The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 22

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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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Chapter 22
022. Can You Really Resist This?
Each ability was jaw-dropping in its own right.
But what excited him most of all was the newfound probability of Ego manifesting.
‘I’d only heard rumors…… so it really was possible after all.’
A golem with Ego.
In other words, a golem capable of possessing self-awareness, of judging and acting on its own.
Yet not a single player who worked as a Mage Engineer had ever crafted one, nor had anyone encountered one in Lepion.
Rumors circulated endlessly about golems imbued with Ego, but their actual existence had never been confirmed.
Now he possessed even a slender chance of creating such a thing.
Geumsон’s heart began to race at that alone.
But the reward didn’t seem to end there.
“From now on, should I be calling you ‘Successor’…… perhaps?”
“What? Successor?”
“You’ve passed the trial, so you’ve satisfied the conditions of succession.”
Rabi spoke in awkward formal speech that didn’t suit her.
But finding her unnatural tone grating, Geumsон quickly objected.
“Never mind about successor…… just keep talking like you always do.”
“Huh? Are you sure? If that’s what you want, Successor.”
Something about it felt off, but a book was held in Rabi’s hand.
A Skill Book.
“This Skill Book is granted only to the Successor. It’s yours.”
[You have been recognized as the rightful Successor of the Mage Engineering School.]
[You have acquired the Hidden Skill: Golem Modification Evolution!]
The Skill Book that Rabi had provided.
When he read its contents, Geumsон found himself momentarily dazed by its effects.
[Golem Modification Evolution Lv.1]
[Active Skill]
– Description: You can disassemble and reassemble a golem’s basic structure to rebuild it in a new form, or evolve its performance using superior components.
– Effects:
1. [Modification]: Replace or add golem parts to enhance performance. New components (weapons, armor, special devices, etc.) can be equipped.
2. [Evolution]: Golems meeting specific conditions can be evolved into higher-tier models using special materials.
3. [Fusion]: Two or more golems or components can be fused to create entirely new forms of golems.
Geumsон clenched his fists.
With this skill, he could transcend the limitations of his past life.
Building his own elite golem army now seemed genuinely possible.
And looking around, this place was ideal.
As a location for crafting golems, that is.
“Klak? Would it be all right to ask you for a favor?”
“No, but Rabi is here too…… and you’re asking me? Lower your tone of speech, Successor.”
“No, it’s not that kind of favor…… would it be possible to borrow the Workshop for a while? There’s something I’d like to make.”
At that, Rabi laughed.
“Kyahahaha! Yes! Yes! That’s what a true Mage Engineer does! After giving you a skill like that…… can you really resist this? Klak! What are you waiting for? Just go ahead and transfer the deed to him!”
“Ahem, as the Successor wishes! Though, if I may request…… would it be all right to watch, just a little?”
Geumsон nodded at Klak’s words.
Geumsон thanked him for his goodwill and quickly took a seat at the workbench.
Now, it was time to craft his very first golem—one made entirely for himself.
Geumsон spread out the necessary materials across the workbench.
Rabi and Klak’s faces were brimming with barely concealed anticipation.
But Geumsон was already lost deep in the work of crafting his own golem.
‘A golem made purely for combat isn’t enough. I need one that assists my work, lifts heavy materials, and serves as a reliable shield when needed. A golem that’s truly mine. Let’s go with that concept.’
Once the plan took shape, Geumsон immediately began drafting the design.
“Blue Index.”
[Activating Blue Index skill.]
[Calling up blueprint list.]
An interface window materialized before his eyes.
Without hesitation, Geumsон retrieved the blueprint for the Sun-Imbued Gear Walking Golem.
Rabi tilted her head as she observed the 3D hologram rendered in the air.
It was something Geumsон had already made before.
Yet watching it, Rabi tilted her head and spoke a single word.
It seemed like Klak wanted to offer some guidance as a fellow Mage Engineer practitioner.
“You plan to base it on that? But that’s a small golem. Something that tiny and weak won’t help you create anything capable of being useful to you, will it? It’s far too limited.”
Rabi had identified the problem with precision.
But Geumsон had already anticipated this.
“I know. That’s why I’m going to modify it now. Using that Golem Modification Evolution skill you gave me.”
As Geumsон’s fingers sliced through the air, a new function activated in the Blue Index window.
[Applying ‘Golem Modification Evolution’ skill to design mode.]
[You may select from Modification / Evolution / Fusion mode.]
“Modification.”
Geumsон first enlarged the golem’s frame to four times its original size.
The holographic golem swelled to three meters in an instant, but simultaneously dozens of red warning markers began flashing across the display.
[Warning: Frame integrity insufficient. Current structure cannot support its own weight.]
