The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 76

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 76
76.
I’ll solve every problem in the Elven City.
At Jin-woo’s bold declaration, all the elven elders fell silent.
“Didn’t you say you were a crafter?”
“Yes. I’m a crafter.”
Since they’d just witnessed his engraving skill, his primary field was clearly engraving work.
So what on earth could a specialist crafter in engraving possibly do to help?
“You said you came to learn from Mirae.”
“We made the situation clear. Even Mirae, whom you’re here to learn from, cannot resolve our current predicament.”
The elven elder regarded Jin-woo.
If he detected no sincerity in Jin-woo’s casual mention of their problem, he was prepared to cast him out on the spot. Mirae had made a request, but this crossed far more than the line of propriety.
Yet Jin-woo was serious.
“Are you being sincere?”
“If I can learn the Flawless Sewing Technique from Mirae, then absolutely.”
…….
The situation was beginning to shift in an unexpected direction. Mirae quickly placed a hand on Jin-woo’s shoulder.
“Let me take him to my residence. We can discuss the details separately afterward, honored elders.”
* * *
A grand manor in the Elven City. This was Mirae’s home.
As Jin-woo made his way here, he could see the dwellings of the city’s elves.
‘The elders truly are different.’
This manor was far larger than the ordinary elven residences scattered throughout the city.
“I apologize—with everything as it is, I should have told you more eagerly about teaching you this sewing technique.”
“Not at all. I understand the situation.”
The moment Jin-woo stepped inside Mirae’s home, he was greeted by piles of garments stacked on one side.
And beside them lay scattered bolts of fabric and leather.
“The Elven City is currently at war with the Ghost King. He and his legions continue to assault our city, so I’ve been crafting equipment to stand against him.”
She gestured toward the scattered materials as she spoke.
“I am our city’s only hope.”
Mirae made no pretense of false modesty. It was the truth, after all.
“Elves don’t favor heavy armor?”
“No. We must move like the wind. We have knights, but most are archers who commune with spirits. Heavy armor holds no purpose for them.”
Thus they wore leather or cloth armor primarily, with minerals used only minimally.
“Are there no elven blacksmiths?”
“There are.”
“But your skill far surpasses theirs. The equipment you craft with your sewing technique outshines what they produce.”
“Yes.”
Mirae nodded.
‘Hmm.’
He’d come to her initially with a light heart. Learning varied techniques would be useful for handling diverse materials.
But Jin-woo found himself genuinely intrigued.
‘I’ve never crafted anything like this in New Gene.’
Everything Jin-woo had made so far was typical equipment for warriors.
‘Heavy armor and weighty weapons.’
Except for accessories, pickaxes, and farming implements, he’d crafted nothing but that sort of gear.
“Since you’ve heard from Rodin, you’ll understand—my sewing technique pursues perfection. That requires exceptional dexterity. Not just good dexterity. Exceptional dexterity.”
As she spoke, Mirae looked at Jin-woo.
“The Fire Engraving must have taken you a long time as well, since Rodin is an engraver who sculpts beauty. But my sewing technique will demand even more time. It may well stretch beyond a year.”
Mirae’s expression turned apologetic.
“That means I won’t be able to teach you for very long. The battle with the Ghost King won’t wait beyond a year. I’m telling you this in advance. I’m sorry, Jin-woo.”
She then added that she would do her absolute best within that timeframe.
“I’ll teach you with every ounce of effort I have. Even if it’s only a fraction—even half a fraction—of my sewing technique, you’ll reach a level where no one will look down on you anywhere.”
Mirae’s expression hardened with resolve. Upon her shoulders rested countless burdens.
The future of the Elven City.
The lives of its younger elves.
And the lives of all elves yet to come.
Such shoulders could easily bear the weight of Jin-woo’s ambitions.
-Quest updated!
-The All-Master’s Disciples quest has been updated.
“How long did it take you to learn the Fire Engraving from Rodin?”
