The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 218

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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 218
218.
“Good day to you. I’m Casino, guild master of the Realize Guild, which operates out of Avalon as our base.”
Realize Guild.
The guild master, Casino, stood before him.
Casino, who had come with guild executives, bowed respectfully to Jin-woo.
“You must be Jin-woo?”
Jin-woo nodded.
“What brings you here? I’ve only just purchased the Workshop, so I’m not prepared at all yet.”
‘They must be here to place a commission.’
Since he had made Avalon his base, Casino would have learned immediately that Jin-woo had acquired a building here.
Jin-woo studied Casino’s appearance.
Though his clothing seemed ordinary, the details were quite refined.
‘His exclusive craftsperson must be quite skilled.’
The quality far exceeded what one would expect—it appeared to be at a grade higher than SSR Rank.
‘So he’s definitely made the trip.’
In the heart of the kingdom, the capital itself, equipment of this caliber was simply standard.
‘The fact that he came seeking me out, despite having a craftsperson of that level…’
Jin-woo understood roughly what kind of impression he was making.
“I apologize. I was presumptuous.”
“Not at all. It’s only natural that your information is sharp when you’ve made this place your base.”
Jin-woo spoke to Casino.
“Did you come to place a commission?”
“Yes. But… I’ll come back once everything is fully prepared.”
“A workbench, an anvil, perhaps a small forge—that should be enough.”
At Jin-woo’s words, Casino’s eyes blinked once.
Then, seeming to understand, he gestured to his executive.
“Go to the guild building and bring everything he mentioned right away.”
“Yes, sir!”
The guild executive moved swiftly.
‘This works out perfectly.’
Jin-woo hadn’t been direct—he’d simply said it seemed possible.
‘His perceptiveness is convenient.’
“Why don’t we sit and talk for now? Once the preparations are complete, we’ll be able to accept your commission.”
Casino, as if entranced, surrendered the initiative of the conversation to Jin-woo.
With nothing else available, sitting on the ground was the only option.
“What kind of equipment do you need?”
“Well…”
Casino explained why he had sought Jin-woo out.
“Our Realize Guild is attempting to conquer the Tower of Seven Swords.”
However, the Tower of Seven Swords was not an easy place to conquer.
To be precise, even attempting the tower was difficult.
It was situated near the Grona Kingdom and Malen Duchy, the strongholds of the Leap Guild—ranked first among New Gene guilds—and Slayer and Kalantiir periodically joined the battlefield there, making it nearly impossible to even attempt.
“Slayer and Kalantiir aren’t always present on the battlefield.”
The two rankers were the Leap Guild’s greatest military assets.
Since the Leap Guild was currently waging wars in multiple locations, they couldn’t be at the Tower of Seven Swords every time.
But even so, they couldn’t break through.
“Pendant’s equipment is standing in for the two rankers.”
Pendant.
At hearing this name, Jin-woo’s expression became one of interest.
“We have an exclusive craftsperson as well. A ranker, quite skilled.”
But they couldn’t overcome Pendant’s equipment.
“Then wouldn’t you just go to Starlight or Inclassic?”
‘Why would there be any need to seek me out?’
“Well…”
Casino looked at Jin-woo.
“Those two craftspeople don’t accept commissions. They choose who deserves their work.”
“I see.”
Jin-woo’s expression became amused.
“Choosing who deserves their work, then.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“That’s an interesting approach.”
That was why Casino had sought Jin-woo out.
He believed that aside from Starlight and Inclassic, only Jin-woo could create equipment that could rival Pendant’s.
Jin-woo looked at Casino.
Then he fell silent.
Casino couldn’t quite get his bearings in the face of Jin-woo’s presence.
At that moment, the guild executive returned.
“I’ve brought them!”
Casino gestured to the guild executive.
“First—”
Then he showed Jin-woo the materials he had brought as payment for the commission.
“Would these materials suffice as the commission fee? If it’s not enough, we can add Gold on top of this.”
Jin-woo’s gaze fixed on the materials Casino presented.
‘Materials from the tower?’
—Andras’s Soul [SSR Rank]
—Essence of Fervor [SSR Rank]
—Andras’s Bone [SSR Rank]
And beyond that.
“This is a Twilight Stone. A very rare mineral—we’ve only had a small amount. It’s the core material we obtained from hunting the Twilight Dragon.”
—Twilight Stone [???]
The Twilight Stone’s grade was marked with question marks.
It clearly meant the grade was higher than SSR Rank.
“This material is not part of the commission request. It is purely the commission fee.”
All these materials were the fee for commissioning Jin-woo.
“We’ll prepare the materials needed for the actual commission on our side. If there’s a particular mineral you’d prefer, we’ll focus on sourcing that.”
Gulp.
Casino was confident.
This was clearly an offer that couldn’t be refused.
Yet somehow, unease lingered.
From their first meeting until now.
