Chapter 28: I’ll put a Bullet in your Head.

When looking at the F-Class representative selection match through a virtual glass, one of the organizers sighed and spoke.

“Whoa… Is there a student who awakened as a blacksmith?”

As one man commented, the others chimed in.

“A person with a production-type awakening in F-Class? That’s worth noting. Especially considering they’re using a forge, it’s clear they’ve awakened as a blacksmith.”

“What’s that student’s name again? Lee Hyunseung, wasn’t it?”

“I heard he used to be in A-Class until recently… Hmm…”

Coincidentally, Jung Minseok, the father of Jung Eunseo and guild master of the high-ranking Theor Guild, was also present.

Jung Minseok murmured quietly to himself.

‘I thought it was unusual for my daughter to form a team and start operating like this, but it seems she was already scouting talent.’

Although combat-related professions received favorable treatment, production-related professions were also held in high regard. This was because crafting weapons and items was often easier than procuring them from monsters. Moreover, production allowed for creating the desired item at the desired time, which was one of the reasons professions like blacksmithing were so highly valued.

‘A blacksmith, huh…’

Jung Minseok looked at the man working alongside his daughter through the virtual glass.

‘Still, he’s just a blacksmith in F-Class. Has my Eunseo’s judgment really gotten this poor?’

As the daughter of the Theor Guild’s master, Jung Eunseo was surrounded by competent people. Even if blacksmiths were respected, it was hard to imagine someone of her caliber forming an alliance with an exceptionally talented blacksmith.

Swish.

Jung Minseok’s eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned Lee Hyunseung. Suddenly, he noticed something unusual.

‘What… What is that?’

What caught his eye was the gun hanging from Lee Hyunseung’s waist.

‘A gun?’

There was a clear rule in this F-Class representative selection match: participants were prohibited from carrying weapons or items unrelated to their profession’s basic equipment. Yet, he openly carried a gun, which could only mean one thing.

‘A Gunmage…? Does this mean he has dual awakenings?’

Dual awakenings were incredibly rare worldwide. The realization left Jung Minseok speechless in astonishment.

‘I knew it. There’s no way my Eunseo would ally herself with just anyone. If he’s a dual awakener, even at the Epic level, that alone is an extraordinary advantage. It’s a bit disappointing that he’s a Gunmage, but dual awakeners are far from common.’

Satisfied, Jung Minseok gazed at Lee Hyunseung, unaware of one crucial fact: Lee Hyunseung wasn’t merely Epic-tier. He was a legendary dual awakener.

Inside the virtual stage:

“Oh, did I not mention it? I’m a dual awakener. Blacksmith and Gunmage.”

When Lee Hyunseung spoke, Jung Eunseo flinched in shock.

“What? Then, are you a leg—”

Thud!

Jung Eunseo tried to ask if he was a legendary dual awakener, but Lee Hyunseung quickly covered her mouth. Shaking his head, he motioned for her to stay quiet.

‘It’s not the right time to tell Kim Yuri yet.’

At present, Kim Yuri didn’t hold much goodwill toward Lee Hyunseung. In this uncertain situation, revealing his status as a legendary dual awakener to her posed significant risks.

‘I’ll reveal everything after I earn Kim Yuri’s full trust.’

Lee Hyunseung knew how to help Kim Yuri awaken as a Mage. Once he did, she would regard him as her savior. To Kim Yuri, magic was as important as her own life. For the record, the Mage profession allowed the closest connection to the study of magic.

Beside him, Kim Yuri was also startled.

“You’re a dual awakener? And both a blacksmith and a Gunmage?”

Kim Yuri couldn’t fathom the idea of him being a legendary dual awakener. The fact that he had dual awakenings alone astonished her.

“Well, I wasn’t hiding it or anything. Anyway, enough about that. Let’s get to work making potions. And if you find any stones or mana crystals around, bring them to me.”

The mana crystals Lee Hyunseung referred to were versatile materials found in the virtual stage. They could substitute for most crafting materials.

“Okay…”

Time passed, and soon a pile of mana crystals surrounded Lee Hyunseung. Thanks to Jung Eunseo, an Epic-tier Mage, they were able to gather the materials quickly.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

As Lee Hyunseung began feeding mana crystals into the forge, the light flickered, and the [Sphere of Crafting] emerged.

Clang!

Clang!

With a few strikes of the crafting sphere, the creation process began.

30 seconds remaining for Fire-Element Ammunition.

Perhaps due to the blacksmith’s unique trait or the use of mana crystals as materials, the ammunition was being completed at an impressive speed.

Looking around, Lee Hyunseung addressed the group.

“Everyone seems to be staying put for now. Let’s use this time to make more materials.”

The group agreed. If they didn’t craft weapons or items early on, they wouldn’t have time during the class representative selection.

Minutes turned into hours as they focused on crafting.

“Phew… This should be enough.”

After producing various potions and a large quantity of ammunition, Lee Hyunseung finally straightened his back.

