The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 17

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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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The Master Blacksmith’s Return — Episode 17
Those with faith believe that when they die, Karma determines whether they go to Heaven or Hell.
Elves held a similar belief.
Elves believed that when they died, they would return to the roots of the World Tree and become part of it.
The World Tree was that sacred, that holy—both as existence and as place.
And now.
The World Tree that every elf longed to glimpse once in their lifetime stood before Shin Tae-ho.
‘Enormous.’
Shin Tae-ho lifted his head, gazing up at the World Tree.
Before his Return, even in that advanced future, there were skyscrapers reaching two hundred stories.
But the World Tree bore a presence entirely different from soulless blocks of concrete.
What lay before Shin Tae-ho now was merely one of the World Tree’s countless roots.
Yet that single root was as vast as Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.
Ephiel offered an explanation to Shin Tae-ho, who gazed at the World Tree as if entranced.
“You said you were running low on Natural Energy. I’ll allow you to recover it here. But never—never lay a hand upon the World Tree itself.”
“So as long as I follow that rule, I can take as much as I want?”
Shin Tae-ho asked with evident hope.
Ephiel laughed softly, as though she’d anticipated the question.
“Yes. But the Natural Energy here is incomparably stronger than anything outside. Don’t be greedy and destroy yourself in the process.”
“Why? Are you worried I’ll drain it all?”
“Worried? That the great World Tree’s Natural Energy might be depleted? Ha.”
Ephiel let out a small, mocking laugh.
“My concern is you. If you take in more Natural Energy than you can handle, you’ll dissolve and merge with nature itself.”
“Is that so? I rather like the sound of that.”
Shin Tae-ho removed his Helmet and slipped a hand inside his Armor, tapping Yong-ryong lightly.
“Yong-ryong. Come out for a moment.”
“Who are you talking to?”
Ephiel tilted her head in confusion at Shin Tae-ho’s actions.
But the moment Yong-ryong emerged from his embrace, Ephiel’s eyes widened in shock.
‘What is that creature? I’ve never seen anything like it before. No—I couldn’t even sense its presence…!’
“Dragon?”
Yong-ryong’s expression twisted when their eyes met, Ephiel staring intently at him.
It was the look of someone irritated at being observed so closely.
Noticing Yong-ryong’s displeasure in the way he vocalized “dragon,” Shin Tae-ho stroked his head.
“It’s all right, Yong-ryong. She’s not an enemy.”
“Ryong!”
Yong-ryong nodded in understanding, his expression relaxing.
Shin Tae-ho released Yong-ryong into the air as he spoke.
“Can you feel the Energy here?”
“Ryong!”
Though Yong-ryong hadn’t answered directly.
Shin Tae-ho had already sensed that Yong-ryong’s Energy Sense was far superior even to his own.
As expected, Yong-ryong too felt the rich Energy of the World Tree, his throat working in an audible swallow.
“Don’t touch the tree. You can take as much of this Energy as you want. No—take as much as you possibly can.”
“Ryong?! Ryong-ryong~!!”
Yong-ryong leaped into the air with delight.
As Yong-ryong soared toward the World Tree, Ephiel started in alarm and tried to stop him.
But Yong-ryong only ascended higher, never making contact with the tree itself.
Instead, his mouth stretched wide open, and he began drawing in the World Tree’s Energy with abandon.
Whoooooosh—!!
The World Tree’s Energy that filled the surrounding space cascaded like a waterfall into Yong-ryong’s mouth.
At the sheer power of the suction—so violent it created a near-vacuum in moments—Ephiel’s jaw fell slack.
It was startling enough that a creature she’d never seen before had appeared, but such suction force?!
‘Is… is this actually all right?’
Ephiel’s gaze turned toward where the World Tree stood.
Ephiel was a World Tree Elf.
She could sense the World Tree’s emotions in ways that Dark Elves or Pure Elves could not—instinctively, fundamentally.
And the emotion emanating from the World Tree was…
‘It’s… pleased?’
Ephiel, attuned to the World Tree’s emotions, found herself astonished once more.
The World Tree showed no particular reaction even when the World Tree Elves, its children in a sense, drew away its Natural Energy.
