The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 15
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 15
015. The Next Ace
Clack seemed confused by the current situation.
He couldn’t easily believe that Geumsон, an outsider, had suddenly solved the problem with the Mana Circuit.
“I’m Geumsон. I came because I wanted to learn Magitech Engineering…….”
“Ah, I see! But…… are you sure about this? You look like a blacksmith from a foreign land, and it’s going to be rough on you, isn’t it?”
“It’s fine. I’m prepared for it.”
Every time he acquired a Sub-Job, there was a penalty: leveling up required 50% more experience points.
Clack seemed to be reminding him of that once more.
But for Geumsон now, it was entirely manageable.
So he answered firmly.
Clack nodded with satisfaction.
“Good. Normally there’s a simple test, but…… you seem skilled enough, so I’ll skip it. What’s the harm in making things easy? So then…….”
Unlike other NPCs, Clack seemed to have no intention of refusing anyone who came wanting to become a Magitech Engineer.
At that moment, a message appeared before Geumsон’s eyes.
[Will you acquire the Sub-Job ‘Magitech Engineering’?]
‘Perfect.’
The situation had unfolded in an unexpected way, but in the end, he’d succeeded.
Since there was no time-consuming test, Geumsон silently cheered to himself and was about to accept the quest.
If only Rabi hadn’t suddenly cut in.
“Wait!”
Rabi pulled out a worn Blueprint from his pocket along with a box containing Gears, Screws, and other items, speaking as he did.
“You’re a blacksmith? Want to try my test? Well, if you’re not confident, you don’t have to, but.”
At that moment, a new message appeared, and Geumsон’s eyes widened.
It was a message as rare in Lepion as a hidden quest.
[A Sudden Quest has occurred.]
[If you accept the Sudden Quest, the reward will be increased.]
[If you fail the Sudden Quest, you will never be able to acquire that job.]
[TIP: There’s no shame in giving up on a Sudden Quest.]
.
.
.
Geumsон’s eyes went wide at the words “Sudden Quest.”
It went without saying that successfully completing a Sudden Quest granted rewards far better than ordinary ones.
But the risk he’d have to bear just to chase those rewards was substantial.
Moreover, there were the advisory TIPs that the message occasionally displayed.
And it seemed to be advising him to give up on the Sudden Quest if at all possible.
‘If I fail…… that’s going to be a headache.’
If he failed, the chance to become a Magitech Engineer would be lost forever.
This could deal a serious blow to his plans.
Especially since Geumsон had already essentially acquired the Magitech Engineering job from Clack.
Giving up on the Sudden Quest would undoubtedly be the safer choice.
But.
‘If I only chase what’s safe, I’ll meet a safe kind of ruin. Without ever creating any real change.’
Geumsон clenched his teeth.
He’d recalled the helplessness he’d felt in his final moments.
He didn’t want to experience that helplessness again.
Especially since information about Magitech Engineering in Lepion was scarce.
Because so few had chosen it as their job, the available information was limited.
The fact that he could find nothing about “Rabi,” who clearly held a position of considerable rank, made that clear.
‘It might be good to forge a connection while I have the chance.’
It wasn’t just about the Sudden Quest’s rewards.
He’d become curious about Rabi himself as a person.
A young man bearing the title of branch director.
With someone like that, there were only three possibilities.
First, he’d crushed his competitors through sheer skill and talent, seizing the branch director’s position through merit.
Second, he had such a powerful backer that he’d parachuted into the position like a golden appointment.
And finally.
‘The third option: a nobody with all three—talent, skill, and backing—combined. Nothing else fits.’
A parachute appointment, yes, but with such overwhelming skill that no one around him dared speak a word.
That might very well be the case.
‘Not that it matters to me, though.’
Either way, it made no difference to him.
After all, forging a connection with someone of high rank in Lepion would offer plenty of advantages for his future endeavors.
So he had no choice but to take an interest in the Sudden Quest.
Even though the system had warned him about it with a TIP.
“A test, you say? What kind of test?”
Geumsон showed curiosity at Rabi’s words.
Rabi flashed his teeth in a grin.
He seemed quite pleased by Geumsон’s eager attitude.
“This is the blueprint for the most basic Gear-Walking Golem. It’s drawn so simply that even a blacksmith like you would understand it. Using the components over there, build one exactly like this. One condition, though—not a single error. Perfect execution. Think you can handle it?”
