The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 67

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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 67
The world fell silent as death itself.
Not just those who’d become Awakeners and could sense the flow of Qi.
Even those who hadn’t awakened, who couldn’t sense it at all, found themselves unable to speak, crushed beneath an indescribable pressure.
‘Mystery…!’
The four Korean Rankers who’d entered the Gate alongside Mystery.
Lee Ye-seul fixed her gaze on Mystery, her eyes widening.
When they’d met during the Gate subjugation, something had been different about him.
But the Mystery standing before her now was transformed in an entirely new way.
‘New Armor? The appearance has changed, but it still blocks my sight from piercing through. And that Cloak…?’
Armor completely redesigned.
And a Cloak that hadn’t been there before.
That alone marked a significant transformation, but what mattered more was the aura emanating from his frame.
‘What in the world… what power did you gain climbing the Tower…?’
Before, Mystery had seemed like a high mountain—lofty, yes, but one she believed could eventually be summited with enough effort.
Now, he felt like a peak so distant that even a lifetime of striving might never close the gap.
While everyone else remained frozen in tension.
A voice echoed from the Helmet of Mystery, who’d been staring fixedly at Im A-young.
“Why are you all standing there vacant? If there’s work to do, start immediately.”
“Yes? Ah, yes. Then perhaps we should depart for the United States first….”
“Before that, look at me, Mystery.”
It was Marcus who’d called out.
Marcus, wreathed in Qi, glared at Mystery with eyes full of fury.
“You. You certainly heard the warning last time not to climb the Tower. But you ignored that warning and ended up climbing it alone anyway. Am I right?”
Mystery didn’t answer.
He didn’t even turn his head, as though his voice itself had become unreachable.
Veins bulged across Marcus’s forehead as he was utterly dismissed.
“Answer me, Mystery! You stand before the world’s crisis and yet act unilaterally—”
“A loser who couldn’t commit to proper Climbing and quit halfway through sure talks a lot.”
“…What?”
Everyone’s eyes went wide as saucers.
For the first time, Mystery turned his gaze from Im A-young and looked Marcus directly in the eye.
“The Tower itself is the world’s crisis. To call my destruction of it ‘unilateral’—do you have any sense at all?”
“What, what…! If you understood even the slightest thing about the boundless value to be obtained from the Tower, you wouldn’t act like that…!”
“So you’re saying that as long as you gain resources, it doesn’t matter if Gates spawn or people die?”
“Well. That’s not entirely wrong, I suppose.”
Tsukuyomi, who’d been silent until now, interjected.
Tsukuyomi held a ornate Fan slightly open, shielding her mouth as she regarded Mystery.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say that the world now develops and functions on the energy flowing from the Tower. Arbitrarily severing that would certainly be problematic.”
“The Tower is a calamity with a determined end. Eventually it must be eliminated.”
“Dangers can be managed, but opportunities cannot be replaced. That’s why ITRO exists—to manage such things. I do hope you’ll consider this and respond accordingly.”
Tsukuyomi, having dressed up the sentiment ‘if you were human, you’d think before you act,’ lifted the corner of her mouth dismissively.
But just as Tsukuyomi shielded her mouth, Mystery’s Helmet concealed his entire face.
And his response remained steady and unwavering.
“If that grandiose organization had fulfilled its purpose properly, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“…!”
Tsukuyomi faltered.
Her lips moved, searching for words, but no rebuttal came to mind.
As Tsukuyomi’s silence cut short the exchange.
Wang Xiaomei, who’d been listening quietly in the background, shook her head and stepped forward.
“Fine, stubborn till the end, are you? Then you’ll have to learn what that leads to.”
Wang Xiaomei cracked her knuckles against her palm, the sound of bone snapping sharp in the silence.
As the atmosphere turned violent, ready to erupt into violence at any moment, Oh Jin-hyuk rushed forward.
“Wait, please! There are civilians here, and the President is present!”
“So what? If you came to watch, you should expect to shoulder the risk.”
“I have to agree with that.”
Bianca chimed in, cradling the back of her head with interlaced fingers.
Honestly, she herself wasn’t fond of Mystery, but she had hesitations about fighting directly.