But when Yong-ryong began drinking in great gulps of Energy, the World Tree displayed joy—an emotion it had never shown before.
Ephiel stared at Yong-ryong with trembling eyes.
‘What in the world is that creature?’
Even the World Tree Elves themselves couldn’t accept so much at once without strain, and had to receive it in portions—yet this being was consuming Energy like that.
As Ephiel watched in amazement, Yong-ryong, who had been absorbing Energy with vigor, finally closed its mouth.
“Burrrp~.”
Yong-ryong descended with a satisfied belch.
Its belly bulged outward as though it were carrying an egg.
“You finished?”
“Ryong~!”
Yong-ryong answered with satisfaction.
For the first time, it felt a fullness it had never experienced even after drinking all the Energy in the tower.
But as Shin Tae-ho carefully pressed and felt along Yong-ryong’s belly to check, he shook his head.
“No. Yong-ryong, you can take more. Go back and drink more.”
“Ryong?!”
Yong-ryong was startled by Shin Tae-ho’s words.
But I’m full!
Yet Shin Tae-ho was serious.
“This is an opportunity we may never have again. Drink more, Yong-ryong.”
“…Ryong, ryong….”
Yong-ryong began drinking Energy again.
After saying it was full two or three more times, Shin Tae-ho kept insisting it continue.
In the end, Yong-ryong only received permission to stop once the World Tree’s Energy rose all the way to its throat.
“Good. Well done, Yong-ryong.”
The Yong-ryong lying on the ground could not answer.
If it opened its mouth now, the Energy might come back up.
Once Yong-ryong finished absorbing Energy, Ephiel, who had been staring blankly at the sight, came back to herself.
“Impressive. To be able to channel that much Natural Energy…. Then now—”
“My turn.”
“…What?”
Ephiel, who had been about to suggest they leave now that they’d taken enough, was startled.
Shin Tae-ho deployed his Energy Sense and began filling his Circuit with the World Tree’s Energy.
While Yong-ryong was drinking, the World Tree’s Energy, which normally didn’t flow to him due to its strict control, now poured in.
As the fierce Energy flowed into his Circuit, Shin Tae-ho’s expression grew grave.
‘Indeed. This is qualitatively incomparable to the Energy I got in the tower.’
If the Energy from the tower was like water vapor, the World Tree’s Energy was like congealed, sticky gel.
An Energy so dense that a Challenger who had just reached the fifteenth floor wouldn’t dare hold it in their Circuit.
Attempting to force it in would break the Circuit altogether.
But Shin Tae-ho was someone who had completed the Tutorial and possessed a Level 7 Circuit.
Though it would bring pain, he was fully capable of accepting the World Tree’s Energy.
Unlike Yong-ryong, it took Shin Tae-ho a long time to accept the Energy.
After a lengthy period, Shin Tae-ho, having filled his Circuit completely, breathed deeply.
He could feel his Circuit, which had never once been completely full before, now filling to the point of nearly overflowing.
Ephiel, who had been watching in silence, was flabbergasted.
“You… what exactly are you? Could you be a dragon?”
“I’m human. A dragon? Don’t compare me to some lizard.”
Shin Tae-ho sounded displeased.
To Shin Tae-ho, dragons were merely the enormous enemies that erupted when the tower collapsed—creatures that destroyed the earth.
Ephiel didn’t understand the word “human,” but she could tell from Shin Tae-ho’s expression that he was angry.
“R-right. Of course that’s impossible. I apologize. I made a mistake. So then, now….”
“Yes. I need to fill this.”
‘What else?!’
Ephiel screamed internally.
A Core, withdrawn from his Inventory, was now in Shin Tae-ho’s hand.
‘I wonder. Can the World Tree’s Energy fill this Core completely?’
Anticipation lifted one corner of Shin Tae-ho’s mouth.
Though Ephiel couldn’t fathom why he was smiling, she could certainly discern one thing.
Something was going very, very wrong right now!
* * *
The Core stopped absorbing energy.
It wasn’t that it had become full.
Ephiel, unable to bear it any longer, had shrieked and blocked Shin Tae-ho, and that was what had caused him to stop.
