TRGBM 08

Episode 8

008. But You Said Willpower Was Important?

Around the time Geumsom began smelting in the forge.
The official ‘Repion’ community, ‘eRphinet,’ was burning up over an untimely bug issue.
It all started with a video posted on the free board.

[Title: Guys, a crazy guy appeared in Neman Village ㄷㄷㄷ (Video included)]
Poster: NemanStalker
Content:
Wow… guys, I just saw something absolutely unbelievable.
A Level 1 newbie thrusting at a scarecrow 1,000 times without a single mistake. Is that even physically possible?
Plus, the NPC gave him a hidden skill in real time.
Is this a bug? Or a macro? lololol
[Video Link: Roughly_video_of_1000_spear_thrusts.mp4]

As soon as the post went up, comments exploded.

[FactBomber]: AI video? 100% fake. The editing is obvious.
[LephionVeteran]: ㄴㄴ Look at the posture. That’s real. Not the skill of someone who’s practiced a day or two. What does that guy do in real life?
[BedroomWarrior]: Wow… insane. Is that even possible? I struggled with 10.
[Anonymous123]: I tried it after seeing that, failed at 99 and rage-quit. That NPC is such an ass.
[FakeDetector]: Fakeㅅㄱ
[SpearGuyLife]: That old man Bark has such a nasty personality I didn’t even talk to him… but he just smashed through 1,000 ㄷㄷ
[BarkIsTrash]: I got so frustrated doing that I broke my capsule ㅠㅠ Won’t they compensate my capsule?
[Analyst]: I analyzed the video frame by frame. It doesn’t have the razor-sharp movement typical of macros. The rhythm varies slightly, maintained by manual control. That seems like real skill ㄷㄷㄷㄷ
└ [Yes]: The god of time management appearsㅋ But who the hell is that guy?

While the community debated the identity of the ‘1,000-Thrust Man,’ before the heat could even die down, another post appeared.
Again, a video from around Neman Village.

[Title: Reporting a hacker user in Neman Village mine. (Video attached)]
Poster: MinerLife
Content:
I’m writing this because it’s just ridiculous. Went to the mine for the blacksmith quest, and some guy was doing unbelievable stuff.
He’s holding what looks like the worst, most scavenged pickaxe, but he blows up ore veins in one hit. One hit!
Plus, he only extracts top-quality ore. This can’t be explained unless it’s a hack.
Admins, please check quickly and ban this account.

[Video Link: Is_this_mining_or_demolition.mp4]

The second video caused an even bigger uproar than the first.

[Yes]: Definitely a hackㅋㅋㅋㅋ Using it so blatantlyㅋㅋ Farewell, hackerㅋㅋ
[TubanIsTrash]: I gave up on that quest… Was it that easy?
└ [MinerLife]: ㄴㄴ Only that guy is like that. The rest of us get low-grade even after 30 hits ㅠㅠ
[EagleEye]: Huh? Wait… this guy’s clothes are the same as that spear guy from before?
└ [Sherlock]: OMG, really. The character appearance is identical too. It was the same person?
[Yes]: A veteran who mastered both spearmanship and mining? On opening day?

Once it was revealed the two videos were by the same person, the community descended into chaos.
He’s a hacker, no he’s not.
He’s a hidden ranker, no he’s not.
He’s a beta tester, a test player from the admin side, etc. All sorts of speculations ran rampant.
Then, one decisive comment appeared that settled all debate.

[GeumsomAdmirer]: Hey wait… that face… isn’t that Geumsom hyung??

Instantly, the board’s comments focused on that reply.

[Anon12]: Geumsom? That streamer Geumsom who does low-effort content?
[IWatchStreamsAndDonate]: Right. He made his character look exactly like his real faceㅋㅋㅋ The aggro is insane!
[Yes]: A streamer? But why isn’t he streaming? He was playing this juicy content solo? Not a secret ad, but a secret play?
[RandomNick]: No wonder he’s a no-name streamer. Can’t recognize good content, playing it alone. Turn on the stream now! It’s perfect streaming material!
[DonationReady]: Hyung, turn on the stream now! Donations are loaded! I’ll donate just for turning it on!
[HyungTurnItOnFast]: Hyung! If you don’t turn on the stream, I’ll find your address and cut the power to your capsule!

In an instant, the community’s public opinion united into a single chant: ‘Turn on the stream!’
Geumsom’s name began trending in real-time, and his personal streaming channel, despite not being live, was flooded with viewers spamming posts.

But Geumsom, at the center of all this commotion.
Completely unaware of the external uproar, was solely and silently immersed in his work.

‘The Smelting skill.’

[Smelting Lv.1]
Description: Removes impurities from minerals to extract pure metal. The completion of the smelting process determines the final quality of the material.

The skill description was simple.
But any blacksmith knew how crucial this process was without needing an explanation.
Good materials make good equipment.
Smelting is the very first step.

Geumsom opened his skill window and used the ‘Smelting’ skill.
A semi-transparent gauge bar appeared before his eyes.
The system’s assistive function, indicating optimal temperature and timing.
But Geumsom only used it as a reference, not a guide.

