Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

Master Smith Under Ministry of National Defense

023 – Strategy

“This is how the inside looks.”

Upon entering the Gate, Myung-jun exclaimed in awe as he looked at the interior space that resembled a collapsed city. The city looked like a scene from a game depicting a world after the apocalypse, and while it was strangely familiar, it also gave him an unsettling feeling.

Soon, Myung-jun realized the source of this unease.

‘At a glance, it might look like a place where a city has collapsed, but it’s not a human city.’

The shape of the original buildings, discernible through the ruins, was remarkably different from those constructed by humans. The materials composing the debris were also something entirely different from the typical reinforced concrete used in building construction, something Myung-jun wasn’t familiar with.

For a moment, he picked up a fragment and pondered if it could be a trace of some unknown civilization. However, he soon tossed the fragment aside and began to move. He knew that his chances of uncovering the truth alone were close to zero, considering that countless awakeners before his regression had tirelessly attempted and failed.

Rather than pursuing that line of thought, he needed to focus on executing the plan he had already established. Moving to what appeared to be a safe corner, Myung-jun took a deep breath and summoned Time Keeper.

Suddenly, two irises appeared on Myung-jun’s previously empty palm.

[You called… huh? Did it work?]

“You don’t need to speak out loud in your mind. I’m the only entity here that’s human, after all.”

Upon hearing Myung-jun’s words, time Keeper created a mouth on his palm. The image was reminiscent of someone playfully manipulating Myung-jun’s palm using Photoshop, but strangely, it didn’t feel creepy.

[Is that so? Well, then let’s do it that way.]

“Now, you should probably let me know what I need to do. I’ve managed to achieve everything you asked for, including the Gate Overrun that should never be attempted at this point. Even if I have the ability to transform attributes, facing a Rank 5 monster at this moment will result in my immediate death.”

[Well, that’s true. But there’s no other choice. If we don’t do that, it will be nearly impossible for you to secure the Class you want.]

“What do you mean?”

[Alright. Before explaining, let me update you on the current progress. I’ve previously mentioned that the power of the Guardian can intervene in the destiny of humans or races, right? In your case, you were under the protection of the Guardian of the [Oath keeper] before your regression.]

“I remember. And now, I’ve lost the protection of the Guardian of the [Oath keeper] and am in a Free state.”

[Yes, that’s right. Normally, the Guardian that determine a person’s destiny are decided at birth and remain fixed until death. But your situation is different. In a way, you’ve become an object like a super popular sports player suddenly appearing on the free agent market. Naturally, Countless Guardian are observing your actions, curious about how you’ll change your predetermined destiny.]

“I see. So you’ve found the Guardian that’s most willing to aid me?”

[Exactly. The Guardian that I believe will be the most helpful for what you want is expressing its desire to protect you.]

“And what does that have to do with the Gate Overrun?”

[It’s relevant. While it’s true that Guardian can exert absolute influence over human destiny, some effort from humans is also required. For instance, let’s assume that a Guardian governing wealth wants to make you wealthy. But you’re just sitting at home doing nothing, and you don’t have any family left to inherit wealth from. Moreover, you have an extreme spending habit, quickly squandering whatever money you have left.]

“In that case, even if the power of the Guardians is mighty, can they make me wealthy?”

[… It would be difficult.]

“Right. So at least the effort of buying a lottery ticket would be necessary.”

[Exactly. To lead your predetermined destiny toward the outcome of becoming wealthy, it’s necessary to exert at least the amount of effort equivalent to buying a lottery ticket. Furthermore, the energy required for such artificial intervention varies depending on how likely that intervention would occur naturally. The Guardian of the [Oath keeper] that protected you before your regression was famous for its power, as mighty as its reputation. However, even that Guardian couldn’t suddenly open a dimensional door to help you escape. Do you understand why?]

After a moment of contemplation, Myung-jun spoke to Time Keeper.

“Isn’t it because my destiny was within the influence of the threads of fate at that time? Countless Awakeners from around the world were all using the weapons I created to save the world.”

[That’s right. So, to save you, the Guardian of the [Oath keeper], I, as an intermediary, was used. It manipulated events from over 10,000 years ago, tearing apart my own seal into five fragments and guiding them to you. For years, you deceived the watchful eyes of the Observers and employed every means at your disposal to collect those fragments. That was the ‘effort’ you made before your regression. And from this point of view, your actions of challenging the clearing of the Gate that has been strengthened to an almost impossible level correspond to that ‘effort’.]

“It seems that you need that much effort to achieve something.”

[That’s right. The class you requested was a core class with enough power to influence the fate of this star before your regression, and it was already a pre-determined class. So, to twist that pre-determined fate and guide that class to you, logically, you needed to undertake a challenge that seemed impossible. Only then could the ‘probability’ be granted for you to obtain that class first.]

