by Park Saenal
Jishuka registered the minerals before looking through the auction house.
“Show me the list of Jaffa Arrows.”
A transparent screen appeared in front of Jishuka. The list of Jaffa Arrows currently registered at the auction house appeared on the screen. The immediate purchase price for the Jaffa Arrows was 6 silver.
It was an incredibly expensive price for one arrow, but she couldn’t see any other arrows after using it. Jishuka swept up all the arrows on the list. She didn’t care about money. She invested the money obtained from being a top ranker and pinpointed exactly where she should use it.
“What is this?”
Jishuka confirmed the bid price for the Jaffa Arrows at the bottom of the list and frowned. It was the only one without an immediate purchase price set. There was also a total of 99 bids, with the top bid at 18 silver.
Jishuka wondered why some madman would bid three times the price of a Jaffa Arrow, but then she noticed that the name of the arrows was purple, not white.
‘Did I see it incorrectly?’
She blinked but it was still purple. She hurriedly checked the details.
[Special Jaffa Arrow]
Rating: Epic
Attack Power: 35~42
An arrow made by a craftsman with great skills and potential but lacking in experience and reputation.
Due to the effect of combining jaffa with steel, it has extremely high penetration and ignores some of the enemy’s defense.
* Has a certain chance of ignoring the enemy’s defense.
Weight: 0.1
“……!”
Jishuka’s eyes widened. If she didn’t know that people were paying attention to her, she would’ve screamed wildly.
‘Unbelievable!’
Jishuka was surprised beyond amazement. She had played Satisfy all day for the past six months and had adventured with all types of people. She collected as much information as possible by using money and her guild members.
Nevertheless, she never imagined that an epic rated arrow would ever exist. She was convinced that arrows were unconditionally normal rated items.
She went to famous blacksmiths with various materials and asked them to make arrows, but all of the arrows born from their hands were normal rated. She had never heard of or ever witnessed a higher rated arrow.
Until this moment! Epic arrows, not rare, appeared in front of her. In addition, the performance was fraudulent.
Jishuka bid on it right away. The bid price was a huge 35 silver.
It was difficult to judge if the arrows were worth it considering they were consumables, but she needed to consider its scarcity. She also believed it could be used as a secret weapon when meeting a strong opponent.
‘Who is the person who made this?’
She thought of two people first. The 1st and 2nd ranked blacksmiths, Panmir and Steng. However, they didn’t fit the explanation that the blacksmith ‘lacks skill and reputation’ because both of them had a high reputation.
‘…A blacksmith who surpasses them is hiding.’
It was probably a blacksmith who put a lot into their skill level, but their character level was low as a result and as such didn’t enter the top rankings. The explanation of ‘great skill and potential’ strongly enticed her.
‘If I find them…’
Jishuka canceled the registration of the black iron and orichalcum.
‘Thanks to the Guardian of the Forest raid, I have steadily gathered minerals.’
She planned to use the best minerals as bait for the blacksmith who made the epic rated arrows.
{Contact all the users in the top 100 blacksmith rankings and measure their skill level. Make a shortlist of those whose skill levels are high compared to their character level.}
Jishuka’s command appeared in the guild chat window and upset the guild members.
{What are you suddenly saying? Contacting blacksmiths out of nowhere?}
{We need to level up!}
Jishuka dismissed the opposition.
{Shut up! There is a greatly skilled person hiding! If we find them and make them join the guild, the Guardian of the Forest raid won’t be a problem.}
{Are they that skilled?}
{This blacksmith is better than Panmir and Steng. The performance of the items they produce is likely to exceed the existing items. So far, they haven’t surfaced so no one is aware of this blacksmith, but that is no longer the case. All guilds on the continent will be frantically trying to find the blacksmith. We can’t lose them… Find them! Find the blacksmith before anyone else.}
{If Master says so…}
{This blacksmith must be huge. Okay, let’s find them!}
As a rule, the Tzedakah Guild didn’t accept new guild members. They were a small number of elites who only recognized and relied on each other since the L.T.S days. Their small number was a constraint and the growth of their guild was slow, but no one complained.
They couldn’t occupy castles like large guilds, but anyone would fear their power. They might not have as much reputation as large guilds, but they displayed their authority with their force. The Tzedakah Guild members occupied the top three rankings of each class in the six months since starting Satisfy, so they were confident and proud.
The 17 members whose strength would make them the top in their country, it was the first time they were interested in another person since the L.T.S days.
“Someone raised the bid price again?”
Jishuka received the notification that her bid on the Special Jaffa Arrows failed and didn’t hesitate to bid again.
The first epic rated arrows! The bidding price skyrocketed.
Chapter 20
Chapter 20
There was an uproar in Satisfy.
Famous guilds were in motion to find the mysterious blacksmith. In various media and the Internet, the epic-rated arrows appeared as a hot issue. Who was the craftsman with great skills and potential but lacking experience and reputation?
Many people were searching for the blacksmith’s whereabouts.
‘It is a harder path than others. I always did my best. Nonetheless, there is a better blacksmith than me?’
