I Became an SSS-Grade Time-Transcending Almighty Blacksmith - Chapter 63

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

Episode 63
Episode 63
The world’s first, the world’s only Blacksmith.
Kang Cheol-mangchi. Jang Gang-cheol.
The way he swung his hammer.
Clang!
The president of the Awakener Association.
Gwon Seok-hun watched quietly, his mind working through the sight.
‘So this is how it’s done.’
Jang Gang-cheol was the first and only Blacksmith Awakener.
As such, nothing had ever been revealed about how a Blacksmith actually crafted items.
The president suspected he was the first Awakener to witness a Blacksmith wielding a hammer in this way.
A low hum resonated outward.
Points materialized above the gauntlets.
Like a miniature magical array, like a game effect—the moment those Points appeared.
Clang!
Jang Gang-cheol swung his hammer with the certainty of someone who had been waiting for precisely this moment.
Striking perfectly at the center of each Point.
From exactly the right angle.
With exactly the right force.
Every single strike of his hammer was flawless.
Watching this unfold,
‘Extraordinary.’
The president could not help but marvel.
For a combat-oriented Awakener, it would be like nailing a monster’s vital point the instant it appeared—a feat demanding perfect precision.
And he was not merely doing it once, but repeating it continuously.
Could the president himself manage such a thing?
Not a chance.
For all his confidence in raw strength and reflexes, that level of finesse seemed utterly beyond his reach.
More than anything else,
‘He’s smiling.’
Jang Gang-cheol was smiling.
Clearly he was concentrating intently on each individual hammer strike.
Breaking the Points required considerable force, and when you factored in that meticulous precision, he was channeling an extraordinary depth of focus.
For a combat Awakener, it would be equivalent to tackling a boss monster in a state of complete concentration.
Such work would naturally exhaust anyone.
And yet Jang Gang-cheol smiled through it all.
Not the smile of a man growing weary—but rather the expression of someone finding genuine joy in each and every swing.
‘Now I understand.’
The president had been consumed with curiosity.
How had Jang Gang-cheol managed to grow so extraordinarily fast, even as the world’s first and only Blacksmith?
Was it possible that the very nature of being a Blacksmith Awakener harbored some broken power?
But no.
Now, witnessing it directly, he could comprehend the truth.
Jang Gang-cheol’s rapid growth had nothing to do with some overpowered ability.
Certainly, being the world’s sole Blacksmith earned him premium regard.
But what mattered far more than that was something else.
‘He’s enjoying it.’
Jang Gang-cheol’s attitude.
True to his nature as a Blacksmith, he genuinely delighted in each swing of the hammer.
With every arc of the hammer,
With every shattering of the Points,
As the item inched closer to completion, the smile on his face only deepened.
Was it not said that those who truly enjoy their work become masters?
That was the driving force behind Jang Gang-cheol’s growth.
And then,
‘This is…!’
The president’s astonishment was complete.
Truthfully, he had harbored no grand expectations.
But as Jang Gang-cheol swung his hammer and the Repair progressed,
Hummmmm—.
The gauntlets’ color was fading.
They had been dyed completely black by the curse.
But now the black was draining away, and the gauntlets were turning gray.
And that wasn’t all.
‘Purification.’
I could feel it even before the Repair was finished.
The ‘Purification Lv 1’ that had originally belonged to his gauntlets.
That ability was returning.
I couldn’t check the item information yet, but I felt it clearly.
So repair really was possible after all.
The moment he sensed this.
The Association Head experienced something he hadn’t felt since those days long ago.
‘Could it be…….’
‘Hope’ bloomed within him.
To protect his homeland once more.
To swing his fist and topple the great monsters himself again.
* * *
Clang!
This is grueling.
The points are so resilient that even swinging the hammer with all my strength barely damages them.
The moment I let my guard slip, new points materialize without warning.
Some points don’t break from a single strike—they require hitting multiple predetermined spots in sequence before they shatter.
The difficulty has jumped dramatically overall.
And that’s not even all.
Clang!
When I strike the black points, viscous dark energy clings stubbornly to the hammer, impeding each strike.
