Chapter 337
Chapter 337
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 337
Chapter Title: Demir's Masterpiece (6)
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Thud!
“Whew.”
What the hell is this?
This hammer.
Why is it heavier than Kaden’s shield?
“Master! Hand it over already. No one knows my weapons better than I do—no need for explanations. Kahahaha!”
Grab!
Demir snatched the hammer with a shameless grin.
“The thought of wielding this bad boy has my heart pounding like it’s about to stop! Kahahahaha!”
....
You’re a skeleton.
Where’s your heart, skeleton?
As I let out a sigh,
The hammer’s info soon popped up in my view.
[Item: Destruction Dragon’s Hammer]
[Grade: SSS]
[Type: Hammer]
[Description: A hammer crafted by ‘Demir’ and ‘Joo Dong-hoon’ with ‘Vinasa’ as the theme. It contains tremendous destructive power within. The fang density is twice that of the other sets.]
[Effect 1: Stamina +1,500.]
[Effect 2: Strength +150.]
[Effect 3: ‘Production-related skills’ can be used without surrounding tools.]
[Effect 4: Imbues the hammer with nature’s ‘Qi,’ granting items an Enchant effect.]
[Effect 5: Imbues the hammer with nature’s ‘Qi,’ granting buildings an Enchant effect.]
[Effect 6: Production speed +500%.]
Keh.
This bastard Demir?
I stared at him in disbelief.
What?
Fang density twice as high as the others?
“Kahahaha! Well, that’s just how it is! When I make something, I can’t help but put extra care into mine!”
Demir’s laugh seemed utterly shameless, but I had to admit it anyway.
Look at those effects.
As a blacksmith’s trait,
It wasn’t for his own strength—it was for our collective benefit!
The item enchant was an expected effect, sure.
But ‘enchanting buildings?’
Just like Eldrin casting spells on structures with rituals,
Demir could now imbue buildings with special effects too.
“Fine, you put in the most work... You get the best one.”
“It’s not just about it being the best—there were unavoidable circumstances.”
Demir, hefting the massive hammer effortlessly, spoke gravely.
“Circumstances?”
“In your world, they say excess is as bad as deficiency, right?”
“...?”
“If you add too many materials during forging, efficiency drops, and failure rates skyrocket.”
“...So why didn’t that apply to yours?”
“Kahahaha! Hammers are meant to be like that! Behold!”
Whoosh! Whoooosh!
Demir swung the hammer with gusto.
“It’s crude and brutish compared to other weapons! I sacrificed beauty to cram in the leftovers!”
That was true.
Demir’s piece lacked the beautiful decorations representing Vinasa.
It was just a design highlighting the enormous dark hammerhead.
‘But.’
I’m a blacksmith too.
I could instinctively sense how precisely and stably the handle, body, and head were engineered together.
Fwoosh!
I copied that design exactly for my Godslayer weapon.
I’ll use that shape from now on.
“Next.”
“It’s me, Master.”
Step.
A woman with a reverent voice stepped forward.
My healer, my exclusive apostle.
The devotee who worships me as her object of faith, her one true god.
Great Saintess Dana.
“You get a holy relic.”
“...A holy relic?”
A holy relic is a religious symbol.
Like the cross in Christianity or the Kaaba in Islam.
She who worships me needs something sacred too.
“Here...”
Dana carefully accepted the ‘bone’ I offered.
“...What is it?”
Ah.
Her trembling voice—she must be moved?
“What else? It’s a bone.”
“Kahahaha, I pondered it a bit. What best symbolizes the Master? You excel in many ways, but at your core, you’re a Necromancer, aren’t you? Lord of the dead... our lord...”
Thud!
Demir slammed the hammerhead into the ground and leaned on the handle.
“A bone to symbolize that Necromancer. How about it? Does it suit you perfectly?”
“...”
Dana clamped her mouth shut.
Huh?
It wasn’t clamped—it looked slightly pursed forward?
What, no way.
Is she sulking because hers isn’t flashy like the others?
“What, you don’t like it?”
“N-No! Not at all, Master...!”
When I asked, the flustered Dana waved her hands frantically.
...Is she really?
Maybe I should’ve picked something else?
But look closely between the bones—it’s carved with Vinasa’s body.
Plus, check the effects.
[Item: Destruction Dragon’s Holy Relic]
[Grade: SSS]
[Type: Holy Relic]
[Description: A holy relic crafted by ‘Demir’ and ‘Joo Dong-hoon’ with ‘Vinasa’ as the theme. It contains tremendous destructive power within.]
[Effect 1: Stamina +1,000.]
[Effect 2: Mana +100.]
