He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 2
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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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Chapter 2
Episode 2
Early morning the next day.
Namgung Gang arrived at the training hall for work today as well.
“Urk—”
Oh my, what a surprise.
He barely managed to suppress a massive burp that was about to escape.
He had the dignity of the Namgung Iron Sword Sect leader to maintain.
Burping ungracefully would be utterly embarrassing.
Did anyone hear that sound?
Swish swish.
He quickly turned his head to scan the surroundings.
No one was visible, and no presence could be sensed either.
What a relief.
“Phew. I ate and drank too much yesterday.”
The long-awaited pleasant family dinner had become the cause of indigestion.
Indigestion was the culprit that made one’s entire day exhausting.
Culprits must be eliminated, and there was no better digestive aid for indigestion than training.
Well then, shall I move my body a bit?
Since I’m doing it anyway, I’ll use the sword my son gave me yesterday.
Shing.
“Even hearing it again, it’s such a smooth and sweet sound.”
When he held the sword up to the sunlight for a moment, the sunlight split against the blade.
“Moreover, it has tremendous sharpness befitting a famous sword.”
This kind of sword, I’ve only seen it with martial artists of ‘Hundred Generation Masters’ level or higher.
Who would have thought I would dare to wield one.
“It’s more than I deserve. However, I’m happy.”
This was a sword his child had made for his father’s upcoming birthday.
As a parent, how could he not be happy about this?
Displaying the Namgung Family’s martial arts with such a famous sword?
As a father, as a martial artist, how could he endure this?
Now I understand why a child jumps with joy when receiving new shoes.
Of course, he was concerned about receiving such a famous sword while bypassing the family head.
So during the meal, he had firmly instructed his son about this.
Being a smart child, he would understand what was meant.
“Phew, well then.”
He could no longer hold back.
Namgung Gang slowly regulated his breathing.
He closed his eyes and gradually circulated his internal energy.
When he felt that his body’s range of motion could transcend that of an ordinary human.
He began training by displaying the martial arts he had learned.
Was it because it was a famous sword?
His body moved even better than usual.
Namgung Gang gradually fell into a state of selfless absorption.
* * *
Clang clang clang!
To surpass Ganjiang and Moye, and create Divine Weapons like the Yitian Sword and Dragon Slaying Saber to become the world’s greatest blacksmith, one must diligently hammer away.
Clang clang clang!
Therefore, to advance one step forward as the martial arts world’s greatest blacksmith, what must be made today?
Famous swords.
‘At the very least, it should be five swords, right?’
During the pleasant dinner time with his parents at Chungpung Guesthouse, his father had subtly given him a hint.
Originally, it was customary to give such famous swords to the family head first.
‘At least it’s fortunate that the Namgung Family’s head is a flexible person who won’t even take away birthday gifts.’
Without flexibility, he wouldn’t show the broad-mindedness to recruit talent based on ability.
Still, human nature is, well? Isn’t it like that?
When someone gets a good sword but you don’t, you feel sad and jealous.
No matter how flexible a person is, they can’t be without some disappointment.
If I were the Namgung family head?
I’d call father over and express my disappointment profusely.
Then father would become depressed and lose his hair.
Eventually, baldness was hereditary in our family all along.
‘Ah, no way!’
Baldness is unacceptable!
I must absolutely protect this abundant hair!
To do that, I must make famous swords!
“Just a few days ago, it took several days to make a famous sword, but now that I’ve awakened, five swords should come out much faster.”
Physical strength and internal energy consumption decreased by 50%, and the probability of creating masterpieces increased by 30%, so if I can’t do it, I should just die.
The reason for deciding on five swords was nothing special.
One sword would lack sincerity, but with five swords, even after distributing them here and there, one could be kept aside.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Ding!
‘Huh? Ding?’
What’s that off-key sound?
Ah, it’s the sound from the message window. But the content seems strange?
“What is this?”
Is this a dream?
* * *
Martial arts are the exclusive specialty techniques of the martial arts world that can be learned by reading martial arts manuals, understanding them, acquiring them, and then mastering them through tremendous training.
It’s not like being a Hunter where you can read skill books and easily register them.
They registered like skills?
There are no martial arts mediocrities here.
Only the legendary Heavenly Martial Body exists here.
Why are martial arts manuals so difficult?
They were definitely written in Chinese characters I had learned, but they seemed like characters I was seeing for the first time.
Is this a math textbook?
So I just understood and learned the basics.
Wasn’t this the biggest reason for becoming a martial arts mediocrity!
But today, without even looking at a martial arts manual, martial arts were registered like skills.
“Status windows don’t lie. That means I really have learned martial arts.”
Seeing the formulas of Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword blooming abundantly in my mind as if I had practiced them for a long time, I had definitely learned them.
However, seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.
No matter how much knowledge one gains, one must experience it directly to truly know.
Namgung Cheon-gang took a sword from the blacksmith’s forge and went outside.
When one becomes a master-level or higher field supervisor at a Namgung Family affiliated forge, they are assigned a personal training hall along with a personal forge to check the power and durability of weapons they create.
Although the structure requires earning money on one’s own, the other benefits are correspondingly good.
This is why even a servant should become a servant of a palace—the welfare is proper.
“Phew.”
