The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 34

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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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Episode 34
034. Value Investment
Passing a Family Secret to an outsider was not something one could decide upon lightly.
Especially in Lepion, where techniques propagated through the closed relationship between master and disciple—it was doubly rare.
And yet.
“A Foreigner? I never imagined you’d pass a skill to a Foreigner.”
Valerius looked considerably astonished.
But Tuban spoke calmly, recalling the circumstances of that time.
“Not long ago, a young Foreigner came to see me. He told me something—that one cannot awaken the soul of steel without the craftsman’s soul dwelling within it.”
“The soul? So the Foreigner brought up the soul first? That’s… intriguing.”
“Yes. At first, I confess I wondered what difference it would make. But as you can see, things turned out like this.”
Tuban appeared relieved.
While he praised Golden Hand, he did not forget to add one more thing.
“I had no choice but to accept it. That Soul Forging—it is a skill he must master.”
At Tuban’s words, Valerius fell silent for a moment.
He gazed quietly into Tuban’s eyes.
There was not the slightest trace of regret or reluctance in them.
So Valerius could only let out a long sigh.
“Yes… Your father said the same thing when he refused the position of Royal Master Blacksmith and retired here. That he was merely an old man beating metal, and that there would surely be another to carry on the true art of the soul.”
A faint smile played at the corners of Valerius’s mouth.
He tapped Tuban’s shoulder and spoke.
“I thought that person would be you… but a Foreigner, you say? It must have been hard to accept—a tremendous decision. That too is an important virtue of a craftsman: passing the lineage of skill to one more worthy of it.”
Tuban nodded at Valerius’s words.
He did not ask about anything else.
He asked only one thing.
“Are you satisfied?”
Tuban paused, considering for a moment.
Then, in a firm voice:
“Yes.”
At that answer, Valerius chuckled softly.
Valerius nodded, his expression one of satisfaction.
“Then that settles it. Still, it brings me comfort that someone carries on the work of the soul. Golden Hand, Golden Hand… I wonder if our paths will cross someday?”
Valerius simply pictured in his mind this mysterious Foreigner called Golden Hand.
But that too was only a fleeting thought.
For now he simply raised a cup with Tuseon, his old friend, and Tuban, the old man’s son.
* * *
The moment Golden Hand saw Yeom Tae-hoon, he grew anxious.
Whatever else might be true, it would be quite problematic if Yeom Tae-hoon missed his opportunity because of him.
So Golden Hand did not approach Yeom Tae-hoon carelessly, but observed his movements from a distance.
‘If I’ve gone and obtained Bark’s Hidden Skill, only to cause Yeom Tae-hoon to lose his chance…’
A weight settled in one corner of his heart.
During the Age of Ruin, Yeom Tae-hoon fought for humanity with unshakeable resolve.
The thought that he might have hindered the growth of such a hero filled him with guilt.
‘I suppose… I’ll just have to ask him directly.’
Golden Hand steeled his resolve and approached him.
Pretending to be relaxed, he made it look as though he was studying the Quest board nearby, then spoke.
“Hmm, there’s nothing decent on the board. Do you happen to know of any good Quests?”
Yeom Tae-hoon answered without lifting his eyes from the board.
It seemed Yeom Tae-hoon did not recognize Golden Hand, who was now famous in Lepinet.
“I’m searching myself.”
The sound of his voice after so long.
It was somewhat younger than in the Age of Ruin, though that hardly mattered.
Golden Hand stole a glance at his profile and spoke.
“Are you perhaps from Neman Village?”
When Golden Hand ventured this carefully, Yeom Tae-hoon finally turned his head to look at him.
“How did you know?”
“Ah, well… you seem to use a spear. I heard there’s an instructor in Neman Village who teaches Spear Technique.”
At Golden Hand’s words, Yeom Tae-hoon’s face crumpled.
He clenched his fist as if indignant.
“That stubborn old fool…! Mark my words—I’ll pass that test of his no matter what.”
At his response, Golden Hand released a sigh of relief.
It seemed history had not changed after all.
“If it’s a test…… Could it be the Scarecrow Thrust?”
“That’s the one. I’m supposed to perform a thousand consecutive thrusts, but damn it all, I keep making mistakes around the eight hundredth strike. I don’t know if it’s a problem with my spear or if my concentration is just lacking…….”
Yeom Tae-hoon looked genuinely frustrated.
Golden Hand could understand his feelings.
And at the same time, he felt a slight curiosity stir within him.
“I heard that Bark’s quest counts as success once you complete a hundred thrusts…… but eight hundred?”
“Oh, who actually succeeded with a thousand of them? So what…… Why couldn’t I do it? I’ll keep trying until I succeed.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Most players give up before even reaching a hundred attempts, let alone attempting a thousand, and look for another path instead.
