The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 327

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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 327
Episode 327.
He was American.
What’s more, they’d met for business purposes. There was no reason for him to be deferential.
Yet despite all that, he bowed deeply.
‘As expected. You can’t just become a CEO.’
Jin-woo could gauge Rod Paradox’s capabilities from that very gesture.
From Rod’s perspective, Jin-woo was a walking goldmine.
He’d created Netflix’s killer content for the second half of the year, and by Netflix’s entire history, he’d achieved remarkable results.
The revenue Jin-woo alone had brought to Netflix right now—it was staggering.
Rod couldn’t help but smile the moment he saw him.
“I’m Rod Paradox, Mr. You.”
It was quite strange—he barely seemed like a CEO.
Yet ambition still gleamed in his eyes.
‘He speaks Korean pretty well, though it sounds memorized.’
What’s more, he seemed to have learned it by rote, relying on an interpreter beside him as he began to speak.
“I really enjoyed this series, Spirit’s Blacksmith! It was more entertaining than any content we’ve released recently, and that’s saying something beyond just NewGen productions!”
Praise, and then—
“I’d like to discuss additional contract terms. We want to work with you on the best possible conditions Netflix can offer.”
Rod Paradox laid out terms of truly astonishing generosity.
Not just the production fee, but running royalties as well.
‘The amount is overwhelmingly advantageous.’
It was so extravagant compared to his existing contracts that they were hardly comparable.
Yet for Jin-woo in his current position, this held little appeal.
‘Money—I already have plenty.’
Money couldn’t be a concern for him. He was already earning more than enough from NewGen, and could continue to do so.
What Jin-woo wanted was something unique that only this platform could offer.
“If you wish, we’re prepared to accept additional conditions beyond what I’ve mentioned.”
Rod Paradox added this, having read Jin-woo’s expression.
“Please tell us candidly if there’s anything you desire.”
Jin-woo was a gold mine.
A promising one that yielded gold with every excavation.
So for Netflix, giving him anything was no loss.
They couldn’t possibly let go of NewGen’s hottest asset.
“I’ve heard you out, thank you.”
‘The terms themselves aren’t bad.’
What Jin-woo had focused on in this meeting was each platform’s exclusive offerings.
An offer to give him whatever he wanted wasn’t what he was looking for.
‘Besides, money isn’t an exclusive condition.’
If they wanted to recruit him, they shouldn’t have asked what he wanted—they should have thought about what he’d want and proposed it first.
“I’ll think it over and get back to you.”
Next, Jin-woo met with the CEOs of Injoy and Lizni.
“Good day!”
Both CEOs greeted him in perfect Korean. Of course, they handled the details through interpreters.
Injoy’s CEO was similar to Netflix’s.
Good conditions.
He said they viewed Jin-woo as their flagship content and would entrust full creative control to him as the primary producer.
They’d provide unlimited support if needed and handle advertising however he wished.
And they presented an enormous contract fee.
“I’ve heard your proposal. I’ll get back to you once I’ve thought it through.”
And finally, there was Lizni.
He’d expected them to be like the previous two, but Lizni was different.
“As we mentioned in the email, we’d like to offer something other than a contract fee.”
Lizni’s CEO told him this.
Unlike the other two companies, Lizni had laid out detailed contract terms in their email beforehand.
‘Usually, companies don’t reveal such detailed conditions before a meeting.’
But while that made sense from a company’s perspective, from Jin-woo’s standpoint, revealing detailed terms before they met was far preferable.
“We at Lizni possess a Magic Forest within NewGen.”
A Magic Forest.
It had been mentioned in the email. Lizni was making an official investment in NewGen.
They were acquiring in-game wealth through play, and the Magic Forest was the largest of these acquisitions.
Seventy percent of what Lizni had invested since NewGen’s opening day went directly into the Magic Forest.
A minimum of hundreds of billions.
“The Magic Forest produces a tremendous variety of materials.”
With hundreds of billions invested, the Magic Forest was generating substantial returns.
“We at Lizni would like to give you everything that comes from that Magic Forest. That’s our contract condition. We can also arrange Gold payments if you wish.”
It was a completely different contract offer from the previous two companies.
‘It was the same in the email, but—’
Meeting them in person made him appreciate it even more.
Jin-woo listened further and rose from his seat.
“I’ll think it over and be in touch.”
Jin-woo’s decision was already made.
* * *
Baxter hadn’t been unwilling to talk about it, actually.
Why he’d come all this way to Positano from Sacra Engineering City?
That journey was a wound for him, but also something he wanted to voice and unburden himself with.
So when Jin-woo asked, he’d planned to relent and tell him.
He’d naturally be curious, he figured.
From such a distant place as Sacra Engineering City to Positano.
