The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 286

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

Chapter 286
286.
Click-. Click-. Click-.
History was unfolding.
“It’s changing. It’s changing!”
The rankings that Pendant’s broadcast had been recording were on the verge of shifting.
Exactly on the hour.
Ding-!
The rankings recalculated, and the old standings began to invert.
<>
1. Soul Blacksmith, Jin-woo EP.3 [Underworld Reclaimed] [↑]
2. All of Pendant [From the Bottom to the Peak] [↓]
Pendant, who had been holding the number one spot firmly, dropped to second.
And Jin-woo surged to the top.
-Finally!
-Finally reached number one!!
-Now we can show our faces. It’s been so long since a Korean showed these kinds of results, hasn’t it??
-Ugh, it feels like just yesterday our Korean blacksmith was being disrespected.
-That’s right, we hadn’t produced an absolute master yet!
Gamers from Eternal Sunshine began flooding the community with this image in their excitement.
-Ugh…….
-Ah…….
-I never thought a day like this would come.
-I mean, I did enjoy watching it, but…….
Users from other nations found themselves in an awkward position.
Jin-woo, a Korean, was delivering insane results and had knocked their own home-country users out of their established positions—which felt terrible, yet the Underworld Reclaimed episode itself was so entertaining that they couldn’t do anything about it either way.
-I’ll just enjoy the Underworld Reclaimed episode for now.
-I’m becoming an honorary Korean. From this moment on, I’m an honorary Korean. Not German anymore.
-Already bought my plane ticket to Korea.
-I love Seoul.
-I love dakgalbi.
JBS editorial office.
The editors, who had erupted in celebration the moment Jin-woo’s video took the number one spot, soon began to feel slightly uneasy.
“But it’s only been less than a month.”
“Are the view counts going up even more?”
“We didn’t exactly create a masterpiece here.”
“It’s the quality of Jin-woo’s content.”
Things were growing bigger than expected.
Of course, they’d been confident this would happen, but now that it actually had, and the reaction had exploded, the pressure had become considerable.
“Why are you all getting cold feet when we’ve succeeded!”
Producer Han In-gu broke into a grin at the worried editors.
“Of course it’ll go higher! It’s not over yet! We’ve succeeded! We just need to enjoy this!”
Reclaiming the number one spot was only natural.
After all, they knew it well.
That this content would blow up big.
“We’ve got to go higher. Overwhelmingly so!”
The history that Pendant should have achieved would now be Jin-woo’s to accomplish.
“We can worry about what comes next later. For now, let’s celebrate!”
Elsewhere.
Pendant, the ranker blacksmith who should have been breaking history himself, was watching the shifted rankings.
“Sigh.”
He’d held the number one spot for quite a while.
“Two weeks. And three days.”
Exactly seventeen days.
In just seventeen days, the number one position that Pendant had been protecting slipped away.
In those seventeen days, the view count he’d recorded was a staggering two hundred million.
“Two hundred million. Two hundred million, they said.”
Two hundred million views was something Pendant himself had never reached, even with his dates packed solid.
And Jin-woo shattered that threshold in a mere seventeen days.
“There’s still room to grow, then.”
Pendant knew that Netflix’s peak viewership came around the one-month mark.
Jin-woo’s Underworld Reclaimed was not yet at its peak.
Not at its peak, and already two hundred million.
…….
This was a matchup you simply couldn’t win.
His collaborating producer kept sending messages, but Pendant didn’t check them.
He’d lost.
Lost completely and utterly.
He hadn’t cared about Netflix’s performance, but he’d secretly been hoping for it.
In New Generation, there were blacksmiths superior to him.
He’d done his best every time to beat them, but failed.
So he’d planned to dominate the Netflix charts and become the best there.
But that too had been stolen from him.
“Phew…….”
Pendant pressed his temples firmly.
He needed to maintain mental control.
“Netflix isn’t the real deal anyway. In New Generation, I haven’t fallen behind in anything yet.”
The real deal is New Generation.
Netflix is just a secondary competition.
Pendant cast the emotion aside.
It was a big shock, but he’d suspected it might happen.
He just hadn’t wanted to believe it.
“If I win in New Generation, that’s what matters. There’s still the exchange to come.”
Pendant had already determined Jin-woo’s current location.
“Avalon.”
He hadn’t expected him to settle in the workshop district of Chanran, of all places.
“So he really means to prove it.”
Like the title of Pendant’s video.
The intention was clear—to elevate Chanran, the lowest workshop district among the three kingdoms.
“Does he think that’ll be easy?”
To surpass the workshop districts of Malen and Grona, he’d need to outclass all the brilliant craftspeople there and lift Chanran solely on the strength of his name.
“Can’t do it alone.”
It’s impossible to do it alone.
But for a moment, Pendant fell silent.
Two hundred million in seventeen days. Who could have imagined it?
“Still.”
Some things just can’t be done.
