The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 340

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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 340
Episode 340.
“I’ve only made one, though.”
Only one? she said.
Of course, Jin-woo had made only one, as he’d stated.
But that single unit was no ordinary Mechanic.
He’d created an unprecedented Mechanic with an exoskeleton formed from bone and minerals, housing three Magic Cores within.
With three Magic Cores in a single frame, it was as good as having built three Mechanics.
Jin-woo smiled at them and said it was fine.
‘This time.’
Jin-woo drew out the Kraken Hide.
He’d already confirmed the potential of this Kraken Hide through the deep-sea combat suit.
‘I’ll build a Mechanic centered around Kraken Hide.’
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Crack.
Jin-woo carved Runestones just as before.
‘A major Guild.’
He’d experienced this before.
For a Guild to build power, it needed a stronghold. The more developed the city, the better.
That way, the Guild could protect the city through contracts and receive substantial compensation in return.
‘By that measure, Sacra is the finest city there is.’
Excellent materials.
Combined with strong technical skill, there’s little risk of attack. Control the harbor or regulate landing sites, and the defense system becomes impenetrable.
‘Smart people indeed.’
He recalled the Special Moons Guild member he’d seen earlier.
‘At least Level 800 or above.’
Double Jin-woo’s Level, and their equipment was considerable too.
‘They must have a skilled craftsperson.’
Or perhaps they’d purchased equipment from another capable craftsperson outside the Guild.
‘They said the numbers exceeded five hundred.’
And he’d heard they possessed numerous Combat Mechanics equipped with powerful Magic Cores.
‘The Combat Mechanics built by Baxter will definitely be formidable.’
The Mechanic that greeted Jin-woo upon entering Central City was described as a Surveillance Mechanic, not a Combat Mechanic.
‘Combat Mechanics will be far more powerful than that.’
The quantity of Mechanics was impossible to pin down, they’d said.
‘They’re mass-producing based on Baxter’s Magical Core Theory. I’d estimate at least a thousand.’
One thousand Mechanics plus five hundred elite Guild members from a single-digit-ranked Guild.
‘That’s war.’
This was a different scale from any large-scale battle Jin-woo had fought before.
Numbers he absolutely couldn’t handle alone.
“This brings back old memories.”
During the Eternal Sunshine era, Jin-woo had constantly found himself in the midst of war.
He’d supplied equipment in countless conflicts—wars between users, wars between NPCs.
‘Those days seem distant now.’
Back then, he’d stayed behind the lines.
He hadn’t used the equipment himself or participated in combat directly.
‘Let me gauge my limits.’
How far he could go now.
‘Smart opponents won’t fall for smart tactics. Complexity gets overwhelmed by simplicity.’
Complexity crushed by simplicity.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Equipment created!
-Undead Mechanic created!
The second unit of Undead Mechanic was complete.
“I should assign a series name as well.”
Since these were Jin-woo’s Undead Mechanic series, he settled on “JU” as the designation.
The first Mechanic he’d built, J-001, required a different naming scheme since it was simply a Mechanic.
“JU-2. Complete.”
Having built two Undead Mechanics, Jin-woo stopped constructing them.
‘Building Mechanics is enjoyable too.’
Now he needed Mechanical Engineering Equipment for them to wield.
Bang! Bang!
The Undead Mechanic, Abyss, had exceptionally solid base specifications. Moreover, he’d invested considerably in its arms and legs, so arming it with Mechanical Engineering Equipment wasn’t urgent.
‘Though my assessment might change after seeing combat, right now it’s not necessary.’
So what he’d make now was a weapon for JU-2.
‘Leveraging JU-2’s strengths.’
JU-2 was a typical Undead Mechanic.
A mecha-familiar that drew tremendous power from Dark Energy and Magic Cores.
‘If that’s the case, explosive force is already guaranteed.’
So he’d craft a weapon to compensate for speed.
‘Something like the Lightning Propulsion Belt.’
A rod housing a Magic Core inscribed with Lightning Runewords seemed ideal.
‘It suits striking.’
Striking would be far faster than slashing like a sword or crushing with a hammer.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
-Equipment created!
-MR Grade Equipment created!
-Mechanical Engineering Lightning Chain Rod created!
The Mechanical Engineering Lightning Chain Rod materialized in Jin-woo’s hands.
Whsshhh.
When JU-2 took hold of it, the impact was considerable.
Black Aura and lightning erupted, steam rising in its wake.
