Chapter 22
In modern times, blacksmiths were regarded less as mass producers of goods and more as artisans who meticulously crafted limited items.
The reason was simple: the advancement of metallurgy and machinery made it far more cost-effective to produce items using machines, making it difficult for traditional craftsmanship to compete.
Yes, it had fallen behind the times.
“Whew. Even though it’s autumn, it’s still so hot in here. If we didn’t have air conditioning, it’d be unbearably hot.”
“The foundry has unlimited electricity, so the air conditioning runs well. It’s all thanks to Lord Bahamut’s blessings, isn’t it?”
However, in a country like South Korea, which had experienced the disaster of a zombie apocalypse, the profession of blacksmithing had made a comeback.
The value of blacksmiths who could craft tools and weapons had skyrocketed, and even artisans who had quit due to lack of demand were now picking up their hammers again due to the sudden increase in demand.
Jung Dong-gun, a military official of the Balhut Cult, often relied on Gyeongju’s only cult-run foundry to arm his soldiers with good weapons and protective gear. Today, he visited the foundry once again to meet with the artisan in charge.
“By the way, Brother Jung, I heard you finished all your business today, didn’t you?”
“Ah, Mr. Choi, I came because something urgent came up.”
Mr. Choi, the artisan of the foundry, affectionately called Jung Dong-gun “Brother Jung,” and Jung Dong-gun responded with the same warmth, calling him “Mr. Choi,” showcasing their familiarity with each other.
For Jung Dong-gun’s line of work, a smooth supply of weapons was essential. To ensure this supply, the cult had brought together artisans from Gyeongju to establish a professional foundry.
This foundry not only produced weapons but also processed scrap metal brought by cult members to create materials needed for daily life and construction, making it the most important place for industry in Gyeongju.
In a sense, Mr. Choi’s foundry could be considered the frontline of Gyeongju’s reconstruction.
“Is Mr. Yoo still working?”
“He’s busy with the reconstruction.”
“Well, thanks to Mr. Yoo, we got the best housing first.”
Thus, the foundry was a place where even Yoo Soo-sung, an architectural official working on reconstruction, frequently visited to obtain building materials.
Even now, numerous machines recovered from local foundries by the cult were running non-stop, and many artisans from Gyeongju and their assistants were sweating profusely, relying on the cool air from the air conditioners to keep themselves cool while they worked.
Of course, Yuna Choi, understanding the importance of this facility, ensured that the energy resources obtained from Bahamut were promptly supplied to the foundry, providing ample support.
“Really? So, has something happened with the cult?”
“You could say something urgent has come up. Lord Bahamut has created a new currency.”
At the mention of currency, Mr. Choi’s eyes lit up.
He had expected that the Balhut Cult would eventually create a currency for exchanging goods, but he hadn’t anticipated it would be completed so quickly.
“Oh, currency, you say? I thought they’d let us handle that. Brother Jung, can you show me?”
“Sure.”
Mr. Choi had assumed that the foundry would be in charge of producing the currency, so he was surprised by the unexpected development. With a serious expression, Jung Dong-gun took out the coins he had kept in a box.
As Mr. Choi observed the freshly minted coins laid out on the table, he began examining them closely.
“They’re really well-made. The finishing is perfect… And, well, it might just be my imagination, but… it feels like I can sense Lord Bahamut’s magic from these coins…”
Impressed by the craftsmanship, Mr. Choi admired the coins with a look of appreciation.
The coins seemed to be stamped with precision, as if by a machine, and the finishing was flawless. However, he also sensed an unusual energy emanating from the coins, which made him uneasy.
Since Mr. Choi had become an Awakened during the zombie apocalypse by fighting zombies, he could perceive magical energy, and he detected the powerful magic infused in the coins.
“It’s not your imagination. Those coins really do contain magic. It’s Bahamut’s measure to prevent counterfeiting, just in case.”
“Huh, Lord Bahamut sure is skilful. I thought it was a cursed coin filled with resentment.”
