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SERIES: Regression of the Cursed Blacksmith
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Chapter 14 - The Grinding begins
As his gaze deepened, Choi Hyun added.
“I have quite a few things planned ahead for myself. So, if I were to be tied down with responsibilities somewhere, it would be difficult in many ways. However, if I’m in a consultant position, then just like the two previous consultations, I believe that I can assist you, the Chairman, based on a more reasonable compensation and can dedicate my commitment to the company.”
“I see. But to bring you in as a consultant…”
Jang Hae-hyun’s words trailed off.
Choi Hyun had clearly been a great help to the company through the previous two consultations.
And there was a high probability that he would be of great help with future problems as well.
After all, he had already proven his capabilities.
But he had never considered offering him a consultant position.
Especially not to a twenty-year-old who had just become a Hunter.
However, his deliberation didn't last long.
Regardless of what his social standing was, Choi Hyun was someone who had proven his worth.
“Very well. Then we will hire you as a consultant.”
“Thank you. I don’t need a fixed salary. However, whenever a matter requires my consultation, I’d like to be compensated on a case-by-case basis.”
“Is that acceptable to you?”
“Yes, I no longer need to worry about money. Instead, I will cover all the expenses, so I’d appreciate it if you could assign me one discreet and competent secretary to handle all the minor details.”
“A secretary… I understand. If you have anything you’d like the secretary to do right away, could you please tell me first? I’ll get the work started and have it handed over to the secretary who will be hired.”
“Thank you. Then for now, I’d like to request a private sedan for my use, a place for me to stay, business cards with the Daesan name on them, and a large warehouse not far from my residence.”
“Will you be using the warehouse as a workshop?”
“Something like that. I plan on developing my repair skill there, so I intend to bring in a large quantity of equipment that needs fixing. If possible, I’d like to ask Daesan to prepare it. Of course, I will bear all the related costs.”
Jang Hae-hyun nodded and refilled his glass.
“Understood. I will have the necessary arrangements made through a secretary and contact you shortly. Also, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to you for forging this connection with Daesan.”
“I look forward to working with you as well.”
Clink!
The two men’s glasses met in the air.
* * *
The next day, a call came from an unfamiliar number.
“Hello.”
- Good morning, Consultant. My name is Jin Hyun-geun, and I will be assisting you starting today. The vehicle and residence for your use have been assigned, and I'd like to guide you there. Would it be alright if I came to pick you up now?
“Yes, I’ll send you the address.”
Daesan, as expected.
They worked fast.
A secretary was assigned to me immediately, and a corporate car and residence were provided by the company.
Jin Hyun-geun was a man in his thirties with a solid build and a serious expression on his face.
Choi Hyun extended his hand first.
“I’m Choi Hyun.”
“I’m Jin Hyun-geun, the one who called earlier. I look forward to working with you.”
Jin Hyun-geun was from Jang Hae-hyun's direct secretarial office.
Therefore, he had the authority and speed to handle Daesan-related matters efficiently.
“My official work hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., but please feel free to contact me anytime, regardless of the hour.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He didn't say that wouldn't be necessary.
Because one never knows what might happen or when.
And if any overtime work was required, he intended to pay Jin Hyun-geun a fair compensation for it.
Afterward, Jin Hyun-geun drove Choi Hyun to the residence provided by the company.
The residence was a 25-pyeong apartment in an excellent location with great security. It was quite an expensive place.
It was already filled with all the necessary appliances and furniture, so there was nothing extra Choi Hyun needed to acquire.
“The Chairman said not to feel burdened and to use it comfortably. If you have any luggage you need to move, I can take care of it.”
“I don't have anything to move. From now on, if there's anything that needs to be purchased under my direction, please use the corporate card and bill me for it. I will cover every single expense, down to the smallest detail.”
“Yes, understood.”
“How are the preparations for the equipment in need of repair coming on that I mentioned to the Chairman?”
“We plan to select items that are easiest to repair and move them to the designated warehouse.”
“Easy to repair?”
“Yes, sir. Since you mentioned you would be working on your proficiency for your repair skill, he said he would send carefully selected items.”
“Don’t do that. Please gather everything that’s considered so-called junk.”
“Junk?”
“You'll see if you go to a scrapyard or the lowest-grade processing centers. Equipment that seems like it won't be profitable even after repairs is usually sent to the scrapyard without being fixed.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
He appreciated Jang Hae-hyun’s consideration, but to Choi Hyun, who had once been a world-class blacksmith, there was no such thing as cheap equipment that was “easy to repair.”
“It's not like it requires any special techniques; at most, it'll just be hammering.”
Surprisingly, most crafting classes, including blacksmiths, didn't require any special expertise for what they did.
To put it bluntly, the repair skill was all about infusing mana into the Hammer of Repair and striking the target object. Even for crafting, it was all about mimicking a blacksmith by hammering according to a designated recipe.
“Of course, after the intermediate level, it requires more precise techniques and knowledge to increase your skill, but not right now.”
Choi Hyun checked the time.
“I’ve checked the residence and the car, and I’ve already given all my instructions to you, so you can go about your business now, Mr. Jin. You can use the company car.”