Thrummm, thrummm. Thrrruuummmmm!
And then the characteristic Mechanical Engineering output from the Magic Core exploded forth.
‘When swinging the chain rod, the steam force detonates, allowing faster strikes.’
Wrapped in lightning’s power as well, speed alone was assured. Of course, this Mechanical Engineering force couldn’t be used infinitely.
‘But for a limited duration, it can deliver explosive velocity.’
That was the hallmark of Mechanical Engineering Equipment.
‘I’ll need a reference.’
He’d grasped the Mechanical Engineering Equipment he’d made so far in general terms.
‘I came to Sacra to see more Mechanical Engineering Equipment after all.’
“This much should suffice for now.”
‘Sacra should prove entertaining.’
In Elementia, a large-scale battle with monsters tied to the Main Quest had unfolded. Here in Sacra, the focus was a user war.
‘And Special Moons is certainly a respectable Guild.’
War against such a Guild could be quite stimulating.
“Could we secure more materials?”
“I’ll head out, destroy the material warehouses, and bring them back.”
The Mechanical Engineers saw the potential.
They needed to supply Jin-woo with materials first.
Baxter and the Mechanical Engineers rushed outside and hastily destroyed the material warehouses.
“I’ll repay all of this later.”
“We apologize!”
Crash!
The material warehouses in the Harbor Back Alley outside Central City didn’t contain particularly high-grade materials.
But this wasn’t the time to be selective.
Besides, Jin-woo simply needed materials right now.
Material quality wasn’t the priority.
“Jin-woo!”
Baxter and the Mechanical Engineers returned laden with materials.
Everything the Harbor warehouse contained.
“We’ve brought it all.”
“Though there were still a few usable pieces!”
Seeing the additional materials, Jin-woo immediately resumed work.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
And so Jin-woo was able to craft more Mechanical Engineering Equipment.
“Hmm.”
Jin-woo observed the Mechanical Engineers.
‘They have no combat experience whatsoever.’
With typical combat, the materials they currently had would suffice to equip them.
But the enemy was formidable, making current materials insufficient.
‘First, they need actual combat experience.’
Plans flowered in Jin-woo’s mind.
Bang!
-Equipment created!
Having made the final equipment, Jin-woo rose from his seat.
“Now we move.”
As Jin-woo prepared to leave the warehouse, the Mechanical Engineers faltered.
“Straight to Central City now……?”
“With this force……? We’re going to fight?”
Two Undead Mechanics plus the equipment he’d furnished them was undoubtedly overwhelming.
But it still felt insufficient for immediate combat.
“Of course we can’t charge in right away.”
Jin-woo replied.
Barging through doors and attacking would still fall short of their concerns.
‘I need to fill the gaps first.’
“We need to test it out first, don’t we? I myself don’t know precisely what level of performance the Undead Mechanics can achieve.”
He could only estimate roughly.
And estimation without actual verification remained mere assumption.
“The humiliation, the shame that you’ve all endured.”
Those days of constant pursuit, unable to sleep properly.
“Let’s turn it back on them. Let those who only pursued show what it feels like to be hunted.”
It was time to return the favor.
* * *
Guild: Special Moons.
Guild Master Gordan wore a satisfied smile.
“Finally, the final stage. With this, Sacra is under our control.”
Gordan had invested considerable effort in Sacra for a long time.
From that first day when he felt the allure of Mechanical Engineering’s tremendous power, he’d settled in Sacra and strategized with his Guild members on how to seize the city.
Then came contact with an NPC.
Hamus—a councillor who wanted to push Ether Core Theory as the mainstream approach.
He’d championed Ether Core Theory for years with little result.
He’d attained his councillor position thanks to his family’s long service in Sacra, but he was merely a figurehead.
He lacked power.
He had plans but not the strength to execute them.
Such a man had approached Special Moons.
Gordan possessed strength; Hamus possessed plans and legitimacy.
-Let’s work together.
Having joined hands with Hamus, Special Moons wielded that strength and legitimacy to reach this point.
Now countless Combat Mechanics fought alongside Special Moons, and victory came in every battle.
Of course, it hadn’t been easy.
Councillors armed with various Mechanical Engineering Equipment and families within Sacra had mounted fierce resistance.
Beyond that, Mechanical Engineers loyal to Magic Core Theory had rebelled as well.
Yet despite all this, Special Moons and Hamus had succeeded in subduing Sacra.
