The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 63
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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 63
Episode 63.
Suomisa.
After Jin-woo obtained his final Unique Job.
Thanks to the Main Quest that began in earnest, Suomisa started uploading several cinematic videos.
They were cinematics that had been prepared to upload once the Main Quest started.
However, since only the superhuman AI Logical could determine exactly how the Main Quest would begin, the cinematics had been created rather roughly.
Thanks to Jin-woo, the employees responsible for that task quickly completed the cinematics, and by today, all of them had been uploaded.
The moment the Main Quest cinematics went up on MeTube, Suomisa’s account, the view count began climbing instantly.
—Wow.
—Looks like the Main Scenario is really starting now.
—The cinematic quality is insane.
—It’s like watching a movie trailer.
Thus, a total of three cinematics were released, and they all climbed the trending videos list simultaneously.
—It’s number one in trending videos right now.
—It hit five million views in just one hour.
—Players from all over the world are watching, so at this rate the 24-hour view count will reach hundreds of millions.
At the same time, guilds began moving quickly.
—The tower clear rate is insane.
—Already, top-ten guilds are showing signs of trying to monopolize the towers.
—But wait, it’s an Instanced Dungeon format, so they can’t actually monopolize it, right?
—There’s the First Clear Reward though. I think that’s what they’re after.
The top guilds controlled the towers. Of course, they didn’t do it openly.
They kept the hidden towers even more concealed, and stationed NPCs in front of the towers built in cities that the guilds dominated to keep players from entering.
Just as the players suspected, they were after the First Clear Reward.
“Now is our chance to turn it around.”
“If we clear the tower and get the reward, it becomes our guild’s credential!”
One year since launch.
The guild rankings were already beginning to solidify.
That was precisely why this Main Scenario was an opportunity for reversal. If the guilds could obtain the First Clear Reward, recruit new guild members, and leverage that synergy to seize the interests held by the upper guilds, a rank reversal would become possible.
“What perfect timing for the Main Scenario to proceed!”
While guilds aiming for the top ranks were frantically busy.
The top-tier guilds were already anticipating and preparing for the Main Scenario.
“A bit late, perhaps.”
Jiryong Guild, one of the very top guilds, had two Unique Job holders.
Having already learned through these Unique Job holders that the Main Scenario would proceed, they moved faster than any other guild.
“We’re entering the tower!”
One hundred and eight towers rising across the Flam Continent. And the Main Scenarios sweeping through with force.
Thus, a wave of upheaval began rushing through Newgene.
“What?”
Meanwhile, Kim Na-yoon, the GM who had been consistently monitoring Jin-woo, was checking the notification that Jin-woo had received a Main Quest.
But something felt off.
“He received the Main Quest, but something’s different?”
This Main Scenario could be received in many different forms of quests.
The first quest was naturally one that allowed entry into a tower.
Only after entering the tower would the second quest of the Main Scenario be received.
“He received the second Main Quest without even entering the tower?”
Jin-woo was different.
“This is a different quest. The starting point is different.”
Kim Na-yoon compiled multiple pieces of information and cross-verified them to understand Jin-woo’s quest.
“Only he’s different.”
While countless others received the same Main Scenario quest.
Jin-woo’s Main Scenario quest alone was different.
“Huh!?”
And notifications came pouring in.
“He defeated a Guardian Captain?”
Each tower has an owner. These owners are the Incarnations. And there are Guardians who serve these Incarnations, the owners of each tower.
These Guardians were currently a neutral faction.
That was why entering the towers in the early period wasn’t particularly difficult.
“Why did only he become hostile? And he defeated them? They must be incredibly strong. There’s no way he could do that at his current Level. Not even with a Unique Job.”
The Level 100 achievement notification still hadn’t appeared.
That meant he was still below Level 100, and if so, then regardless of having a Unique Job, defeating Guardians would be extremely difficult.
“Defeating a Guardian Captain when even defeating Guardians is hard?”
Kim Na-yoon was bewildered.
Everything Jin-woo had shown so far was related to crafting.
“When you think of him as Jin, there’s nothing strange about it.”
But this time was different.
Jin of Eternal Sunshine was a god of crafting. Combat was not his specialty.
“Did he… evolve?”
Something that the previous Jin could not have done.
The Jin-woo of Newgene could do it.
“If that’s the case…!”
Kim Na-yoon’s heart raced.
“Could he really pull it off?”
It might be possible to shake and overturn the board single-handedly.
* * *
Numerous notifications. Jin-woo checked them one by one.
“Three achievements.”
He had obtained a total of three achievements.
[Breaker of Guardian’s Will], [Hero of the Intelligence Orc], and [Named Hunter].
“Named Hunter must be an achievement you get for defeating Named Monsters.”
The first two achievements raised his Health stat, and Named Hunter increased his critical strike chance by 3% when attacking Named Monsters.
“No harm in getting achievements like these.”
His Level had risen significantly to 90.
“The most noteworthy thing is this Main Quest.”
Jin-woo was in the state of having received the Evil Incarnations quest, the Main Quest.
It seemed the quest would progress once he entered a tower, yet the quest had progressed without him entering one.
—You have resisted evil.
—You can no longer accept the proposals of the Evil Incarnations!
—Your Integrity Score has increased!
“So these Guardians were followers of the boss monsters in the towers.”
Having ruthlessly hunted these Guardians, there was no way he could speak with the tower’s boss.
