The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 10

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

Transcendent Blacksmith’s Return — Chapter 10
Pop!
With a sound like a balloon bursting, the enormous larva drew its final breath.
In that instant, a message window materialized before Shin Tae-ho’s eyes.
[Giant Larvae Defeated: 10/10]
[Time Remaining: 2 hours 43 minutes.]
[First Floor Trial Cleared.]
[Conquest Rank: S.]
[Rewards issued according to Conquest Rank.]
“S-Rank, then.”
S was the highest of seven ranks.
In the real world, they used this same grading system when evaluating Awakeners.
To receive S-Rank from the very beginning—Shin Tae-ho’s expression grew satisfied.
A moment later, a message window appeared detailing the rewards.
[Reward Contents: 100x Lowest-grade Qi Fragment, 1x Lowest-grade Fire Rune, 1x Lowest-grade Ice Rune, Broken Treasure Chest Key Fragment (1/5).]
“Runes from the first floor already. A promising start.”
Runes were rare materials infused with special power.
When used in crafting, they could imbue specific attribute abilities into equipment.
Because of these special properties, blacksmiths sought them, as did mages and alchemists.
Even Druids and spirit mages coveted them for pet treats—runes were universally prized items.
But what caught Shin Tae-ho’s eye was something else entirely.
It was the Broken Treasure Chest Key Fragment.
‘I’ve seen this before. It’s the key used to open treasure chests, if I recall correctly.’
As one climbed the Tower, hidden treasure chests sometimes appeared.
But naturally, the chests were locked.
If one tried to force them open, the box would shatter and spew poison or curses—a key was absolutely necessary.
Moreover, treasure chests remained for an extremely short time.
If not opened before the countdown expired, they would suddenly vanish in a wisp of smoke, leaving only the sound of a lock clicking.
‘Finding the chests is hard enough, but obtaining a key fragment to open them is even rarer. And yet, here it is.’
What he’d just received was 1 of 5 fragments.
He would need to find four more pieces to complete an intact key.
But Shin Tae-ho was undeterred.
‘If I can’t find them all, I’ll simply sell them. Key fragments are always in demand and fetch high prices.’
After confirming the rewards were safely stored in his inventory, Shin Tae-ho moved forward.
When he didn’t exit the Trial grounds, another message window appeared.
[Having cleared the Trial, you may remain for the duration of your remaining time.]
[Do you wish to remain?]
The first floor’s time limit was three hours.
Because he’d cleared it so quickly, more than two and a half hours remained.
“Yes.”
He dismissed the message window with a nod and activated his Qi Sense.
Like a spreading net, his Qi Sense expanded outward, gathering the ambient Qi scattered throughout the area.
Though the quantity wasn’t substantial, Shin Tae-ho moved deliberately, gathering Qi and channeling it into his Circuit.
‘Qi can only be obtained in the Tower. I should collect whenever I can.’
As he funneled Qi into his Circuit, Shin Tae-ho reflected on the battle just past.
His physical capabilities, though enhanced by Qi, had been far stronger than usual.
And though he’d never trained the technique before, his body had moved instinctively with each swing of the hammer—combat instinct born of pure reflex.
Shin Tae-ho recognized this as the power of the War Smith class.
‘War Smith, they called it. The name wasn’t mere flattery, it seems.’
Yet even that alone didn’t fully explain how he’d hunted the giant larva so effortlessly.
And Shin Tae-ho could reasonably guess the other reason.
‘Combat ability may be thanks to the class. But the fact that even minimal Qi expenditure grants such absurd physical prowess—that’s the Rebirth at work.’
Because of this, Shin Tae-ho had expended only minute quantities of Qi and felt no fatigue whatsoever.
In fact, the more Qi he gathered, the more energy surged through him—an itching sensation of untapped potential.
‘I need to climb faster.’
Feeling the Qi trickling into his Circuit like falling droplets, Shin Tae-ho tightened his grip on the hammer.
* * *
In recent days, Korea had become the center of attention across the world.
The reason was the impossible exploits of a single Awakener.