Now Sacra had become a city under Hamus’s and Special Moons’ control.
“These Magic Core Mechanics are certainly powerful. With them, no one dares complain anymore.”
Thanks to Combat Mechanics equipped with Magic Cores, all those undesirable to Sacra had been driven into the Back Alleys.
“Trash is in its proper place now. We just build more power from here.”
“No Guild has ever conquered such a massive city! With this, we can rival Leap and Dragon’s Descent, even surpass them and take first place!”
At those words, Guild Master Gordan pinched the bridge of his nose.
“It’s possible this time.”
Special Moons once had several Rankers.
All were Rankers that Gordan had personally recruited and developed.
Gordan stood at the front lines, building Special Moons.
He’d claimed victories in various neutral zones, pocketed profits, and elevated the Guild’s status.
But trouble arose.
The Rankers he’d cultivated gained notoriety through Special Moons, then transferred to other Guilds—a pattern that repeated.
At the root lay Gordan’s excessive methods.
-We must be first!
-Who has time to sleep? To the dungeons immediately!
-Secure those neutral zones!
He drove his members relentlessly.
-You think you’re Guild Master?
-Show some ownership!
Unable to endure Gordan’s excessive behavior, all the Guild members had defected.
Special Moons, once ranked fifth, plummeted to ninth, losing all competitive edge.
He’d gathered promising members again and developed them, but they too left Special Moons.
Gordan had reflected.
There was no point developing these ungrateful traitors.
Instead, he’d decided to build power that would never betray him—Mechanics.
“Let’s establish true strength through Mechanics. Humans betray. Rankers are worthless once developed. So we’ll overturn everything through Mechanics.”
“Wise words, sir. Let’s take the remaining Guild members and their Mechanics, then flip Malen Duchy on its head.”
Leave Grona—held by Leap—for now. Seize Malen Duchy first, then consume Grona as well.
The first step of that grand plan was about to begin.
“Film it for MiTube too.”
“Yes!”
“Start mass production right away.”
“Yes!”
Then a Guild member rushed in urgently.
“Guild Master, I have a report.”
“Handle it?”
Currently, Baxter’s disciples and followers kept causing trouble. They’d infiltrated Central City, attacking Mechanics, staging protests and speeches.
They claimed an outsider Guild was swallowing Sacra.
That Baxter had been deliberately driven out, and Mechanics were turning the city into a surveillance state.
“That’s not it.”
“You still haven’t handled it? Tch.”
“The exile has returned.”
“……What?”
The Guild Master’s expression hardened.
“Baxter has returned. A Surveillance Mechanic detected him.”
“……Gutsy. I let him live last time, but not this time.”
Baxter was a risk factor.
His strength—Magic Core Theory—was too formidable to contain, so they’d had no choice but to exile him.
Of course, the Magic Core Theory and Mechanics he’d left behind were serving Gordan well.
Soon they’d become Special Moons’ greatest asset.
“Actually, this is fortunate. Extract all remaining Magic Core Theory from him, then dispose of him.”
Gordan gestured.
“Assign a few Combat Mechanics and some Guild members to handle it.”
“Yes!”
* * *
“Ahem.”
Central City.
There stood Baxter.
-There’s no better bait than you, Baxter. Not only do you craft Mechanical Engineering Equipment brilliantly, you’re the only one here who wields it masterfully.
“It’s true enough, I suppose……”
Baxter adjusted his belt.
“I’ll manage.”
Jin-woo’s words had been largely accurate. If so, this should be too.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Then the sound of Combat Mechanics echoed.
Thrummm!
Thrrummm!
The moment Baxter entered Central City, the Mechanics responded.
“Exile detected.”
“Exile detected.”
“Exile will be apprehended.”
“Exile priority apprehension.”
Surveillance Mechanics spotted Baxter and immediately summoned Combat Mechanics. They advanced rapidly toward him.
“Haah.”
Baxter bolted at the sight of the incoming Combat Mechanics.
He triggered his belt, activating lightning for a burst of speed.
Crack! Crackle!
Leading them behind him, Baxter ran.
His destination: where Jin-woo was waiting.
“My location must be compromised by now.”
The outsiders would appear soon. Baxter planned to lead them to his destination.
Thud.
A heavy impact shook the ground. Baxter smirked.
“Just as Jin-woo said.”
Orders for Baxter’s elimination had clearly come down.
“Let’s go.”

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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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