The Returned Genius Blacksmith has Awakened as an all-Master - Chapter 86

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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 86
086. Forward
‘Still manageable, then… why not take a look?’
Geumson decided to venture into the danger zone instead.
He had no intention of heeding the system’s warning and fleeing Airthos.
Astrid’s quest remained unresolved.
Worse, the penalty for quest failure was nothing less than Airthos’s collapse.
That, at least, had to be prevented.
‘If I’m not careful, the mage profession will die out on the Korean server.’
Airthos was the heart of the mage class across Lepion’s Korean server.
If that place crumbled, the growth of every mage active on the Korean server would grind to a halt.
Thinking of the mages who would shine in the Age of Collapse, this was a catastrophe to prevent.
“Walker, Tia. Let’s go.”
Tia took flight first, leading Geumson skyward.
Iron Walker followed quietly in their wake.
Unusually silent.
Both Iron Walker and Tia seemed tense as well, as if bracing for combat.
* * *
While Geumson set foot into the danger zone surrounding Airthos, at the Pantheria Guild in New York.
Guild Master Cain’s face had flushed a violent crimson.
“How dare he…! That bastard!”
Cain shattered the premium crystal goblet he’d been holding.
His glare fixed on Kang Mu-jin displayed across the press conference screen as if ready to devour him.
“Guild Master, please calm yourself.”
Megan seemed to be struggling to soothe Cain’s fury.
But his rage would not subside.
“Calm? After hearing what that Kang Mu-jin spouts? If success is guaranteed? Cheers? How dare he…! That’s outright mockery! He’s sneering at Pantheria, at me, Cain! It’s an insult!”
As Cain’s anger reached its peak, the conference room door eased open and a Pantheria employee entered.
A report was cradled in the employee’s hands.
“The item you commissioned from player Geumson has arrived through the system.”
Megan’s gaze shifted toward the report.
It contained a detailed assessment of the Great Chain of Silence, purchased from Geumson through the Future Group.
“Good. It’s finally here.”
A smile tugged at Cain’s lips.
But Megan rushed forward, speaking urgently.
“Guild Master, we must first thoroughly verify the item’s performance and run simulations to derive the optimal strategy. Hasty decisions could—”
“Enough!”
Cain barked the word.
His eyes held no rational judgment whatsoever.
Only rage and competitive fire toward Kang Mu-jin smoldered there.
“Verification? Simulations? Where’s the time for that nonsense! Did you miss what Kang Mu-jin was saying? Summon every guild member! We begin the Lich King Raid immediately!”
Megan’s brow furrowed at Cain’s decree, but she offered no further argument.
She knew all too well that no logic would reach him at this point.
“Understood. We can only trust in Geumson.”
All Megan could do now was pray.
That Geumson’s Great Chain of Silence would prove effective.
That the Lich King’s subjugation would succeed.
* * *
.
.
.
[Sand Scorpion Lv. 85 defeated.]
[Desert Cobra Lv. 88 defeated.]
[Level increased! Lv. 61]
[Perception of Vigilance skill increased to Lv. 2.]
[Lesser Regeneration skill increased to Lv. 10 [MAX].]
[Desert Cobra Fang acquired.]
.
.
.
[Blood-Soaked Hell Boar Lv. 90]
[You have obtained Blood-Red Boar Hide.]
[Level increased! Lv. 62]
[Bone Wing Corpse Eagle Lv. 85]
[You have obtained Bone Wing Feather.]
.
.
.
[Level increased! Lv. 65]
[Maker’s Resonance skill has reached Lv. 4.]
[Resolve Intuition skill has reached Lv. 8.]
[Giant’s Strength skill has reached Lv. 3.]
Gulp—
Gulp— gulp—
“Phew, that’s ridiculously thirsty work.”
Geumson drained an entire bottle of water and checked the system message.
He was already level 65.
He’d spent days wandering the Desert, hunting down red dots on his map.
But it wasn’t enough.
No matter how many he killed, more just kept flooding in like a tide—the monsters never seemed to stop coming.
The numbers wouldn’t drop.
“Where the hell are they all coming from? It’s not like there’s a Gate open like in Seoul……”
Geumson muttered to himself in the middle of the Desert.
Only Tia and Iron Walker responded to his voice on that scorching wasteland.
“Walker?”
– Tia?
Unable to find the reason behind the monster surge, Geumson felt frustrated as he looked at them both.
But the moment he saw Iron Walker and Tia, exhaustion melted away into an involuntary smile.