Yet this woman stepped forward first.
Her inability to control her anger had finally proven useful.
Korean Rankers escorted the President as he made his evacuation.
Even as the situation descended into chaos, Mystery remained utterly unmoved.
“You want to fight me?”
“Fight? I’m going to beat you senseless, one-sided. You’ve lost your mind playing the hero in some backwater country.”
“Stop! Please stop! If you don’t cease this instant, I will formally hold China accountable for these actions!”
“Tattling? Hah! Go ahead. Do you really think the great Chairman cares about words like that?”
As she spoke, Wang Xiaomei, now adorned in Gauntlets, began her true assault.
With each footfall, gravity warped the earth beneath her, and her movements grew sharper, more lethal.
Closing the distance in a blur of steps, Wang Xiaomei’s fist drove straight into Mystery’s abdomen.
Boom!!
“She—she actually hit him! Wang Xiaomei from China actually attacked Mystery!”
“Film it! This is exclusive!”
The journalists erupted in excitement, their cameras spinning as adrenaline flooded through them.
Through the lenses, Wang Xiaomei’s Gauntlet was clearly visible against Mystery’s midsection.
But then….
‘What? Why isn’t he moving at all?’
Wang Xiaomei’s confidence faltered.
This was a blow powerful enough to overturn a truck, yet the Mystery who received it remained perfectly still.
Gazing down at the fist pressed against his abdomen without so much as a flinch, Mystery reached out and seized Wang Xiaomei’s wrist.
“Ughh?! You won’t—you won’t let go?!”
Wang Xiaomei twisted her hips, attempting a vicious kick aimed at Mystery’s jaw.
But as Mystery bent her wrist, her trajectory warped, and the attack sailed harmlessly through empty air.
“Aaaah! Let go! Release me! My—my wrist! Ahhhhh!”
“What are you doing?”
Mystery asked, his tone dripping with contempt.
Yet for all her humiliation, Wang Xiaomei could not silence her screams.
‘This strength—it’s insane! No, no—at this rate, it will snap!’
“Ugh—gaaahhhhh!!”
Using Mystery’s own grip against him, the suspended Wang Xiaomei locked in an Arm Bar.
The calculation was simple: either he released her wrist, or he held fast and suffocated—either way, she’d bring him down.
But that attack, too, was doomed from the start.
“Pffft!!”
Mystery stood rooted like a tree, leaving Wang Xiaomei dangling from his arm like a cicada clinging to a branch.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the sheer absurdity of it was too much—Bianca’s cheeks puffed with barely suppressed laughter.
Now ignoring Wang Xiaomei as she thrashed helplessly from his arm, Shin Tae-ho turned to Im A-young.
“Did you call me here just to watch this carnival act? If that’s all, I’m leaving.”
“W-wait! Please, hold on, Mystery!”
As Mystery turned to go, Marcus—who had been standing slack-jawed—suddenly snapped to attention.
Having witnessed Mystery’s power firsthand, Marcus abandoned his earlier arrogance and addressed him with newfound deference.
“You came here to support Gate suppression operations across the world at the Management Bureau’s request, correct?”
“How long will you keep asking pointless questions? If that’s not why I’m here, what else would I be doing?”
“Of course. We’ll depart immediately. So please—set down Ranker Wang Xiaomei.”
Even as Marcus spoke, Wang Xiaomei remained suspended, her wrist locked in Mystery’s grip, an Arm Bar still threatening to break her.
Different nations, different temperaments aside,
it was unseemly for an ITRO member to be displayed in such a pathetic state, and Marcus felt the sting of it.
But Mystery shook his head.
“There’s no problem conversing like this. She started it, so I’ll decide when it ends.”
“I—well… fine. Come this way then.”
“Ahhhhh! Let go! Release me! Ahhhhh!”
Ignoring Wang Xiaomei’s screams, Mystery followed Marcus.
Oh Jin-hyuk, who had been watching the entire affair in shock, finally regained his composure and turned his attention to the President.
“Are you alright, Mr. President? Are you injured?”
“I’m fine. But seeing it with my own eyes is quite remarkable. Mystery actually revealed himself.”
The President studied Oh Jin-hyuk.
