Upon receiving the message from Lee Dayoon, the Golden Hand, Lee Jiyoung headed to the workshop with a sense of unease.
‘She was certainly a production-type Awakener, but… did she truly possess the skill?’
While the test had confirmed her status as a production-type Awakener, her actual rank remained unknown, and her appearance and demeanor were undeniably those of a mere child.
‘Still, since she claimed to have made a prototype, I ought to verify it.’
Although it seemed a remarkably short time to produce a prototype, some Awakeners could complete an item in under two hours, making an hour’s work for a single piece quite plausible.
– Ding! The door closes.
Given that B-grade materials were used, even a B-minus grade item would suffice to prove her capability. Lost in these thoughts, she descended in the elevator.
– Ding! The door opens.
Stepping into the workshop, now empty of Lee Dayoon’s presence, Lee Jiyoung opened the door with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. After all, if she failed to secure a competent crafter once more, she might well find herself challenged to a duel by Seol Yoohee.
“Oh? Three of them?”
To her astonishment, three rapiers lay neatly arranged on the crafting bench.
With trembling hands, Lee Jiyoung lifted the foremost blade, her heart pounding even more fiercely than Seol Yoohee’s would when wielding it.
Then, her eyes widened to an extent they never had before.
“Im-impossible!”
[Frostbloom (A-)]
Astonishingly, the weapon boasted an A- grade. Its size seemed perfectly suited for Seol Yoohee’s hand, as if custom-fitted, and its effects appeared tailor-made for her as well.
‘This is better than any weapon found inside a Gate?!’
Typically, hunters utilized cursed weapons discovered within Gates. These weapons offered overwhelming performance compared to those crafted by production-type Awakeners, albeit at the cost of slowly eroding the wielder’s life force.
For this very reason, weapons created by production-type Awakeners were often undervalued despite their rarity. Yet, this particular item completely defied those established norms.
After inspecting the remaining two rapiers, Lee Jiyoung felt utterly spellbound. What had transpired was beyond belief, something that could only happen in a dream.
Suspecting an exorbitant amount of materials might have been used, she checked the storeroom, only to find the depleted quantity absurdly small for such creations.
“Th-this requires immediate contact.”
She promptly pulled out her phone and dialed Seol Yoohee’s number, for this was an event significant enough to break the strict rule against disturbing her during training.
– I told you not to contact me during training.
– An insane item appeared!
– What item…
– The one I requested before! The one made from the White Drake’s heart!
– I’ll be right there.
As if there was no time for further conversation, Seol Yoohee’s words were clipped short, and the call abruptly ended.
It took Seol Yoohee less than ten minutes to reach the workshop. Lee Jiyoung was certain she had used magic to hasten her arrival.
“…The weapons?”
“Here they are. Please take a look—”
In a flash, Seol Yoohee moved, snatching up a weapon.
“…So, you made three A-grade items from A+ grade materials. I’ll go test them.”
“No, that’s not it—”
Before Lee Jiyoung could even correct the misunderstanding, Seol Yoohee vanished. Lee Jiyoung then made her way toward the place Seol Yoohee would surely have gone.
“Haa… she always makes a fuss when it comes to weapons.”
Of course, this particular incident warranted a fuss, but Seol Yoohee hadn’t even heard the full explanation.
– Ding. The door opens.
When Lee Jiyoung opened the door, the specially treated private training room was entirely filled with ice.
“What in the world is th—”
“Three A-grade swords. Not bad. I’m satisfied with this.”
Seol Yoohee’s assessment was entirely logical. While the materials were A+ grade, a low-level crafter’s ability to produce weapons was ultimately limited.
To have divided them into three and created three A-grade weapons was, by itself, a truly remarkable achievement. It was a sufficient outcome, even if it represented the best possible result within the constraints of her grade.
However, Lee Jiyoung’s subsequent words were enough to make Seol Yoohee’s eyes snap wide open.
“You didn’t check, did you? Those are prototypes. Prototypes.”
“…What?”
Seol Yoohee didn’t quite grasp Lee Jiyoung’s meaning for a moment.
“You mean she made prototypes with A+ grade materials?”
“No. She made these with B+ grade hearts. Using only seven of them.”
“…That’s impossible.”
Seol Yoohee froze, standing perfectly still.
“I thought so too. So, how do they feel?”
“…They feel like swords crafted perfectly for me. The way the ice spreads, the flowers bloom, and the petals unfurl—everything.”
“Right? As soon as I saw the description, I was so amazed I called you. How she managed to create such a perfect sword—”
Seol Yoohee cut Lee Jiyoung off.
“…Bring the person who made these weapons to me. Immediately.”
“What? The crafter has already gone home. She just left, so it might be difficult to call her back right away…”
Seol Yoohee’s reply was curt.
