I Became an SSS-Grade Time-Transcending Almighty Blacksmith - Chapter 54

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 54
Episode 54
As expected, just as I’d predicted.
The ore Toran brought back wasn’t limited to Luminance Stones and Flame Stones.
And it continued from there.
“Kid, look at this! This time it’s a Water Flow Stone!”
“Oh, this is a water-type Elemental Stone?”
“That’s right. Now we’ve got all four of the Basic Elements.”
I was able to collect a wide variety of Elemental Stones.
The four Basic Elements, the most representative ones.
Earth Stone and Water Flow Stone, Flame Stone and Wind Stone.
The Darkness Stone, which held the opposite power to the Luminance Stone I’d first obtained.
Beyond those, there were Elemental Stones that could be considered derivatives of the Four Basic Elements—Ice Stone and Thunder Stone, and more.
I was able to obtain numerous Elemental Stones.
However.
“The quantities aren’t very large, are they?”
“Can’t be helped. These are all incredibly rare ores. Truth be told, the fact that I’m mining this much is already a tremendous feat.”
“Could you gather as much as possible, then?”
“Bwahahaha! Trust me! New veins keep popping up all over the place!”
But the quantities were still too small.
Since I preferred to stockpile generously and craft everything at once, I set the Elemental Stones aside for now.
Instead.
‘Materials have already piled up an enormous amount.’
I began making the things I’d been working on so far.
Just looking at the warehouse, there was a mountain of items I needed to create.
First, I needed to make weapons and armor suited to my current Level.
I didn’t craft low-level equipment much anymore, but there were still many requesting it, so I’d need to make more of those.
On top of that, people who wanted my Accessories kept asking.
Since Grom had been gathering leaves so well, I needed to make Leaf Beds too.
And I had to make Headlamps that served as lighting and glowing Accessories as well…….
In any case, there was no shortage of things to make.
In such circumstances.
“Alright, let’s get started!”
A smile spread naturally across my face.
[ Beginning crafting. ]
Clang!
Before, I’d had to swing a pickaxe in the mine, chop with an axe in the forest, and shoot in the hunting grounds just to make one item.
Now I didn’t need to do any of that—I just had to swing my hammer while deciding what to make next.
It was nothing but pleasant.
What’s more, whenever I created items like this.
[ ‘Leaf Bed’ has sold. ]
[ ‘Headlamp’ has sold. ]
…….
Not only did they sell rapidly.
[ Praise the god Iron Hammer!! ]
Praaaaaaise!!!!!
[ God Iron Hammer, could you make beds more generously? Even us ordinary people want to use them ㅠㅠㅠ ]
They’re still too expensive ㅠㅠ I want to sleep in a Regeneration Bed too ㅠㅠ
[ Finally got a Headlamp!! ]
Bring on a darkness-type Gate and I’ll smash it to pieces!!
…….
The Awakeners’ enthusiasm was so passionate.
Far from growing tired, it was impossible not to find it thrilling every time I crafted.
Thinking that way, I continued making items for some time.
My next goal was.
‘Four billion.’
To gather four billion, purchase a Mana Stone, and level up the Blacksmith Shop once more.
In truth, I hadn’t yet decided which aspect to upgrade.
Part of me wanted to level up the Summoning Platform and summon another new assistant.
But since the difficulty of summoning was climbing steeply, I worried that if I carelessly used the Summoning Platform now, a weak assistant might be summoned instead.
If the Summoning Platform seems uncertain, I’m planning to enhance the Hammer first.
Well, fortunately.
[ Your level has increased. ]
Thanks to Serin, my level was climbing steadily.
If I just reach Level 20 at this rate, I could raise the Summoning Platform’s level right away, couldn’t I?
Swinging the Hammer in that manner, time flew by like an arrow.
Of course, in the meantime.
“Emergency assembly!”
“You called, Master.”
“Is it dinner time already, little one?”
“Squeak-squeak!”
“What should we eat today! Is there anything you’d like?”
“I’m fine with anything, Master.”
“Something crispy? Got anything crispy?”
“Meat!!”
“Crispy meat, then…… of course!”
