100 Floors All Master - Chapter 81
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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All Master of 100 Floors Episode 081
15th Floor. Heaven-Gifted Blacksmith (2)
[Olivia Turner (46th Floor): Congratulations on clearing the 15th Floor. I have one question for the author who mentioned meeting the blacksmith.]
[Kang San (17th Floor): Oh, Olivia?]
[Haidal Roof (15th Floor): Huh, what’s the matter?]
[Olivia Turner (46th Floor): Weren’t you able to go underground?]
[Haidal Roof (15th Floor): Underground? I don’t know anything about that…?]
[Olivia Turner (46th Floor): Hmm… I see. As expected, it seems he won’t tell unless you ask directly. Thank you for the confirmation.]
* * *
“A crude work?”
Something made without skill and worthlessly.
The blacksmith had said with his own mouth that he would make crude works.
“It’s only natural. Why should I make proper weapons and armor for the likes of you? All you and I can take away is trash.”
The blacksmith spoke indifferently. Manbyeonggi muttered as if things were still the same.
[You haven’t changed.]
“Is it greed for a blacksmith to only make weapons for those who can handle his children? I’ll make them reluctantly since I have a contract with the Master of the Universe, but… I don’t truly want to make them.”
The blacksmith kept his word. He always made only equipment that was crude by his standards, half-heartedly, for players.
‘Though even those had monstrous performance.’
“From now on, come to me when you bring materials. I’ll make crude works befitting the likes of you. You’ll be able to come here by calling out ‘Blacksmith.'”
The blacksmith picked up his hammer again and began pounding the anvil. His attitude suggested he didn’t want to talk anymore.
Normally, the relationship between player and blacksmith ended here.
However, there was a way to take it one step further. That’s why Kang Jun-hyeok stepped forward.
“Then what would happen if I proved that I’m a warrior worthy of your recognition?”
“Hmm?”
The blacksmith stopped his hammer. Kang Jun-hyeok continued.
“If that were to happen, could I obtain a weapon you made properly?”
* * *
Kang Jun-hyeok knew.
The equipment made by the Tower’s NPC, the blacksmith, had phenomenal performance.
With sufficient materials, they were far superior to equipment normally obtainable in the Tower. He himself had been wearing several items made by the blacksmith during the final battle.
Equipment that was hard to match unless it was Unique Grade.
That was the blacksmith’s equipment.
But even that was ultimately just half-hearted work to the blacksmith, made without sincerity.
Then what level would weapons and armor he made properly be?
Unique Grade equipment like the Holy Sword and Lemegeton that could only be obtained through Perfect Clear.
Couldn’t he reach there as well?
The possibility was sufficient. On the 15th Floor, his real goal was to gain the Blacksmith’s recognition. The Blacksmith burst into laughter.
“Haha. You want to gain my recognition? How arrogant. Your pride is high. Manbyeonggi. You’re worthy of that one. Fine. You are a Player. And I am an NPC. If you want a challenge, I should respond to it.”
The Blacksmith put down his hammer and stomped his foot. Then the floor in the corner of the Blacksmith Shop opened, revealing stairs leading underground.
Kuguuuuuung!
“The mine on the 15th Floor doesn’t end at ground level. Below the Blacksmith Shop where I stay. Underground exists. So I’ll give you a Quest. Go down to the underground mine and directly mine ore that will be used as materials for equipment.”
[Hidden Quest: Prove your qualifications.]
[Condition: Go down to the underground mine on the 15th Floor and mine ore.]
[Upon Success: The Blacksmith will recognize you and create proper weapons and armor.]
[Upon Failure: The Blacksmith will never recognize you.]
“I accept.”
Kang Jun-hyeok nodded. The Blacksmith let out a chuckle.
“I hope you can produce results matching your arrogant confidence. Though there’s no possibility of that.”
The Blacksmith turned away and began hammering again.
From here on, he would prove it with results rather than words. Kang Jun-hyeok went down the stairs.
Pusik. Pusisisik.
The sound of gas spewing out could be heard. A musty smell stung his nose. What awaited him at the end of the stairs was a broken and twisted mine filled with acrid smoke.
[15th Floor Progress Quest.]
[Conquer the underground of the mine.]
* * *
The 15th Floor was divided into three stages total.
First was a 1% clear rate.
Reaching the end of the mine and clearing it there.
Next was a 10% clear rate.
Wandering around the mine to collect fragment pieces, awakening and defeating the golem that exists at the end, and meeting the Blacksmith.
And then next.
Receiving a Hidden Quest from the Blacksmith and heading to the underground of the mine.
Probably clearing this would allow reaching a 100% clear rate. Kang Jun-hyeok grumbled.
“A Quest that can only be received if the Player asks directly. How annoyingly difficult.”
The problem was that the Blacksmith himself didn’t mention the method to go underground. Only when the Player said they would prove themselves did the path underground finally open.
[It means those who don’t even have that much initiative don’t even get a chance to be tested. He’s more difficult than even I am.]
“I think he’s better than you, who made it so no one could approach.”
[…Hmm.]
Manbyeonggi couldn’t deny it. Kang Jun-hyeok drew his weapon.
“Then shall we try?”
His face turned serious.
The conditions for heading to the underground of the mine were demanding.
But it wasn’t impossible.
Quite a few players had proven themselves to the Blacksmith and earned the qualification to go underground. Kang Jun-hyeok from his previous life had done the same.
But none of them had ever received the Blacksmith’s recognition.
Not even him.
Hiss. Hissss.
Toxic gases were spewing out madly from various spots throughout the mine. The poison entered his lungs, trying to destroy his entire body.
Just breathing caused damage due to the toxic gas.
