The Return of the Transcendent Blacksmith - Chapter 74

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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-class Blacksmith Chapter 74
Victor had held his position as a top-ranked Awakener in the United States, fighting until the moment the Tower collapsed.
With the Barbarian as his Special Class, Victor had been a reliable shield and an axe that cleaved through enemies.
But there had been a period when Victor’s power exploded into something far greater.
It began after he officially received an item that the United States had kept in storage, its purpose unknown.
The Aion Relic.
Victor’s attacks had been powerful but oversized in their motions, making his accuracy abysmal.
Yet after obtaining the Aion Relic, Victor’s strikes never once missed their mark.
So formidable an item, and yet he had never used it until the Tower fell.
He hadn’t understood why then, but now Shin Tae-ho knew the reason.
‘The reason the Aion Relic went unused and wasted. It was because no one could even check the item’s information until the Tower collapsed.’
There were only three ways to view item information.
Either you crafted it yourself, owned the item, or possessed an ability strong enough to extract the item’s secrets.
At that time, none of these conditions had been met.
But if he—someone who had climbed the Tower to its end while carrying the memories of a Transcendent-class Blacksmith—were to try?
‘I might be able to check the information.’
Shin Tae-ho, upon receiving the Aion Relic, gazed at the item in silence.
The US President’s eyes shifted slightly at that gesture.
“What do you think, Mystery? Quite a fine item, wouldn’t you say?”
The President probed carefully.
The reason the United States had given this bracelet as a reward—
In truth, it was crafted from delicate workmanship and minerals of unknown composition.
Yet it couldn’t be equipped, its information wouldn’t display, and they couldn’t use it, so they’d disposed of it.
But if—just perhaps—Mystery were to discover value in the item that they themselves couldn’t confirm?
‘I’ll have to take it back. By whatever excuse necessary.’
Unlike the President’s narrow-eyed scrutiny, Mystery’s answer came swiftly.
“I see nothing. Neither item information nor any ability.”
Disappointment flickered across the President’s face as he waited for more.
But only for a moment.
Though there was no hidden value to uncover, the original purpose had been achieved—and the President laughed heartily.
“All the more mysterious then. Mystery, isn’t this reward perfectly suited to your name?”
“…I suppose. I’ll accept it.”
Mystery stored the bracelet in his Inventory.
The congressmen, who had been tensely waiting to see if he might demand a different item, let out quiet sighs of relief.
Mystery gave a silent nod to the words of thanks for his efforts, then sought out Marcus.
“You said we need to go to Japan next. When do we depart?”
“There’s to be a celebration held in your honor. Why not enjoy it before we go?”
“No. This isn’t the time or place for such things.”
‘Damn. His mood really is spoiled.’
Marcus furrowed his brow, glancing at Hamilton.
A silent rebuke—that despite his warning, Hamilton had gone ahead and offered this as payment, souring Mystery’s temperament.
Hamilton turned away with an awkward expression.
Of course, right after receiving Marcus’s request, he’d advocated for Mystery to both the congressmen and the President.
But that was all.
A Management Bureau Director didn’t hold enough authority to protest the outcome selected by Congress.
“Understood. I’ll prepare for departure as quickly as possible.”
Upon hearing the reply, Mystery left the room.
Behind him came startled voices calling after him, but Mystery had already vanished from sight.
‘Self-inflicted. If Mystery refuses to return to the United States after this, that’s no concern of mine.’
Marcus, brushing off his discomfort with the detachment of watching a fire from across the river, moved to arrange flights to Japan.
* * *
The next day.
Contrary to Marcus’s worries, the flight to Japan was arranged immediately.
Absurdly, the reason was exactly what Marcus had feared—that the United States would hold Mystery back.
-Mystery is heading to Japan right away. Wouldn’t it be better to keep him a while longer?
-I disagree. Did you see Mystery’s reaction when he checked the Aion Relic?
-True. If nothing came up confirmed, he saw only a blank information window like we did. He wouldn’t be pleased.
-Holding Mystery now would be like fanning the flames of a burning house. Better to send him to Japan quickly as he wishes.
This council’s decision came faster than when the Aion Relic had been chosen as the reward.
They had stationed Awakeners just in case Mystery voiced discontent later, but the anticipated trouble never came.
Rather, Shin Tae-ho, heading toward the airplane, was worried that the United States might seize him.
‘Why did they deploy so many Awakeners? Surely they’re not asking for the Aion Relic back now, are they?’
To prepare for any unforeseen situation, Shin Tae-ho remained tense even as he boarded the airplane.
Unlike his performance before the President, Shin Tae-ho could see the item information of the Aion Relic.
Knowing the value of the Aion Relic, he had no choice but to be more cautious.
“America’s hero, Mystery! Go safely. I will not forget your devotion to America!”
“As director of the United States Management Bureau, it was an honor to meet you.”
Amid the tense atmosphere.
Shin Tae-ho received greetings from the President and Hamilton who had come to see him off.
Just as Shin Tae-ho tried to board the airplane as quickly as possible.
A murmur sounded from behind, and Victor appeared, wrapped in bandages from head to toe and looking half like a mummy.
“Mystery!”
‘Damn it.’
Just as he was about to board, Shin Tae-ho’s ankle was grabbed, and he ground his teeth inwardly.
Suppressing his irritation and turning his head, he saw Victor limping toward him.
Brushing aside people’s attempts to stop him, Victor stood before Mystery and stared at the Helmet with blazing eyes.
“What is it? If you have something to say, spit it out.”
“Mystery. Though I lost this time, I’m not giving up so easily.”
“Planning to challenge me again? In that state?”
“Not now. But someday I will challenge you again. And when I do, unlike this time, I’ll crush you.”
