Chapter 51

The Green Life Water and Iron Horn Beast’s blood, capable of melting Crydesicle, arrived not long after.

Kang Yuseong had already prepared the location and equipment to melt it.

*Sizzle—*

When the Crydesicle was placed into the solution, a mixture of Green Life Water and Iron Horn Beast’s blood in the correct proportions, a hazy smoke billowed up.

The quality of Crydesicle varied wildly depending on that specific ‘mixing ratio’.

While Crydesicle would indeed melt when submerged in a solution of Green Life Water and Iron Horn Beast’s blood, the purity would differ drastically.

Nations had invested heavily to discover this golden ratio, but it was Germany that ultimately developed the unrivalled technology for it.

The weapons crafted from Crydesicle by them boasted remarkable sharpness.

This also meant those weapons sold for exceptionally high prices.

Kang Yuseong knew the manufacturing method.

During his time as a Monarch, he had acquired the secret formula that had leaked onto the Black Market.

Back then, Crydesicle itself wasn’t widely used, so obtaining the formula didn’t make a huge difference, but it contained all the information he had been curious about.

Now, those memories were proving incredibly useful.

As soon as Kang Yuseong obtained the Crydesicle, he used the optimally blended solution to achieve a highly pure Crydesicle melt.

The process took a full day.

But the real work was just beginning.

He needed a blacksmith capable of properly refining Crydesicle.

‘A blacksmith…’

Kang Yuseong put the molten solution into a container and left his house.

After the Mega Shock, countless blacksmiths specializing in swords and blades, rather than guns and cannons, emerged, and among them, those with significant skill stood out.

However, the major guilds monopolized these blacksmiths, operating exclusive guild forges, and ordinary Hunters couldn’t access such benefits.

Guild-exclusive forges wouldn’t craft weapons for just any amount of money.

With A-rank blacksmiths tied to guilds, only B-rank blacksmiths remained, and regular Hunters had no choice but to begrudgingly commission weapons from them.

But the place Kang Yuseong was headed was entirely unexpected.

“Hello?”

The place he found was a very shabby neighborhood blacksmith shop.

It didn’t even have a proper signboard, just ‘Best Blacksmith’ roughly painted in red on a metal sheet.

Kang Yuseong had appeared at a blacksmith shop that looked, at a glance, not even C-rank, let alone B-rank.

At this time, even an A-rank blacksmith wouldn’t have the skill to properly refine Crydesicle with over 95% purity. They’d be grateful just to refine it to some extent and make something.

If that was the case for an A-rank blacksmith, then B-rank and below might not even be able to refine it at all.

He could easily ruin all the hard-won Crydesicle, yet Kang Yuseong sought out this place without a second thought.

*Clang— Thud—*

Despite Kang Yuseong’s call, only the ceaseless sound of a hammer striking something echoed from inside.

Then, suddenly, a loud crash, and something was flung onto the floor.

*Shatter!*

“Damn it! Not this one either!”

What flew to Kang Yuseong’s feet was a half-finished sword blade.

The blade, which had a decent shape, exuded a very cold aura from its surface, and though not properly sharpened, its edge looked incredibly keen.

Kang Yuseong smiled inwardly as he saw it.

‘Just as I thought.’

Kang Yuseong was a swordsman who had wielded swords for a long time.

Dozens of swords had passed through his hands.

Among them were ordinary longswords sold at the Hunter Market, swords made by B-rank blacksmiths, creations by A-rank blacksmiths, and even legendary longswords obtained from defeating dragons.

His eye for swords was, therefore, impeccable.

The sword lying before him was remarkably excellent, to an extent that made it hard to believe it was crafted in such a shabby place.

The tempering, the steel used as material, the method of sharpening the blade…

Every aspect indicated a magnificent sword, not inferior to anything an A-rank blacksmith could produce.

Yet, the blacksmith inside had simply tossed it aside.

‘His temper hasn’t changed.’

Kang Yuseong let out a small laugh.

The blacksmith inside was someone he knew very well.

He was a man whose cantankerous personality was second to none, and his skill was equally formidable.

The Butcher of Steel.

The one who reigned supreme over all blacksmiths.

‘Kang Mu-hyeok, the Blacksmith of Destruction.’

He didn’t socialize.

Nor did he try to display his skill.

That’s why most people didn’t even know there was a blacksmith shop here.

His only companions were the anvil, the hammer, scorching hot steel, and alcohol.

His sole occupation was to hammer, hammer, and hammer steel.

“Hello?”

This time, Kang Yuseong intended to recruit him.

Just like with Kim Do-jin, the process wouldn’t be easy at all.

“What do you want?!”

This time, perhaps having heard Kang Yuseong’s voice, a gruff reply came back.

“I’d like to commission a sword.”

*Clank—*

At his words, the sudden sound of chains dragging echoed, and someone emerged from the dim interior.

‘…’

Kang Yuseong’s gaze drifted upwards.

First off, he was massive.

Standing before him was a man nearly two meters tall, his entire body covered in muscle, shirtless.

The muscles covering his body were finely chiseled.

These weren’t muscles built from gym workouts.

These were destructive muscles forged by tirelessly slamming down a heavy iron hammer, again and again.

But something peculiar caught his eye.

His two legs.

They were shackled with dark iron. Long chains were attached to the shackles, connecting them to the depths of the shop from which the man had emerged.

