26 – Discipline 13. The leader is not surprised by the villain (1)
There are sections in Academy City Neo Seoul that must be independent.
For example, this applies to cultured meat factories and polishing factories that are directly related to survival.
There is no problem for individual citizens to engage in livestock farming or rice farming, but they do not have the qualifications to officially sell products on the market. You can only send an official letter to the Federal Board of Directors to have its marketability evaluated and receive compensation accordingly.
This was a move that was concerned about individuals monopolizing major food businesses while there were few safe spaces available to mankind.
The view of following modified capitalism has been on the rise, but the Federal Council has still tended to adopt a conservative attitude and maintain the old trend.
In other words, some fields are actually excluded from the capitalist system.
Of course, it seems to be traded frequently on the black market.
Anyway.
The street where mileage can be used ‘New Yongsan Street’ is also treated as an independent area. This is not an area directly related to survival, but if one side monopolizes it, the side effects are serious.
The important responsibility for managing these things falls on the Federal Board of Directors, a power group that determines the direction and major issues of Academy City.
It was the Federal Board of Directors that had the authority to grant me platinum mileage.
However, even for the Federal Board of Directors, it is dangerous to unconditionally recognize monopolies, so each major academy was given the authority to monitor their actions and impose sanctions by saying, “This is not right.”
“It’s been a while here.”
“Me too.”
I came to New Yongsan Street with Vice President Oh Baek-seo.
We were in school uniform. This was because you had to wear a school uniform to enter.
The sound of metal clashing violently, colorful sparks flying everywhere, the blacksmiths’ workshop filled with heat… The same romance was not present on this street.
Most blacksmiths are AI, and stores are also unmanned.
“There are a lot of people.”
Platinum mileage is rare, and the mileage itself is often determined at the discretion of the academy.
That’s why New Yongsan Street is crowded every weekend.
“Manager, be careful not to become a lost child.”
“Mia….”
“You must not let down your guard. “If you’re anxious, I’ll hold your hand.”
A white paper reaching out its hand to me while we were walking side by side.
He had the usual kind smile on his face, but his voice was full of playfulness.
I lightly slapped his palm like a high five.
“Be careful because there are kids from Asong High School too.”
“hehehe, sorry.”
The white paper flirted, covering his mouth with a slightly clenched fist.
‘… ‘You look a little excited today.’
She always smiles kindly and exudes noble elegance, but after spending so much time with her, she has become able to notice subtle changes in her.
Looking at the white paper’s current smile, the corners of its mouth were raised about 5 degrees higher than usual. I mean it feels pretty good.
‘Still, it’s probably not as good as mine.’
Starting today, I will start making my own new weapon.
I’m also walking around a street full of things to do on a sunny weekend day with my favorite white paper….
‘I feel the highest.’
I was so happy that even the warm sun felt beautiful.
“Have you thought about where to entrust the forging to?”
The white paper asked.
Each blacksmith has different characteristics.
If you are good at something, you are not good at something else.
Because the materials used are very dangerous for gold and higher grades, it seems that each workshop was equipped with separate expertise.
Because the costs and risks are much lower that way.
But.
“Uh. Come this way.”
Special blacksmith in the game.
There is an unknown master.
Platinum mileage is a difficult commodity to acquire.
As a result, when trying to forge platinum level equipment, users tend to prefer so-called ‘safe bread’ rather than betting on adventure.
Forging is entrusted to a workshop that is expected to produce results that are above average compared to platinum mileage.
But I had different privileges than them.
‘What can I do with game knowledge?’
Game knowledge.
A large number of users in the community have revealed the blacksmith efficiency for each type of equipment.
I also referred to their strategy when using platinum mileage in the game.
After I was reincarnated, I recalled the memories I had carefully looked at at the time and roughly recorded them on a notepad. Thanks to this, I was still able to remember the knowledge I needed. Long live the strategy.
“I like it here.”
“…… ?”
Corner location.
I arrived at a workshop whose facilities seemed to be much older than the surrounding workshops.
When the white paper saw the dirty exterior, a look of suspicion appeared on his face.
“Manager… “Are you sure it’s okay to come here?”
It was a natural reaction.
I would have thought it strange if it had been from the perspective of a white paper that knew nothing.
“Even in restaurant districts, places like this are usually good restaurants. “Let’s go in.”
I don’t know if this is also used here, but anyway.
‘It was best to make striking weapons here.’
This was also an element that stimulated romance in the game.
It’s a cliché.
“So… ? “Then shall we go in?”
The white paper smiled sweetly and asked nothing more.
It seemed like he was trying to follow my wishes as he always had.
I entered the workshop.
As expected, there were no customers.
Thump, thud!
Kaang!
The sound of metal hitting was heard from the studio.
The scenery of the studio was visible through the tempered glass installed on the wall. Large space. Each piece of mechanical equipment moved automatically and continued work.
