I Became an SSS-Grade Time-Transcending Almighty Blacksmith - Chapter 66

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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 66
Episode 66
Awakeners are numerous.
Though many fall while raiding Gates and battling monsters,
“I’m an Awakener!”
“Really? I’m truly an Awakener?”
“Yes, yes, yes! Finally!”
just as many newly Awakened individuals join the Association each day.
Moreover, with recent talk that new Awakeners grow more easily than before,
their enthusiasm burns hotter than ever.
Of course, this is all thanks to Jang Gang-cheol.
His low-level equipment proves so exceptional that new Awakeners’ stability and growth speed have skyrocketed.
However.
A problem has emerged recently.
“So where exactly do they sell Jang Gang-cheol’s equipment?”
“I don’t see any.”
“Are they selling it or not?”
Jang Gang-cheol’s low-level gear supposedly flooded the market.
New Awakeners’ growth was supposed to be smooth because of it.
Yet the equipment has vanished.
Searching the Trading Post yields only Level 10 and above gear.
Nothing below Level 10 appears.
Worse still,
“I’m sorry. Everything has been rented out.”
“The durability ran out on everything……”
The Awakener Association, which had been lending Jang Gang-cheol’s equipment, found their rental stock depleting.
The reason is simple.
Durability.
While Jang Gang-cheol’s gear is unusually durable and lasts a long time, it isn’t infinitely durable.
Since so many Awakeners have used it over time,
the equipment’s durability has worn down to its breaking point.
“Then what are we supposed to do!”
“While not Jang Gang-cheol’s work, Grade B equipment is quite respectable.”
“Jang Gang-cheol’s gear is A-Grade minimum, with an average of S-Grade, and some pieces even reach SS-Grade—what good is B-Grade stuff!”
As a result, the market became completely barren.
Worse still, the core problem lies in Jang Gang-cheol himself.
It’s good that his rapid growth lets him craft higher-level items,
and Level 20 Awakeners eagerly await his faster progression so he can forge equipment matching their own levels.
But.
[ Won’t you make low-level gear anymore? ㅠㅠ ]
[ Please, please, please make a Level 5 set ]
[ You won’t take commissions ㅠㅠ Can’t I order a full Level 1 set ㅠㅠ ]
Because his growth is so rapid,
Jang Gang-cheol stays busy forging ever-higher-level equipment.
Inevitably, low-level crafting fell by the wayside.
Thus, Jang Gang-cheol’s low-level gear grew scarce in the market,
and new Awakeners began to suffer for it.
In this predicament,
“Sigh……”
Gwon Seok-hun, chairman of the Awakener Association,
exhaled deeply.
He’d promised to grant Jang Gang-cheol his freedom.
Yet now his presence feels indispensable.
New Awakeners are the nation’s future, making Jang Gang-cheol’s equipment rentals essential.
But requesting his help would break the promise of liberty he’d made.
That weighed on him.
‘There’s no way around it.’
For the new Awakeners’ sake, it must be done.
Even if it means overstepping.
A message wouldn’t work anyway—so many people message Jang Gang-cheol that he’d likely never notice.
“Let me prepare to head out.”
The association president was planning to go himself.
Just as he finished getting ready to leave.
“President! You’ve already succeeded, haven’t you?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t that what you told me, sir?”
“So what exactly are you going on about?”
His secretary had rushed to find him.
Something had come up.
“Jang Gang-cheol has started making low-tier equipment!”
“Truly?”
“It’s being listed on the Trading Post right now!”
This was the news the association president had been waiting for.
Opening the Trading Post, he found Jang Gang-cheol uploading low-tier equipment exactly as his secretary had said.
That alone would have been remarkable.
“…The pace seems faster, doesn’t it?”
“It does look that way to me as well!”
The speed at which items were being uploaded was tremendous.
It seemed at least twice as fast as before. At that pace.
[ Swift Rabbit Spear ]
[ Mushroom Spore Dagger ]
[ Soft Armor ]
…….
Low-tier equipment was pouring onto the market at an extraordinary speed.
At this,
“Purchase as much as you can.”
“Yes, sir!”
The Awakener Association too made efforts to buy Jang Gang-cheol’s items.
Awakeners with money could simply purchase and use them.
But for Awakeners without sufficient funds, the Awakener Association needed to stock equipment.
That way, they could lend gear to struggling Awakeners.
Thanks to Jang Gang-cheol’s low-tier equipment flooding the market at such speed,
[ Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you ]
[ God Cheol-mangchi! ]
[ I have decided to join the God Cheol-mangchi Church as of today. ]
[ Dammit, it’s God Cheol-mangchi again! I was trying to close the Trading Post and sleep, but I saw God Cheol-mangchi and couldn’t help myself! Now I have to praise! I have to praise God Cheol-mangchi! ]
…….
The Awakener community was once again filling with Jang Gang-cheol’s name.
* * *
“Noum, you’re incredible!”
“Noum received praise! Noum is happy!”
Noum’s skill was better than I’d expected.
There were some initial hiccups with the priority order,
but once that was sorted out, Noum was now mass-producing items faster than I was myself.
Watching her work, it felt less like I was in a blacksmith’s workshop and more like I was observing a factory.
And as I was watching,
“Noum, isn’t that posture uncomfortable for you?”
“Noum is used to this!”
Noum’s posture looked uncomfortable.
I had the anvil in the Blacksmith Workshop positioned at just the right height for me, so I could straighten my back and swing the hammer with ease.
But Noum had no custom anvil, so she was placing materials on the ground and swinging the hammer from there.
Apparently, when she was Dansin’s apprentice, she made items this way too.
Still, it looked awkward and uncomfortable from where I was standing.
