I didn’t notice while working, but after hammering away in a frenzy, it was well past midnight. My body was drenched in sweat, so as soon as I sent the repaired items back to Mir Guild, I headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Only after a refreshing shower did I come to my senses. When was the last time I felt this invigorated? Even the satisfaction of a good workout after signing up for a gym wasn’t this good.
“When will I feel this again?”
Once I snapped out of it, I noticed a pile of system messages in the corner of my vision. Something about entering a trance and grasping the essence of blacksmithing?
No wonder hammering felt easier halfway through—it must’ve been the stat boost from Hephaestus’s Descendant (SSS).
And that’s not all.
“All my skills got upgraded too.”
My crafting skill now allowed me to make equipment beyond my level. The repair skill was the same. The decomposition skill seemed more efficient too.
All I did was swing my hammer like a maniac, and my skills got a massive upgrade. I don’t know how it happened, but…
“Good is good!”
If it worked out, that’s all that mattered.
Grrr.
After all that hammering, my stomach growled. Checking the time, it was almost 3 a.m.—perfect for lunch. Just a few days ago, I’d have grabbed rice and kimchi without a second thought. But now?
“Heh heh, seven point five million won! I could pay a year’s rent with this! How could I resist? No way I’m holding back!”
I’m not the old me anymore. Checking my bank account, I saw over ten million won from selling the kitchen knife, dagger, Kitchen Long Sword, and Mir Guild’s repair fee.
Without hesitation, I opened a delivery app. At 3 a.m., many places were closed, but some stayed open for people like me—or rather, for the party crowd staying up late.
“Let’s see, burger joints are closed. It’s mostly chicken or bar food.”
No matter. Eating like a socialite for once sounded nice. I had chicken the other day, and jokbal felt redundant after pork. Beef seemed like the move, but nothing caught my eye. Then, scrolling through the app…
“Pizza…!”
I found a pizza place still open at this hour. Pizza! The food too big and pricey for a broke student living alone to order casually.
Sure, you could reheat leftovers, but with pizza prices these days, you’re better off getting another chicken. But who am I now? My bank account’s practically screaming with cash.
“This is it!”
I couldn’t resist and picked a pizza. Size? Large, obviously. I went for the premium line, and since one wasn’t enough, I chose a half-and-half with the two most expensive, popular flavors.
“Heh heh, this is the peak of luxury!”
I added every sauce available, since one’s never enough. For the crust, I picked one stuffed with cheese and sweet potato mousse.
Sides? Spaghetti and hot wings. I went all out, adding every option possible. The price was outrageous for a single pizza, and my fingers trembled as I hovered over the button.
“No holding back today!”
Eyes shut tight, I hit purchase—for single-house delivery. True to Korea’s delivery prowess, in under 20 minutes…
Ding-dong.
“Hahaha!”
The pizza arrived. After confirming the delivery person left, I peeked out, grabbed it, and opened the box. The pizza was as glorious and appetizing as its price suggested. It’d be delicious as is, but…
Stack.
I layered the two different flavors into one mega slice, slathered it with every sauce, and took a huge bite.
“Mmm! This is it!”
The taste of capitalism. Toppings and sauces exploded in my mouth like a flavor storm. Maybe because hammering drained me, I devoured the entire large pizza and sides, finally feeling full.
They say two large pizza slices are a serving, but who made that ridiculous standard?
Ding.
As I basked in my lavish meal, a notification sounded—not the delivery bell, but a system alert for a new message. The only place that’d message me now was Mir Guild. Sure enough, it was from them.
“Do they never sleep?”
It was almost 4 a.m., and they were still replying? Maybe Mir Guild’s famed welfare was a myth. Or why else would staff stay up this late sending polite messages?
Guess the corporate life of overtime, more overtime, and burnout to a chicken shop job is real.
-Hello, Vulcanus-nim.
-This is Saebom Lee from Mir Guild.
-First, my deepest apologies.
-We intended to send only the newbie team’s gear for repair, but due to a staff error, my equipment was included, causing confusion. We’re truly sorry.
“Oh, it was a mistake?”