Of course he’d be curious!
But Jin-woo simply threw himself into mechanical engineering work.
Just: he’s here, then.
He didn’t even ask, as if that were all there was to it.
Baxter felt both embarrassed and uneasy.
He was beginning to worry he’d lose his chance to tell the story altogether.
“Master Baxter!”
Just then, someone knocked on the Workshop door.
This was a hidden place. Only those with permission could enter, and currently, that meant only the lord of Positano and his subordinates.
“I’ve brought the materials you requested! Though there’s quite a bit more than usual.”
The materials Baxter had asked for filled an entire cart.
“Last time you said there were too many materials and it dampened your motivation—”
“I’ve found my motivation now. I’ve used it all up.”
“Oh! So your enthusiasm has returned!”
The lord’s subordinate laughed brightly.
“You see, a great Foreigner from the Avalak Kingdom has conquered Positano! The Avalak Kingdom has been sending considerable support, and many Foreigners have been arriving—Positano is absolutely thriving! He’s truly a great Foreigner!”
Baxter glanced back.
He wondered if the subordinate knew that the great Foreigner was consuming everything in this Workshop.
“Great, indeed.”
“If you have time, do visit the Central Plaza sometime! Master Baxter! Well, I’ll be off!”
After the lord’s subordinate left.
Bang! Crash!
Baxter approached Jin-woo, who was in the middle of work.
He couldn’t put it off any longer.
“Ahem—! Ahem! You, uh, asked before, didn’t you? Why I’m here. Well, the truth is—”
“No, it’s all right. When you’re ready—”
Jin-woo, who’d been concentrating, waved his hand.
“I’m not forcing you to tell me—”
“No! I’m ready now!”
Baxter blurted out urgently, fearing he’d lose the moment.
“The reason I’m here is—”
Baxter quickly opened his mouth and began to explain.
“It was six months ago now—”
In Sacra Engineering City, Baxter had been regarded as a great scholar of engineering.
“The Magical Core. This technology was the biggest reason I could earn recognition.”
Centered on Magical Core theory, Baxter had earned the title of Mechanic Master and become a vitally important engineer in Sacra Engineering City.
Countless mechanical engineering devices in Sacra were created according to the Magical Core theory he’d advanced, and buildings, defense systems, magic, potions, explosives—countless things had been developed by his hand.
The greatest development was in Mechanics.
Mechanics that had once only followed simple commands became capable of performing diverse tasks thanks to the formidable power of the Magical Core, and Sacra Engineering City entered its golden age.
Mechanics began easily accomplishing work that was difficult for humans, productivity surged, and everyone in Sacra became prosperous.
Sacra, which had been isolationist by nature, began exchanging with other kingdoms and even started building sea routes to overcome the disadvantage of being an island.
At the center of all this was Baxter.
“I thought this glory would last my entire life.”
But disaster struck in the midst of that glory.
Boom!
It was an explosion.
“My Magical Core theory—you’ve studied it yourself, so you know it’s extremely dangerous.”
Powerful in exchange for instability.
While it was the mechanical engineer’s duty to control that instability, since it depended on each engineer’s skill level, problems eventually erupted.
“People died. Quite a few, actually.”
The problem was who had died.
“A councilor of Sacra.”
Sacra operated through a council system composed of distinguished figures from various fields.
After a council member died in the Magical Core explosion incident, suspicion fell on Baxter, who understood Magical Core theory better than anyone in the city.
“I didn’t cause the explosion myself, but my theory caused it, so they pinned the blame on me.”
Naturally, no one outright blamed Baxter for this incident, but some councilors began stirring up opinion that Magical Core theory should be banned entirely.
And then a new theory appeared.
“The Ether Core theory. A theory emerged that could replace my Magical Core theory.”
Ether Core theory was similar to yet different from Magical Core theory.
‘It’s like the difference between Spell Enchantment and Rune Words.’
Ether Core theory pursued stability with a lower ceiling, while Magical Core theory had lower stability but a higher ceiling. These two theories clashed violently within Sacra.
“In the end, Ether Core theory won. With the councilor’s death and the council pushing Ether Core theory, it became the victor.”
Ultimately, Sacra Engineering City adopted Ether Core theory as its mainstream.
“Stability was achieved. Very much so.”
But with that stability came the loss of explosive growth.
“The essence of mechanical engineering is that explosive power. I believed that explosive force was an absolutely necessary element.”
For this reason, Baxter collided with the council again.
“Sacra was in its growth phase. Ether Core theory is stable, but that stability brings no progress. It only treads water where it’s already reached.”
But this became his undoing.
“My Workshop was confiscated.”
