The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 269

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 269
Episode 269.
-Soul of Amov [SSR+]
-Proliferating Lightning Essence [SSR+]
-Thunder Cloud Stone [SSR]
The high-tier lightning demon Amov left behind three byproducts.
A soul, an essence, and a Thunder Cloud Stone.
Among them, the material that caught Jin-woo’s interest was the Proliferating Lightning Essence.
Crackle—. Crackle, crackle—.
Jin-woo reached out immediately and touched the essence.
“This has Amov’s trait imbued in it perfectly.”
The Proliferating Lightning Essence carried Amov’s trait entirely within it.
As he poured mana into it, the lightning began to multiply and lengthen.
‘Oh, interesting.’
The moment Jin-woo touched the lightning essence, it crackled and spread.
‘This could make some truly fun equipment.’
This proliferation mechanic could be used in countless different ways.
‘Good. Very good.’
Meeting a new enemy and obtaining new materials sent his mind spinning with possibilities.
An idea for what he wanted to craft took shape immediately.
‘Not just using this for simple multiplication.’
What if he could extend the length of the lightning, rather than just increase its count?
‘Now that would be something truly interesting.’
Jin-woo committed the thought to memory at once.
Normally he would have summoned the Summoned Workshop right then and there, but as before, crafting while traveling was far more efficient.
-Remaining time: 46:24:35
‘Forty-six hours.’
There was still plenty of time.
‘But the real task isn’t defeating demons.’
Boom—. Boom, boom—!
This trembling land was steadily marching toward ruin.
‘I need to create the Objet.’
Now the real work began.
“Jin-woo!”
Nordin and the Spirit Knights, who had witnessed this incredible spectacle, came rushing over desperately. They wanted to help Jin-woo, but they couldn’t even find the right moment to do so.
His power was simply overwhelming.
“The eastern demon, defeated so easily……!”
It was this eastern demon that Nordin had concluded there was no answer to—which was why he kept insisting they run. And now, seeing Jin-woo’s strength, he felt ashamed of his own fear.
Boom, boom, boom—!
“Now the important part begins.”
Jin-woo waved his hand dismissively.
“The truly crucial task is ahead. Save the celebration for after we’ve succeeded.”
This was no time for praise and congratulations.
* * *
The central stronghold of the east.
As they entered the vast, ruined building, an altar stood before them.
Normally, an Objet should have rested upon that altar.
But the space was empty, and only rubble remained on the floor.
“It’s been completely shattered…… How could we ever repair a Spirit’s Tear like this?”
Nordin furrowed his brow at the destroyed Objet. These objects were inherently extremely durable. Because of that, even if damaged, he’d expected only partial destruction.
If that were the case, repairs would have been possible and the work could have been expedited.
But only fragments remained on the floor. This meant they would have to create it entirely from scratch.
“First, I’ll retrieve the blueprint.”
Nordin quickly searched through the building and brought back a blueprint.
“I’ve found the blueprint, but…….”
There was a problem.
“The Objet here is a glass sphere. It’s called the Spirit’s Tear—an Objet imbued with Spirit Force. This Objet…….”
Nordin squeezed his eyes shut.
“It requires new techniques. And to imbue it with Spirit Force, we need Spirit Force itself, which I currently lack.”
Nordin had exhausted a great deal of Spirit God power while fleeing to the south.
As a result, the Spirit Force needed for the Objet was insufficient.
“Even at my best, I doubt I could have crafted more than one.”
One obstacle after another.
Nordin looked toward the spirits.
“I’ll do my best to gather what I can.”
“Spirit Force is something any spirit possesses, isn’t it?”
“Yes. That’s correct. So if I could gather it all…….”
“Wait.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“Do dead spirits still possess Spirit Force?”
Nordin’s expression turned to one of surprise at Jin-woo’s question.
“……I’m not entirely certain.”
“Then let’s find out.”
“But—how could we possibly……?”
Jin-woo spoke quietly.
“Resurrect them.”
* * *
A temple dedicated to the Spirit Gods of old and the mighty Spirit Kings who had wielded great power.
Jin-woo and Nordin stood before that temple.
The temple was regrettably quite damaged.
But fortunately, the interior remained in relatively good condition.
“Such thorough destruction…….”
Nordin ground his teeth at the demons.
Jin-woo stepped into the temple.
He then turned his gaze sharply toward the memorial tablets.
“Resurrection of the Dead.”
-Casting Resurrection of the Dead.
The medium was already sufficient.
Around Jin-woo’s neck hung a necklace crafted from the Brilliant Moonstone, an ancient Spirit Stone.
As the Resurrection of the Dead skill activated, a faint spirit began to appear beside the memorial tablets.
“Spirit God Drezan.”
The moment Jin-woo called out that name, given to him by Nordin, the spirit’s color began to return.
Whoosh—.
The spirit began to expand, and gradually took form.
Translucent and ethereal.
The former Spirit God Drezan regained consciousness beyond death.
“Who is it that has awakened me from my long slumber?”
“It’s me, Nordin! Spirit God Drezan!”
“Mm. Nordin? Ah yes—Nordin, the swift one!”
Hearing that childhood nickname, tears welled up in Nordin’s eyes.
The former Spirit God Drezan had been Nordin’s teacher.
The position of Spirit God was, true to its name, a seat that granted power akin to that of the divine. Nordin had inherited that great power from Drezan himself.
Having studied under him for one hundred and fifty years and inherited his position, the bond between them ran deeply.
