The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 117

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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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Transcendent Master Blacksmith’s Return — Chapter 117
“What’s this? We’re hardly on terms where you’d address me so casually.”
Park Su-hyuk’s response was ice-cold.
But the Chinese Challenger merely tilted his head without concern.
“What do you mean? We’re colleagues, aren’t we?”
“It stings to hear such words from someone we’ve climbed this tower with, relying on each other all this way.”
‘Colleagues? This bastard palmed off every trial without lifting a finger, dumping it all on me!’
Park Su-hyuk’s face darkened.
Just then, Tsukuyomi, standing behind him, interjected into the conversation.
“At last we meet. Curious—I never saw you when we were searching so diligently.”
Unlike Park Su-hyuk, the moment Tsukuyomi opened his mouth, a peculiar tension rippled through the Chinese Challengers.
“What? We have no business with you Japanese Challengers.”
“Neither did I. Not until someone resorted to despicable tactics.”
Tsukuyomi spoke with a thin smile, but his eyes held no warmth whatsoever.
He watched the Chinese Challenger with a chilling gaze, as though ready to draw his fan at any moment, then continued.
“The object we sought in the Trial—we found it in the hands of an orc scout party. Before we killed them, we learned that someone had given it to them.”
“We know nothing of it. Perhaps those two gave it to them?”
The Chinese Challenger gestured with his chin toward Shin Tae-ho and Han Ji-hyun, feigning innocence.
Tsukuyomi’s expression shifted to one of disbelief tinged with contempt.
“Those individuals were the ones who saved us at the time. That would be quite impossible, wouldn’t it?”
“What exactly are you implying? It sounds as though you’re suggesting we’re quite capable of doing such a thing.”
“How fortunate. I was worried my words might be too difficult for you to follow.”
“Too difficult? It was simple enough—wait. Are you suggesting we’re too stupid to understand?”
“How foolish of me. I had no idea it was this bad.”
Tsukuyomi feigned wonder, raising his fan to his lips with an air of pretense.
The Chinese Challengers, realizing Tsukuyomi viewed them as utter fools, bristled with indignation.
“You bastard! How dare you insult us?!”
“No matter that you’re a World Ranker—do you really think you can face all six of us alone?!”
‘These wretches just naturally included me in their count?!’
Park Su-hyuk’s face twisted as he realized the Chinese Challenger had lumped him into their numbers.
When the Chinese Challengers drew weapons from their Inventories, the atmosphere became deadly enough for bloodshed to break out any second.
At that moment, the sound of running feet echoed from deeper within the city, and Zetaum appeared.
“Stop this instant! How dare you draw weapons within our city!”
Zetaum’s shout rang out with thunderous force.
The Chinese Challengers, secretly on edge, immediately pointed at Tsukuyomi.
“He was the one who threatened us first!”
“Seize that bastard! Before any more dwarves are harmed, help us!”
Zetaum followed their pointing fingers and looked toward Tsukuyomi, who held his fan.
Confusion flickering across his face, Zetaum turned back toward the Chinese Challengers.
As his gaze fell upon the swords, spears, and nunchaku held in their hands, the muscles along Zetaum’s jaw clenched tight.
“You mad foreigners! It was YOU who drew weapons!”
“W-what?! No, wait—he insulted us first—”
“Silence! Put away that filthy metal at once, or I’ll smash it to pieces!”
At Zetaum’s roar, the armed dwarves standing watch stepped forward.
Faced with unmistakable hostility, the Chinese Challengers’ resolve crumbled.
“Damn it!”
“Let’s go. There’s nothing to gain by staying.”
The Chinese Challengers began moving toward the city’s edge.
Shin Tae-ho, observing their departure closely, noticed just before they left that their gazes converged upon him in unison.
‘What was that?’
Shin Tae-ho was puzzled by their sudden attention.
Yong-ryong-i, coiled around Shin Tae-ho’s neck, disliked the noisy commotion and had nestled his head against Shin Tae-ho’s side.
Only after the Chinese Challengers had departed did Zetaum finally calm his anger and turn to Shin Tae-ho’s group.
