The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 371

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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 371
371.
Demonification.
Jin-woo, the Master of the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, could now wield the power of demons directly.
“The name is quite straightforward, isn’t it.”
‘There was a reason my overall stats climbed every time I sealed demons in the Ten Thousand Demon Palace.’
To wield the power of demons, one had to meet a certain baseline of capability.
That’s why his stats had risen each time he sealed a demon in the palace.
Shhhhaaaa—.
“So this whole time was just build preparation to learn the Demonification skill.”
If one commanded demons, it was only natural to wield their power as well.
“Demonification.”
Jin-woo immediately activated the Demonification skill.
His pupils flushed red.
-Demonic power surges through your body!
-Demonification activated!
-Duration: 180 seconds.
-Can only be used once per day.
-Duration increases based on the number of demons sealed in the Ten Thousand Demon Palace.
The Demonification duration was 180 seconds—three minutes.
An immense sense of exhilaration flooded through his body.
Jin-woo flexed both arms experimentally.
Shhhhaaaaaaa—!
‘This would be useful in combat.’
It was a typical combat skill. But Jin-woo’s mind raced with other applications.
‘This energy from my hands—it comes from the Ten Thousand Demon Palace, doesn’t it?’
Shhhaaaa—.
The crimson aura was subtly different from the Necromancer aura Jin-woo originally possessed.
‘It’s different from the Necromaster’s power.’
The Necromaster’s power was fundamentally dark energy.
But this energy—crimson and potent—felt distinctly different.
‘I might be able to use it in crafting.’
Just as he infused materials with Necromaster power to create special options, he could easily channel this demonified crimson energy into materials as well.
Jin-woo picked up a hammer.
Shhhhaaaaaaa—.
The crimson energy seeped into the hammer.
It was exactly as Jin-woo had anticipated.
‘The demonic energy takes root in the hammer.’
Which meant he could definitely infuse it into materials.
Smirk—.
Jin-woo smiled with evident satisfaction.
‘This will amplify my weaknesses, though.’
That was the most pressing problem he’d have to solve now. Since he already recognized the issue, it didn’t matter.
‘Having another power source for synergy is a good thing.’
Jin-woo gripped the hammer.
He wanted to craft right now if he could.
‘Let me test it once things settle down.’
Materials of ??? Grade.
He wanted to return to the manor and experiment with them to his heart’s content.
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
Boom—!
As Jin-woo conquered the tower, it began to crumble.
‘This one is collapsing.’
Some towers remained intact, while others fell to ruin.
‘I assumed towers registered in the Hall of Honor wouldn’t collapse.’
It seemed even towers in the Hall of Honor could fall.
“Haah… haah…”
Hamus’s breathing grew shallower with each moment.
Jin-woo approached Hamus.
“Now I pay the price. I made a foolish choice… I was stupid. I shouldn’t have. No matter how much Faust intended to deceive me, it was still my choice, after all.”
Hamus spoke with bitter self-mockery.
“But I’m grateful. Faust is dead, so my revenge succeeded. And thanks to you, I witnessed the evolution of the Ether Core. Evolution truly is the perfect word for it….”
“You’re not dead yet, Hamus.”
Jin-woo spoke to him.
“I made you a promise, remember?”
“…A promise.”
Suddenly, light returned to Hamus’s eyes.
The glow of someone facing death.
“I will keep it.”
The promise to resurrect Roana for a limited time.
Jin-woo hadn’t forgotten that promise.
‘I conquered the tower while keeping Hamus alive, but he didn’t have much time left.’
He had already spent far too much of his lifespan.
It seemed he had expended it fulfilling his contract with Faust and spreading magic circles across all of Sakura.
‘And now that Faust has been forcibly withdrawn.’
Death was closing in fast.
So Jin-woo quickly activated a skill.
‘I’ve already conquered the tower.’
Since he’d received maximum bonuses from conquering the quest, leaving Hamus behind made no practical difference.
But Jin-woo didn’t want to do that.
‘The knowledge of Ether Core theory is worth the cost.’
Jin-woo could create Ether Amplification Cores not only because of his own skill, but because Hamus had spent years researching Ether Cores and shared that knowledge with him.
Though brief, Hamus had been Jin-woo’s teacher.
Of course, he was not a good man. He had fallen and committed unforgivable acts, so he had to pay the price. What Jin-woo was doing now was just a small act of kindness in the process of paying that price.
“Response of the Dead.”
Shhhhaaaaaaa—.
-A faded soul answers your call.
Smoke rose from where it had appeared at the tower’s entrance. The wispy smoke merged with a faint soul, and soon it took human form.
The soul was faint and colorless, faceless and translucent.
It was completely different from the souls Jin-woo had summoned before.
Whether this soul belonged to Roana or to another spirit who had been trapped in the tower was impossible to tell.
But Hamus recognized it immediately.
“Roana.”