“Stop! That’s enough!”
“Why? There still seems to be plenty of energy around.”
“If we don’t maintain at least this much Natural Energy, the forest will die! If we don’t, the areas around the roots will be damaged!”
“I see. That’s unfortunate.”
Shin Tae-ho examined the Core.
He had absorbed quite a large amount of the World Tree’s energy.
Yet the total was less than one hundredth of what he had absorbed from Alimir in the Tutorial.
‘I knew it was tremendous, but comparing it like this, I’m starting to understand just how extraordinary Alimir’s energy truly is.’
The amount of energy he had absorbed was so great that the World Tree’s reserves had nearly dried up, yet it was still less than one hundredth of Alimir’s.
On top of that, the energy density from Alimir was far more concentrated.
And what made it even more astounding was that this comparison wasn’t just about the Tower’s energy—it was about the World Tree’s energy.
While Shin Tae-ho marveled at this realization, Ephiel was equally astounded.
‘What on earth are these creatures? How could they possibly be like this?!’
The World Tree’s energy, which always overflowed and filled the space around the roots, scattering Natural Energy into the world.
That sea-like abundance of energy had now visibly diminished and weakened, as if a drought had descended.
Ephiel, who could commune with the World Tree, could sense that the World Tree was exhausted from having so much of its Natural Energy drained away.
And it was in this very moment that Ephiel first learned the World Tree could become tired.
Shin Tae-ho felt awkward seeing Ephiel’s grave expression.
‘Hmm. Did I take too much?’
As Shin Tae-ho sheepishly scratched his head, feeling as though he had done something rather shameless.
A message window appeared before his eyes.
[An unidentified being looks at you with a tired expression and smiles.]
[An unidentified being sends you a gift in gratitude for your efforts.]
‘A gift?’
Shin Tae-ho was bewildered.
An unidentified being had appeared out of nowhere.
By all accounts, it had to mean the World Tree.
But why would it be called unidentified rather than the World Tree?
And a gift? It could make sense if this were a quest or strategy reward, but a gift?
All he had done was absorb energy—what could it possibly be grateful for?
‘Could it be for standing guard outside the barrier?’
While Shin Tae-ho pondered the reason.
Confirming that the World Tree, though exhausted, bore no anger, Ephiel grabbed his wrist.
“Let’s pay our respects to the World Tree and leave. No matter that she brought you here out of gratitude, we’ve stayed too long.”
“I’ll pay my respects, certainly. But there’s no need to leave.”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“I’m going to disappear.”
Shin Tae-ho moved his gaze to check his remaining stay time.
That stretch of time had already come to an end; less than two minutes remained.
But there was something he needed to confirm before he left.
“Ephiel. When I meet you again, how can I make you recognize me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I mean, if you don’t recognize me, tell me something I can use to prove to you that I know you.”
Though he had explained, Ephiel still could not understand what Shin Tae-ho meant.
But his expression was anything but joking.
Sensing sincerity in that expression, Ephiel pondered a moment before answering.
“I still don’t understand what you’re saying, but if I don’t recognize you, then say this: ‘I know about your Silver Treasure.'”
“Your Silver Treasure.”
Shin Tae-ho repeated the words so he would not forget them.
Ephiel, uneasy at having revealed her secret, turned her head away.
After clearing her throat with a soft cough, Ephiel looked back at Shin Tae-ho.
“But I should remember you anyway, so what exactly does this even—huh?”
Ephiel’s eyes widened as she turned.
The figure of Shin Tae-ho who had been standing beside her only moments ago was gone.
With wide rabbit eyes, Ephiel looked around.
This was the World Tree’s domain.
Young though she might be, as a guardian, Ephiel could detect even a single ant within this realm.
But nowhere in the World Tree’s domain could Shin Tae-ho’s presence be felt.
“What… how could this be…?”
Ephiel stared at the World Tree, her voice trembling with shock.
Yet the World Tree stood before her in silence, its expression unreadable, betraying nothing.
To be continued ▶
The Transcendent Blacksmith’s Return
Author
Seal Release
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Inquiries
[email protected]
Publication date
May 26, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260227067
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※ Pentagram welcomes 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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