There was an uproar in Satisfy as famous guilds were in motion to find the mysterious blacksmith. In various media and the Internet, the epic-rated arrows appeared as a hot issue. Who was the craftsman with great skills and potential but lacking experience and reputation? Many people were searching for the blacksmith’s whereabouts.

‘It is a harder path than others. I always did my best. Nonetheless, there’s a better blacksmith than me?’

Panmir had only experienced making an epic-rated item twice. He had the title of the first epic-rated item maker. However, there was no mention of ‘craftsman’ in the description of his epic-rated item. Who was the person given the title of craftsman, which wasn’t even given to the number one ranking blacksmith?

Ttang! Ttang!

Panmir was spurred by a sense of competitiveness toward the unknown blacksmith.

Meanwhile, Shin Youngwoo, the person who was receiving everyone’s attention, was eating cup noodles at a convenience store before going to work.

“What a jerk. Charging 1,000 won for a cup of noodles? Does he want people like me to starve to death? Sigh, people really can’t live without acting dirty,” he grumbled as he ate.

* * *

It was 5:30 a.m. Although this was on a Sunday, the office of labor was always busy. However, the days when students came on a daily basis to find work had disappeared. These days, young people turned away from labor jobs! Foreign workers had long taken over, making the future of South Korea seem bleak.

‘I have a headache.’

Shin Youngwoo still hadn’t adapted to the smell of cigarettes and alcohol early in the morning.

‘I want to finish the work quickly so I can go home and rest.’

As Shin Youngwoo sat there, a young man in a construction worker’s uniform cried out, “Looking for four workers for the Shinwoo Building’s construction site!”

Construction site workers did things like clean, move bricks and wood, and shovel sand. The physical labor was harsh, and he would eat a lot of dirt, but Shin Youngwoo had done it often. 

Therefore, he didn’t hesitate to raise his hand. “Here! Over here... cough!”

An alcohol drinker or heavy smoker punched Shin Youngwoo in the belly! He was pushed into a corner and missed the chance to be employed by the construction site.

“Those guys are heartless! You should send the pitiful young people first!” Shin Youngwoo complained with irritation.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man in a short-sleeved shirt called out, “I need three tilers with strength. You should have experience.”

A tiling assistant would follow the main tiler and assist in the transfer of materials such as tiles, cement, and sand. It would be annoying to carry the tiles if he met a bad tiler, and he would have to be careful not to break the tiles, but it was decent work.

Shin Youngwoo raised his hand. “Here! I have carried tiles more than 10 times... Ugh!”

He was once again pushed back into a corner by the older men and lost the chance to be hired because there were three people more experienced than him.

“Anyone else?”

“Here! I do… Ack!”

There were several companies looking for laborers, but Shin Youngwoo wasn’t hired due to the continuous interference.

“Ah, you! You will regret not seeing my value!”

The older men in the workforce were hindering him. It seemed that they didn’t like him snatching away their spots.

“Who would come here because they like it? Don’t you think I want to work part-time like other young people? I’m making a living just like you! Let me get something as well!”

The mere sight of them was enough to make Shin Youngwoo angry. It was like seeing a barking dog. However, his opponents were adults, so he couldn’t say anything bad and sat down again. 

“Kukuk.” The chief, who had been reading his newspaper on his desk, looked at Shin Youngwoo. 

The chief was perhaps around his early 30s? He was a person who inherited this office from his father. The chief had noticed that for every 10 times Shin Youngwoo came here looking for a job, he had gone home three times in vain. 

The chief was watching Shin Youngwoo when another person arrived.

“Who can do electric pulling work? No experience is needed. I will pay 110,000 won a day, so come quickly.”

It was 20,000 won more than the usual pay. However, Shin Youngwoo didn’t move. After all, there was a reason for the higher pay offer. 

‘I can’t forget how awful it was.’

He had tried electrical cable pulling only once. It was just pulling a huge electrical cable, so it was a very simple task. However, it consumed a tremendous amount of stamina, and he had to be careful to not let the cable hit his wrist. Moreover, the cables were very thick and heavy. The task just involved pulling, but... he would get blisters on his hands even while wearing gloves, and he would suffer from muscle aches for at least two days. 

‘It was an illusion of an oasis in winter...’ Shin Youngwoo still remembered the nightmare from last winter. 

The other men present looked into the distance, whistled, or went out to smoke.

“No one?” The man asked again with an awkward expression.

Then one of the middle-aged men pointed toward Shin Youngwoo.

“This young man can do it very well.”

“Really. He is very active and has amazing stamina.”

“Hasn’t he done a lot of electrical cable pulling? An expert, expert.”

‘These insane humans!’ Shin Youngwoo glared at them to stop, but the other men continued to recommend him. 

Then the person offering the job pointed at Shin Youngwoo. “Excuse me, young man. Shall we go together? You look very good.”

If Shin Youngwoo followed along with the atmosphere, he would enter hell today. He glanced toward the chief, but the chief just smiled. 

In the end, Shin Youngwoo raise his phone to his ear like he had received an incoming call. “Yes, this is Shin Youngwoo. Ah, there’s a spot? Yes, right away...”

Ddiririring ~ ddiririring~

“......”

The default S Corporation’s ringtone rang out from the phone at his ear.

In the end, the other workers there laughed until tears emerged from their eyes.

The employer also laughed. “Then let’s go.”