He was protected thanks to having the Poison Resistance skill, but other players would have taken 1 damage per second.
And even such toxic gas was merely the first obstacle in the underground.
Rummmmmble!
As he moved forward, ores rose up and formed into golems. They were naturally different from the golems on the surface. Made of corroded and damaged ores, they looked like mummies.
Rumble!
Their strength and speed were clearly inferior to the surface golems. Any player who had made it down here could handle them without problem.
But the problem wasn’t the golems’ strength.
Crack.
The great sword struck the golem’s head. At that moment, the corroded ores that made up its body began to tremble. Kang Jun-hyeok quickly pulled out his shield.
BOOOOOOM!
The golem’s body exploded. The fragments that made up its body shattered and destroyed everything around like a claymore.
Rattle rattle rattle!
The problem didn’t end there. The ores in the wall that were hit by the fragments also began to tremble, then started exploding like grenades.
Boom! Rummmmmble!
Chain explosions occurred madly, shaking the mine.
Fragments flying in all directions aimed for Kang Jun-hyeok’s entire body.
[Repulsion.]
Whooom!
An intense wave of force deflected the fragments. But those deflected fragments hit the walls again and began exploding once more. Kang Jun-hyeok clicked his tongue.
[Crack Movement.]
His body escaped outside the range of the explosions.
Boom. Rummmmmble…
The explosions continued for over a minute before finally stopping. When the dust settled, what was revealed was a devastating scene where everything was destroyed.
‘Still a damn difficult level.’
This was the second obstacle of the underground.
Everything here was a bomb.
Even touching a wall wrong would cause it to explode, and once one exploded, chain explosions would occur. The typical player would face the first golem that appeared, get caught up in the explosion, and flee desperately in a near-death state.
Of course, it wasn’t a problem for Kang Jun-hyeok. With his power, he could overcome the explosions and advance forward.
But the biggest final obstacle remained. Manbyeonggi muttered.
[That guy really demands something peculiar.]
The Quest condition wasn’t to clear the underground.
It was to personally mine the ore that existed underground.
[You are strong. Outstanding. As a warrior, as a player, you’re close to perfect. But what that guy demands isn’t that kind of ability.]
In this mine full of bombs and nothing but traps, how do you find the necessary ore?
That was the biggest problem. If you carelessly touched anything, it would explode and ruin all the intact ores.
There was only one solution.
Reading the grain of the mine, listening to the voice of metal, and mining precisely.
It was a task that required ability as a miner, not as a player.
No matter how outstanding Kang Jun-hyeok was, there was no answer since it demanded completely different abilities from the start.
Therefore, Manbyeonggi asked with expectation.
[How are you planning to solve this?]
If it was the Kang Jun-hyeok he knew, he would somehow find a solution.
Kang Jun-hyeok spoke as if asking why he was questioning something so obvious.
“How to solve it? I’m planning to solve it with a player’s power.”
[Player?]
“What? Did you already forget? I obtained it right before entering this floor.”
[…Hm?]
Manbyeonggi recalled the memory. What Kang Jun-hyeok had obtained.
And at that moment, he was shocked. Kang Jun-hyeok calmly activated his skill.
[Pixie’s Treasure Intuition.]
* * *
Boom. Boom boom boom….
The Blacksmith stopped his hammer at the thunderous noise coming from underground.
It seemed the player who had come was somehow moving to clear the quest he had given.
“Futile effort.”
What he demanded from the player wasn’t strength or technique.
Pure talent.
The intuition to hear metal’s voice, to read the grain of the earth.
An ability that even among the Earth Race, the dwarves, barely one person might possess in thousands of years.
That was what the Blacksmith demanded.
Some asked why he demanded such things from a warrior, whether it wasn’t enough to just fight well. But the Blacksmith’s thoughts remained unchanged.
‘Shouldn’t a proper warrior naturally be able to hear the voice of metal?’
How could he make proper weapons and armor for someone who lacked even that much ability?
Quite a few players had come to find him, but none had been able to clear the conditions he set forth.
The Blacksmith didn’t doubt that this time would be no different.
However, the Blacksmith who had been hammering soon realized something strange.
“…He’s not coming up.”
It had already been 6 hours since Kang Jun-hyeok went down underground, but he still hadn’t come up.
The thunderous noise that had been continuously heard had also disappeared long ago. Puzzlement crossed the Blacksmith’s face at this unprecedented situation.
‘He did possess Manbyeonggi. He’s certainly somewhat outstanding compared to other players.’
Even so, nothing would change. What he desired wasn’t ability as a player.
And after several hours had passed, Kang Jun-hyeok trudged back up.
“You’re back.”
“I’m back.”
“You must have realized that it’s impossible for the likes of you to earn my recognition. Just give up obediently and…”
“No.”
Kang Jun-hyeok extended his hand.
The Blacksmith’s eyes, which had been watching with an indifferent expression, widened enormously.
In that hand was a single Golden Glowing Ore.
“I mined it.”
“…Huh?”
The Blacksmith blinked, wondering if he had seen wrong.
But no matter how he looked at it, the Golden Glowing Ore was definitely the one that had existed underground.
“Wh-what?”
How?
A mere Player?
Flustered, he desperately tried to organize his thoughts. Kang Jun-hyeok had been underground for quite a long time. Perhaps he had obtained the ore through some miraculous luck. It couldn’t have been through his own ability.
Just as he was organizing his thoughts this way, Kang Jun-hyeok shook out his sleeve.
Clatter clatter clatter!
Seven Ores of Various Colors tumbled down onto the floor.
“Since you might say it was just simple luck, I mined as many as possible. Would this be enough for you to acknowledge me?”
“…”
The Blacksmith’s jaw dropped open.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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