The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 353

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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 353
3
53.
The Vanguard Captain’s body flinched. Without thinking, he’d almost stepped aside.
But he struck both his cheeks hard.
He had to regain focus.
He couldn’t die here like an idiot.
“The Main Force will come from behind! Hold on! Hold it longer!”
He had to create a way out, no matter what.
He still had one hidden card left.
If he could just use that hidden card, he could reverse the situation!
“Besides, we haven’t even fought properly yet!”
If they waited for the Main Force with that hidden card, all would be well. The spark of hope hadn’t been extinguished.
At the Vanguard Captain’s words, the expressions of the other Guild members in the Vanguard Unit brightened.
He was right. There was still hope.
They still hadn’t fought a proper battle.
Because their anti-Necromancer technique hadn’t been deployed yet.
“Captain—!”
Just then, a voice rang out. The Vanguard Captain turned his head urgently. Guild members were there.
“Captain!”
They were the Guild members who had scattered at first. As they returned, all the members’ faces lit up.
“We apologize for the delay!”
“No—you came at just the right moment!”
Hope gleamed in the Vanguard Captain’s eyes.
Now that they had returned, it was time to raise the flag of counterattack.
“Are you ready?”
“It’s complete.”
“Preparations are done!”
At that moment, the Guild members who had dashed off in another direction when combat began sent a signal.
Hope surged up from the depths of despair.
At last they had finished their preparations.
“That’s it. This will do it.”
The Vanguard Captain gestured.
“Begin!”
“Yes!”
“Divine Territory!”
“Divine Territory!”
A rushing sound—
In an instant, sacred light burst forth from where they had laid down the Artifacts. East, west, south, north. The holy light rose in a perfect circle toward the sky, then began to expand.
As the dome of light spread to touch the edge of heaven, intense and holy energy poured through the interior of the dome.
—This is a Purification Territory.
—A realm where Holy Power reaches.
—It profoundly affects all existences within the domain!
A rushing sound—
The Divine Territory had been invoked—a Purification Territory that cleansed all things around it with Holy Power.
Holy Power descended upon all of Jin-woo’s Familiars.
“Ungh—!”
Bone was the first to react.
A rushing sound—
A deafening rushing sound—!
As the deadly sacred light spread to the Undead, Bone and the other Familiars began to feel its effects in turn.
—Purification Light burns you!
—Purification Power suppresses your strength!
—Due to the effect of the Holy Sanctum, movement speed is reduced. Strength is reduced. Dark Energy weakens…….
…….
Countless notification windows announcing Debuffs appeared.
All of Jin-woo’s Familiars received Debuffs.
Ordinarily, these Familiars could overcome most Debuffs—in fact, they usually functioned as Buffs instead—but this was a different kind of Debuff.
It was the only type of Debuff that worked on Undead.
‘This is their greatest weakness.’
Through his previous battle, Jin-woo had already come to understand the Undead’s critical vulnerability.
‘I was curious how much they’d be weakened.’
So when combat began, he deliberately did not stop those who dashed away.
‘And it paid off.’
A continuous rushing sound—
As the Purification Light spread ceaselessly, Jin-woo himself began to feel its effects.
Suddenly his vision wavered.
‘So this is what it feels like.’
His body grew heavy. His vision blurred. Holy Power constrained every part of his body.
And that was not all.
—You take damage!
Damage accumulated on Jin-woo’s body.
‘Continuous damage, too. This Holy Power is a certain counter. A solid one.’
This was exactly why the Necromancer Class saw limited use. It had a far too clear counter.
Moreover, priests who wielded this Holy Power were among the most common Classes, and equipment infused with Holy Power was readily available.
Jin-woo waved his hand.
“Proclamation of Thousand Names.”
This Divine Territory, too, was a domain of power. If so, he could simply erase that domain with another domain.
Jin-woo invoked the Proclamation of Thousand Names once more.
Darkness poured forth and surged outward.
A crackling sound—
An intense crackling sound—!
The darkness from the Proclamation of Thousand Names and the sacred light of Purification began to collide.
Darkness and light intertwined, and a thunderous roar erupted.
Since both forces possessed powerful domain control, tremendous vibrations began to ripple outward.
Unease crept into the Vanguard Captain’s eyes. Naturally, Holy Power should win. So why did his heart feel so uneasy?
A rushing sound—
A crackling sound—!
But the elemental advantage was unmistakable.
—The power of Proclamation of Thousand Names weakens.
—Proclamation of Thousand Names expands limitedly.
The Divine Territory’s power pushed back the Proclamation of Thousand Names entirely.
The Proclamation of Thousand Names unfolded only limitedly for Jin-woo and his Familiars. The damage from the Divine Territory continued unabated.
“There’s nothing I can do about that.”
If it were the kind of Darkness that devoured even light itself, perhaps—but his current Proclamation of Thousand Names could not overcome this sacred light.
“Can’t purify it?”
Yet the fact that they were pushed back at all was absurd.
The Divine Territory could purify all Dark Energy and burn away any power related to it.
But it hadn’t purified him. That couldn’t be right.
