Chapter 83: 15th Floor. Heaven-Endowed Blacksmith (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 83: 15th Floor. Heaven-Endowed Blacksmith (4)
Clang!
The greatsword and the golem’s fist collided with a deafening ring.
Kang Jun-hyeok was the one sent skidding back. His boots carved furrows into the ground as he retreated three full steps. A dry chuckle escaped his lips.
I’m being pushed back this much even now?
Thump!
The golem didn’t give him a moment to breathe. It charged forward, swinging its massive arms with a level of speed one would never expect from such a hulking construct. Even Jun-hyeok couldn't completely evade the onslaught and was forced onto the defensive.
Clang! Clang!
Every time his weapon clashed with the golem's fist, his entire body shuddered from the sheer impact.
It was strong, and it was fast.
It was impossible to keep up through pure physical stats alone. It was only after Jun-hyeok drew upon his internal energy to reinforce his body and activated the Divine Art of the Master of All Weapons that he was finally able to hold his ground.
But strength and speed weren't the golem's only assets.
The golem threw a wild haymaker. Jun-hyeok threw himself backward to dodge, but at that moment, the red gem embedded in the golem's fist flashed ominously.
Fwoosh!
A fierce torrent of flames erupted from the gem, swallowing Jun-hyeok whole. He quickly raised his shield to block, but the aftershock swept over him, searing his skin.
“Ugh.”
A short groan escaped his throat.
His Fire Resistance was Rank C. Under normal circumstances, he was immune to most forms of heat. However, the flames unleashed by this golem pierced through his resistance and scorched his flesh. Jun-hyeok roughly shook off the embers and widened the distance.
Fire wasn't the only element the golem controlled. It swung its other hand violently, and the blue gem embedded in that fist began to glow.
Crack-crack-crack!
A whirlwind of frost erupted. It was an extreme cold that felt like it was flaying his skin and freezing the very air in his lungs. He quickly activated Rift Movement to blink out of the area of effect.
Jun-hyeok narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself.
“A Red Flame Jade and a Frost Jade.”
These were gems that inherently possessed the primordial powers of fire and ice—incredibly rare and powerful materials. A typical player wouldn't even encounter them until they were well past the 50th floor.
That wasn't all. The golem’s body was composed of a rare, sturdy metal that shimmered with a dark luster—Cold Iron. A normal strike wouldn't even leave a scratch on it. Even with internal energy reinforcement, dealing meaningful damage would be an uphill battle.
A golem made of Cold Iron, powered by a Red Flame Jade and a Frost Jade. This was the true final boss of the 15th floor.
“So I’m supposed to kill this thing? I doubt there’s a single player at this level who could pull this off.”
[That arrogant fellow was being serious. He wants you to prove your worth.]
The golem was faster and stronger than Jun-hyeok. Its body was nearly indestructible, and it wielded the dual powers of the gems. In the Master of All Weapons' estimation, Jun-hyeok’s chances were slim.
No, they were practically non-existent.
And that was exactly why the Master of All Weapons spoke with a hint of mounting anticipation.
[Show me your skill. Show me why you are the master.]
“Gladly.”
Jun-hyeok smirked. He already had a counter-strategy in mind. To execute it, he first had to get close.
Crack-crack!
Frost poured from the Frost Jade. Jun-hyeok leaped toward the wall, kicking off the surface to shoot toward the ceiling in an instant.
Kraken's Tentacle Mass. The shoes he wore allowed him to walk freely on any surface. Running across the ceiling at high speed, Jun-hyeok dropped down directly above the golem’s head.
Whoosh!
The golem swung its arm violently, trying to swat him out of the air like a fly. Jun-hyeok kicked off the empty air.
[Air Jump.]
[Stealth.]
He leaped out of the attack's range and vanished. Having momentarily lost sight of its target, the golem hesitated. Taking advantage of that split-second opening, Jun-hyeok closed the distance until he was right in front of its face.
Whoosh!
