The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 31

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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 31
031. Authentication Complete
The furnace-like glow of his eyes was overtaken by a surge of bloodshot veins.
Dusaar’s iconic red beard trembled, seized by convulsions he could not suppress.
“You dare…… call this blade crude? You appraised it as such?”
“Ugh! Th-that is……!”
Before Durin could offer an explanation, Dusaar’s fury detonated.
“Your rotten eyes saw this masterpiece—this triumph of craftsmanship—as nothing more than Unique grade? You soil the honor of Krathum itself, the sacred ground of smithcraft! You insult every artisan of this city, you desecrate the blessing bestowed by the God of Steel!”
Crash!
Dusaar, unable to contain his wrath, brought his fist down upon the reception desk.
The single blow resonated through the entire auction house; weapons hanging on the walls clattered and swayed.
He spoke no further.
He merely gestured to the security captain standing beside him with a jut of his chin.
“Confiscate his hammer and anvil. Melt them in the furnace and cast him out of Krathum forever.”
“N-no! Please…… I beg your mercy! Just once, have mercy on me! I was blinded by greed for a moment! Am I not a foreigner? It was only because an outsider possessed something beyond his station…….”
“Hmph. Dwarves see only the craft. Your eyes have seen something else entirely. Be grateful I haven’t gouged them out.”
To strip a dwarf of his hammer and anvil is to strip him of his very soul.
More than that—it is total burial in dwarvish society.
Durin wailed and pleaded, but Dusaar’s expression remained unmoved, a stone carved in ice.
Durin’s screams echoed through the auction house as the guards dragged him away.
When his cries had faded beyond hearing.
Dusaar’s rage evaporated as suddenly as it had come, and he bowed deeply to Geumson.
“Young craftsman, the fault is mine. I failed to discipline my own people, and in doing so brought grave insult upon you. On behalf of all the smiths of Krathum, I offer my sincere apology.”
It was extraordinarily rare for a dwarf—especially one of Dusaar’s prideful temperament—to bow to a foreigner.
Geumson could feel the sincerity behind the gesture.
“It’s nothing. The misunderstanding is cleared now. That is enough.”
At Geumson’s measured reply, Dusaar’s expression grew even more apologetic.
His eyes brightened as he looked past Geumson’s shoulder at the Iron Walker.
“Is that steel giant also your creation? It seems you possess not merely the skill of a common smith, but deep knowledge of Magical Engineering as well. A foreigner, yes—but finer than most dwarves I know.”
Dusaar laughed heartily and withdrew from his robes a black card and a rolled parchment inscribed with ornate designs.
“Words alone make for insincere apologies. These are the tokens of my regret.”
First, the black card.
Dusaar extended the premium card trimmed in gold.
“With this VIP card, you’ll receive the highest treatment in any shop throughout Krathum. And if any dwarf knows my name, well…… they might afford you certain conveniences.”
[You have acquired the Krathum VIP Black Card.]
The Krathum VIP Black Card.
Naturally it would prove useful in transactions, but that alone was not its value.
It was a letter of introduction.
In other words, to carry the Krathum VIP Black Card was to be vouched for by Dusaar himself—a mark of his personal certification.
And in Lepion, there were few dwarves who did not know the name of Dusaar.
What this meant was that in all future dealings with dwarves, Geumson could invoke Dusaar’s name and receive their favor.
‘All this for a single apology. Extraordinary.’
But that was not the end.
Second, Dusaar produced a single roll of parchment.
“And this is an invitation to a VIP Private Auction that will soon be held. It is a gathering of rare treasures from across the continent—an excellent opportunity to broaden your eye. Your own goods will be put on the block as well.”
[You have acquired the VIP Private Auction Invitation.]
Geumson was caught off guard by the unexpected gifts, but he did not refuse.
One must never refuse out of false courtesy.
By dwarvish custom, to reject an offer of goodwill would itself be taken as an insult.
Satisfied with Geumson’s gracious acceptance, Dusaar turned to a staff member with a thundering command.
“Register the Moonlight Viper Sword as Legendary Grade on our auction house’s authority! Keep it secured in a special exhibition chamber until the auction begins, and see that it receives the fullest promotional attention!”
At Dusaar’s order, the staff moved with perfect coordination.
And finally, Dusaar left them with one last word.
“Should anyone question the grade of this item, bring them to me. I, Dusaar the Red-Bearded, will face them personally.”
Dusaar the Red-Bearded.
The supreme ruler of Krathum.
The Moonlight Viper Sword now bore his endorsement.
It was no longer a mere blade coveted by players alone.
The very magnates of Lepion—collectors like Kalis—would now seek the Moonlight Viper Sword.
“Does this satisfy you, young craftsman?”
The one who’d stirred up all this trouble.
Kalis merely offered Geumson a playful wink.