He absolutely cannot raise Chanran alone.
* * *
Crash-!
Jin-woo had completed another piece of equipment.
And at the same moment, a large notification rang out.
Ding-!
-Achievement obtained!
-Achievement [Blacksmith of the Battlefield] obtained!
-Quest cleared!
-Registered to the Hall of Honor!
-This is a Unique Achievement!
Achievement: Blacksmith of the Battlefield.
‘Oh.’
A Unique Achievement.
Jin-woo had left his mark on an achievement that no one else had ever reached.
No blacksmith had ever crafted in this manner before.
Regardless of location.
Regardless of circumstance.
When crafting was needed, crafting happened.
The [Blacksmith of the Battlefield] was the achievement granted to such a blacksmith.
‘Better mood than I expected.’
Jin-woo broke into a bright smile the moment he obtained the Blacksmith of the Battlefield achievement.
This achievement was exactly what he’d wanted. He’d sought the Mobile Workshop for situations exactly like this.
It was as if New Generation itself was congratulating his accomplishments with this achievement.
‘But surely I wasn’t the only blacksmith who wanted to craft on the battlefield.’
The fact that it was a Unique Achievement seemed odd.
‘The condition must be more than just crafting on a battlefield.’
There are countless blacksmiths in New Generation.
‘Even back in Eternal Sunshine, there were plenty of unique blacksmiths.’
Back then, Jin-woo had never crafted on a battlefield, but there were quite a few blacksmiths who attempted various tactics to surpass him.
‘Then.’
Jin-woo had been crafting at many different moments besides right now.
‘There must be overlapping conditions.’
The achievement seemed to have been obtained through achieving overlapping conditions.
“Blacksmith of the Battlefield.”
Jin-woo decided on the title for the next Netflix episode.
“That’ll work perfectly.”
The greater demons could no longer threaten Jin-woo.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-!
Just as he was wrapping up.
“Did you think you’d kill us so easily?”
“Damn it. Master of Ten Thousand Demon Palace!”
The greater demons suddenly poured forth powerful energy and converged in one place.
They could no longer handle Jin-woo in this state.
Wooooosh-!
The greater demons began to unleash massive power.
-The demons of Elementia release all their power!
‘Final phase.’
Tackling three towers simultaneously was certainly quite difficult.
‘Even team units would struggle to clear this.’
“I never thought you’d make us draw on our true strength.”
Whoooosh-!
“You’ve forced us to expend power meant for the great and wise.”
“You will regret this.”
The greater demons began to join hands with one another.
Then a whirlwind swept over them.
Lightning, wind, earth.
These three forces swirled together simultaneously, beginning to merge into one.
Screeeeeech-!
“……No way.”
“!”
The subordinates chasing the greater demons suddenly froze.
Jin-woo’s expression had grown quite stiff.
Wooooosh-.
Wooooosh-!
-The greater demons of the three towers enter their final phase!
Boom-!
The three greater demons fused.
The fused demons began to unleash enormous power.
Jin-woo’s hands trembled.
Immediately, his subordinates grew alarmed watching him.
Had the greater demons’ power grown so immense that even Jin-woo was shocked?!
“I had a feeling… but…….”
Jin-woo slowly lowered his hands and opened his mouth.
“Please tell me you’re not dropping just one type of material each.”
That itself would be pure horror.
“?”
…….
His subordinates were actually startled by Jin-woo’s concern.
The fused trio of greater demons radiated tremendous aura.
Even the spirit blacksmiths crafting the colossal statue, Nordin, and the spirit knights all froze from the overwhelming power.
So naturally, they’d thought Jin-woo was trembling from fear.
But it wasn’t.
Jin-woo’s trembling came not from fear, but from fury.
“……Are you saying you’re worried they’ll drop just one material each……?”
“Then it’d be worth trembling over.”
“A.very.justified.reason.”
It was a very justified rage to witness.
If the greater demons dropped good materials but fusion reduced the amount, then naturally there was every reason to be angry.
“Kekekekeke.”
-Aktoz, the fusion of greater demons, regards you!
Wooooosh-.
The power each greater demon originally possessed swept through the air madly.
Lightning, wind, earth.
These three attributes resonated as if in harmony, displaying their power around them.
Rumble-. Rumble-!
Six arms.
Twelve wings.
And eight horns adorning the head.
The power emanating from Aktoz was no trivial matter.
Even First and Pur automatically shifted to alert—stronger than any demon they’d ever faced.
Thinking Jin-woo’s trembling was from fear, Aktoz looked at him and offered a grotesque smile.
“Human. Master of Ten Thousand Demon Palace. You have crossed a line you should not have crossed.”
Three voices emerged from a single body.
‘Interesting.’
Jin-woo felt quite relieved at that voice.
“You’ve merged, but haven’t become a single monster entirely. Then that’s fortunate.”
If so, there was a high probability he’d obtain materials from all three greater demons.
