The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 18

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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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Chapter 18
Episode 18.
Bae In Seu was at a loss.
Green Tea Herb was not an easy herb to collect.
The leaves were quite delicate, and the slightest excess pressure would tear them; the moment they tore, the herb’s potency would weaken.
Because of this, without both Herbalism skill and Herb Collection skill, it was nearly impossible to harvest properly.
Luck.
With luck, one could manage a perfect collection.
He needed to watch again. This time, he decided not to look away—he’d observe Jin Woo’s collection properly.
“Ah, there’s another one over here.”
Jin Woo plucked the same herb once more. And this time, even cleaner than before.
That statement about understanding wasn’t a lie. He genuinely understood it. From just one demonstration.
“……Luck comes twice in a row……?”
That couldn’t be right.
This was something he was born with.
“Jin Woo, was it? You pass the test! Let me show you how to craft potions!”
* * *
-You have learned Herbalism!
-You have learned Herb Collection!
Herbalism was the ability to distinguish between different herbs.
‘Herb Collection helps when I’m gathering, I see.’
Having learned both skills, Jin Woo immediately began collecting herbs like a madman.
“With a skill, it really does become easy to tell them apart.”
And there was something else surprising.
‘I never knew.’
He truly hadn’t realized.
‘Is collecting herbs this satisfying to the touch?’
The feeling when gathering herbs.
It was a different kind of manual satisfaction than striking ore with a hammer.
‘This is actually much more difficult than I thought.’
Simple collection was easy.
But if he only did simple collection.
-You have collected a Blue Herb!
“I get ordinary results.”
Each herb had its own characteristics, and if he pulled it perfectly in accordance with those traits, a different message appeared.
-You have successfully completed a perfect collection!
-The collected herb emits light!
Glimmering.
The herb gleamed with a lustrous sheen, as if kissed by morning dew.
“Force control and timing are both quite important.”
There were aspects that aligned with crafting.
“This is fun.”
In the past, he’d only struck ore with a hammer.
“But with this kind of freedom.”
Jin Woo had always wondered where his limits lay.
‘If Manual Dexterity works, does it work for everything?’
And if so, where exactly are those boundaries?
“Let me learn one thing at a time.”
Jin Woo spent the whole day collecting herbs.
-You have collected Belladonna!
-You have collected a Potato Mushroom!
-You have collected Ramie Grass!
* * *
The Alchemy Workshop, violet powder.
The workshop master, Bae In Seu, was bewildered as he looked at the herbs Jin Woo had brought back.
“This…… how…….”
“I figured out the timing. Thank you for teaching me.”
“……But I never taught you that……?”
He’d taught him how to collect herbs, not how to harvest them perfectly like this.
Bae In Seu blinked repeatedly.
All the herbs Jin Woo had brought were perfectly collected.
Harvested in a state that preserved every shred of potency the herbs possessed.
“You said you wanted to make potions, right?”
With herbs like these, he could make potions without any problem.
“Then let’s make them right away! Which potion would you like to make?”
“I need a Health Potion.”
“Right. If collection is stage one, then Potion Crafting is stage two. It won’t be easy.”
Bae In Seu’s chin lifted. Herb collection was certainly difficult, but compared to potion crafting, it could be considered simple.
Of course, it depended on which herbs you collected, but on average, potion crafting was far more demanding.
“Though I’m sure you’ll do well.”
Bae In Seu demonstrated first.
“You grind the base herbs and mix them by shaking. Like this. And then.”
It was certainly far more difficult than simply collecting herbs.
You had to shake at exactly the right moment as it boiled, shake in a way that ensured perfect mixing, and if you didn’t shake within the time limit, the potion’s potency would change drastically.
The timing had to be tight—something that ordinary Manual Dexterity couldn’t achieve.
“For a Health Potion, you use the Belladonna you collected, yes? Mix that in. The base reagent is water infused with Mana, and that’s easy to make. Just dissolve the Mana you have into water.”
“I see.”
Jin Woo nodded.
“I understand.”
“…….”
It was the same as with herb collection. Once that pure gaze appeared, perfect recreation followed.
“A-all right. Give it a try. If there’s anything difficult, ask again.”
Splash—.
Jin Woo immediately lit a fire, prepared the materials, then began mixing and shaking the reagents.
Splash-splash.
The swirling reagent. And just as Bae In Seu had shown, the liquid began turning red.
“Oh.”
When Jin Woo shook the potion once more, the color deepened.
-You have crafted a potion!
-You have crafted an Intermediate Health Potion!
“……But I only showed you once—how did you understand all of it?”
Jin Woo handed the potion to Bae In Seu.
“W-what……!?”
He was shocked.
The fact that it was made on his first try was astounding enough.
“A-an Intermediate Potion……?”
His first potion was an Intermediate one?
“I made a small mistake.”
“This isn’t about mistakes—you shouldn’t be able to make this at all. Huh.”
Bae In Seu hastily used his Appraisal Skill.
The Belladonna Jin Woo had collected retained its potency perfectly.
The shimmering Belladonna. And the potion, crafted exactly as Bae In Seu had taught, without a single deviation.
