The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 28

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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 Blacksmith’s Return – Chapter 28
Inside the personal workspace that the Management Bureau had specially created for Kim Jong-soo, known as the Master.
Kim Jong-soo sat before a monitor, his expression grave as he stared at the screen.
What Kim Jong-soo was watching was the comments accumulating beneath a post he had written.

Details: I saw someone spewing super-heated flames from their mouth, melting steel and all that.
Can Tamers have skills like that too, or is it only for Mages?
-What kind of nonsense is this??
⌎ㅁㅊ This is hilarious lololol I don’t think that kind of stuff even shows up in nightmares
⌎⌎If you had a nightmare, quit your rambling, wash your face, rinse your feet, and go back to sleep
“These rotten little punks…!”
Kim Jong-soo ground his teeth hard.
Not only were his view counts abysmal, but every single comment mocked him mercilessly.
Yet Kim Jong-soo found himself unable to let it go—he had been thoroughly shaken by what he’d witnessed that day.
He couldn’t focus on his work.
Whenever he managed to drift into sleep, he’d find himself dreaming of the bulky figure of Shin Tae-ho hunched over with his back turned, spewing flames from his mouth as he forged.
‘If they’d seen it with their own eyes like I did, they wouldn’t be spouting that garbage!’
Consumed by frustration, Kim Jong-soo shut down the computer and took a sharp breath.
At this point, there was only one way to dispel this nightmare.
‘I’ll verify it with my own eyes.’
Moreover, he’d just received word that Shin Tae-ho wanted to use the Blacksmith Workshop.
As a result, Kim Jong-soo had forcibly sent one of his blacksmiths on leave to free up a slot.
The blacksmith suddenly granted vacation was bewildered, wondering what grave mistake he’d committed.
But Kim Jong-soo had no bandwidth for such considerations.
While Kim Jong-soo waited, anxious and restless,
the door to the Blacksmith Workshop finally opened, and Shin Tae-ho stepped inside.
“Hello.”
“Ah, yes. Welcome. You’re the Tamer who reserved the workshop, correct?”
“That’s right. Should I head to Room 22 as scheduled?”
“Please do.”
Kim Jong-soo himself came out to greet Shin Tae-ho.
The blacksmiths, already warned by Kim Jong-soo to stay out of the way, deliberately avoided acknowledging Shin Tae-ho’s arrival and threw themselves into their work.
Workshop Room 22, which had been assigned to Shin Tae-ho, was tucked away in a corner of the Blacksmith Workshop.
Kim Jong-soo had cleared this space specifically because its layout was ideal for covert observation.
“Feel free to use it as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
Once Kim Jong-soo had left, Shin Tae-ho retrieved his armor from his Inventory.
The armor, worn from tutorial through the fifty-fifth floor, was cracked and chipped in numerous places.
‘It’s held up well for such a long time.’
While the elves had done most of the fighting with the enhanced weapons obtained through Engraving,
Shin Tae-ho himself had always stepped in to fight whenever the elves found themselves in danger, so the armor had accumulated far more damage than before.
Shin Tae-ho assessed the repairs needed as he examined the armor, then began heating the iron he’d purchased before coming to the Blacksmith Workshop.
He’d hoped to find rare metals like Literinium at a bargain price, but no such luck materializes this time.
This time, he’d instructed Yong Ryong-i not to expend Ki breathing fire, unlike before, so Yong Ryong-i lay sleeping with his neck curled up.
Clang!
Sparks flew as forging began.
Kim Jong-soo, lurking hidden behind Shin Tae-ho to watch him work, startled in confusion.
‘He’s not breathing fire?’
Then what in the world had he seen that day?
Bewildered by the discrepancy between memory and reality, Kim Jong-soo stared intently at Shin Tae-ho’s work.
Shin Tae-ho’s work flowed like water itself.
Heat the iron, forge it.
Carefully fill in the damaged areas, then quench and harden them to increase durability.
It was simple work, yet even as Shin Tae-ho repeated the same motions, each movement incorporated a different technique suited to the particular moment.
‘This can’t be…!’
As he watched, Kim Jong-soo found himself unconsciously drawn deeper into the sight before him.
This was the second time he’d watched Shin Tae-ho work.
