Chapter 10
The waiting room on the first floor, which I returned to after leaving the mission area, was still crowded with people.
‘It wouldn’t be strange to believe that all the Korean Awakened are gathered here.’
The first floor was a place anyone could enter as long as they were an Awakened.
Because of that, the first-floor waiting room had become a meeting place for Awakened people.
And when this many people gathered, supply and demand naturally created a market.
‘That’s why they said almost every workshop is on the first floor.’
Unless they were the kind of places that only accepted customers above a certain floor, it was an obvious result.
I pushed through the crowd and first headed toward the most famous workshop in the waiting room.
I thought I might get lost since it was my first time coming here, but the ‘delicious smell’ helped again.
‘Oh… it must be over there. The smell of metal is really strong.’
By focusing on the smell of iron mixing with fire, I was able to find the alley where the workshops gathered without much difficulty.
And among them, the place I was looking for was…
‘Found it. Jang’s Workshop.’
The workshop name was very simple.
It seemed the owner’s surname was Jang.
Building structures inside the Tower was probably impossible, so it was basically just a wooden sign with the name written on it.
There was no store building visible, but from the furnace far away, the sound of hammering metal echoed.
‘You can’t build a building, but you can make a furnace? Does someone with a blacksmith skill just make a furnace appear?’
Finding the place was good.
“Whoa… but damn, there are a lot of people…”
However, seeing the long line of people standing in front of the workshop made it clear that I still had a long way to go.
There looked to be at least a hundred people.
‘Standing here and waiting in line… is a bit much.’
While I was wondering whether I should wait or not, someone from the front of the line hurried over and spoke to me.
“Customer, what are you here to leave behind? A crafting request? Repair? Or are you here to buy something? If it’s buying, you don’t need to wait.”
“Ah, I’m here to request something to be made.”
When I mentioned a crafting request, the employee adjusted his glasses and asked.
“What kind?”
“A sword made from a giant sawtooth fang, and I want to make a ‘Swamp’s Curtain’ from giant leather soaked in the swamp.”
Even while listening to me, the employee’s hands moved quickly as he wrote something down on a notepad.
“If you make a reservation now, it’ll be finished after a month. Is that okay? If you’re in a hurry, there’s an additional fee. Ah, without the additional fee, the price is this much.”
Then he slid the notepad toward me as if he was revealing some great secret.
But the price…
It didn’t make sense.
“Five hundred… wait, there isn’t an extra zero here, right?”
“Yes, it’s exactly as you see it. You brought the core materials, but labor costs and the price of other required materials are added, so crafting is not cheap.”
“…I’ll look around a bit more.”
The time was one thing, but the price was ridiculous, so I left.
‘What a shame. The smell coming from the furnace there was better than the others.’
Judging by the smell, the person personally hammering metal at that workshop was definitely skilled.
Unfortunately, it was too expensive for me.
Anyway, the highly recommended Jang’s Workshop was rejected.
In the end, the only thing I could rely on was searching around myself.
About an hour later…
‘They’re all just expensive…’
I had visited every workshop nearby that had a decent smell.
But the prices were all similar.
‘The first workshop was definitely the most expensive, but considering the difference in smell, maybe I should just leave it there… No. Just because I’ve started making money doesn’t mean I should spend it carelessly and end up poor again.’
Maybe Awakened people weren’t actually making money.
Maybe only Awakened people with crafting skills were making money.
Still, it was too early to give up.
‘If I search enough, maybe I’ll find something.’
I felt like I had checked all the workshops on the first floor, so I searched online for related information.
And something appeared.
“This is it.”
Among countless advertisements, promotions, and hidden viral advertisements pretending not to be advertisements, I found one place worth visiting.
[Information] For those who want to repair or craft items
You all know the workshops in the waiting room have formed a cartel and the prices have gone crazy lately, right?
I asked them to just sharpen the blade of a normal-grade dagger and they asked for 500,000 won lol. At that price, I could just buy a new dagger instead.
So I looked around, and there’s still one blacksmith shop in Seoul that uses a traditional furnace.
‘Choi’s Workshop’ < This old man runs it alone. He’s extremely grumpy, and if you’re an Awakened, he starts by cursing at you.
But his skill is the real deal.
My favorite weapon’s durability was completely ruined, and I was thinking about throwing it away.
This old man hit it with his hammer a few times and made it look brand new.
The price was about one-fifth of the waiting room workshops? Really cheap.
Downside: No reservations or anything. You just have to go there and sit around waiting.
