Chapter 50 - Workshop
[ The Climber Association officially announced today that the 11th-floor subjugation has been completed, and also released a statement that the Hunting Alliance's conquest team was the core in resolving the incident... ]
I let the news mumbling from the TV go in one ear and out the other.
Because it was all rolling out exactly as I intended.
All sorts of topics would be focused on it since the incident that had drawn the world's attention was resolved, but Seo Hye-in would be taking the lead and tanking it all.
Becoming the center of attention meant that along with good things, troublesome things would also arise, so for me, at the moment, it was not a very appealing situation.
At least, considering my course of action for the time being, that was the case.
It wasn't because I was a gloomy person, but the efficiency of my planned actions would increase if I lay low.
Of course, looking at what I was dealing with now, I did think I might seem a little gloomy.
-...
Swoosh, an ominous, wriggling shadow darted around the room.
It was a creation made from the Shadow Secret Arts I had extorted from Ahab before.
[ Qi Accumulation / Qigong Master (Special): Beginner ]
[ It becomes possible to accumulate the energy existing in nature within the body. You can use skills that are driven only by Qi. ]
I was diligently increasing its influence with this, but it was still a little lacking.
‘Qi-type skills are essential considering the later developments...’
Relying on a single attack pattern was likely to hit a limit as we progressed to the later stages.
Diversifying my means was a necessity, not a choice.
In that respect, I, who had access to all professions, was relatively free.
“Hmm...”
The squirming shadows still didn't look very reliable.
Since they were originally trained based on the secret arts used by assassins, they showed mostly satisfactory performance in helping to move stealthily.
When I used it in front of Seo Hye-in before, she really didn't notice any presence at all.
Of course, that might have been possible because she was in a very relaxed state, but even so, showing that level of performance against an A-rank Climber was proof that its performance was quite excellent.
However, the problem was that its performance in 'actual combat', which would become most important from now on, was still a bit poor.
[Shadow Secret Arts: Forceful Blow] was a decent skill that simply doubled the damage ratio, but that was far from enough.
‘Right now...’
To face the monstrous beings that would appear in later events, simply boosting numbers would hit a limit.
So what was there to do?
Find a way to power me up to a different dimension.
Thinking that, I fumbled with my phone.
“Ah, hello. Team Leader Kim Jae-han?”
The promise I had received a hint of before.
It was probably the perfect timing to use it now.
***
“It's been a while, Climber Kim Gyu-sik.”
Kim Jae-han's face was as stiff as ever as he said that.
However, his tone was much more polite than before.
So when I asked about it, he nodded his head and explained in detail.
“I received a hint from Department Head Seo that we might become business partners soon. It wouldn't be right to treat you as before, would it?”
“...”
Well.
Although he did say that a while ago, the difference in scale between the Hunting Alliance and Renegade was still huge.
Seeing him treat me like this when they could crush our guild in a day if they put their minds to it, I could tell what level of evaluation they had of me.
Well, there was no need to refuse if they were going to praise me.
Receiving Kim Jae-han's polite escort, I entered the building in front of me.
For a building in a flashy downtown area, it had a surprisingly plain and rough appearance, but as soon as I took a step inside, the smell of molten iron and gunpowder hit me.
“Hm.”
The people coming and going inside were all shabbily dressed with dark circles under their eyes, but the intelligence in their faces was not diminished even by the layers of fatigue.
Rather, it seemed like they were genuinely engrossed in work they loved.
On the outside, it might look like a group of work-obsessed eccentrics crammed into a corner of a building, but I knew.
This building was the goose that laid the golden eggs.
‘It feels a bit different from a normal blacksmith's forge, though.’
Unlike the blacksmiths at Ironclad's workshop who were seriously hammering iron, this place looked more like a ‘research lab’.
The atmosphere was more focused on theoretical parts rather than making actual equipment.
“Let me introduce you.”
Kim Jae-han said that and strode into the building.
“This is the ‘Workshop’. It's a place that recently signed a formal sponsorship contract with us.”
Right. I knew.
I also knew how much the equipment developed here would affect the main story.
For now, excluding the artifacts excavated from the Tower in the game, if you looked at the specifications of equipment with fraudulent effects, most of them had passed through the hands of this place at least once.
It wasn't for nothing that the phrase 'Turns out it was the Workshop' was commonly circulated among Conqueror users.
“Oh, Team Leader Kim Jae-han?”
And in the meantime, a man in a white coat spotted us and came running out.
Like the others, his face was riddled with fatigue, but the fact that he maintained a slightly cleaner atmosphere seemed to indicate that he was the public face.
“Mr. Ebga, it's been a while.”
“Wow, you should have at least given me a heads-up before coming. Would you like to try on some of the newly developed equipment?”
He was definitely an eccentric, talking about equipment right away with a broad smile.
