The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 83

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

Chapter 83
Episode 83.
-You have crafted equipment!
-You have crafted SSS+ Grade equipment!
-You have crafted a Lepu Wood Longbow.
After the shortbow came the longbow.
-You have crafted equipment!
Jin-woo crafted another shortbow, and buoyed by its perfection, he began creating bows in various forms.
“There’s no need to use only wood. I can mix minerals with it, and it seems I could even blend fabric into it.”
His understanding of wood deepened.
Coupled with his growing comprehension of bows themselves, he could now incorporate different materials.
“Starlight Crystal.”
He applied Flame Engraving to the Starlight Crystal he’d received from the elf elder.
“Harmony is what matters.”
The hammer he’d crafted before—a weapon centered on raw attack power—he had deliberately thrown off balance. In other words, he’d sacrificed harmony for tremendous offensive capability.
But wooden equipment had to be harmonious.
‘That’s how you draw out all its potential.’
Jin-woo’s eyes lit up.
His understanding of materials deepened further.
And then.
-You have crafted equipment!
-You have crafted SR Grade equipment!
-You have crafted a Moonlight Wood Silkria Starlight Longbow!
[Moonlight Wood Silkria Starlight Longbow]
-Attack Power: 3,500
-Grade: SR
-Durability: 25,000 / 25,000
<>
* Special Attribute [Rune Inscription – Arksak: Attack power increases by 300.]
* Special Attribute [Flame Engraving – Starlight Crystal: Imbued with the power of starlight, it increases agility by 200%!]
* Special Attribute [Life Drain: Absorbs 10% of damage dealt as your own life force!]
* Special Attribute [Natural Energy: Significantly increases mana regeneration rate. Increases movement speed. Significantly increases health regeneration rate.]
His elevated understanding allowed him to reach the highest tier once more.
An SR Grade Moonlight Wood Silkria Starlight Longbow.
He wove the Rune Inscription – Arksak into the Silkria bowstring, and enriched it with beauty by applying Flame Engraving to the Starlight Crystal from the elf elder.
“Flame Engraving might seem out of place on wood, but it isn’t.”
Though it might appear strange to apply Flame Engraving to wood, flame was not merely about burning.
It was about engraving.
Wood was an exceptional material for engraving things into it.
“I’m starting to understand now.”
Wood was a remarkably appealing material.
“The design itself came out really well.”
By nature, bows were bound to become the exclusive domain of the agile.
“Move fast and shoot.”
Jin-woo picked up the bow and moved swiftly, and the starlight danced as if choreographed.
“This right here.”
This starlight completed the bow’s design. The attributes were excellent, but it also had aesthetic appeal, so Jin-woo was quite satisfied despite being the one who’d made it.
“This has limitless potential.”
The unique properties of wood alone.
And the tailoring technique he’d learned could likely be combined with it as well.
“I could make staves too.”
Just as the bows he’d made so far, if mages’ staves were crafted from wood, he could imbue them with various effects.
“The synergy of Natural Energy is quite remarkable.”
Natural Energy carried diverse effects.
Health regeneration increase, mana regeneration increase, and even movement speed boost.
‘But that’s not all.’
As Jin-woo worked with wood, he could confirm multiple attributes of Natural Energy, including one that increased spirit affinity.
‘There’s even an effect that increases durability of equipment imbued with Natural Energy, or makes it more resilient.’
In every respect, Natural Energy was worth researching.
“Should I try again?”
Jin-woo was about to resume his work, unfolding the thoughts in his mind.
But then.
“J-Jin-woo. Jin-woo, I can’t go on.”
A desperate voice came from Katri.
“Is the wood all gone? If so, I’ll go cut more.”
“No, there’s still some wood left. It’s me who can’t go on…!”
Half a day.
For half a day, Katri had processed wood like a madwoman. Wood Processing was a task requiring intense focus, and since it was a method passed down through the Elven City, Jin-woo couldn’t be taught it. So Katri had continued processing raw materials.
Naturally, she had thought she could do it indefinitely.
But over that half day, Katri was experiencing a pace unlike anything she’d ever encountered.
“The speed of equipment creation is faster than the speed of wood processing…! This, this makes no sense…!”
It was a blow to her pride. Wood Processing certainly required meticulous attention, but it wasn’t a lengthy process.
Naturally it had to be faster than equipment crafting.
But at some point, Jin-woo’s crafting speed had grown even faster.
So Katri went all out, and her stamina began plummeting at an insane rate. The speed was unprecedented.
Dark circles had formed under Katri’s eyes. She hadn’t thought dark circles could appear in just half a day.
“There’s wood left, isn’t there?”
“N-no, I mean, there isn’t. I’m going to die at this rate, Jin-woo.”
Katri bowed her head.
“Could I just rest for 10—or even 5 minutes?”
“Yes, of course. Then…”
“That won’t work. I’ll just teach you the entire Wood Processing Technique.”
And so the elven traditional Wood Processing Technique, passed down through the Elven City, was transferred to Jin-woo in this way.
-You have learned the Wood Processing Technique!
‘Oh.’
