The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 73

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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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Return of the Transcendent Grade Blacksmith — Episode 73
The area before the Gate that Mystery’s party had entered was crowded with people gathered in small clusters.
Just two weeks prior, ordinary citizens wouldn’t dare approach for fear a Gate Break might occur.
But now their faces held not dread, but anticipation and excitement.
“They’ve been in there about ten hours now, right? This time they’re taking longer to come out?”
“Well, this Gate is supposed to be the last one, and also the largest. It’s not something they’d clear in the usual six or seven hours, you know.”
“Once this Gate is done, Mystery’s heading back, isn’t he? There are still so many Gates left.”
“Yeah. Honestly, it’d be amazing if Mystery decided to immigrate to our country….”
Mystery had only been in America for just over two weeks.
Yet through his extraordinary abilities and the safe subjugation of Gates, he had already become a hero across the nation.
And that heroic status stemmed from far more than mere prowess alone.
“He’s really been focusing on Gate subjugation this whole time without throwing a single party since arriving in America, huh?”
“That’s right. Not even drinking, barely resting—he just keeps seeking out Gates without pause.”
“Why’s that? I’ve heard Koreans are obsessed with studying and work, so is it because Mystery’s Korean?”
“Didn’t you see him answer that question briefly before? He said he doesn’t rest because if a Gate Break happens, the damage would be irreversible.”
“He’s serious about that? This madman. So strong, and noble too!”
“If I were Mystery, I’d inflate my price, rake in the money, film a few ads, and spend my time cruising on boats.”
The reason Mystery had transformed from an effective mercenary into a noble hero.
More than half of it came from his impeccable character.
As people exchanged stories of his virtue and shared their sentiments,
the Gate began to ripple and slowly dissipate.
“Done! The Gate’s been cleared!”
“Mystery’s coming out! Get the cameras ready!”
The Gate scattered like sand, and as always, Mystery’s figure emerged.
Those about to cheer fell silent the moment they saw his companions following behind.
“What? Why is Victor like that?”
“Isn’t that Bureau Director Hamilton? Why is he covered in dirt and wounds all over?”
Unlike Mystery, who emerged walking normally, Victor came out behind him with support from Hamilton, stumbling with each step.
As the crowd stirred in confusion, Marcus stepped forward.
“It’s fine. The Gate this time was simply too vast, and he sustained minor injuries while fighting alongside Mystery.”
“D-did you hear? Victor fought alongside Mystery!”
“Seriously! I thought he spent all his time with women and drinking!”
“Wait, the Bureau Director fought too? Did he actually help?”
‘These bastards. I climbed to the forty-eighth floor of the Tower, I’ll have you know.’
Hamilton’s chest tightened hearing the crowd’s chatter.
But there was no good in showing anger here, so he only gritted his teeth and swallowed his indignation.
“Security. Make a path.”
“Yes? Ah, understood. Mystery!”
The guards, startled like everyone else, snapped to attention at Mystery’s command and began opening a corridor.
With Mystery at the head, Victor, Hamilton, and Marcus proceeded forward.
This time, unlike usual, there were no attempts to touch Mystery despite the guards, and no shouts of jubilation.
What replaced them was applause that began in scattered patches and swelled like rainfall.
“You’ve worked hard, Mystery! Thank you for your dedication to America!”
“Head up, Victor! Why is America’s Ranker hanging his head!”
“We’re rooting for you, Victor! America’s pride! America’s Ranker!”
“Lower the item commission rates, Hamilton! You parasitic bloodsuckers living off challengers!”
“Booo! You sycophant stuck to the President’s side, sucking his blood and getting fat!”
Crack!
Among the thanks and cheers, Hamilton’s face twisted at the sole voice hurling insults at him.
Of course, as Bureau Director, pleasant words were hardly his lot.
But did he really deserve ridicule even here, even now?!
“Mystery. You’ve now handled all the Gates. When are you planning to leave?”
“Today itself would be fine. But before I go, I should receive proper compensation.”