The old man’s personality is terrible.
If you can’t handle him, he’ll kick you out immediately.
He doesn’t even look at Tower materials (monster drops).
He only works with normal metal.
▼ Comments
Anonymous 1: Oh, nice tip thanks.
Anonymous 2: Choi’s? Does that place still exist? My dad said he used to get tools made there too lol.
└ Anonymous (Writer): Yeah. Apparently he’s been hammering away at the same place for 50 years. A living fossil.
Anonymous 3: How am I supposed to trust my item to an old man who hates Awakened people? I’d be nervous.
└ Anonymous 4: Right lol. What if he intentionally ruins it after taking it?
└ Anonymous (Writer): Idiot, that’s why I said his skill is real. If he doesn’t want to take it, he won’t. But he doesn’t mess with items he accepts. His pride seems insanely strong.
A stubborn old craftsman, but with guaranteed skill?
And cheap too?
‘Good. I need to go there.’
I searched the location and it wasn’t far.
About a 20-minute drive?
I immediately left the Tower and caught a taxi.
“Yes, where would you like to go?”
“Driver, please take me to Choi’s Workshop.”
The electric taxi smoothly moved along the road.
Since it was a weekday afternoon, there was little traffic, and I arrived earlier than expected.
‘Is this the place?’
The exterior was ordinary.
It felt like one of those repair shops that existed in every neighborhood when I was young.
But the smell was completely different.
The moment I stepped out of the taxi, my nose was filled with the rich smell of charcoal, sharp steel, and burning fire.
It was definitely a ‘delicious smell.’
No, that wasn’t enough.
This was a feast of all kinds.
“Sniff… wow, my mouth is watering.”
Compared to this smell, the smell from the first-floor workshops was like a child’s cooking game where they piled up leaves and sand and pretended it was food.
‘Anyway, I came to the right place. But the owner is an Awakened? He hates Awakened people, so why does it smell like this…’
I would find out after entering.
Without hesitation, I stepped inside.
“Excuse me.”
The moment I entered, heat rushed over me.
They said he still used an old-fashioned furnace.
Inside, metal was glowing red inside the furnace.
“What brings you here?”
A white-haired old man sitting in front of the fire turned his head slightly and asked.
“I’d like to request something to be made.”
“Made? What do you need? A hoe? A plow? A shovel?”
I hesitated for a moment.
He supposedly hated Awakened people.
What should I do?
‘Still, I came all the way here. I should at least try.’
I opened my inventory and took out the giant sawtooth fang…
But before I could.
“Leave.”
I put it back into my inventory.
“I don’t touch anything belonging to Awakened people. Get lost.”
The old man’s voice was colder than firm.
Whatever happened, he seemed to have a reason.
‘Tch. With this kind of smell, he really is a craftsman. What a shame.’
If the owner refused to accept the item, what could I do?
There was no choice.
“I’m sorry, sir. I knew you disliked Awakened people, but I came here hoping there might be a chance. I was rude.”
“Young man, at least you have manners. I’ll accept your apology. Since that’s settled, just go back.”
Should I leave here?
Should I just end things peacefully?
No.
I couldn’t leave just like this.
“Then could you at least take a look at this? I tried fixing it myself after briefly learning about metalwork. I’d like to know if it’s okay to keep using it…”
Carefully, I took out the sword I had stored in my inventory and showed it to him.
“Hey, I told you I don’t touch things from Awakened people. You really don’t understand…”
The old man waved his hand, trying to send me away.
Then his eyes landed on the sword.
His expression changed.
His words stopped.
“Give it to me.”
Was there really something special about it?
The old man held the sword in one hand and carefully examined it from every angle.
I stayed completely silent, even controlling my breathing, afraid of disturbing him.
Soon, the old man stopped turning the sword around.
Then he lightly flicked the blade with his finger.
Ping─
A clear sound echoed softly through the workshop.
After the lingering sound completely disappeared, the old man finally spoke again.
“Oh? Look at this little guy. The outside is completely rotten, but I can hear a faint breathing sound from inside.”
“A breathing sound…?”
“Metal has a way of breathing too. And this one… yes. It’s like a tuberculosis patient who is barely hanging on until tomorrow.”
“Ah…”
Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about.
A sword wasn’t pottery.
Did metal really breathe?
Was that a thing?
Then the old man looked me up and down.
“You touched it?”
“Yes.”
“Looks like it. The inside is rotten, but you only sharpened the edge. It’s quite amusing.”
“Haha… I only learned by watching someone for a month or two. I couldn’t do more than that.”
