Level Up Monster

Chapter 38

Kim Sae-Jin carefully packs a member gift for Yu Sae-Jung inside a rectangular box. It contained potions made by Alchemist Goblins, business cards, as well as letters expressing gratitude.

* SFX for vibrating phones *

As he observed the status of the box which quickly became somewhat classy, the phone rang. And speaking of demons, it was Yu Sae-Jung's call.

His lips grinned slightly, he picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Oppa. Is that true?"

From a certain point onward, the way he called out to her changed slightly. Sae-Jin is really serious about it. After all, this was a testament to their deepening friendship.

"What's? You mean, the alchemist?"

joining his Society . It was two days ago when the potion 'A Goblin's Purification' went on sale and the world found out about the Goblin Alchemist joining his Society. But Yu Sae-Jung is a blood descendant of the Dawn dynasty, so there was no way he was unaware of this important fact …

"Yes, that. So, is that right? How ... no, not that, what .. ah, he ... how did you get to meet the Goblin Alchemist?"

Well, he really doesn't know. His voice trembled in shock.

"Well, that's .. it's a personal matter so I can't talk about it. You know it. How sensitive the alchemists are to their privacy."

He was arguing about whether to tell the truth or not. But in the end, he just kept quiet because he thought that the situation was not right for him to come out and say, "Well, I'm actually a Goblin Alchemist" here.

"Yes ... then, well .. I don't think it's inevitable."

"Ah, right. I'm wrapping your presents right now. They'll be at your place tomorrow."

"Thank you very much!"

"No problem . "

"Ah, by the way …"

Sae-Jin drops the phone in a hurry and returns to wrap the gift box. There seems to be some sort of sound coming out of the phone, but he ignored it – because he found the wrapping more pleasant.

*

It was decided that the grand Finale of the Blacksmith tournament would be held in a large lecture hall located in the Dawn Knights Order building.

And now, today is the much-anticipated final round of judging, with over 500 audience members as well as five – professional judges all invited here to participate in the process. Inside the backstage waiting area, the pro judges sat together, discussing among themselves the weapons handed over to the finals.

"I heard the Orcs won't show up for today either? Tsk, tsk .. We said nice things about him for a while, and he's already become so arrogant …"

Famous in Korea for his chatty personality, expert craftsman Yu Jo-Hyung speaks in a slightly dissatisfied voice.

"We don't know that. It could be that he feels uncomfortable to appear in public. Let's postpone our assessment until later, won't we?" (TL: the author literally says, "don't try to look with our tinted glasses.")

Another judge, the Chairman of the Iron Clever Association, Kim Tae-Hyung reprimanded Yu Jo-Hyung with a kind voice.

"That's right. Maybe he was just focusing on making weapons. I've started to get excited thinking about what he has for us today."

This time it was Kim Yu-Rin's turn. His smile was so mesmerizing that it had the power to make the face of a very chatty old man flushed with a healthy color.

"Khea. If that's the case …. However, I really think that Kim Tae-Sahn will go as the winner today. He has come very ready. The items he brought today made me really wonder if he had accepted his father's help or not . "

"really? What about Mr Orc?"

"Orcs? It wasn't looking around in detail, but I did get a peek at it. However, even though it looked like a good quality item. At the time, Hotly Burning Flames? Yeah, I didn't see any crazy special add-ons this time. That's why, I think Kim Tae-Sahn's boy will win this one. "

Yu Jo-Hyung stroked his long beard and continued to predict Kim Tae-Sahn's victory.

"Is there anything special about Kim Tae-Sahn's Iron-Savvy weapon?"

"of course. Even I was very surprised. You will too, when you personally see it for yourself. Oh, true. That Kim Tae-Sahn boy looks like he really wants to meet you. How about, do you have dinner with him after today's show is over and cleaning up? "

Suddenly, Yu Jo-Hyung gives a rather unexpected request to her. Since he could not directly reject the expert craftsman for granted, Kim Yu-Rin could only scratch the back of his neck and smile weakly.

"You saw it too, didn't you? She's a very nice egg, that one. He has a good personality and …."

"We'll start with exercise now ~"

With the right timing, the producer entered the room and subconsciously entered between him and Yu Jo-Hyung. He immediately stood up from his chair. His expression was very relieved.

"Oh! Already been? How about we go?"

"Keum's."

Watching Kim Yu-Rin's back rushing away, Yu Jo-Hyung let out a fake cough as if she found the matter regrettable.

"…. Mm?"

When Kim Yu-Rin opened the door and left the waiting room, an unexpected woman was waiting for her.

A cute girl who continuously checked her appearance in the small mirror. It was Yu Sae-Jung, who became somewhat famous among the current crop of Knights.

Wheeck, she turned her head in a hurry . Whatever made her unhappy, Yu Sae-Jung's face was in deep frown as she observed the reflected image until, she felt a pair of eyes staring at her and, Wheeck, a, he turned his head in a hurry.

