This chapter is brought to you by anubisscans. More updates on our website.
Support us by reading at anubisscans.com.
149
“……?”
The sudden message was puzzling.
Hanbit immediately checked the continuing contents.
[Hello. I am GM Guard from the Record Project operations team. An unexpected issue has been discovered and the special reward distribution is being delayed. We will normalize the situation as quickly as possible. We apologize for the inconvenience.]
“Ah.”
The special reward distribution message that had appeared after completing the second episode.
Unlike Edelen, this one was supposed to be immediate.
He had harbored some doubt internally — to think a problem had actually occurred.
“Black Dragon?”
While focused on the message, Luna approached from behind.
“You’re here early.”
“Well, I live fairly close. But why were you spacing out?”
“Ah — the special reward distribution is apparently being delayed.”
Hanbit added that it was the first-achiever title reward from the Ifrit episode.
At that, Luna asked with puzzlement:
“The distribution is delayed? Why?”
“It says an unexpected issue came up. It’s a game, so don’t these things happen sometimes?”
“No. Other games maybe — but in RP, this is a strange situation.”
Luna shook her head firmly.
Being herself someone immersed in the vanguard world, she continued with a voice full of certainty.
“You’ve heard that RP has never had a single update, right?”
“Yes. Viewers were saying it’s a game that came out complete.”
“That’s right. In two years, there hasn’t been a single patch note for common error fixes, not even one reported bug. And yet a problem occurred in a game like that? Doesn’t something seem off?”
Her voice was slightly more animated than usual.
Did she enjoy digging into these kinds of questions?
“……It is certainly strange.”
Hearing it, Hanbit found it puzzling too.
Even more so thinking of it as apostles acting according to the goddess’s will.
‘Can’t get a read on it.’
There was no way the power of a god wasn’t infused into RP.
In that case — had a problem arisen in the process of humans constructing the world?
Had the goddess not been watching?
The information was simply too insufficient.
“For now I’ll just have to wait until the special reward comes through. Let’s go to Jaeha-hyung right away.”
“Sounds good. If there’s anything, please make sure to tell me.”
With that request, the two moved to the Blacksmith’s Row in the outskirts of Edelen.
A work space available for player use had been set up there.
“Hey, isn’t that Luna?”
“She’s with Black Dragon again.”
“Are those two actually a thing?”
The gazes of players gathered on the street were hot.
There was that much of a special quality to the existence called Luna.
“I’m thinking of turning the stream on — is that alright?”
“Of course.”
Having asked for understanding, she readily gave a nod.
According to Yeonwoo, the view count on videos where Luna and Raphina appeared would be considerable.
He had said to ask permission in advance just in case.
“My channel has edited videos going up — would it be alright to use the parts where you appear? If it’s uncomfortable I’ll pass the word to have them taken out in advance.”
“I’m tagging along because it’s fun, so that’s fine. Use them freely.”
“Thank you. I’ll compensate you separately for the appearance.”
“Instead of compensation, just let me know when there’s something fun from time to time. That’s enough.”
Luna smiling and saying she simply liked fun things.
There was much help being received from her as well, so from Hanbit’s perspective, having her along was nothing but gratitude.
“Yes. I’ll be sure to do that.”
Having finished the exchange, Hanbit immediately started streaming.
The chat window that appeared was quickly filled with viewers’ words.
-Hey hey.
-Dragon hi.
-Luna’s here again?
-Luna hi.
-What are those two?
-Hey hey hey.
-So what’s happening today?
-Episode 3?
-Snow Drake needs to come first.
-Snow Drake is tomorrow, isn’t it?
-Yeah, today’s for prep.
-Time to spend gold.
The chat window covered in all manner of topics.
But there was something to do right now.
“First I’ll be heading to Jaeha-hyung. Luna’s sword was left with him.”
-Ah.
-OK.
-Jaeha-hyung…… succeeded, right?
-[Kim Jaeha is offline.]
-Gone. Lol.
The viewers speculated on Kim Jaeha’s success and failure as though just for fun.
Of course, Hanbit hadn’t the slightest doubt.
“Shall we go?”
The two moved to the spacious building at the center of the Blacksmith’s Row.
A place where individual work spaces were provided to players.
“Number 15 is…… ah, there.”
Hanbit approached the workshop with the number Kim Jaeha had told him in advance.
Just as he, standing in front, was about to knock.
Creak—
The door opened and Kim Jaeha appeared.
“Come in.”
A hollow face visible even through the character.
He must truly have worked without sleeping a wink.
“Was it enjoyable?”
“How do you work on a rank 6 weapon for fun? Seriously put my life on the line for this…….”
Kim Jaeha seemed to have genuinely exhausted all his energy.
But satisfaction was settled in his expression.
“Is this it?”
Luna approached the snow-white sword placed on a stand.
Slightly brighter and more vivid in color than the original — it looked almost sacred.
“I did my best, but…… I wasn’t sure if you’d like it. Honestly I wondered if it might have been better to leave it to a vanguard-level blacksmith.”
Kim Jaeha was being genuine.
Handling rank 6 weapons and materials with a rank 3 skill was something that didn’t add up to begin with.
Without dwarven metallurgy, it would have been a 100% certainty of failure.
“With regular blacksmith skills, you can only produce simple effects. Luna, would you like to check it?”
“With you putting it that way, I’m even more curious.”
Luna reached toward the sword on the stand.
And began carefully checking the changed options.
“……?”
Her eyes, scanning down, gradually widened.
Luna, snapping her head around, looked at Kim Jaeha and said:
“How did you do this? Can something change this much with a single ingot?”