Jin-woo seemed troubled by something. Casino couldn’t be certain. He couldn’t relax.
Jin-woo remained silent.
‘This could be quite interesting.’
Through his exchange with Peran, Jin-woo had come to understand that interaction between users was rather important.
He’d wanted to collaborate on crafting with a user slightly more skilled than Peran, but he hadn’t expected to reach Pendant so quickly.
‘Of course, it’s not direct collaboration.’
Yet in the current situation, measuring Pendant’s level seemed quite feasible.
As Jin-woo sat in silence, turning various thoughts over, Casino spoke again.
“You’re from Eternal Sunshine, aren’t you?”
There wasn’t a soul who didn’t know about Jin—Jin-woo was aware of that. Given everything he’d accomplished, there couldn’t be anyone who didn’t know he was Jin.
“Pendant is from Bridge. And from the Golden Generation, no less.”
Bridge was a game where strange phenomena had occurred just before service closure.
“Ironically, craftspeople of notable skill emerged just three months before service ended. At that time, the highest grade in Bridge was L-grade, and there were five users known to have transcended it. They were called the Golden Generation, and Pendant was at the center of that generation.”
They were called the Golden Generation and transferred intact into New Gene.
Pendant was one of them and Bridge’s greatest craftsperson.
“He emerged last but his potential exploded. He was evaluated as far surpassing the other four. In New Gene, he’s shown tremendous achievements—as you can see from his standing on the ranking.”
The Leap Guild members at the Tower of Seven Swords were wearing Pendant’s equipment.
“We thought that if we could match Pendant’s equipment, we might actually be able to take the Tower of Seven Swords.”
Our fighting strength is clearly superior.
With Slayer and Kalantiir absent, the Leap side is being held by second and third-tier guild members, not first-tier ones.
That was the power of equipment.
“That’s why we desperately need your equipment. Please—would you craft equipment for us?”
Casino bowed his head.
He’d done everything he could. Saying more would only hurt his case.
‘To summarize.’
Casino’s commission was to create equipment that could rival Pendant’s.
‘Pendant.’
Pendant was currently a user set up in opposition to Jin-woo even in the NetFlix rankings.
‘He crafts excellent equipment.’
Pendant’s ranking position was fourth.
He stood far above the tier Jin-woo had currently reached, and if they clashed directly right now, Jin-woo would be significantly outmatched in terms of grade alone.
‘Of course, grade doesn’t determine everything.’
But it wasn’t something to dismiss entirely either. With a gap this wide, there were cases where raw specs would decide things.
‘Still.’
Jin-woo found it quite interesting.
Above all, the materials offered as commission payment were quite compelling.
‘If the grade isn’t enough.’
He could win with options and attributes.
‘The gap is too wide. Losing is certainly the likely outcome.’
Jin-woo wasn’t the type to avoid confrontation out of fear of defeat.
He’d experienced loss countless times.
And he knew well that much could be gained from defeat.
‘An opportunity has presented itself.’
Of course, he had no intention of losing.
“You chose well in seeking me out.”
That he had chosen Jin-woo was an excellent decision.
“Let’s do it.”
The moment Jin-woo accepted the commission, life flooded back into Casino’s expression.
Done. Done! Even with an offer impossible to refuse, he’d worried that Jin-woo might reject it.
“But let’s make one promise.”
Jin-woo said.
“Give me half of all materials you obtain from that tower.”
For a moment, Casino saw Jin-woo as something far greater.
His obsession with materials.
His certainty of victory.
Pendant is formidable. In current New Gene, there are only two craftspeople who could claim certainty of beating him.
Because of this, many craftspeople feared even attempting to challenge him.
Yet before Pendant’s very name, Jin-woo carried himself with complete assurance.
“Then I’ll.”line>
Jin-woo said.

“Make sure you win.”
That overwhelming confidence made Casino’s heart race. His body trembled with force. Only then did everything become clear.
Why everyone had been so cautious when word spread that Jin had started playing New Gene.
And why they all said the landscape would shift dramatically.
“…Understood.”
It was an excessive request. But this was something he had no choice but to accept.
Jin-woo smiled and extended his hand.
As Casino reached out his hand, Jin-woo shook his head.
“Shall we start right away?”
“How long do you think it will take?”
The sooner they could fight their way into the Tower of Seven Swords, the better.
Ideally, it should all be done within a fortnight.
Jin-woo held up all ten fingers.
Could it be ten days?
“As expected…”
That was impressive speed. To finish everything in ten days.
“Ten days would be perfect. As expected of you, Jin-woo…”
“Ten hours.”
“…Pardon?”
Jin-woo said.
“Ten hours is enough.”

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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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