The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 57

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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 57
057. Cleaning House
From that moment on, whenever Jeong Ha-rin took the field, she was always there with Ha-jun.
She fought to protect her brother’s phantom, and that obsessive fervor transformed her into humanity’s greatest mage.
But at the same time, it became a poison that gnawed at her soul, bit by bit.
‘Should I…… save my brother?’
The real dilemma lay in the ability that awakened through her brother Jeong Ha-jun’s death.
By saving him, her power might never fully awaken.
It was selfish—but for humanity’s sake, perhaps it would be better to let him die.
But Geumson.
He simply laughed it off.
Crack!
Geumson slapped his own cheek.
So hard that his lip split and blood began to seep through.
Spit.
He spat out the blood and laughed again.
‘What garbage was I thinking? Building myself up on someone else’s sorrow? I just need to get stronger myself.’
Perhaps this time there would be no ‘Great Mage of Phantoms, Jeong Ha-rin.’
No—there shouldn’t be.
If I simply become strong enough, that’s all that matters.
That’s how it will be.
Geumson clenched his fist with grim resolve.
As if reading his steely expression, Tia on his shoulder rubbed her small head against his cheek.
– Tia-ah…….
A warmth like comfort offered in silence.
But Tia’s comfort didn’t last long.
– Ti-i-it-! Chirp! Chirp!
Geumson, lost in thought, snapped to attention at Tia’s urgent cries.
She fluttered on his shoulder, letting out a wary call toward the forest ahead.
“What’s wrong, Tia?”
“Walker? Wa-alker?”
Geumson stroked Tia’s head and surveyed their surroundings.
Iron Walker tilted his head, equally puzzled.
On the surface, it was nothing but an ordinary forest.
But Tia’s reaction was unmistakable.
As a Phantom Elementian, Tia was acutely sensitive to minute shifts in spiritual energy that other beings couldn’t detect.
Which meant.
‘Something’s there. More than just one or two. Monsters?’
Geumson’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
He signaled Iron Walker with a glance, positioning himself ready to spring into combat at any moment.
Yet the concealed presence didn’t feel like monsters.
‘If not monsters…… could it be Seo Ju-won? Following us since the auction house?’
The face of Fist King Seo Ju-won was the first to come to mind.
Given his relentless nature, it was entirely possible.
But the presence seeping from the forest felt subtly different from the Seo Ju-won Geumson remembered.
There was something hesitant about it—a reluctance woven into the stealth.
Then, dozens of figures emerged from between the trees, encircling them.
They wore armor stamped with crudely fashioned insignias of the Yeokcheon guild.
But Geumson saw through their clumsy disguise at a glance.
‘What—these bastards again?’
Between the gaps in their armor, crimson serpent tattoos glinted in the light.
And more than that, the face of the one leading them was familiar.
“Did you think I’d give up that easy, Geumson!”
A man walked forward with a venomous smile on his face.
It was PK Godteu—the one Geumson had soundly thrashed near Neman Village.
His eyes burned with thirst for revenge.
“This time you won’t have anywhere to run. The great elders of Yeokcheon have agreed to back me up!”
But contrary to PK Godteu’s words, standing beside him was Nachal, the squad leader of Asura Guild who had attacked Geumson before.
Yet his expression looked distinctly uncomfortable.
When his eyes met Geumson’s, he instinctively looked away.
Geumson’s overwhelming power from before the Corrupted Earthworm remained vividly etched in their minds.
Geumson chuckled softly at their arrival.
Choi Jin-ung’s methods hadn’t changed.
Impersonate Yeokcheon, attack him, then pin the blame on Yeokcheon—his scheme was transparent.
What’s more, recruiting PK Godteu, who bore a personal grudge, showed impressive preparation.
Still.
“Feels a bit thin on numbers… but your gear looks solid, doesn’t it?”
At Geumson’s provocation, PK Godteu’s face flushed crimson.
“Shut your mouth, you bastard! You made five million gold off my item? Hand it over. It was mine to begin with anyway.”
PK Godteu seemed to have learned that the Moonlight Viper Sword sold for five million gold, and his eyes had gone wild.
After all, the base material had been his Viper’s Dagger.
He’d clearly come to claim his share.
And PK Godteu appeared to have prepared thoroughly.
“No matter how strong you are, you’re only level thirty! We’re elite operatives averaging over level fifty! We’ll overwhelm you with numbers! All units, attack!”
At PK Godteu’s command, the Asura Guild members posing as Yeokcheon drew their weapons in unison and charged forward.
But Geumson showed no sign of alarm.
Instead, he adjusted his hammer grip as if he’d been waiting for this.
“Walker, time to clean house.”
“WROAAAAGH!”
—Tia-eee! Tia!—
Iron Walker roared and lunged forward while Tia leaped about in excitement.
Boom-boom-boom-boom—Boom—
“WROAAAGH!”