-?
-What, what is it.
-Show us too;
-Did it really succeed?
-Luna, the options please……
Pained sounds from viewers unable to see the options flooded in.
Confirming it, Luna operated the system with her fingers and went ahead and revealed the options.
“Here, look.”
[Sword of Bitter Cold]
Rank: 6
Grade: Unique
Equip Restriction: Bound to Owner
Options
— Durability 138
— Skill Efficiency 136
— Mana Conductivity 132
— Cold Attribute Enhancement 167
— Cold Bonus Damage +5%
— All Stats +5%
— Can grow through reforging
— Grade evolution possible
Description: A sword newly forged by blacksmith Kim Jaeha. The Bitter Cold Ingot melted in with great care greatly strengthens the sword’s overall performance and cold attribute. The scattering bitter cold deals additional damage to enemies.
-Rank 6 Unique.
-Jaeha-hyung rising.
-I believed in him. T_T
-The options are crazy. Lol.
-Cold attribute, bonus damage — this is broken.
-But doesn’t everything look low because of Black Dragon?
-For real, everything being Epic has broken my brain.
-Take responsibility.
-Info) Rank 6 Unique grade is at an insane level.
-RP item farming is a real pain though.
The general assessment from viewers was similar.
That the player Black Dragon had to be excluded from the standard.
With that assumption, this weapon was at a quite impressive level.
“My original weapon was rank 6 Heroic grade. But with just one ingot, the grade went up, and the options rose by almost 20 each. And the cold attribute and the bonus damage are…… honestly shocking.”
The opinions of others mattered little to Luna.
This change was simply, purely astonishing.
“Thank you. I’ll be able to use a fine sword now.”
“No, I’m the one more grateful for the opportunity. It was a good experience.”
Luna extending thanks, and Kim Jaeha expressing gratitude in return.
It had been a good deal where both helped each other.
“The commission fee we discussed would probably be insufficient. Would it be easier if I added to the amount?”
“No, it’s fine. If you commission work again next time, that’s enough. I get the feeling that working on good weapons raises proficiency by a lot.”
Kim Jaeha declined additional compensation.
The agreed commission fee was 5 million won.
By ordinary standards, it was far too much money for a rank 3 blacksmith to receive.
‘This work will be the turning point.’
The Sword of Bitter Cold was the first piece of work using dwarven metallurgy.
With the result made public on the stream, the outline of Kim Jaeha’s reputation would begin to take shape.
Once he officially started receiving commissions, he would be quite busy.
“Of course. When I get good materials, I’ll be sure to ask.”
Luna also gave a nod as though she understood.
Watching that exchange, Hanbit extended his sword and spirit stone and said:
“Hyung, here’s the next piece of work.”
-Lol.
-The work never dries up.
-Gotta do what needs doing.
-Jaeha-hyung you’ve got this.
-This is why living-skill professions are hard.
The next work delivered without pause.
But Kim Jaeha gave a nod as though it were only natural.
Because for him, Black Dragon came first.
“Wait a bit. I saw something at the Droplet Forge, so it won’t take long.”
“Please get a good sleep and work at your own pace. It’s not that urgent.”
“Doing this is what lets me fall asleep in peace. Give me 30 minutes.”
Kim Jaeha, having smiled, immediately began preparing for the work.
His look of enjoying it — there was no stopping that.
“Alright. I’ll come back in 30 minutes.”
Hanbit stepped out of the workshop like that.
Standing before the building, he looked at Luna who had followed out and said:
“Don’t you need to prepare for the subjugation separately? It could be tough even for vanguards.”
“I’m fine. I already have equipment and consumables from the episode walkthrough. Ah — we should start selecting the raid members soon.”
-Submitting application.
-Application complete.
-Bring vanguards first.
-Applications only possible through Astra~
The fact that Luna had posted a recruitment post on Astra had spread quickly.
Black Dragon holds exclusive claim to the rewards.
How many people would accept that condition and apply for the raid?
Hanbit suddenly wondered.
“How many applications have come in?”
“A little over 100. There will be a member limit too, so I’ll narrow it down by priority.”
Luna, leaning her back against the wall, began the selection with a serious face.
The standard existed solely in the information inside her head.
The purpose was to choose people who would be useful to the raid based on ability and objective trustworthiness.
“Hmm — not overwhelming, but the strength looks decent.”
Luna, scanning the list, was selecting applicants one by one.
And her slowly moving hand suddenly stopped.
“……?”
Luna’s expression tilting her head with a puzzled look.
At the strange reaction, Hanbit quietly posed a question.
“What’s the matter?”
“……There’s one unusual applicant.”
“An unusual applicant?”
-?
-Unusual?
-There are quite a few vanguards like that……
-Could it be Ranger?
-Ranger can’t get into Astra.
The viewers threw out guesses left and right.
In the meantime, Luna said in a small voice:
“You’ve heard of Haemu, right?”
“Haemu…… that upper-tier vanguard?”
The most famous upper-tier vanguard in Korea that Avantgarde had mentioned.
The remarkable 601st ranking had left a strong impression.
“That person applied for the raid?”
“Yes. As strength goes — definitely solid, but I’m a little unsure whether to accept. They’re someone whose behavior is hard to predict.”
Luna’s assessment was quite candid.
Was it that much of an unpredictable personality?
And being a player of 601st rank’s caliber — controlling them would likely be impossible.
“Hmm.”
A somewhat uncertain character to use as a raid member.
But not accepting that much combat strength was equally absurd.
After briefly deliberating, Hanbit immediately made a decision.
“Accept for now. I’ll deal with it.”