I never missed a meal.
So what if I love crafting items—even the most beautiful mountain pales after a good meal, doesn’t it?
If a person wants to work, they have to eat properly first.
With that in mind, pooling everyone’s opinions.
“Today we’ll keep it simple—I’ve ordered chicken!”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Woo-hoo!”
“Squeak-squeak!!”
I ordered the chicken.
With the four of us, one or two birds would never fill our bellies, so I ordered several at once.
In the old days, I would have definitely stuck with two chickens.
But I’m not who I was then.
Not with the money I earn in a day.
I boldly ordered from an expensive brand instead of just two regular chickens.
“I got different varieties, so try them all.”
“Woo! Crispy! I’ve never had anything this crispy before!”
“Squeak! Meat is delicious!”
“The inside is incredibly tender, Master.”
“Good, right? Fried chicken is practically a symbol of Korea itself.”
The most exquisite crispness.
And yet once the coating shatters, the soft, succulent flesh beneath is revealed.
The very definition of perfect fried chicken!
It was impossibly delicious.
And more than that.
“Master, what is this? It’s sweet and savory at once—absolutely delicious.”
“That’s soy sauce chicken. Isn’t it good?”
“This one’s spicy-sweet too! Excellent!”
“That’s glazed chicken.”
Soy sauce chicken, glazed chicken, honey chicken, and more.
I’d ordered a variety of flavors.
Eating like this, I could clearly see what each of my assistants preferred.
Serin favored the soy sauce chicken, especially the wings.
Toran went for the glazed chicken with the drumsticks.
And Grom……
“Squeak-squeak-squeak!”
“Hey…… Grom, eat slowly. There’s more if you’re still hungry.”
Apparently any meat would do.
Eating like this.
Beep.
I turned on the television.
It was a recent habit of mine.
Before, I’d watch NewTube or the Awakener Community forums, but I’m an Awakener myself—shouldn’t I know how the Awakener world operates?
For that reason, television.
Especially the “Gate Report,” which covered news about Awakeners, proved invaluable.
Which rankers were trending these days, which Gates had been discovered—that sort of thing.
Just by keeping the news on, a steady stream of stories filtered through.
And among them.
– Gate Report.
– Today’s news.
– The Awakener Treatment Center has completed its VIP ward, equipped with beds designed by Kang Cheol-mangchi, we’re told.
– The ward features beds of Regeneration Level 2 or higher, with healers ranked above Level 20 standing by at all times…….
Whenever news about me came on, my mood lifted without fail.
There was a time when my name casually rolled off the news anchor’s tongue.
Jang Gang-cheol had made it.
So there I was, munching on fried chicken and soaking up the day’s various stories, when.
– Breaking news!
– Large-scale Gate Breaks are occurring across Korea right now.
– As a result, numerous monsters are being released. Residents in affected areas are urged to evacuate to safe locations immediately.
– Under direction from the Awakener Association, guilds and Awakeners are mobilizing for emergency response…….
“What?”
An urgent news alert had cut through suddenly.
I knew what a Gate Break was.
When a Gate wasn’t cleared within a certain time, its power would spiral out of control and monsters would spill out from inside.
That was a Gate Break.
But the Gate Break the news was reporting didn’t seem to match what I understood.
Which made sense—ordinary Gate Breaks didn’t happen simultaneously across multiple locations like this.
Sure enough, the Gate Report was saying the same thing.
– Doctor, is it actually possible for Gate Breaks to occur simultaneously on this scale?
– How incompetent would the Awakener Association have to be…….
– No.
– Pardon?
– This Gate Break is not a typical Gate Break phenomenon.
– Then what is it?
– This Gate Break began the moment the Gates appeared.
– Monsters were already being released by the time the Gates were detected.
– Which means…….
– This is entirely separate from any failure on the Awakener Association’s part.
– This is something that cannot be anticipated or detected in advance…… a true Calamity.
They were discussing exactly that.
Gates spawning monsters the instant they appeared.
It defied conventional understanding.
Not that it would matter much if the number of appearing Gates stayed small.
– The number of Gate Breaks is increasing rapidly.