The Vanguard Captain was baffled. He’d never imagined Jin-woo possessed the kind of Dark Energy that only top-tier Necromancers wielded.
“Attack!”
So the Vanguard Captain issued orders with fierce intensity.
It may not have purified him, but Jin-woo and all his Familiars were weakened right now.
“Just wait for the Main Force! Pin down the weakened Jin-woo and his Familiars so they can’t escape!”
The Vanguard Captain naturally assumed Jin-woo would try to flee.
Of course he would. Fighting back in this situation would be foolish. Jin-woo’s hands and feet were effectively bound right now.
So the only choice left was retreat. Strictly speaking, a tactical withdrawal. No one would say Jin-woo lost if he withdrew under these circumstances.
But Jin-woo was pointing forward.
“First, Pur.”
He called out the names of his two Familiars.
And gestured for the remaining Familiars to advance as well.
“Can you fight?”
“Yes.”
“It is possible!”
Though the Familiars suffered continuous damage and their concentration wavered, with their physical abilities weakened, they were still sufficient.
“Show me.”
‘Just as I test the limits of my equipment, I must continue to test the limits of my Familiars.’
Jin-woo observed his Familiars.
‘My Familiars are not yet perfected.’
So this situation was precisely what Jin-woo wanted.
“They’re coming?”
The Vanguard Captain was stunned. They’re charging forward in this condition?
Jin-woo looked at the perplexed Vanguard Captain.
“Just because we’re weakened doesn’t mean you’ve gotten stronger.”
A heavy crash—!
Pur swung the War Hammer down. The Vanguard member at the front went flying backward with a whoosh. The blow was certainly weaker than before.
“Tch.”
Pur scowled. He was quite displeased. His power dropped this much from just one Holy Power? His pride stung at his diminished state.
“—!”
Yet Pur remained formidable.
“This is insane.”
“What are those things? The Divine Territory is active right now…….”
“How is that even possible?”
Divine Territory was a Skill that required five MR-Grade Artifacts and ten Holy Priests of Anus’s faith to activate.
With Holy Power, it eradicated unholy forces and beings outright, and most Undead didn’t merely weaken within this domain—their very existence often vanished.
It was a power similar to Turn Undead, which was formidable against Undead.
Yet even within this Divine Territory, the Familiars’ power was only weakened. Not a single Familiar had disappeared.
“How high a Grade are they?”
“Still, this is manageable!”
The Vanguard Unit had done all the Divine Territory could do.
“Hold on! Grab their ankles!”
The Main Force, composed of four hundred members, also possessed more Combat Mechanics and could unfold Holy Power on an even greater scale than the Divine Territory.
They just needed to buy time.
“If we can hold out like this, we can definitely gain the advantage.”
The Vanguard Unit shifted into defensive mode.
They would hold out until the Main Force arrived. The Main Force wasn’t far away. Just as the Sub-Guild Master had rushed here in one breath, the Main Force could arrive just as quickly.
A heavy crash—!
A sharp impact—!
“What……?”
First and Pur, who had thought it manageable, were suddenly rampaging in the heart of the enemy formation. Not only that—the other Familiars, with power incomparable to the initial clash, tore through and toppled the Vanguard Unit.
—Deceased!
—Deceased!
—Deceased!
First appeared before the Vanguard Captain in a blink.
A soft piercing sound—
The Eternal Cycle Sword passed straight through the Vanguard Captain.
“We’ve lost power, so controlling our strength becomes difficult,” Jin-woo said.
He spoke calmly.
“We have to finish you all quickly.”
The Vanguard Captain’s vision went black instantly.
—Deceased!
“I.Will.Practice.Power.Control.More.”
First spoke haltingly.
“No need to strain yourself.”
“How.Ever.”
He couldn’t meet the Main Force in this uncontrolled state.
The Main Force had a Guild Master stronger than the Sub-Guild Master.
Beyond that, in raw numbers alone, they outnumbered him four times over.
And they would certainly have more Combat Mechanics, with the Guild Master fully prepared.
Meeting the Main Force in this condition meant a hundred percent loss.
“Huh…… Huh…….”
Among those fighting on Jin-woo’s side, there were some who actually received Buffs from this sacred light.
Baxter and the Mechanical Engineers.
Particularly Tabuk received a powerful Buff from the Holy Power, thanks to equipment imbued with Holy Power that he carried.
The other Mechanical Engineers were also strengthened by both the equipment Jin-woo had made for them and their own Mechanical Engineering Equipment.
“The Solar Screws…… Phew, they’re truly helpful.”
It was the Solar Screws, the material they all shared in common. This solar power was deeply connected to Holy Power.
“But…… we cannot continue fighting like this…….”
The Mechanical Engineers had already reached their limits. Of course, thanks to the Divine Territory, they were recovering continuously, so with a brief rest they could fight again.
But that was all. Against the overwhelming force of the Main Force, they would certainly not endure.
“Jin-woo.”
“Perhaps you should withdraw first…….”
With the Vanguard Unit completely fallen, this timing was perfectly optimized for a tactical withdrawal.
“Please fall back, engineers.”
Yet Jin-woo only smiled.
“I have a method.”

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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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