Chapter 42: The Anvil’s Ascendancy

Guild members were steadily gathering.

Even as a shut-in, I needed a place for them to assemble, so Nam Bora was scouting for a guild building.

With over 100 billion won in my account, buying a decent building was no issue.

Since the guild was partly for my safety, I wanted it nearby.

Though we had a confidentiality contract, I didn’t reveal my exact location, just a general area.

“Well, she’ll handle it.”

My focus was my craft.

Despite the Gate Break aftermath, with wyverns having wrecked buildings and construction underway outside, it didn’t concern me.

Thanks to the Sound-Absorbing Statue, I barely noticed the noise.

So, I—

“Craft!”

[Using Production Skill.]

Just swung my hammer as usual.

[Please select the shape of the item to craft.]

Having defeated an S-grade Red Wyvern and sent my assistants to the Mine, my level had risen significantly.

This qualified me to use the Blacksmith’s Soul skill again.

“Work clothes!”

[Please specify the details of the work clothes’ shape.]

I immediately crafted a new assistant.

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Blacksmith’s Work Clothes Top’ has been obtained.]

[Crafting is complete.]

[‘Blacksmith’s Work Clothes Bottom’ has been obtained.]

A work clothes set crafted in moments.

I applied Blacksmith’s Soul.

[Blacksmith’s Soul imbues the Blacksmith’s Work Clothes Top.]

[Blacksmith’s Soul imbues the Blacksmith’s Work Clothes Bottom.]

[Blacksmith’s Soul animates the body.]

A new assistant rose.

Though made from the same work clothes, its color differed from Disassembler 1.

The reason was obvious.

[Please name the Blacksmith’s Soul.]

“Production 1.”

[The Blacksmith’s Soul is named Production 1.]

Its purpose was different.

While Disassembler 1 focused on refining materials from the Mine, this assistant was for crafting.

Hence the name.

The question was—

“How good will it be?”

Production 1’s skill.

My assistants had shown impressive abilities.

Miner 1 surpassed me in mining, and others matched or exceeded me in their fields.

What about crafting?

Could Production 1 match or surpass me?

If so—

“Jackpot.”

I could lie back, scratching my belly, doing nothing.

But instinctively, I knew.

Crafting-wise, I couldn’t expect that much from an assistant.

“Come on.”

“Understood.”

I sent it to the assistant lounge to greet the others.

Then to the warehouse-cum-disassembly room, or Workshop 2, filled with ore and thread.

Disassembler 1 was hard at work.

“Disassembler 1, how’s it going?”

“No issues.”

“Wow, that’s a lot.”

The warehouse overflowed with materials.

Since creating Disassembler 1, disassembly time was cut, but a new problem arose.

Too many materials.

Miner 1, Spinner 1, Lumberjack 1, Disassembler 1.

My four assistants worked so well, I couldn’t use all the materials alone.

Even hoarding rare materials, common ones were beyond my capacity.

That’s why I made Production 1.

“Make equipment with these materials. Can you do it?”

“I’ll try.”

“Good. Start simple, just the basics.”

I showed Production 1 the guild’s shared equipment.

Though SS-grade, they were standard designs.

It should be able to craft decent gear with a target in mind.

I set up an anvil, and Production 1 began crafting.

Clang!

Like Disassembler 1, it crafted items similarly to my skill.

As it raised the hammer, points appeared on the materials.

The hammer struck them.

Clang!

As points shattered, materials fused and shaped.

Watching Production 1, I recalled my early Awakening days.

“Was I that good back then?”

Like a Living Armor with no stamina, its hammer swings were steady and rhythmic.

After a while—

“Completed.”

“Oh, let’s see.”

Production 1’s first creation.

What would it be?

With anticipation, I checked.

[Sturdy Iron Sword]

Type: Sword

Grade: S

Restriction: Level 30 or higher

Description: A mass-produced longsword stamped with Vulcanus’ seal. Durable enough to strike rocks without chipping, with a gleaming, razor-sharp edge.

An S-grade item.

A Level 30 S-grade iron sword.

It’d sell out instantly at auction.

But—

“Mediocre.”

I could make at least SS-grade.

Thinking it might need warming up, I had it craft more.

[Sturdy Shield]

[Sturdy Armor]

The grades were—

S, C, C, S, C…

About half S, half C.

No, slightly more C-grade.

“Not like me in crafting.”

I’d hoped.

Unlike mining or logging, where assistants outshone me, that wasn’t possible here.

Fair enough—assistants outcrafting the master would be odd.

Still, producing up to S-grade wasn’t bad.

No, it was good.

My standards were high, but S~C-grade gear was top-tier, highly sought after by Hunters.

“Keep making them with spare materials. I’ll list them at auction later.”

