Rookie of the Year 2nd Semester-1

-The total number of HP you currently have is 1,065,478,950 HP.

It had been a productive weekend. Kang Shin-hyuk became proud upon seeing the administrator’s message.

-If you hadn’t robbed the bulletin board of supplies, you would’ve had five times this.

“The total isn’t important. No, of course it is.” What was more important was whether he could make something he could understand and make things that suited his users. That was the belief the Anvil of his previous life also held. During the last month and a half of working in Kieron, his synchronization rate had reached 60%, and now Kang Shin-hyuk was showing off his stubbornness.

“Because I took materials from Tsukuyo and Mirang to make things, I should offer something that is at least comparable to that.”

– As a result, your popularity has risen even further. Well done.

“So you say…” However, the administrator wasn’t wrong. Up until now, it couldn’t be denied that he had produced somewhat disappointing results when compared to the name of Anvil in the Hero Universe. No matter how much spiritual power his work contained, the armaments themselves couldn’t be viewed as excellent. So far, Tsukuyo and Eunah had been engaged in a bidding war to take up all of his works. Now, however, he had begun to produce achievements worthy of the brand of Anvil, so other figures who knew the deceased Anvil began to open up their wallets in earnest.

[Loki- This halberd… ah…]

[Miyang – Ah, ah…]

[Loki – You haven’t bought anything from Anvil yet?]

[Miyang – Mmmm! Loki, you had something from him already, so why’d you buy it this time?! I haven’t gotten one yet!]

[Loki – Ah, I didn’t know, hahaha. Cry a little harder, hahahaha.]

[Super Ultra Galaxy Fist – Oh, what great performance! Grandpa, make me something!]

The armaments he made were quick to leave the trading board, and he even caught the eye of new members who didn’t know of Anvil. As a blacksmith, he had succeeded in being recognized by the Hero Universe.

[Horus – No, the real story is about the rank. SSS-grade, but the performance is weirdly good. The power goes beyond its rank!]

[Halo – That’s the trait of Anvil’s armaments.]

[Garnet – Huh, a force I don’t recognize resides in this armament. I was lucky to get it for this price… Anvil, you said? Amazing.]

[Eunah – Loki, Garnet… check.]

[Loki – ? What check?]

In fact, considering the response from the Hero Universe, the fact that he made 1.6 billion HP wasn’t all that much. It was the result of all the work he had done in Kieron and all the materials he had to buy as a result. Shin-hyuk felt like he had begun to catch up with his past self, so he felt a little proud, but he knew he still had a way to go. However, now was the time to focus on other subjects.

“Do I still have time before school?”

– You can spare about twenty minutes.

“I won’t have time for a proper breakfast then.” Kang Shin-hyuk munched on an energy bar as he looked over the item Milia had handed to him before he left.

[Water Orb]

[SS+Rank]

[Special Abilities: Water God, Ocean, Ice Flower]

* Water God: Grants the power of a god of water. You can create and manipulate water and amplify its effect. For water not made by the orb, the effect is reduced by 50%.

*Ocean: Grants excellent resistance to water and half the resistance to ice and water vapor. It grants the ability to move freely in the water.

*Ice Flower: Can turn water into ice. The strength of ice is amplified.

[The object that the water god handed over to the descendants. They awakened the power of their blood through this orb. The orb’s ability has also declined, but thanks to the strong descendant who has recently awakened, it has begun to regain its strength.]

“…” Kang Shin-hyuk became quiet as he opened a new energy bar. It was amazing. It seemed to him that this whole damaged orb thing was becoming a tradition at this rate. But even after losing its strength, its ability was still this great? It could even manipulate ice, which he hadn’t seen in Kieron.

“Hmm… it seems that if the descendant doesn’t use it, it’ll lose its strength… doesn’t that mean I need to contact Milia regularly…?”

-It seems that the water fox is pretty clever.

Kang Shin-hyuk kept tearing into energy bars as he read the administrator’s message.

-But, like a water fox, she’s low in intelligence, so she doesn’t know much about spiritual power.

“Well…” Although those who inherited the blood of the water god had the power to strengthen the orb, Kang Shin-hyuk could use spiritual power to bolster it himself. It could be seen in the growth of the Shinfeng Orb, so it would presumably work here as well. Anyway, it was obvious why Milia had granted it to him.

“Is the way I reject her wrong?”

-As far as I’ve judged it, you didn’t reject her. Rather, you left too much hope.

Kang Shin-hyuk sighed.

“I wish she could meet a good man soon.”

-There is none better than you.

“Don’t affirm weird things.” Kang Shin-hyuk shook his head and devoured his last energy bar before washing up. It was time to head off to school, but right before he could, a text flew in that improved his mood.

[Claire: Got back today, come to the bar after school.1

[I will.]

Kang Shin-hyuk struggled to calm his mind as he headed off.

***

The school that day was very noisy. The cause was, of course, that Kang Shin-hyuk and Baek In-ha who cleared an S-class gate. For Kang Shin-hyuk, it felt like the distant past, but on Earth, it had just happened last week.

“Hey, can’t we just have Baek In-ha fight?”

“What about Algiers? She can break an S-rank gate alone.”

“Is it true that the third years are falling apart?”

“Is Kang Shin-hyuk stronger than Baek In-ha now?”

“I don’t think so. But did you see Hyeongju Ahn?”

“It’s because he protected those two that they’re safe.”

“Take it up with Kang Shin-hyuk. When he beats you, I’ll be proven right.” It was ridiculous that the school gave two first-years the task to clear an S-rank gate, but it was more absurd they had safely cleared it. It had proved that the teachers’ judgment of the two had been correct.

-They’re making a fuss with just an S-class gate. This is a great proof of how far you’ve gone in the Hero Universe.

“It wasn’t really anything new…”

“Why do you look like you don’t care?”

“It wasn’t anything special.” Kang Shin-hyuk threw something at Baek, who greeted him. It wasn’t the sort of thing that could be avoided or caught unless you were someone with a unique speed-related trait-like Baek. Baek successfully plucked it out of the air and cheered as soon as he recognized it.

“Shinyuk!”

“Not that again.”

“Shinyuk…!” Baek was ecstatic, as what he had caught as the Shinfeng orb. They had made a promise to lend him the Shinfeng orb when Shin-hyuk didn’t need it.

“Senior Shinyuk… no, you’re better than a senior.”

Only

“I’ll let you borrow it for the week.” Kang Shin-hyuk opened his textbook for the first class.

“What?”

“No, you’re growing fast, but it doesn’t feel so strange anymore.” Baek In-ha was staring at him with his head tilted.

“Oddly enough, sometimes after the weekend, it feels like the atmosphere has changed a lot.”

“It’s because I’ve had a dynamic weekend.”

“Ha…” Baek seemed at a loss for words. Kang Shin-hyuk raised an eyebrow as his friend drew closer.

“Did you see Claire’s breasts? Is that it?”

That afternoon, Kang Shin-hyuk finished his work with Lee Na-hee after class, then headed straight to the frontline bar on his bike.