No wonder a level 100 item was mixed in with newbie gear. It felt like cooking a feast and feeding it to a dog, but no matter. That mistake upgraded my skills and sharpened my item appraisal skills.
The rest of the message was even more surprising.
-Thank you for not protesting the mistaken order and diligently completing the repairs.
-I’m at a loss for words, as you even upgraded my equipment’s grade.
-As a token of gratitude, I’ve personally sent a gift payment.
-While it may not fully compensate for upgrading an item to S-grade, I hope to repay you further in time.
“Gift payment?”
Curious, I checked my account, and my eyes nearly popped out. Under Saebom Lee’s name—not Mir Guild—fifty million won had been deposited.
I’d thought ten million was life-changing, but this massive sum left me speechless. And that wasn’t all. Separate from the repair fee, Mir Guild had sent additional payment, explained in the message.
-We confirmed that not only my equipment but all repaired items had increased attack or defense, with some even gaining higher grades.
-We’ve sent additional payment for this as well.
More money. My once-pitiful bank account was now bursting. But the message wasn’t done.
-As stated before, Mir Guild wishes to maintain a close relationship with you, Vulcanus-nim.
-Attached is a contract from Mir Guild.
-We’ve set an amount we believe matches your talent, but if it’s not to your liking, we’re open to adjustments.
-Please review it and contact us.
-Even if not for the contract, I’d love to treat you to a meal sometime.
-Feel free to reach out whenever you’re free.
My eyes fell on the attached contract. The amount listed…
“WHOA!”
It was beyond my wildest imagination. Was this even real? I’d heard whispers of Awakened contract sums in news and forums, but this dwarfed them.
It was at least double—maybe more—than what I’d heard an S-grade Awakened got after a bidding war.
My bank account, which I thought was maxed out, now felt insignificant. And they said to contact them if I wasn’t satisfied? It felt like they’d offer even more if I complained—like they’d give me the moon.
“They’re this serious?”
I knew they valued blacksmiths, but not this much. They even offered to buy me a meal outside of contract talks. They clearly wanted my attention. Normally, I’d have declined the meal offer, but…
“…”
Seeing that contract amount, refusing wasn’t easy. Still, signing on impulse felt wrong, so I replied that I’d think it over carefully.
After sending the reply, I collapsed onto my mattress, staring at the LED ceiling light, lost in thought.
“My life’s really taken off.”
When my account hit ten million, I was dazed. But seeing Mir Guild’s contract made it real—how much my SSS-grade ability had changed my fate.
At this rate, I could order my “Super Ultra Maximum Pizza” every day, right?
With that thought, I took a brief rest, then sprang up with a “Hup!”
Too much to think about, but one thing was clear.
“Time to mine!”
Slinging my pickaxe over my shoulder, I headed to the mine.
***
Clang!
Rumble—
“Phew, another bountiful day!”
My mining style had completely changed. Instead of digging at walls for veins like the first day, I hunted golems, swinging my pickaxe.
Sure, they’re monsters and technically dangerous, but how could I resist this efficiency? Tons of ore and leveling up to boot.
[Level Up!]
Another level gained. Though my upgraded crafting skill let me make gear beyond my level, higher levels meant even better equipment.
Clang!!
[Fangstone]
[Iron Ore]
Relentlessly smashing golems, two hours passed quickly. As I prepared to leave, organizing my inventory, I noticed…
“Did I go too deep?”
The tunnel had grown darker. I hadn’t worried about getting lost since the mine teleports me back after two hours, but I had no idea where I was.
“And that’s… a hall?”
At the tunnel’s end, instead of another passage, I saw a wide, open room. Unable to resist my curiosity, I cautiously approached.
The room was as dark as the tunnel, but as I stepped in, torches lining the walls blazed to life, illuminating the interior.
“Screeeech—”
Something stirred in response to the light. Unfurling wings. Gleaming eyes. The bat’s massive wings darkened my vision, and its blood-red fangs seemed to drip with blood.
There it was.
[Giant Vampire Bat]
The mine’s first boss monster.
No explanation of how the system works, how people respon to the system, and bank account can be traced or the system have a bank account to?