All this time, he’d found no trace of Mystery, and he’d begun to doubt his abilities as the Bureau’s director.
But now, seeing Mystery in person, he understood—the man was obstinate and difficult to handle beyond measure.
“As a non-Awakener, there’s no benefit to remaining here. Now that I’ve confirmed Mystery’s arrival, I’ll take my leave. Director Oh, please wrap up the rest.”
“Understood!”
The President departed, leaving Oh Jin-hyuk’s affirmation in his wake.
He had originally planned to speak directly with Mystery and assess what kind of man he was, but there seemed little point now.
‘A Challenger who cares for nothing except what he desires and the means to achieve it. Rather fortunate, really.’
The President found himself quietly relieved by Mystery’s conduct — a man unlikely to harbor ulterior motives when he possessed such fame and power.
* * *
Mystery, ITRO, and the Korean Management Bureau entered and faced off in a three-way confrontation.
Throughout it all, Wang Xiaomei remained trapped in Mystery’s grip, thrashing like a trapped cicada.
As Bianca’s continuous laughter was now joined by Tsukuyomi’s barely suppressed chuckles, Oh Jin-hyuk broke into a cold sweat.
“Uh, Mystery. Perhaps it’s time to release Ranker Wang Xiaomei?”
“No. It doesn’t interfere with our conversation. We can proceed.”
“Still, it might be better to release her for the sake of a more comfortable discussion….”
Im A-young added her voice, gauging the mood carefully.
“I acted rashly earlier and caused offense. Please, I’m asking the same of you.”
Even Marcus joined in with his formal plea, and Mystery flicked his hand dismissively, as though swatting away an annoyance.
Wang Xiaomei tumbled across the floor, discarded like a fly.
“Ugh! You—you damned bastard! I’ll kill you! I’ll cut you down!”
“Fair warning: if you get grabbed again, I won’t let go until I’ve severed whatever I’m holding.”
Mystery delivered the threat in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.
Yet the moment Wang Xiaomei heard those words, her body went rigid—a mouse hearing a cat’s cry.
Bianca, still chuckling, leaned over and whispered to Wang Xiaomei.
“Sure, watching you come apart is hilarious. But pay attention, would you? You’ve seen it for yourself now.”
Mystery’s power is the real deal.
Though Bianca’s tone was teasing, there was a rare sincerity beneath it—a genuine warning—and Wang Xiaomei bit her lip.
Wang Xiaomei drank a potion she’d bought from an alchemist, retrieving it from her Inventory, and sat down. The formal talks could now begin.
“There was a brief disturbance, but let’s move forward with serious discussion now. Mystery, we’ve confirmed that the rumors of your power are no exaggeration.”
Marcus held his gaze on Mystery, waiting for a response.
When no answer came, Marcus cleared his throat awkwardly and continued.
“I should mention upfront that you’ll likely need to support numerous countries—enough to seem like a world tour. The first will be… the United States.”
“Understood. Then let’s depart.”
“Of course. In that case, I’ll need your passport. I’ll handle the procedures.”
Marcus spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
Then Mystery, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand.
“If you want my help going forward, there are three conditions you must follow.”
“I’m sorry—what do you—”
“First: don’t waste my time asking for useless things like passports, visas, and ID cards that don’t matter.”
Marcus fell silent.
The eyes of the others, who had been quietly hopeful, wavered slightly.
“Second: don’t waste my time by repeating the same questions about things already settled.”
“But that’s just for confirmation—”
“Third.”
Mystery cut off Marcus’s excuse and continued.
“Prepare compensation worthy of what you’re asking for. Obviously, this also includes no wasting time asking what’s needed to prepare that compensation.”
Mystery counted off the conditions on his fingers and looked directly between Oh Jin-hyuk and Marcus in turn.
“If even one of these conditions is broken, all cooperation ends. I’ll leave and act as though none of this ever happened.”
Faced with terms that were reasonable yet delivered with absolute, unilateral authority, everyone fell silent.
Continued in the next chapter ▶
The Transcendent Blacksmith’s Return
Author
Seal Breaker
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 by copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and transmission are prohibited, and violations may result in 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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