The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 187

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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 187
187.
Suomi Corporation.
-User Jin-woo, job awakening complete.
-First level reached: 359.
-Necromaster job >> Necromaster Lord
“Huh, already?”
Kim Na-yoon, the GM handling administrative duties, was considerably flustered by the notification.
It had been only recently that Jin-woo received the Unique Job quest.
Not much time had passed.
Unable to believe it, she examined the Logical message in detail.
“He awakened. He really awakened.”
Notifications began flooding in relentlessly.
-User Jin-woo, USSR Grade achieved.
-First level reached: 342.
“What? USSR Grade achieved? Why is this notification just coming now?”
It appeared that under Logical’s judgment, the notification had arrived late.
“The USSR Grade and Unique Job awakening must have triggered notifications in sequence.”
Kim Na-yoon marveled at this.
“At this rate, he would’ve also achieved the Craftsman’s First Step achievement.”
Kim Na-yoon was extremely curious.
“What’s his ranking on the Hall of Fame?”
-Logical will post the Hall of Fame rankings.
-Achievement [Craftsman’s First Step]
Leaderboard.
1. Jin-woo [102 Points]
2. Starlight [77 Points]
3. Inclassic [76 Points]
“……I knew it!”
Kim Na-yoon clenched her fist.
An overwhelming first place.
He was updating the Hall of Fame rankings that had been held by Starlight and Inclassic.
“They were just holding it temporarily.”
Both Starlight and Inclassic had only briefly tasted the top spot in New Gene during Jin-woo’s absence.
“Now it’s time to return it!”
Kim Na-yoon was delighted.
Then an additional Logical notification appeared.
-User Jin-woo, added to the list of sponsored deities
-User Jin-woo, receiving simultaneous sponsorship from deities of the same category.
“From a Unique Job awakening…….”
He was receiving sponsorship from three deities of the same category simultaneously.
“Three Necromancer-category deities!?”
He was startled.
“This was something we discussed a few months ago.”
Three months prior.
One Necromancer user had suddenly surged in power and began receiving sponsorships from multiple deities.
“I thought all deities of that category would sponsor him.”
But the Necromancer-category deities had sponsored only one user.
“The rest remained silent.”
Though they were of the same category, subtle differences existed, and it was judged that due to those subtle differences, they would never offer sponsorship.
The GMs had also chimed in, saying that receiving sponsorship from a deity was truly no simple matter.
Yet Jin-woo was completely overturning that conclusion.
Three deities of the same category.
All of them had begun to sponsor Jin-woo.
“Was he able to bridge all those subtle differences? Or did Jin-woo match the tastes of all three sponsoring deities……?”
Kim Na-yoon nodded.
“Both, I think.”
Either way, this needed to be reported to upper management quickly.
“A Unique Job awakening will have significant repercussions for the Main Scenario going forward.”
And finally, Jin-woo’s level had exceeded 300.
“Still, with achievements like these under his belt, his level only now surpassed 300.”
Level 300 was actually a milestone that, when reached, typically yielded no achievement.
It was a level most could reach relatively easily.
“Since he barely hunted and leveled solely through crafting and quests…….”
When he did hunt, it was probably just brief hunts for materials. You could tell from the videos on Netflix.
“He’s not a ranker yet.”
He still hadn’t reached the minimum level to qualify as a ranker.
“When he does reach ranking eligibility…… what position will his starting rank even be?”
Once a user reached the level where they could enter the rankings, their stats, achievements, and various metrics were converted into a score.
Since it was quantified under the judgment of the superintelligent AI Logical, it was extremely accurate, and most people accepted this scoring system.
Because even unexpected factors were converted into numerical values, there was almost no disagreement over the ranking order.
That was why she was curious.
“No one alive started at rank 50.”
Even Starlight and Inclassic started at rank 100.
“Slayer appeared outside the top 100.”
It was only natural. Leveling was too easy to be a meaningful qualifying condition for the rankings.
Gulp.
Kim Na-yoon swallowed.
She didn’t know what position he’d start at.
But at least one thing was certain.
“There’s going to be absolute chaos.”
That day would truly be chaotic.