– Residents are urged to move to safe zones or shelters immediately.
The number of collapsing Gates was climbing at an alarming rate.
Still, this area should be fine, I thought carelessly.
As if to pierce that complacency.
“Wait. There.”line>
The danger zones marked on the news.

Among the locations where Gate Breaks had occurred.
“This isn’t… here, is it……?”
My own neighborhood was listed there too.
Moreover, a red alert had lit up, indicating the highest level of danger.
And right on cue.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!!!
From beyond the window, a deafening roar announcing the Gate Break began to sound.
* * *
Wee-ooh! Wee-ooh!
Gate Response Headquarters.
Though always busy, today the place was in particular chaos.
For obvious reasons.
“Gate Breaks are occurring all across Korea!”
“A Gate Break in Chungju City……!”
“The number of Gate Breaks has surged particularly around Seoul!”
“Six hundred seventy-one Gate Breaks discovered so far! The numbers keep climbing!”
Gate Breaks were the reason.
Originally, Gate Breaks weren’t supposed to happen this frequently.
In the early days, before anyone knew how to properly detect Gates, they did occur often enough.
But ever since the Gate Response Headquarters was established and Gate detection technology advanced, Awakeners had been containing Gate Breaks perfectly.
Yet now.
“What in the world is happening?”
“It’s not just Korea! Gate Break phenomena are occurring suddenly and en masse overseas as well!”
This was different.
The Gate Breaks erupting now were happening the instant a Gate spawned.
There was no time to even attempt a Gate before it shattered outward.
Monsters were pouring forth from every corner of the nation—an unprecedented Calamity was unfolding.
The one small mercy was that the monsters’ levels weren’t particularly high.
“This is a national crisis! Issue an emergency warning immediately and mobilize every Awakener!”
“Yes, sir!”
The Awakener Association hastily summoned every Awakener they could reach and began containing the Gate Breaks.
In the old days, they would never have had enough Awakeners—but that wasn’t the case anymore.
“Fortunately, with so many new Awakeners having grown strong, we should be able to manage at least the lower-tier monsters somehow.”
“They’ve grown quickly thanks to Kang Cheol-mangchi’s equipment…… And right now, our overall combat strength is significantly elevated because of his gear.”
“Is that so?”
“Quite substantially.”
The combat power of new Awakeners had risen dramatically.
Mortality rates among new Awakeners had dropped nearly to zero, and injury rates had fallen sharply as well.
Growth speed had become tremendous, and the visible combat strength right now bore no comparison to what it had been before.
After all, they used to barely manage to acquire C- or B-rank items and hunt with those.
Now, thanks to Kang Cheol-mangchi, they hunt equipped with S-rank gear suited to their levels—of course they’d be stronger.
Even for those short on funds, simply signing a contract with the Association allowed conditional equipment rental.
Was that all?
“That’s not all. Existing Awakeners’ combat effectiveness has also risen meaningfully, thanks to Kang Cheol-mangchi’s accessories.”
The strengthened weren’t only new Awakeners.
Existing Awakeners had grown noticeably stronger as well.
Just look at Yeom Je.
She, who had once struggled with slow casting speed, was now incinerating monsters with even greater velocity.
Many others besides her were equipping Kang Cheol-mangchi’s accessories and boosting their power accordingly.
“Just one blacksmith, and already such ripple effects.”
Kang Cheol-mangchi.
Not much time had passed since he emerged.
The highest level of equipment he could make barely exceeded Level 20.
And yet his influence was already spreading widely across all of Korea.
In any case.
Because of him, they were managing to contain the Gate Breaks far more safely than other nations—
“The number of Gate Breaks is too great. We’re still in danger!”
“Are there any Awakeners left in reserve?”
“None, sir. We’ve called in every Awakener, even those who’d requested leave and weren’t answering communications…”
There were limits.
With so many Gate Breaks, complete prevention of casualties was impossible.
In such a situation.
He found himself thinking, unbidden.
He prayed that the world’s first and only blacksmith, Kang Cheol-mangchi, would not be caught in this Gate Break disaster.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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