The President’s eyes widened with surprise as he listened to the exchange between Mystery and Victor.
Hamilton, who hadn’t yet reported that Victor had been defeated by Mystery, nodded with an awkward expression.
Mystery, who had been quietly observing Victor, answered in a low voice.
“If you challenge me, I’ll accept. But with your current strength, you’ll only repeat the same outcome.”
“I know. The tower that will appear in a few months—I’ll climb it and grow stronger before challenging you again.”
“Good. Make the effort. For your own strength. And for your promise as well.”
With that answer, Shin Tae-ho turned and climbed the airplane stairs.
Victor watched the retreating figure of Mystery and clenched his fists tightly.
‘I will no longer cower and hide in fear like a coward. I will destroy the remaining Gates. I will climb the tower when it appears again and grow stronger!’
While I trembled in fear, you climbed the tower to the end.
Now I will surpass you—you who have transcended yourself and become the hero of all America.
Victor’s eyes, fixed on Mystery, now burned with a resolve unlike anything before.
* * *
Shin Tae-ho took his seat on the airplane.
Only then did Shin Tae-ho relax his guard and breathe out in relief.
At that moment, Marcus, who had boarded the airplane after him, quietly approached Mystery.
“Mystery. If you felt the compensation was insufficient, I’m truly sorry.”
Marcus’s voice was laden with apology and regret.
‘I specifically asked him to be careful not to let the compensation feel inadequate, and yet he gave some mysterious antique.’
Marcus, who had clicked his tongue inwardly, continued.
“But I hope you’ll understand this—the compensation from the United States had nothing to do with ITRO.”
“I understand. There’s no reason for me to harbor ill will toward ITRO regarding this situation.”
Mystery answered curtly and coldly, as if it were nothing.
Marcus, who had been inwardly anxious, nodded.
“Thank you, Mystery.”
‘Thank you? Rather, I should thank you.’
The Aion Relic—something he hadn’t even expected to receive for exterminating seven Gates alone.
If Marcus had played a hand in him receiving the Aion Relic, he had every reason to be grateful, none to resent.
After Marcus returned to his seat.
Shin Tae-ho merely turned his head to gaze at the Bracelet worn beneath his armor.
Not long after, the message window he had seen when he first obtained the Aion Relic came to mind.
[You have not met the conditions to view item information.]
[The War Smith’s Eye, which pierces through all creations, overrides the conditions for viewing information.]
[Aion Relic]
-Grade: Ancient
-Description: An ancient relic that lay in the gaps of space. As Gates repeatedly occurred and fractured, it was drawn to the accumulated energy and revealed itself.
-Unique Effects: ⌜Probability Accumulation (LV. Max)⌟, ⌜Probability Selection (LV. Max)⌟
-Unique Ability: ⌜Causality Negation⌟
The Aion Relic’s information was simple and clear, unlike what Shin Tae-ho had created.
But since the item’s Grade was Ancient—transcending the Grade system itself rather than merely expressing a difference in performance.
The unique effects and abilities possessed a mystique that transcended Shin Tae-ho’s own creative capabilities.
‘Not something I can grasp intuitively. I’ll need to examine each part carefully.’
Shin Tae-ho sharpened his focus further.
As he did, the explanations of the unique effects and unique ability that had felt vague began to surface in sequence.
[Unique Effect – Probability Accumulation]
-Description: Regardless of whether the subject is animate or inanimate, for any single action, three possible outcomes based on the user’s actions accumulate their probabilities.
The maximum accumulation is 100%.
[Unique Effect – Probability Selection]
-Description: The user can arbitrarily select one probability from the three accumulated possibilities.
‘…this is insane.’
Shin Tae-ho, rereading the unique effects, was staggered.
If his understanding was correct, this was an absurdly broken item.
‘So essentially… if I roll dice beforehand and accumulate the probability of getting a six, then whenever I want, I can make the dice come up six, right?’
If this was truly how it worked, he finally understood how Victor before the regression had struck his enemies with perfect accuracy every time.
Attacking from unseen angles, attempting strike after strike.
Accumulating only the probability of successful hits against enemies, then using Probability Selection—it was unmistakably how he’d done it.
‘He refused to even show me the item information. And now I know why.’
An overwhelmingly powerful item diminishes the user’s value.
And if such an item could be used by everyone, then it would erase the user’s worth entirely.
That much, Shin Tae-ho—once called a Transcendent-class Blacksmith—knew better than anyone.
‘When an Awakener with no Tower climbing experience won against a veteran challenger using a weapon I’d forged, the uproar was incredible.’
Overwhelming performance that rendered experience and effort meaningless.
What Victor feared was undoubtedly his own worth being erased by the Aion Relic.
Settling his startled mind, Shin Tae-ho lowered his gaze and checked the contents of the unique ability one final time.
[Unique Ability – Causality Negation]
-Description: For a result restricted to the user, a single use allows negation of causality within one hour.
‘Vague.’
Causality Negation was clearly an ability even more formidable than the unique effects in its capacity to erase causality itself.
Yet it carried limitations far too explicit to call it broken.
‘No, wait. The unique effect alone is already absurd. I could use just that for a lifetime and never exhaust it.’
Having confirmed everything he needed, Shin Tae-ho gazed toward the window.
The beautiful sky where dawn was just breaking seemed to paint his very heart.
To be continued in the next episode ▶
The Transcendent-class Blacksmith’s Regression
Author
Unsealing
Publisher
Kim Seok-hwan, Choi Se-ra
Published by
Grae Publishing
Contact Email
[email protected]
Publication Date
May 26, 2026
UCI
G720:N+A327-20260227067
※ This e-book is protected under copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction and duplication are prohibited, and violations may result in criminal and civil liability.
※ Pentagram is awaiting 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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