Oh Baek-seo and I arrived at the waiting room of the workshop. Then a friendly receptionist’s face appeared on the wall-mounted TV. It was an AI appearance skin.
[Welcome, this is Deus Atelier. Please tell us what job you want.]
The number of icons that can be indicated on the screen appears.
“Forging weapons.”
[Yes, you are forging weapons. Please tell us the type.]
“Three step peak.”
The shape of a triple pole appeared on the screen.
[Triple pole, available. Do you really want to use the triple pole?]
“Yes.”
[You have selected the triple pole. Next, we will present several questions for weapon forging. Please answer carefully.]
Several questions about weapon forging appeared on the screen.
‘Look at the level of the material…. ‘You’re crazy.’
When the materials that could be used were listed on the screen, my tongue clicked.
The scales of an iron armored dragon boasting the highest hardness.
Amdra leaves that amplify the power of circulating magical power.
Breath of the Dark Mirror that greatly enhances water elemental magic.
And so on.
There were many materials obtained from dangerous demons in the outside world.
These were materials that were difficult to collect unless you were an explorer of at least 7th rank or higher.
If you forge a weapon with this, you actually already have the final equipment.
The corners of my mouth twitched without me realizing it.
“White Paper, please wait a moment.”
“Take your time.”
The white paper sat leisurely on the chair.
‘I have a lightning attribute, so it would be better like this.’
We chose materials considering cost and roughly explained the desired design. Then, several design samples appeared in holographic graphics.
I was also informed that the actual design of the product may differ depending on the forging process.
I adjusted the appearance of the weapon by adjusting opinions with the AI, and after checking several questions, I touched the ‘Complete’ button.
[Next, we will determine whether the weapon can be used and its suitability. If you do not wish to make a decision, please answer ‘No’.]
“Of course I should do it.”
[Yes, we will proceed with the judgment of suitability. Please place your hand on the panel.]
Conformance judgment.
The task was to determine whether the weapon being forged was suitable for use by the applicant. This is a process that only goes through when forging weapons with gold or platinum mileage.
To roughly compare it to a game, it felt like it was telling me if my level had exceeded the level limit imposed on the equipment.
If I couldn’t overcome it, I was able to gauge how much I couldn’t overcome it.
It was a much more detailed measurement method than the mana measurement commonly done at academies.
I placed my hand on the panel in front of me.
Then the measuring instrument of the device connected to the panel turned blue, and soon.
Chijik.
There was noise on the screen.
[mana rating, measurement error…. I detected something abnormal…. Please wait a moment….]
AI’s voice is suddenly cut off.
The lights continued to flicker.
‘What? Come on?’
As I was panicking, the screen and lights soon calmed down and the measurement results were displayed on the screen, as if it was just a simple incident.
[Measurement results]
─ Attribute: Lightning
─ Suitability: S+
[We are very sorry for the confusion. As a result of the mana measurement, the suitability was determined to be S+ grade, the highest grade. There is no problem in using the equipment. You can treat it like a body organ.]
Huh?
‘Suitability level S+? ‘Platinum equipment?’
According to the measurements at the academy, my mana was at B+ level.
Although it was high, it was never at a level worthy of the highest level of fit.
‘… Is this also an effect of magic power training?’
I realized the reason right away.
I know very well that the quality of my magical power is good.
I have been mastering the magic exercises since I was an infant.
This may also be the effect.
It is extremely rare for children to learn the magical practice at a young age.
As far as I know, there was no one who could do that except Goliath, the final boss of my plan. I was just thinking of Goliath and constantly repeating the magic exercises.
It wasn’t something that could be said to have been done by someone else. It’s like teaching a baby who can barely babble to do differential and integral calculus.
Anyway, I never expected that the goodness of fit would be this high.
“Hmm….”
What can I say when I face a situation like this?
I feel proud for no reason.
Should I say that I feel like I am the main character in a cartoon?
As I was lifting my shoulders, the reality that I was an ordinary person who had not even reached the 5th rank urged me not to be arrogant.
[Next is the payment step. The cost is 100 platinum miles. Please point the payment barcode to the scanner.]
The price is set depending on the material, weapon area, forging difficulty, etc.
When the sample came out, the price came out as well, so I created a reference that perfectly matched the 100 platinum mileage I had.
If you’re going to get good equipment, wouldn’t it be better to use up as much mileage as possible?
Beep.
I made payment by holding the payment barcode of the mileage app to the scanner.
[Yes, the application has been completed. The estimated time it takes to forge the Platinum grade weapon you requested is approximately 2 weeks.]
Any blacksmith AI completes forging in about a week to a month.
But why isn’t it mass-produced?
This is because a large amount of money and rare materials are used to manufacture Platinum grade equipment. Therefore, indiscriminate mass production was realistically difficult.
[A text message will be sent when forging is completed. If you do not receive it within one month from then, the forged weapon will be recycled and mileage will not be refunded. Please keep this in mind. Thank you very much for using Deus Atelier. Have a nice day.]
