The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 37

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 37
037. You Trust Me?
On the screen before her lay a ramshackle forge in Kratum.
And at its center stood the person of special interest: Geum-son.
“A spear…… has been completed. The client is Yeom Tae-hun. A typical player who has shown no particular distinction thus far.”
Cha Yu-gyeong gave no reply to her subordinate’s report, her gaze fixed entirely on the screen.
Her eyes narrowed.
Her pupils moved in minute increments, unwilling to miss a single movement of Geum-son’s hands.
On screen, Geum-son was using only steel ingots and a small amount of mithril powder.
No expensive special alloys, no rare magical catalysts.
Just the most ordinary materials one could find at any street vendor in Kratum.
And yet the spear taking shape beneath his hands was anything but ordinary.
Clang!
Clang-clang!
Clang!
The metal took form with each stroke of Geum-son’s hammer, the transformation swift and precise.
Like a master surgeon conducting an operation, his every movement carried no wasted motion.
“Any anomalies? Pull the report.”
At Cha Yu-gyeong’s cold voice, the subordinate tensed and manipulated the tablet before him.
“Yes, Team Lead. According to our analysis thus far…… the craftsman Geum-son displays an extraordinary talent for extracting maximum efficiency from minimal resources. The estimated total value of materials used is under 3,000 gold…….”
“The finished product?”
“……Expected to be Unique Grade or higher.”
Silence fell across the conference room.
3,000 gold.
Creating an item worth hundreds of millions—perhaps even billions—of won from materials that cost barely 300,000 won.
This transcended the realm of mere ‘skill’ or ‘know-how’.
Numbers and calculations cascaded through Cha Yu-gyeong’s mind.
‘Minimum cost, maximum return. Risk management, perfect process control…….’
This was the most ideal production method every corporation dreamed of achieving.
Geum-son was realizing it in the game, whether by instinct or flawless calculation.
To her, Geum-son was no longer merely a ‘player’ who happened to craft extraordinary items.
He was a walking enterprise—the finest ‘human asset’ the Future Group absolutely had to possess.
[‘Azure Flash Spear (Unique)’ has been successfully crafted.]
At the system message blooming across the screen, the corners of Cha Yu-gyeong’s mouth lifted faintly.
But the smile quickly froze, turning glacial.
“And yet here you are, still unable to make contact with Geum-son—when exactly did I order you to approach him?”
Her voice carried the razor-sharp cold of thin ice.
Her subordinate’s back grew slick with cold sweat.
“Well, that’s…… the target’s movements are simply unpredictable, and we believe he’s currently moving west of Kratum…….”
“Excuses are a sin. What do you think I pay you for?”
“No, that’s not it…… he just won’t hunt. At all. And besides, while he was in Kratum, he was with an aristocrat, so…….”
Cha Yu-gyeong didn’t listen to excuses.
She simply turned slowly, fixing her subordinate with a cold stare.
“Bring me results. Get him to our negotiating table, by whatever means necessary. You have one week. Fail to resolve this, and every one of you can start clearing your desks.”
At her pronouncement, the air in the conference room froze solid.
This was the moment the Future Group’s ‘Gold Hunting’ Project officially came online.
* * *
“Why take up such rough work as blacksmithing? You should learn alchemy from me instead!”
“Ah, well…… it’s just…….”
Geum-son fumbled for words, caught off guard.
Paracelsus spoke to him.
“It may seem sudden. If you cannot trust me…….”
“No. I trust you.”
“Hm? You…… you do? You trust me?”
This time it was Paracelsus who seemed taken aback.
He had asked Geum-son to become his disciple, but until now had shown him nothing of himself as an Alchemist.
He had prepared himself to accept a refusal.
Yet Geum-son’s immediate response—trust, without hesitation—had caught him off guard instead.
More than that, sincerity rang unmistakably clear in Geum-son’s voice and eyes.
Still, one test could not be avoided.
“Very well. If you trust me…… then bring me a Dragon’s Blood Herb. Do that, and I’ll help you walk the path of an Alchemist properly.”
At that moment, a message appeared.
It was the quest message Geum-son had been waiting for.
[Sudden Job Quest: The Master’s First Task]
– Content: Paracelsus, who wishes to become your master, desperately desires the ‘Dragon’s Blood Herb’.
Find and collect the Dragon’s Blood Herb located in the deepest depths of the mine, and bring it to him.
– Success Condition: Collect Dragon’s Blood Herb (0/1)
– Adhere to the time limit.
– Advance Rewards:
1. Collection Skill
2. Acid Neutralizer (Superior Grade)
– Rewards:
1. Acquire Alchemist Job
2. Paracelsus’s Special Skill: Insight of Meridians
The moment he read the message, he understood.