* * *
At that same moment, Geumson and Dusaar’s images were being broadcast live on Lepinet.
And the instant Geumson’s Moonlight Viper Sword received Dusaar’s authentication.
Lepinet’s bulletin board erupted into madness.
[Title: Didn’t I tell you to trust Geumson? Where are all you doubters now? (Live footage from Krathum)]
└ Insane…… Dusaar’s got that aura alright.
└ The Legendary item wasn’t a fake? How is it even possible to craft a Legendary Grade item already?!
└ Go watch the video. Dusaar vouched for it—why are you still crying fabrication?
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[Title: Today’s Krathum Auction Summary: You_Can’t_Trust_Anyone.mp4]
└ Serves the appraiser NPC right ㅋㅋㅋ Total con artist.
└ Who does Geumson know? Why’s a nobleman taking his side?
└ But Lepion really does have a lot of freedom, huh. An NPC just backstabbed a playerㅋㅋㅋㅋ
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[Title: So what do you think the starting bid on the Moonlight Viper Sword will be?]
└ Probably over a billion won at minimum? It’s the server’s first player-crafted Legendary item.
└ Starting bid was set at ten million won, right? But the final price is anyone’s guess. There’s no shortage of people after it.
└ Make one sword and Geumson’s set for life? How is that even fair?
└ Pretty sure he’s the dev’s son lolol
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The players who’d seen the live footage all started chiming in with their own takes.
Among them were baseless theories linking Geumson to the developers, along with all manner of pointless gossip.
But there were those who examined even the most trivial comments with care.
[Yeokcheon Guild, Emergency Executive Board Meeting]
“Damn it!”
Guild Master Kang Mujin slammed his fist into the holographic screen.
The image of Dusaar crying out “Legendary” crackled and distorted on the display.
“If he gets Dusaar’s authentication too…… this just got a whole lot harder!”
The Moonlight Viper Sword.
It was undoubtedly a weapon that could replace the Destroyer of Broken Storm—or surpass it entirely.
That’s why he wanted to buy it, but it had become far too famous now.
“Sangsu?”
“Yes, Guild Master.”
“I know what you’re about to say, so don’t even bring up money. I’ll pour every last coin of my personal wealth into this if I have to. We’re getting that sword. Understood?”
Kang Mujin’s resolve seemed unwavering.
Though Vice Guild Master Park Sangsu seemed to be tempering his fervor somewhat.
Or rather, he was raising a point of practical concern.
“But I hear the Asura Guild and the Mirae Group are both entering the bid. The price…… ”
“So what? If the Asura lot or Mirae Group joins in, so what? Especially Mirae—what’s Mirae to me? Don’t you know the corporate rankings have changed?”
The corporate rankings hadn’t changed.
The Mirae Group still sat at number one in the business world.
The Mirae Group remained firmly entrenched, yet Kang Mujin’s pride had been bruised, and he reacted forcefully without knowing quite why.
Kang Mujin shot up from his seat and spoke with conviction.
“That sword isn’t just some weapon. It’s the thing that’ll keep me at the top—no, that’ll elevate me to absolute dominance! Are you still not getting that?”
Lately, extra tutoring and academy classes had begun to be held inside Lepion.
It was a sign that the game was seeping deeper and deeper into every layer of society.
In such a Lepion, the position of the top held tremendous weight.
Simply holding it earned free publicity for HS Group and allowed him to solidify his standing as the group’s heir.
That’s precisely why Kang Mujin couldn’t let it go.
He’d begun to desire Geumson’s Moonlight Viper Sword with an urgency unlike any before.
Accordingly, the Yeokcheon Guild threw itself into an unprecedented all-out effort.
Though there was one competitor that gave Kang Mujin pause: the Asura Guild.
The atmosphere between them seemed somehow different.
“Kang Mujin must be sweating bullets. If things go like this… sabotaging him becomes far too easy, doesn’t it?”
Choi Jinwoong, master of the Asura Guild, watched the footage with a smile as calculated as a serpent’s.
Instead of excitement, he was analyzing the situation with cold precision.
“Chief of Staff, what’s the current status?”
“The Yeokcheon Guild has mobilized all available funds, and the Mirae Group has already dispatched a negotiation team to Krathum. It’s shaping up to be all-out war.”
“As I thought. Good. Then we move on three fronts.”
Choi Jinwoong spread three fingers before him.
“First, the auction team stays on Yeokcheon’s heels relentlessly. Even if we don’t win the bid ourselves, it doesn’t matter. Bleed Kang Mujin’s resources dry. Without staying power, he’ll collapse.”
He folded down one finger as he continued.
“Second, the negotiation team makes discreet contact with Geumson. Impersonate the Yeokcheon Guild and coerce him into a deal. The more unpleasant the process, the better. We win the moment we plant doubt about Yeokcheon in his mind.”

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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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