‘And the merged material might drop separately too.’
Then it was actually better.
“Or prepare yourself. I’ll keep resurrecting you until you drop materials.”
A chill settled into Jin-woo’s expression.
If that weren’t the case, Jin-woo planned to keep killing it and resurrecting it until it gave him materials.
“Let’s see how long that bluster lasts, Master of Ten Thousand Demon Palace!”
“One who mocks death shall atone with death.”
Wooooosh-!
Elementia’s power swept forward. Aktoz, brimming with that strength, spread his massive hands.
“Kahahahaha-!”
Drunk on the exhilaration from the immense power, Aktoz burst into exaggerated laughter.
“Let me show you how much stronger I’ve become through fusion.”
Jin-woo snapped his fingers sharply, and Speed and Bom moved instantly.
The two subordinates, moving at overwhelming speed, closed in on the greater demon and swung their weapons, imbued with attributes.
Titanium Claws and Thunder Cloud Dagger.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-!
Slash-!
Two attacks aimed at the vital points struck the greater demon directly in a single breath. It was the method of attack that had worked well until now.
“It no longer works.”
But true to those words, it did not work.
Jin-woo’s brow furrowed slightly.
Next came First and Pur.
Jin-woo had them attack continuously with swords of various attributes, timing their strikes so the greater demon couldn’t switch its attribute immunity.
Slash-!
Slash-!
Screeeech-!
The precise strikes pierced the neck, abdomen, and thigh perfectly.
“Hmm.”
Next came Fin, Moltus, and Bom.
“What a hideous form, lesser demon. It only inspires revulsion.”
“Fin-!”
“You agree, do you. Indeed, Fin. It is the winged ones who save the world. Kahahahaha-!”
Crash-! Crash-crash-!
Continuous attacks followed once more.
Aktoz didn’t even attempt to dodge. He simply took every attack that came his way.
And the results came.
“Hahahaha-!”
“It’s not working……?”
Pur swung the sword once more. Yet Aktoz remained unharmed.
Screech-.
Then Aktoz moved.
Whoosh-.
The speed itself was different from before.
Like a single gust of wind.
And like shafts of light and bolts of lightning, his hands began to move madly.
Boom-boom-!
With a sharp sound, First and Pur were sent flying backward explosively.
…….
First checked his shoulder. The single blow Aktoz had landed had dealt real damage to First.
The power piercing through the armor was nothing short of pure attribute itself.
“I.could.not.evade.That.is.my.failure.”
The damage wasn’t the armor’s fault.
It was because he couldn’t dodge.
An enraged First quietly gripped his sword. He planned to strike at him again with the Void Blood Ruin Sword.
‘Attribute attacks aren’t working anymore.’
The strategy of negating immunity itself through rapid attribute switching was no longer effective.
‘What’s happening?’
Then First moved again.
And this time, not Pur but Moltus pinned down Aktoz.
Crash-.
Using wind power and dark aura, he bound Aktoz tightly. But it was only temporary.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-!
Six arms simply tore through that binding, and wings fluttered open.
Whoooooosh-!
Then a wind blade swept toward Moltus. Moltus hurriedly swung the Wind Talisman Blade to block, but like swallowing a typhoon, Moltus was sent flying backward violently.
Boom-!
“Mol, you okay!”
……Thank you. Bom.”
Bom’s massive wings caught the flying Moltus. Bom spread his wings wide and flashed his fangs at Moltus.
“A senior with such a mighty junior is truly blessed.”
“……True.”
“Kahahahaha-!”
Bom unleashed a Breath directly at Aktoz.
“I’ve never seen a Breath dragon as weak as you.”
Aktoz smirked and swept his twelve wings against the incoming venom Breath.
“!”
But Bom’s venom Breath was not so easily blown away.
“Do you lesser demons really use the word ‘weak’ to describe those weaker than strong and great beings? Curious creatures you are.”
With an air of triumph, Bom charged another venom Breath. But having spent all his strength, he couldn’t fire Breaths in succession.
“Ugh. I’ll forgive it just this once.”
And so Jin-woo’s subordinates fought Aktoz. All of this was to gather information for Jin-woo.
‘It’s as if everything has immunity to attacks.’
Aktoz’s attacks were working on his subordinates, but the subordinates’ attacks weren’t working on Aktoz at all.
‘Even though we’re using attribute attacks like before, Aktoz shows no damage.’
It was completely different from before.
‘Has the mechanism changed?’
That shouldn’t be the case.
It was pouring forth Elementia’s power simultaneously with the fusion, so the fundamental power shouldn’t have deviated greatly from before.
‘It’s got to be that attribute attacks are the only way to damage it.’
But the method had changed.
“Difficult. Very difficult.”
On the surface, there seemed to be no strategy to break through.
A dead end.
The impossible.
But Jin-woo moved forward even when such a moment came.
“Time to prove it.”

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