The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 205

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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 205
205.
European Union Auction House.
The USSR+ Grade equipment Jin-woo had put up for auction was rising at a staggering rate.
-Bid updated!
-Bid updated!
-Bid updated!
It continued climbing in increments of one million Gold.
-Insane, it already broke past 150 million Gold and the bids keep climbing.
-At this rate, I can’t even afford to buy it!
-This is making me curious—just how much money do the top-tier players actually have?
Once the bidding crossed 150 million Gold, only a limited number of players could participate.
The pace should have slowed, but instead it showed no signs of stopping.
“I’m buying it.”
“I absolutely will buy it.”
“Our Guild will take it!”
Players bidding as Guild units.
Wealthy top-tier players.
And investors pooling money from others for financial gain were all bidding like madmen.
-A single piece of equipment driving people this crazy.
-Was the blacksmith trade always this hot?
-It seems like Jin-woo is just naturally hot;;;
-First time I’ve seen a Pickaxe go over 150 million Gold.
-Doesn’t this mean miners can’t actually buy it?
-You folks don’t know—mining is a lucrative profession, one of the best-paying jobs.
-You have 150 million Gold?
Mining was indeed one of the professions that drew serious money. Of course, reaching that level of wealth was difficult, but there were plenty of big spenders in the industry.
Ding! Ding!
-Bid price updated.
-150 million Gold.
The USS R+ Grade Pickaxe’s bid price had just crossed 150 million Gold.
-Wow.
-150 million isn’t a first, right?
-It’s a first. First time for a single item to hit this price at the European Union Auction House.
-Is this really going to go all the way to 200 million Gold?
Even if the auction ended here, it was already certain that the Hall of Fame rankings of the European Union Auction House would be reshuffled.
“Haha.”
Ethel was watching the spectacle with a smile.
“This is better actually. This is much better.”
If he was going to lose, losing overwhelmingly was preferable.
“In a way, this turned out well.”
Ethel had believed himself to be the king of the European Union Auction House.
“I thought this much would be enough.”
But the moment Jin-woo entered the European Union Auction House, Ethel realized the truth.
He had been stagnating.
He’d grown content with his current state.
“What a foolish thought.”
Foolish beyond measure.
“He showed me the error of my ways.”
Without Jin-woo, he would have lived out his days satisfied with this meager tier.
But now it was different.
He knew there were higher peaks waiting.
Even if the road to reach them was long and arduous, he’d learned from watching Jin-woo that there was no reason to give up.
“Thanks to him, I even crafted a pair of twin axes.”
He’d broken through a wall that had been blocking his path.
Jin-woo had become his driving force for growth.
“Go further. Go much further.”
Until the day he could chase after that figure.
Ethel walked into his workshop with a laugh, deciding to set the Auction House aside for a while.
And.
-At this rate… where will he go next?
-He destroys everything he goes to.
-Everyone should stay on guard.
-He’s a destroyer, plain and simple.
Everyone’s attention was fixed on Jin-woo’s next move.
* * *
“…That should be sufficient.”
Both Oson and Hamilton were bewildered by Jin-woo’s vague statement. Nothing is harder to achieve than something ambiguously defined.
And yet Jin-woo was brimming with confidence.
But that was only natural.
Jin-woo had lived a life of constant vindication.
The same was true when he started New Gene.
Prove it.
That was the demand placed on him by countless Quests, NPCs, and even gods.
When he launched his community, MiTube, and Netlfix, he faced the same skeptical gaze.
And.
‘I proved it all.’
So for Jin-woo, it was second nature.
‘It’s fun, actually.’
Those who demand proof always wear expressions of disbelief.
That’s impossible.
You’re actually daring to attempt the impossible?
Driving a hammer through those doubts—that was what Jin-woo did every time.
‘You don’t know unless you try.’
Of course, they might be right. It might be impossible. The very attempt might seem arrogant.
But the only way to know was to try.
Whoosh.
Jin-woo stepped forward slowly.
“Summon.”
And with that, he pulled his own smithy out from within Oson’s workshop.
“!”
Whoooosh—flames erupted!
Jin-woo’s furnace blazed up in an instant, and both Oson and Hamilton’s eyes were drawn to it.
“The flames…
“Hmm.”
Oson especially gazed at the flames in Jin-woo’s furnace with admiration.
“He’s deliberately colliding them to maximize firepower.”