He scowled, looking at Kang Yuseong.

His expression suggested he was highly displeased.

“No commissions!”

Despite his menacing expression, he gruffly spat out the words and turned away, as if still treating him as a customer.

Kang Yuseong gave a wry smile.

It was because he knew Kang Mu-hyeok’s personality all too well.

The fact that he had just thrown a sword meant that, at the very least, he shouldn’t be provoked right now.

Despite his rugged appearance, he possessed extremely delicate craftsmanship.

Even if a sword was slightly not to his liking, excellent blades that would be highly praised anywhere else were simply discarded.

“Hmph, no choice then. This place is no different from the others.”

At that moment, Kang Yuseong unexpectedly turned his back and spoke.

“Where am I supposed to get this refined… The other blacksmiths all said they’d never seen anything like it and couldn’t do it…”

It was bait.

Kang Mu-hyeok was obsessed with metal.

And with the opening of dungeons, he became obsessively fixated on any new materials found within them, feeling unsatisfied until he had refined them with his own hands.

So, instead of persuading him, Kang Yuseong threw out the bait.

Unlike Kim Do-jin, handling Kang Mu-hyeok was surprisingly easy.

Having cast his bait, Kang Yuseong walked away without hesitation.

‘One.’

Still no movement from inside.

A smile spread across Kang Yuseong’s lips.

‘Two.’

His steps quickened.

Still no significant movement.

‘Three…’

*Clank—*

The moment Kang Yuseong was about to take another step, the sound of chains moving reached his ears.

“Wait.”

He took the bait.

The smile on Kang Yuseong’s lips deepened.

But he turned around, erasing the smile from his face.

“Yes?”

Kang Mu-hyeok stood with his arms crossed, looking at Kang Yuseong.

He was scowling intensely, and the way he kept biting his lips suggested he was in an internal struggle.

“Show it to me, then.”

“No, there’s no need for that. I’ll just find another blacksmith.”

Kang Yuseong played hard to get.

He knew well how to handle a man like Kang Mu-hyeok.

“Just show it to me once!”

Kang Mu-hyeok’s tone rose slightly.

Kang Yuseong shrugged, feigning reluctance, and said,

“Well, I don’t mind showing it to you, but… I’m quite busy myself, you see. I’ll just give you a quick peek, then.”

Kang Yuseong set down the container of molten Crydesicle that he was carrying on his back and opened it.

Kang Mu-hyeok watched him, feigning indifference, then his body twitched.

He then reached his hand into the container without the slightest hesitation.

“T-this is!”

It wasn’t steel.

Something he had never seen before.

Of course, it was molten, but that didn’t matter.

To his eyes, those of a born blacksmith, it was clearly visible.

That while it wasn’t steel, it was something extraordinary.

At that moment, Kang Yuseong abruptly closed the container.

“There, I’ve shown it to you, so that’s enough, right? I’ll go find another blacksmith…”

“Wait!”

“What is it now?”

Kang Yuseong looked at Kang Mu-hyeok.

And inwardly, he smiled triumphantly.

The eyes of this formidable blacksmith were trembling.

And quite noticeably so.

He had taken the bait.

Indeed, what could move this man wasn’t money, honor, or power.

His greatest interest was only one thing.

Steel above steel.

A material that could satisfy his craving.

The only reason he broke and discarded all those steel swords, despite crafting them so magnificently, was one:

They could no longer withstand his refining methods.

Steel was too weak to endure his strength, his skill.

That’s why he was given the nickname, the Butcher of Steel.

A name given because he had broken countless steel swords before Crydesicle was discovered.

“T-this… entrust it to me.”

“No… you said you couldn’t do it earlier.”

“I will! I absolutely will! I’ll craft a sword for you, so entrust this to me!”

The giant, nearly two meters tall, looked like a five-year-old child.

Kang Yuseong chuckled inwardly, seeing the innocent, sparkling light in his eyes.

As expected, he hadn’t changed.

This man, mad for metal, was the same now as he was when Kang Yuseong knew him in the past…

‘That’s why I like him, Kang Mu-hyeok.’

Kang Yuseong liked those who were truly obsessed with something.

Kim Do-jin, mad for magic.

Kang Mu-hyeok, mad for metal.

It was even more so because he himself was mad for combat.

But Kang Yuseong composed his expression once more.

“This is a valuable item, you know…”

His attitude was different from earlier.

“Just give me three days.”

Kang Yuseong looked at him.

Unlike before, Kang Mu-hyeok’s eyes now gleamed with firm resolve and strong confidence.

‘Good eyes.’

Whenever Kang Mu-hyeok had that look in his eyes, he would truly create weapons worthy of being called masterpieces.

Kang Yuseong nodded.

With such a look in his eyes, there was no longer any reason to haggle with him.

Because he would definitely succeed.

“I will certainly create a fine item.”

“Then I’ll leave it to you.”

At Kang Yuseong’s words, Kang Mu-hyeok nodded firmly.

“My name is Kang Mu-hyeok. And you?”

Kang Yuseong offered a faint smile.

Receiving Kang Mu-hyeok’s steady gaze, he opened his mouth.

“My name is Kang Yuseong. Well then.”

Kang Yuseong turned and walked away.

*Clank—*

Behind him, the sound of chains dragging could be heard.

Hearing that sound, Kang Yuseong smiled silently.