Geumson gave Iron Walker’s back a light pat.
Pat pat—
Over these past few days, the coordination between Geumson, Iron Walker, and Tia had become incomparably more seamless than before.
Without Geumson needing to give explicit orders, Iron Walker instinctively protected his master and eliminated threats.
Tia, with her keen senses, would find hidden enemies beforehand and warn him. Geumson would then synthesize all that information to find the optimal attack route.
Thanks to this, combat grew steadily smoother, and he could explore the Desert safely.
‘Leveling up is good, but…… at this rate, I won’t be able to stop the monster wave!’
The number of monsters being added was greater than the number he could kill.
The ring of red dots encircling Airthos was becoming increasingly vivid.
Geumson’s anxiety deepened with each passing moment.
Then new dots began appearing on Geumson’s system map.
Gray dots.
Multiple gray dots cutting through the sea of red appeared all at once.
And red dots chasing after them.
‘Looks like players trying to reach Airthos. Should I help them out?’
Players being pursued by monsters due to the sudden surge.
He’d helped people like that several times already.
He assumed this was another case, but something seemed different.
“Are they really…… being chased?”
A group of players crested a sand dune in the Desert.
The faces of those supposedly fleeing showed no signs of panic—only purpose.
Not long after, faint voices began reaching Geumson’s ears.
“This way! Faster!”
“Dammit, the scent’s getting weaker! Spray more!”
“Be careful! If even a drop touches your skin, we’re done for!”
The voices of players.
Geumson instinctively crouched low and hid behind a sand dune, observing them.
Moving in perfect unison, they were spreading something on the ground.
‘Those crazy bastards!’
Geumson recognized instantly what they were spreading.
Beast Luring Incense.
Even back in the Age of Collapse, he’d seen mad fools use this to target shelters, so he knew it well.
In other words, they weren’t being hunted by the monsters.
They were luring the monsters.
Their destination was unmistakable.
‘Airthos…!’
Geumson’s eyes turned cold.
These people were the source of all this chaos.
He listened quietly to their conversation.
“Brother, isn’t this enough? We’ve already got ogres showing up.”
“Not yet. The client still isn’t satisfied, I hear. The Master’s orders remain in effect.”
“Ugh. Well, we do the work we’re paid for. Though I’m not sure this is right.”
Their conversation, and the small spider-shaped brooch hanging from each player’s belt.
The moment he saw it, he knew which guild they belonged to.
‘The Arachne Guild?’
For a moment, Geumson felt as though he’d been struck in the head.
It seemed all of this was happening because of him.
‘Could it be… that because Astrid didn’t kill Moiran, things turned out this way?’
In the past, Astrid would have killed Moiran.
And in that case, the Arachne Guild would have abandoned the scheme somehow.
But this time, things were different.
Geumson had met Astrid instead of Moiran.
Because of that, Moiran lived, and the scheme continued.
And this was the result.
‘Damn. The math doesn’t add up. I’ll have to collect a debt from Moiran later.’
Geumson checked his equipment.
Then he walked toward them without the slightest hesitation, his strides purposeful.
They seemed to notice Geumson’s arrival.
“Huh? What’s a golem doing in the desert…?”
“A golem? If it’s a golem… isn’t that the person? What was his name again? That guy who makes things?”
“Oh! Geumson? It’s Geumson! Hell, he’s famous! This is awkward…”
They exchanged uncomfortable glances at the sight of Geumson.
They understood it too.
What harm their current actions would bring to the mages of the Korean Server.
They knew, and yet they were doing it anyway.
That’s why they looked uncomfortable seeing Geumson.
Unlike ordinary players, it was hard to silence an influential celebrity player’s mouth.
However.
“Geumson, nice to meet you. I’m with the Arachne Guild…”
A man approached with an easy, familiar smile.
He seemed to be introducing himself in a casual manner.
He apparently thought Geumson wouldn’t know about the Beast Luring Incense.
After all, the Beast Luring Incense hadn’t spread widely through Lepion yet.
But Geumson gave Iron Walker one last instruction.
“Walker, block the exit.”
“Walker! Walker! Exit? Block? Exit!”
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud—
Iron Walker quickly cut off their escape route.
The man with the easy smile.
A crack seemed to form across his face.
“Wait, why are you doing this? Is this a Player Kill? Are you trying to kill us and take our items? I’m posting this on the Lepion Net! I’ll make it public…”
“Post it.”
“What…?”
“Upload it to the Lepion Net.”
The man’s expression hardened at Geumson’s words.

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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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