The Player that Can't Level Up

Knock, knock.

Gi-Gyu stood before an old, worn door and knocked on it politely. He could hear someone inside, but he didn’t enter, as he wasn’t given permission to enter. When no response came from inside after a while, Gi-Gyu knocked again.

Knock, knock.

Finally, the forging sounds stopped, and an elderly voice announced, “Come in.”

When Gi-Gyu entered, he saw Old Man Hwang focused on his work. It was past 10 p.m., but that was the time they agreed on when Gi-Gyu contacted Old Man Hwang earlier.

Old Man Hwang must’ve been quenching and tempering because he was covered in sweat. In one of his hands was a thick hammer bigger than his leg.

Without turning toward Gi-Gyu, the blacksmith declared, “I’ve received your payment. I’ve to say I was worried our cooperation would come to an abrupt end.”

The old man began hammering again as Gi-Gyu apologized, “I’m sorry, Sir.”

“No, it’s all right. I actually didn’t expect to see you again. The way you sent your payment was obviously part of your last will.”

The older man had seemingly guessed the dire situation Gi-Gyu was in when he sent the payment.

‘Wisdom does indeed come with age,’ thought Gi-Gyu.

Old Man Hwang continued, “After years, someone who can help my babies see the world appears, only to die days later. I was very disappointed.”

Clang, clang.

The blacksmith hammered the piece he was working on a few times and then added, “Yet you came back alive. Hmm… I can’t deny that I’m glad to see you alive. Just give me a minute.”

The older man finally stopped hammering. The completed piece, a bracelet, was glowing brightly on the table.

‘It’s another Ego.’

-Just who is this human? I knew he could make the Egos, but watching him make one before my very eyes is so… weird.

-But all of his Egos lack consciousness. They are fake. They’re just empty shells.

Gi-Gyu unconsciously touched his chest as he listened to Lou and El. He had spent much time with Brunheart, and now that it was gone, Gi-Gyu couldn’t help but feel a little empty inside.

Brunheart perished after saving Gi-Gyu’s life. It may have been a fake Ego like Lou and El claimed, but Gi-Gyu felt like he lost a comrade in arms. It wasn’t the loss of additional abilities he mourned but the loss of a friend.

Old Man Hwang asked quietly, “Did my child die?” He was clearly referring to Brunheart.

“Yes, it saved my life, perishing as a result.”

“Hmm…” The blacksmith placed his hammer on the table and murmured, “Of course. It was born for that purpose, so I shouldn’t be sad about its demise.”

Old Man Hwang was a true craftsman: he understood the purposes of his weapons. However, his eyes were tearing up despite his blunt words. It was apparent those items were more than tools to him.

Old Man Hwang muttered, “I shouldn’t have sold it for so cheap. Well… at least, it gained a good master. But the price of meeting a good master ended up being death. The life of armor is a sad one, don’t you think? Because it didn’t have a consciousness, it perished without feeling the pride in what it had accomplished.”

“Thank you for letting me meet such great armor, Sir.”

“Hahaha,” the old man laughed out loud. To Gi-Gyu’s relief, the blacksmith didn’t act as coldly toward him as before. It seemed the old man now approved of Gi-Gyu a bit.

He studied Gi-Gyu’s face and asked, “It looks like a lot happened to you. Can you tell me about it?”

“It’s going to be a long story. Are you sure you want to hear about it?”

“Yes. It’s not like I have anything else to do. After all, I’m just an idle old man,” replied the old man as he brought a chair he made himself for Gi-Gyu. The two men got comfortable and began to chat.

***

“Huh… Your story is unbelievable. In just a few months, you went through stuff others don’t experience in their entire lifetimes,” commented the old man. He seemed genuinely impressed and saddened by Gi-Gyu’s story.

Gi-Gyu didn’t tell him everything that happened. He left out the parts he wasn’t comfortable telling the blacksmith. Gi-Gyu didn’t have to tell the blacksmith anything, but he felt there were some parts of his story the old man had to know about.

“Your appearance has also changed greatly,” Old Man Hwang muttered as he studied Gi-Gyu carefully. Gi-Gyu couldn’t help but laugh a bit, as he felt like a weapon being examined. When he first met the blacksmith, Gi-Gyu thought he was just a blunt old man. But now, Old Man Hwang gave off a Taoist-like aura. From the looks of it, Gi-Gyu wasn’t the only one who went through a change in the past few months.