Belatedly realizing Jun-hyeok’s position, the golem threw a punch. Jun-hyeok pulled his body back, the fist missing by a hair, though the sheer wind pressure buffeted his chest.
Vrrrrm!
The Red Flame Jade in the golem’s fist glowed brilliantly. Flames rose, preparing to engulf him at point-blank range.
That was exactly what Jun-hyeok was waiting for.
With his free hand, he pulled out a fireball staff and pressed it directly against the gem.
[Fireball.]
The skill activated, the spell swallowing the Red Flame Jade just as it was about to erupt. In that instant, a massive explosion rocked the chamber.
K-BOOM!
The cavern shuddered, and the iron ore in the walls trembled. Jun-hyeok, who had been slammed into the wall by the blast, stood up while stowing his shield. He had reacted quickly, but he couldn't negate all the damage; his health had taken a significant hit.
However, the result was worth it. The Red Flame Jade that had been embedded in the golem’s arm was now shattered into useless shards.
“That’s one,” Jun-hyeok muttered as he lunged forward again.
The staggering golem forced itself upright, its massive frame charging to crush him. Jun-hyeok threw himself to the side, but a fist swung out, tracking his movement. He couldn't dodge it in time. Making a split-second decision, he triggered a skill.
[Instant Acceleration.]
For 5 seconds, all speeds were increased by 1.5 times.
His accelerated body narrowly blurred past the golem’s fist. He closed the distance immediately.
Vrrrrm!
The golem raised its other arm roughly, the blue gem pointed straight at Jun-hyeok. The Frost Jade—a gem containing infinite cold.
Cold was not energy like fire. Unlike the Red Flame Jade, it was impossible to shatter it by injecting external power. However, the surface of a Frost Jade was as smooth and brittle as glass. In other words, it was vulnerable to vibration and shock.
Jun-hyeok pulled out a Laser Rifle with his other hand.
[Laser Rifle.]
Zzzzt!
A powerful laser struck the Frost Jade. Simultaneously, Jun-hyeok thrust his greatsword forward.
[Shock.]
Vrrrrm!
The greatsword, pressed against the Frost Jade, vibrated violently, delivering a high-frequency shock. He didn't stop there.
[Sword Ki and Sword Wind.]
Boom!
Sword ki lashed out, striking the gem. He stowed the Laser Rifle, pulled out a hammer, and brought it down in perfect sync with the vibrations.
Crack!
Cracks began to spiderweb across the gem. The golem, unable to activate the Frost Jade in time, swung its other fist to strike. Having focused entirely on the gem, Jun-hyeok couldn't defend and took the hit directly. His body was sent flying through the air.
As he tumbled, a spear appeared in his hand.
[Spear Throw.]
[Spear Throw.]
[Spear Throw.]
In an instant, three spears pierced the Frost Jade with pinpoint accuracy. The cracks spread until the gem could no longer hold, finally shattering into dust.
Crrrash!
The latent frost exploded outward, engulfing the golem in its own element. The massive creature staggered. Jun-hyeok, having slammed into the wall again, stood up and brushed off the dust.
“Done.”
Red Flame Jade and Frost Jade—he had destroyed both.
The Master of All Weapons let out a sound of genuine admiration.
[Perfect.]
The Red Flame Jade was a powerful gem that inherently contained fire. Conversely, that meant the gem was already filled to the brim with energy; if it received a sudden influx of external heat at the moment of discharge, it would overload and shatter. But timing that was nearly impossible.
And the Frost Jade was crafted like glass, making it vulnerable to external shock and vibration. However, that was only relative; it wouldn't normally take a scratch. At Jun-hyeok’s current level, it could only be broken by delivering a sequence of perfectly timed, resonant shocks.
Jun-hyeok had executed both tasks flawlessly.
[Proficiency in Observation has increased significantly.]
“Hmm.”
It wasn't as if Jun-hyeok had come out unscathed. His health had dropped to double digits.
[Grace of Benevolence.]
Thump!
