Hyunsoo’s father had once been called the greatest master craftsman in the world.Like father, like son — Kang Hyunsoo loved making weapons too.Swords, bows, spears, shields — it didn’t matter. He loved crafting them all.For him, nothing in the world was more enjoyable than creating something with his own two hands.His father used to joke, saying he was a crafting addict.But now, the doctor sitting across from him said quietly,“It’s been three years since the accident, but… working at the forge is no longer possible.”The doctor’s eyes dropped to Hyunsoo’s hands.His right hand trembled faintly.The forge had caught fire. It hadn’t been his father’s fault.They’d determined the cause was a spark from an exposed wire.That day, his father had been asleep in the back room. Hyunsoo had been out—and when he saw the smoke, he’d rushed in to save his father.But the steel beams had collapsed, crushing his right hand.He’d barely managed to drag his father out of the burning forge alive.Yet, after being taken to the hospital, his father was declared to be in a vegetative state.Hyunsoo, on the other hand, was left unable to work at the forge ever again—and his body was covered in severe burn scars.“Perhaps you should consider another line of work?”Hyunsoo pressed his lips together tightly.He’d graduated high school, sure—but he’d spent his entire life in the forge since he was a child.So yes. There wasn’t much else he knew how to do.“With this body, finding a job won’t be easy.”His right hand could still handle everyday tasks.The problem wasn’t his hand—it was the burns.Burns that covered his entire body.Anyone who saw them couldn’t help but grimace.The doctor’s face twisted with pity.“It’ll cost around three billion won to remove the scars.”Modern medicine had advanced a lot.These days, even severe burns could be erased completely.But the cost was astronomical.“Our hospital is still trying to find a way to help you, Mr. Kang, but… it’s difficult.”The doctor already knew Hyunsoo’s circumstances.Hyunsoo smiled faintly.“Thank you for caring.”After he left, the doctor sighed deeply—his expression heavy with guilt for not being able to help the young man more. ****Hyunsoo stopped by a convenience store, bought a few cans of beer, and went home.The house he used to live in had burned down.Now, he lived alone in a small, shabby studio apartment.He cracked open a beer and turned on a rerun of a TV documentary.Its title read:“Restoration of Haemosu’s Molten Sword.”“Oh.”Hyunsoo smiled faintly when his father appeared on the screen.The narrator spoke.“The Molten Sword has been beautifully restored. Even in 2040, when everything has become mechanized, Master Kang Hyuntae continues to forge weapons entirely by hand.”The National Museum had commissioned the restoration of Haemosu’s legendary sword.The screen showed a reporter expressing admiration.“Incredible! To think you restored the Molten Sword, which was rusted and nearly broken, to perfection!”His father had stayed silent for a long moment.Hyunsoo knew why.At the time, his father’s right arm had been too weak from years of hammering.He could no longer swing a hammer properly.So, in truth—Hyunsoo was the one who had restored the sword.He’d been helping at the forge since he was ten,and by then, he’d become a craftsman nearly equal to his father.He had asked his father to take the credit, saying he was embarrassed—but that wasn’t the real reason.There was only one recognized master craftsman left in the world.Hyunsoo just wanted to protect his father’s pride.“You flatter me,”his father had said with a bitter smile after a long silence.The documentary moved on.A producer asked a provocative question.“You’re known as the last true master craftsman in the world. Some say it’s only because there aren’t many blacksmiths left. What do you think about that?”It was a rude question.But his father didn’t need to answer.The proof of his mastery was already in the work itself.“Doesn’t the finished product speak for itself?”There weren’t many blacksmiths,but there were plenty of appraisers in the world.Even appraisers and film crews who had come from overseashad been moved to awe when they saw his father’s work.When the program ended, Hyunsoo took another long drink.“How the hell am I supposed to make a living now?”Sure, there were other things he could do—but the scars were a problem.Even as one of the few remaining blacksmiths in the world,it wasn’t exactly a profitable trade.People didn’t want just any sword.They wanted legendary relics—ornamental, storied artifacts.And in a country where weapon ownership was illegal, it was even harder.So he made ends meet by taking museum restoration commissions.Three billion won, huh…That’s what it would cost to erase his scars.On top of that, he still had to pay for his father’s hospital bills.He needed far more money than he had.Then—“Yo, Hyunsoo!”Someone banged loudly on the door.When he opened it, his friend Jihoon was standing there, shaking a bag of fried chicken.“You sitting here feeling sorry for yourself again, huh?”“You came?”Jihoon was a good friend.Ever since the accident, he’d been dropping by regularly—so Hyunsoo wouldn’t be alone.“Cheers.”Their beer cans clinked with a crisp sound.With Jihoon around, the heaviness in the room lifted a little.After a few drinks, Hyunsoo began to talk about life.“Ha… What the hell am I supposed to do from now on? Feels like I’m stuck…”“Shh. Shut up for a second.”“…What kind of friend tells me to shut up when I’m pouring my heart out?”Jihoon was a real friend.“Yeah, yeah. Sure thing.”He’d act like that, but if Hyunsoo ever called to vent, he’d come running.Jihoon pointed at the TV.“It’s today.”“What is?”“You know Hanul, the gold medalist in kendo?”