Namgung Cheon-gang walked to the center of the training hall and stood upright.
He regulated his breathing and briefly closed his eyes to review the formulas of Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword.
Opening his closed eyes, he slowly performed the techniques of Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword according to the formulas rising in his mind.
Graceful and powerful movements that could even cut through steel flowed through Namgung Cheon-gang’s body.
After about half a si-jin (1 hour) had passed, Namgung Cheon-gang’s sword tip quietly touched the ground.
His clear, bright eyes turned toward the sword tip.
“This… actually works?”
Though it felt somewhat awkward, executing the completed technique was truly bewildering.
* * *
How was he able to perform martial arts he had never learned?
The answer was already clear.
Resonance.
An ability that didn’t exist in his previous life.
‘All the existing traits I had as an S-rank Blacksmith disappeared, and only Resonance appeared, so I wondered what it was.’
Moreover, its description was incredibly profound.
But who would have thought it was ability copying!
What kind of cheat-like ability is this!
‘Even with just Advanced Crafting, I could easily aim for the position of the world’s greatest blacksmith!’
However, thanks to Resonance, I’m getting even closer to being the world’s greatest.
And that’s not all?
Isn’t this the moment when a martial arts commoner truly becomes a heavenly martial body!
I wanted to jump around excitedly, but thinking carefully, I quickly realized this wasn’t entirely something to celebrate.
There’s a problem.
The very fact that I can perform the Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword is the problem.
“The Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword is a first-class martial art that can only be learned by joining the Namgung Iron Sword Sect. But I chose the blacksmith’s path, so I couldn’t learn it, right?”
In the martial arts world, martial arts leakage is considered a grave sin.
Even the Namgung Family’s basic sword technique, the ‘Namgung Twelve Swords,’ was extremely reluctant to have its forms leaked to outsiders.
If an outsider not belonging to the Namgung Family performed the Namgung Twelve Swords, the assassination squad belonging to the Namgung Family would be dispatched.
“It’s not for nothing that secretly watching during training is considered a crime worthy of a life-or-death duel.”
A world obsessed with martial arts.
That’s why it’s called the martial arts world, isn’t it?
Those who possess unauthorized martial arts could die.
This is why it’s a problem.
If it’s discovered that I’ve learned the Namgung Wall-Breaking Iron Sword, not only myself but also my father might face quite troublesome situations.
Of course, given my father’s great contributions to the Namgung Family over the years, this much could probably be overlooked, but it’s not something I can be completely at ease about.
Once you make a mistake, don’t they keep piling up endlessly?
So, what should I do?
“…I’ll have to hide it.”
That seems to be the right answer.
But I wonder if I can really hide it forever.
Isn’t the martial arts world like a time bomb that could explode at any moment?
Although the Namgung Family is considered the top among martial families throughout the martial arts world, there are four more similar places.
Looking at sects, there are the Nine Sects and One Faction.
Even just on the Orthodox Faction side, there are at least 13 places.
Moving to the Heterodox Faction, there’s the Black Demon League, the center of the heterodox faction equivalent to an alliance of orthodox organizations, and if we go to the Outer Martial Arts World, there are two more places.
Like the North Sea Ice Palace or the Southern Barbarian Beast Palace.
Wow, there are so many.
So, can the Namgung Family really be completely safe? Once a bomb explodes, it’s over.
The aftermath of that explosion could unknowingly force me to use martial arts to survive…
“If I resort to killing to silence them, the fact that I performed martial arts I never learned would be hidden, but—”
Not a native of the martial arts world, but a 21st-century reincarnator.
Of course, I’m not inexperienced in ‘killing’ since I caught villains…
‘Still, I don’t particularly want to kill just to hide martial arts.’
Ah, what should I do?
“Huuuuuu…”
A deep sigh escaped naturally.
I dreamed of becoming the dragon’s head as a blacksmith.
If I make a mistake, I might get my neck chopped off before I can properly pursue my dream.
Ah, was it all just a fleeting spring dream!
‘But I can’t just dig a grave and lie in it.’
If I want to live, I have to do something.
What would be a good way to live well?
Let me think carefully.
The contemplation was shorter than expected.
Whether in my previous life or now, in a world where power can suppress law, there’s always one thing that works.
The supremacy of the strong.
“If an S-rank Hunter from my previous life becomes equivalent to an absolute master level in the martial arts world—”
No one would find it strange if I could see and perform martial arts I never learned.
At that level, it wouldn’t be difficult to observe and grasp first-class martial arts, perform them, and exploit weaknesses.
Moreover, at that level, one could enjoy a natural lifespan and die of natural causes without difficulty.
This is why I originally aimed to become the world’s greatest blacksmith after awakening.
Because the martial arts world itself protects the greatest blacksmith.
Just look at the blacksmith’s forge of the Namgung Family I belong to, right?
“Good, I’ve decided. At least until I reach the realm of absolute mastery, I won’t carelessly perform martial arts! Until then, I’ll hide any martial arts I learn through Resonance and live by hammering to death!”
What if I’m forced to perform martial arts unavoidably?
“…I’ll have to pretend it’s not me.”
Who would believe that a blacksmith performed martial arts he never learned?
“Should I cover my face just in case?”
Should I make a mask?
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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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