[Warning: Power source output inadequate. Cannot mobilize the enlarged body.]
[Warning: Material composition unstable.]
.
.
.
“As expected, plenty of problems.”
Warnings cascaded across the screen.
It was obvious that simply scaling up wouldn’t solve anything—not by a long measure.
Though he’d expected this, seeing the warnings materialize drew a deep sigh from him.
Yet Geumsон did not hesitate.
Rather than sketching a flawless blueprint from scratch, he would tear apart the existing imperfect one and solve problems as they emerged.
This had always been his way—building success from within failure itself.
‘When did I ever claim to draw and create perfect blueprints? I learn by failing.’
When Lepion became reality, countless scholars and specialists from the real world had thrown themselves into manufacturing.
Not only that, but from master craftsmen to artisans of every discipline began creating things.
And because of this, many had harbored hope.
That together they would forge legendary-grade items.
That they would finally end this age of ruin.
But the result had been catastrophic.
Once Lepion became real, the world ceased to operate by conventional rules.
Perfect designs and every technique they possessed meant nothing when Mana and skills—
when the system itself would not permit success.
Yet Geumsон had never surrendered.
He had not buckled beneath failure.
He had simply kept climbing over his mistakes, forging victory from defeat.
He had clawed and fought with such intensity.
So these warnings now were nothing but a jest to him.
“Start with the frame.”
Geumsон retrieved premium iron and silver ingots he’d personally refined, along with shards of ancient alloy, from his inventory.
‘Resolve Intuition.’
Numbers materialized in his vision—the internal structure, tensile strength, and Mana conductivity of each material became quantifiable before his eyes.
‘This alloy has high durability but it’s too heavy. Use it only for the core axles of the frame, then blend the iron and silver in a seven-to-three ratio for the rest—that balances weight and strength perfectly.’
Knowledge and skill synergized flawlessly in his mind.
In his past, without such skills, he had achieved this through countless failures and relentless labor.
Finding the optimal alloy ratio was now as certain as inevitable success.
[You have created the formula for a new alloy: Moonlight Steel.]
[Applying to blueprint.]
[Frame integrity has reached stable parameters.]
.
.
.
Clang—!
Clang clang—!
Clang clang clang!
As he forged the frame from Moonlight Steel, he drew upon the Soul Forging skill to push its strength to the absolute limit.
With each hammer strike against the metal, the grain grew denser, radiating a soft luminescence.
[Soul Forging skill proficiency increases.]
[Soul Forging skill has reached Lv.3.]
[There is now a possibility that a Soul Mark may take root in the Golem frame being constructed.]
Next came the power source.
Geumsон removed the existing small core and positioned the blueprint for the Perfect Ancient Heart he’d obtained from the dungeon at the center.
As expected, a warning message appeared.
[Warning: The ancient power source is incompatible with modern Mana circuits.]
[Danger of explosion due to power surge.]
.
.
.
“I figured as much.”
Geumsон’s hands moved with dazzling precision as he began fusing and reconstructing the two blueprints.
Without the experience of working alongside countless mages from the Mage Engineering School during the Age of Ruin, pitting their minds together through countless challenges, this task would have been impossible.
[You have successfully retrofitted the ancient power source with modern technology.]
[The power source issue has been resolved.]
[Residual capacity remains.]
[Additional component configuration is possible.]
“Good.”
With sufficient residual power, it was now time to add functions.
Geumsон applied the shock-dispersal structure of his Geumsон’s Dragon Scale Breastplate to the Golem’s external armor.
The right arm was reinforced to wield a massive hammer, while the left arm was equipped with a Flame Thrower Structure that could also serve as a furnace for melting materials.
“Now…… this is truly the final step.”
Once he inserted the modified heart into the empty core slot in the Golem’s chest, everything would be complete.
In that moment, the effect of the Successor of the Gear Legacy title surfaced in his mind.
[Effect 3. When crafting a Golem, there is a low probability that an Ego will take root in the Golem.]
‘Low probability…… So it all comes down to Luck? Luck? Chance?’
Then a single possibility flickered through Geumsон’s mind.
It was the Luck stat.
[Player Details]
[Core Stats]
– Strength: 37 (+20)
– Agility: 27
– Endurance: 27 (+20)
– Mana: 27
[Unlocked Stats]
– Luck: 22
– Precision: 46
– Holy Power: 26
– Command: 30
[Remaining Stat Points: 50]
His core stats already surpassed those of other players at the same level.
This was the perfect moment to test the Luck stat.
‘The system wouldn’t have unlocked a useless stat.’
Normally, the orthodox approach was to invest in core stats like Strength.
That was the most stable and rational choice.
But Geumsон had no intention of taking the stable path.

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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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