It was a technique Oson himself knew, but it was far too dangerous to actually use.
“Taking on that risk and…”
A true blacksmith had to be willing to do anything for better equipment.
If a method was risky but could produce superior gear, a blacksmith had to attempt it and accept that risk.
“…”
Oson fell silent once more.
Jin-woo raised his Hammer.
‘The standard is admittedly murky—make equipment you’re proud of.
Even if you forge the best gear possible, if the other party never intended to acknowledge it, you’ll never receive recognition in your lifetime.
But Jin-woo actually found that aspect quite appealing.
‘He probably won’t acknowledge just anything. Maybe he won’t acknowledge anything at all.’
Oson would naturally never want to teach Jin-woo—who wasn’t even his student—the method for making Crystal Platinum.
‘Which is what makes this fun.’
Creating equipment capable of earning recognition from someone so reluctant—that was the real appeal.
“Hm!”
Jin-woo placed materials on the work table.
There was still one crucial material from the Underworld that Jin-woo hadn’t used yet.
-Great Bone [USSR+]
Click.
The Great Bone was placed on the work table.
Shhhh—
A black aura radiated from it.
Both Hamilton and Oson’s expressions shifted to surprise at the material Jin-woo had brought out.
It was clearly precious just to look at.
‘I’d been watching for the right moment to use this.’
This felt like the moment.
‘The most important material for the First Awakening.’
Jin-woo was deliberating on what to craft from this Great Bone.
“If I made a skeletal frame from the Great Bone, I could create a fairly serviceable one.”
He was confident he could craft a far superior frame to the one of the tiger skeleton he’d made most recently.
‘But I don’t have an immediate need for a Familiar right now.’
Familiars were created by need. There was no benefit to raising them indiscriminately.
So Jin-woo decided to craft equipment instead.
‘I’ll make equipment for Moltus.’
Moltus, strengthened through Soul Inscription, proved to be far more versatile than expected.
‘Especially in one-versus-many combat, Moltus alone can handle dozens, even hundreds of mobs.’
In other words, he could perform the role of clearing a path—something like Bone did—but more effectively than before.
“Then I need to craft equipment befitting that role.”
Staff. Orb.
The weapons he’d previously crafted for Moltus were typical mage equipment.
‘I made them separately back then, but I don’t need to do that anymore.’
All he had to do was combine the power the Orb held with the power the Staff held.
‘The Great Bone can handle it.’
Jin-woo intended to make proper use of the Great Bone alongside the materials he’d obtained this time.
-Abyss Crystal [USSR]
The Great Bone and the Abyss Crystal.
The two core materials from Uroldo were merged together.
Jin-woo grasped the Ultra-Vibration Carving Blade.
Crack!
Then he began carving through the bone without hesitation.
-Bone Craftsmanship is activated!
Crack-crack-crack!
As Jin-woo began the Bone Craftsmanship, Hamilton’s eyes widened.
Oson’s eyes narrowed with interest.
Even during the collaborative crafting with Hamilton, this was evident—Jin-woo possessed remarkable versatility.
A Hammer-wielding blacksmith also skilled in Carving.
Slice!
And it wasn’t merely skill—bone was a material that demanded strength while simultaneously requiring delicacy.
It was so hard that moderate force made it difficult to carve, yet applying too much force all at once would shatter it completely.
Jin-woo maintained that perfect balance.
Crack! Crack-crack-crack!
Perfectly.
Maintaining perfect balance required enormous control of force.
The pinnacle of technique.
The extreme of precision.
He was demonstrating through the bone what true force control meant.
“During our collaboration, you weren’t even using half your skill.”
Hamilton clicked his tongue in admiration.
Jin-woo raised his hand.
“Dust. Coco.”
Then he summoned his two Spirits.
“Pwooom.”
“Keeng!”
The two Spirits, summoned after a long while, manifested with potent Spirit Power.
In the Underworld, there had been no opportunity to borrow their strength.
‘They don’t match well with the Underworld’s environment anyway.’
“Spirits!”
“Spirits even…!”
Shhhhhh—
The two summoned Spirits looked at Jin-woo.
-The Spirits receive the effect of Awakening!
Jin-woo had undergone Awakening in the Underworld. That power of Awakening exerted a profound influence on his Familiars and Spirits alike.
“Pwooom—!”
“Keeng!”
A surge of power enveloped both Spirits.
-Dust’s Level increases!
