"Huff... this is really something." I said sighing in disbelief and frustration, as a child would lay on top of a bed before me.
"Is it difficult to heal Elder?" A man in front of me questioned as his face dripped in sweat.
"Yes well not actually I just lack equipment or the necessary herbs." Sighing looking at the man with a pitiful expression.
"Is that it? then I will make sure to procure the necessary items, just please..." The Man would say in a desperate tone.
"Your majesty, you need to send people to foreign lands, are you sure you can do it?" I said as I leaned forward from my seat.
The man would gulp as he looked at me, with determination in his eyes he would nod firmly. I would sigh as I stood up and walked towards a table, ruffling through to search for something.
"Scrub Typhus is what the disease is called." Taking out a Map and some pieces of paper, I'd start to write down a list of instructions and
ingredients.
"These are the things you'll need and where to find them, this map is not one with our great land at the centre so you must follow the red lines on it." Giving the man the map and pieces of papers after I wrote on them.
"The Metals and Sand after being found should be sent to a blacksmith that has a careful touch, give that man the second pair of instructions and give the other to the man handling the ingredients."
"Then after those individuals follow what is instructed and give you the resulting items, you must follow the instructions of the last paper to the letter and don't you dare miss a single beat of it, that's how you'll save your son."
"You got it?" I stated as I stared at the man with a stern look.
"Yessir to the letter! Thank you!" The man would say, bowing towards me.
"Now out!" I screamed, The Man quickly ran out as he carried his son as various other people came in to clean out the room wearing hazmat like suits.
Now you may ask 'what is this situation?' Well young soul, there'll be a lot to say but I'll just say one thing. Being killed was a bitch.
We started my little tale on a mountain top as I looked upon a floating glowing piece of parchment while sitting down on a bench in front of a wooden hut on top of a mountain.
"W what the?" I said dumbfounded as I looked around at my surroundings.
"What is that?... Why am I in a forest?" Questioning my surroundings I'd gulp as I stood looking thoroughly in front of me at the parchment as letters started to appear on it.
[Welcome to the New World
In which you need to prosper.]
The Parchment wrote onto itself, this was a familiar thing to see… but not because I experienced it before but because it was something that appeared in various manhwas I read.
I did not question if it was a dream, because I knew if it was I was fucked up for wanting to live in a manhwa like world. I simply asked one simple thing.
"Please… I don't want to work or die…" I'd kneel in front of the parchment begging in a pathetic voice.
[One can do so but before you do
You must go through the labouring
Hardship.]
The parchment said and I could only respond in one little word. "I'll do it… just after please let me have a relaxing time…"
[It shall be done…]
With that simple word, I fainted and laid limp on the ground, the parchment disappearing. Before too long I'd awakened and started to puke. "F-fuck y-you…"
Standing up and cleaning myself off as I finally took a look at myself, my miniature limbs made something quite obvious.
"Didn't bother to age me up? I'm back to being a f#cking 8 year old!" Screaming to the air I would bash my hand at a trunk.
After that 'reaction', I breathed slowly as I calmed myself down. I'd look down from the mountain as I saw a rural Korean village.
Sighing in relief I'd start to walk down the mountain, walking through the village seeing a small primitive clinic I'd walked inside of it.
A man would be trying to treat a patient's with raw grinded herbs, he'd be sweating with an expression that's saying that no matter what he would do it'll fail. So I decided to assist him, I would walk to his box with all of his ingredients silently so he does not notice.
I'd taken out several herbs and used it to make a primitive anaesthesia, I'd quickly used it on the patient and the woman jumped back as I popped out of nowhere. He'd slip and knocked himself out, quite convenient for me.
I would go to his kitchen as I took out her knife, cleaning it with a bucket of water I used cloth to distil and heating it up, then going back to the box I'd make some primitive antibiotics. Making sure no one was around, I'd start the surgery.
The man would slowly open his eyes, quickly seeing up to look at her patient and me. "W-what happened?... W-who are you?" He asked me.
"Call me Elder, and thank me later." Responding I would then walk out of the clinic.
"W-what? W-wait! The Patient!" She'd exclaim, quickly jumping up to his feet as he ran to the patient's side. He'd panic thoroughly examining their body, he freezes as he noticed the variable that was ailing the patient was gone but his skin had been sewed.
He'd turn back trying to look for the child that she saw me, but I was gone only leaving a note with instructions on it.
"What the..." He questioned as he walked to and picked up the note, she looked around breathing heavily, the man would awaken before he could even think of pursuing the child she saw.
"S-shit—" He exclaimed as he would run back to the patient, he walked back while I observed him to see if he picked up the note and then left.
Wandering through the village, feeling the stone paving on the soles of my feet as I walked. "I really miss smooth cement paths."
I looked at my surroundings as I tried to find something, walking while looking around as a young boy would come out of a dirty old red building. The child would be carrying something heavy in a sack, he would trip over from hitting his own foot on a protruding stone, landing on his stomach.
"O-ow fuuck—" He said as he sat up, he'd take off his sandals as he rubbed his own feet. Looking back at where he put his sandals, they saw they were gone.
"What the!?" He exclaimed as he jumped up, spinning around trying to see where they had gone as I walked into the building behind him enjoying not feeling soil in between my feet.
Entering within the building I felt a sudden wave of heat touch my skin as I heard the constant ringing of clashing metals. Walking deeper as silently as I could, seeing a beautiful woman seeming to forge a hot blade as she hits it with his hammer.