At that name, the faint, colorless soul became slightly clearer.
And a voice was heard.
“Hamus.”
The form was blurred, but the voice was clear.
She looked at Hamus.
She had been watching him all along—the Hamus who had strived so hard to make her words come true.
“I’m sorry. I tried to do well. I wanted so desperately to do well so you wouldn’t have to worry… but it didn’t work out.”
Things hadn’t gone as planned.
So it had come to this. Like a child confessing his sins, he poured out his words.
Having heard it all, Roana slowly embraced him.
“You did so well. Really.”
At those words, Hamus closed his eyes and wept.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”
The blurred soul took his hand.
Shhhhaaaaaaa—.
Hamus suddenly turned to smoke.
Then he merged with the faded soul and vanished.
Ding!
-You have completed a Special Quest.
-You have perfectly completed the quest: Hamus of Sakura!
-You receive your reward.
Where Hamus had stood, something remained.
“A fine reward was left behind.”
What Hamus left was an ashen jewel.
It was shaped like a water droplet, and Jin-woo recognized immediately that it was tear-shaped.
Jin-woo quickly examined the jewel Hamus had left behind.
-Tears of Eternity [?]
Tears of Eternity. Another ??? Grade material.
“A thoughtful parting gift.”
Jin-woo grew quite curious.
What grade was this ??? Grade, exactly?
“It’s supposedly higher than MR+ Grade. So what comes after MR+ Grade?”
He was genuinely intrigued.
Snap—.
As Jin-woo touched the Tears of Eternity, it radiated powerful energy.
“It’s a kind of runestone, this.”
At the same time, it was a mineral with power as formidable as the Sakura Eternals.
“A wonderful gift. Thank you, Hamus.”
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
Jin-woo swiftly exited the collapsing tower.
* * *
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
“So what I’m saying, Sub-Guild Master, is—”
Sakura Castle.
Timple stood before the revived guild members.
The Sub-Guild Master, who had died early on and was now revived, listened to the situation but couldn’t believe a word of what he was hearing, and his mood had soured considerably.
To summarize what Timple was saying: this was it.
The Special Monsters lost to Jin-woo.
The Guild Master was killed by Hamus, and a tower emerged.
And since Jin-woo is currently conquering that tower, please hold back for now.
“What kind of nonsense is this?”
“I understand your skepticism, but—”
Timple spoke in bewilderment. Honestly, he’d wondered if anyone would believe him even as he spoke. How could they?
“I’m telling you the truth.”
“…So we really did lose?”
They would have to surrender Sakura to Jin-woo.
“…I’m not in a position to say.”
All Timple could do was explain the situation.
The Sub-Guild Master held his temples.
For now, there was nothing to do but wait for the Guild Master to revive.
Whoosh—. Whoosh—.
The guild members revived one by one, and none of their expressions were good.
“He’s a real monster.”
“Wait, he’s a Blacksmith, right?”
“A Necromancer and a Blacksmith can’t be this strong! And how are Undead ignoring holy power?”
They were at a loss for words.
“Divine Territory didn’t work. Did Divine Realm work, perhaps?”
The vanguard members had only witnessed him enduring Divine Territory.
But Divine Realm was different. It was a truly powerful and sacred domain, and once deployed, it should have eliminated any Undead entirely.
“It didn’t.”
“…Pardon?”
“Divine Realm didn’t work?”
If he’d lost because he couldn’t deploy it, that would be acceptable.
But he deployed it, and it still didn’t work?
“It worked. But then he just… crafted something. And then he endured it.”
“…….”
“Could you elaborate a bit more?”
“That is the elaboration.”
“……?”
There was no need for further explanation.
He crafted something and endured it. That was all.
“…That’s honestly insane.”
Losing to one person finally made sense.
“If we leave like this, SharkNet will piece together what happened and find out the truth.”
“Won’t he post it on JinTube first, though?”
“But this doesn’t really feel shameful, does it?”
Losing to Jin-woo no longer felt humiliating.
Of course, that didn’t mean they should take pride in it either.
“The Guild Master really had a reason for telling us not to keep fighting…”
“And then, how much more terrifying was Eternal Sunshine?”
The Sub-Guild Master frowned as the guild members chattered among themselves.
“We can’t end it here.”
They had lost just once.
“Now I know Jin-woo’s strategy. So—”
Rumble-rumble-rumble—!
At that moment, a boom sounded from the tower.
The tower was beginning to collapse.
“What…?”
“No way.”
The revived guild members watched the tower crumble.
Someone was walking out from within it.
“…….”
Everyone fell silent.
Even the Sub-Guild Master fell silent. Just moments before, he’d declared they would fight and not end it here, but at the sight of Jin-woo, he could only fall mute.
“Glad to see everyone’s alive.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“I trust you understand the situation?”
“…Yes. We’ll vacate the premises.”
The Sub-Guild Master had no choice but to say it.

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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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