She needed to gauge his current level of achievement. Seeing how skillfully he wielded Rodin’s Fire Engraving suggested he’d trained under him for at least a year.
If that was the case, there was hope.
“My teaching will differ depending on how long that took.”
Fundamentals, applications, advanced mastery.
These three tiers couldn’t be covered—time was too short. If he’d learned Rodin’s Fire Engraving more quickly, she’d focus on fundamentals and applications to accelerate his growth in the available window.
“Three hours.”
“……I’m sorry?”
It wasn’t a measure in days.
It was hours.
At Jin-woo’s words, Mirae’s expression shifted dramatically. She’d maintained remarkable composure until now, but his answer shattered it.
“Ah, my question was about the time you spent learning and mastering the Fire Engraving from Rodin. Could I ask again? How long did it take?”
“Three hours, Mirae.”
Jin-woo gave the same answer.
Mirae fell silent.
Three hours?
What on earth did he mean by three hours?
…….
He’d mastered Fire Engraving as he now uses it in just three hours? Mirae couldn’t believe it and asked again.
“Ah, I was asking how long it took you to become capable of using the Fire Engraving the way you use it now.”
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying.”
“……Really?”
Mirae was so startled that she forgot her formal speech and opened her eyes wide.
“Elves really do have remarkably large eyes.”
Her naturally large eyes grew even wider with shock, making them the largest Jin-woo had ever seen on anyone.
Well, not anyone—an elf.
“This doesn’t make sense.”
The words escaped her before she could stop them.
She quickly covered her mouth with her hand. She’d heard those words many times before.
This doesn’t make sense.
It’s impossible.
Any crafter of overwhelming skill heard such words easily. She’d always wondered why people said them, but now that she found herself in such a situation, she was genuinely astounded.
How on earth had he done this?
Could it be……
“I’m not joking around. My city faces grave threats, and I carry tremendous responsibility…….”
“Then perhaps you’d like to test me.”
“Test you?”
“Yes. Your doubt is natural. So why not test me until that doubt is resolved?”
Jin-woo’s proposal caught Mirae off guard.
He radiated confidence.
Mastering Fire Engraving in three hours was impossible. She knew Rodin. She understood his Fire Engraving.
That Fire Engraving was not something one could learn in three hours—it wasn’t that simple.
It would take at least a month just to grasp the fundamentals. No matter how exceptional one’s dexterity, there was always a minimum threshold of time required.
“You’re very confident. Are you telling the truth?”
Jin-woo said nothing more. He was telling her to see for herself and judge.
“Fine. Let’s do this. If you mastered Fire Engraving in three hours, my sewing technique should be no challenge for you.”
Mirae picked up a needle. She flicked her hand, and a bolt of fabric that had been lying on the floor settled perfectly into her palm.
“If you can follow my sewing technique as I demonstrate, then I’ll believe you.”
“Understood. But would it be alright if I set one condition?”
Jin-woo grinned as he spoke.
“Do you perhaps have some materials you’ve been saving for the Ghost King crisis?”
Mirae nodded.
“I’d be grateful if I could use them.”
“Of course.”
Mirae agreed at once.
She assumed Jin-woo would never actually use them.
* * *
Elves are versatile.
Their physical abilities surpassed other races, they wielded magic with ease, and their spirit affinity was considerable.
As a result, there was almost nothing they couldn’t do.
“I have no disciples.”
Yet even elves could not learn Mirae’s sewing technique.
“The reason is simple. It’s far too difficult. Everyone who tried eventually gave up. Learning the basics was one thing, but the advanced stages that followed were impossibly hard, so they all abandoned it. Their consensus was that learning spirit magic would be easier.”
Spirit magic was difficult in its own right, but mastering it was easier than learning her sewing technique—that was their unanimous assessment.
Thus Mirae never cultivated disciples and had built her sewing skill alone all these years.
“Then am I your first disciple?”
“Not yet.”
Mirae drew the line.
“Take the needle and scissors.”