Knocking over a blade rack to get her attention, she would keep hammering the blade. She focused until she could cool it down, each hit of her was precise and she'd carefully put the blade in the water as it sizzled.
She then wiped her brow as she had cleaned herself off with water from a small bucket then looking at me, she had her right brow raised as she stared at me.
"You want to see a blade being forged not from this land?" Asking the woman, she'd crack her neck as she stretched standing up.
"You don't seem to be an experienced blacksmith kid but hey when a skinny kid can destroy a First Rate, so let's do this." She said as she moved to the sideline, watching me as she signalled for me to show her.
I'd breathe as I walked to the forge, she threw me a glow and a mask. Wearing it I would start the process with melting together Copper, Coal, Iron and a Black metal powder with other various minerals, to the side he'd melt extra coal and some flint together.
As it melted and cooled, The various metals and minerals mixed together to make Crucible Steel. I'd then heat the steel, the metal glowing red as I started to shape it into a long two sided blade, cooling it after.
Then heating and quenching it to harden it to a satisfying level, heating it one last time before I started to temper it. Finishing it by first grinding the blade with a chisel, then using the coal flint alloy that was created as an abrasive stone to sand the blade and then finally I'd polish it with some polishing cloth.
Finishing the blade I'd proceed to create the rest of the sword, and finally assemble it together presenting it to the woman.
She'd pick the blade up observing it, she'd swing to check its balance and than placed it down. Going out and bringing back a bamboo shoot and using the sword to slice it in half.
She'd smile as she looked backed at me. "Where are you from, kid?" She'd asked as she carefully placed the blade on a rack.
"You could say I'm from the mountain in the back." Responding with a smile as I sat down.
She'd slightly chuckle. "So gonna tell me what's this Geomyeong for?" She asked as she pointed at the guard of the forged sword.
"Its straight length and strange shape may seem unappealing in design but it is what I judged the most effective way to guard a wielder's hands as they block or parry considering it's a two handed blade that specialises in manoeuvres and techniques." Responding while stretching my spine.
"This blade is perfect for us folk but I don't know about them, knowing how acrobatic they were they'd probably hate the length of both the blade and geomyeong" She said as she sat down.
"I know but not everyone is one of them, so it's most profitable for it to be a weapon for common folk."
"You're right about that, make more of these and be my disciple little guy." She said as she stretched out a hand towards me.
"If you can pay properly then yes." Taking her hand, shaking it softly.
"This will be a fun partnership, so what's your name kid?" She asked with a smirk.
"What's yours first." I responded.
"Heh it's Sang-won, no family." She said confidently as her red hair would flow.
"Elder, No family." I responded with a huge smile as the sun fell and night overcame the day.
12 years later…
Walking through the streets of the village I'd feel the familiar cold smooth pavement on my feet, a man waving as he cooked his food on an electric stove.
Waving back I arrived at the front of the blacksmith shop, its glistening white marble walls shining brightly. Walking in almost immediately hearing small explosions. Looking at a room with a reinforced glass door, the door sliding open I'd enter.
Observing the white room looking to the left seeing a target sign riddled in holes, as I saw a Sang-won cleaning a shotgun.
"Ahem." Coughing a bit of air she would turn her head, standing up and scratching the back of her head.
"Y'know I can't resist this boom crossbow." She said in a tired tone as she placed the shotgun on a rack.
"It's dangerous, in any case were you helping Ilgun with the Gajja Ma-eul." I said, sighing as I sat down.
"He doesn't need my help, plus I'm still testing out that 'elctic' forge." She would say as she walked out of the room, following her we'd walk through the hall.
"It's electric and I've been teaching you how to use it for 5 years. Have you been learning about the grid for the next communication device." Saying as we walked to a room, that looks like a break room.
"Yeah, the painting mover was hard to fully understand but I managed, the wiring can be lessened now." She'd say sitting on the couch. "God I still can't believe a chair like this exists."
"A lot of things exist, in any way—" Suddenly a man barges through the door, panting heavily as he exclaims.
"Elder! A Second Rate bandit showed up!" Turning to the man, I'd walk to a table opening a drawer. Taking out a taser gun, throwing it to him.
"Just make sure this doesn't get out like last time, blood isn't quite nice." I said with a stern look.
"Y-yes sir! Thank you!" He said as he caught the taser than running off. I'd sigh, caressing my face, rubbing my eyes.
"The first batch of academy disciples should be out soon." Sang-won said while stretching laying on the couch from her back.
"I know, just make sure the farmers follow the instructions so at their graduation they'll be healthy." Sitting on the couch at her feet.
"Yeah yeah, still surprising it was so complex on how to make healthy stuff. What's next you're gonna mass produce thousand year ginsengs?" She said snickering.
"That's the plan once the equipment gets finished." I responded as I leaned backwards on the couch.
"You mean the ones that you say let's you see things under it as if it was a building?" She said with a curious yet awe tone.
"Yes and also why are you describing it like that? I taught you Molecular and Atomic structure."
"Because it's the simplest way to say it, hmm… still having a hard time with your Qi?" She questioned with a careful tone.
Sighing, I would respond. "Don't worry, as long as the kids become stronger with my knowledge."
"That's sweet, but I think the Fist Squad still don't fully understand the whole having minerals and metals in our body." She said laughing.
"They will eventually but using what they do understand to improve themselves is good enough for me." I said as I than fell to my back on her.
"You haven't grown at all." She would smile as she pets Elder.