[Announcement: An Awakener from the Republic of Korea has successfully achieved S-Rank Conquest on Floor 12 of Tower 22 for the 34th recorded time.]
Tower announcements were rare, something you’d only see if a matter was truly significant.
Yet for the past several days, Awakeners had been receiving Tower notifications every single day.
The reason: a challenger from Korea had achieved S-Rank on a Conquest Rank.
Though the news originated in Korea, the Tower’s broadcast meant that Awakeners worldwide instantly learned of Shin Tae-ho’s existence.
Appearing like a supernova, Shin Tae-ho’s incredible ascent was setting TowerDotCom—the world’s largest Tower community—ablaze with discussion.
-This is insane. Has to be a bug, right?
⌎Looking at the notification time yesterday, he cleared the 12th floor in 25 minutes. How is that even possible?
⌎What country is Korea, exactly? Who is this challenger?
⌎We don’t know either. If you find out, please tell us. Seriously.
It had been several years since the Tower appeared.
With communities sprouting up around it, even ordinary people interested in the Tower had accumulated considerable knowledge about it.
Floors 1 through 10 were levels where beasts—not true monsters—appeared: colossal worms, vicious centipedes, and the like.
Though these beasts were certainly dangerous, the difficulty shifted entirely from the 11th floor onward.
Starting from the 11th floor, Goblins appeared—true monsters.
That is, while they might lack the raw strength of beasts, they were a species far more intelligent and organized.
Moreover, the 12th floor Trial required facing twenty Forest Goblins, a variety of Goblin.
They swung through trees like primates and wielded venomous stingers, earning them a notorious reputation among challengers.
Until now, only 21 people worldwide had achieved S-Rank on this 12th floor.
Yet this challenger had secured S-Rank on the 12th floor as well.
And he’d done it in 25 minutes—compressing the average conquest time of one hour by more than half.
-Maintaining S-Rank throughout all 12 floors… Korea’s future is bright indeed!
⌎But why hasn’t he registered as an Awakener? With that level of power, he’d get enormous benefits?
Awakeners received numerous benefits.
Beyond personal security details, they could rent Awakener apartments and officetels free of charge.
They were even provided cheap rentals for items necessary to climb the Tower.
By any reasonable measure, not registering would be losing out.
And if that challenger had achieved S-Rank every time up to floor 12?
His fame would far exceed that of others, allowing him to enjoy far more generous benefits.
Yet as with all things, wherever there is brilliant light, there exists proportionate shadow.
⌎Tsk. You’re not an Awakener, are you? Registration isn’t necessarily a good thing, non-Awakener.
A common misconception was that being an Awakener was unconditionally advantageous.
But that was only half true.
Since Awakeners were tied to national security, the government protected them carefully.
The problem was that this “protection” meant assigning security details and providing free housing in residential complexes exclusively for Awakeners.
Except for people like celebrities or high-ranking officials, challengers were ordinary citizens outside the Tower.
Yet the moment security became attached, living a peaceful, ordinary life became difficult.
Above all, personal safety was the issue.
-Right. There was that incident years back where an enemy nation sent an Awakener to assassinate one of ours.
Though the Tower presented a common threat to humanity, it did not unite them.
Humanity continued to clash over religion, economics, and countless other issues.
Before the Tower’s arrival, such conflicts accumulated and festered into war.
But with the Tower’s emergence, an invisible conflict erupted before wars could even begin.
If a nation fails to update the Tower’s highest floor within a time limit, Gates appear as a consequence.
And if those Gates aren’t eliminated in time, monsters flood out from within them into reality.
Enemy nations exploit this very mechanism: they assassinate or kidnap the strongest Awakeners of rival countries.
This prevents their adversaries from updating the Tower’s highest floor, thus triggering Gates.
Three nations have actually fallen by this very method.
-Honestly, I wish he’d stay hidden. How many Awakeners have we seen ruin themselves acting like celebrities, letting success go to their heads?
⌎ㅋㅋㅋ For real though. Started filming commercials for money, then stopped climbing the Tower altogether ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
⌎Think he can land S-Rank on the 13th floor too? I’ve got 500 on him making it.
