The Return of the Legendary Golden-Handed Blacksmith - Chapter 91

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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 91
91.
“You’re talking nonsense right now.”
“Then you’ll just have to suffer eternally. Do you think I can’t push you out of here?”
The Ghost King did not die.
But that didn’t mean there was no way to deal with him.
‘If the quest fails, that’s the end of it.’
It was only the destruction that was impossible. So instead of failing the quest, he could simply push the Ghost King out of the Elven City and the Labyrinth Forest.
“I’m not asking for your help.”
Jin-woo spoke.
“You’re the one asking me for assistance right now.”
At Jin-woo’s words, the Ghost King’s expression twisted. He was right. It was the Ghost King who needed help, not the other way around.
The situation had already tilted, and the Ghost King had few options left.
And none of those options looked particularly appealing to him.
“I… I…”
“There, there.”
“I… beg your aid.”
The Ghost King swallowed his pride.
‘It’s been eroded more than I thought.’
The pain seemed to cut deeper than the act of lowering his meager pride.
‘And.’
It also meant the difficulty was considerable.
“Good. You’ve cleared the first hurdle. Now comes the second.”
“…The second?”
“Can I help you with just a word? I need compensation.”
Jin-woo had no intention of helping the Ghost King for nothing.
‘I’ll take what’s due to me.’
“Compensation, is it.”
The Ghost King smiled provocatively at those words.
“If you can just mend my soul, I can give you anything. My soul, my bones, everything I have. And on top of that, if you’re the craftsman who made those weapons, I can give you something you’d covet.”
He pulled something from his robes.
It was a glimmering pink mineral.
“That’s…!”
Katri, watching from behind, opened her mouth wide.
It was such fine material that one’s mouth watered.
“It’s Orichalcum.”
Orichalcum.
It was among the highest grades of rare minerals, counted among the legendary ores of the world.
“But not just ordinary Orichalcum. Special-Grade Orichalcum.”
Jin-woo examined the Orichalcum with eagle eyes. The pink mineral was quite beautiful. Just as the Ghost King said, a pink aura shimmered from this premium-grade Orichalcum.
Even the Ghost King holding it seemed dyed in that pink light—beautiful beyond measure.
‘The mana is considerable.’
Jin-woo swallowed hard.
“What’s the grade?”
“Check it yourself.”
With that, he tossed the Orichalcum to Jin-woo.
-Orichalcum [Grade: SR+]
Description: A legendary mineral where formidable mana is condensed. Pure mana has been concentrated, making its power considerable.
‘SR+-grade Orichalcum.’
This was compensation enough.
‘The grade is identical to materials I’ve used before, but the quality of the material itself is different.’
The difference became even clearer when he handled it.
“Alright. Let’s begin right now.”
Deal made.
Jin-woo immediately drew out his needle.
The Ghost King stood with his arms spread wide and still.
Everyone else withdrew at the sudden turn of events. Only Mire truly understood what was happening.
“Mire, Elder.”
“Is Jin-woo going to…!”
Mire spoke.
“Don’t worry. What the Ghost King is undergoing is no attack.”
But Mire’s worry was understandable. Jin-woo’s skill was certain. However, the Ghost King was a Spirit Body.
One could not touch him.
Of course, Jin-woo didn’t seem unaware of that. He was an outstanding craftsman, and at the same time a Necromancer who wielded the power of darkness.
Still, it was no easy task.
“I think he’s attempting what I could not do.”
“What you could not do either, Elder Mire?”
“The dissolution of the Ghost King. Mending his spirit… his soul.”
“!”
The eyebrows of the elf elders twitched.
“Does he mean to destroy the Ghost King that way? Isn’t that the very task even Elder Mire abandoned as impossible!”
“It is impossible for me.”
Mire watched Jin-woo’s back. There was only one thing left to do now.
To believe.
“But Jin-woo can do it.”
Jin-woo examined the fragmented souls. Though they appeared merely broken, each fragment contained considerable power.