“If there is somewhere you need to go, I can take you there.”
“No, I’m just going to a nearby PC bang. If there are no further instructions, you can handle your work. Once you're done, you can do some personal studying or just stay on standby near me until your work hours are over. If you want to work out, just let me know beforehand and go to the gym. I'm serious.”
“Understood.”
One of the virtues of a good secretary is not making their employer repeat themselves.
In that sense, Jin Hyun-geun was a good secretary.
Soon after Jin Hyun-geun left, Choi Hyun headed to a PC bang near the apartment, just as he’d said he would.
To be precise, it was a capsule room, the kind often called a PC bang.
“Welcome.”
An employee greeted Choi Hyun as he entered the capsule room.
Choi Hyun glanced around the interior before speaking.
“I'd like to use the Infinity program. I already know how to operate it.”
“I’ll show you to a seat right away.”
After being shown to his seat, Choi Hyun immediately began setting up the program.
The Infinity program being used here was the same one used in the final survival round of the Hunter Exam. It supported full-dive mode—in other words, a program that allowed you to feel every sensation in virtual reality just as you would in the real world.
“That’s what makes it dangerous. If you set the sensory synchronization rate to 100%, there's a risk of dying from shock due to extreme pain, even in virtual reality.”
That was why he intended to use Infinity.
Since Infinity provided the same level of risk as reality but allowed for free environmental settings, the process of acquiring skills through repeated actions was much easier inside it.
“Until Jin Hyun-geun finishes setting up the warehouse, I'll learn as many basic combat skills as I can here.”
The skills he sought now were just as important as Nimble Feet or Deft Hands.
Of course, they too were basic-level skills, but it was far more efficient to acquire them in virtual reality than to learn them in real life, which was why he had come to the capsule room.
“After all, skills above the basic level can't be learned no matter how much you grind in Infinity.”
The system wasn't stupid.
No matter how realistic the sensations Infinity provided, it wasn't real, so there was a limit to the types of skills that could be acquired in virtual reality.
But for Choi Hyun, this was more than enough.
[ The configured program will now activate. ]
After connecting, Choi Hyun opened his eyes to a vast, desolate wasteland.
[ You can control the situation at any time using the commands you have entered. ]
“Start immediately.”
[ Commencing the configured program. ]
Ziiiing!
The program executed.
Then, a person in fencing attire was summoned before Choi Hyun’s eyes.
“Let’s get started right away.”
Nod-
Choi Hyun decided to call the figure “Fencer.”
Fencer was a fencing character that Choi Hyun had configured.
Of the foil, épée, and sabre, the sword it held was the sabre, capable of both thrusting and cutting.
The Fencer nodded and closed the distance like the wind, beginning to swing its sword.
Pang!
The sound of air cracking.
Since he had set the strength to its maximum, the very act of it's thrusting caused the air to explode.
“One hit and I'm done for.”
Was that all?
Choi Hyun had set his own stamina to the minimum and the pain sensitivity to the maximum.
In other words, the moment he was stabbed by that sword, he would feel a pain close to death and then die.
Of course, he wouldn't actually die.
Because this was a virtual reality program, after all.
Nevertheless, he made these settings because he needed such an extreme situation.
Hwoosh! Hwoosh! Hwoosh! Pang!
It was the intermittent sound of the wind being torn apart.
Meanwhile, Choi Hyun moved his body diligently without making a single counterattack.
[ Nimble Feet has been activated. ]
[ Super Focus has been activated. ]
As he began to move in earnest, Nimble Feet and Super Focus activated simultaneously, aiding his movements.
He still had no intention of fighting back.
He had set up this situation specifically to only dodge, without counterattacking.
“Today, I will leave this place with at least five new skills.”
Time was gold.
Therefore, if there were skills he absolutely had to obtain in this regression, he planned to map out the most optimal path to reduce wasted time as much as possible.
Nimble Feet, Deft Hands, and Super Focus had also been acquired through the same plan.
The Fencer’s fierce attacks continued.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swoooosh!
The Fencer’s attacks were sharp.
It was definitely at the level of the world's best, likely because it was an AI loaded with data from professional athletes.
But Choi Hyun was no pushover either.
His class was a blacksmith, but unlike those who simply holed up in their workshops to craft, he had lived his life as a Fighting Blacksmith, traversing battlefields and forges and achieving great merits.
“I’ve faced far tougher opponents.”
To someone like Choi Hyun, fencing like this was easily avoidable.
But the system wouldn't judge it that way.
Based on data alone, Choi Hyun was the greenest of novices, with not a single stat or level to his name.
So when such a novice dodged every attack from fencers of this caliber using only Nimble Feet, without taking a single hit, the system would have no choice but to finally acknowledge it.
After a good while longer, a system message finally appeared.
[ Astonishing movements. ]
[ Your movements seem chaotic, but they demonstrate an incredible evasive ability. ]
[ The conditions have been met. ]
[ You have acquired the skill, “Nameless Footwork”. ]
Seeing the notification, the corners of Choi Hyun’s mouth shot up.
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