Panmir had only experienced making an epic-rated item twice. He had the title of the first epic-rated item maker. However, there was no mention of ‘craftsman’ in his epic item description. Who was the person given the title of craftsman, which wasn’t even allowed for the number one ranking blacksmith?
Ttang! Ttang!
Panmir was spurred by a sense of competitiveness towards the unknown blacksmith.
Meanwhile, Shin Youngwoo, the person who was receiving everyone’s attention, was eating cup noodles at a convenience store before going to work.
“What a jerk, charging 1,000 won for a cup of noodles? Does he want people like me to starve to death? Sigh, people really can’t live without acting dirty.”
I grumbled as I ate.
* * *
5.30 a.m.
It might be Sunday, but the office of labor was always busy. The days when students came on a daily basis to find work had disappeared. These days, young people turned away from labor jobs! Foreign workers had long taken over, making the future of South Korea seem bleak.
‘I have a headache.’
I still hadn’t adapted to the smell of cigarettes and alcohol early in the morning.
‘I want to finish the work quickly so I can go home and rest.’
As I sat there, a young man in a construction worker’s uniform cried out.
“Looking for four workers for the Shinwoo Building’s construction site!”
Construction site workers did things like clean, move bricks and wood, and shovel sand. The physical labor was harsh, and I would eat a lot of dirt, but I had done it often. Therefore, I didn’t hesitate to raise my hand.
“Here! Over here… cough!”
An alcohol drinker or heavy smoker punched me in the belly! I was pushed into a corner and missed the chance to be em
ployed by the construction site.
“Those guys are heartless! You should send the pitiful young people first!”
While I was complaining with irritation, a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt spoke, “I need three tilers with strength. You should have experience.”
A tiles assistant would follow the main tiler and assist in the transfer of materials such as tiles, cement, and sand. It was annoying to carry the tiles if I met a bad tiler and I had to be careful not to break the tiles, but it was decent work.
I raised my hand. “Here! I have carried tiles more than 10 times… Ugh!”
I was once again pushed back into a corner by the older men and lost the chance to be hired because there were three people more experienced than me.
“Anyone else?”
“Here! I do… Ack!”
There were several companies looking for laborers, but I wasn’t hired due to the continuous interference.
“Ah, you! You will regret not seeing my value!”
The older men in the workforce were hindering me. It seemed that they didn’t like me snatching away their spots.
“Who could come here because they like it? Don’t you think I want to work part-time like other young people? I’m making a living just like you! Let me get something as well!”
The mere sight of them was enough to make me angry, like seeing a barking dog. However, my opponents were adults. So, I couldn’t say anything bad and sat down again.
“Kukuk.” The chief, who had been reading his newspaper on his desk, looked at me.
Was he around his early 30s? He was a person who inherited this office from his father. For every 10 times I came here looking for a job, I’d gone home three times in vain. The chief was watching me when another person arrived.
“Who can do electric pulling work? No experience is needed. I will pay 110,000 won a day, so come quickly.”
It was 20,000 won more than the usual pay. However, I didn’t move. Of course, there was a reason for offering more money.
‘I can’t forget how awful it was.’
I’d tried electrical cable pulling only once.
It was just pulling a huge electrical cable, so it was a very simple task. However, it consumed a tremendous amount of stamina. I couldn’t let the cable hit my wrist. Moreover, the cables were very thick and the weight was heavy.
It was just pulling, but… I would get blisters on my hands even while wearing gloves, and I would suffer from muscle aches for at least two days.
‘It was an oasis in winter…’
I still remembered the nightmare from last winter. The other men present looked into the distance, whistled or went out to smoke.
“No one?” The man asked again with an awkward expression.
Then one of the middle-aged men pointed towards me. “This young man can do it very well.”
“Really. He is very active and has amazing stamina.”
“Hasn’t he done a lot of electrical cable pulling? An expert, expert.”
‘These insane humans!’
I glared at them to stop, but the other men continued to recommend me. Then the person offering the job pointed to me. “Excuse me, young man. Shall we go together? You look very good.”
If I followed the atmosphere, today I would enter hell. I glanced towards the chief, but he just smiled. In the end, I raise my phone to my ear, like I had received an incoming call.
“Yes, this is Shin Youngwoo. Ah, there was a spot? Yes, right away…”
Ddiririring ~ ddiririring~
“……”
The default S Corporation’s ringtone was heard from the phone at my ear. In the end, the other workers there laughed until tears emerged from their eyes. The employer also laughed. “Then let’s go.”
Who would call me this early in the morning? Moreover, I barely ever received phone calls. So, how did I receive a call at this exact timing? Then I belatedly saw the caller ID and hurriedly picked up the phone. It was an unforgettable voice.
(Hello~ This is Mother’s Heart is Happy Financial Services. Customer Shin Youngwoo, you do know that the deadline is tomorrow right?)
“…Already?”
(If you have forgotten, does that mean there is no money?)
“O-Of course not. Yes, I understand. I will have the amount ready for tomorrow.”
