The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 24

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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-Grade Blacksmith’s Return: Episode 24
‘Oh no. I’m late.’
Shin Tae-ho, having returned home, felt embarrassed.
Since he’d always had more than enough time remaining, this was the first occasion he’d miscalculated.
‘Still, I accomplished what I needed to. That’s enough.’
Shin Tae-ho, seated in a chair, opened his Inventory.
Armor that was troublesome to equip when wearing transferred automatically into the Inventory without needing to be removed first.
Since he’d cleared out his Inventory once before, it contained only the rewards from Floor 16 that he hadn’t yet examined.
Upon belatedly checking the rewards, Shin Tae-ho was astonished.
‘High-Grade Essence Fragments are already appearing?’
Inside the Inventory lay ten High-Grade Essence Fragments—items that could only be obtained occasionally after reaching the 50s.
Though the number wasn’t vast, a single fragment of this caliber was rare enough to fetch hundreds of millions in trade, and its applications were extensive.
Beside them lay 400 Mid-Grade Essence Fragments and two Poison Roots—apparently obtained from the giant centipede.
‘Poison Root. I’ve never encountered this item in the past.’
He’d heard rumors of its existence, but back then, Shin Tae-ho wasn’t yet at the height of his reputation as a blacksmith.
Naturally, he’d never even glimpsed such a rare item—one that required killing perhaps a hundred creatures to obtain.
As Shin Tae-ho picked up the Poison Root and gazed at it silently, its item information surfaced in his mind.
[Poison Root]
—Description: The source of poison, obtainable only from beings harboring potent toxins whose poison has condensed over a long time.
‘Poison, then. If I craft a weapon from this, would I gain unique effects or unique abilities related to poison?’
Shin Tae-ho examined the Poison Root with interest, turning it over in his hands.
Just then, Yong-ryong-i—still nursing motion sickness and resting on Shin Tae-ho’s lap—lifted his head with a sniff.
“Ryu? Ryu-ryu~?”
“What’s wrong, Yong-ryong-i?”
As Yong-ryong-i scrambled up Shin Tae-ho’s clothes like scaling a cliff face, Shin Tae-ho tilted his head in puzzlement.
Once Yong-ryong-i reached his shoulder, the creature’s eyes gleamed as he pointed at the Poison Root with his front paw.
“Ryu! Ryu-ryu!”
“This? It’s called Poison Root—it contains a powerful toxin. Why the interest?”
“Ryu-ryu~!”
Observing Yong-ryong-i’s reaction, Shin Tae-ho was taken aback.
The creature was evidently asking to eat the Poison Root he’d never seen before.
“You want to eat this?”
“Ryu!”
As Yong-ryong-i nodded emphatically, Shin Tae-ho fell speechless.
By any rational standard, he shouldn’t give it.
But Yong-ryong-i was a dragon, and more importantly, he’d proven himself far wiser and more intelligent than he first appeared.
After deliberating, Shin Tae-ho brought the Poison Root closer to Yong-ryong-i.
“First, just smell it. Are you really sure you want to eat this?”
“Hup!”
After sniffing the Poison Root, Yong-ryong-i popped it into his mouth as easily as if it were candy.
Before Shin Tae-ho could even react, the Poison Root had slipped down Yong-ryong-i’s throat.
The creature trembled with pleasure, his expression radiating contentment.
“Ryu-ryeo-ryu~.”
“…All right, Yong-ryong-i. If it’s good for you, then you did the right thing eating it.”
Confirming that Yong-ryong-i was fine, Shin Tae-ho closed his Inventory.
If he pulled out the remaining Poison Root, Yong-ryong-i would likely gobble it down just as quickly.
With the rewards confirmed, only one task remained.
“Now let’s eat and get some rest.”
“Ryu~!”
As Shin Tae-ho retrieved meat from the refrigerator, Yong-ryong-i’s tail wagged eagerly.
* * *
[You have entered Floor 17 of the Tower of South Korea.]
Once the designated entry time arrived, Shin Tae-ho and Yong-ryong-i, having eaten their fill and rested thoroughly, stepped into Floor 17.
But the surrounding landscape differed markedly from what they’d encountered before.
“Is this a town… or something?”
Elves walked through a dense forest where massive trees grew abundantly.
Moreover, what met his eyes wasn’t exclusively one type of elf—neither Pure Elf nor Dark Elf alone.
The Pure Elves and Dark Elves, who had never exchanged contact before, were now moving together in a single settlement.
As Shin Tae-ho glanced around, the Trial for this floor suddenly came to mind.