Kim Jae-han also gave a bitter smile and shook his head.
“Today, I'm here for a more important matter. Would you like to exchange greetings?”
Kim Jae-han said that and turned his head towards me.
“This is Climber Kim Gyu-sik, a VIP of the Hunting Alliance.”
“...”
No.
Being treated as a business partner was somehow okay, but at this point, it was becoming a burden for me.
I knew I was being highly evaluated thanks to handing over all the credit to Seo Hye-in, but introducing me as a VIP was another matter.
Being a VIP in a dinosaur-class guild like the Hunting Alliance was the same as introducing me as someone with a status similar to an A-rank Climber, at least at Seo Hye-in's level.
As expected, upon hearing those words, the eyes of the man called Ebga went wide.
“I-I didn't recogni...”
“...”
This person, he just bit his tongue out of nervousness.
“...I'm sorry for not recognizing you. Please come inside!”
And Ebga, who hastily led us inside, then guided us to a place that looked like a reception room.
The way he brought tea with visibly trembling hands was as if he had a president in front of him.
“...You don't have to be so nervous.”
I said that and took the teacup that was about to overflow.
“Be comfortable, be comfortable. While you're at it, relax your disguise too.”
“...What?”
When Mr. Ebga turned his gaze to Kim Jae-han with a bewildered look, the latter also let out a deep sigh.
It was an action clearly intended to mean, 'put on your turn signal before you turn'.
“...I haven't told him anything.”
“Then how...?”
“This person is just like that, Mr. Ebga. You can assume that he knows whatever you're trying to hide.”
“...”
While Ebga was trying his best to understand the situation, I was lifting the teacup and sipping it.
Hmm, this was quite high-class.
“...Ha. Well, I'll be.”
Finally, after thinking for a long time, Ebga brought his hand to his ear.
Soon, his ear, which looked no different from a normal person's, had transformed into a pointed shape.
Even from my perspective, a smile naturally formed.
Right, one of the characteristics of a well-known cliché race.
Elf. A long-lived species. A master of delicate mana work.
And also a specialist in all work related to ‘spirits’.
Also the most suitable person to entrust my request to.
“...Most people freak out and hate it when they see this, but it's the first time I've met someone who came looking for me knowing this.”
“There's something that can only be made here.”
I said that and took out the blueprint I had prepared in advance.
“Armor... is it?”
“You saw right.”
It wasn't just any armor, but an item that could ridiculously amplify ‘Qi’ related stats.
If I could properly make and wear this, the options for Qigong Master related skills would expand significantly.
“This is... a very interesting design.”
As expected, he couldn't hide his true nature, and Ebga's eyes, which no longer showed any sign of the previous bewilderment, were seriously scanning the blueprint.
“The concept itself is clear, but the design is clever and brilliant. On top of that, if it's completed, it seems it would fetch at least a unique grade.”
Right, that's exactly what I was hoping for.
The unique grade had enough power to make even Kim Jae-han next to me widen his eyes in surprise, so it wasn't a waste at all to have come all this way.
Even the Mysterious Vessel, which showed insane efficiency even when its functions weren't fully unlocked, was a unique item.
It meant that a piece of equipment that could be considered a national treasure was being made.
“Of course, as much as the expectations are high, there seem to be quite a few things to overcome to actually produce this.”
“What do you mean?”
“First, you need a very skilled blacksmith. A Dwarf-level one might work somehow. But that race is famous for being very reclusive. Even a guild like the Hunting Alliance can't easily find such an artisan...”
As Ebga was saying that, something clattered onto the table in front of him.
It was the nameplate of Ironclad that I had thrown.
“Is this enough?”
“...Is this, Ironclad's mark? The legendary Dwarf blacksmith?”
“Yes. So, what else do you need?”
“...”
Seemingly in deep shock, Ebga, who had been quiet for a long time, finally came to his senses and continued.
“The, the materials required are also very abundant and many are needed. A rare-grade material imbued with the spirit's energy, and a very large number of rare metals are also needed. Those are precious items strictly managed by the Climber Association, so investing so much in a single piece of equipment on a personal level is...”
Once again, something clattered onto the reception room table.
The Pieces of Old Wood I got from catching the Dryad.
And the metals I scraped together from the unique material pack I received for clearing the First Trial.
These were things that would make one snort and chase away someone who offered to trade diamonds of the same weight.
Seeing such things rolling on his table like pebbles, Ebga shut his mouth again.
“What else do you need?”
“...”
Ebga looked at Kim Jae-han with a dazed look in his eyes.
It was a look that asked where on earth a person like this had come from, but Kim Jae-han just shrugged his shoulders.
“I told you, didn't I. He's a VIP. This is just how he is.”
There was something in Kim Jae-han's voice that said he was tired of even questioning it now.