The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 65

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Chapter 65
Episode 65.
Clang-!
Jin-woo fashioned an axe from the Orc-like Stone, then began chiseling and hammering away at the Colossal Guardian Stone.
The satisfying resistance of the stone against his tools was exquisite, but the sheer size of the Colossal Guardian Stone made shaping it extraordinarily difficult.
Clang-! Clang-! Clang-!
Normally it would have taken form by now, but the Colossal Guardian Stone kept stubbornly clinging to its original shape.
“Now I understand why the Guardians’ bodies are so hard. With stone this dense embedded within them, how could they be anything but unyielding?”
The source of the Guardians’ formidable defense lay precisely in these stones.
The stone of the mightiest Guardian Captain among them could hardly be refined on a whim.
“But I like it this way.”
Even this difficulty was content to Jin-woo. The harder the challenge, the more his drive ignited.
‘It’s not easy. Not easy at all.’
Even as he spoke of the difficulty, a smile played at the corners of Jin-woo’s mouth.
Difficulty was a good thing.
He could strike more blows.
He could think more deeply.
Even making the same object, he could show something different.
Clang-!
-Equipment created!
-SR Grade equipment created!
After thousands of strikes, the shield was complete.
“SR again.”
After crafting his first SR piece, Jin-woo had now completed a second SR Grade item.
[Colossal Guardian Stone Shield]
-Defense: 3,000
-Grade: SR
-Durability: 65,000 / 65,000
<>
* Special Attribute [Ultimate Defense: Grants formidable defense. Defense increases by 500.]
* Special Attribute [Curse Imbue – Grutem: Defense increases by 250.]
* Special Attribute [Guardian: Reduces physical damage taken by 30%.]
* Special Attribute [King of Guardians: Reduces magical damage taken by 20%.]
* Special Attribute [Power of Darkness: Resistance to dark attribute attacks increases by 30%.]
* Special Attribute [Power of Weakness: Dark mana seeps in, converting damage into life force and absorbing it.]
* Special Skill [Shield Bash: Wield the shield with devastating force to knock the attacker down with 30% probability.]
“The Colossal Guardian Stone Shield.”
The brilliantly glowing guardian stone shield was quite substantial in size.
It would be difficult to lift with one hand, but Jin-woo, whose Dexterity Stat and Strength Stat were considerably high for his Level, lifted it with ease.
“Hmm.”
Weighty.
And a sense of security that permeated through him.
Holding it, he felt as though he could deflect anything.
-Your level increases!
-You have surpassed Level 100!
“Finally crossed the century mark.”
Jin-woo then refined the Orc Soul Stone.
-Equipment created!
-SSS Grade equipment created!
-Orc Soul Stone Ring created!
This time it was SSS.
“I thought it might jump tiers again. But accessories feel different from regular equipment, you know?”
Jin-woo crafted a ring using the Orc Soul Stone.
Hissss— The Orc Soul Stone, infused even with the power of the Necromancer, became a ring of decidedly antiquated beauty.
-A special effect activates.
-The power of the Orc courses through you.
-Your HP regeneration rate increases by 10%!
“I’ve been short on vitality anyway.”
Jin-woo let out a satisfied chuckle.
Hissss—
Heat rose from Jin-woo’s body. He was still burning.
“I need to cool down now. I’ve pushed too hard.”
Jin-woo’s method of rest was simplicity itself.
“I’ll lighten my touch from here on—craft more easily. I’ve still got plenty of materials left.”
“Squawk?”
“You’re showing the whites of your eyes again, Dust.”
As Dust looked at Jin-woo as if to ask what he meant, Jin-woo gave him a rough pat.
“Chirp.”
“Want to rest?”
“Chirp!”
“Alright. Let’s rest then.”
Jin-woo said with a grin.
“What I’m making next can be done easily, so we can call this a rest. It’s a kind of cooldown.”
“……Chirp?”
Coco cried out in bewilderment. Beside him, Dust spun round and round with eyes rolled back to show the whites.
It was a gesture saying: Now you understand too.
“Take it easy, then.”
So the two spirits took their peculiar rest. To keep pace with Jin-woo’s tempo, rest had to be conducted this way.
Jin-woo crafted Pickaxes from diverse materials.
“Different materials naturally yield different forms.”
Pickaxes of varied designs could be used to mine different types of deposits. They could also be tailored to different miners’ unique skills and mining techniques.
“If someone wanted a custom job, I could make it like this, I think.”
As Jin-woo crafted Pickaxes, his understanding of them deepened further.
The Pickaxes he’d made before were well-crafted, but now Jin-woo was making what could only be called combat equipment bearing the name Pickaxe.
A Pickaxe was both a mining tool and a weapon.
“Normally I should lean more toward the mining function, but now I can balance both sides.”
He could make them better at both mining and combat.
Clang-!
-Guardian Stone Pickaxe created!
Jin-woo crafted a Pickaxe using the abundant Guardian Stones he’d acquired.
-Guardian Stone Ruby Pickaxe created!
-Guardian Stone Sapphire Pickaxe created!