Upon hearing Jung Dong-gun’s explanation, Mr. Choi put down the coin, feeling somewhat deflated.
Sensing the magic, he had thought the coins might be cursed, but it turned out they contained Bahamut’s magic as a countermeasure against counterfeiting.
‘With this, it’s impossible to deceive the Awakened. The downside is… Yeah, ordinary people won’t be able to sense the magic in the coins, right? Better tighten up security here, just in case.’
While impressed with Bahamut’s skills, Mr. Choi thought to himself that counterfeiting with such precision would be nearly impossible.
Though he had no intention of counterfeiting himself, he couldn’t be certain that no one within the foundry would harbour such thoughts.
As he contemplated the need to strengthen security within the foundry…
“I agree. That’s why following Lord Bahamut is worth it, isn’t it?”
“For me, he’s the one who saved my family and my workers’ lives. Besides, I don’t want to suffer from mutant zombies or starve anymore.”
Mr. Choi responded to Jung Dong-gun’s words with agreement.
To Bahamut, it was merely an activity for Gyeongju’s reconstruction, but for Mr. Choi, it was a ray of salvation.
The city of Gyeongju had been overrun with zombies, and Mr. Choi and his workers had been on the verge of starvation due to a lack of stored food in the foundry.
However, Bahamut’s descent had turned Mr. Choi’s fate around, allowing his foundry to be saved.
Mr. Choi, as an experienced artisan, was given a highly respected position within the Balhut Cult, and now neither his workers nor his family had to suffer from hunger or fear the threat of zombies.
“…Indeed.”
Jung Dong-gun felt the same.
Despite having displayed some influence in Gyeongju and forming a leading Survivor Camp based on his experience as an officer, Jung Dong-gun secretly wondered how long this could last, haunted by fears of an uncertain future.
Like Mr. Choi, Jung Dong-gun’s Survivor Camp was also facing a critical shortage of food and energy resources, and contrary to its outward appearance, the internal state of the camp was on the verge of collapse.
Thus, his unwavering loyalty to Bahamut came from the desperate situation his camp was in.
However, Jung Dong-gun believed he had no regrets.
He thought it was the right choice, solely for the fact that he had saved countless lives with his own hands.
“So, what’s the reason for showing me this?”
“Lord Bahamut said that you can melt this and craft weapons. Or, if you engrave certain patterns on a weapon or coat it with a specific design, it can exhibit certain effects.”
“What a skilful coin this is!”
The coin had more versatility than he had imagined.
It was technically possible to melt down South Korean coins to craft weapons, but they lacked any special effects.
Realizing the coin’s value, Mr. Choi carefully took out the coins, more cautious than before, and Jung Dong-gun spoke to him.
“For now, I plan to use the prototypes to make bullet casings and conduct a test. If possible, I’d like to try out a variety of patterns.”
“With this quantity, I could make around 10 rounds. The rest would have to be used for coating weapons.”
“Then, let’s make 10 rounds and engrave patterns on a knife or a great sword.”
Since they were prototypes, there weren’t many.
Mr. Choi mentioned that he could make 10 bullet casings and use the remaining coins for coating weapons, and since it was for testing performance, Jung Dong-gun nodded in agreement.
“Leave it to me. Hey, everyone! We’ve got an urgent task!”
It was a task entrusted to them by Bahamut, the Deity of the Balhut Cult.
The workers at the foundry stopped their current tasks and focused solely on the task given by Jung Dong-gun.
With the combined efforts of the workers, they quickly completed 10 bullet casings and coated a knife and a great sword, and Mr. Choi began explaining the newly crafted weapons to Jung Dong-gun, who was examining the knife imbued with magic.
“As requested, I crafted them using different patterns. Flame designs, lightning patterns, or even water motifs. I even coated some entirely. I made them in various ways so that you can test them thoroughly.”
“Thank you, Mr. Choi.”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Grateful for Mr. Choi’s quick work, Jung Dong-gun, who had everything prepared as he requested, thought that he now had something to report back to Lee Hyuna and slowly stood up.