“What in blazes is all this? Have you some conflict with them?”
“I apologize. It happened so suddenly that we’re equally bewildered.”
Shin Tae-ho stepped forward and offered his apology to Zetaum.
Had it been anyone else, he would have demanded a straight answer.
But since it was none other than Shin Tae-ho offering his apologies with such courtesy, the hardness that had filled Zetaum’s eyes softened almost at once.
“If you say so, there must be a reason. Very well. But do be more careful next time.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
“Right. I was hoping to ask you all for a favor anyway. It’s rather urgent.”
At Zetaum’s words, Park Su-hyuk’s eyes lit up.
From the atmosphere and the content alike, it was clear that Zetaum meant to offer a Trial.
Park Su-hyuk’s ears perked up in anticipation of what kind of Trial he might receive.
That’s when Zetaum looked at him oddly.
“Why are you still here? Didn’t your companions go outside?”
“Ah, no sir! They were only moving with me for a short while. We’re not companions, nor are we close.”
Park Su-hyuk waved his hand dismissively, laughing as he denied any relationship.
But Zetaum’s expression at that action was far from pleased.
‘Moving together all this time, yet claiming to be nothing to each other?’
Dwarves were a people who valued ability, tradition, and relationships.
One of the things dwarves despised most was betraying others as easily as flipping your hand.
Better to die than act like a bat, clinging to one side, then the other—such conduct was viewed by dwarves as more shameful and contemptible than death itself.
And he dared speak such words before him?
While trying to attach himself to Shin Tae-ho, someone Zetaum trusted and favored?!
“From what you’re saying, it seems you want to go along with Shin Tae-ho’s group. But that won’t be possible.”
“Pardon? Why not?”
Park Su-hyuk was taken aback.
In that instant, a message window appeared before his eyes.
[You cannot receive a Trial due to insufficient Affinity and trust.]
‘Affinity? Trust?’
With wide eyes, Park Su-hyuk’s mind recalled what had happened in the past at Elf’s Tower.
Back then, Park Su-hyuk had chosen Kider from the dark elf faction.
As they climbed the tower and faced growing numbers of enemies, he had once requested aid from the elf warriors.
But even then, a message window had appeared saying his Affinity and trust were insufficient, and Kider had refused support.
‘No way. So now Affinity is required just to receive a Trial?!’
The delayed realization struck Park Su-hyuk like a blow.
Meanwhile, Zetaum’s expression grew steadily darker.
“I need to have a word with these people, so if you’d be so kind as to leave. Otherwise, I suppose we’ll have to move you ourselves.”
“Ah… no. I… I’ll leave right away.”
Park Su-hyuk answered with difficulty.
Staying put here would only make matters worse.
Better to leave before he damaged his Affinity any further.
Park Su-hyuk, his expression hollow, trudged away from the room.
Zetaum watched him go to the end, then snorted in displeasure.
“This is why outsiders can’t be trusted. If only everyone were like you, Shin Tae-ho.”
“I’m ashamed to say I cannot claim such credit.”
Shin Tae-ho bowed slightly, his expression apologetic.
At that courteous gesture, the corners of Zetaum’s stiffened mouth rose faintly.
[Zetaum’s Affinity has increased.]
‘I feel it anew each time. Whether at Elf’s Tower or here, the divide in Affinity is quite stark—the rich grow richer, the poor poorer.’
Others flattered him endlessly yet their Affinity never rose, yet his own increased when he apologized for something he hadn’t done.
As Shin Tae-ho reflected on how crucial first impressions truly were,
Zetaum led his group into his office.
“You two there. Do you remember the task I asked of you before?”
“Yes. You asked us to find three items belonging to a certain dwarf.”
Amaterasu answered Zetaum’s question directly, her gaze including Tsukuyomi alongside herself.
Satisfied with her answer, Zetaum now turned his gaze to Shin Tae-ho.
“Shin Tae-ho. I asked you to find the whereabouts of a missing informant.”
“Yes. I discovered signs that they were dragged away to an orc base.”