(Thank you, Debt… no, Customer. Have a happy day. Mother’s Heart is Happy hopes you will smile today~)
The call ended.
“This damn…”
I’d played games and ignored reality, forgetting that I was a debtor. I had to work hard to pay off the interest. It would be hard work, not easy work, that would get me out of this position.
“Excuse me… Will you really pay 110,000 won?”
“Yes!”
“Is it really true?”
“Of course! You will never go hungry when working for me!”
I eventually left towards hell. That evening…
“O-Oppa?” Se-hee stammered when she saw my exhausted self return home. I couldn’t even take my shoes off before collapsing.
“Shit… The words were true, but… doing all that labor only to receive cream bread…? There wasn’t even milk…! What type of people would give cream bread and no milkkkkkk?!!! U-Ughhh… I have to play the game… Arrows… sold…”
I couldn’t remember anything after that. It was because I fell asleep.
* * *
When I woke up, I felt like I had been crushed by steel. My body was throbbing all over, and I barely managed to check the time. It was 5.20 a.m.
“Ugh!”
This was serious. It was late when I took into consideration the distance between my house and the labor office. I hurried to change into my work clothes while worrying about getting a good job. If I arrived late, then something like yesterday might happen again.
“Ack~! I’m going.”
After I paid the interest for the loan, I would only have 9,220 won in my hands. I needed to make money to pay the fee for the game in a week. As I put on my shoes without washing up, my mother approached and patted my shoulder. “Come eat breakfast.”
“I can’t. I’m already late,” I replied hurriedly.
“Youngwoo,” my mother suddenly said my name in a serious voice. I cowered reflexively. It was obvious that her nagging would begin. My mother knew about my debts. She wondered why I was addicted to games and was saddened by my absence from school. She mourned that I had debts and was living in this situation.
However, when I looked back, my mother’s eyes were calm and welcoming.
“Come eat,” she said.
“W-why? I have to go to the office quickly.”
At that moment, the door opened, and my father appeared. My father sat at the table, opened the newspaper and said quietly, “Take a break today.”
“A break? What are you saying.”
“Cough, cough.” My father just coughed and looked at the newspapers.
My mother whispered in my ears, “You came back really exhausted yesterday. Your father was worried since he carried you to your bedroom~”
“Huh?”
“We are your mother and father. We don’t want to see our son suffer. Didn’t you suffer yesterday? You should rest for today.”
“M-Mother…” I was touched by the fact that my parents were still looking after me, despite all the disappointment I’d caused them in the past year.
At that time, Sehee exited her room with a yawn and handed me something. It was a pain relief patch.
“Paste it on. Didn’t you go through a lot of trouble yesterday?”
“S-Sehee…”
‘Ahh! What a beautiful family!’
I cried out as I embraced my mother and Sehee.
I’d thought I was alone in this difficult world, but I had such warm family beside me. My family members were like angels to their disappointing son and brother. I was truly grateful to have this family.
“W-What? Who are you hugging
? O-Oppa’s hug is good… Ah, no. Isn’t it bad?” Sehee grumbled quietly as she hugged me back, while my mother quietly stroked my head. After that, I took off my work clothes and sat at the table, feeling the taste of beef rib soup for the first time in months.
“Father, then can you pay off my debt?”
Beeok! My father, who was eating quietly, gazed at me and threw his spoon. I shrieked as it hit me in the forehead, while my mother clicked her tongue and handed my father a new spoon.
“Haven’t I already told you? We want you to be self-reliant. You are already 26 years old. You should be responsible for your own actions.”
The atmosphere had been so full of harmony that I never imagined a spoon would fly over. As I rubbed my forehead, my father handed me an envelope.
He said, “I will give you an allowance for today. You are resting today because of us, so I can’t let you make a loss.”
“Father…” I was touched. My usually blunt father was taking care of me today. I would gladly accept the allowance.
‘Then…’
I grasped the number of bills in the envelope with my sharp fingertips, but the number seemed a little small? When I looked inside the envelope, I saw seven bills. Feeling disappointed, I spoke carefully, “Father, the minimum payment for labor these days is at least 9…”
My father looked at me regretfully. “Huh, really? I’m sorry, but that is all the cash I have on me right now. Be satisfied with that.”
He was telling me not to ask for the missing amount later. I had forgotten, but my father was quite restrained when it came to spending money. If he bought a chicken, he thought that the family should eat it over three meals.
I was forced to surrender at receiving an allowance of 70,000 won.
‘At least he gave it in the first place.’
Chapter 21
Chapter 21
After breakfast, my parents immediately headed towards the vegetable store that they ran. The two of them normally left at 5 a.m, so they were quite late today.
‘They are late because of breakfast with their son.’
I suddenly felt that tsunami of emotions again as tears filled my eyes. It was the first time my stomach felt so full in a while.
I sat on the couch and dozed off, before waking up because of Sehee. Sehee had changed into her school uniform and looked like a neat schoolgirl. She was my sister, but I had to admit that she was beautiful.