“So, can I proceed with the test?”
“Feel free to use the testing range outside.”
As a place dedicated to crafting weapons, there was a testing range to verify the quality of the weapons produced.
Jung Dong-gun, familiar with the process, headed to the testing range set up outside, while Mr. Choi followed behind and prepared the targets for the test.
Jung Dong-gun loaded one of the 9×19mm rounds into a pistol and fired it at the target.
With a bang, the bullet headed straight for the target.
“What the—?”
A thunderous explosion echoed, hitting both Mr. Choi and Jung Dong-gun like a shockwave.
“What is this!?”
Startled by the sound, Mr. Choi looked at Jung Dong-gun, who was also bewildered as he stared at the target.
The small round, which should have lacked the power to destroy the target entirely, had instead set it ablaze, burning the target and the surrounding area with thick black smoke as if it had been hit by a fireball.
“I assume this means the bullet has been imbued with a specific magical effect?”
“Something like that…”
“What’s going on!? Why did something explode all of a sudden!?”
The explosion was so loud that it drew the attention of an Awakened guarding the foundry, who rushed into the testing range.
Trying to soothe the alarmed guard, Jung Dong-gun explained, hiding his own bewilderment.
“It’s nothing. We were just testing a new weapon for the cult, and something went wrong.”
“A new weapon, you say?”
“Yes. It’s the new weapon that we’ll be using from now on.”
Though it was technically a new currency, the fact that it could be used as a weapon wasn’t entirely false.
Seeing the power of the fired round, Jung Dong-gun privately concluded that this special ammunition held potential.
‘It’s not entirely inaccurate.’
Even Mr. Choi, who knew the truth, couldn’t disagree with Jung Dong-gun’s statement.
‘But is Lord Bahamut really planning to use such a dangerous item as currency? If this is misused, it could lead to a huge disaster…’
Despite admiring the versatility of the coins crafted by Bahamut, he couldn’t help but worry about the potential downsides.
“So, if it’s a new weapon, does that mean that burning target… is its power?”
“Indeed. What do you think?”
However, a poison could become medicine if used correctly, and this powerful firepower could be a significant advantage in dealing with mutant zombies.
For the Balhut Cult, which needed strong weapons to combat zombies, this could become a trump card.
Jung Dong-gun asked the soldier about his thoughts on the power of the weapon, and the Awakened, still watching the burning target, responded.
“It looks… impressive. If a mutant zombie gets hit by that, it probably wouldn’t leave behind even a bone.”
“Yes. Although there aren’t many mutant zombies threatening us now, there could be a time when they or Awakened Zombie’s come to threaten us in Gyeongju. This is the Balhut Cult’s new weapon for that eventuality.”
“So, what is this new weapon called?”
“A new weapon’s name…?”
He hadn’t thought that far yet.
Caught off guard, Jung Dong-gun glanced at Mr. Choi, who turned his head away, avoiding eye contact.
To boost the morale of the Awakened who had witnessed the coin’s capabilities, they had passed off the test as a trial for a new weapon, but they hadn’t decided on a name.
“Hahaha. It’s still just a prototype, so it doesn’t have a name yet. But since it contains Lord Bahamut’s magic, how about calling it the Bahamut Round?”
“This… This is Lord Bahamut’s power?”
It wasn’t a lie.
In fact, it was all the more insidious because it was the truth.
“Yes. It’s a portion of his power. If this could be mass-produced, it would bring about an era where even ordinary people could defeat mutant zombies. Just imagining it… doesn’t it give you chills?”
“It does! I can’t wait to test it on those zombie scum!”
‘It feels like I’m trying to cover up a mess with more chaos…’
Mr. Choi looked at Jung Dong-gun with a resigned expression.
However, even he had to admit that everything Jung Dong-gun had said was entirely true.
—
Read More at – GENZNOVEL.COM!!
PLEASE JOIN OUR DISCORD AND SUBSCRIBE THE ROLE TO RECEIVE LATEST NOTIFICATIONS!!
Comment