He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 30

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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 30

Episode 30

Accept.

Ding.

It seems to be a hidden profession after all.

Since I’m performing a mission, a linked job change quest has appeared.

Hidden professions require linked missions, right?

‘Great! I’ll become the world’s number 1 ranker!’

Of course, it was just a delusion.

What game possession.

This is definitely a martial arts reincarnation.

My entire body is telling me so.

‘I should put aside useless delusions and face reality…’

Therefore, what I need to do is.

“So, I should first learn our sect’s divine technique, then challenge the heavenly technique, Master?”

“Well, first receive what you need to receive.”

Mak Noya handed Namgung Cheon-gang a wooden box about the size of two ingots.

When he opened it with a click, various documents were inside.

“Oh, Master, could this be!?”

“This is why quick-witted children are no fun, no fun at all. Tsk tsk. Still, just in case, take a look.”

When he carefully lifted the documents.

Namgung Cheon-gang.

Namgung Gang.

Namgung Ho.

Ryu Seong-hwa.

The above persons are approved as direct lineage of Namgung.

Namgung Family Master

Namgung Cheon’s permission

An approval document stamped with the Master’s official seal recognizing their approval as direct lineage.

As expected, just as I thought.

Wasn’t the reward for the previous mission elevation to direct lineage?

However, it’s not just me who gets elevated to direct lineage.

It’s the entire family.

Of course, this was also a mission reward, so it’s not that surprising, but seeing it in person still fills me with deep emotion.

“Master!”

So, in my joy, I unconsciously rushed to embrace Mak Noya.

“There, there. Yes. You’re happy, aren’t you? Yes, yes.”

This time Mak Noya didn’t avoid it.

He held me like a grandson and patted me gently.

“Sniff—”

“Don’t shed tears, and don’t let snot run either. If even one drop gets on my clothes, I’ll bury you.”

“…”

I realize once again that Master is a warm-hearted, true tsundere.

* * *

In a situation without an inventory.

Since I’m the only martial arts awakener, I had guessed that rewards would be delivered directly depending on the situation.

So I thought it wouldn’t matter much.

‘But actually giving and receiving by hand makes it several times more moving.’

It seems gifts really do need the caring touch of a sincere heart.

If not that.

‘Maybe the joy is doubled because this direct lineage approval was so hard-won.’

Come to think of it, that could be it.

My life was on the line after all.

I say again.

Even now, thinking about what happened in the Master’s Chamber makes my spine tingle, cold sweat pour down, and my legs go weak.

Seriously, couldn’t you have gone a bit easier on the deception?

What if a martial arts absolute master had been serious about it?

A frog can die from a blind stone, Master!

Grumble, grumble.

Since my life is precious, I can only vent my complaints in my heart rather than out loud.

Grumble, grumble.

There are still remaining rewards.

I feel like I’ll get them when the job change mission is completed.

‘Then I need to pass Mak Noya’s test.’

The divine technique exclusive to blacksmiths who come to Cheongeumjeong can probably only be obtained by passing that test.

“Right, Master?”

“What are you talking about? State your premise before asking.”

I thought we could communicate our desires just through eye contact.

It seems we’re not at that stage yet.

That’s understandable.

Accepting this, Namgung Cheon-gang conveyed exactly what he was thinking.

“Ho? How did you know?”

“Well, that much is easy to guess.”

“Yes. You’ve got guts, kid. However, you’re wrong about one thing. It’s not that you learn the divine technique only after taking the test I give.”

“Then?”

“It’s the opposite.”

“The opposite… Ah, could it be that learning the divine technique is the test?”

“That’s right. The period is one month. If you can’t learn Cheongeumjeong’s divine technique within that time… well, what can be done. Today’s conversation becomes null and void. How can someone who can’t even learn the divine technique become Cheongeumjeong’s successor?”

Ding.

The 3rd linked mission.

A mission to learn the divine technique.

The rewards and penalties for failure haven’t changed much.

‘Then even if I fail to learn Cheongeumjeong’s divine technique, the direct lineage position I gained won’t disappear…’

There’s no pressure.

“Even if you fail to learn it, there will be no penalty. This has been agreed upon with the Master as well, so you can trust it.”

The explanation from the mission was repeated once more through Mak Noya’s mouth.

Something that only benefits me.

It seems they’re leaving it to my conscience.