[Floor 17 Trial: To ascend the tower further, you will require the aid of the elves.]
[To receive assistance, gain Favor from five or more Elves.]
[Time Limit: 8 hours]
Shin Tae-ho found the unexpected Trial’s content remarkable.
After all this time fighting enemies, he was suddenly being asked to win the affection of Elves.
But given the Tower’s nature—where difficulty rose proportionally with each ascending floor—it was clear this would not be easy.
‘I came without repairing the Armor’s durability. As it happens, that worked out well.’
So what should he do to raise their Favor?
Shin Tae-ho pondered this as he stepped toward the path where Elves came and went.
The moment he entered the middle of the road,
the bustling conversation that had filled the street moments before fell silent all at once.
‘What is this? Could I be starting by receiving hostility?’
As wide eyes fixed upon him, Shin Tae-ho grew inwardly tense.
Since the Trial required gaining Favor, he couldn’t fight no matter what happened.
Then, soft whispers began to pass between the silent Elves.
“Could that be… the Hero who protected the city long ago…?”
“Really? But he’s alone. According to the warriors’ accounts from back then, he was accompanied by a long, plump, and adorable Divine Beast, weren’t they…?”
“Roooong?”
As the surroundings suddenly grew quiet, Yong-ryong-i, sensing the confusion, poked his face out from within the Armor.
Another moment of silence fell.
But faster than the silence could settle, a cheer erupted so loud it shook the forest.
“It’s real! It’s really the Hero!”
“Someone fetch the warriors! Hurry!”
“It’s the Divine Beast! A true Divine Beast, as we’ve heard tell!”
“Oh my, by the World Tree’s blessing!”
“Roo, ryong? Roo-ryong?”
“I have no idea what’s happening either.”
As Yong-ryong-i looked at him in bewilderment, Shin Tae-ho shook his head.
Watching the Elves cheer at the sight of him, unable to fathom what to do,
a message window materialized before Shin Tae-ho’s eyes.
[Elf Favor has been satisfied.]
[Elves with satisfied Favor: 2200/2200]
[Floor 17 Trial has been cleared.]
[Clear Grade cannot be determined.]
[You have received reverence surpassing Favor from all Elves!]
[You have obtained the Achievement: ‘Hero of the Elves’!]
[Rewards will be given according to your Clear Grade.]
[Reward contents: High-Grade Essence Fragment x5, Mid-Grade Essence Fragment x550, Broken Box Key Fragment (1/5), High-Grade Spirit Stone x1, Elpiriem Ring.]
“…What is happening?”
Shin Tae-ho was bewildered.
He hadn’t done anything, yet the Trial was apparently cleared?
But given that the rewards had appeared in his Inventory, it certainly seemed the Trial was passed.
As he struggled to make sense of this,
two Elves arrived at top speed, having received word of the situation.
“Gasp—are you, gasp, Shin Tae-ho and Yong-ryong-i, gasp, are you not?”
Shin Tae-ho turned his head.
Though they’d matured somewhat, he recognized them at once from yesterday’s encounter.
“The Commander of the Pure Elf, and the Commander of the Dark Elf—are you not?”
“Yes!”
“You’ve returned to us! Hero of the World Tree!”
The two moved commanders wept with emotion.
Or rather, the two Elves who had now risen to become Lords fell to their knees before Shin Tae-ho in reverence.
It was the highest gesture of respect among Elves—the pose they took only when offering prayers to their King or to the World Tree itself.
“My goodness, the Lord kneels…!”
“What are you waiting for? We must do the same!”
“No, wait—”
Before Shin Tae-ho could stop them, the Elves one by one followed the Lords in expressing their reverence.
Yong-ryong-i, watching this spectacle, laughed heartily.
“Yong-ryong-i—!!”
“Oh! The Divine Beast of the World Tree is pleased!”
“Divine Beast Yong-ryong-i!”
“Hero Shin Tae-ho!”
Shin Tae-ho, already aware that he’d long since passed the stage where he could manage this, gave up trying to say anything.
Unaware of Shin Tae-ho’s thoughts, Yong-ryong-i seemed to find the elves’ reaction amusing and continued to chirp and revel in their cheers.
* * *
Shin Tae-ho entered the Tower of South Korea under the guidance of the two lords.
At first, seeing only the outer surface of the Tower, he’d assumed it was a village.
But stepping inside, the settlement where the elves lived was far too vast to call merely a village—it was a city in every sense.
“The scale is impressive.”
“Please lower your manner of speech, Hero. You are most certainly worthy of such deference from us.”