“That’s right. In fact, those two requests were one and the same. The items those two were asked to find all belonged to that informant.”
“I see.”
Shin Tae-ho answered matter-of-factly.
He had already anticipated as much, so there was nothing to be surprised about.
But what Zetaum said next was something Shin Tae-ho had not foreseen.
“However, I received word from another one of our informants. They reported seeing the informant we thought was dead and gone—alive.”
“Alive? So the orcs have a concept of hostages? I seem to have been mistaken about their nature.”
“We’re equally puzzled. Those orc bastards kill everything they capture without hesitation, yet hostages? We too assumed our informant was certainly dead.”
Zetaum stroked his long beard.
His expression had grown even more grim and rigid than before.
“We’ve identified that traitors are currently in that location. The informant was probably kept alive so they could extract information.”
‘The Northern Dwarves.’
Shin Tae-ho recalled the memory.
The dwarves he’d met when he went to Komuto Volcano with Bianca and Choi Yu-hwa.
He’d never fought them directly, but being dwarves, they were clearly formidable opponents.
“What I’m asking of you is two things. One is to safely extract the informant. The other is to bring the informant back to the city alive.”
The moment Zetaum finished speaking, a message window appeared before the entire party.
[You have been offered a Special Trial.]
[Proposed Trial 1: Rescue the imprisoned informant]
[Proposed Trial 2: Safely transport the rescued informant to the city]
[Completion Condition: You must bring the informant to the city alive. If the informant dies, the first trial will also be counted as a failure.]
[Note: If you safely bring the informant to the city, it will be recognized as clearing both the current Floor 15 and Floor 16 trials.]
“Wow! Tsukuyomi, look at this! It’s a Special Trial!”
Amaterasu gasped as she read the message window.
But Tsukuyomi’s expression upon seeing the trial was peculiar.
‘Can we clear two trials at once? But is that actually a good thing?’
No—more than that, why did such a trial even exist?
While others were climbing Floor 16, what were they supposed to be doing?
Tsukuyomi and Han Ji-hyun arrived at the same thought.
It felt unusual, lacked clear benefit, and seemed to carry disproportionately high risk.
But unlike Amaterasu, who showed uncomplicated joy, and the two who worried—
Shin Tae-ho’s eyes gleamed as he read the details.
‘A Special Trial. If I clear just this, I can buy myself free time to use on Floor 16.’
First, mastering the soul-refinement skill he’d just acquired.
The Dwarf Hammer Combat that still required more practice to fully embody, and the materials he needed to mine from the Mine.
Shin Tae-ho had plenty to do inside the tower even without the trial.
He noticed Tsukuyomi and Han Ji-hyun wavering over whether to accept the trial, and spoke to them quietly.
“A Special Trial—I’ve never seen one before. But a trial like this should have far better rewards. More than that, you could rest safely during the time others spend climbing Floor 16.”
“-!”
The expressions of the two who had been deliberating shifted.
‘If we clear just this trial… the young lady can pass Floor 16 without any danger, comfortable and sound!’
‘My mana was already running low anyway. If I can refine qi throughout the entire floor and accumulate mana…’
Tsukuyomi, who treasured and worried over Amaterasu deeply.
Moreover, an inevitable affliction for any mage.
Han Ji-hyun, who suffered from both Mana Addiction and compulsive symptoms, nodded at the same time.
“Excellent. To catch two birds with one stone—we can’t pass up an opportunity like this.”
“I agree as well.”
“The two of you have consented. What of you, Amaterasu?”
“I agree! Once we clear these two trials together, we can enjoy tea ceremony~.”
With everyone’s agreement, Shin Tae-ho looked toward Zetaum.
Zetaum, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, smiled with satisfaction.
“I knew you’d accept. I’m counting on you!”
The moment Zetaum finished speaking, a message window appeared before the entire party confirming the trial had been accepted.
Continues in the next episode ▶
The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith
Author
Seal Release
Publisher
Kim Seok-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 copying are strictly prohibited, and violation may result in both criminal and civil liability.
※ Pentagram awaits your precious manuscripts.

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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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