Jin-woo accepted the needle and scissors from her.
The needle was quite thin.
Then she began her demonstration.
She stroked the fabric in her hands gently.
“First, you must understand the texture. With delicate fingertips, you feel the texture, comprehend it, and internalize it.”
Understanding the material.
That comprehension was essential.
“The thread itself isn’t necessary?”
Mirae’s hand holding the needle glowed. Thread was not needed.
“Mana is enough.”
Threads of mana.
With them, she sewed the fabric and transformed its shape.
“The Flawless Sewing Technique.”
She began cutting and sewing the fabric like flowing water.
Shiiip—.
With each movement of her hand, the fabric’s form shifted instantly. Each passage of the needle brought light, and its trajectory resembled art itself.
Sewing is fundamentally repetition. But hers was different.
Even after a single pass, it was complete.
Snip—. Snip—. Snip—.
The scissors danced. Her sewing technique felt like dancing. Jin-woo found himself marveling at the beauty of her craftsmanship.
She cut, she sewed, she tied knots.
As she completed the final finishing, she raised her hand. Then a spirit settled into her palm.
“The Spirit Knot.”
As she tied the knot, the spirit’s power wove itself into it.
‘It’s glowing.’
What she’d created was cloth armor.
This was the moment when the cloth armor received its attributes.
The cloth gear was complete in an instant. In that brief span, she’d sewn only a few times.
“This is my sewing technique.”
Her technique perfectly justified why she’d earned her epithet.
‘Flawless.’
Not a single seam was visible.
It was a perfect whole, as if it had been constructed that way from the start. That cloth armor could be made this way—Jin-woo was genuinely astounded.
-You have learned the Flawless Sewing Technique!
Jin-woo had learned the Flawless Sewing Technique. But learning a skill and being able to use it properly were different matters.
Merely possessing a skill didn’t make it entirely one’s own.
The difficulty was indeed as she’d said—enormous.
Now he understood why she’d never taken disciples.
And why the entire Elven City depended upon Mirae.
From the start, this Flawless Sewing Technique existed only for Mirae. Anyone else found it extraordinarily difficult and demanding.
“May I examine it?”
“Of course.”
Jin-woo studied the finished cloth armor carefully.
‘SR Grade.’
Moreover, it carried four attributes, and above all, it was light. The armor Jin-woo crafted had strength stat requirements, but this cloth armor seemed wearable by anyone.
‘Flawless. Yes, that’s what it means.’
Jin-woo returned the cloth armor to her and nodded. His assessment was complete.
“I suspect you’ll never take a disciple.”
“Yes. I’ve already given up on…….”
“Except for me.”
…….
Jin-woo picked up the fabric. Then, just as Mirae had done, he picked up the needle.
-Casting the Flawless Sewing Technique!
Whoooosh—.
Using mana, he created the thread.
“The Flawless Sewing Technique.”
Thread emerged from his hand and connected to the needle.
‘Mirae made clothing.’
But Jin-woo had something different in mind.
‘Gloves.’
Not ordinary gloves, but fingerless gloves designed for spirit practitioners.
Snip—.
Jin-woo cut the fabric with his scissors. The key was flow.
‘I must release all tension.’
He had to let go of all force and surrender himself to the current.
Water.
‘The image I need is flowing water.’
A gentle river of fabric.
The cut pieces fell into place perfectly.
‘Stitching in a single breath.’
The most crucial element of this technique was smooth, perfect control of force.
It went beyond delicate. It was more than perfection.
If he had to describe it.
‘Whispered. Flowing.’
…….
Mirae was strict about sewing.
Yet she found herself smiling without realizing it.
Jin-woo’s stitching flowed with grace. He cut the fabric as if whispering to it.
The needle and scissors crossed naturally, dancing with the cloth.
“Such dexterity…….”
Never, not once in all her years, had she praised someone’s handiwork. Especially not regarding sewing.
Even Mirae couldn’t help herself.
“Your handiwork is truly remarkable.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————