“But wouldn’t that mean only Master loses out?”

Cheongeumjeong was disbanded.

The disciple he wanted to gain would be lost too.

A situation with no benefit.

“This isn’t something I do for profit, and what does it matter if I lose out? It would just mean my eyes and intuition were wrong. So don’t feel burdened.”

The master’s consideration telling me to learn without burden.

It’s touching.

But this makes me feel more burdened.

If I have any conscience, how can I calmly accept this situation as a sole successor disciple?

Sigh. Really.

Having a soft heart is a problem.

With such a soft heart, will I be able to get through this well?

But what can I do about it?

A day as teacher, a lifetime as father.

If you serve someone as a teacher even for a day, you must serve them as a father for life.

Since I’ve already served him once, I have to see it through to the end.

Well, there’s also this reason.

That phrase in case of failure.

It weighs on my mind.

The current Martial Arts World is in a state of great peace.

Since the Blood Cult invasion 30 years ago, it has been flowing peacefully like a waveless river without any major incidents.

Since the life-threatening danger from my first mission is gone, there’s no need to reach the ranks of absolute masters—

‘Hmm. Come to think of it, I can’t say that’s not the case.’

The Martial Arts World always has more variables than expected, so I should be prepared.

‘Anyway, even if I give up on becoming an absolute master, I still plan to keep the dream of becoming the world’s greatest blacksmith, right?’

For a blacksmith to work with peace of mind, wouldn’t it be good for peace to continue?

As someone from a previous life, war isn’t very appealing to me either, so if I can prevent a crisis in the Martial Arts World before it escalates, I should prevent it in advance.

‘But what kind of relationship do Cheongeumjeong and the Heavenly Craftsman have that such a thing appears? Is it because they endlessly craft excellent weapons?’

If war breaks out, blacksmiths would be the busiest.

They’d make a fortune too.

In any era, when weapon manufacturing is active, it’s because of war.

‘Still, peace is better.’

I don’t need a fortune either.

Comfortable eating shows and healing.

There’s nothing better than this.

My own Martial Arts World vlog that should be peaceful.

A resolution to protect my own dream.

‘Mission accepted!’

Accepting the master’s proposal.

Afterward, Namgung Cheon-gang immediately received teachings about the divine art’s incantations from Mak Noya.

And he realized.

‘Ah, right. I was mediocre at martial arts, wasn’t I?’

The reason for being mediocre at martial arts that he had forgotten.

“How is it that you can’t properly memorize a single incantation!?”

That’s right.

Namgung Cheon-gang had the major flaw of not understanding martial arts incantations.

“It’s too obscure! Is this really Central Plains writing? It looks like earthworms crawling around, how am I supposed to understand it!”

“Did you think the incantations of a divine art would be like neighborhood third-rate martial arts incantations!? Of course they have to be obscure and difficult!”

“Then who can learn it! Isn’t it a useless martial art that no one can master!”

“In all my life, this is the first time I’ve heard someone call the ‘Ten Thousand Weapons Return to Origin Art’ useless, you bastard!!”

‘Ten Thousand Weapons Return to Origin Art.’

This was precisely the divine art of Cheongeumjeong that Namgung Cheon-gang had to master within a month.

Since he needed to know the incantations to learn it, Mak Noya kindly and thoroughly explained it so Namgung Cheon-gang could master it well.

It was shattered in an instant.

The hot-tempered Mak Noya was enraged.

“If no one can master it, then it’s a sect’s divine art. If just anyone could master it, how would it be different from third-rate martial arts sold at the neighborhood market! Fine, yes. Since it’s a divine art, it can be obscure. But even so, you should at least be able to read and act on the first sentence! How does it make sense that you can’t even understand it!?”

“I can read it! It’s just that I don’t understand it!”

“If you can read it, why don’t you understand! And why doesn’t someone who possesses the power of Cheonloe Jaewang Singong know this!”

It’s so absurd that it takes his breath away.

His chest feels stuffy.

No, what exactly is this guy?

He’s someone whose third-rate warrior status defeated a peak warrior’s experience.

He doesn’t know by what skill he learned it, but he’s someone who acquired Cheonloe Jaewang Singong.

Moreover, he had also displayed martial arts that showed traces of Namgung’s direct lineage techniques.

From conversations with the family head and looking at this guy’s actions, he’s someone who never stole and learned direct lineage martial arts.

