The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 72
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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 72
072. Lies from the First Meeting
[Sand Hell Demon Lv. 83]
“Damn it, we’re surrounded!”
“How far away are the reinforcements?”
“Hold the line! We have to hold it somehow!”
“Foreign mercenaries! Do something, quickly!”
The caravan found itself in a desperate situation.
But it was Geumson who stepped forward before anyone else.
“Walker, full speed breakthrough!”
“Waaaaalker!”
Iron Walker roared and accelerated.
His massive frame kicked up a sandstorm as he charged toward the caravan.
The first to spot Geumson’s group was a Player struggling among the caravan’s guards.
“That… that’s Iron Walker, isn’t it? Then that person is… Geumson?”
The Player was Moiran.
Moiran’s eyes went wide with disbelief.
The very person who opened the City of Giants on Lepion Net and created the dungeon rush.
Geumson had appeared out of nowhere.
While Moiran stood frozen, Geumson was already charging into the heart of the battlefield.
“Walker! Time for cleaning!”
Geumson swung his hammer without hesitation at the nearest Sand Hell Demon’s head.
Crack!
[Weak Point Strike successful.]
[Critical Hit confirmed.]
A deafening shriek—
The demon simply exploded, scattering into sand dust.
One blow.
At the overwhelming sight of a level-80-plus monster dispatched in a single strike, even the caravan and Player Moiran froze momentarily.
But Geumson did not stop.
‘Infinite Chain Strike!’
Geumson hurled himself toward the next target, swinging his hammer in relentless succession.
Crack!
Boom!
Smash!
[Infinite Chain Strike 2-hit combo! Final damage increased by 20%!]
[Infinite Chain Strike 3-hit combo! Final damage increased by 30%!]
[Infinite Chain Strike 4-hit combo! Final damage increased by 40%!]
Wherever his hammer landed, the demons fell like autumn leaves in a gale.
This was not battle.
It was pure, one-sided slaughter.
Against Geumson’s overwhelming force, the Sand Hell Demons’ thick carapaces were helpless as paper.
Whoosh—
[Vibration Detection activates.]
A message appeared suddenly.
It was the effect of the Delicate Leather Gauntlet, woven from Resilient Lizard Skin, Vibration-Sensing Scales, and Chitin fragments.
.
.
.
1. [Vibration Detection]: Sense subtle vibrations in the surroundings to discover hidden enemies or uncover traps. 10% increased probability.
2. [Chitin Fist]: When unarmed, fist strength becomes steel-like, enabling enhanced attacks.
— Additional Enchantment Slot: [Empty]
A terrible shriek—
Geumson checked the message and leaped backward; the sand beneath where he’d stood began to churn and collapse.
Crunch—
An enormous demon burst from the sand, its jaws snapping at the empty air where Geumson had vanished.
What emerged from the sand was a leader-class demon, twice the size of the others.
[Boss Sand Hell Demon Lv. 90]
It let out a furious roar and hurled its massive body at Geumson.
But Geumson’s face bore a smile—as if he’d been waiting for this.
“I figured it was about time for you to show yourself.”
The leader of the Sand Hell demons lunged at Geumson with manic fury.
Its massive body drove forward without hesitation.
Normally, he would have dodged the attack with practiced ease.
But this time was different.
Instead.
‘Giant’s Strength!’
Crack-crack-crack—
In an instant, Geumson’s strength and stamina surged exponentially.
And with it came another message, blooming across his vision.
[You are immune to Knockback effects from the Giant’s Strength skill.]
Knockback immunity.
Normally, the enormous demon’s body slam would have sent Geumson flying backward.
But protected by the skill effect, he didn’t budge an inch—standing firm as a stone wall.
And more than that.
[Giant’s Shoulder effect activates.]
[Impact Absorption effect activates.]
The Solid Giant’s Pauldron—forged from a combination of Stone Golem shards and Giant’s bone dust—triggered its effects as well.
.
.
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1. [Giant’s Shoulder]: On successful defense, inflicts a brief Stun.
2. [Impact Absorption]: Reduces all shoulder-received impact by 30%.
— Additional Enchantment Slot: [Empty]
Ksh… Kshaa? Ksh?
The leader of the Sand Hell demons stood before Geumson, trembling helplessly in its stunned state.
Unable to move, the demon seemed utterly bewildered, flailing uselessly.
Geumson met its eyes and smirked.
Then, toward the creature’s thickest, hardest head carapace, he unleashed a new skill.
“Disarm!”
As a blood-red aura engulfed the leader’s head.
Crack-crack-crack—!
Its prized sturdy carapace shattered into dozens of fragments, scattering into the air like sand.
Tender flesh lay exposed and defenseless.
Over it, dozens of red and blue points glowed with crystal clarity.
Kshaaa?!
The instant the leader faltered in shock.