But the first time, the shocking image of flames pouring from his mouth had left no room to concentrate on Shin Tae-ho’s actual technique.
Yet now, watching his work properly, Kim Jong-soo could finally grasp its true excellence.
The precise control of forging power—neither lacking nor excessive.
Putting the iron back into the furnace at the right moment, adjusting the temperature to the optimal heat for reshaping.
Shin Tae-ho performed these intricate tasks with the ease of breathing.
While Kim Jong-soo watched, entranced by Shin Tae-ho’s work.
Shin Tae-ho felt that gaze even as he labored.
Yet he had no intention of concealing his techniques.
Besides, secrecy would only have aroused suspicion.
A blacksmith’s skill and ability could not be stolen through imitation or mimicry.
‘This brings back old memories.’
He recalled a blacksmith from years past who had left the workshop, chasing his own reputation and trying to copy even a single technique.
As time progressed, Shin Tae-ho’s work neared its end.
He fitted the heated iron directly into the armor and began the tempering work, slowly cooling it as he inspected the piece.
‘It seems the Ki Smithing ability isn’t applied when repairing just a portion.’
The Ki Smithing ability—the War Smith’s power that had harmonized with Yong Ryong-i’s flame to create the Epic Grade Throwing Hammer.
But when repairing only a section, its effects didn’t manifest; there were no additional Unique Effects or Unique Abilities.
‘The Ki Smithing ability only activates when crafting an item from scratch.’
Committing this new discovery to memory, Shin Tae-ho opened his Inventory.
Having sold off miscellaneous items, his Inventory held only what truly mattered.
Shin Tae-ho moved his hands to organize his Inventory.
As he gestured, the items—excluding the hammer and armor—sorted themselves by category.
High-grade Ki Fragments: 2,250
Mid-grade Ki Fragments: 10,000
High-grade Spirit Stone: 1
Poison Root: 1
Low-grade Wind Rune: 1
Intact Treasure Chest Key
Literinium: 3kg
Iron: 2kg
World Tree Leaf
Unknown Core
‘That’s enough.’
Shin Tae-ho was satisfied as he surveyed his Inventory.
In the past, he would have been fortunate to even glimpse such precious materials; now they filled his stores, and the sight alone brought contentment.
Then a memory surfaced—Yong Ryong-i’s apology to Choi Yu-hwa and Pepi.
‘I should craft something simple as a gift.’
Thinking of Choi Yu-hwa, who always reached out first with inquiries, Shin Tae-ho gripped his hammer again.
He placed the remaining 2kg of iron into the still-hot furnace and began working swiftly.
What to make became clear instantly.
‘As Pepi grows, her claws will become sharper and cause trouble. She’d be delighted with protective gear for that.’
Clang!
Forging commenced anew.
As he shaped the iron thin and wide, a pauldron soon took form—a piece of partial armor protecting from one shoulder to the wrist.
Shin Tae-ho checked the details of the finished pauldron.
[Ki-Infused Iron Pauldron]
-Grade: Special
-Description: A pauldron crafted by infusing Ki into steel.
The craftsman’s will is reflected in it, softening the iron for excellent comfort and low thermal conductivity against flame.
-Unique Effects: ⌜Flexibility (Lv.3)⌟, ⌜Flame Resistance (Lv.3)⌟, ⌜Durability Enhancement (Lv.3)⌟, ⌜Lightweight (Lv.2)⌟
-Unique Ability: ⌜Steel Barrier⌟
‘…Better than expected.’
Shin Tae-ho was taken aback.
He’d thought he was making something simple.
Once the War Smith’s Ki Smithing ability reflected in it, the specifications exceeded his hopes.
‘But if this keeps up, my abilities will be completely exposed.’
Pondering this, Shin Tae-ho altered the item’s description appropriately.
Since he had crafted it himself, he could erase and modify its information.
He changed the name from [Ki-Infused Iron Pauldron] to [Trainer Iron Pauldron], satisfied with the adjustment.
‘I’d planned to add an Engraving as well, but that’s better left undone.’
Shin Tae-ho glanced sideways at Kim Jong-soo, who remained transfixed.
Even setting aside Kim Jong-soo’s presence, a Special Grade item would make more than a satisfactory gift.