From the start, Mystery’s terms for supporting America had been premised on receiving appropriate compensation.
His demand for payment might have seemed calculating and warranted a frown,
yet Marcus felt no aversion to Mystery’s actions, only that they were mechanical.
‘He’s put in that much effort, after all.’
Marcus, having come to respect Mystery by now, nodded at his words.
“Don’t worry about compensation. As the Secretary-General of ITRO, who arranged this matter, I promise you.”
Mystery gave no reply, showed no particular reaction, and simply continued walking.
But Marcus, having by now learned a fair amount about Mystery, could discern that the silence was not dismissal but assent.
‘Tch. No reaction means no satisfaction from showing off.’
With a rueful expression, Marcus let out a quiet laugh and subtly excused himself to arrange a meeting with the President.
Thump.
Upon arriving at the Hotel, Shin Tae-ho settled comfortably on the bed and extended his Energy Sensing as usual.
Yet for some reason, he could not detect the cameras and listening devices that were always installed in the room.
‘What’s this? Did they give up?’
Sensing something amiss, Shin Tae-ho spread his Energy Sensing wider.
But even after sweeping through the bathroom, ventilation shaft, and even beneath the floorboards, he detected nothing unusual.
Shin Tae-ho, who had been pondering whether to remove his armor and rest comfortably on the bed, soon shook his head.
‘No. I should prepare for any contingency. I’ll just head to the Hall of Heroes and rest with peace of mind.’
For over two weeks, the Management Bureau staff had come up empty every time, and their fierce resistance, worn down by futility, had finally cleared the room entirely.
But Shin Tae-ho, already suspicious of America’s Management Bureau, refused to lower his guard.
Moving naturally toward the bathroom, Shin Tae-ho rubbed the Leaf in his hand as he closed the door.
“The hero has arrived!”
“Hero Shin Tae-ho has come!”
The elves who had been cleaning greeted him the moment they saw him.
Having come so many times, they showed no sign of surprise.
After returning their greeting, Shin Tae-ho told the cleaning elves to take a break and ushered them out.
Deep within the Hall of Heroes lay a Blacksmith Workshop that Shin Tae-ho had built and completed a little more each time he came over.
After confirming that the anvil, work hammer, and quenching trough were all in place.
Eldein and Kyder, as always, came rushing over with their report.
“Hero! You’ve arrived.”
“Welcome back.”
“I’ve told you before—I’m going to be coming regularly now, so stop running over here every time I do.”
Shin Tae-ho furrowed his brow and pressed the matter.
It was no idle complaint; watching the two elves, who looked older than him despite being elves, rush over every time weighed heavily on his heart.
At Shin Tae-ho’s words, Kyder laughed.
“We do this because we enjoy it, so please allow us this.”
“Then at least stop running. You’ll hurt your knees.”
While Shin Tae-ho was conferring with the two elves’ king and working out an arrangement.
A commotion arose outside, and something swift and graceful slipped through the window.
“Yong! Shin Tae-ho! Why are you only coming now, yong!!”
Yong-ryong-i, arriving in dragon form, thrust her head into Shin Tae-ho’s chest.
Shin Tae-ho gently stroked the head of Yong-ryong-i, who had coiled herself around his waist.
“You weren’t sleeping this time, Yong-ryong-i. Have you been well?”
“I haven’t been well, yong! I’ve been lonely staying here so long, yong!”
‘Thanks to that speech pattern, I can tell right away even when she’s lying.’
Contrary to her words about being lonely, the ending of Yong-ryong-i’s sentence was the cheerful “yong” she used ordinarily and when in good spirits.
Still, Shin Tae-ho played along to match her mood and examined Yong-ryong-i closely.
“You’ve grown so much. I won’t even be able to wrap you around my neck anymore.”
Unlike before, Yong-ryong-i’s grown body was nearly a meter and a half in length.
When Shin Tae-ho’s expression grew wistful, Yong-ryong-i, taking it as sadness, shook her head.