Under the charge of continuing to pursue a dangerous and subversive theory, Baxter was stripped of his Workshop and effectively driven out of Sacra Engineering City.
After hearing the entire story, Jin-woo exhaled slowly.
“That’s a tragic turn of events.”
Magical Core theory was certainly dangerous.
But banning something because it was dangerous meant refusing further development.
‘Since I haven’t seen what Ether Core theory is, I can’t judge it.’
At least both theories should have coexisted.
‘Pushing only one side is a shame.’
Baxter’s Magical Core theory still had considerable potential for development.
‘It’s excellent technology.’
The more he studied it, the more he understood how effective mechanical engineering equipment made with Magical Core methods truly was.
“Many people continued developing my methods. Even after I was driven out, I heard they were still researching Magical Core theory. But by now, I’m sure Ether Core theory has become the only mainstream approach.”
With Baxter, the pioneer of Magical Core theory, gone, no one else dared champion it with such conviction.
So it was easy enough to push Ether Core theory further.
“That’s my story.”
Baxter sighed deeply.
It was shameful, really.
To be driven out of Sacra Engineering City—a place he’d devoted everything to—for such a ridiculous reason. It was absurd.
People would jeer and laugh at the fall of one who’d once been called Mechanic Master.
He couldn’t bear it.
That’s why he’d said little about it even after coming to Positano.
He’d just said he came seeking new experiences.
But with Jin-woo, he wanted to speak the truth.
Because he’d been wanting to confide in someone.
“Pathetic, isn’t it?”
Baxter asked.
“Yes. Pathetic.”
Jin-woo spoke without hesitation.
“Though I meant the Sacra councilors, not you.”
‘What a waste.’
Jin-woo smiled wryly.
Had it been him, he would have absorbed both theories.
‘If you take what’s good and add more good to it while removing what’s bad, could there be anything better?’
When you lean toward only one side, you eventually collapse.
“Those councilors know nothing of theory, so they made such a decision. You were simply caught in it, Master Baxter.”
“…Jin-woo.”
Baxter’s eyes grew moist.
“Do you understand Ether Core theory, then? Master Baxter?”
“I don’t. I tried to study it, but the mechanical engineer pushing Ether Core theory hated me too much.”
Though he didn’t know it fully, he had a rough understanding.
“It’s a theory that uses Ether Core instead of Magical Core. This Ether is a kind of—”
“Spiritual energy?”
“Yes! You truly possess vast knowledge!”
‘As a Necromancer, I would know.’
The spirits Jin-woo used were a type of Ether.
If Magical Core uses two types of power—Rune Stones and Rune Words—then Ether Core likely worked by extracting and using the Ether inherent in materials.
‘There must be a skill like Spirit Extraction.’
Jin-woo grew quite interested.
‘If it was stable enough to push out Magical Core, its stability must be remarkable.’
That stability was indeed something Magical Core needed right now.
‘But this isn’t a time for them to fight. It’s a time to find a way to merge them.’
“Master Baxter.”
Jin-woo regarded him seriously.
“Do you intend to stay here?”
“I’d like to return.”
This place made it difficult to procure mechanical engineering materials.
So what he was using now was only a portion of what he’d brought with him when he left the engineering city.
Rune Stones especially—what he had left was all he possessed.
“Rune Stones are nearly depleted.”
Without Rune Stones, mechanical engineering was practically impossible.
To procure materials, he’d have to go to Sacra.
“But I don’t want to return to Sacra simply for materials.”
That place had become a wound for him.
What would be the point in returning?
Ether Core theory had already become mainstream, and everything he’d done was now treated as heretical power.
He was now an unwelcome guest there.
“You truly don’t want to return?”
Jin-woo asked.
‘That’s not his true heart.’
If he truly didn’t want to return to Sacra, he wouldn’t have needed to pour out his story to Jin-woo like this.
And he wouldn’t have eyes like those.
‘It must have been like a homeland where he was recognized.’
And above all, his Magical Core theory was now dismissed as unstable.
‘He must want to prove it.’
“Don’t you want to prove it?”
Jin-woo, having observed how Baxter made Magical Cores, Rune Words, and his overall mechanical engineering, knew this well.
He knew it from watching the butler robot he’d created.
‘He’s made quite a few modifications specifically to provide stability.’
He hadn’t noticed at first, but after building the Wind Glider and the Pickaxe from the Engineering Tournament, Jin-woo had come to understand.
He wanted to return.
He wanted to return and prove himself.
…
Baxter exhaled.
“I’m afraid my conclusion might be wrong.”
He wanted to return, yet simultaneously didn’t want to.
“I will go with you.”
Where there’s will, that’s enough.
“I.”
Jin-woo said.
“I will make this Magical Core theory you’ve presented into the right answer.”

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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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