The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 101

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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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Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 101
The moment Ilhyang had established Gwireol Valley in the Upper Realm, I set about the task I had planned to undertake first.
“I intend to craft artifacts, so I won’t be able to attend to other matters for some time. I trust that is acceptable?”
“Heh heh, do as you see fit, Lord Ilhyang. There is no need to seek the counsel of subordinates.”
As Bing Baek Ma-gun Gu Sang-hak bowed respectfully, I nodded and promptly secluded myself in the Eastern Wing, located at the far edge of the 4th Realm Spirit Vein.
‘I’ve gathered all the necessary materials.’
In truth, I had long understood the necessity of artifacts.
But I had lacked suitable materials.
Then, after resolving Cheonho’s request and opening the Realm Passage to the Immortal Celestial Realm, I received something in return.
Three inner cores from 5th Realm Demon Cultivators.
I believed I could craft artifacts using those as a foundation.
‘First, a robe. Second, a staff. And third, an accessory.’
The three inner cores from 5th Realm Demon Cultivators that Cheonho had given me each possessed different properties.
The golden inner core had a strong affinity with earth spirits, making it ideal for crafting defensive equipment.
The azure inner core contained powerful wind spirit essence, so I decided to fashion it into an accessory.
The last one.
It too differed in nature from the other two, containing the power of fire.
Yet peculiarly, the flame essence it harbored was overwhelmingly denser and more potent than the other two cores.
They were supposedly the same grade, so why was this one’s quality so different?
‘The core’s original owner must have been a mutant.’
Like Hyeol-an Majoo, whom I had hunted not long ago, this 5th Realm spirit beast must have been a mutant variant.
Regardless, this was an extraordinary acquisition.
So among the three 5th Realm inner cores,
I planned to craft the final mutant core into a staff.
If I could execute the design I had conceived, I believed I could produce an artifact of 6th Realm grade or higher.
Moreover, the core’s elemental nature was perfectly compatible with my own.
‘A fire-attribute staff.’
Isn’t that considered among the finest materials across the Seven Continents?
If I could truly complete it properly,
it would certainly nearly double the potency of the magic I had wielded thus far.
Halving mana consumption while doubling power output.
My actual combat strength would increase more than twofold.
Crunch—Thud!
Brimming with anticipation, before I began my work,
I sealed the spacious Eastern Wing’s entrance with a large boulder, then inscribed a simple sealing magic circle at its threshold.
‘This should keep most intruders at bay.’
Ever since ascending to the Upper Realm, I had felt as though someone was watching me.
So I had spread my senses widely and meticulously searched the surroundings, yet detected nothing.
‘They must be observing from beyond the reach of my perception.’
With so many suspicious individuals occupying my thoughts, I initially resolved to simply ignore the matter.
But no matter what, I couldn’t reveal the entire artifact creation process when I knew full well I was being watched.
So I deployed a sealing spell that could perfectly block outside observation and interference, then settled myself within it.
‘I have sufficient spirit vein energy to create the artifact.’
I intended to craft a 5th Realm Spirit Treasure-grade magical implement by this world’s standards.
However, for the weapon itself, I planned to make a Heavenly Piercing Spirit Treasure-grade weapon—a 6th Realm weapon.
This work was impossible to accomplish alone.
I needed hands to assist me beside my perfect instructions.
“Come forth.”
I withdrew a small spirit beast pouch from my robes.
From it, I extracted Geum-ok, who had been half-asleep within.
From the storage vessel, I summoned the Black Blood Corpse Demon and all the Dark Knight Mages.
Lining them all up, they appeared quite like a proper team of professional assistants.
[You’re thinking of making a magical implement?]
“Yes. I’ve been traveling too bare-handed all this time.”
Until now, I’d simply picked up simple things as needed or used whatever had been hastily crafted.
But that could no longer continue.
It was becoming increasingly difficult to properly channel the power I possessed.
They say masters don’t concern themselves with equipment?
