The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 25

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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 25
025. What Truly Matters
Whether it was duty or something else, he couldn’t say.
He always went first, as he always did.
Charging into the deepest places.
As if death itself held no terror—just as it hadn’t in the game.
His body, which had died and been resurrected hundreds, thousands of times in the game, had never forgotten that sense of immortality.
That became the tragedy that dragged him down—humanity’s despair.
Kang Mujin, the mightiest warrior.
And so humanity lost Kang Mujin, helplessly and without fanfare.
‘Damn it. Hell……’
As that bitter memory flickered past, the TV screen changed again, and an economics expert appeared.
[The influence of Lepion has now transcended the mere realm of gaming. Recently, seven of the nation’s top ten conglomerates have established business divisions related to Lepion, and this portends sweeping changes across society, economy, and culture.]
Familiar corporate logos flashed across the screen.
They were offering massive sponsorship contracts to famous Rankers, establishing guilds, and plunging directly into the item-trading market.
[In particular, the Ranker ranked first, Kang Mujin, has garnered even greater attention since it became known that he is the grandson of Kang Taehyuk, chairman of the nation’s leading HS Group. HS Group is already making substantial investments in the Heavenbreaker Guild……]
“That Kang Mujin’s loaded—everyone knows that……”
What they call a silver spoon.
Even in his past life, Kang Mujin had stayed several steps ahead of others through sheer financial superiority.
Of course, it had only been possible because his skill backed it up, but the fact remained that his starting point was different.
Many criticized him for it, but Geumsohn didn’t care in the slightest.
He simply.
“Just get stronger. The stronger you become, the safer humanity will be. And…… this time will be different, so don’t worry.”
Geumsohn, making a quiet determination.
A faint smile played at the corners of his mouth.
Slurp.
Geumsohn swallowed the hot noodles and turned his attention back to the screen.
The anchor then delivered his final remarks with a regretful expression.
[While Lepion is causing a global phenomenon, information about the game’s developer remains shrouded in mystery. Some even speculate it may be a government-level project. Here at Daily Lepion, we’re waiting for reports from our viewers about Lepion’s developers. And now, the next story……]
He turned off the TV.
No point in watching further.
Even until the moment humanity fell in his past life, the developer of Lepion was never revealed.
Whether it was God’s jest or an alien simulation, nothing but speculation had ever swirled around it.
“In the end, all that matters is…… if I get strong enough. That’s all it takes!”
Geumsohn called out as if sealing a vow.
He tossed the empty instant ramen cup into the trash.
Ranking first, Kang Mujin.
He was already level 100.
By contrast, Geumsohn had only just reached level 20.
The level gap was vast.
But Geumsohn felt no urgency whatsoever.
‘This is about laying a foundation. Build a strong base, and the structure won’t crumble.’
Geumsohn was satisfied with what he’d achieved in Lepion.
Though to others, it might seem like mere level 20.
The foundation he had built was more solid than any Ranker’s.
Titles, achievements, skills, and unlocked stats.
All of it would become stepping stones for the future.
‘That bastard Kang Mujin, reaching level 100 with a Great Sword like that—impressive. Or maybe I should be grateful his inferior weapon broke already?’
Geumsohn clicked his tongue and stood up from his seat.
He’d sated his hunger well enough; it was time to return to Lepion.
But in that moment, his stomach growled.
‘Still hungry? Though…… is it even okay to just live on this?’
Instant ramen, convenience store meals, energy drinks.
That was the sum total of Geumsohn’s diet while playing Lepion.
He had no room to care for his own body, gripped as he was by anxiety over the coming Extinction.
But this wasn’t a sprint.
A long-distance race that demanded he endure five years.
‘If I’m limping around when the Gate finally opens, the whole thing’s ruined. I need to start taking better care of myself from now on.’
Geumsohn stood, making a mental note.
Suddenly he felt his body grow strangely light.
He’d gone without sleep for several nights and barely eaten properly, yet he felt energized rather than exhausted.
Geumsohn stepped in front of the bathroom mirror, struck by an odd sensation.
His face still looked haggard.
Yet something had shifted.
His dull skin carried a subtle sheen now, and his listless eyes gleamed with clarity.
Most remarkable, however, was his body.
When he lifted his oversized t-shirt slightly, the faint outline of abdominal muscles came into view.
His soft forearms seemed to be filling out with solid muscle.
‘Was my body always like this? I don’t think I’ve gained weight after all……’
A thought flickered across his mind.
‘Could it be…… Synchronization starting already?’
