The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 191

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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 191
191.
Soul Engraving was, quite literally, a technique that consumed souls to extract power.
“You extract the power and carve it into equipment.”
Originally, souls possessed the power to develop familiars.
‘It’s the same mechanism.’
Soul Engraving was a technique that developed equipment under that same mechanism.
“It’s not just any equipment.”
There was a condition attached.
The power would be added to equipment already completed.
Jin-woo focused on that line.
“Already completed equipment, meaning…”
Jin-woo summoned First and Pur right there.
Screeech—!
The skeletal forms of the two familiars gleamed as they materialized from the darkness.
“The skeleton would count too.”
The skeleton could be considered a type of equipment that Jin-woo had created.
If that was the case, he could engrave souls onto them without limit.
Ego Sword: Yurolde was currently equipment ill-suited to First and Pur.
If that was true, then.
“I just need to strengthen the two familiars.”
Rather than simply raising their grade, he would use Soul Engraving to boost the skeletal structure’s tier itself.
“I’m raising their base weight class.”
What Jin-woo pulled out was the soul of a mid-tower boss.
—Chaos Gremes Soul [UR+]
He then placed the Chaos Gremes Soul directly into the furnace.
—Refining the Chaos Gremes Soul.
“Won’t know if it works until I try.”
Since it was said to work only on completed equipment, whether the furnace would treat the skeleton as equipment as well was the key question.
Screeech—!
‘Similar to Soul Forging yet different. Soul Forging purifies by extracting souls, but…’
This extracted the very power of the soul itself.
—Extracting the pure essence of the soul, Chaos Gremes.
What was extracted was the pure essence of the soul.
From here on was quite important.
The work of engraving the extracted soul depended entirely on skill and precision.
‘It’s like carving.’
To maximize Soul Engraving, he needed a hammer and chisel.
‘I carve the pure essence of the extracted soul into the completed equipment.’
“Huh…”
Jin-woo took a deep breath.
Then he gestured to First.
“I…am…not…a…fraid.”
“Not afraid?”
Jin-woo looked at First.
“I’m afraid.”
Pur’s expression suddenly shifted to surprise.
Could it be that his master was actually afraid?
“Afraid you might become too strong.”
But his expectations were soundly overturned.
Jin-woo let out a slight laugh.
Then he began engraving near First’s heart.
Crack—!
Clang—!
He places the chisel and brings the hammer down.
In that instant, First’s body shook violently. Yet not even a scratch marred that powerful skeleton.
“So this is what a Heroic-tier Undead feels like?”
Since he’d never struck his own familiar before, this was his first time truly experiencing just how solid First was.
“Boros and Yurolde overwhelmed you two at the physical level, then.”
In terms of pure physical specs, both Boros and Yurolde far outmatched First and Pur.
“I was missing something huge.”
But it was fortunate.
‘At least I’m realizing it now.’
I can upgrade them. They can grow stronger without limit.
Jin-woo’s gaze sharpened.
Clang—!
After the first strike, he understood: how much force to apply.
In that moment, darkness settled over First’s heart.
Boom—!
The chisel sank in instantly. Shallow. Just deep enough to create an engraving.
Jin-woo created the groove and engraved the extracted soul.
Scrape. Scrape-scrape. Click.
It was essentially similar to Spell Enchantment he’d learned before. But while Spell Enchantment drew characters, this went one step deeper.
Of course, the two techniques couldn’t be ranked against each other, but given the material involved, Soul Engraving was far more demanding.
And right now, Jin-woo was carving it into a skeleton.
Click—! Crack—!
‘It’s working.’
Completed equipment included skeletons.
Click—! Click—! Click—!
Now that he’d found his rhythm, Jin-woo brought the hammer down without hesitation.
To anyone watching, it would have looked like he was destroying his own familiar.
But First’s skeleton was transforming.
Crack—!
As the Soul Engraving Jin-woo was carving spread across First’s entire body, blue light began to roil upward.
Pale blue smoke and darkness’s aura mingled, making First’s frame shudder.
Crack—!
With each hammer strike, the soul seeped in.
The extracted power of the soul seeped into First’s skeleton.
“It was my fault.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“Losing to Boros and Yurolde was because I didn’t give you better skeletons. That’s on me.”
So right now.
“I’m setting it right.”
Clang—!
A blue and dark aura erupted outward.
—Soul Engraving successful!
The burst aura was absorbed directly into First’s entire frame.
Screeech—.
The Soul Engraving settled into First’s chest.
—A soul has been engraved into Familiar First’s skeleton.
—First’s tier rises.
The grade remained Heroic-tier Undead.
But the tier had changed.
The overwhelming power bursting from the skeleton.
Even Pur, standing beside him, unconsciously stepped back—such was the intensity of the power.
“Done.”
Jin-woo gave a slight laugh.
Soul Engraving had confirmed that skeletons were indeed a form of equipment.
First swung the Phantom Blade he’d been holding.
Slash—.
Whoooosh—!
The Phantom Blade arrived first; the sound trailed behind.
“Wow…”
Pur stood frozen by the overwhelming display.
‘His tier itself went up.’
Independent of the weapon, First’s own tier had been upgraded through Soul Engraving.