Flash!
When I strike the white points, light radiates out and blinds my vision.
But still.
‘This is exhilarating.’
My hammer doesn’t stop.
It’s thrilling.
Absolutely thrilling.
A different kind of pleasure from ordinary item crafting.
The satisfaction of working with items of a higher caliber than anything I’ve made before.
Immersed in this joy, I can’t wipe the smile from my face.
And as I continue.
Clang!
With each swing of the hammer.
Clang!
The gauntlets’ color gradually grows lighter.
I’d have liked to make them completely white, but at my current level that seems impossible.
Both in terms of skill and materials.
Still, I swing the hammer with everything I have, putting forth my utmost effort.
And the moment I finish repairing both gauntlets.
[ Repair complete. ]
I’d successfully finished the Repair.
As I’d mentioned, I couldn’t make the gauntlets completely white, but I could restore them to gray.
A quite pale gray, at that.
Given the considerable difficulty, I checked the item information with bated breath.
[ Faded Saint’s Gauntlets ]
Form : Gauntlets
Grade : SS
Restriction : The Cursed
Description : A thread of hope, as thin as silk, worn by a cursed saint to resist being consumed by the curse.
Abilities :
Faded Blessing
, Purification Lv 2
I could be satisfied with this.
“SS-Grade!”
The gauntlets had originally been S-Grade, but after the Repair, they’d become SS-Grade.
This was something I was discovering myself for the first time.
An item’s tier could actually be raised through Repair alone.
But was that all?
‘Purification Level 2.’
An ability that hadn’t been attached to the gauntlets originally.
Rather, there had been a ‘Purification Level 1′ originally, but I’d been told it disappeared due to the Association President’s curse—and that very Purification had returned.
Not Level 1, but Level 2 Purification had emerged.
“Shall we verify it once?”
Satisfied, I asked the Association President to check the item.
The moment the President calmly examined the gauntlets’ information—
“…Level 2 Purification?”
The President’s eyes widened dramatically.
I don’t think I’d ever seen anything resembling a real expression from the Association President before.
I was learning for the first time that the President’s eyes could open quite that wide.
“How did you manage this? The Faded Saint’s Gauntlets’ original ability was ‘Purification Level 1′?”
“Well, I’m not entirely certain myself. There might have been additional bonuses applied to my Repair skill. Or perhaps the gauntlets’ original ability was ‘Purification Level 2’ before you obtained them.”
They couldn’t hide how pleased they were.
Unaware that their expression was slipping.
Their fingers kept folding and unfolding as if they were sensing the presence of the ‘Purification Level 2’ ability.
Honestly, I have no idea what Purification’s presence actually feels like.
But judging by their expression, the ‘Purification Level 2′ was making a far stronger impression than they’d anticipated.
“I can’t be certain, but based on what I’m sensing, I’d say the latter seems more likely.”
“You’re saying the gauntlets’ original ability was ‘Purification Level 2’?”
“No.”
“Then?”
“It was probably even higher than that.”
I felt it while working on the gauntlets.
My skill level still had its shortcomings, certainly, but the real issue was a shortage of materials.
If I’d had the proper materials, I could have restored them perfectly.
Without them, this is about as far as I can take it.
Probably, once I fully restore those gauntlets, the word “Faded” would disappear and their color would become completely white.
The item’s abilities would improve as well.
From my personal sense of it, I don’t think platinum or Purification Wood would be sufficient.
It seems I’ll need materials of a higher tier.
Something impossible at my current level.
“I’ll repair them again once I find better materials. Then I should be able to restore them far more completely.”
It was a bit disappointing, I admit.
I’d wanted to restore them perfectly, but I couldn’t manage it.
However—
“…Thank you.”
The President showed no trace of regret.
Far from it.
“It’s the finest gift.”
With a clenched fist, they expressed their gratitude.
And not just in words.
“Please, what are you doing? Someone might see—straighten up.”
They were bowing at a right angle, their upper body bent completely forward.
Given the age difference between the President and myself, seeing them like this felt uncomfortably overwhelming.