"… Oh."

And he gasped a little. He quickly hid the mirror and slowly approached Kim Yu-Rin. Seeing that his face was completely stiff and his legs were trembling miserably, one could easily tell that he was outside becoming extremely nervous right now.

"He, hello, no, no, h, how did you do it!"

The nervousness had gripped her vocal cords and as the words struggled to break free, she ended up inadvertently shouting out loud. At that moment, all focus was gathered here, and when he realized what he had done, his face turned pale.

"Nononono, that's …"

"Hello, over there. How's your. I've heard a lot about you."

Kim Yu-Rin smiled warmly and offered her hand to shake first, undisturbed.

"…. Aah." Aah."

She was very beautiful, even from another woman's point of view. That was why Yu Sae-Jung stared at Kim Yu-Rin subconsciously before snapping at her and immediately took the offered hand.

"I, me, me, it's my pleasure! I, I, I, I, uh, my name is Yu Sae-Jung. Yep!"

He acted very differently from the calm and considerate appearance he had always displayed until now, an appearance that was incompatible with his age. Sae-Jung is very secretive as she talks to Kim Yu-Rin. Cold sweat poured out from all over his body, and his heart was pounding.

This situation was like a dream to him.

The person he admired the most in his life, standing right in front of him …

"Yes. I've heard a lot of good things about you. You have achieved something incredible – you are already a low Mid Tier at such a young age."

"Ah, yesyesyes, yes. Yep. Ah, I'm Miss Yu-Rin, the biggest fan, me, Yu Sae-Jung. No, wait. I was in elementary school, when I was really young, I became your fan … "

Yu Sae-Jung can't remember what happened afterwards.

Only then, about five minutes later, she found herself walking towards the section for the audience panel while being supported by a stranger.

*

The long Open Invitation Tournament almost ended with the start of the Grand Finale.

st place or the 2nd place finish, it didn't matter anymore . However, if it was not the first place or the second finish, it did not matter anymore. Even the professional judges and participating blacksmiths thought this way. Shit, out of the eleven finalists, seven of them had already given up after realizing their lack of talent.

"… And now, among the four objects present here today, only one can ascend to the glorious position of the victorious throne!"

As soon as the live broadcast began, the host spoke with a mandatory opening sentence.

The audience began to clap, and the five judges meticulously studied the items covered in veils while maintaining a serious attitude.

"This is the jury for this round. From the far left, we have the Highest Level Knight Raven Knights, Miss Kim Yu-Rin …"

The host made a simple introduction to the five judges, and the judging process began in earnest afterwards.

The first item was a wooden sword made of black wood, aka Ceylon ebony. It was a puzzling decision to make a sword out of wood, but since black wood could be impregnated with a lot of Mana, as long as it was well produced, it was not, it was an item that could be rated above Intermediate Quality.

This black wood sword was thrown off the road with Kim Yu-Rin's judgment.

Next, is a sword made of corundum. With the body of the blade bent like a snake and the smooth end of the blade seems to have unparalleled sharpness – if it was last year's tournament, the, then it would be good enough to compete for first place but this time, it could only get the disappointment of 'that's good judgment but it doesn't have any special nature and is just a little too simple'.

"And now, here it is! This is Kim Tae-Sahn's Iron-Savvy item."

Now is the beginning of the real battle. The judges and audience members waited with slightly restrained breaths as Kim Tae-Sahn approached his weapon with confident steps.

"Please, give us an explanation of your weapon."

Kim Tae-Sahn nodded at the words of the host. Then, he removed the veil covering his item. First, when looking at the elegant and luxurious appearance, both the audience and the jury breathed a collective sigh of admiration.

"This is the Sword I made by combining bronze and adamantite. When Mana was inserted into the blade, Mana would concentrate on the blade surface and then turn into a blue crystal."

The explanation might be simple, but this sword was the kind of weapon that would truly shine when it was in the hands of its holder. Deeply confident, Kim Tae-Sahn raises his sword and takes it towards the judges.

"Ho-oh .. As expected of an apprentice master craftsman, is that true?"

"This is very good. Justjust wonderful. I can't find any fault."

"That's a really good weapon. Is it okay to put it with Mana?"

During all the praise from the judges, Supreme Knight Kim Yu-Rin grabbed the hilt and asked. Since that was what Tae-Sahn wanted from the start, he nodded his head without hesitation.

"of course. Please."

With his consent, he poured Mana into the sword. As he said, the blade with blue Mana glittered on it, turning into a crystal shape. The already beautiful exterior became even more fantastical, and there was clearly no need to test the hardness of the Mana crystal.

At the very least, this was a High Quality item.

"…It's perfect . "

As Kim Yu-Rin muttered in confusion, Kim Tae-Sahn nodded in satisfaction.