‘Equipment tier isn’t determined by a single factor.’
Multiple elements combined to determine an equipment’s tier.
‘It’s not just grade that decides it, then.’
Grade was merely a floor—a minimum guarantee.
That’s why equipment of the same grade could vary in strength.
“Your turn, Pur.”
Pur stepped forward with confidence.
“You need not apologize. We were simply weak. We failed to properly wield your equipment.”
Then he released his aura.
“I’m ready.”
The moment Jin-woo picked up the hammer, Pur flinched involuntarily.
The action contradicted his words, and Jin-woo laughed.
“It doesn’t hurt anyway.”
The undead felt no pain.
But for some reason, Jin-woo’s hammer was terrifying.
“…Y-yes, sir!”
* * *
—Pur’s tier rises!
Jin-woo extracted every soul and upgraded the tier of each familiar.
First and Pur.
And Moltus and Bon as well—he raised their tiers properly.
The tiger, created most recently, was sufficient as is, so he skipped it.
“Growl—!”
And surprisingly, the tiger was affectionate.
“Good thing I had the Leather Armor on him. If I’d rubbed him with bare bone like that, he’d have taken continuous damage.”
With no special defensive gear of his own, the tiger’s bone-hard charge would have been lethal.
Jin-woo left the Temple.
—Master of Soul and Abyss expresses infinite gratitude to you!
“And I’m grateful as well.”
Ding—!
—Master of Soul and Abyss grants you additional compensation!
Master of Soul and Abyss, having entered this Underworld, provided the proper additional compensation he’d promised once more.
—Master of Soul and Abyss says he keeps his promises.
—You receive a powerful blessing from Master of Soul and Abyss!
—Skill: Soul Harvest is strengthened!
Soul Harvest was a new skill Jin-woo had learned after his Necromaster class awakening, and now it was being strengthened.
“I haven’t even properly used Soul Harvest yet.”
And yet that skill was now enhanced.
“All the effort paid off.”
Clearing the lengthy Underworld quest had been worthwhile.
Jin-woo activated the power of Soul Harvest.
He selected one soul from those he currently possessed and absorbed it directly.
Screeech!
—Using Soul Harvest!
—Absorbing soul.
—1 stack gained.
—Soul Harvest skill strengthened!
—2 stacks gained!
Whereas the original Soul Harvest granted 1 stack per soul, now it granted 2 stacks without fail.
“Oh.”
In effect, the skill’s performance had doubled.
“This will have plenty of use.”
As Jin-woo prepared to leave the Underworld, two Underworld blacksmiths appeared before him.
“Please call upon us again whenever you need!”
“I shall come to you myself. I’ll continue to refine the Maximization Refining Technique you taught me, and we shall exchange knowledge!”
After exchanging farewells with the two Underworld blacksmiths.
Jin-woo ascended to the surface.
The surface.
Emerging from the Underworld, Jin-woo smiled at the light pouring down from the sky.
“I was underground so long—this sunlight feels nice.”
Jin-woo summoned Bon immediately.
“I regret being of little use.”
“No. The Underworld was a closed space, so it couldn’t be helped.”
“I shall grow stronger. A great being must be great anywhere!”
Bon roared. With his tier raised through Soul Engraving, he was brimming with confidence.
Before mounting Bon, Jin-woo decided to choose his destination first.
‘I need to head to the Major City.’
In the Underworld, Jin-woo had come to clearly understand his shortcomings.
‘My crafting was too narrow.’
Until now, he’d grown entirely alone, never clashing with another blacksmith.
‘That wasn’t necessarily bad, but…’
He was curious.
How other crafters conducted their work.
‘Even the NPCs’ crafting was impressive.’
Other players’ crafting would surely be interesting too—especially the rankers’.
“Then I should head to the Major City.”
Once he decided that, the destination was all but set.
“I’ve had my eye on a place.”
Avalon, the Major City of the Avalak Kingdom.
Avalon was the capital of the Avalak Kingdom, weakest of the three kingdoms on the Flam Continent.
Each kingdom held similar lands and power, but the Avalak Kingdom differed from the other two in possessing considerably less strength.
The reason was simple: the Avalak Kingdom had no major Guild.
Of course, it wasn’t entirely without one.
The largest Guild in Avalak was the Realize Guild, but Realize had been significantly outpaced by Dojeop and lost ownership of the tower.
As a result, the pace of development from this Main Quest also fell behind that of the Grona Kingdom and the Malen Duchy.
But regardless of all this, Jin-woo had a different reason for choosing Avalon.
“I saw on SharkNet that there are quite a few crafters here.”
‘Perfect for exchange.’
Moreover, the Temple of the Guardian of Flame and Craft was also in the vicinity.
He’d finally decided to clear a quest he’d received way back at the start.
—Guardian of Flame and Craft thanks you! Even now, I shed tears at your change of heart!
“My apologies.”
Jin-woo laughed awkwardly.
‘The Temple of the Guardian of Flame and Craft being near Avalon is no coincidence.’
Most who received patronage from the Guardian of Flame and Craft would be crafters.
Crafters likely gathered to live near the temple.
“Let me exchange knowledge with some crafters.”

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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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