“Then tomorrow. Bring her as soon as possible.”
“What? But commanding an Awakener of this caliber to come and go so casually…”
“Spend whatever amount is necessary. Just bring her.”
“But…”
“Bring her.”
“Yes.”
No matter how pragmatic Lee Jiyoung’s arguments, she was powerless before someone holding a sword and effectively issuing a threat.
She then sent a message to Lee Dayoon.
[Lee Jiyoung] I apologize, but would you be able to come in tomorrow?
****
Even after arriving home, a sense of unease lingered in her heart.
‘Three A-grade swords would be 300 million won, so surely they’d write off around 80 million, wouldn’t they…?’
Even as she tried to cling to that hope, reality relentlessly intruded.
‘If they break my arms and legs and then give me money, is that even legal? No, it isn’t.’
Moreover, she was acutely aware of how rare and incredibly difficult it was to acquire a White Drake’s heart.
What if, even at B+ grade, it was an exceptionally hard-to-obtain material that they had painstakingly saved for weapon crafting?
The damage I caused might far exceed the money I earned.
Just then, a blue window materialized before her eyes.
[The user of the artifact ‘Golden Ember Dagger’ has defeated an enemy. Experience acquired.]
[Level Up!]
“Oh?”
It seemed Kim Hwarin had entered a dungeon again. She recalled the window that had appeared the first time she leveled up.
[Artifact Crafting (SSS)]
[Current Craftable Item List: Sword +2]
Upon pressing the ‘+2’ button, a new window appeared.
[You can select 2 additional items for the Craftable Item List.]
[Available Selections: Armor, Helmet, Spear, Bow, Arrow, Staff, Ring, Necklace, …]
An endless list of tools stretched before her.
‘I should save one slot for emergencies and choose one now… but what would be best?’
To make money easily, it would probably be best to choose a tool widely used by many people.
“Hrmmm…”
Armor and helmets were only used by certain professions. Spears, while favored by the rank 1 hunter and a mainstream weapon, weren’t widely distributed among high-level users. Staves were used by a fair number of people, but her understanding of them was insufficient…
After much deliberation, she decided on ‘necklace.’ It was an item that could be used by any profession and wasn’t overly complex.
This, she was certain, could be used to earn money.
Now that she could create new items, actually crafting one would be the best way to understand her abilities. She began collecting materials from around the house.
She picked up black hairs from the floor and searched every corner of her room for shed scales. Given how long her tail was, she managed to find five scales and a handful of fur.
‘What should I make with these…?’
Since this was her first attempt, something universally useful would be ideal. She began to formulate the item’s properties in her mind.
‘Hrmm… most Awakeners, whether hunters or not, use magic, so let’s make a necklace that restores magic power!’
Immediately, the item’s purpose and appearance sprang to mind. Its purpose, befitting a dragon’s byproduct, was magic power restoration. Its shape was a heart-shaped locket on a black string, suitable for everyday wear.
[Artifact Crafting]
*Press!*
As she pressed the button, a golden light flashed, and the materials vanished. In her hand lay a necklace made of black thread and a golden locket.
[Locket of Golden Magic (A)]
The grade was acceptable. Now, the crucial part: its effect. Would it possess the effect she desired?
[A locket necklace imbued with the magic power of a Gold Dragon. Increases the wearer’s magic power recovery rate by 50%. The recovered magic power carries a faint sense of majesty.]
“Oh! It turned out perfectly!”
Beyond the magic recovery effect she had wished for, it even had the additional effect of ‘majesty.’ This was an item that would attract a crowd of eager buyers.
Just in case, she put it around her neck, but perhaps because she already possessed infinite magic power, she felt no special effect.
How much would it cost? 300 million? 500 million? A billion?
Unfamiliar with the prices of magic recovery items, she had no guess. She would have to ask Yoo Sojeong later.
‘This feels a bit like playing a gacha game, and it’s fun?’
A gacha game where currency automatically generated from her body. And one where items drawn from the gacha could be exchanged for cash.
…Was that just gambling with her own body as collateral?
At any rate, the varying results always brought a thrill.
With a happy heart over the successful outcome, she lay down on her bed.
‘At this rate, I’ll be a multi-billionaire within the year.’
“Hehe…”
Just thinking about buying an expensive house, filling it with costly gaming consoles, and piling up luxury goods to lounge around in made her heart feel warm. Yes, this was true happiness.
*Ding!*
Just then, her phone chimed with an alert. The moment she saw the sender, her mood plummeted like a rollercoaster.
[Lee Jiyoung] I apologize, but would you be able to come in tomorrow?
[Lee Jiyoung] The Guild Leader wishes to meet Lee Dayoon-nim.
“Ah…”