Other judges also did not stray too far from his judgment. Especially Yu Jo-Hyung, who had praised Tae-Sahn even from backstage, now said things like the boy had risen to the level of an artist and poured in thicker praise.

"And, finally .... This is the last item!"

As the rising tension reached its peak, the Blacksmith Orc's turn finally came.

"Mister Orc has decided not to attend the finals, unfortunately. He said it was due to personal problems."

Since the Orc blacksmith did not appear, the host took control to open the item. He placed his shrouded chest in the center of the stage where all the eyes of the audience and the judges could see it clearly.

Sharararak.. And then, Sharararak …

Behind the veil, a gun lay. The adjective 'beautiful' is perfect for this weapon.

On the hilt, the blue and red colors danced in great harmony, and on the surface of the blade, the intricate and artful carvings that were widely accepted as trademarks of Forge K Orc, were clearly visible. The pure white bar was not too long nor was it short, making it perfect for cutting and piercing.

The world is silent. It was not as extravagant as Kim Tae-Sahn's work, but as far as beauty was concerned, this one was superior to miles. As some wise old men once said, true beauty can be appreciated by anyone without the need to express the words – and as the saying goes, this sword looks simple on the surface, it is very beautiful, but its beauty is really elegant and admirable.

"…. It's so pretty."

As the silence continued for two minutes, Kim Yu-Rin forcefully opened her mouth to say something to avoid the broadcast incident.

"Euheums. The exterior looks good. Yet. It doesn't look special from its appearance. Isn't that blacksmith supposed to come here and start explaining? If this sword did not have any special features, then it was not so much different from that corundum sword, was it? "

Next up is Yu Jo-Hyung. He did his best to maintain a look of disdain.

"That's right. Orc Blacksmith had said that, although he could not perform physically, he would talk to us over the phone. Sir? If you are watching this live broadcast, please contact us with the number on the screen . "

After 20 seconds of waiting, the producer signals that the call has been connected.

"Hello there . "

"Is this Orc Blacksmith?"

"Yes, it's me."

His voice sounds rough. The tone of his voice was quite firm and warm, which made it pleasant to hear.

"Your voice is good, Sir."

" "Hahaha. "

Even her delicate laughter sounded good. The host nodded his head and then asked the blacksmith on the phone to describe his weapon.

"This weapon ... doesn't have any special properties like Mister Kim Tae-Sahn's weapon."

"Keum's."

Although the explanation had just begun, one of the judges let out a disgruntled fake cough. There was no need for anyone to check if it was from Yu Jo-Hyung.

"However, this weapon carries my sincere desire."

"What do you want, sir?"

The host asked, clearly waiting. Weapons with stories attached to them will always be easier to sell. (Note to the editor: the author writes here, "The weapon with the story is always right." Which one should I wear? Frankly I prefer my interpretation ..)

"My wish is that, I want to see my weapon grow together with its owner. As the owner of the weapon gets stronger, then the weapon must be discarded. Because, if it's not thrown away, the weapon will be thrown away. eventually stopping the owner's progress, so I believe the weapon wants to be thrown away as well. "

Orc Blacksmith slowly spoke. As her strange and pleasant voice spreads, the people gathered in the lecture hall for Finale become deeply immersed in her story.

"What happens next? Did your wish come true?"

"Yes. Fortunately, my weapon can grow together with its current owner."

At that moment, chaos broke out in the hall.

Weapons that can grow? No one has ever heard of such a weapon before ……

"I, is it possible to prove such a thing?"

It was Kim Tae-Sahn who shouted first. He felt confident of his victory even after seeing the Orc item, so understandably, he felt completely on the edge now.

"A weapon that can grow ?! What kind of nonsense are you trying …"

"Hahaha .. Why not let one of the Knights present there infuse Mana with a sword? The sword will emit a resonance that matches the Mana infused."

Orc Blacksmith replied calmly. Kim Yu-Rin stood up from her chair and grabbed the handle. Kim Tae-Sahn looked at her with a very tense expression.

"All I have to do is infuse Mana with it?"

"Yes. You'll feel the change."

Yu-Rin infuses his Mana with a sword. It was absorbed cleanly.

And immediately, he understood what the resonance blacksmith was talking about. The knife was actually humming in tune with his Mana – as if it was singing a song.

"You shouldn't hold it for too long. It might recognize you as its new owner."

Hearing those words, Yu-Rin quickly pulled out Mana.

"…That's amazing . "

Kim Yu-Rin raised her head to the sky and spoke in a daze.

Kim Sae-Jin, who watched all this happen on TV, secretly laughed to herself.

The attributes he gave the weapon were level C [Growth by Absorption] and [Owner Recognition].

Thanks to the Treynos horn, he could inspire both of these attributes on a sword that could perfectly recognize its owner and grow together with him.

With the right timing, the TV cameras caught Yu Sae-Jung's face, her eyes full of desire as she fixed her burning gaze on the weapon.

Even the director seemed to know who the owner of this sword would be.