‘No, that’s not it. He has always been like this. He hasn’t changed at all.’

Ever since Gi-Gyu drank the elixir, he began to see things he couldn’t before. He realized that Old Man Hwang had always been like this: He wasn’t just a great craftsman. Gi-Gyu could glimpse into much more thanks to his improved instinct.

He is a great blacksmith and a powerful player.’

“Huh. I guess your sight has improved as well, Young Man?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Old Man Hwang wasn’t referring to Gi-Gyu’s literal eyesight. He was talking about Gi-Gyu’s ability to see through a person. Clearly impressed, the blacksmith replied, “Haa... I’ve lived a long time, but I have never seen someone grow this much in such a short amount of time.”

Feeling their conversation wasn’t going anywhere, Gi-Gyu finally decided to broach the main subject. He said, “I’ll pay the rest of Brunheart’s price within the week.”

Gi-Gyu had already given the blacksmith a lot of money, but he didn’t feel like he had paid enough for Brunheart. The old man nodded and replied, “Yes, I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

The old man was indeed a savvy businessman. Gi-Gyu murmured, “And as for why I came here…”

“You want to see my other items, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Gi-Gyu had to confirm many things; he needed Old Man Hwang’s pseudo Egos for that.

With a shrug, the old man answered, “Well, it appears you’re the only one who can use my items. I almost feel like I’m creating my pieces just for you.”

‘Brilliant blacksmith, powerful player, and… a bright businessman.’

Gi-Gyu smiled and requested, “Then may I have a look?”

“Sure.” Old Man Hwang rose and gave Gi-Gyu some space to roam. The old workshop was filled with nameless pseudo Egos. But to Gi-Gyu and Old Man Hwang, they looked like priceless treasures.

An abrupt reminder entered Gi-Gyu's head, and he asked, “Oh, and there is one more thing I would like to ask you.”

“What is it?” Old Man Hwang asked in curiosity.

“Do you know about special weapons?” The second Gi-Gyu mentioned this, the elderly man became rigid. Gi-Gyu realized the old man knew about the special weapons he was referring to.

Feigning ignorance, the elderly man asked, “What do you mean by special weapons?”

“I’m not talking about the regular items with high levels or those rare finds. I’m referring to the weapons that are special themselves. For example”—Gi-Gyu paused—“weapons like the holy swords.”

“Hmm…” The old man caressed his white beard and replied, “I’ll admit I am aware of them.”

‘I knew it!’

One of the reasons Gi-Gyu visited the old man was to get some answers. But he frowned when the old man suddenly added, “But I don’t know them.”

‘He’s giving me a vague answer. He’s telling me he doesn’t know them, but he’s aware of them.’

When Gi-Gyu looked confused, the old man explained, “The weapons you’re referring to are not like the items you currently possess or my babies. You said Egos are picky when it comes to choosing their masters, right?”

“That’s right, Sir.”

“And you were saying you’re the only one who can use these Egos so far, right?”

“Yes.”

Old Man Hwang smiled with interest and continued, “The special weapons you’re talking about aren’t Egos, yet they are also very finicky about their masters. I don’t know their standards, but perhaps they prefer strong players or kind masters. It’s also possible they have their own rules we aren’t aware of.”

“...”

“Also, I don’t know a single guy who owns one.”

Despite the old man repeatedly saying he didn’t know much, he kept on pouring out crucial information. The blacksmith asked, “So this is why I said I don’t know them, but I am aware of them. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“These weapons are a class apart from all the other normal items. I suspect…”

Gi-Gyu didn’t interrupt; instead, he patiently waited for the older man to continue.

“They were probably made for a specific purpose. I mean, fighting their masters’ fight shouldn’t be their sole purpose. They must have a special purpose.”

“Of course, Sir.”

“A long time ago, I saw a holy sword. It was just one time, but I remember it.”

“Is that so?”

“It belonged to a powerful player, and his holy sword disappeared as well when he died. Being a blacksmith, I got so curious about his sword that I asked him to let me examine it. He owed me a great deal, so he was happy to oblige.” Old Man Hwang told the story as if it happened a lifetime ago. “That sword wasn’t something created by a human. It was also different from the items dropped by the monsters.”

