Chapter 115
“You’re not wearing your mask today?”
“……”
Suhyuk was momentarily at a loss for words. He had forgotten that he was currently bare-faced.
‘Where was my head?’
He reflexively covered his face with one hand, but it was too late; the damage was done. And he knew exactly why he made such a mistake.
‘Where else? Those guys.’
His mind was preoccupied with Shiwoo and Yerang. Or more precisely, with the people he ‘suspected’ to be Shiwoo and Yerang.
Even if it was just one person, it was worth it. If he could confirm they were alive, Suhyuk felt that all his past struggles would be rewarded.
The problem was that he had been too excited about it.
“… I forgot.”
“Things must have gone really well for you. To make such a mistake.”
That was true. He had been so preoccupied that he momentarily lost focus. With a sigh, Suhyuk removed his hand from his face and nodded.
“It did go well.”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
“My face…”
“You’re quite handsome, you know? I was a bit worried I might be disappointed after seeing your face, but there’s no need for that.”
That wasn’t what he intended to say. Un Hyang, however, was nodding with a satisfied expression. She seemed genuinely pleased with his appearance.
Seeing her reaction, Suhyuk, who was initially embarrassed, shook his head.
‘Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter.’
While it was a ridiculous mistake, it wasn’t a big problem. Only Un Hyang knew his current face, and the face of the former Lee Suhyuk was completely different.
Most importantly, ‘It’s not just anyone…’
It was Un Hyang who saw his face. He had no doubts that she wouldn’t use his appearance as leverage or for any underhanded purposes.
And right on cue, “I’ll keep it a secret from Cheon Ryang.”
Un Hyang spoke again, now with a mischievous expression.
“After all, you didn’t want to be found out, right? Naturally, I’ll respect that.”
It was as if she could read his mind, precisely addressing his concerns.
“Thank you.”
“In return, when we have meals together, sometimes let me see you like this.”
“Like this?”
“Yes, without the mask.”
Un Hyang extended her pinky finger and smiled brightly.
“Then I’ll guard your secret with my life.”
***
Flop-
Exhausted from staying up all night, Suhyuk threw himself onto the bed without even washing.
He lay flat on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Feeling frustrated and slightly idiotic for making such a mistake, he let out a deep sigh.
Of course,
“Your secret is safe with me. I promise on my life.”
It didn’t seem like there was a significant need to worry.
‘If it becomes an issue, it’ll be later.’
Swish-
Suhyuk touched his bare face.
‘This face is a safeguard.’
The face beneath the mask was another kind of mask for Suhyuk. One day, if he needed to conceal his identity and clash with Blue Zone, his unknown face could be a valuable asset.
Swish-
He retrieved the ice flower from his inventory and fiddled with it.
‘I’m sure it’s his.’
Even now, the faint magic from the flower gave him that impression.
Still, he couldn’t be entirely certain. This flower would likely remain in its current state indefinitely unless someone deliberately melted it.
It might have been created when Shiwoo was still alive 20 years ago. But the ice he saw in the forest was different.
‘I’m sure it’s him, but…’
One remaining question mark.
‘Why is he hiding?’
Was he afraid of Blue Zone?
Suhyuk understood the immense power of major guilds. Moreover, their influence had grown exponentially over the past 20 years, far surpassing that of Suhyuk’s generation.
Even so, it didn’t make sense for him to be hiding like this. If he was alive. Why had he been in hiding for two decades without doing anything?
‘Could it not be Shiwoo?’
Thinking about it made his mind feel like a tangled maze again. If only he would just appear in front of him clearly.
Swish-
After fiddling with the flower for a while, he put it back in the inventory. He had too many thoughts. Mulling over unsolvable issues would only harm him.
What he needed now was positive energy to sustain his mental strength.
‘I can meet him.’
He untangled the maze of thoughts in his head forcibly. He was alive. And he wasn’t far off. If he continued, he would surely meet him.
More important now was why he had gone there.
‘It must be for the same reason as me.’
According to the young demon, Blue Zone and Shiwoo visited the forest at completely different times. Shiwoo arrived after Blue Zone had already withdrawn.
This meant that, ‘Their goal had nothing to do with Shiwoo…’
Blue Zone quickly withdrew from the forest. If they hadn’t accomplished their goal, they would have searched much longer.
‘Were the rumors true?’
With that thought, a sense of foreboding crept over him. Suhyuk knew the rumors about a traitor in Blue Eyes were false. He had been there in person.
But originally, Blue Zone had no reason to tarnish the reputation of Blue Eyes, which was like their predecessor. There was only one reason they would have.
‘Someone else is alive.’
And their retreat from the forest indicated they had achieved their goal.
“… Was I one step too late?”
Hope and despair coexisted. Hope that someone else besides Shiwoo might be alive. And despair that this hope might have slipped through his fingers by a narrow margin.
‘If Shiwoo is alive, he’ll handle things on that end.’
Suhyuk forced himself to remain calm. With his current abilities, going to war with Blue Zone was impossible. Even facing Kim Ilsoo alone was out of the question.
