Chapter 13
Whoooosh!
The moment the duel began, flames erupted fiercely from the furnace inside the workshop.
“Move faster! Mix the Celestial Steel and low-grade Han Iron to create an alloy!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Understood, Workshop Master!”
Watching the furnace blaze higher, Junhwan barked out orders at the top of his lungs.
Naturally—everything he had was riding on this match.
As he observed the craftsmen and apprentices moving in perfect unison, Junhwan glanced over at Sejin and Shinhyuk.
‘That guy may be talented, but with only the help of a brat who’s never even held a hammer, there’s no way he can produce anything decent. This match is already mine!’
Seeing Shinhyuk awkwardly holding a hammer, Junhwan sneered to himself and shoved the Celestial Steel and low-grade Han Iron into the roaring furnace.
“Hyung, are you really going to be okay? I’ve never even held a hammer before.”
“As long as what you said isn’t a lie, it doesn’t matter. All you need to do is assist me.”
“Well… if you say so.”
Shinhyuk looked at Sejin worriedly as he found himself holding a hammer out of nowhere.
If they lost this duel, Sejin would be dragged right back into the hellish life he’d escaped from.
But Sejin nodded without the slightest concern.
“The craftsmen and apprentices here would only get in my way instead of helping. In that case, I’d rather have you help me—even if you’ve never held a hammer before, you’ve got real talent.”
“Ah.”
Shinhyuk let out a low exclamation as he understood the reasoning.
Shinhwa Workshop was Junhwan’s home turf.
There was no way the staff would support Sejin when their livelihoods depended on Junhwan winning.
Realizing that, Shinhyuk rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
“We’ll start by combining the Sanctified Steel and White Lotus Steel to create an alloy. That way, we can maximize efficiency without using up all the Sanctified Steel. You said your friend Sua is a dual-class paladin and cleric, right? With the leftover Sanctified Steel, let’s craft her a weapon too.”
“So that’s why you didn’t buy her a weapon at the department store?”
“Of course. She’s your friend, so she deserves the best weapon possible. Though what we’re making now will be even better.”
“The best, huh… I like the sound of that.”
Sejin wasn’t just thinking about this duel—he was already planning ahead for the future.
Feeling that unwavering confidence, Shinhyuk smiled and brought over the materials.
“Sanctified Steel and White Lotus Steel have different melting points. So we’ll melt the White Lotus Steel first, then the Sanctified Steel, and combine them immediately. Got it?”
“Yes. Let’s begin.”
With that brief explanation, the two went straight to work.
Fwoooosh!
White Lotus Steel was fed into the blazing furnace first.
Drip—
As the molten metal was extracted, Sanctified Steel took its place.
Once both metals had melted into glowing red liquid, Sejin carefully and precisely blended them together.
[You are assisting an outstanding craftsman.]
[Skill: Metallurgy is being generated.]
[The skill grade will be determined based on the final result.]
Seeing the message pop up, Shinhyuk focused even harder.
After cooling the alloy once—
“Let’s make the mold.”
“I brought clay imbued with elemental energy.”
“Perfect. This will make an excellent mold.”
Without pause, they moved to the next stage.
Sejin praised Shinhyuk for bringing such high-quality material and began shaping the mold with astonishing speed.
Watching the clay transform into a sword mold with a few swift movements, Shinhyuk could only marvel.
“We’ll melt the alloy again and pour it into the mold. It’s not too hard—you can try this part.”
“Alright. I’ll give it a shot.”
Shinhyuk carefully took the molten metal from Sejin and poured it into the prepared mold.
[You are actively participating in the crafting process.]
[Your contribution will be reflected in the evaluation.]
As the metal settled perfectly into shape, Sejin pulled out a strange device.
Whoooosh—
“It’s a Mana Wind device. It rapidly cools the metal and infuses it with mana, increasing the value of the crafted item.”
“There really are all kinds of amazing crafting tools.”
With the cooled blade now ready—
“Grab the hammer. The real work starts now.”
“…Alright. I’m ready.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The hammering began in earnest.
Even with a perfect mold, hours of painstaking hammering were required to refine the blade to perfection.
‘His concentration is unbelievable… No wonder he becomes known as the God’s Hand in the future.’
Despite the grueling process, Sejin never faltered, hammering relentlessly with a smile on his face.
Even Shinhyuk, merely assisting, was exhausted—yet Sejin didn’t stop for hours.
Finally—
“It’s finished.”
“…This is incredible.”
The result was truly astonishing.
[The crafted item is of exceptional quality!]
[Skill evaluation complete.]
[Skill: Metallurgy (D) acquired.]
“I got a skill too—Metallurgy, D-rank.”
“D? That’s pretty high for a first time.”
“It said the grade depended on the result, so it’s thanks to you, hyung.”
“All I did was hammer.”
“That’s the most important part.”
“Haha… thanks.”
Shinhyuk smiled, grateful for both the skill and the experience.
Then Chairman Choi Cheolho’s deep voice echoed through the workshop.
“Looks like both sides are finished. Bring them forward for evaluation.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sejin stepped forward with his sword.
Beside him, Junhwan sneered.
“This masterpiece was created by the entire Shinhwa Workshop. Do you really think you can beat it alone?”
Sejin looked at him calmly and replied with a faint smirk.
“Yes. It’s so crude that I’m confident I’ll win.”
“What?”
“Go ahead and reveal yours first. The main character always appears last.”
Grinding his teeth, Junhwan presented his sword.
[Han Iron Sword Imbued with the Spirit of a Master]
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Unique Grade
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Strength +33
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Stamina +28
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Attack Power +558
“Impressive,” Cheolho nodded.
It was undeniably a fine weapon.
Junhwan puffed up with pride—
until Shinhyuk spoke.
“You shouldn’t be so impressed yet, Grandfather.”
“…What?”
“Hyung, show him our masterpiece.”
Sejin stepped forward and revealed his creation.
[Bang Sejin’s Well-Crafted Holy Sword]
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Unique+ Grade
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All Stats +38
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Attack Power +892
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Bound Equipment
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Grants the user the stat: Divine Power
“…Incredible.”
“Impossible!”
The workshop erupted in shock.
Not only was it a higher grade, but its options were beyond comparison.
All stats +38.
Attack power of 892.
A bound item that even granted Divine Power—a stat normally exclusive to holy classes.
Victory was obvious.
With a single clap, Shinhyuk broke the silence.
“Looks like the winner is decided.”
Cheolho nodded.
Junhwan collapsed, begging for mercy—but it was too late.
Cheolho calmly listed all of Junhwan’s crimes: embezzlement, bribery, sexual harassment, stealing Sejin’s work.
“You were doomed from the start.”
Junhwan was dragged away screaming.
Then Cheolho turned to Shinhyuk.
“The punishment is done. Now for the reward. What do you want?”
Without hesitation, Shinhyuk answered:
“Please appoint my father as the president of Shinhwa Distribution.”
“…Very well.”
And just like that, it was granted.
Shinhwa Distribution.
The first stepping stone in Shinhyuk’s plan to take control of the entire Shinhwa Group.