Well, fortunately we were inside the Blacksmith Workshop, so no one would actually see it.
Still.
“Truly…the finest gift I could possibly receive.”
Seeing them so genuinely delighted did fill me with satisfaction.
And so—
“Please straighten up, really, this is too much…”
The first day in the new place came to an end.
* * *
The next day.
As I checked the message box, I couldn’t help but jump in surprise.
[ Consultation fee. ]
A note from the Awakener Association’s chairman.
An enormous sum of money was attached to the note.
Just as items and funds transfer automatically when purchasing from the exchange.
Sending money through a note was possible because it operated through the Awakener System.
Still.
“Why did he send this much……”
I’d made it clear the gauntlets were a gift, and I’d never intended to accept payment.
Yet here he was, sending money through a note.
Of course, I could refuse the funds and have them returned.
‘But I won’t.’
From everything I knew of the chairman, he wouldn’t let it rest.
If I returned the money, he’d simply keep depositing it until I accepted.
And besides.
[ Consultation fee. ]
I’m sending this token of gratitude as modest repayment for your generosity with the gift.
I sincerely hope you’ll accept it.
Also, should you ever need my assistance, please don’t hesitate to ask.
I will do my utmost to help, staking my position as chairman on it.
With such words written in the note.
I decided to accept the funds quietly.
The chairman had indeed handled the matter of my house well, but I’d need considerable money going forward to raise the Blacksmith Workshop’s level.
With that in mind.
“Alright, shall we begin?”
I started preparing today’s work immediately.
But it wasn’t the usual hammering I did.
Rather.
[ You have purchased a High-Grade Magic Stone. ]
[ You have purchased a High-Grade Magic Stone. ]
…….
I was buying Mana Stones.
My funds had been tight, but thanks to the money the chairman sent, I’d managed to gather four billion won.
With that, I’d purchased four High-Grade Magic Stones, nine Low-Grade Magic Stones, and six Lowest-Grade Magic Stones.
And with these in hand, I headed to.
[ Blacksmith’s Assistant Waiting Room ]
The assistant waiting room.
In other words.
[ Blacksmith’s Summoning Platform Lv 3 ]
I was going to Enhance the Summoning Platform.
There were several reasons for this.
The reason I hadn’t upgraded the Platform immediately before was that the summoning difficulty spiked dramatically each time the Platform’s level increased.
If I’d hastily upgraded it, I might have summoned an assistant of lower Tier.
Or in the worst case, the summoning itself could fail.
But now.
[ Status Window ]
– Name: Jang Gang-cheol
– Level: 20
– Job: Blacksmith
– Ability: Forge of Time
– Strength: 49
– Dexterity: 40
– Vitality: 40
– Intelligence: 20
– Wisdom: 20
During the recent Gate Break incident.
I’d reached Level 20.
And that wasn’t all.
Repairing the chairman’s gauntlets this time.
Feeling that difficult challenge, I’d gained objective confirmation of my own abilities.
Now I felt I could properly use the Summoning Platform.
That was precisely why he’d come to enhance the Summoning Platform.
“Master, what sort of assistant would you prefer?”
“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Hunting grounds, mines, forests—every area I needed coverage for has its own person now. At this point, I’m drowning in materials faster than I can process them.”
“Ahahaha! Who cares about that! More is always better!”
“Heh, the youngest arrives!”
Anticipation stirred in his chest.
This time, what sort of assistant would actually appear?
Still, he couldn’t genuinely imagine it.
It felt as though all the assistants he needed had already assembled.
So what other assistant could possibly show up now?
Well, at any rate, judging by how things had gone so far, whoever was summoned would surely prove invaluable.
[ Blacksmith’s Summoning Platform has reached Level 4. ]
[ You can now summon an additional assistant. ]
He’d burned through over four billion Mana Stones to raise the Platform’s level.
Right then, he took a deep breath and steadied himself.
[ Constructing a summoning circle to call forth a Blacksmith’s Assistant. ]
[ The tier of the summoned assistant is determined by your evaluation grade. ]
He began summoning the new assistant.

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