“Understood.”

It’s excess material anyway.

No need to skimp.

Leaving Production 1 to craft, I returned to my room to make items.

The guild’s operations would cost a lot.

I needed to stockpile funds before deficits hit.

“Come on, everyone, move faster!”

Korea’s largest forge, they called it.

Filled with roaring furnaces and deafening sounds, this was the 2nd-ranked forge in Korea.

Fire Goblin Forge.

Clang, clang, clang!

It wasn’t just Fire Goblin alone.

Numerous blacksmiths shared the Fire Goblin brand.

With Nam Bora’s help, Fire Goblin had turned its name into a brand, scaling up to Korea’s 2nd place.

Today, as everyone hammered intently—

The forge’s owner, Fire Goblin, dressed unusually sharp for a blacksmith, asked an employee—

“How’s revenue?”

“It’s… doing well.”

“Don’t give me vague answers. Numbers. Why falter now?”

“Well… it’s dropping. Down over 10% from yesterday.”

“What?”

“Fire Goblin equipment is too expensive, they say.”

“What? They don’t get branding? Expensive but top performance—that’s Fire Goblin Forge! Like luxury goods, no one complains about the price!”

Fire Goblin grumbled.

Lately, things felt shaky, and now revenue was dropping.

Several factors came to mind.

First—

“Nam Bora still not answering? Tell her I’ll raise her pay to come back.”

It was Nam Bora.

Her consulting had elevated this forge.

After she left, they hired another coordinator, but none matched her.

He’d tried poaching her from Kang Ho-deok’s forge with big money.

But the employee said something unexpected.

“She’s not with Kang Ho-deok anymore.”

“Then where?”

“Vulcanus Forge. No, acting as Vulcanus’ representative.”

“Vulcanus?”

Crash.

Fire Goblin slammed the desk.

Vulcanus.

The second factor he’d considered.

A blacksmith who appeared like a comet.

Initially ignored, but after crafting a cloak for Berserker Park Kang-jeol, all four top-5 rankers used Vulcanus’ gear.

All SSS-grade.

An absurdly skilled blacksmith.

“She went to that rookie?”

“That’s what I heard.”

“Hmph, clinging to a freshly Awakened blacksmith, thinking she’ll rise?”

Despite his words, Fire Goblin’s fists trembled.

The two who irked him had teamed up.

Vulcanus’ name, right below his in the rankings, already gave him chills.

But he regained composure.

“They can flail all they want. Hiding their identity, holed up somewhere, hammering alone—there’s a limit to what they can make.”

Fire Goblin Forge and Vulcanus Forge had different aims.

Vulcanus, producing high-quality items with skill, was like Kang Ho-deok’s forge.

But its low level kept it from matching Kang Ho-deok’s high-level gear, staying at 3rd.

Fire Goblin Forge, though?

Lower-grade but mass-producing under the Fire Goblin brand with many blacksmiths.

Even Vulcanus couldn’t touch his spot for years.

Then—

“Fire Goblin-nim, have you checked Vulcanus Forge?”

“Why would I?”

“They’re selling mass-produced gear. Lower-grade than before, but it seems they’ve hired blacksmiths.”

“Hired blacksmiths? Good ones are hard to find. Nam Bora’s doing?”

“Not sure. But the grades—”

“I’ll check myself.”

Fire Goblin urgently opened the system.

He entered Vulcanus’ page.

It reeked of Nam Bora’s touch.

Once lackluster despite its skill, the page now outshone his, sleek and polished.

Suppressing irritation, he browsed Vulcanus’ listings.

[Sturdy Iron Sword]

Type: Sword

Grade: S

Plain, unremarkable gear.

Not as refined as Fire Goblin’s.

Just “basic weapons,” as the description fit.

But the grade—

“S-grade? Mass-produced?”

S-grade weapons.

Checking further, all were S~SS-grade.

He’d assumed C-grade at best for mass-production.

What forge mass-produced S-grade gear?

Why would such skilled blacksmiths join Vulcanus instead of starting their own?

“Any recent hiring notices?”

“None.”

“Damn it, Nam Bora’s personal network? Even then…”

Absurd.

Mass-producing S~SS-grade gear.

What did that make him, barely mass-producing C-grade?

And the levels.

Beyond Level 30, some were Level 40.

Insanely fast growth.

“No, no way…”

Fire Goblin denied reality.

They couldn’t surpass his forge.

He was still mass-producing higher-level gear.

No other forge in Korea played this role.

But then—

“Fire Goblin-nim…”

An event shook him to the core.

“The rankings changed.”

[2nd Place: Vulcanus Forge]

Vulcanus Forge had climbed to Korea’s 2nd rank.