The golem stomped its foot in rage. It swung its fists wildly, but Jun-hyeok lowered his stance and kicked off the ground to evade. He had broken the gems, but the situation was still dangerous. The golem’s body was made of Cold Iron; even with internal energy, it was difficult to wound.
Therefore, he had to target its structural weaknesses.
The opponent was a golem formed by interlocking pieces of Cold Iron. This meant the joints were vulnerable, much like the gaps in a suit of plate armor.
He aimed for those spots.
Blocking and dodging the incoming attacks, he struck at the joints with surgical precision.
[Repulsion.]
He activated the skill against a lunging fist. He couldn't push the massive weight back, but he succeeded in knocking it off course. In that opening, he struck a joint.
It was a near-perfect response—the movement of someone who had perfectly grasped the golem’s patterns, structural mechanics, and algorithms.
After repeating this dozens of times...
Crash!
The golem’s left arm was torn off. Jun-hyeok smirked as he raised his sword.
“Let’s keep going.”
Vrrrrm!
The golem’s body trembled. But if it couldn't handle him when it was whole, it stood no chance now that it was crippled. In short order, both of the golem’s arms and legs were severed. Left with only its torso, the golem desperately shook its head, but it was over.
“Whew.”
Jun-hyeok caught his breath. His stamina was depleted, and his muscles were on the verge of collapse. But it wasn't over yet. He had to pull out the core located near the golem’s heart.
The problem was that it was heavily protected by Cold Iron. The method of targeting joints wouldn't work here; he had to break through with pure force.
For the finale...
[Royal Blood.]
An absolute dominance over blood was established. Using the last threads of his internal energy to reinforce his body, he coated his sword in a crimson aura. He put all his strength into a single thrust at the chest.
Crack!
Cracks spread across the Cold Iron. He applied pressure and struck again. The blood forced its way into the fissures, prying them open like a wedge. He channeled the force generated by Repulsion back into the blade.
Crrrack!
Finally, just before the duration of Royal Blood ended, he saw it: a white, glowing sphere the size of a human fist, embedded in the golem’s chest.
That was the core. Jun-hyeok reached out, grabbed the core, and ripped it out. The light in the golem’s eyes flickered and died.
Thud.
The golem’s body went limp.
[Level Up.]
[Stamina +40]
[Strength +2]
[Speed +1]
[Internal Energy +1]
[Proficiency in Observation has increased from D to C.]
[Proficiency in Shock has increased.]
[Proficiency in Divine Art has...]
“Phew.”
That wasn't easy. He had won because he perfectly understood the mechanics and weaknesses of the gems; otherwise, he likely would have lost. It was a fitting trial for making a legendary blacksmith his vassal.
Not only did he level up, but his proficiency in Observation had also risen by a rank.
* * *
[Passive Skill: Observation]
[Rank: Lowest-Grade]
[Proficiency: C]
[The power to see and observe all things to find answers. Not just the answer, but the reason, the process, and the principles of operation. Everything can be grasped.]
* * *
As Observation reached Rank C, it was no longer limited to objects. He could now find the "answers" to almost anything. Jun-hyeok looked at the golem’s core. He began to understand its structure, the complex mechanisms, and the logic behind its functions.
“I didn't expect it to reach Rank C already.”
The Observation skill had immense versatility, but for that very reason, it was notoriously difficult to level up. In his past life, Jun-hyeok hadn't reached Rank C in Observation until after the 40th floor. He was more than twice as fast now.
‘At this rate, I’ll reach Rank A in no time.’
Once proficiency reached Rank A, a skill evolved. It would no longer be a standard ability but something closer to a transcendent power.
After resting to clear the penalty from Royal Blood, Jun-hyeok climbed back up from the basement and headed to the forge. The blacksmith was sitting on the floor, waiting.
“How did it go?”
Instead of answering, Jun-hyeok tossed him the golem’s core. Catching it, the blacksmith bared his teeth in a wide grin.
[Hidden Quest Cleared.]
[The blacksmith acknowledges you and will now craft equipment for you with all his heart.]