‘I can always add it later if needed.’
Shin Tae-ho confirmed the armor had finished its heat treatment and rose from his seat.
Kim Jong-soo, startled, scrambled to his feet.
‘I should think about setting up my own private Blacksmith Workshop one day.’
Shin Tae-ho left the workshop, his thoughts turning to the 3.5 billion won sitting in his account.
Kim Jong-soo, who had been watching from his hiding place until Shin Tae-ho disappeared from view, swallowed hard.
‘That man is the real deal…!’
Not someone who happened to stumble into the Blacksmith class and became a smith by chance, but a true craftsman who hammered iron and shaped his works with genuine passion.
Overwhelmed by Shin Tae-ho’s craftsmanship, Kim Jong-soo stared at the closed workshop door, his palms damp with sweat.
* * *
After leaving the Blacksmith Workshop, Shin Tae-ho made his way to a café near Sejong City.
Unlike a typical café, this one consisted of numerous private rooms, making it a favorite haunt for Awakened who were conscious of prying eyes.
Using the room number Choi Yu-hwa had given him, he found her already there, playing with Pepi.
“Ah, Shin Tae-ho! Hello!”
“It’s been a while, Choi Yu-hwa.”
“Ryong~!”
“Peep, peep!”
As Shin Tae-ho and Choi Yu-hwa exchanged greetings, Yong Ryong-i wagged his front paws at Pepi.
Pepi flinched in fear at the sight, and Choi Yu-hwa soothed her.
“It’s okay, Pepi. Yong Ryong-i won’t charge at you like last time. Right, Yong Ryong-i?”
“Ryong, ryong~.”
Yong Ryong-i nodded as if to say there was nothing to worry about.
But Pepi remained perched on Choi Yu-hwa’s shoulder, eyeing Yong Ryong-i warily.
“Ouch. Pepi, ease up on the claws. Your sister’s hurting.”
Blood was seeping from Choi Yu-hwa’s shoulder where Pepi sat.
Since she was wearing a white shirt, the red blood stood out all the more starkly.
“Are you sure you’re okay with the bleeding?”
“Hm? Oh! It’s bleeding again. Pepi’s been growing so fast lately that her claws have gotten sharp—it happens all the time.”
Choi Yu-hwa, holding Pepi in her arms, wiped the blood from her shoulder.
Looking closer, her arms were covered in scratches from Pepi’s claws.
Shin Tae-ho nodded and pulled out the pauldron he’d made from his Inventory.
“Good timing—I brought something with me. Why don’t you wear this, Choi Yu-hwa?”
“Wow? This… what is it? Armor?”
Choi Yu-hwa put on the Trainer Iron Pauldron.
It wasn’t tailored to her exact measurements, so it sat slightly loose, but that actually made it more comfortable to wear.
“Wow! It’s armor but so light and not cold at all? It’s so comfortable!”
“It’s a gift.”
“What? Really?!”
Choi Yu-hwa, who had been moving her arms about, yelped in surprise at his words.
Shin Tae-ho raised a hand as if to calm her.
“Not long ago, Yong Ryong-i had an accident involving Pepi. This gift is my apology for that.”
“No, but… isn’t this an incredibly good item?!”
“It’s not bad. Let me transfer the Ownership to you—take a look at the details.”
Shin Tae-ho transferred the Ownership of the pauldron to Choi Yu-hwa.
As Choi Yu-hwa summoned the item information and examined the pauldron’s details, her mouth fell open.
‘S-Special Grade…?!’
Upon seeing the rank listed on the pauldron, Choi Yu-hwa froze in shock.
While Choi Yu-hwa was viewing the item information, Shin Tae-ho, who had been glancing around the café, noticed the TV mounted on the wall.
An urgent breaking news broadcast was playing there.
-Korea’s Ranker, Park Je-hyuk, has failed to clear the 66th floor.
‘The 66th floor conquest failure. So this was when it happened.’
Shin Tae-ho’s eyes sharpened as he watched the news.
To be continued ▶
The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith
Author
Bong In-haejae
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Publishing House
Grae Publishing
Inquiries
[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, and violation of this restriction may result in criminal and civil liability.
※ Pentagram eagerly awaits your precious manuscript.

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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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