Jin-woo was delighted to have learned the Wood Processing Technique.
‘The feel of working with wood is no trivial matter.’
With so many different types of wood came equally diverse properties.
‘You have to adjust the strength of your hands to match the characteristics each wood possesses. Only then can you draw out all of its potential.’
Jin-woo began doing the wood processing that Katri had been doing.
“Katri, could you perhaps bring back some felled trees for me? Ah, but feel free to rest a bit first!”
Katri hastily grabbed her axe and headed out.
“I’m going!”
Felling trees was far preferable to what she’d just been doing.
* * *
The Fog-filled Forest.
Within it, translucent figures wandered without purpose.
They wore strange equipment with no unity in appearance, and above all, they did not look alive.
“Legion.”
The Ghost Legion.
At the call to them, they fell to their knees.
“Someone has entered the Elven City.”
Before them stood one far more massive than themselves.
White hair.
A thick white beard.
And a crown rested upon his head.
“Your Majesty, Ghost King.”
“Your Majesty…”
He was the Ghost King.
“I do not feel my power.”
The power he had scattered throughout the Forest of Glory—he could not feel it anymore.
“The elves lack the ability to erase it.”
He was certain of this. The elves had only the World Tree. Because of the World Tree, they could not eliminate the elves gathering near it, but the elves’ own power was nothing to fear.
“It may be someone who serves a god…”
“Then we must… prepare ourselves…”
The commanders of the Ghost Legion spoke up.
They wore quite archaic armor that spoke well of their positions in life.
“Yet nothing can stop our advance regardless. We will… make the Elven City ours. We will make the World Tree our own.”
The Ghost King clenched his fist.
“Had that elf simply accepted my terms, the Elven City would have survived.”
But negotiations had already collapsed.
“Only death remains.”
Whoever aided the Elven City, he would simply kill them along with the city itself.
“Your Majesty! I know the identity of that one!”
Then someone darted forward.
A small spirit.
Miro’s spirit began to chatter.
“That one is human!”
“Human? What manner of human?”
“A f-frightening one. Very frightening. He could touch me, and he was a Necromancer!”
Miro’s spirit spoke with confidence, but realized he knew less than he thought. Moreover, all the spirits in the Ghost Legion were far stronger than him, and if he misspoke, there was a chance they might absorb him.
“A Necromancer? Good. A human who commands the dead—how repulsive. Better still, this will be easy to kill him!”
The aura radiating from the Ghost King held power enough to dispatch a spirit like Miro without difficulty.
“How did you come to know this?”
“Well, you see…”
Miro’s spirit recounted the facts truthfully.
“Indeed. Miro’s tiny spirit, you bring good tidings. What is it you desire?”
“I wish to join the Ghost Legion!”
“Very well.”
The Ghost King granted his power to Miro’s spirit.
“Become one of the legion and take the vanguard.”
Shaaaah—
Miro’s spirit, granted the Ghost King’s power, began to swell.
“I swear my loyalty!”
A colossal form.
Miro’s spirit vowed to exact vengeance upon that human.
“Preparations are complete. The power to corrupt the World Tree is finished. Now only advance remains.”
Shaaaah—!
The spirits’ power surged forth.
* * *
Katri’s workshop.
-You have crafted equipment!
-You have crafted a Beech Wood Staff!
“A staff.”
-You have crafted equipment!
-You have crafted a Slow Wood Fishing Rod!
A wooden fishing rod.
Jin-woo crafted various wooden equipment.
“Hmm!”
As he continued crafting, all the materials vanished before long.
“Used them all up.”
Jin-woo surveyed the pile of wooden equipment.
Because he’d worked without pause—so earnestly that Katri had desperately requested rest—there were over fifty pieces of equipment.
Shortbows, longbows, staves, fishing rods, and more.
“Wooden bracelets and rings too.”
Especially the items crafted from moonlight wood retained the wood’s distinctive luminous hue.
“That subtle blue tone is what makes it appealing.”
Jin-woo planned to sell everything except one.
“I’m keeping the Silkria Starlight Longbow for myself.”
Bows seemed like they’d sell quite well.
“With Natural Energy plus Necromaster attributes all packed in.”
Moreover, he’d designed the bows around the aesthetic of the Moonlight Wood Silkria Starlight Longbow, so they looked good.
“I’ll collect the payment from before too.”
He was curious how much the SR Grade equipment had sold for.
“I don’t have enough bones—I need to buy some.”
Jin-woo was thinking of creating one more subordinate.
“I should have some S Grade spirits as well, since purifying the Forest of Glory gave me two more spirits I can command.”
Jin-woo opened the auction house.
Ding—!
-The auction ends in 25 minutes.
-The auction ends in 25 minutes.
-Equipment has sold!
Payment for equipment sold 25 minutes before auction end had come in.
“Wow.”
The incoming auction money was 25 million Gold in total.
And then.
-Millennium Steel Pickaxe [SR] Auction Bid: 77 million Gold
-Giant Guardian Stone Shield [SR] Auction Bid: 34 million Gold
The auction house was running quite entertainingly.