So, didn’t he think that he had learned and realized it on his own?

Didn’t he feel and say that he had the qualities of a grandmaster?

His abilities as a blacksmith are needlessly excellent, so he thought he had finally met a successor worthy of Cheongeumjeong.

“To think he’d be this dull! I’ve been deceived! This thief! Liar! Deceiver!”

“Such harsh words to your one and only successor disciple!? And who deceived whom! It was Master and the family head!”

“Oh my, oh my! To think the disciple I gained in my old age would be a braggart! I thought he was a grandmaster, but he turns out to be a great fraud. Oh my goodness!!”

Mak Noya sat down like a homeless old man and wailed.

Then he suddenly stood up.

“You, what exactly are you! How did you learn the Emperor’s divine art when you can’t understand the meaning of divine art incantations!!”

Grabbing Namgung Cheon-gang’s shoulders.

Glaring and asking with veins bulging in his neck.

Whew.

Why are his mood swings so lightning-fast?

Is it menopause?

It should have passed already.

It seems to have returned.

I should speak quickly before he grabs my collar instead of my shoulders.

“Well—”

Hmm.

But what should I say?

Should I tell the truth?

‘I’m a reincarnator from 21st century South Korea, and I suddenly awakened four months ago, gained a status window, and acquired a trait called Resonance, where if someone cherishes and likes the weapons I make, I learn one martial art that person has mastered.’

‘That’s how I learned Cheonloe Jaewang Singong.’

‘Oh, it works the same way if others make items from ingots I created and like them.’

‘….’

I feel like I’d get slapped and beaten up with him yelling ‘Fucking liar boy!’

I can’t let my master’s first self-taught English be profanity.

“…I just somehow learn it by watching.”

Thus, Namgung Cheon-gang hid the truth.

“By watching… you learn?”

“Yes.”

“So… what you’re saying is, if a warrior shows you martial arts or divine arts they’ve learned, you can master them?”

“Yes. Well, there are conditions attached, but anyway, that’s the closest reason.”

“What kind of….”

What conditions are attached to learning by watching?

Is he picky?

No, that’s not the point.

Learning by watching itself is absurd.

Even if he’s picky, isn’t that ability itself grandmaster-level?

Or even higher.

Could he be hiding something and just making up stories?

“You don’t believe me, do you?”

The disbelief must have shown on his face.

He asks directly.

Mak Noya unconsciously nodded.

“Then. I should make you believe. That’s the duty of a disciple. But in return!”

“In return?”

“How about a bet? It’s not illegal for a disciple and master to make a wager, is it?”

“Hehe. What an audacious fellow I’m looking at.”

Making a bet at a place meant to showcase one’s abilities.

In other words, absolutely refusing to take a loss?

Though there wasn’t much to lose in this situation anyway, seeing him try to gain profit even in such circumstances was quite—

“I like it.”

“Pardon?”

“I like your audacious behavior of trying to gain profit rather than loss in whatever you do. If you were a warrior, you’d be spouting nonsense about honor, but you and I are both blacksmiths. In a way, we’re merchants selling iron goods.”

Ore, blacksmith materials, clothing, food.

None of it’s free.

You need profit to do blacksmith work well.

Namgung Cheon-gang was bewildered, not expecting to be praised for such a thing.

‘Well, it’s better than getting scolded.’

Of course.

Praise is better.

“So. What will you wager in this bet?”

“How about granting one wish?”

“A wish?”

“Yes. I don’t have any money. Even if I did, it wouldn’t come close to what’s at your feet, Master. And honestly, it feels awkward to make betting conditions with my master using material goods. So, excluding wealth, if there’s something that master and disciple can give and receive cleanly and equally, wouldn’t it be a ‘wish voucher’?”

“Not bad. Good. Let’s go with my wish voucher. Then shall I show you using the divine technique here?”

“No. There’s something you need to do first.”

“What would that be?”

“If it’s not too presumptuous, could Master wield the weapon I made and use the power of your divine technique to display martial arts?”

“What?”

“That’s the condition for me to observe and learn…”

“…What?”

“Ah, and you just need to like it and cherish it. You know, right? My blacksmithing ability. You’ll be satisfied, Master. You’ll like it and cherish it, won’t you?”

“…”

What is this crazy bastard saying.

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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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