“Rabi, branch director! Isn’t this test unreasonably harsh? He’s only just come to study Magitech Engineering……”
“Ugh, enough! I have my reasons, so be quiet!”
Even Clack shook his head in bewilderment at the severity of the test.
A new message suddenly appeared.
Rabi’s tone remained cold, yet beneath it lay a subtle undercurrent of anticipation.
Geumsон, aware of that gaze, read the newly appeared message once more.
[Sudden Quest: Rabi’s First Trial]
– Objective: The Magitech Engineer Rabi wishes to test your potential. Craft a Gear-Walking Golem exactly according to the blueprint Rabi has provided and prove your worth.
– Success Condition: Gear-Walking Golem Crafted (Completion Rate 70% or higher)
– Rewards:
1. Magitech Engineering Sub-Job
2. Basic Magitech Engineering Skill
3. Premium Magitech Engineering Tool Set
Now he understood why the system had cautioned against accepting.
A quest demanding he craft a golem when he knew absolutely nothing about Magitech Engineering.
Conditions that would guarantee failure for any ordinary player.
Geumsон exhaled a trembling breath as he read the quest details.
‘I don’t have the confidence for this.’
Geumsон possessed the Right Hand of the Sun, Divine Handiwork, and Resolve Intuition skills.
He had even unlocked his Precision Stat and had experience forcibly crafting golems from crude blueprints left by other players.
And yet, looking at the quest requirements, he felt no confidence at all.
Confidence that he could avoid failure, that is.
“All right, I accept.”
This time, Geumsон bared his teeth in a confident smile as he accepted the quest.
Rabi’s lips curled upward slightly.
“Quite confident, aren’t you? But I won’t tolerate even a 0.1mm error! I’ll be watching.”
Rabi applied pressure with his warning.
Yet despite it, Geumsон was already seated at the workbench and had begun his work.
* * *
Geumsон picked up the blueprint and parts box without hesitation and spread them out on the workbench.
The blueprint was indeed simple, just as Rabi had said.
But Geumsон’s eyes perceived something more.
‘Resolve Intuition.’
As he activated the skill, crimson lines and points began to emerge across the otherwise plain blueprint and components.
Structural flaws in the blueprint, hairline fractures and wear in the parts.
And even the optimal sequence for assembling each component for maximum efficiency.
Everything became clear at a glance.
His experience crafting golems in the Age of Ruin allowed him to pinpoint the design’s limitations with precision.
‘This blueprint… it has serious structural problems. Built as-is, it won’t last long before it falls apart.’
Geumsон considered revising the blueprint on the spot.
But he shook his head.
‘I need to follow the quest requirements. If I modify the blueprint and fail, that would be a disaster.’
This quest was tied to a sub-job.
It seemed best to prioritize Rabi’s demands.
‘I can always make my own improved version of the Gear-Walking Golem later.’
Geumsон kept that thought in mind as he began working according to Rabi’s blueprint.
He started assembling.
His hands moved with the Divine Handiwork skill activated, pushing his work speed to its absolute limit.
It was more than mere speed.
The hand gripping the driver moved so fast it blurred from sight, and the gears found their places without a single moment’s hesitation.
Precision without the slightest margin for error.
It seemed the Precision Stat that Geumsон had unlocked was working exactly as intended.
Watching from beside him with his arms crossed, Clack’s mouth began to fall open, bit by bit.
Rabi’s expression seemed to grow more serious with each passing moment.
“R-Rabi, branch director, look at that! That audacity, that technique…… and the precision too—not damaging parts that are already broken…….”
“I see it. Be quiet.”
“B-but…….”
Clack looked back and forth between Geumsон and Rabi, clearly wanting to say more.
But faced with the serious intensity in Rabi’s eyes as he watched Geumsон work, Clack could only close his mouth.
It had been a long time since Clack had seen Rabi with such a serious gaze.
Click—
Clang—
Whirr, whirrrr—
Geumsон’s hand movements, brisk and free of hesitation or waste.
With each pleasant mechanical sound, the components found their places, gradually taking on the shape of a whole.
When it came time to assemble the Mana Core—the heart of the golem.
‘Right Hand of the Sun.’
Geumsон concentrated his strength into his right hand.
A faint warmth bloomed from his palm and seeped into the core, burning away the microscopic impurities in the Mana Circuit.
Click—
The moment the work was complete and Geumsон fitted the final gear into place.
Blue light flickered in the golem’s eyes.
And a message rose before him.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————