Precisely because of this, the stitching itself had a high probability of failure.
‘This is delicate.’
The moment he touched it, he knew. This was not something that could simply be mended.
‘It’s not just that he’s a Spirit Body and therefore impossible to stitch.’
Beyond that, it was impossible to sew from the start.
“Hm.”
As Jin-woo studied it carefully, the Ghost King laughed as if he’d expected this.
“You can give up now if you like.”
“What are you talking about.”
Jin-woo drew out mana in a long thread.
“I’ve already calculated it.”
Jin-woo smirked.
“Spell Enchantment.”
He imbued the long strand of mana thread with a spell.
Then he drew out a gem he’d set aside.
“Flame Engraving.”
He broke it and engraved it. The engraved gem was a Ruby.
‘Strengthen the thread. Make it even stronger! If the strength is great, I just match that strength with this.’
Ruby Flame Engraving and Spell Enchantment combined.
When used on equipment, both were options that raised attack power, but when applied to a mana thread, they made the thread itself extraordinarily durable.
‘All I need is to create thread that never breaks.’
As long as it doesn’t break, I can mend as much as needed.
‘With my own handiwork.’
Swoosh—
Jin-woo began stitching the soul.
Thump—
The needle, which should never have pierced through, passed straight through the soul.
Thump-thump—!
“Ugh.”
The Ghost King gasped involuntarily. It was pain he had never felt before in all his existence. At that pain, the Ghost King found himself laughing. Pain? After how long?
‘Here we go.’
The moment the needle pierced the soul, vibrations came.
The nature of the soul was vibration itself. It would oscillate instantly, breaking the thread and repelling any joining.
One obstacle after another.
But now there was no room for caution.
‘Fast.’
Swift judgment.
And action faster than that was needed.
Hummmmm—
Before the vibration could push the soul away, he bound it. Snap— Snap-snap— The thread nearly tore in an instant.
“Dust! Coco!”
The two summoned spirits settled into Jin-woo’s hands.
Jin-woo tied a quick knot. In that split-second decision, the thread did not break. And the soul was properly bound.
‘Thanks to my increased affinity with spirits.’
Jin-woo seized the momentum.
Binding one soul, mending another. Knotting and shaping.
Swoosh—. Swooosh—.
Stitch—
Jin-woo’s stitching began to mend the soul.
The Ghost King’s soul, shattered into fragments, began to come together.
That soul, broken into dozens of pieces.
Gradually became one.
“Ah…”
“Beautiful. Simply beautiful.”
“Truly…”
It was a different beauty from Mire’s sewing technique.
Every elf warrior present focused on Jin-woo’s needlework. They could not tear their eyes away.
Stitch—
Stitch-stitch—
Jin-woo continued the stitching rapidly.
So many ages.
For so many long ages, the Ghost King’s soul, which had admitted no hand but its own, was now being controlled by Jin-woo’s.
Mire watched the sight with a smile.
“My sewing technique has found its perfect continuation in you, Jin-woo.”
Jin-woo’s stitching was the Perfect Sewing Technique itself.
“It was not the technique that was impossible.”
The sewing technique taught by her master, the one called Allmaster, was not impossible.
She had simply failed to use it properly.
“Hhhhh.”
Jin-woo took a deep breath.
He had been concentrating so hard that he’d been holding his breath far too long. But at that moment, Jin-woo’s focus wavered ever so slightly.
“!”
But then.
-The God of Nature and Harmony sends praise for your overwhelming handiwork!
-The god bestows Grace upon you.
Grace—a power greater than blessing—settled into Jin-woo’s body.
Swooooosh—!
-All your stats are enhanced!
“I am grateful.”
Jin-woo’s senses grew keener still.
All the fragmented souls were now mended, leaving only one final soul.
This last knot was the most crucial.
Stitch—
Jin-woo took the final soul fragment, stitched it, and tied the knot.
“Hhhhh.”
The soul became one.