“Maximum quality…….”
Both herb collection and potion crafting had achieved maximum quality, resulting in this outcome.
It wasn’t because of exceptional materials.
And the potion crafting technique he’d taught was basic among basics.
“Well then, how about this!”
But there was still much more to teach.
Some of the potions were quite difficult to craft. Health Potion was basic among basics in potion crafting.
He’d just managed the basics. Of course, this was the first time he’d ever seen a beginner make an Intermediate potion from the basics.
And on top of that, this Foreigner was a blacksmith, wasn’t he?
“Try making an Agility Potion!”
Agility Potion was a potion that temporarily increased one’s Agility Stat.
The Agility Stat directly influenced one’s ability to move quickly or dodge.
When wearing Heavy Armor, one’s agility would decrease; the higher this Agility Stat, the more nimble one could move.
Because it was such an important stat, Tanks made it a priority to raise their Agility Stat.
But there were those who compensated with potions instead.
It was a potion suited to that demand, and naturally, it was difficult to craft.
Because of that, he felt reassured.
He could maintain his pride.
Splash—.
-You have crafted an Agility Potion!
“I’ve made it.”
Before Jin Woo had even finished making the Agility Potion.
“W-what……?”
The color was unusual.
“This is also an Intermediate Potion……?”
Bae In Seu scratched his head in confusion.
He made it this quickly?
“You made it faster than the Health Potion…… even though this one is harder…….”
“Ah. Because I’d made a Health Potion before.”
Jin Woo smiled as he spoke.
“I could understand it.”
That word—”understand”—sounded frightening now.
Bae In Seu swallowed hard.
There was no helping it now.
It wasn’t over until it was truly over.
“What I’ll teach you next…….”
There was still more to teach.
* * *
Precisely half a day.
The confident Bae In Seu had a crestfallen expression after just half a day.
“I’ve made it.”
-You have crafted an Enhanced Agility Potion!
“E-even this…….”
Bae In Seu hung his head low.
Then he lifted it and shook it vigorously.
“There’s nothing left. Really, nothing! I’ve taught you everything!”
“That’s unfortunate. I’ve truly learned so much!”
Bae In Seu, his reserves utterly depleted, spoke with emotion.
“I wish I could learn more. How can I do that?”
Jin Woo had just begun to hit his stride.
Bae In Seu took a deep breath as he watched him.
“Go to the Major City! Find an alchemist with a 1st Rank Certification at the Mana Tower. I’m only 3rd Rank, you see…….”
‘So there are ranks.’
“Then I could simply seek out the Mana Tower.”
“If you do that.”
Bae In Seu handed over a Parchment Letter. The letter bore an official seal.
“With this, they’ll let you in. There are several Mana Towers in the Major City.”
Ding—!
-You have received Bae In Seu’s Letter of Introduction!
“Thank you, Bae In Seu. I learned so much from you.”
He truly had learned a great deal.
* * *
-You have crafted a potion!
Jin Woo crafted ten Health Potions.
Glug-glug—.
-Your Health has been restored!
Because they were Intermediate Health Potions, his Health was completely restored the moment he drank them.
“Let me try the Buff Potions too.”
Jin Woo drank the Agility Potion and Strength Potion he’d crafted.
‘For an NPC in the Village of Beginnings, this shopkeeper is quite skilled. He said he trained at the Mana Tower. So the Mana Tower is quite a legitimate place.’
-Your Strength Stat has temporarily increased!
-Your Agility Stat has temporarily increased!
Jin Woo immediately picked up his hammer and made a motion to strike.
“Ooh.”
The effect was definitely good.
He could strike with more force than before, and his speed was faster.
“With this, I can achieve the movements I want to some degree.”
Now he wouldn’t have to stop his crafting due to lack of Health.
“Jin Woo, you’re back? Where did you go? Did you go hunting?”
As Jin Woo returned, Hoz came looking for him.
Now that Jin Woo, who’d never left the smithy before, had been away, he seemed very curious about it.
“I went to learn potion crafting. My Health was running low.”
“……From whom?”
“From Bae In Seu.”
“That young alchemist Bae In Seu taught you? He absolutely would’ve refused.”
Bae In Seu was a stubborn fellow.
Despite having skill, and despite many Foreigners seeking him out, he’d never shared his techniques once.
“He wouldn’t have taught you easily…….”
“He taught me quite readily. He showed me how to collect herbs, and once I learned that, he immediately taught me potion crafting.”
“……Learned?”
Hoz asked for details.
Jin Woo explained what he’d experienced.
“…….”
Hoz shook his head slowly.
That was coerced teaching.
Done through overwhelming Manual Dexterity.
“Did all my equipment sell?”
“Sold right out. So I bought materials, but I’m not sure if they’ll suit your taste.”
Everything he’d bought were things Jin Woo had used once before.
Jin Woo looked over the materials for a moment, then spoke again.
“Is it possible for me to obtain materials myself?”
“Hmm. You can mine ores directly at the Mine. But…….”
Mining ore also required skill. It wasn’t an easy task.
“That’s fine.”
Jin Woo smiled.
“I learn quickly.”

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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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