‘The system provides convenience, but at the same time, it creates limits.’

In his past life, Geumsom crafted items exactly as the system instructed.
Of course, all items Geumsom crafted were outstanding.
Every ranker sought Geumsom’s items first.

But at the final moment.
The most crucial moment, the message that awaited Geumsom was one of item destruction.

‘I shouldn’t have ignored that feeling…’

Geumsom had vaguely sensed it.
That the items he crafted would ultimately fail to surpass the system’s limits.
No matter how good the materials or high the skill level, the results remained confined within the boundaries set by the system.

But he ignored it.
Because he felt no need to overcome the system.
Crafting using the system alone was sufficient to create outstanding items; there was no need to seek another method.

Moreover, in the late Age of Ruin, he was swamped.
Not only was crafting new items a problem, but he also had to constantly repair items broken in fierce battles.
So, pioneering a new path was an unwarranted luxury given the situation.

He knew he had to do it someday but kept postponing it, using circumstances as an excuse.
The result was watching the world’s destruction helplessly.

So, this time had to be different.
He had to surpass everything he created in his past life.
To do that, relying solely on the system’s power was impossible.

‘This time is different. No, it has to be!’

Geumsom relied solely on his own senses and experience.
The color of the flame, the subtle sounds from the ingot, the smell spreading in the air.
All of it was giving him information.

Sssss—

At the precise moment, he pulled out the heated ingot and placed it on the anvil.
Then he picked up the hammer.

Clang—!

The first strike.
Impurities burst out with the sparks.

Clang—!
Clang-clang—!

His hammering was as precise and rhythmic as a machine.
Tuban, watching from the side, stared with his mouth agape.

‘Th-that…!’

Tuban was also a veteran who had wielded a hammer for decades.
He didn’t need to see.
Just hearing the sound of the hammer striking metal was enough.
Geumsom’s hammering was on a completely different level from any blacksmith he had seen in his life.

A perfect posture with zero wasted energy.
The insight to read the grain of the iron and strike precisely at its weakest point.
It was as if he was conversing with the heated metal itself.

[Smelting Skill proficiency has increased.]
[Smelting Skill has reached Lv.2.]
[Smelting Skill has reached Lv.3.]
[Smelting Skill proficiency has increased.]
.
.
.

He had only smelted a single iron ore, yet Geumsom’s Smelting skill level skyrocketed like a storm.
This message held special meaning for Geumsom.

‘From smelting just one iron ore?’

The storm-like proficiency gain in Smelting.
No matter how much the combined effects of ‘Narcissist’ and ‘The One Who Astonished the Blacksmith’ accelerated proficiency gain compared to others, this defied common sense.
The following messages were enough to give Geumsom a vague conviction.

.
.
.
[You possess blacksmithing techniques that defy common sense.]
[Player Geumsom is displaying advanced techniques never suggested by the system.]
[Smelting Skill proficiency is being adjusted.]

He didn’t rely solely on the system. He recalled the sensations from his past life while using the skill and performing the smelting.
Thus, the reaction came immediately.

‘As I thought… I must not rely only on the system.’

Of course, even if he had practiced the Smelting skill relying on the system, there would have been results.
As calculated before, a speed 2.5 times faster than others—a different dimension.
2.5 times was also an astonishing speed.
But that was it.
Geumsom’s current proficiency gain speed far exceeded any expected value.

“Huh… Hehe…”

Tuban, who had been watching Geumsom’s smelting.
Tuban couldn’t utter a word, only letting out a hollow laugh.
This stranger was catching up to a realm he had achieved over a lifetime in just a few minutes.

However, Geumsom paid no heed to Tuban’s reaction.
He focused only on the pure iron after smelting.
He lifted the completed ‘Iron Ingot’ with tongs.
It glowed with a clarity and brilliance unbelievable for something made from low-grade iron ore.

[Top-Quality Iron Ingot smelted.]

A message appeared for Geumsom.
Finally, the first smelting process was complete.
Seeing the finished product, Tuban.
With a despondent heart, Tuban asked Geumsom.

“A top-quality result from low-grade materials… How is that possible?”

It wasn’t really a question expecting an answer from Geumsom.
The result was right before his eyes; Tuban had no choice but to believe.
But Geumsom wasn’t satisfied.
The pile of minerals stacked in the center of the forge.
There were still many materials left to smelt.

“You… plan to work on all of that?”
“But you said willpower was important? I’ve just started; I need to see it through.”
“Tch, well I’ll be…”

Clang—!
Clang-clang—
Clang-clang-clang—! Clang—!

The sound of hammering from Tuban’s forge didn’t cease, and neither did the messages in Geumsom’s message window.

[Top-Quality Iron Ingot smelted.]
[Top-Quality Silver Ingot smelted.]
[Smelting Skill proficiency has increased.]
[Top-Quality Brass smelted.]
[Smelting Skill has reached Lv.4.]
[Low-Grade Sapphire acquired.]
.
.
.
[Smelting Skill has reached Lv.10[MAX].]

The moment of the final hammer strike.
Right on time, the desired message appeared.