-Dust has become a High-Tier Spirit!
“Good.”
Following Jin-woo’s growth, Dust also ascended one rank.
From a Mid-Tier Spirit to a High-Tier Spirit.
With the rank increase, Dust transformed completely into a sheep-like form.
‘Its fur grew so lush.’
And it now possessed far more luster than before.
‘Adorable.’
Jin-woo extended his hand.
The fur bounced softly, greeting him with a fluff.
“Ohhh.”
Feeling the springy resistance, the plush sensation, Jin-woo continued stroking.
As he kept petting, Dust seemed quite pleased and pressed against him.
Then Dust looked at Jin-woo with a dignified gaze.
“Pwoolo-roong.”
And then spun around, showing off its newfound power.
“You’re saying you can do anything?”
“Pwooom—!”
As Dust expressed its confidence, Coco likewise unleashed dark flames with a whoosh.
“Keeng!”
Coco was equally affected by Jin-woo’s power.
Dark flames began to burn brilliantly at the tail of Coco, who resembled a black Poodle.
-Dark Flame Spirit Coco’s rank increases!
-It has become Legendary Level 2!
Since Coco was a Legendary Spirit, its leveling system differed from Dust’s.
“Ohhh.”
Coco with its flame-adorned tail also trembled once.
“It was so small at first.”
Though still small now, the growth was undeniably tangible.
Jin-woo found the growth of both Spirits quite delightful.
“I should be able to craft more extensively with them.”
Since these Spirits directly influenced Jin-woo’s crafting, their growth was always welcome.
“Let me see what you can do.”
At Jin-woo’s words, both Spirits rushed forward eagerly.
Shhhh—
Then, as if in perfect synchronization, they descended upon the Great Bone on the work table.
Shhhhhh—!
-Dark flame power infuses into the material.
-The material’s latent potential grows beyond its maximum threshold!
They went beyond merely raising the ceiling of potential—they actually expanded it.
Jin-woo’s expression shifted to surprise at the sight.
The two Spirits had used their power simultaneously, creating Synergy.
It wasn’t each ability seeping into the Great Bone individually—both abilities were infusing simultaneously.
And in the same moment, the two Spirits’ power also permeated the Abyss Crystal.
“You combined your strength?”
“Pwooom.”
“Keeng!”
Jin-woo smiled and nodded at both Spirits.
“Excellent.”
That praise delighted both Spirits immensely.
They spun around simultaneously, then settled near Jin-woo and sat quietly, awaiting his next request.
Oson observed the two Spirits.
These were Spirit forms he’d never witnessed before. Moreover, the Aura they radiated proved they were far from ordinary.
“What manner of Spirits are those…? At a glance, they seem anything but commonplace.”
At Hamilton’s question, Oson fell silent.
He had no answer either.
Perfect Hammering, Carving, and Spirits on top of that.
Simply having these three alone would justify calling someone truly versatile.
Yet Jin-woo seemed to have more to display.
Jin-woo brought his Hammer down upon the reinforced Great Bone.
Clang—!
“Soul Forging.”
Soul Forging.
Maximized Refinement.
Spell Inscription – Extreme.
Crack! Crack!
Flawless Carving.
The Great Bone truly earned its name.
‘I’ve never worked with bone this difficult before.’
Pain shot through his hands as the Great Bone quietly tormented him.
Jin-woo took a deep breath and concentrated.
-Concentration Stat increases.
-Dexterity [Precision] Stat increases.
The awakened Dexterity Stat—Precision.
Jin-woo focused on the power of that Precision.
‘I need to be even more precise.’
Crack! Clang—!
“I’ll make you greater still.”
Ding!
-Equipment crafted!
-USSR+ Grade equipment crafted!
Great Bone Staff.
In Jin-woo’s hands, a colossal Staff materialized.
An Orb crafted from the Abyss Crystal was mounted at the head of the staff.
“Master Oson.”
Jin-woo offered the Great Bone Staff to Oson.
“What do you think?”
Had Jin-woo simply shown him a well-made piece of equipment, Oson would never have deigned to acknowledge it.
But this was equipment that far exceeded Oson’s expectations.
“I acknowledge…”
He had no intention of acknowledging whatever Jin-woo made.
He shouldn’t acknowledge it.
He mustn’t acknowledge it…
Yet somehow, Oson found himself nodding anyway.
“…I acknowledge it!”

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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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