‘Step by step. One step at a time.’
For now, it was time to focus on the one person whose survival was confirmed.
‘If I follow Blue Zone, I’m sure I’ll find him. And to not be a hindrance when that time comes…’
Thud-
Suhyuk picked up the blue gem he had placed on the breakfast table.
“First, I need to do well myself.”
The magic sword maker, Kindre. Today was the day he was supposed to meet them.
*
After about four hours of sleep, Suhyuk had a quick meal with Un Hyang. Since he had fallen asleep in the morning, it was already noon despite having a short sleep. Checking the time, Suhyuk hurried.
“Why the rush?”
“We’re late.”
“It’s okay. It’s not that far.”
“Is it close?”
That was surprising. Considering he was a reclusive artisan whose face was unknown, Suhyuk figured he’d live far from the city.
“He said he needs to live in the city to gather materials.”
“That’s a logical reason.”
“Right? His whole mind is consumed with this stuff.”
Tap, tap-
Un Hyang said this while pointing to the sword hanging from her waist with her finger. Apparently, this person was obsessively passionate about items.
“Still, let’s hurry. There’s no advantage in being late.”
“Alright, then.”
Un Hyang always respected Suhyuk’s decisions. The two got up from the table and started walking. It seemed like it was close enough to walk there.
Even during this time, Un Hyang didn’t forget her duties as a manager.
“Today, the video from the latest trial will be uploaded. Oh, and there’s also a scheduled stream by Falcon Eye tonight.”
“Is it a review content?”
“Yes. The ‘marathon’ content was too long, so we decided to go with edited highlights. We’ll charge a separate fee for the video transmission, and the revenue from Falcon Eye’s stream content will be split 60-40. Also…”
With Un Hyang’s non-stop talking, a calculator started running in Suhyuk’s head. So many avenues for points to come in. No wonder streamers partnered with companies even if they had to share a cut.
“Since the viewership increased significantly, the ad rates attached to the videos also went up. Interestingly, most of these ads are guild-centric.”
“Guild-centeric?”
“Yes, probably because your stream revolves around exceptional gameplay. It doesn’t happen often, but in your case, the proportion is considerable.”
Glancing subtly at Suhyuk, Un Hyang added,
“Some even offered lucrative salaries to have you join their guild as a streamer…”
“That’s not happening.”
“Right?”
A topic repeated multiple times. Un Hyang no longer seemed especially bothered by it. She brought it up just in case, knowing well that Suhyuk had no intention of joining any guild.
After roughly ten more minutes of walking, they arrived at an ordinary commercial building located in the heart of the city.
‘Here?’
Suhyuk looked puzzled behind his mask. He had imagined someone of Kindre’s caliber would work in a much fancier or unique building.
Rumors painted him as a madman obsessed with magic swords, a crazy old man who’d go berserk at the sight of blood.
“Just going to stand there and stare?”
Seeing him staring at the building, Un Hyang grabbed the door handle and led the way.
“Can we just go in?”
“We have to just go in. Even if you knock, he’s too absorbed in his work to hear it.”
Clearly, he had intense concentration. Un Hyang burst open the door and walked into Kindre’s workshop. Though it felt odd, Suhyuk ultimately followed her.
The inside of the otherwise ordinary commercial building was somewhat unusual. An endless staircase.
It was hard to see how many floors the basement went down; the bottom appeared completely dark.
“Kindre usually doesn’t meet with people.”
“So I have you to thank for this opportunity.”
“Not exactly.”
As they descended the stairs, Un Hyang explained how the meeting with Kindre was arranged.
“I convinced them that we had some exceptional materials.”
“Ah…”
Suhyuk nodded, understanding her explanation.
“Yes, it’s exceptional.”
For artisans, materials were both the starting point and the end. High-quality items made from excellent materials elevate the artisan’s name and reputation, boosting their value in the market.
That’s why there was such a commotion in the chat when Suhyuk revealed the Thunder’s Heart on the stream.
‘A Legendary-grade material item. No wonder it’s coveted.’
Not knowing any artisans himself, he had considered seeking help from his viewers. Fortunately, he got the chance to meet Kindre.
‘I wonder what kind of person they are.’
A player renowned as the ‘magic sword maker’, having crafted multiple Legendary-grade magic swords. Certainly not an ordinary image. Judging from public opinion and rumors, Kindre was far from ordinary.
Step-
Gradually, the end of the stairs came into view. And below, he could feel a presence, careful even with their breathing. Upon reaching the deep basement where the workshop was,
“-Who’s there?”
A thin, clear voice reached them. The magic sword maker, Kindre. Seeing her face left Suhyuk’s mind in turmoil.
“…?”
A slender woman with red hair tied up.
“Un Hyang?”
Kindre greeted them with tired eyes.
TL’s Corner:
Pardon if there are pronoun confusion about Kindre before. The characters use gender neutral pronouns for her when mentioning her, so prior chapters might have used he/him pronouns instead of her.