“No, yong! I can do it like this, yong!”
Yong-ryong-i’s scales clicked together with a soft, glittering sound.
Her body then transformed, shrinking to a size and length perfect for wrapping around the neck.
Witnessing an ability he’d never seen before, Shin Tae-ho was genuinely startled.
“How did you do that? I thought you could only transform into a human and back into a dragon?”
“I can change my size now, yong! I can’t change it however I want, but when I make my body smaller, it fits perfectly around your neck, and my stomach doesn’t get hungry for a long time, yong!”
‘So she’s making her body itself smaller to improve metabolic efficiency. That’s convenient for travel too.’
Shin Tae-ho carefully supported the smaller Yong-ryong-i with his hand and placed her directly around his neck.
He felt the contented rumbling and vibration emanating from Yong-ryong-i.
“But do you still have a lot of work to do, yong? I want to watch NewTube now, yong. And play games, yong.”
“The first task is almost done. But we’ll be starting the second one right after.”
“Yong! Then when do I get to play with Yong-ryong-i, yong! Let’s play together, yong!!”
Yong-ryong-i tightened her coiled grip around his neck and pouted.
Mindful not to let her break or snap his neck, Shin Tae-ho gently soothed her while holding her securely.
“I’ll have to stay here a while longer. But next time I come, I’ll bring lots of videos you like saved up.”
“Really, yong?!”
Yong-ryong-i relaxed the tension in her coil and rumbled contentedly once more.
Shin Tae-ho nodded, his fingers brushing across Yong-ryong-i’s horns as they grew alongside his own body.
“That’s right. I’ll definitely bring it for you, don’t worry. I’ll charge up a high-capacity backup battery so you can see it for several days straight.”
He stroked the delighted Yong-ryong-i, who had received his promise.
Shin Tae-ho stowed his armor in his Inventory and walked at ease with Eldein and Kyder toward tea.
* * *
A few days later, after recharging body and spirit in Sinterhone, Shin Tae-ho went to meet the President.
He had expected only a brief conversation in the Reception Room, but reality proved the opposite.
“With this, we conclude the presentation of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Shin Tae-ho, the hero who protected America from the threat of Gates. We shall now proceed with the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony.”
The Congressional Medal of Honor—bestowed upon figures who had made historically momentous contributions to the nation.
And beyond that, the highest civilian award America could grant, presented for significant contributions to national security and world peace.
By the time the Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony concluded, Shin Tae-ho was already emotionally drained from the start.
Moreover, throughout the President’s speech, he had expounded at length on the deep friendship between Shin Tae-ho and Mystery, which only deepened his exhaustion.
‘He’s trying to flaunt his connection to me and use it as a political tool. I’ll need to be careful.’
As Shin Tae-ho thought to himself—
At last, the final order he had been waiting for arrived.
“Finally, we extend America’s gratitude for the efforts of Mystery, the hero who protected our nation.”
Compensation for the one who had come alone from distant Korea to America, risking his life to subjugate the Gate.
Upon seeing the reward, Shin Tae-ho swallowed hard, restraining the surge of excitement rising within him.
‘I never thought I’d receive this. I’d heard America held me in high regard, and I suppose that’s why.’
The item that Victor had received only after saving America multiple times in his previous life.
Even Shin Tae-ho, a Transcendent Grade Blacksmith, had been curious about it, but Victor treasured it so dearly that he’d never seen any information about it.
And now that item was being placed into Shin Tae-ho’s hands as a reward.
“The item approved by Congressional vote in America! The Aeon Relic is being presented to Mystery!”
A peculiar bracelet worn across eight joints like those of a spider.
Receiving the Aeon Relic, Shin Tae-ho drew up his energy and steadied his trembling body, which threatened to shake with exhilaration.
To be continued ▶
The Transcendent Grade Blacksmith’s Return
Author
Seal Unleashed
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
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 duplication are prohibited, and violations may result in criminal and civil legal liability.
※ Pentagram awaits precious manuscripts from authors.

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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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