Nonsense.
As one’s level rises, sensory perception increases.
One becomes only more sensitive to superior equipment.
[What should I help with?]
“I need you to help prepare the materials. First, could you compress this wood with wind and ready it?”
[Sure! That’s not difficult at all.]
Creating even a single proper artifact required truly numerous processes and time.
Yet I was now planning to make three of them simultaneously.
It demanded far more time and dedication.
I steadied myself and checked the materials once more.
I had set aside the inner core of Hyeol-an Majoo, which I’d obtained immediately upon ascending to the Upper Realm, for use in crafting spirit elixirs rather than artifacts.
‘Purchasing materials in bulk when I visited Beast Market last time was a masterstroke.’
I likely would never have conceived of gathering such quantities of materials in the Demon Immortal Realm.
Fundamentally, demon cultivators either produced or consumed materials themselves, so the very concept of collecting materials to trade with others didn’t exist among them.
Demon cultivators’ bodies were already close to being artifacts themselves.
Thus, they never thought to gather or refine surrounding materials for sale.
‘I need to combine the existing artifact-making methods with this world’s approach to crafting magical implements.’
The concept of creating magical implements in this world differed slightly but distinctly from artifact creation on the Seven Continents.
Magical implements involved simply gathering materials, shaping them into a certain form, and focusing effort on infusing energy to properly draw out the power inherent in those materials.
Thus, the creation process emphasized finding superior materials, then meticulously refining them with all one’s might.
‘If magical implement crafting pursues something raw and natural, then artifacts emphasize purpose more.’
Artifacts focus on creating synergistic reactions between materials.
The primary objective was to blend various different materials together to create additional synergy.
This was why the compatibility between materials mattered so much.
From the moment of preparing the materials to the work of inscribing mana circuits and runes, everything demanded meticulous precision and held tremendous importance.
‘What if I were to apply both methods?’
Naturally, the labor required would more than double.
I had to select quality materials, and then from the preparation stage onward, I needed to painstakingly inscribe additional mana circuits and runes stitch by stitch.
‘I need to perfectly implement both of those methods.’
A method that balanced the materials’ power so they wouldn’t collide while simultaneously extracting their inherent strength to its absolute limit.
If the materials then underwent synergistic amplification?
Perhaps an artifact of unprecedented perfection would be completed.
‘Until recently, such a challenge would have been difficult.’
At the 5th Circle, I couldn’t create and use artifacts in this manner.
I could only roughly mash and mix the materials I had according to their intended purpose.
But now it was different.
Having reached the 6th Circle, I could now properly begin by establishing the necessary environment for artifact creation.
‘Now the surrounding environment is no longer a significant problem.’
I could now create the desired environment on the spot.
Croooooom—
‘Though the area is cramped, I can designate this place as a Mental World.’
By designating a Mental World, within that space marked by those coordinates, I could perfectly control the flowing energy according to my intentions.
Naturally, when the energy flowed without scattering and was perfectly controlled, mistakes decreased when creating artifacts sensitive to environmental conditions.
The one fatal problem here was that I had to maintain the Mental World for an extremely long time, and moreover, keep it stable throughout.
‘That’s possible if I’m positioned on a 4th Realm Spirit Vein.’
The 4th Realm Spirit Vein in Gwireol Valley was completely open, so it posed no problem for me.
Unlike the Immortal Celestial Realm, which was closed off or intentionally controlled, this was raw, unfiltered spiritual energy.
With just slight manipulation, I could receive an unlimited supply of mana.
So if I wished,
I could maintain the Mental World not for days, but around the clock indefinitely.
Moreover,
“Refine this first and bring it here.”
[….]
The Black Blood Corpse Demons quickly grasped materials one by one and took positions at the edge of the cave, beginning to work them over with heavy thuds.
The Black Blood Corpse Demons possessed considerable physical strength and retained a degree of reason, making them excellent auxiliary workers with whom I could communicate and maintain perfect mental control.
