of them.
“Ember, have a bite.”
-Thank you.
When I set aside a little bit of each type for Ember, the food quickly disappeared along with an ember.
I too quickly shoved the Braised Spicy Chicken into my hungry stomach after swinging the hammer.
Since awakening and starting hammering, why does my stomach empty so quickly?
It was to the point where I worried how I would have handled food expenses if I hadn't made a lot of money.
While eating the Braised Spicy Chicken like that.
'I wonder if a reply has come?'
I opened the direct message inbox.
An immense amount of direct messages had arrived since yesterday.
It's impossible to read all of these.
Using the search function, I only checked the replies to the messages I sent.
And fortunately, replies had arrived from all three places I contacted.
First, looking at the reply from the West Sea Guild.
[ Hello, Mr. Steel Hammer. I am Kim Jun-yeong, the Vice Guild Master of the West Sea Guild. ] First of all, I would like to express my gratitude for your reply. Our West Sea Guild would like to offer Mr. Steel Hammer contract terms fitting the standards of an S-rank. The signing bonus is 2 billion won, and the monthly payment is 200 million won. Originally, since the contract is based on combat classes, the guild is supposed to recover a portion of the byproducts from defeated monsters. However, since Mr. Steel Hammer is a Blacksmith, we will specially lower that ratio……. In particular, our West Sea Guild promises to support Mr. Steel Hammer's growth as our top priority…….
It was content like this.
“The signing bonus is 2 billion won?”
And I couldn't help but be surprised.
They would give me 2 billion won just for signing a contract and joining the guild.
Moreover, the monthly payment was a whopping 200 million won.
It was an amount of money that an ordinary person would find hard to save even if they worked for ten years.
Contract terms that wouldn't make one envious of a major corporation.
Even besides that, true to an S-rank contract, I was set to receive all the benefits available from the West Sea Guild.
I was almost tempted without realizing it, but.
“……Isn't this a bit ambiguous?”
Thinking about it, it was a bit like that.
The contract terms were certainly amazing.
Just looking at me right now, can I not earn over ten million won a day?
Assuming I do this every day, I would be able to earn at least 300 million won a month.
Doesn't this mean they'd take that away and I'd earn 200 million won?
Besides, I am in the midst of growing.
I don't know how much more money I'll make in the future, so there seems to be no reason to put on a collar for those kinds of conditions.
Therefore, I passed on the West Sea Guild's contract conditions and checked the direct message from the Han River Guild.
[ I am Seo Hye-won of the Han River Guild. ] Our Han River Guild promises unprecedented top treatment for Mr. Steel Hammer.
Signing Bonus - 3 billion won
Monthly Payment - 400 million won
Crafting Profit Distribution – 50% of the sales price ……. In addition, we will form an exclusive party for Mr. Steel Hammer to assist with your leveling up. Furthermore, the guild will procure the materials Mr. Steel Hammer desires to the best of our ability at the guild level. …….
At this, I couldn't help but be surprised.
Even the West Sea Guild's conditions were at an eye-popping level.
“3 billion won?”
A 3 billion won signing bonus and a 400 million won monthly salary.
If it felt like the West Sea Guild brought me the S-rank contract they normally used as is.
The Han River Guild truly felt like they drafted a new contract exclusively for me.
With this, it really seemed worth doing.
I could earn money as is, and they would even procure materials at the guild level.
I could obtain materials from the Blacksmith's Mine or the hunting ground as well, but just like when I made the Volcanic Revolver, there were materials I couldn't get here.
If I request rare materials from the guild, and the guild obtains equipment containing those materials and brings them to me, I can just disassemble them and use them as materials.
Then my skills will also grow quickly.
However, if there was one thing that bothered me.
-Instead, we ask that you prioritize crafting items for our Han River Guild.
It was this sentence.
This sentence is open to interpretation.
Roughly looking at it, it seemed like they were asking me to make equipment for the guild members.
Perhaps they might request the crafting of items not only for guild members but for the Han River Guild's profit and reputation.
If that happens, I might lose my goal of making named items following the Volcanic Revolver and end up sick of making only mass-produced items.
Lastly.
[ I am Kim Do-yun, Section Chief of the Awakened Association. ] Thank you for your reply, Mr. Steel Hammer. First, congratulations on awakening as the world's first Blacksmith. Accordingly, our Awakened Association…….
It was the proposal from the Awakened Association.
However, the conditions presented by the Awakened Association fell far short of the West Sea or Han River Guilds.
Then again, even if it's the Awakened Association, it is ultimately one of the government agencies.
It would be difficult for them to pay a large sum of money.
In terms of conditions, it couldn't even compare to the previous two guilds, so I was about to ignore it when...
-Even if you have no intention of signing an exclusive contract with our association, we request that you visit the association and complete your Awakened registration for your own safety, Mr. Steel Hammer.
The last line caught my eye.
Awakened registration.
I wasn't going to use Gates anyway, and I wasn't a combat class, so I wondered if I really had to do it.
'Come to think of it, what happens to my taxes?'
Just because you are an Awakened doesn't mean you don't pay taxes.
Even Awakened pay cash or Mana Stones to the Awakened Association according to their earnings.
There's no way the country wouldn't know that money coming in from the Exchange is being deposited into my account.
Thinking that way, I inexplicably became anxious.
As if I had suddenly become a tax evader.
Thinking about it, I'll be making even bigger sums of money in the future, so I probably shouldn't continue hiding my identity like this.
I should at least register with the Awakened Association sooner or later.
Well, that's not an urgent matter, so I'll take my time doing it later.
The important guild selection is…….
“Let's put it on hold for now.”
I decided to put it on hold.
Honestly, the Han River Guild's conditions were very much to my liking, but no matter how I think about it, joining a guild feels like putting on a collar.
Right now, I am having so much fun crafting.
If I join a guild, that fun might disappear, and my hobby might turn into work.
The moment I returned to the forge like that.
I was able to realize.
“……Ah, I used it all.”
That the monster materials I had gathered were completely depleted.
At this, I made new bullets and prepared to leave for the hunting ground.
It's good to use the Volcanic Revolver I made myself, but…… seeing that a sigh comes out first, hunting really doesn't seem to be my cup of tea.