The friendly AI man on the screen bowed his head in greeting and then disappeared from the screen.
Afterwards, the Deus Atelier logo appeared on the screen.
Charak.
A receipt came out of the machine.
It was a card.
‘Oh, I gave you this too.’
A gorgeous reception card symbolizing Platinum status.
I was satisfied with the design.
It was just a card with a symbolic meaning.
Because you can receive forged weapons even without this card.
Still, I couldn’t help but raise the corners of my mouth.
“Manager, look at the brilliant appearance of this platinum card.”
I proudly waved my acceptance card at White Paper. It was kind of a joke.
“… ….”
“?”
Why… Isn’t it quiet?
Make people embarrassed.
There was an awkward silence for a moment.
The white paper seemed to be quietly lost in thought.
“Is it white paper?”
“Yes. Congratulations, Manager.”
The white paper stood up with a smile as if regaining its expression.
“Shall we go now?”
“… Oh, let’s do it.”
What were you thinking so hard about?
Leaving behind the pride that my own weapon had begun to be forged, I left the workshop feeling doubtful about the white paper.
* * *
Ahn Woo-jin.
He has superior magical power than those of the same rank, and his combat skills are also excellent.
However, it was not possible to simply say that Woojin had stronger than average skills.
More than that.
Oh Baek-seo believed that Woo-jin was a ‘different species’.
Baekseo walked along New Yongsan Street with Woojin.
I chatted with Woojin, showing a kind smile as was my habit. However, all that was going through Baekseo’s mind right now was the weapon suitability judgment results he had seen in the workshop.
‘It is the highest level of suitability with platinum equipment…’ .’
The white paper smiled bitterly.
It was ridiculous.
The sword he wears at his waist, ‘Baekryundo’, is a platinum grade magic equipment.
Even himself, who has been called an unrivaled genius in the world, initially had only a B+ level of suitability for Baekryundo. He was also at a level where most people would praise him and say he was great.
However, the fitness level that Woojin received was S+ level.
It was not enough to say that this was unrivaled.
‘Woojin is a monster after all.’
It was not a new thing.
I have always felt that Woojin is a genius who can become stronger than Baekseo himself.
This was especially true whenever I felt Woojin’s magic up close.
The purity of the magic power that facilitates the circulation of magic power and the density of the magic power that governs fire power are surprisingly high.
If you put it all together and put it into ‘growth potential’, how strong Woojin would become was beyond anything you could have imagined.
‘… It would have been nice to have the right amount of talent.’
It was an honest feeling that I could not bear to express out loud.
Every time I realize Woojin’s talent, what comes to mind is an elderly woman.
She is a damn woman who covets talented students, including Goliath, the strongest student in Academy City.
White Paper’s eyes turned cold.
Her resolution has not changed since last year.
If that old woman sets her sights on Woojin.
Her white paper was going to stop her at all costs.
It was then.
“It’s a white paper.”
Jaw. Woojin grabbed Baekseo’s wrist.
Her thoughts were cut off.
“Manager?”
“Let’s walk quietly and turn on the other side.”
Woojin’s expression becomes quite serious.
Before Baek Seo could ask the question ‘Why?’ Woojin spoke in a low voice.
“There is a villain.”
Meanwhile.
On the hill.
A female student with a silver wig was looking at New Yongsan Street.
A black mask is worn over the mouth.
Her name tag worn on her chest had the pseudonym ‘Kim Yeon-hee’ engraved on it.
It was Kim Dal-bi.
Her pink and red eyes followed a student through a small telescope.
‘Bomb horse…’ . ‘I can finally see it now.’
That male student in the telescope is a villain.
The nickname was ‘Bomb Horse.’
She must have received a request to hire a murderer from an elderly woman.
Her goal is to kill Ahn Woo-jin.
Dalbi wanted to subdue Bomb Ma in advance, but as she had hoped, she was not able to find him as easily.
Now that he was finally in his sights, he would no longer be missed.
‘Woojin shows no signs of leaving yet.’
I already knew that Woojin came here.
From Noble mtl dot com
From the beginning, I had guessed that Woojin would come to New Yongsan Street today.
Since I received platinum mileage, it was clear that I had to use it as soon as possible, and I probably didn’t have time on weekdays due to my work as a leading manager.
I was worried about the five books that came with him, but that was a matter to think about later.
Woojin wouldn’t even know the bomb’s appearance, let alone the fact that it was targeting him.
So Dalby came today to carry out his mission of stopping by the Platinum Store.
Because the bomb demon might be targeting Woojin among the crowd.
No matter how strong the Oh Baek-seo by his side was, if a talented villain attacked him by surprise, it would be difficult to completely prevent the damage.
“… ….”
The movements of the bomb horse took on an unnatural appearance.
It is time to catch him.
Dalby moved his feet.