⌎Wait, you’re betting money on an Awakener risking his life in the Tower? I’m reporting you.
Users commenting on TowerDotCom denounced the gambler, hurling insults at him.
Yet beneath their condemnation, the same curiosity stirred in their hearts.
Could he really achieve S-Rank?
On the 13th floor S-Rank, which only 14 people worldwide had ever cleared?
* * *
Thunk!
With the heavy impact, half the tree shattered.
As the tree fell, two Forest Goblins that had been firing venomous stingers from above tumbled to the ground.
Kee-kah! Kek-kek!
The ones who scrambled to their feet rushed to yank the axes from their belts.
But the Hammer arrived faster, crushing the heads of two Forest Goblins in one brutal stroke.
Shriek! Shriek—!
A series of loud roars echoed from somewhere distant.
Recognizing their commander’s call, the Forest Goblins widened their distance from Shin Tae-ho.
In that moment, a colossal boulder came crashing down through the trees, bearing down on him.
Rumble—!!
The massive sphere, weighing what seemed to be several hundred tons, rolled forward with a deafening roar.
It was a classic goblin tactic—using environmental traps to confound and disorient their prey.
But Shin Tae-ho didn’t budge. He stood his ground, adjusting his grip on the Hammer.
The moment his gaze fell upon the Hammer, information bloomed in his mind.
[Destructive Strike]
-Details: Releases a sudden burst of Qi to destroy the target.
-Ignores 50% of the target’s physical defense.
-30% chance to stun the target on impact.
Qi flowed from Shin Tae-ho’s Circuit into the Hammer.
The system, reading his intention, immediately displayed a message.
[Unique Ability, Destructive Strike, activated.]
Qi from Shin Tae-ho’s Circuit surged into the Hammer.
The Hammer head, wreathed in the power of Destructive Strike, shot forward toward the massive boulder.
Crash—!!
At the thunderous impact, the Forest Goblins staggered backward in shock.
The goblin commander, the first to regain his senses, whimpered with fear and peeked out timidly from behind a tree.
His eyes widened in horror as he beheld the shattered boulder, caved in on one side.
Ki, Ki-kee—
Boom!
The commander goblin’s cry cut off abruptly.
Shin Tae-ho had materialized like the wind and torn his head from his shoulders in a single motion.
Thump! Crack! Smash!
Heavy impacts rang out in rapid succession.
The Forest Goblins near the commander fell lifeless in an instant.
As he hurled the Hammer at the last one fleeing in retreat, a message window appeared.
[Commander Forest Goblin defeated: 1/1]
[Forest Goblins defeated: 50/50]
[Remaining time: 7 hours 55 minutes.]
[Trial of Floor 13 cleared.]
[Conquest Rank: S-Rank.]
[Rewards granted based on Conquest Rank.]
[Reward contents: 200x Lowest-grade Qi Fragment, 50x Goblin Leather.]
“The rewards feel a bit thin, honestly.”
As he ascended the floors, the number of rewards had grown.
Yet he still hadn’t obtained any special rewards—no Runes or Broken Treasure Chest Key Fragments.
Shin Tae-ho collected Qi as usual and scrolled through his inventory, stroking his chin.
‘My inventory is nearly full.’
It was packed with rewards accumulated from ascending to Floor 13.
Without registering as an Awakener, there was no legal way to sell items, so they’d piled up.
Moreover, his bank account was running dry—he needed money.
‘For the sake of earning, I can’t put off Awakener registration any longer.’
The Awakener registration he’d been postponing out of busyness and reluctance.
As Shin Tae-ho recalled the tasks awaiting him outside, his eyes grew heavy with resignation.
Continued in the next episode ▶
The Return of the Transcendent War Smith
Author
Bonginhae-jae
Publisher
Kim Suk-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Contact email
[email protected]
Publication Date
May 26, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260227067
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and distribution are prohibited. Violation of these restrictions may result in criminal and civil liability.
※ Pentagram eagerly awaits your precious manuscript.

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