The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 281

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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 281
281.
-A message from Logical has arrived.
Suomi Company.
Monitoring Room.
“!”
GM Kim Na-yun quickly caught the message from Logical.
-M-rank Quest, MAX Reward reached.
-User Jin-woo. Achievement [I’ve Given You Everything I Can] unlocked.
-First to achieve.
“Wow.”
GM Kim Na-yun’s expression shifted to one of surprise.
“What is this?”
GM Kim Na-yun was thoroughly versed in the countless achievements that could be earned systemically.
Of course, any GM in the monitoring room ought to know such things.
The numerous achievements and quests available in NewGen.
And the special messages that came from Logical—the monitoring room GM had to be aware of all of them.
Yet here before her eyes appeared an achievement even she did not know.
“Jin-woo… what exactly is this achievement?”
She hurried to open the manual, bewildered.
Then she immediately ran a search using the AI.
“Hmm. Yes.”
-An achievement that can be unlocked when reaching the maximum reward ceiling in a quest.
-Number of users who have reached it: 0.
“Maximum reward ceiling?”
She couldn’t close her mouth.
In NewGen, quest rewards varied depending on how the quest was cleared.
The rewards for clearing a quest by the book differed from rewards for clearing it in an unusual way.
Moreover, if a quest was reinterpreted or cleared with originality, the reward would increase.
In short, while there was no single correct answer to a quest, if you cleared it far more overwhelmingly than other players, you could receive higher rewards.
“I heard there was no limit to rewards.”
When GM Kim Na-yun first learned about this quest system, she’d been told that rewards had essentially no ceiling.
“There’s a practical limit, of course, but it’s something users would never reach. So to the players, it would feel as if there’s no limit to rewards.”
That was exactly how it had been.
Until now, no one had ever complained about quest rewards.
NewGen’s greatest advantage was precisely this freedom in quests and rewards.
“I never thought someone would actually reach it…”
And that someone being Jin-woo, no less!
That ceiling was set so impossibly high that no one had ever cleared a quest to that extent before—until now, for the first time.
“A first achievement…”
Another first achievement.
And it was a particularly impactful one at that.
-Logical Message
-MAX Reward in a section that should never have been reached.
-Satisfied a demanding NPC. This AI had no choice but to acknowledge it.
-Transcendent Achievement.
“Logical, are you enjoying this now?”
The AI that had initially been incredulous and stressed was now clearly savoring the situation.
Jin-woo, who defied all expectations and carved his own path and standards.
As information about Jin-woo accumulated, one would think prediction should become possible, yet even those predictions were being shattered—so Logical had no choice but to enjoy it.
“Right. You should enjoy it too.”
GM Kim Na-yun laughed.
“Trying to predict only wears you out.”
Predictions are bound to miss, but enjoyment can be found anew every time.
“If it’s like this, I can’t leave this out of the ad either.”
She had no choice but to include this achievement in the New Continent content advertisement she was working on.
“There are just too many things I can’t leave out.”
As a result, what should have been an advertisement centered on the New Continent had turned into a Jin-woo tribute—a long listing of his accomplishments.
“Since Jin-woo opened the New Continent…”
For the New Continent to open, Jin-woo had to set foot there first.
Naturally, Jin-woo, as the pioneer, should stand out, but this was excessive.
“What should I cut…”
Honestly, there was nothing to cut.
“It keeps growing. This is driving me crazy.”
Whether management would even approve such an ad—filled with these achievements and praises—was questionable. They’d told her to handle everything, but a result like this could be problematic.
“I don’t know.”
Either way, management wouldn’t be able to refuse.
“If I attach all the Logical messages, they won’t have a choice.”
She felt bad for the design team, but this couldn’t be helped.
* * *
A first quest, and a first achievement.
‘The last first achievement I obtained was probably Soul Sovereign, wasn’t it?’
Many could attempt first quests and verify their existence, but achievements were different.
You could only know an achievement existed by actually achieving it.
‘So this means no one but me has ever received MAX rewards from a quest?’
Jin-woo smiled.
‘Not bad at all.’
Reaching a level no one else had ever attained was always a pleasure.
Elementia.
Western Plaza.
The young Spirit Craftspeople gazed blankly upon seeing with their own eyes that the Colossal Statue, which had previously filled this vast plaza, was gone.
“It really is destroyed.”
“To destroy something like that… just how strong are these demons?”
At the Spirit Craftspeople’s words, Nordin pressed his forehead with his palm.
“Greater Demons are incomprehensibly strong.”
“Hah…”
“You can win against demons like that?”
They turned to look at Jin-woo.
“You’re a Craftsperson, yet…”
“Shouldn’t you and the Spirit Kings go to the front lines?”
“You’re already wearing equipment you made yourself. Shouldn’t you be heading to the Northern Region right now to fight?”
At the Spirit Craftspeople’s words, Nordin chuckled.
“That’s something only the ignorant can say.”
“Are you afraid?”
To Jin-woo, it was a kind gaze, but that kindness was reserved for him alone.
To Nordin and the Spirit Kings, it was deeply provocative.