The special skill in the rewards.
It was a paired skill with ‘Resolve Intuition’.
Geum-son’s heart thundered with anticipation as he checked the quest window.
‘Insight of Meridians……!’
There was no detailed skill description, but the name alone was enough.
This was undoubtedly a skill that formed a pair with ‘Resolve Intuition’.
‘What kind of skill could it be?’
Even Geum-son didn’t know about this one.
In his past life, he’d never heard that Paracelsus had a disciple.
So naturally, nothing was known about ‘Insight of Meridians’.
‘If it’s anything like Resolve Intuition…… it’ll be a tremendous asset going forward.’
Until now, ‘Resolve Intuition’ alone had brought him considerable gains.
From mining to crafting, through to combat—Resolve Intuition had proven its worth across every field.
It was the core skill that had driven Geum-son’s growth.
So he couldn’t help but look forward to ‘Insight of Meridians’ as well.
If he could obtain both of these skills?
He couldn’t easily predict what kind of synergy would emerge.
And on top of that, the Alchemist job itself?
There was no reason to refuse this quest.
“Understood. I will absolutely retrieve the Dragon’s Blood Herb for you!”
“Oho, what vigor! I like your spirit!”
He laughed heartily, patting Geum-son’s shoulders.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he struck his forehead.
“Oh, right—but I haven’t much time. A wandering alchemist like me doesn’t stay in one place for long, you see. Three days! That’s all I can give you. You’ll have to bring me the Dragon’s Blood Herb within that time.”
“Three days?”
“It’s tight, certainly…… but what choice is there? The cost of living’s gotten so steep these days. If I park myself somewhere, my purse empties before you know it!”
Paracelsus imposed the time limit while citing reasons that hardly made sense.
He certainly seemed to be a busy alchemist.
At the same time, a more specific message began to appear.
[Time Limit Confirmed: 72 Hours]
The message appeared as if to press him.
But it didn’t matter.
Rather, the thought of obtaining ‘Insight of Meridians’ only fueled his resolve further.
“Where can the Dragon’s Blood Herb be found?”
“It grows only near the ‘Heart Chamber’—the deepest part of the Kratum Mine where lava churns. It’s an extraordinarily precious herb. The place is so scorching that ordinary people can barely approach it. Besides, collecting it requires technique…… try using this!”
Paracelsus drew an old skill book from his robes and handed it to Geum-son.
[You have learned the ‘Collection’ Skill.]
The skill listed as an advance reward in the job quest.
He examined its details.
[Collection Lv.1]
[Passive Skill]
– Description: A technique to understand the essence of natural materials such as plants and minerals, and collect them while minimizing damage.
– Effect: When collecting, the amount of materials obtained and the probability of acquiring higher-grade materials increase by 20%.
It was a remarkably useful skill.
Paracelsus was simply providing such a skill as an advance reward.
Now he understood why Paracelsus struggled so much with money.
Lowering his voice, Paracelsus glanced around before continuing.
“But here’s the thing — there’s one particularly troublesome creature in that place.”
“A troublesome creature?”
“Yes. And while searching for Dragon’s Blood Herb is fine, you’ll need to watch out for a strange worm of some kind.”
The mention of a “strange worm” caught his attention, but Geum-son listened quietly to what else Paracelsus had to say.
He wanted to confirm whether it might be something else entirely.
“It wanders around underground as it pleases, spreading rotten filth wherever it goes…….”
“Filth again?”
“Ahem! Anyway, that creature has made me waste countless trips. Whenever I try to collect Dragon’s Blood Herb, it shows up and ruins everything. Tsk, the materials I’ve lost because of that thing alone…….”
As Paracelsus spoke, the image of Du-sar’s worried face flashed through Geum-son’s mind.
It was becoming increasingly clear that the strange worm was something Geum-son knew as well.
‘A Corrupted Earthworm…… so it is that creature after all.’
With that, Paracelsus reached into his pocket and produced a small glass vial.
Inside it was a clear, transparent liquid.
“So listen — if that worm shows up and starts causing trouble, use this.”
[You have obtained Acid Neutralizer (Superior Grade).]
“Spray this on that worm, and its activity will dull for a time. Use that window to escape. Understood?”
Geum-son knew exactly what this was.
It was the very item he’d been planning to make by collecting moonlit moss.
‘Superior Grade Acid Neutralizer…… and he’s telling me to use it just to drive the thing away?’
This wasn’t even a common-grade item — it was Superior Grade.
With something of this caliber, it could do far more than simply neutralize the Corrupted Earthworm’s acidic secretions; it might even temporarily solidify the creature’s body.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————