Kim Yuri approached and asked, “Are you done?”

“Yeah, for now.”

Lee Hyunseung glanced at the message window before him.

• [Epic] Random Automatic Handgun: 1 hour and 20 minutes remaining.

‘One hour… The weapon type is random, and the crafting time is quite long.’

For context, weapons created within the virtual stage disappeared upon exiting, making them effectively single-use. Even so, the fact that it took over an hour to craft was astounding.

‘Even with mana crystals and the added effects of a legendary blacksmith, I didn’t expect it to take this long to make a single-use Epic weapon.’

But it didn’t matter. Despite the long crafting time, the weapon would include magic-related stats. Moreover, Lee Hyunseung still had one crafting slot left.

“If any issues arise, I can still use the remaining slot for production.”

With that thought in mind, Lee Hyun-seung was about to leave when he sensed movement in the distance.

-Rustle-!

Quickly assessing the situation, Lee Hyun-seung shouted.

“Jung Eun-seo! There’s someone near the bushes to the east. Use magic immediately to restrain them!”

-Whoosh!

In an instant, a binding spell was cast.

-El!

However, a strange barrier intercepted it, producing an audible sound.

-Tatatatat-!

Rushing to confirm, Lee Hyun-seung found a man trapped inside a large barrier.

Lee Hyun-seung aimed his gun at the man.

The man, seemingly amused, smirked as he stared back.

“Heh… You’re not thinking you can break this with a gun, are you?”

Without hesitation, Lee Hyun-seung fired at the barrier.

-Bang-!

The gunshot echoed, but the barrier remained unscathed.

‘This bastard… He smuggled in an external artifact.’

A barrier of this magnitude couldn’t be created here. Such a powerful barrier meant it was crafted by at least an Epic-tier mage.

‘Of course, my gun is still just a basic low-grade pistol.’

Currently, I’m firing a standard, outdated gun with no magic enhancements. Even with the legendary-grade bonus effects, breaking through an Epic-tier defense artifact’s barrier is nearly impossible.

However, if I could use magic, this barrier would be no different from paper—it’d shred apart easily. When magic is used, the power of my gun multiplies several times, and the legendary-grade traits are further amplified.

‘There’s still an hour left before I can produce the Epic-tier automatic pistol. I can’t just sit around here until then. Should I just leave him behind?’

Inside the barrier, the man continued to jeer.

“Idiot, for all your bravado, you can’t even break through a simple barrier? This is what happens when you mess with Yoo Hee-yeon. Oh, and that item you were crafting earlier? If you leave me here and run off, I’ll tell my team everything about what you were making. Guns, potions—you were crafting quite a lot, weren’t you?”

Flinch.

Lee Hyun-seung stopped in his tracks at the man’s words.

‘The Epic-tier pistol is a hidden weapon I plan to use later. Even aside from that, letting others know we have potions or other items would only put us at a disadvantage. It’s best to leave no room for the enemy to prepare.’

Resolving himself, Lee Hyun-seung fired again.

-Bang-!

-Ting!

Inside the barrier, the man laughed mockingly.

“Ha! Do you even know what kind of barrier this is? Idiot. Go ahead, waste your time here. Let’s see if I ever come out. Oh, and keep firing. The noise will eventually draw people here. Then I’ll spill everything you’ve been up to. Especially you, Lee Hyun-seung. You’re crafting a weapon with a long production time, right? Once that gets out, the whole F-Class will gang up on you. Sure, being a dual-class student is impressive, but you only have one production slot, don’t you? With the blacksmith slot taken, you can’t make any other weapons. And once that Epic-tier weapon is complete, no one can compete with you. But do you think people won’t try to stop you before then? What a fool.”

Without a word, Lee Hyun-seung walked up to the barrier and pressed his gun against it.

-Bang-!

“Hah! You moron, I told you this barrier won’t break with a gun!”

-Bang-!

Ignoring the man’s taunts, Lee Hyun-seung kept firing.

-Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Eventually, the bullets ran out.

Click!
Click!

As the gun clicked empty, the man inside became even more arrogant.

“You idiot. How many times do I have to tell you? That gun of yours will never break this—”

Disregarding him completely, Lee Hyun-seung turned to Jung Eun-seo.

“Give me all the magazines you’ve prepared.”

-Slide-

Jung Eun-seo handed him a bag, which Lee Hyun-seung flipped over.

-Clatter-clatter-clatter~!

Dozens of magazines spilled onto the ground.

“W-what the…? Are you kidding me? You’re going to use all those bullets here? But… but you don’t even have another production slot left, you crazy bastard!”

Click!
Clack!

Reloading swiftly, Lee Hyun-seung grinned ominously as he addressed the stunned man.

“Production slots? None of your concern. I’m not taking a single step from here until I lodge a bullet in your skull.”

-Slide-

-Bang!-

Lee Hyun-seung’s relentless barrage of bullets pounded against the barrier.

Then.

-Crack!

A fracture appeared on the surface of the barrier.