Title: 천재 대장장이의 게임
Personal Review:
I started reading because I was intrigued by the concept of crafting weapons manually in a game, but I ended up dropping it after 65 chapters.
The story and premise were great.
Hyun-Soo can craft weapons manually in the game. Even with penalties like unrepairable artifacts and level restrictions, he can craft them using his personal skill instead of relying on the system, which opens up limitless possibilities. This made me wonder how far Hyun-Soo could grow in the game, and that curiosity was one of the novel’s strengths.
However, there were some aspects where I felt the author’s writing and research were lacking.
For example, while the game currency is referred to as “game money,” if he were to convert it to real money—especially amounts in the hundreds of thousands or millions of KRW—there would be transaction fees involved. Yet, these were not considered at all.
Also, despite the game just starting, Hyun-Soo already seems to have a large sum of money. He quickly pays off medical bills, changes his father’s hospital room to a VIP one, and manages to afford the treatment for a vegetative state, which costs around 10 million KRW a month.
Honestly, 10 million KRW a month doesn’t seem that unreasonable, especially since there are even more expensive treatments in the real world. While the treatment period isn’t stated, the cost isn’t all that shocking.
And then, there’s the 3 billion KRW cost to treat his severe burns (in chapter 2). Yet, he’s surprised by the 10 million KRW monthly cost for the vegetative state treatment. It seemed inconsistent, and it felt like the author hadn’t properly researched how hospitals operate.
As for the heroine or any female characters who approach Hyun-Soo… they were just so outdated and unappealing.
I remember one nurse at his father’s hospital who seemed to have a crush on him because of his good looks. She subtly hit on him, but Hyun-Soo, oblivious as usual, never picked up on it.
There’s also a female character who holds a key position in a blacksmithing guild. She eventually realizes that Hyun-Soo is capable of crafting special weapons, and her response is something like, “I want you.” It was so cringe-worthy that I almost stopped reading right there. Every time this character appeared, I couldn’t help but think, “Why does she keep showing up with such annoying lines?” Her lack of charm made her even more unbearable.
The setting where only about 10 true manual blacksmiths are left worldwide, with Hyun-Soo’s father being the last true master, felt a bit forced. And in today’s world, a blacksmith who still makes weapons? It felt like the author was trying too hard to create a justification for Hyun-Soo’s ability to craft weapons. While it’s understandable for story progression, it didn’t feel very natural.
One funny thing is that, according to the comments, many readers mentioned how much they cringed at the story. In almost every chapter, Hyun-Soo and other characters seem to be smirking or chuckling in awkward situations, and it became a running joke in the comments.
There were many more little issues that I can’t remember since I dropped it a few months ago. In the comments, there were a lot of people criticizing the story, with more saying, “This is only for people who can turn off their brains to enjoy it.”
Despite all the drop-outs, the novel somehow keeps a high ranking. I wonder if it gets better after the 100th chapter?
But frankly, I don’t have the patience to stick it out that long.
Description
The last blacksmith and master artisan left in the world. His hands are crippled in a forge fire, rendering him unable to craft any longer. But then, a virtual reality game, Ares, comes knocking on Hyun-soo’s door.
[Unrepairable Artifact.]
For him, no system restrictions apply. The tumultuous game of the genius blacksmith begins.