Who would call Shin Youngwoo this early in the morning? Moreover, he barely ever received phone calls. So, how did he receive a call at this exact timing? Then he belatedly saw the caller ID and hurriedly picked up the phone.

It was an unforgettable voice.

(Hello~ This is Mother’s Heart is Happy Financial Services. Customer Shin Youngwoo, you do know that the deadline is tomorrow, right?)

“...Already?”

(If you have forgotten, does that mean there is no money?)

“O-Of course not. Yes, I understand. I will have the amount ready for tomorrow.”

(Thank you, Debt... no, Customer. Have a happy day. Mother’s Heart is Happy hopes you will smile today~)

The call ended.

“This damn...”

Shin Youngwoo had played games and ignored reality, forgetting that he was a debtor.

He had to work hard to pay off the interest. It would be hard work, not easy work, that would get him out of this position.

“Excuse me... Will you really pay 110,000 won?”

“Yes!”

“Is it really true?”

“Of course! You will never go hungry when working for me!”

Shin Youngwoo eventually left toward hell.

That evening...

“O-Oppa?” Sehee stammered when she saw Shin Youngwoo’s exhausted self return home.

He couldn’t even take his shoes off before collapsing.

“Shit... The words were true, but... doing all that labor only to receive cream bread...? There wasn’t even milk...! What type of people would give cream bread and no miiiiiilk?!!! U-Ughhh... I have to play the game... Arrows... sold...”

Shin Youngwoo wouldn’t remember anything that happened after that. It was because he fell asleep.

* * *

When he woke up, he felt like he had been crushed by steel. His body was throbbing all over, and he barely managed to check the time. It was 5:20 a.m.

“Ugh!”

This was serious. When he took into consideration the distance between his home and the labor office, he was already late. Shin Youngwoo hurried to change into his work clothes while worrying about getting a good job. If he arrived late, then something like yesterday might happen again.

“Ack~! I’m going.”

After he paid the interest for the loan, he would only have 9,220 won in his hands. He needed to make money to pay the fee for the game in a week.

As he put on his shoes without washing up, his mother approached and patted his shoulder. “Come eat breakfast.”

“I can’t. I’m already late,” he replied hurriedly.

“Youngwoo,” his mother suddenly said his name in a serious voice.

Shin Youngwoo cowered reflexively. It was obvious that her nagging would begin. His mother knew about his debts. She wondered why he was addicted to games and was saddened by his absence from school. She mourned that he had debts and was living in this situation.

However, when he looked back, his mother’s eyes were calm and welcoming. 

“Come eat,” she said.

“W-Why? I have to go to the office quickly,” he replied.

At that moment, the door opened, and his father appeared.

His father sat at the table, opened the newspaper, and said quietly, “Take a break today.”

Shin Youngwoo asked, “A break? What are you saying?”

“Cough, cough.” His father just coughed and looked at the newspapers. 

His mother whispered in his ears, “You came back really exhausted yesterday. Your father was worried and even carried you to your bedroom~”

“Huh?” Shin Youngwoo uttered.

“We are your mother and father. We don’t want to see our son suffer. Didn’t you suffer yesterday? You should rest for today.”

“M-Mother...” Shin Youngwoo was touched by the fact that his parents were still looking after him, despite all the disappointment he had caused them in the past year.

At that time, Sehee exited her room with a yawn and handed him something. It was a pain relief patch.

“Paste it on. Didn’t you go through a lot of trouble yesterday?”

“S-Sehee...”

‘Ahh! What a beautiful family!’ 

He cried out loud as he embraced his mother and Sehee. 

Shin Youngwoo had thought he was alone in this difficult world, but he actually had such warm family beside him. His family members were like angels to their disappointing son and brother. He was truly grateful to have this family.

“W-What? Who are you hugging? O-Oppa’s hug is good... Ah, no. Isn’t it bad?” Sehee grumbled quietly as she hugged him back.

Meanwhile, his mother quietly stroked his head. 

After that, Shin Youngwoo took off his work clothes and sat at the table, having a taste of beef rib soup for the first time in months. “Then, Father, can you pay off my debt?”

Beeok! His father, who was eating quietly, gazed at him and threw his spoon. 

Shin Youngwoo shrieked as it hit him in the forehead, while his mother clicked her tongue and handed his father a new spoon.

“Haven’t I already told you? We want you to be self-reliant. You are already 26 years old. You should be responsible for your own actions,” his father stated.

The atmosphere had been so full of harmony that Shin Youngwoo never imagined a spoon would fly over. As Shin Youngwoo rubbed his forehead, his father handed him an envelope. 

His father said, “I will give you an allowance for today. You are resting today because of us, so I can’t let you make a loss.” 

“Father...” Shin Youngwoo was touched. His usually blunt father was taking care of him today. He gladly accepted the allowance. 

‘Then…’

He grasped the number of bills in the envelope with his sharp fingertips. The number seemed a little small...? When he looked inside the envelope, he saw seven bills. 

Feeling disappointed, he said carefully, “Father, the minimum payment for labor these days is at least nine...”

His father looked at him regretfully. “Huh, really? I’m sorry, but that is all the cash I have on me right now. Be satisfied with that.”

He was telling Shin Youngwoo not to ask for the missing amount later. Shin Youngwoo had forgotten, but his father was quite restrained when it came to spending money. If he bought a chicken, he thought that the family should eat it over three meals. As such, Shin Youngwoo was forced to surrender in regard to receiving an allowance of 70,000 won. 

‘At least he gave it in the first place.’