“Why would it be amusing?”
“What?”
When I asked because I didn’t understand, a small smile appeared on the old man’s wrinkled face.
“Because only the edge is fine.”
The old man had said earlier that I had only sharpened the edge poorly.
But now he was saying only the edge was good.
How was I supposed to understand that?
“Uh… so the edge is acceptable, right?”
“It isn’t perfect, but it’s much better than those inexperienced Awakened who only rely on skills. Seems like you weren’t lying when you said you touched metal before.”
Thankfully, it seemed like praise.
With that face and that stubborn personality, if that smile wasn’t praise, it would have been much scarier.
“Stand over there for a moment.”
Was he checking the sword’s weight balance?
The old man stepped back and swung the sword around awkwardly.
‘Old man… making something and using something really are different.’
Under his half-closed eyelids weighed down by age, his eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement.
He looked like a child who had received a new toy.
“…Oh? This guy’s origin isn’t ordinary. I don’t know who made it, but whoever it was definitely understands metal. When it comes to swords, they’re better than me.”
Judging by the smell, this old man’s skill was genuine.
For someone like him to admit another person was better than him…
As expected, this sword was not ordinary.
“You already used this sword?”
“Yes. Right after sharpening the blade.”
The old man widened his eyes, wrinkles forming on his forehead.
“You did? Even though your metalwork is terrible, your swordsmanship must not be bad. Using something like this in real combat without breaking it… That’s impressive. It could have broken in half at any moment.”
“Is the condition really that bad?”
“Yes. I admit it. You restored the edge well. But that’s all. If you keep using it like this, it will definitely break. It won’t last long.”
A sword breaking while fighting would be the worst outcome.
Could I really not save this sword?
‘No. I can’t give up.’
This sword was not just some random item.
It was the only equipment item among the rewards the Tower produced after giving the first EX rank and readjusting the reward.
‘There must be something here.’
Even the old man in front of me admitted this thing was not ordinary.
Giving up now would waste too much potential.
“Is there really no way?”
“Of course there is. Didn’t I say it earlier? It still has a breath left. It isn’t dead yet. Then all you have to do is bring it back to life.”
He said it so easily.
As if it was nothing.
If it was that easy, I would have done it myself.
“Why don’t you do it yourself? Looking at how you sharpened the blade, you’ve at least worked with metal for a few years. Someone with that skill should be able to do basic forging.”
“No. Like I said before, I only learned by watching for a month or two. More importantly, this isn’t a kitchen knife or a small tool. Something like this…”
I wasn’t confident.
The old man reacted as if he was hearing this for the first time.
“Wait? One or two months?”
“Yes. It’s not even accurate to say I learned. Nobody taught me. I only learned by watching.”
After briefly explaining that I had learned by observing someone in the past, the old man snorted as if it was ridiculous.
“Cluck, cluck. Young man, let this old man give you some advice. I don’t know why you’re shortening your experience, but lies should be told depending on who you’re talking to. I’ve spent more than 50 years working with metal.”
I was used to reactions like this, so I wasn’t surprised.
“If you don’t believe me even though it’s true, there’s nothing I can do.”
“It’s not about believing or not. One or two months? Not even half a year? If that were true, you shouldn’t be climbing the Tower. You should have been holding a hammer instead. Though that’s impossible.”
The old man’s disbelief only made my determination burn stronger.
“Sir, then would you like to make a bet with me?”
“A bet? What kind of bet?”
“Like you said, I’ll try it myself. This item will become unusable if it stays like this anyway, so I’ll at least try hammering it. In exchange, if I manage to restore its breath, then you will properly repair it afterward.”
“How did our conversation suddenly go in that direction? That wasn’t the point.”
At times like this, there was no better way to explain.
I smiled confidently.
“You’ll understand once you see it. You’ll see how I reached that level in only one or two months. So, what do you say?”
“Fine. If you really restore its breath with those hands, then I’ll properly fix it myself. I’m curious how you’ll prove that ridiculous lie of yours.”
The old man smiled as if it was impossible.
He looked like he was saying, Go ahead and try.
“Then shall we begin?”
“Begin what? Didn’t you say you were going to do it yourself?”
The smile disappeared instantly.
The old man looked confused.
I only smiled shamelessly in front of him.
“As I said, I learned everything by watching. This time, I’ll watch you work and learn.”
“What? What kind of…”
“You never said it had to be done immediately, did you?”
That was why you always had to carefully check the conditions of a bet.