But Yeom Tae-hoon was different.
He was constantly testing his limits and striving to push beyond them.
And then there was that someone who had succeeded a thousand times.
Other players had simply dismissed it as impossible, asked how anyone could do such a thing, accused it of being fraud, and given up before they’d even started.
But Yeom Tae-hoon had not given up.
Instead, he was burning with competitive fire toward Golden Hand, who had succeeded with a thousand thrusts.
“So what brings you to Krathum?”
“It’s about the spear. Mine is too soft and ordinary. So I’ve commissioned the blacksmiths here to craft a custom spear tailored perfectly to my body, with flawless weight distribution. I plan to try again with that.”
Yeom Tae-hoon’s eyes were filled with absolute certainty.
In that gaze, Golden Hand saw a glimpse of the Spear Ghost who would one day stand firm at the front lines against tens of thousands of monsters.
‘This persistence, this unbreakable will. Yes, that’s the Spear Ghost. That’s the Yeom Tae-hoon I know.’
Golden Hand smiled inwardly.
He had made a decision.
He would help Yeom Tae-hoon get started, if only a little.
This was not mere sympathy or goodwill.
It was the most certain investment in the future.
“Would it be all right if I made a spear for you?”
“What? You? Why me?”
Yeom Tae-hoon looked at Golden Hand with suspicious eyes, scanning him from head to toe.
A peculiar player carrying a hammer but wearing heavy armor.
He hardly looked like a blacksmith.
At that sight, Golden Hand smiled and spoke.
“I’m more skilled with my hands than I appear. I know a bit about blacksmithing too.”
Yeom Tae-hoon seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then he nodded.
In any case, he had nothing to lose.
“All right. But I can’t pay you much.”
“I don’t need payment. Instead, when I truly need help later, I’d like you to grant me a favor.”
At Golden Hand’s cryptic words, Yeom Tae-hoon tilted his head in confusion.
But he didn’t think too deeply about it and simply nodded.
“Understood. I always keep my promises. As long as the spear is worth using.”
“Good. Then follow me.”
Golden Hand led him toward what appeared to be the largest smithy nearby.
At the entrance, a massive dwarf stood with his arms crossed, shooting customers a withering glare.
“What is this? You brats! This is no place for greenhorns like you! Get out of here right now!”
At the dwarf’s thundering voice, Yeom Tae-hoon flinched.
But Golden Hand remained unruffled.
He drew a black card from his pocket and showed it to the dwarf.
[Krathum VIP Black Card]
The dwarf’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the card.
He switched his demeanor in an instant, his back bending at a perfect ninety-degree angle.
“Oh my! I had no idea you were such an esteemed guest! This one, Durin, known as Swift Hand, offers his deepest apologies for such terrible rudeness! How may I be of service?”
At the dwarf’s dramatic change in attitude, Yeom Tae-hoon’s jaw fell open.
It was a kindness he had never witnessed in any dwarf he’d met before.
Golden Hand spoke curtly, as if it were nothing.
“I’d like to borrow the smithy for a moment…… Would that be possible? Just a short while.”
“Of course! This way, if you please! For today, everything in this smithy is yours!”
“No, I don’t need the full day…… Just a little while will do.”
Durin quickly led them to the deepest corner of the smithy, to a private workshop that only he used.
Other players and NPCs working nearby saw the scene and began to whisper among themselves.
“What? Why is Durin being so kind?”
“Golden Hand, right? What’s his real identity? Is he actually the operator’s son?”
“Golden Hand is one thing, but… who’s that next to him?”
Golden Hand ignored their stares and lit a fire in the forge.
Then he turned to Yeom Tae-hoon with a question.
“Do you have a preferred form for your spear?”
Yeom Tae-hoon answered quickly.
He already had a clear image of the weapon he wanted.
“Light yet sturdy, with a keen edge, and the center of gravity precisely balanced at the middle.”
His requirements were demanding but unmistakably clear.
Golden Hand nodded and set to work at once.
“Walker, help me!”
“Walker! Waaaalker!”
Once Walker was ready, Golden Hand began immediately.
‘Sun’s Right Hand!’
Heat bloomed from his palms, resonating with the forge’s flames and raising the temperature to the perfect pitch in an instant.
Without hesitation, Golden Hand began the alloying work, mixing Premium Steel with a small measure of Mithril Powder.
Clang!
Ting!
Bright, rhythmic hammer blows echoed through the smithy.
Every movement bore no wasted motion.
Yeom Tae-hoon, watching intently, held his breath.
To his eyes, this was no mere labor.
Each precise movement carried a depth he couldn’t quite name.

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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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