“Then…?”

“It had to be a work of someone other than humans. Perhaps it was created by a whole new race hiding inside the Tower. Or maybe it was made by higher beings we aren’t aware of.”

The old man didn’t elaborate any further.

-Exactly. You’re right, Old Man. Also, the items you make are pseudo Egos, but the very fact that you can means that you aren’t a human either.

Lou spat out in annoyance.

***

“Mother, what kind of house would you like?” Gi-Gyu asked.

“It doesn’t matter to me, Son.”

“You don’t have to be shy about this, Mother. Please tell me,” Gi-Gyu prodded with a smile. Yellow crystals were always in high demand, so Tae-Shik sold Gi-Gyu’s at an excellent price.

After Tae-Shik had taken his share, 20 billion won was deposited into his player bank account. Gi-Gyu paid the sum for Brunheart and all the other Egos he purchased from Old Man Hwang as soon as he received the payout. This left him with 3 billion won. But after paying off various debts, including his mother’s remaining hospital bills, the final balance in Gi-Gyu’s account was 1 billion won.

‘The first thing I need to do is move.’

This was something Gi-Gyu had wanted to do for a long time. His neighborhood was an unsafe place, too isolated from the rest of the city. With a young and beautiful mother at home, Gi-Gyu’s worry about his family's safety increased. He was, of course, worried about Yoo-Jung as well.

Unlike his mother, a gorgeous woman, Gi-Gyu didn’t find his sister a great beauty. In fact, he thought she was rather unattractive, but it seemed that other people found her comely. Perhaps Yoo-Jung did resemble their mother after all.

Gi-Gyu was now physically strong enough to protect his family, but he would often be away hunting in the Tower or the gates. On top of that, his current home was too crowded. He had always dreamt of living in a spacious home.

His mother protested, “Even if you have some money now, you shouldn’t waste it away. You must save it for—”

“Mother, I can make this kind of money easily, so please just tell me where you would like to live.” When Gi-Gyu insisted, Yoo-Jung suddenly raised her hand and yelled, “Me! Me!”

Today was her school’s foundation anniversary, so Yoo-Jung was home. She exclaimed, “I want to live in a three-story house with a basement. I also want a large garden to raise two big puppies!”

Apparently, Gi-Gyu wasn’t the only one dreaming about moving out. This was expected since their home was an awful place to live.

Gi-Gyu asked, “How about you, Mother?”

“It really doesn’t matter to me. As long as I get to live with you and Yoo-Jung, then—”

Realizing his mother was about to cry again, Gi-Gyu quickly replied, “All right. I’ll go out right now and start looking.”

He rose and left their home. Gi-Gyu knew that if he stayed any longer, his whole family would end up hugging and crying again. They were happy tears, so this wasn’t a bad thing, but Gi-Gyu didn’t want to go through the emotional scene again.

“Haa… Mother has been so emotional lately. Wait! How am I supposed to look for a new home?”

Gi-Gyu had never moved before, so he had no idea how to buy real estate. He knew he should visit a real estate agent, but he had no idea which neighborhood he should be looking at. And that was just one of the many questions circling his mind. For example, did he even have enough money to buy a house? What about Yoo-Jung’s school? Gi-Gyu felt so lost as to what he should do next.

Sadly, he didn’t have anyone to ask these questions either. Tae-Shik was too busy right now, and Gi-Gyu didn’t want to bother him with every little thing. Because Gi-Gyu dropped out of high school and rarely contacted his old classmates, he didn’t have many friends left. There were less than 30 contacts on his cell phone.

“Haa…” He sighed and sat down on the stairs. He had always thought hunting was the hardest thing to do, but it seemed that plenty of other things could cause him troubles. Like Lucifer said, the more you knew, the more you could see in this world.

“Do you need help?” A man, who was walking up the stairs, asked Gi-Gyu.

“...?”

“If you have something you’re worried about, I’m happy to listen.” The man’s voice sounded familiar. “Because my name is Heo Sung-Hoonnn! Grrr!”

Gi-Gyu couldn’t understand why, but Heo Sung-Hoon seemed amused by something. He was chuckling loudly as he walked up the stairs to Gi-Gyu.