“We won’t be seeing each other again anyway. So long—Solar Strike!”
Geumson’s Forgotten Void Hammer tore through the air.
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
[Solar Strike’s 300% additional damage effect applied.]
[Infinite Chain Strike: 63 consecutive hits! Final damage increase: 630%!]
[Weak Point Strike successful.]
[Critical Hit confirmed.]
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.
.
The leader of the Sand Hell demons exploded into formless bits, staining the surrounding sands crimson.
With the leader fallen so easily, the remaining demons seized by primal terror, began fleeing into the sand.
But Iron Walker blocked their escape route.
“Walker! Walker!”
Iron Walker’s flamethrower roared to life, reducing every fleeing demon to ash without mercy.
Silence fell across the Desert.
Then a cascade of system messages flooded Geumson’s vision.
[Eliminated the Desert’s predators: the Sand Hell demon swarm.]
[Level increased! Lv. 56]
[Level increased! Lv. 57]
[Acquired: Sand Demon’s Large Fang.]
[Acquired: Sand Demon’s Carapace.]
[Acquired: Predator’s Lure Stone.]
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.
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[Your level has increased! Lv. 60]
[Infinite Chain Strike Skill has reached Lv. 2.]
[Giant’s Strength Skill has reached Lv. 2.]
[Achievement: Savior of the Sands]
[You have slaughtered the Desert’s nightmare, a swarm of Sand Hell Demons, and rescued the merchant caravan.]
[Effect 1. All allies gain 20% increased resistance to fire and ice.]
[Effect 2. You gain significant favor with all NPCs in the Desert.]
[Reputation increased by 500.]
“That should do as a warm-up.”
Geumson brushed the sand from his hammer’s head with an offhand gesture, speaking as though the matter were entirely routine.
There was no sign of exhaustion in him whatsoever.
Rather, as if the battle he’d just concluded were nothing more than light calisthenics, his entire frame thrummed with vitality.
The Player Moiran and the merchant caravan master Elio, who had been watching the spectacle in stunned silence, snapped back to themselves and rushed toward him.
“T-thank you! You’re our savior! Without you, we would have all……!”
Master Elio bowed deeply from the waist.
Moiran, standing beside him, made no effort to conceal her excitement and bounded straight up to Geumson, already speaking a mile a minute.
“Wow, this is absolutely insane. I’m Moiran! I watch all of your broadcast streams! Seeing you in person is just… wow! What was that skill just now? The one that decomposed the carapace right off their heads? And that golem is Iron Walker, right? Wait, what’s that bird? Hello, little bird?”
A Player with rather a lot to say, this Moiran.
It seemed she was indeed a subscriber to Geumson’s personal broadcast channel.
Though Geumson’s eye twitched slightly.
[Giant’s Tear effect has activated.]
The final item Geumson had crafted, made from the Perfect Obsidian Carapace and the Giant’s Tear Gem.
[Obsidian Resistance Helmet]
– Grade: Legendary (Lv. 100 Restricted)
– Craftsperson: Geumson
– Status: Bound
– Defense: 800
– Effects:
1. [Steel Mind]: Mental status ailment resistance increased by 30%.
2. [Dark Vision]: Maintain clear vision even in complete darkness.
3. [Giant’s Tear]: Increased probability (30%) of concealing your emotional state or detecting an opponent’s lies.
– Additional Enchantment Slot: [Empty]
Judging from the system message indicating the item’s effect had triggered, the Player standing before him was clearly no ordinary subscriber.
Her opening lie made that much obvious.
“Running into a subscriber in a place like this—it’s truly…… delightful.”
At Geumson’s words, the corners of Moiran’s mouth twitched.
She sensed something amiss as well.
‘Wait, he didn’t sound happy. He said I’m a fan, so why would he lie to me? Does he have some kind of paranoia?’
Moiran had no choice but to furrow her brow at the system message blooming before her eyes.
She hastily opened her Status Window and checked the information on the item she was wearing.
[Liar’s Earring]
– Grade: Unique
– Effect: When a target speaks a lie, detects and alerts you with 15% probability.
Moiran herself possessed an item capable of detecting falsehoods.
This earring was something she favored for her broadcasts.
It served to entertain her viewers by exposing the hidden intentions of NPCs and other Players.
But now, that very earring was alerting her that the man before her—Geumson—was lying.
‘Has he recognized me? No, that can’t be right. My broadcasts are strictly anonymous. There’s no way he could’ve identified me.’
She was thoroughly confused.
A part of her worried that Geumson might be the opposing Player in the Hidden Quest she was currently undertaking.
But at the same time, an instinctive wariness bloomed within her.
That man is dangerous.
Not merely because he was strong, but because his true intentions were utterly unreadable.
Moiran carefully managed her expression and approached Geumson with movements even more exaggerated than before.
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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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