Iron Walker’s massive steel frame became a perfect shield unto itself, deflecting the barrage of attacks effortlessly.
Clang!
Clang!
Ting-ting—Titi-ting—
[-1]
[MISS]
[-1]
“What—what? The damage isn’t going through!”
“I knew it! The earthworm wasn’t a fluke!”
“Was Nachal’s warning true? I died against the earthworm back then so I didn’t notice… damn it!”
While the Asura Guild members faltered, the flamethrower mounted on Iron Walker’s left arm ignited.
Whoooosh—!
“Gwaaaah!”
“Fire! Fall back!”
“Aaaaagh!”
Their formation crumbled in an instant.
Geumson seized the opening without hesitation.
He kicked off Iron Walker’s shoulder, launching himself skyward, and descended upon the panicked guild members overhead.
“Indestructible!”
Dark crimson energy erupted from Geumson’s body as he entered a fifteen-second invulnerable state.
Ignoring every attack that crashed upon him, he swung the Forgotten Void Hammer, caving in the skulls of the guild members one by one.
[Head Hunter effect triggered—headshot activated.]
[Additional damage bonus of ten percent applied.]
As the Indestructible skill neared its end.
Geumson brought the Forgotten Void Hammer crashing down toward the earth.
Boom—
[Forgotten Void Hammer effect triggered—Silence of the Earth activated.]
[Anti-Magic Field generated in a fifty-meter radius for sixty seconds.]
“M-my skills won’t activate!”
“Drink a Mana Potion! What are you talking about!”
“Huh? My skills too… craaah!”
Thud—
The Asura Guild attackers panicked as their skills suddenly failed to activate.
Moreover, Geumson was striking only the weak points revealed by Resolute Intuition and Vein’s Insight.
It was only natural their skills misfired and weakened.
The hammer’s effects, even the Mana Distortion, had activated.
Yet Geumson never stopped swinging.
Crack!
Boom!
Crash!
Wherever the hammer swept through, the elite members of the Asura Guild tore like paper and crumbled into ashen dust.
Their attacks never reached Geumson, and even when they did, his armor defended him perfectly against every strike.
“Wh-what? Wasn’t he only around level 30?”
Geumson’s displayed level was indeed 31.
But the skills and stats he had accumulated.
Especially his stats—they were entirely without flaw when compared to theirs at level 50.
He had grown his stats at a pace unlike anyone else by unlocking them.
PK Godteu, unaware of this fact, doubted his own eyes.
“H-hey, guys! Sisters! Look at this! This is solid proof that Geumson is a bug user! A level 30 can’t possibly be this strong!”
PK Godteu kept searching for brothers and sisters as if he were broadcasting.
But Geumson paid no attention.
He simply moved forward, methodical as a woodsman felling an ancient tree, cutting down his enemies one by one.
PK Godteu was seized by instinctive terror and began backing away.
“W-wait, wait just a moment!”
Then his vision was filled with the shadow of an enormous hammer.
Geumson had already closed the distance to within arm’s reach.
“I’ve given you two chances. That’s enough.”
PK Godteu let out a desperate scream.
But Geumson paid no heed to his wail and swung the hammer toward his head instead.
“No, I can’t…!”
Crack!
[You have died.]
[You drop the item ‘Frostbite Assassin Dagger (Unique)’ due to PK penalty.]
[You drop ‘Shadow Tracker’s Boots (Rare)’ due to PK penalty.]
[Cumulative penalty applied due to repeated PK attempts against the same target.]
PK Godteu’s vision went black.
Only one thought circled through his mind.
‘Should I just quit? Maybe this game isn’t for me? Why’d it have to be this guy of all people….’
PK Godteu, who had sought out this confrontation himself, now blamed Geumson for no good reason.
Geumson gathered the dropped items and turned his gaze toward Nachal, the last one remaining.
Nachal had already lost all will to fight, staring at him with a face drained of all color.
“I! I didn’t do anything! I swear!”
Geumson regarded him for a moment, then turned away without a word.
Nachal was worth keeping alive.
He needed a living witness to relay everything that had happened to Choi Jin-ung.
Nachal watched Geumson’s receding back and felt his legs give out beneath him as he sank to the ground.
Geumson, with Iron Walker and Tia in tow, turned his steps toward the City of Forgotten Giants without hesitation.
* * *
Hiss—
The capsule door opened, and Geumson returned to reality.
He stretched his stiff muscles and headed toward the refrigerator.
Click—
Crack—
Geumson cracked open a cold can of beer and downed it in one go.
He collapsed onto the sofa and muttered to himself.
“Why do they keep bothering someone just trying to play the game peacefully? If this keeps up, it’s going to get annoying.”
He thought of Mirae Group, which had requested protection.
It seemed they hadn’t finished their preparations in time to prevent this incident.
But it wasn’t entirely without gain.

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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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