From the unified soul, formidable power flowed.
“…Ha. Ha ha ha.”
So many ages.
For so very long, the Ghost King had dreamed of this moment, his mind swaying like a feather on the wind.
“Thank you, human. No—Jin-woo.”
The soul entered the Ghost King’s body. And at that same moment, light began to shine.
Swooooosh—
Then his body gradually turned to dust and scattered.
“At last.”
That moment had come.
“I can rest now.”
-The Forest’s Nightmare, Ghost King Derma Hate, has entered Eternal Rest.
-You have cleared the quest!
-Your level has increased!
-Your level has increased!
-You have achieved the [Hero of the Elven City] achievement!
It was a result achieved with nothing but handiwork.
* * *
Twinkle—
Jin-woo found the Ghost King’s soul where he had vanished.
-Soul of Ghost King, Derma Hate [SR Grade]
It was the highest grade soul he had obtained yet.
‘An SR-grade soul.’
Jin-woo collected it.
-You have collected a powerful soul!
-Soul Sight proficiency increases!
-Soul Sight has leveled up!
-The number of subordinates you can control increases with Soul Sight’s level!
-6 >> 7
Swooosh—
The moment Jin-woo collected the soul, the mist blanketing the Labyrinth Forest lifted.
Of course, the Labyrinth Forest still lived up to its name and was not easily traversed, but its difficulty had diminished.
‘My familiar count increased by one.’
And now Jin-woo could command seven subordinates.
‘Steadily growing.’
He had breathing room in his familiar slots again.
‘I don’t need to expand right now.’
Recklessly increasing subordinates was not a good choice.
‘I’ll use this soul to strengthen my existing subordinates.’
From his confrontation with the Ghost King, Jin-woo had realized he needed to raise the quality of his subordinates themselves.
‘At least to the level of the Ghost King.’
“With this, visitors should be able to return to the city,” Mire said brightly.
Jin-woo set about cleaning up the forest with his four subordinates.
‘And collecting souls.’
He also gathered the bones and equipment the Ghost King’s army had worn.
‘I noticed there were quite a few pieces of antique-quality gear. If I melt those down, I should get some usable materials.’
“Let’s move.”
Jin-woo directed his subordinates. There was much to do, given how numerous the Ghost King’s forces had been.
“You can head back first. I’ll finish cleaning up here,” Mire offered.
“And the equipment?”
Mire had not believed Jin-woo had given her the equipment. She’d assumed he’d merely lent it in the form of a temporary loan, and now that the Ghost King was destroyed, she intended to return everything.
“I gave those to the warriors who fought alongside us. There’s no reason to take them back.”
“This kindness, I will not forget, Jin-woo.”
With that, she drew something from her robes.
“This is what you came for, isn’t it?”
-You have cleared the quest!
-You have obtained an Unlimited Mountain Map Fragment!
-The quest has been updated!
After Rodin, and now Mire.
Only two remained.
Hairun and Bexster.
“The remaining two had quite singular talents even among our peers. And both are not human. Like me.”
‘The Spell Enchantment from Int Orc was like that, and Mire’s Perfect Sewing Technique clearly transcended human limits, so the difficulty was substantial.’
It was the kind of skill that ordinary people could not easily learn.
Precisely because of this, Jin-woo’s interest was piqued even more.
‘Actually, it’s good that the remaining two aren’t human.’
Then who should he visit first?
“Which of the two should I visit first?”
“In my opinion,”
Having learned Flame Engraving and his own Perfect Sewing Technique, Jin-woo thought it wouldn’t be bad to come full circle and learn orthodox smelting.
“In addition to the smelting you’re currently learning, it would be quite beneficial to inherit your master’s orthodox smelting technique. I think you’ll find it most intriguing. Quite immensely so.”
Slyly—
Mire suddenly thought of Rodin. He’d likely received the same question from Jin-woo.
And probably smiled just as she was doing now.
“Seek out Hairun. The dwarf of universal crafting.”

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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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