“Nordin, my child. Something feels strange. Something is amiss.”
“Forgive me, Spirit God Drezan. Due to my failings, Elementia has come under invasion. Elementia is crumbling even now. The Objets have been destroyed…….”
Nordin explained the situation.
Drezan regarded Nordin with a look of sorrow.
“You bear a heavy burden, my child. It is not your fault.”
“No. Forgive me. It is my fault.”
“Very well. There must be a reason you’ve brought me back. Does your need require my strength?”
“Yes. You see…….”
At Nordin’s words, Drezan nodded.
“Ah, I understand. It was he who resurrected me. I see it all now. As for Spirit Force, I can provide as much as you need. My body is long since corrupted and gone—what little remains can be given freely. However.”
Drezan spoke.
“You wish to remake the Objet? In all the thousand-plus years of our history, save for the greatest Spirit Craftsperson, not a single soul has possessed the skill to create an Objet. Why not summon those masters instead and have them remake it?”
Jin-woo asked at Drezan’s words.
‘I’ve always wondered about this.’
Jin-woo had marveled repeatedly while studying the blueprints.
‘When I first met Nordin, even in Basago’s Tower, seeing the blueprints astounded me.’
There existed a craftsperson with skill of this caliber.
‘If they were alive, I’d want nothing more than to meet them.’
“Are those masters still alive?”
“They live. Of course, the Spirit Craftspeople of my era have entered eternal rest, but those who inherited their will still draw breath. They originally had their base in Elementia, but in my time, seeking the concentration their work demanded, they relocated to Skypia, beyond Elementia’s borders.”
Drezan then looked toward Nordin.
“The road to Skypia has been cut off.”
“Hmm.”
As part of the strategy to bring about Elementia’s collapse, the path to Skypia had already been sealed.
“I cannot fathom how far their machinations extend. Vile creatures indeed.”
Drezan let out a mournful sigh.
“Then…….”
Drezan too found himself facing a difficult puzzle.
It was then that a thought struck Nordin, and he cried out.
“Spirit God Drezan! Could Jin-woo learn your glasscraft?”
In life, Drezan had been one of Elementia’s foremost glasscraft artisans.
If Jin-woo could learn glasscraft from Drezan, there would be no need to bring in other Spirit artisans.
“It is no simple skill to master.”
Drezan spoke flatly.
“I cannot linger long in this world, Nordin.”
“I wish to try learning it nonetheless.”
Jin-woo flashed a bright smile.
‘The glasscraft of a Spirit God—there’s no way I could pass this up.’
“I have knowledge of stonework.”
While he’d never studied glasscraft, he was confident in his stonework skills.
Drezan looked at Jin-woo.
“That necklace…… Mm!”
Observing the necklace Jin-woo wore, Drezan nodded slowly.
“Stonework and glasscraft share certain similarities. They are both works of the hand, after all. But glasscraft—it is an art of speed.”
Drezan continued.
-Resurrection of the Dead duration remaining: 4 hours.
“Four hours. Four hours, you say.”
Drezan exhaled sharply.
“We shall do what we can in that time.”
A fierce, brilliant power poured forth from Drezan’s form.
The distinctive Aura that only spirits possessed.
“If you lack the talent, I shall stop without hesitation. It would be far swifter to break through the sealed path and bring the craftspeople from Skypia to save Elementia. This glasscraft is truly difficult.”
Breaching that sealed passage would give Elementia a far greater chance of survival.
Even in death, his only concern was Elementia’s salvation.
“Yes. Let us do that.”
* * *
Nordin too had once studied glasscraft.
Glasscraft was an art of speed.
Beyond manual dexterity, one needed composure and quick reflexes.
The reason was simple.
Whoosh—!
Intense flame suddenly erupted around the glass.
“Four stages. Melting, blowing, shaping, and cooling.”
On the surface, the process seemed simple, but what mattered was the speed required at each stage.
“After blowing, three minutes.”
Drezan spoke.
“The aesthetics of three minutes. The beauty of three minutes. That is glasscraft. After you blow, if you do not shape it within three minutes, the material hardens. Then it is finished. You cannot use that material again.”
Shaping was the technique of defining form.
After blowing air into it, while the glass mineral remained pliable, you use your hands to give it form. The heated glass mineral cools in an instant, and as time passes, it becomes increasingly unstable, so all of the shaping must be completed within those three minutes.
Otherwise, the quality deteriorates, and you cannot create an Objet—nor even a simple glasscraft object.
Whoosh—!
Drezan demonstrated.
In mere moments, a beautiful glass sphere took shape. Of course, this was insufficient for an Objet. But it was the foundation.
Completing everything within three minutes.
Because it was the most difficult task, Drezan intended to repeatedly show Jin-woo this technique throughout the four hours.
“I shall show you again and again.”
“No.”
Jin-woo gestured.
“That will suffice.”
He then immediately began heating the glass mineral and blowing.
Whoosh—.
The moment the heated glass mineral turned crimson—
Jin-woo’s hands moved.
Crack—.
The allotted time was three minutes.
Jin-woo’s hands seemed to move as if multiplied.
Crack—, crackle—, crackle—!
The blueprint Objet, the Spirit’s Tear, took shape in his mind.
‘Following the blueprint exactly.’
The Spirit’s Tear formed in Jin-woo’s hands. A beautiful glass sphere, round with elegant curves, came into being.
Ting—!
-You have learned a skill!
-You have learned Drezan’s Glasscraft!

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————