The phenomenon where one’s character in Lepion gradually synchronized with one’s body in reality.
In his previous life, that had only begun in earnest after the Gate opened.
But Geumsohn shook his head.
‘No, there’s still five years to go. It can’t be happening yet. It’s probably just…… my imagination.’
He shook his head again.
It was surely a simple misperception.
He’d put on weight during his streaming broadcasts, not before them.
‘Was this before I started gaining weight? Yeah, that sounds right.’
A seed of doubt seemed to take root in a corner of his mind.
But Geumsohn convinced himself it was mere paranoia.
He turned back toward the capsule.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
In that instant, a vibration sounded.
It was his smartphone, shoved into a corner somewhere, ringing.
Geumsohn checked it without thinking.
“What’s this? Why so many messages?”
Missed calls, notifications from various messengers, text alerts—
Every category showed “+999”.
Assuming it was spam, Geumsohn nevertheless checked several messages.
[Bro! Geumsohn! Is that Lepion? You?! That’s crazy! Turn on your stream!]
[Geumsohn! Long time no talk! How’ve you been? Is that you in the video on Lepinet? Let’s stay in touch!]
[Bro why aren’t you streaming? Did you quit? Think about your fans waiting for you ㅠㅠ]
[Yo Geumsohn. You think I won’t find you if you ghost me after taking my money? Contact me now or I’m heading over to shut down your capsules.]
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.
.
From old acquaintances who barely remembered his name, to fans begging him to stream, to threatening texts about debts that never existed—
Geumsohn felt his head spinning.
But that wasn’t the end of it.
[Web Message] [EMERGENCY ALERT] Geumsohn, your heart is in danger. Log in immediately! -Lepion Operations Team-
[Web Message] (Advertisement) Exclusive legendary item sale just for you! Access the link below for +13 Enhancement Stones—100% guaranteed! [Unsubscribe]
[International Message] Hello, Geumsohn. I am Prince Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia. Your gameplay impressed me. Join my guild and I’ll give you oil.
[Web Message] [Loans] 24/7/365! Rankers welcome! Unemployed welcome! We even take your cooking pot as collateral! -God’s Capital-
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.
.
Spam, phishing, advertisements, mysterious love letters from overseas—
All manner of messages were bombarding his smartphone.
Geumsohn, looking thoroughly sick of it, flipped the phone face-down on the desk.
The noise of the world meant nothing to him.
All that mattered now was one thing and one thing only: Lepion.
He lay back in the capsule.
A message appeared before his eyes.
[Logging into Lepion.]
[TIP. Time flows in Lepion whether you’re logged in or not.]
The message that greeted him upon entry into Lepion.
Geumsohn couldn’t help but frown as he read it.
“……Time keeps flowing so you should log in more? What kind of tip is that?”
Geumsohn grumbled to himself as he read the tip message.
In most games, you’d expect to see the standard disclaimer: “Excessive gaming is harmful to your health” or “Please take appropriate breaks while playing.”
But Lepion was different.
It carried a strange undertone, as though urging Geumsohn to play without resting even for a moment.
‘Am I overthinking this?’
He’d been worried about Synchronization before logging in, and now it seemed he was just on edge.
The aftereffects of Extinction made every small thing feel like a problem.
Geumsohn shook his head, pushing aside the tangle of thoughts.
Now was the time to focus on the goal at hand.
He turned to Iron Walker and spoke.
“Iron Walker, are you ready?”
“Wark, ker!”
“Good. Let’s go. Our destination is Kratuum.”
Geumsohn set out from Neman Village alongside Iron Walker.
The next destination was Kratuum, known as the “City of Fire and Mines.”
True to its name, it was built in a vast volcanic region and accounted for over thirty percent of all mineral production across the entire Lepion continent.
‘There’s no better place to properly utilize the Mining Skill.’
The area around Kratuum was dotted with mines of varying difficulty levels, from low to high.
Moreover, the entire city could hardly be called anything less than a blacksmiths’ haven, with countless forges and skilled craftsmen gathered in one place.
It was certain that rare special materials would be easy to acquire there, and learning new crafting techniques would be straightforward.
‘Besides, Paracel is there as well. Will I be able to find him this time?’
Paracel the alchemist.
An NPC that appears randomly in Kratuum.
He was difficult to encounter due to his elusive nature.
But if you did meet him, you could purchase high-quality goods you wouldn’t find anywhere else.
‘It would be great if I could get the potions Paracel sells… but that’s probably wishful thinking, isn’t it?’

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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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