He added a touch of flame engraving work and even imbued them with curses.
The resulting Guardian Stone Pickaxes were of considerable refinement.
But there was one thing above all else.
“They look incredible.”
Jin-woo had no intention of sacrificing that aesthetic.
“Mining and gathering users don’t usually wear combat equipment.”
These Pickaxes were their combat gear.
“Wait a moment. Do I really need to just make Pickaxes?”
Jin-woo paused to consider.
“There are farming users out there too, aren’t there?”
Agricultural implements in general—Pickaxes, Rakes, and the like.
“There must be users who tend little gardens.”
Besides, these farming tools were things Jin-woo had made countless times in reality. If anything, it would be easier.
“Let me make a variety and put them up for sale.”
* * *
The Auction House.
The Auction for the Dwarf Silver Staff was in full swing.
-Crazy, already 3 million Gold.
-How high is this going?!
-Wait, at this price, couldn’t you buy equipment from other major crafters?
As the bid climbed past 3 million Gold, the price had reached a point where one could purchase equipment from other established crafters.
But Jin-woo’s equipment was always exceptional in quality-to-price ratio.
-If it costs this much, I’d rather not buy it at all!
Some withdrew from the bidding, but others saw this as their moment.
“Jin-woo only goes higher. Equipment you buy for 3 million Gold now could be worth 5 million in a few months!”
It was a form of investment.
Like investing in the Jin-woo coin.
“Oh.”
Jin-woo observed the situation from afar.
“I know they’re not just bidding because the equipment is good.”
Jin-woo had enough experience to understand.
“Good equipment always attracts speculators.”
Once upon a time, he would have despised such resellers. He believed his equipment should be sold only to those who genuinely wanted to use it.
But now it was different.
“If anyone desires to possess something,”
they deserved to have it.
Whether they were speculators planning to resell, or direct users.
“All I need to do is present my equipment to the market.”
And receive confirmation that it mattered.
“Let me think broader. Let me embrace a craftsman’s spirit in the wider sense.”
Jin-woo smiled and began registering equipment in the Auction House.
“Pickaxes. And Rakes, Hoes.”
-Item registered.
-Item registered.
…………
…………
…………
A total of 82 pieces of equipment were registered.
“Accessories too. Well, let me put them all up for Bid Auction.”
The experience of crafting and refining equipment for the Inte Orcs was bearing fruit now.
“My hands got faster. Surely everyone will be happy with them now?”
Jin-woo closed the Auction House with a cheerful laugh.
The moment he closed it, users stationed in the Auction House were thoroughly shocked.
-……?
-What’s happening?
-Is this a bug?
Messages announcing item registrations began flooding in like mad.
-How many items are there?
-Why are you doing this all of a sudden?
-Why are you scaring us like this!
A total of 82 pieces of equipment had been registered, and the list was substantial.
-Pickaxes, farm tools? And accessories too?
Moreover, every single piece was of exceptional quality.
-This is the caliber of items that get submitted as guild supplies.
-This is top-tier procurement equipment. Insane. Absolute madness.
Countless users cheered at the sight of Jin-woo’s equipment.
And among them, certain groups were particularly delighted.
-Oh my.
-We were just feeling a bit disappointed that you only made Pickaxes. You’ve come to save our farming industry, haven’t you?
-Whoa. What is this Hoe? This Hoe has seven Attributes!
A Hoe with seven Attributes and a Rake with five.
-There’s even a Sickle with five Attributes.
The farming users erupted in celebration.
-Our savior has come to save the farming industry!
-Jin-woo! Jin-woo! Jin-woo!
-Just who exactly is this person?!
The mining industry and the farming industry.
Jin-woo had made a lasting impression on users from both sectors.
Ding-! Ding-! Ding-!
Users competed frantically to participate in the bids.
* * *
After registering his equipment in the Auction House, Jin-woo immediately wanted to test what he’d made.
“I’m curious what SR Grade feels like in practice.”
Jin-woo stood before the Tower.
He pushed through the crowds of many users and slowly entered the Tower.
-You have entered the High Tower.
-The Tower’s aura envelops you!
-All Stats decrease by 10%!
The moment he stepped inside, Jin-woo was met with a debuff.
“As expected, there are plenty of quick-moving people.”
This Tower Jin-woo had entered already had quite a few challengers.
Many had come in guild groups, and some had entered solo.
“Doesn’t look like anyone’s cleared it yet.”
-Challenge Score
1. Rukal and 9 others: 57 points
2. Hansen and 12 others: 52 points
3. Jigent and 20 others: 48 points
Those who had challenged the Tower were given scores, and their rankings appeared accordingly.
“Since no one’s cleared it, that means no one’s made it to the Hall of Fame yet?”
Which meant nobody had claimed the Tower’s reward.
“Then I’ll have to be the one.”
Jin-woo had claimed first place in countless Halls of Fame to date.
“Up until now, I’ve been displacing the previous first-place holder to get registered.”
There had never been an inaugural Hall of Fame entry.
“Shall I give it a try?”