“Indeed, Hero of the World Tree.”
Eldein, introduced as the lord of the Pure Elf, and Kider, introduced as the lord of the Dark Elf, spoke to Shin Tae-ho.
Their attitude felt burdensome, but it was equally difficult to ignore the two lords’ insistence.
“…Very well. Eldein, Kider—I accept your offer graciously.”
“Thank you, Hero of the World Tree!”
“Don’t speak so loudly before the Hero, Kider.”
“What?! You pale fruit—where do you get off!”
“You’re as dark as the roots beneath a tree.”
‘Is this conversation… appropriate?’
Shin Tae-ho, caught between the two elves, felt awkward.
The exchange between them contained jabs that even a human like Shin Tae-ho found difficult to hear as mere jest.
Noticing Shin Tae-ho’s silence, the two lords finally felt ashamed and ceased their mutual mockery.
“My apologies, Hero. We showed you an embarrassing sight.”
“And I must apologize as well. It was Eldein who suddenly provoked this.”
“You insufferable—!”
Eldein gnashed his teeth.
Sensing they would quarrel again if left alone, Shin Tae-ho changed the subject.
“But didn’t the Pure Elf and Dark Elf originally inhabit different territories? How did you come to build a village and live together like this?”
“It is all thanks to you, Hero.”
Eldein explained what had transpired in the interim.
After Shin Tae-ho had helped both territories repel their enemies,
the elves who witnessed the World Tree Leaf and Shin Tae-ho’s sudden disappearance became certain that he was a Hero sent by the World Tree itself.
Moreover, that Shin Tae-ho had aided both territories meant the World Tree loved both Pure Elf and Dark Elf without discrimination—or so they came to believe.
And with that understanding, the deep rift of animosity they had harbored grew gradually smaller, and exchanges between them increased.
“As we interacted, we discovered common ground as kin. Eventually, we came to live together like this.”
“Wait. Then how much time has passed since I met you?”
“Time? You ask about the passage of time? I confess I hadn’t thought of it precisely… but roughly thirty years have elapsed.”
‘Thirty years passed between a single floor?’
Shin Tae-ho was astounded.
It was already shocking enough that memory continued from floor to floor.
But for time to flow so differently between floors was beyond his expectation.
Afterward, Shin Tae-ho had several more conversations with the two lords and the elves about various matters.
‘Perhaps it’s because they’re long-lived. Their perception of time is certainly different from ours.’
While Shin Tae-ho found the thirty years shocking, the elves spoke of it as though recounting events from merely three years prior.
And because they answered every question kindly, he was able to gather considerable information.
‘Other Challengers spoke of the elves as arrogant and prideful, looking down on everyone. But they’re nothing like the rumors.’
Shin Tae-ho assumed the other Challengers had simply exaggerated their accounts.
But that was not the case.
Shin Tae-ho currently possessed the Achievement of each elf’s savior,
and the renown built up since the tutorial was immense.
Moreover, because he had shown them the World Tree Leaf, he was receiving extraordinary treatment.
The actual treatment ordinary Challengers received matched what Shin Tae-ho had heard.
Focusing on gathering information through conversation, eight hours had passed, leaving only an hour of his stay remaining.
Thinking it was time to prepare to leave, Shin Tae-ho asked,
“Eldein, Kider—would it be all right if I took some of the essence from this place?”
“Essence? Ah, you mean the natural energy? Of course.”
“As a Hero, you have no need to ask for our permission.”
“Indeed. We of the Pure Elf shall always aid and stand beside you.”
“We of the Dark Elf feel the same.”
“Don’t butt in without reading the room.”
“You’re the one who should sense the Hero’s discomfort and step back.”
“My thanks to you both. Then, if you’ll excuse me—Yong-ryong-i.”
Shin Tae-ho called out to Yong-ryong-i, ignoring the two lords’ bickering.
Yong-ryong-i understood his meaning and nodded, still chewing the fruit in her mouth.
For the first time seeing Yong-ryong-i about to do something, Eldein and Kider’s eyes gleamed.
Under the gaze of the two lords, Yong-ryong-i opened her mouth wide.
Drawn by Yong-ryong-i’s control, the surrounding essence rushed in all at once and flowed into her mouth.
“What…?”
“A, a Divine Beast…?!”
As the essence around them was pulled away in unimaginable suction, the eyes of the two Elf lords trembled.
Only then did the two understand Shin Tae-ho’s words about taking the essence, and their faces went pale.
Continued in the next episode ▶
The Transcendent Blacksmith’s Return
Author
Bong-in Haeje
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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