“The freedom is incredible. So I could have sided with the Evil Incarnations too? Could it turn into a faction war?”
If that were the case, users could wage war against each other under their respective choices.
“But that’s not really important to me anyway.”
What mattered most to Jin-woo was obtaining better materials.
“War actually works in my favor.”
Not by participating in it.
“There’ll be more demand for equipment.”
Jin-woo could position himself as an observer of the war.
“And I don’t even have to sell equipment to just one side.”
He could sell to whoever wanted it.
“It’s better to sell to whoever needs it.”
Jin-woo then checked another notification.
“But what’s this Integrity Score?”
—Integrity Score: 1
—Your Integrity Score determines how NPCs treat you.
“Ah. It’s like reputation then.”
The score he obtained from this incident was 1 point.
“Seems tough to get. I’d have thought I’d earn more than a single point for this.”
He could immediately feel that Integrity Score itself was quite difficult to obtain.
Float—.
And a red soul rose above Jin-woo’s two hands.
—Guardian Captain’s Soul [Grade: A]
“Ohhh.”
The Guardian Captain’s Soul was a Grade A soul—no small matter.
It was the highest grade soul he had obtained so far.
“I don’t plan to make a Familiar right away.”
But leaving it in his inventory seemed wasteful.
“Didn’t they say souls could be absorbed?”
Souls could be placed inside a skeleton to become a Familiar, but they could also be absorbed as-is.
“Since the Necromancer job itself grows by gathering souls.”
Jin-woo immediately grasped the soul in his hand.
—Do you wish to absorb this soul?
—The absorbed soul can be used to increase the power of your Familiars!
“So I can make Familiars grow?”
Only then did Jin-woo fully grasp the utility of souls.
Whoosh—.
The Guardian Captain’s Soul settled into Jin-woo.
—Your Familiar can now grow!
The Familiar Jin-woo had chosen was First.
“Between my retainer and Moltus I created recently, compared to First, they’d count as elite skeletons.”
First, who had been created earliest, had many shortcomings in various ways.
—You will absorb a Grade A soul into your Familiar, First!
The Guardian Captain’s Soul was absorbed directly into First.
—First’s state will undergo transformation!
Not long ago, First had undergone a type change in the Underground Tomb.
“You need to get stronger. You’re my first Familiar, after all.”
To equip Jin-woo’s gear from now on, First had to become stronger without fail.
“It needs a higher Level.”
To equip SR grade and higher grade equipment, endless growth was necessary.
—First’s Level is increasing!
—Its type will change!
—First has evolved from Death Knight into Elite Death Knight!
Jin-woo immediately summoned First.
“Oh.”
Jin-woo was momentarily startled.
“There’s a cloak?”
It wasn’t just any cloak.
It was a cloak woven from mana. And riding a skeletal horse, it was unmistakably a high-tier Death Knight.
“Th—thank you, Master.”
Its speech was still poor, but with an appearance like that, it actually suited him well.
“The Elven Lunastone Armor is fine, but the Dwarf Silver Staff has an error.”
Jin-woo quickly retrieved the Dwarf Silver Staff.
“Wait a bit. I’ll craft you something proper and equip it.”
Jin-woo smiled softly.
Whoosh—. First bowed and vanished.
“I’ve obtained quite a lot.”
But there was something most important.
“Guardian Stones.”
Since he had hunted an enormous number of Guardians, dozens of Guardian Stones had accumulated.
“Guardian Stones from the regular Guardians.”
Guardian Stones held considerable value. Even just Moltus’s Sapphire Staff alone—a Guardian Stone crafted into a staff—had quite good feel to it.
But among them, there was one highlight.
“Whoa.”
A Guardian Stone three times the size of a regular one, tinged with red.
—Giant Guardian Stone
It was far more powerful than a regular Guardian Stone. And what was most surprising:
“SSS.”
The Giant Guardian Stone’s grade was none other than SSS.
The best material he had obtained so far was SS+ grade.
“And I’ve only ever crafted SS+ grade equipment at highest.”
He had crafted SS+ grade gear from S grade Elven Lunastone.
“How radiant it is.”
Jin-woo gazed at the Giant Guardian Stone in admiration. This lustrous color—it was practically begging him to craft it right now.
“Since it’s my first SSS grade material ever, I’ll use it right away. Just wait a bit.”
That was when Rigardo approached Jin-woo.
‘Now for the real reward.’
The Giant Guardian Stone was a reward beyond expectation, but the real reward was this one.
“I’m grateful, brother. Thanks to you, we were able to reclaim everything.”
Rigardo bowed deeply.
“I learned something good thanks to you.”
Everything that came from the Guardians became Jin-woo’s. The Intelligence Orcs were content with their victory and honor.
And they had reclaimed their land.
“This is a token of our covenant. From this day forward, we Intelligence Orcs will enter the very flames of hell itself if you ask it of us!”
Rigardo bowed deeply.
“And this is your reward.”
—You have received a reward!
“Huh?”
Jin-woo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Is this… right?”
As Jin-woo questioned, Rigardo nodded.
“A reward for you should naturally be of this caliber.”
Jin-woo’s pupils trembled greatly.
—Orc-lish Stone [Grade: SSS]
Description: An extremely rare mineral containing the secret techniques of the Intelligence Orc tribe.
SSS.
SSS again.
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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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