Myung-jun nodded as he listened to the explanation.

“Got it. Can I ask one more question?”

[Answering questions is the only way I can help you. Feel free to ask any question you want.]

“When I successfully clear the Gate, what kind of Guardian will grant me a class and oversee my destiny? Of course, receiving help is welcome, but can a Guardian intervene in human free will? Even though the decisions I make are my own, could it be that these decisions themselves are part of the destiny guided by a Guardian? In that case, I want to make a proper contract with a Guardian that won’t intervene in my free will, if possible.”

Upon hearing this, the mouth on Myung-jun’s palm formed a small smile. With a confident voice, time Keeper spoke to Myung-jun.

[Don’t worry about that. The Guardian I negotiated with this time is the one that values human free will the most among all Guardians. In fact, they want to contract with you precisely because they want to see you act as you see fit.]

“What? What kind of Guardian is responsible for guiding destiny?”

[Sorry, but that’s a secret. That entity wants to hide their identity from you until the contract is complete. However, I can provide you with two assurances. First, if you successfully overcome this crisis and clear the Gate, they will support you in a way that respects your free will. And second, as a reward for clearing the Gate, they will bestow upon you the Class you desire, which is Doll Master. However, there’s one more condition. The Doll Master Class you receive may not be the same as the one you’re familiar with.]

“Another condition?”

[Before the regression, wasn’t there more than one blacksmith in the world? You were the only blacksmith with the ability to transform attributes, even though there were many blacksmith-type awakeners besides you. The same goes for the Doll Master Class. Although it’s a rare class, it’s not unique to just one person. In this world, Awakeners can have one of three types of classes: Unique classes that only one person can possess and others can’t obtain, rare classes that others can have but are difficult to obtain due to their rarity or difficulty in growth, and Common classes that are commonly found but vary greatly in effectiveness for individuals. The blacksmith you possessed was a Common class. The perk you received were Unique.]

“What about the Doll Master Class?”

[It’s a Rare class. The benefits that General Moon Hee-cheol had were Rare perk.]

“So, if a Unique Class has Unique perk…”

[Hmm… Originally, such an existence couldn’t be created. Obtaining a Unique Class alone requires the willingness to sacrifice Guardian at the level of extinction, and to grant Unique traits on top of that would require an inconceivable amount of energy. However, the current situation is different. You already have the Unique trait [Attribute Transformation] granted by the Guardian of the [Oath keeper], right? So, if you can obtain a Unique Class, you would become the first human in the entire universe to possess both a Unique class and a Unique trait simultaneously.]

“Then…”

[Sorry, but that’s not possible. There’s no Guardian with the capacity to bestow such a class on you while respecting your free will. There is one, but you wouldn’t want it.]

“You mean the Guardian of the Mind?”

[Exactly. And that Guardian almost entirely disregards human free will.]

“Alright then. I’ll just be satisfied with a Rare class. Not only do I not want to be under the control of an existence that tormented me greatly before the regression, but I also believe that contracting with the Guardian you’ve found for me would be the best option. At least, with you, I can trust that you wouldn’t guide me toward an outcome I don’t want.”

[Thank you for your trust Customer! I will continue to do my best to help you!]

“It’s not ‘customer,’ it’s partner.”

[Got it. Partner. But my capabilities only extend this far. From here on out, it’s up to you to bear the burden of the Gate. Let me ask you one thing. If my estimation is correct, the Gate you caused to overrun is likely a Rank 1 to Rank 3 Gate. That means, to clear this Gate, you’ll have to defeat a Rank 5 monster. Your newly created slingshot is impressive, but with its power, you can’t take down a Rank 5 monster. Even if you maximize the elasticity of the rubber, the slingshot won’t hold up. Maybe Rank 3 would be its limit. And Rank 3 monster are essentially a bunch of cannon fodder on this stage. If we use game terminology, it’s like the whole stage is filled with mid-bosses. How do you plan to clear it? If the stage boss even sneezes, you’d probably be blown away and split into pieces, right?]

“That’s why, I will not engage in close combat, but I will take them down with sniping.”

[Huh?]

“I have the slingshot that Senior Soo-jeong made, right? I’ll use that to take them down.”

[But if you stretch the rubber bands too much, even if the slingshot is made of titanium alloy, the frame will break.]

“Well, that’s true. But think about it. Why do you think only rubber bands can undergo an attribute transformation? After all, in this entire space, there are various monsters that can drop the crystals, right?”

[Huh? Huh??]

“You’re getting the idea.”

Myung-jun grinned mischievously.

“We can reinforce the slingshot as well.”

A moment later, accompanied by a massive explosion that was incomparable to the previous ones, Myung-jun’s ‘Gate Clear’ had begun.