Yet neither Nordin nor the Spirit Kings took the bait.
“We’re afraid, certainly.”
“But there are things you don’t know.”
The Spirit King shook his head slowly.
It was a bit embarrassing to say aloud.
How could he speak of how a great Craftsperson like Jin-woo was also formidable in combat?
“Anyway, please protect us well. We must now create the Colossal Statue.”
Just then, Spirit Knights and ordinary Spirits entered the plaza.
The Western Region had temporary shelters erected in place.
The three towers in the Northern Region hadn’t been dealt with yet, and the Supreme Demons that had ruled the Western Region hadn’t returned, so reconstruction was still too dangerous.
Because of this, Spirit Knights had built temporary shelters in this plaza to give the Spirits a place to rest.
“The Spirit Craftspeople from Skypia…?”
The moment the Spirit Craftspeople returned, ordinary Spirits and Spirit Knights looked quite fascinated.
“They are…?”
“How did you manage to convince them…?”
The Spirit Craftspeople from Skypia were quite renowned.
Having abandoned Elementia to create their own realm, they’d become unreachable, and the quality of the equipment they’d left behind in Elementia was extraordinary.
“As expected of Nordin.”
“Jin-woo also helped, I think! You’re both Craftspeople, after all!”
The Spirits gazed at Jin-woo with reverent eyes. As they built the temporary shelters, Spirit Knights explained everything about Jin-woo.
Amusingly, they’d recounted it faithfully, yet the Spirits assumed some exaggeration was mixed in.
The feats Jin-woo had accomplished were simply unbelievable.
“Have you all confirmed it?”
“Yes. Confirmed.”
“These really are dangerous fellows.”
The demeanor of the young Spirit Craftspeople had already shifted.
It had to change, given what they’d seen.
They beheld the three towers standing tall in the distance toward the Northern Region.
“Does this mean those demons have already noticed us?”
“If they’ve already grasped that we’re trying to restore the Object, we should make haste.”
Jin-woo nodded.
“Then I’ll explain.”
When Jin-woo outlined his rough plan for restoring the Colossal Statue, the Spirit Craftspeople’s expressions shifted to shock.
“Piru shared with us the blueprints and knowledge that remained.”
A young Spirit Craftsperson handed Jin-woo a parchment.
-[Object of Elementia: Colossal Statue]
The parchment contained information about the Colossal Statue.
‘The missing parts from the blueprint are listed here.’
While not complete, many portions of the plan Jin-woo had devised matched what was written on this parchment.
‘Right. I knew it would be like this.’
His predictions had been dead-on.
“Then let’s start right away!”
“I’ve already prepared a foundation.”
Jin-woo showed the Spirit Craftspeople the leg section he’d already crafted.
This Colossal Statue stood a full ten meters tall.
Even with only part of the legs completed, it was enormous.
“We’ll craft the Colossal Statue like this, using this blueprint as our guide.”
Jin-woo explained his plan.
“No. Wait.”
“Jin-woo.”
“Jin-woo…?”
“Were you planning to do this alone?”
The Spirit Craftspeople couldn’t hide their astonishment upon hearing the explanation.
“It’s within my capacity.”
“…”
“…”
Within his capacity, he said.
Yet as the Spirit Craftspeople gazed upon the leg section Jin-woo had completed, all they could do was blink rapidly.
The words “within my capacity” were no exaggeration—they felt it viscerally.
“You really did do this…?”
“If only there had been more time…”
With sufficient time, he could have crafted the entire Colossal Statue alone and still had more to spare.
When they’d witnessed the chief smelter Flow in Skypia, they thought they’d seen it all.
But seeing the leg section of this Colossal Statue that Jin-woo had created left them quite literally speechless.
“We need to finish in half a day.”
“Half a day?”
Jin-woo’s plan was to complete this Colossal Statue within half a day.
“That’s impossible!”
He’d brought all the Spirit Craftspeople from Skypia.
There were over ninety of them, so theoretically it might be possible.
But this wasn’t something that should be rushed.
It was Elementia’s guardian Artifact, after all.
“It’s possible.”
Yet Jin-woo spoke with certainty.
“My eye for talent is sound.”
Jin-woo said this simply.
“I wouldn’t ask you to do something that seemed impossible.”
“…”
“…”
At those words, fire kindled in the eyes of the young Spirit Craftspeople.
The older Spirit Craftspeople glanced at the young ones, then back to Jin-woo.
With just a few words, he’d given them such motivation. It was uncharacteristic eloquence for a Craftsperson.
“And another thing.”
Jin-woo continued.
“If you don’t finish by then, the demons will come.”
Then he smiled.
“It might actually be better.”
“Pardon?”
“What do you mean it might be better?”
“Just what I said.”
Jin-woo spoke with a grin.
“Crafting with your life on the line. Your skill will skyrocket.”
“…”
Success meant survival.
Failure meant death, so of course it would be that way.
The young Spirit Craftspeople swallowed hard.
“We will finish before they arrive.”
“Then that’s even better.”
Jin-woo smiled with meaningful intent.

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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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