And it bothered me that it seemed like I was putting her to work.
So,
“Let me make you an anvil.”
“Noum is fine! Noum is used to it! Really!”
“No, it bothers me to look at it.”
“It’s really okay!”
“Have you never used an anvil before?”
“Yes! For Noum, solid ground is the same as an anvil!”
I decided to make her an anvil.
The problem was that Noum had never actually used an anvil before, so I couldn’t ask for her input.
Honestly, if she’d spent her whole life hammering on the bare ground as her anvil, using a real one might feel awkward. But still.
I wanted to let her try one at least once.
So.
[ Using Special Crafting Skill. ]
I began making the anvil.
For the base, I used the Blacksmith’s Anvil that I’d been using.
The key question was how to size it.
“Noum, could you let me measure your height?”
“Noum is not small!”
“No, not that you’re small—I need to make the anvil fit you properly, so……”
“Noum is NOT small!!”
I barely managed to get Noum’s height, stubborn as she was about being measured.
I compared it to my own height, calculated the rough proportions, and fed the measurements into the design.
[ Please select your materials. ]
I chose black iron as my material.
Of all the ore Toran had been bringing back, black iron was the finest and most performant.
It was scarce enough, sure, but this was for my assistant’s equipment—there was no reason to skimp on materials.
I packed the material slot full of black iron.
[ Crafting begins. ]
I started crafting right away.
The first sensation as my hammer struck the Point was simple:
Clang!
‘Solid stuff.’
It was harder than I expected.
Of course it was—black iron was far tougher than ordinary steel, so smelting it was never going to be easy.
And I’d used a considerable amount of it.
Still, by now I was used to this level of work.
Clang!
I swung the hammer with greater force.
Crack!
The Point shattered helplessly.
Since this anvil was for Noum, I focused hard on each strike.
[ Crafting complete. ]
[ Crafting Evaluation: SS ]
[ You have obtained the Dwarf’s Black Anvil. ]
I had created the anvil.
[ Dwarf’s Black Anvil ]
Form: Anvil
Grade: SS
Restrictions: Level 20 or higher, Blacksmith
Description: A black iron anvil crafted by the blacksmith Jang Gang-cheol using difficult-to-work black iron, made for his assistant Noum.
Abilities: Crafting Lv 2, Vitality Lv 2
The abilities were simple.
Since the anvil itself wasn’t something you equipped to wear, its stats weren’t as high as equipment might be.
At best, it was on the level of an accessory.
But that was fine.
‘Crafting Lv 2’ was attached to it—it would definitely help with crafting.
And Vitality was there too.
Though.
“Noum is not a dwarf, though……”
Once again, the item’s name didn’t seem to sit right with her.
Well, what can you do?
I didn’t name it myself.
How am I supposed to fight the system when it names things like this?
“Go ahead and try it. I’ll make sure the height is right.”
“Noum……”
Just as I did with my own anvil, I set the one up to match Noum’s height.
The anvil reaching down to my waist—is that about right?
Personally, I think this height is just perfect.
“Noum prefers the ground. The ground is just like an anvil, but…….”
“Let’s try it once first. If it’s uncomfortable, I’ll put it away right away.”
“Noum…….”
Though I was the one who suggested it, Noum’s response seemed reluctant.
Since she was standing awkwardly in front of the anvil, I stepped beside her and corrected her posture.
After some persuasion, we agreed to make just two items, and if she didn’t like it, we’d move the anvil away.
Then.
Clang!
Noum swung the hammer.
The sight of her wielding the wooden hammer was quite endearing.
But her skill—that was genuine.
Each time Noum swung the small wooden hammer, the floating points above the material shattered relentlessly.
[ Light Favorable Wind Bow ]
The first item was complete.
And.
“Noum……?”
A reaction began to show from Noum.
She examined the wooden hammer in her hand, flexing and unfurling her fingers.
She straightened and bent her back.
Moving her body in various ways like that.
“Noum will try once more!”
She began crafting another item.
The wooden hammer falling onto the anvil.
And in that way, she completed another item.
Normally, this would’ve been the moment to decide.
“Just one more time!”
Noum started crafting another item.
In that manner.
“Just one more!”
“One more!”
“One more!”
Noum, continuing to craft items,
“Noum……!”
“No…… It’s amazing!”
In the end.
“My neck doesn’t hurt!”
“My back doesn’t hurt!”
“My knees don’t hurt!”
“Noum thought pain was supposed to be natural!”
“But Noum doesn’t hurt at all!”
She had surrendered to the anvil’s comfort.
“Well, it makes sense that it’s uncomfortable when you’re crouching on the ground swinging a hammer.”
“But Noum’s ground is naturally like an anvil! Even Dansin was like that!”
“This Dansin you speak of—he also swung his hammer on the ground?”
“No!”
“……?”
“Dansin had an anvil! But he said Noum should work on the ground! He said there’s no anvil as wide and sturdy as the earth!”
“Then why did he work from the anvil?”
“He said it was to stand and watch over Noum! Because Noum was an apprentice!”
……This.
From the sound of it, it seems this Dansin must have done something to her.
But there’s no need to tell Noum that.
After all, she was right there swinging her hammer at the anvil, looking so pleased.
Well, either way.
If Noum is satisfied, that’s all that matters.
Besides, thanks to the anvil’s “Crafting Level 2,” my crafting speed had become faster.
And thanks to “Vitality Level 2,” it felt like there was more energy flowing through me.
And so, Noum and I,
“I love the Noum Anvil so much! I want to use it more! Can I keep crafting with it?”
“Of course. Use it as much as you like.”
“Thank you! I’ll do my very best!”
Clang!
She began mass-producing items at an even faster pace.

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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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