“Yeah.”“He’s trying the Wooden Dummy Challenge today.”“The what?”“Yeah.”Jihoon switched the TV to a livestream on the Paprika platform.A man appeared on screen, face tense with focus,swinging his sword at a wooden dummy.Once. Twice. Three times.Even to Hyunsoo, a non-gamer, his strikes looked serious.Each blow made the dummy shake violently.By the ninth strike, it looked like it was going to split apart.But then—“Damn it, failed again!”Even on the tenth hit, the dummy didn’t break.“Fuckin’ Pureum bastards—why’d they even put in something that can’t be cleared?”It was Ares, the game that had the whole world obsessed.Unfortunately, Hyunsoo had never had the luxury to play it.“If you can’t beat it, why bother? What’s the big deal?”Jihoon wagged a finger.“What do you mean, what’s the big deal? You get a capsule worth fifty million won if you break it.”“F-fifty million?”For a 23-year-old with nothing, that was astronomical.“Yeah, man. That’s why everyone tried it. At this point, anyone who clears it’s basically a legend.”“A legend, huh?”“All the geniuses in the world tried and failed. Sword geniuses, archery prodigies, MMA fighters—all of them.”“If everyone starts with the same stats, of course they can’t break it.”That was the way Hyunsoo thought, like a guy who’d only ever heard of RPGs.“You clueless noob, it’s VR. Things are different there. See that white flash every time that kendo guy hits?”“Yeah. Why?”“That’s a critical hit. You only get those with perfect precision. Regular people might get one in ten, but guys like him can get it every other swing.”“And even then they can’t break it?”“Nope. It’s basically impossible. They made it that way.”“Hmm…”Hyunsoo stroked his chin.“Then why not just craft a weapon and use that?”“Dude, I just said—beginner zones don’t have classes. You can’t become a blacksmith, so you can’t make artifacts. It’s—wait.”Jihoon suddenly stopped, staring at him.“…You can make one, can’t you?”“If the crafting process is the same as in real life, sure I could.”Hyunsoo’s eyes widened at his own words.“Uh…?”Jihoon jumped to his feet.“Holy shit— you’d be totally broken! That’s a cheat build!”Hyunsoo stared up at him, eyes trembling.“Ares… people spend real money in it, right?”“Of course they do!”“So they pay for gear too?”“If they can get it, yeah—but it’s always sold out!”Hyunsoo glanced at the TV again.The image of that fifty-million-won capsule floated in his mind.“Maybe… I could make money through the game too?”Jihoon didn’t answer.He couldn’t be sure. There were too many unknowns.The biggest question—would Hyunsoo’s blacksmithing skills actually translate into the game world?“Maybe I’ll try it,” Hyunsoo muttered.“I’ll try Ares.”For someone with no future ahead, there weren’t many options left. ****The next day.Hyunsoo and Jihoon headed to a capsule room.Last night, after deciding to play, Hyunsoo had done his research.“Even the basic capsule costs ten million won…”The VVIP capsules were insanely expensive,but even the standard ones weren’t cheap.Hyunsoo could never afford one himself.“I’m gonna win that capsule.”“Ooh, when you do, let me try it too! They say the VVIP has a 99.9% sync rate!”The higher the synchronization, the more realistic the game felt.Even standard capsules had an 85% sync rate—VVIPs were basically the toys of the rich.They paid for their capsules at the counter.“Enjoy your game~!”Jihoon climbed into his capsule first, disappearing with a hiss.Then Hyunsoo stepped into his own.Hissss—The capsule door closed.Wires pressed snugly against his body,and a visor descended over his eyes.His heart began to race.Though, to be honest, not entirely because of excitement.Even on a sweltering summer day,Hyunsoo wore long sleeves, long pants, a hat, and a mask.Because of the scars that covered his body.He could barely even remember what his real face looked like anymore.Beneath his clothes, his skin was a map of twisted, swollen scars—like hundreds of worms writhing beneath the surface.[Accessing Character Creation Interface.]White letters floated in the dark.Then the screen shifted—Hyunsoo went silent.A mirror stood before him.The mirror used for character customization.And the reflection staring back at him—had no scars.The reddish burn across his left cheek—gone.The missing left eyebrow—restored.The burns that had covered his arms—vanished.He looked like himself again.He raised his right hand.The hand that had always trembled uncontrollably—was now completely still.Then a voice echoed.[Modify character appearance…]“Pass.”[Enter character nickname…]“Hyunsoo.”He decided to use his real name.Suddenly, a memory of his father surfaced.“Dad, why’d you quit your company to become a blacksmith?”“Because it’s fun.”“Jeez, Dad, you were born in the wrong century.”His father had flicked him lightly on the forehead.“Then why do you do it, huh? You’ve got a bright future ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) ahead. Why waste it doing a blacksmith’s work nobody appreciates?”“Because it’s fun.”They had both laughed then.“Actually, I’ve got a small dream,” his father had said.“What kind of dream?”“That one day, people will need the things I make—and when they receive them, they’ll be genuinely happy.”A dream that could never come true in the modern world.His father had placed a hand on his shoulder.“Hyunsoo, you crafting addict. As long as what you’re doing makes you happy—that’s all that matters.”He smiled faintly, repeating those words to himself.Yeah. As long as I’m happy doing it, that’s enough.[Connection sequence initiated.]And so, Hyunsoo entered Ares.The son of a master craftsman—and a master craftsman himself—had just logged into the game.

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