Though I had obtained them by chance,
in truth, had I not acquired these creatures, I would never have dared attempt to construct such a large-scale temporary workshop and create artifacts in this manner.
Crack—! Crunch—!
Whoooosh—! Sizzzzle—!
The Dark Knight Mages inscribed runes into the materials,
while Geumok controlled the energy of each material stitch by stitch, preventing it from scattering.
Within the small Mental World I had created, everyone moved busily, each attending to their assigned tasks.
Ilhyang was moving without rest as well.
Not just the materials I held in my hands.
I verified once more the primary processed goods that the Jiangshi and Geumok had prepared, then began combining them to create secondary processed goods.
Though I was processing work at a rapid pace in this manner.
Creating 5th and 6th Realm artifacts demanded an enormous investment of physical time.
This was why I had spent an entire month in the Eastern Wing on material preparation alone.
“Phew. The basic preparations are finally complete.”
[You worked hard!]
I gently stroked Geumok’s soft tail once.
Then I spread out the artifact materials I had prepared across the ground on a cloth in a long line.
Now I needed to combine these in proper sequence, infusing them with suitable essence.
This process would also consume considerable time.
Moreover, from this point forward, there was little my assistants could help with.
Only I could meticulously layer this together.
Then.
Suddenly, someone from outside spoke to me cautiously.
[Honored One. Forgive the intrusion, but a small problem has arisen.]
Jigang Apryong.
That one had contacted me with an apologetic tone.
Taking a moment to clear my head, I listened to his report—an intruder had appeared.
“Well, the 4th Realm Spirit Vein is certainly worth coveting.”
This had occurred because I, the true owner of the 4th Realm Spirit Vein, had completely concealed my presence.
Until recently, this land had been dominated by a powerful spider demon cultivator called Hyeol-an Majoo, but now celestial essence was spreading chaotically throughout the area.
Nearby powerful demon cultivators had been observing, wondering what was happening, and had begun to covet it.
The powerful 4th Realm spider demon cultivator who had commanded hundreds of offspring had vanished, and now humans and demon cultivators were roaming about mixed together.
Among them, the only one who appeared even remotely threatening was Jigang Apryong.
How defenseless must I have appeared to the 4th Realm demon cultivators in the vicinity?
Naturally, they must have seen me as appetizing prey.
‘This was intentional from the start.’
With the increased numbers, maintaining control with merely the 4th Realm Spirit Vein had become impossible.
So I wanted to hunt the superior demon cultivators in the surrounding area.
But when I actually tried to deal with them, I felt self-conscious.
‘They’re definitely observing me.’
Cheonho.
And the Celestial Great Sage.
Along with other great demons.
They would certainly have learned of the Realm Passage’s existence from Cheonho.
‘They must have gathered some information about me as well.’
The supreme great demons certainly possessed the ability to observe me from beyond my perception if they so desired.
Whether they were actually monitoring this place or not.
Ilhyang felt an instinctive reluctance to wander the surroundings and hunt 4th and 5th Realm Demon Cultivators without provocation.
‘But if they attack first, that’s an exception.’
Counterattacking those who came at me was self-defense, after all.
Even harvesting those attackers as materials didn’t weigh so heavily on my conscience.
‘Ideally, I’d prefer those who’ve established their territories nearby.’
Wouldn’t it be convenient to swallow their domains if they were close at hand?
With such slightly impure intentions in mind.
I had made efforts to present this place as an ownerless 4th Realm Spirit Vein.
I had deliberately refrained from constructing a Magic Tower and left it abandoned.
“When the time comes, I will leave. Don’t worry and wait.”
[Understood, Venerable One!]
Which creature had taken the bait this time?
Ideally, one with earth-attribute cultivation would be perfect.
I gathered all the materials I had laid out on the ground back into my spatial pouch.
Then, placing the Jiangshi into the pouch as well, my eyes gleamed with quiet satisfaction.

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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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