* * *
Yama.
The new deity ruling the Underworld—the true identity of the deity sponsoring Yurolde—was Yama.
King of Hell.
Judge of the Damned.
A name everyone knew the moment they heard it.
‘A named deity, then.’
-Deity Yama sends you sponsorship!
-You have received Yama’s blessing!
‘If you think of the Underworld as Hell, Yama’s a fitting deity for it.’
Jin-woo smiled faintly and bowed his head.
“Thank you.”
Whoooosh.
-Due to Yama’s blessing, your Strength stat permanently increases by 50!
-Deity Yama wishes to formally sponsor you!
Yama seemed quite fond of Jin-woo.
Though he had lost his Successor Yurolde to Jin-woo, Yama appeared unbothered and wanted to formally sponsor him.
‘Not yet, though.’
Jin-woo didn’t accept it right away.
‘There’s no rush anyway.’
“You don’t need to go to the trouble.”
So Jin-woo deflected Yama’s formal sponsorship once.
‘If you want to sponsor me, you’ll make the offer again.’
It wasn’t that Jin-woo sought sponsorship. It was that the other party wanted to offer it.
Fundamentally, this was the stance he needed to maintain.
‘That’s how you get as much sponsorship as you want.’
At this unusual response, Yama fell silent for a moment.
Until now, all his sponsored users and successors had desperately desired his power.
The initiative had always been his, as their deity.
This was his first time encountering such an unconcerned reaction.
This was also the first time he’d heard such words.
Don’t need to go to the trouble?
-Deity Yama says that if you meet the conditions he sets, he will sponsor you!
-He says the conditions are very easy!
“That’s fine.”
Jin-woo pushed back once more.
Then it was Yama who grew impatient.
-Deity Yama asks if he can simply sponsor you without any conditions at all!
‘He seems pretty eager about this.’
What Jin-woo had demonstrated in the Underworld was certainly remarkable.
He had come alone to the Underworld, ousted the already-ruling Yurolde, and furthermore gained the support of all the spirits—something Yurolde had never managed.
Moreover, Jin-woo was a different kind of Necromancer than Yurolde.
For Yama, sponsoring such a successor was quite an honor.
“In that case.”
Only then did Jin-woo accept Yama’s offer.
-Deity Yama thanks you!
The situation had entirely shifted in Jin-woo’s favor.
The one being thanked had reversed completely.
-Deity Yama sponsors you!
-You have received a quest.
-You have cleared the quest!
True to Yama’s word, Jin-woo cleared the quest the moment he received it.
-You have received the quest reward!
The reward was a massive bone.
‘Now that I think about it, Yurolde had received the Hammer of Judgment from Yama’s sponsorship.’
That meant Yama would inevitably take interest in Jin-woo.
‘Yama seems similar to the other Necromancer deities.’
Like the God of Bone and Death and the Master of Soul and Abyss, Yama also seemed to favor a specific branch of Necromancer abilities.
‘Then I should demonstrate it.’
“Since you’ve offered sponsorship, I’ll show my gratitude.”
Jin-woo had received sponsorship from many deities.
He knew what they wanted.
And he knew what they’d give in return when he showed them what they desired.
‘If I only push back,’
even the most favorably inclined deity would eventually grow distant. So this kind of gesture was necessary.
“Summon.”
Jin-woo summoned his workshop and began crafting the bone.
Rummmmmble.
The bone Yama had given was common in the Underworld.
-Deity Yama shows you materials.
Yama presented several kinds of materials.
“Hmm.”
‘The lowest grade.’
Jin-woo selected the material of the lowest grade among them.
A perfectly ordinary bone of SSR+ rank.
Ting!
-You have received an additional quest!
-This is Yama’s formal sponsorship quest.
-Craft equipment using the materials!
Upon receiving the materials, the formal sponsorship quest began.
-Deity Yama says he also has materials of higher grades!
“This will suffice.”
Jin-woo began his crafting technique in earnest.
Crack.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch-crunch.
The precision of his hand movements was so refined that even Jin-woo himself was startled.
‘Oh.’
The Unique Job awakening.
Its effects were substantial.
If even Jin-woo was astounded, Yama could only be awestruck.
-Deity Yama marvels at your craftsmanship!
-Deity Yama says your handiwork is overwhelming!
Jin-woo rode the momentum.
‘This is completely different.’
The power of the awakening was so tremendous that even Jin-woo had to reestablish his sense of control over his strength.
‘I need to try this again.’
This power from the Unique Job awakening.
It seemed he would need to properly recalibrate it.
Yama leaned in to watch Jin-woo’s crafting.
Crafting from SSR+ material would typically yield UR or UR+ grade equipment at best.
However.
-Equipment created!
-Bone Dagger created!
-USSR Grade equipment created!
“It is done.”
Jin-woo shattered that expectation.
It was neither UR nor UR+.
USSR.
‘Even I didn’t think I could create USSR grade from SSR+ material.’
UR, UR+, and USSR.
That was three full grades higher than SSR+ material.
“How do you find it?”
-Deity Yama expresses utmost satisfaction!
-Deity Yama formally sponsors you!
-You have obtained a Rune.
-You have obtained Yama’s Rune!
Yama’s Rune.
“Oh.”
-Rune of Yama
Effect: Strengthens the darkness affinity of your power. The Sacred Proclamation skill is enhanced.
The Sacred Proclamation, Jin-woo’s most frequently used skill, was one that emitted a dark aura to create a kind of domain.
Yama’s Rune was meant to strengthen that Sacred Proclamation.
‘It can enhance specific skills.’
Now that he thought about it, it made sense.
‘Yurolde had been spreading his power across this vast Underworld.’
That was akin to proclaiming dominion.
“So from the beginning, this power itself…”
might have been Yama’s most formidable technique.
‘Does he favor the Sacred Proclamation?’
Jin-woo tested the Sacred Proclamation right then.
Whoooooosh!
-Deity Yama marvels at your Sacred Proclamation!
-Deity Yama applauds your technique and aura!
‘As expected.’
Beyond the crafting itself, the overwhelming power Jin-woo displayed—his Sacred Proclamation—seemed to be precisely to Yama’s liking.
“Yama’s Rune.”
Jin-woo immediately activated Yama’s Rune.
-This is a one-time rune.
-Skill: Sacred Proclamation is enhanced!
Whoooosh!
“!”
Jin-woo gasped at the sight of the enhanced skill.
“This skill…… is insane.”
-Skill has been enhanced.
-Sacred Proclamation skill has been enhanced and transformed into Celestial Mandate Declaration.
* Celestial Mandate Declaration
Grade: USSR
Description: You proclaim dominion over a realm of darkness. Those who enter the realm receive debuffs, your familiars receive buffs. All beings within the realm are subject to an inviolable law of your will.
Effect: Invader debuff within the domain, familiar buff, additional damage through soul interference against invaders
-Your power bestows law!
-All beings within the realm are affected by your law.
-Please set the law!
Just as Yurolde had done, all living beings entering this Celestial Mandate Declaration would be subject to a kind of constraint.
‘Of course, it’s not as absolute as Yurolde’s authority was.’
“Hmm.”
Jin-woo paused to consider.
-You may set a law and use it.
-Whether the set law is possible or impossible depends on the balance of your power.
-If you set an unbalanced law, the authority will vanish.
“Setting an unreasonable law would cause the authority to disappear entirely.”
The foundational power of the Celestial Mandate Declaration would remain, but only the law itself would vanish.
Jin-woo didn’t deliberate long.
“There’s only one choice.”
When proclaiming a law.
“I will set a law. Within the realm of this Celestial Mandate, all beings that die shall—”
Jin-woo spoke.
“become my familiars for a time.”
-Confirming the law.
-Checking if the law is appropriate.
-…….
-…….
Jin-woo swallowed.
-The Celestial Mandate is inscribed.
-Necromaster Lord Jin-woo: Any being that enters your domain and dies shall become your familiar for a set duration!
Whoooosh!
A dark and blue aura rippled across Jin-woo’s entire body. Then the realm began expanding.
-The Celestial Mandate is proclaimed.
-All beings that perish within the domain shall become the Lord’s familiars.

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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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