[Effect 3: Cooldown -50%.]
[Effect 4: Skill power +500%.]
[Effect 5: Skills can be used on the ‘holy relic’s target’ without distance restrictions.]
‘Huh?’
Of course, this is the first time I’m seeing the effects too.
‘Without distance restrictions?’
How far does that mean?
Does it even work between planets?
“Ah, aah...”
Only after seeing the performance did Dana kneel in genuine awe.
“Yes. During this journey when Master went alone, I regretted not being able to support you by your side... Demir, you’ve granted my wish.”
“Kahahaha! That’s a piece of cake for me.”
“Thanks to you, Demir, I can now protect Master anytime, anywhere... I am Master’s devotee. No matter where Master is, I feel his pain.”
All traces of reluctance vanished from Dana’s face.
She clutched the bone to her chest preciously.
A beautiful woman hugging a bone looked a bit odd, sure.
‘But.’
That’s the image for a Necromancer’s subordinate.
Exactly.
“Next!”
“Me, Master?”
Whoosh, whooosh!
Mugak stepped forward lightly shaking his fists and feet.
Yeah, you.
Bone Arms, Mugak.
You get two.
Split half-and-half into gauntlets and boots.
They should fit your size perfectly.
“Hoo.”
Mugak slipped on the gauntlets with interest.
They fit his grip perfectly, softly wrapping his knuckles and wrists.
The boots slid on just as snugly.
“Nice.”
Mugak grinned and nodded.
Boots are usually not made of metal.
They get uncomfortable when running or walking, hindering combat despite protection.
So Demir used a special technique.
Hard exterior, cushioned interior.
“Kahaha! The pressure disperses evenly, so you can move freer than before. Go wild with those kicks.”
“...Thanks, Senior Demir.”
“Senior, my ass.”
Alright, comfort confirmed.
Now for the performance?
[Item: Destruction Dragon’s Gauntlets and Boots]
[Grade: SSS]
[Type: Martial Artist Set]
[Description: A set crafted by ‘Demir’ and ‘Joo Dong-hoon’ with ‘Vinasa’ as the theme. It contains tremendous destructive power within.]
[Effect 1: Stamina +1,000.]
[Effect 2: Technique +100.]
[Effect 3: Cooldown -50%.]
[Effect 4: Skill power +500%.]
[Effect 5: Basic attacks convert to ranged.]
“Hm?”
“Eh?”
Mugak and I both tilted our heads.
A martial artist using ranged?
I glanced at Mugak.
Pointed at a distant target.
“Okay.”
Thwump!
Understanding my signal, Mugak kicked off the ground and leaped into the sky.
Then,
He lightly shook his hand and arm toward a simple target hovering about 300 meters up.
The result?
Kwaaang, kwang! Kwagagagang!
The target shredded like it was hammered from the heavens.
“...Whoa.”
“Wow...!”
The onlookers gasped in awe.
“What was that?”
“Ranged attack?”
“Yeah? He hit the target from the sky! It definitely connected!”
My existing subordinates had shown such cheat-level skills that guessing Mugak’s power was easy for them.
“Insane.”
“Isn’t this straight-up broken?”
“Whoa.”
Soon,
The crowd gaped.
Mugak’s flashy performance was secondary.
They were rapidly calculating in their heads just how broken it was.
“What? If that’s a martial artist... Fuck. How are archers or mages supposed to compete?”
“Just beat them from afar, done?”
“No way that exists...”
Why are heart swords or qi-controlled swords considered cheats in wuxia?
Some say it’s mindset and enlightenment, but fundamentally, it’s ‘range.’
Range is one of combat’s key elements.
Whoever controls range seizes initiative; those who use it well hit more while getting hit less.
In other words, ultimate advantage in range battles.
“This’ll be great against dragons.”
Mugak muttered in satisfaction.
Exactly.
Dragons are so huge that even knowing weak spots like eyes or anus makes hitting them hard.
Mugak would strike those spots with precision and finesse.
From very far away.
“Next!”
“Yes, Master. It’s Yui-sa.”
“Got it.”
Yui-sa’s was a necklace.
Since her true power comes from spirits, I chose a buff accessory.
Step, step.
Yui-sa approached me cautiously.
“Here.”
Necklaces are usually jeweled, but this was Demir’s fang-crafted artwork.
Fire, water, wind, earth.
Sophisticated beauty engraved with the four elements!
“...Wow.”
To the purely admiring Yui-sa,
I personally fastened the necklace.
Demir’s artwork adorned her already cosmic beauty’s neckline even more stunningly.
“Ooooh!”
“Wow! Who’s that? Never seen her...?”
“She a skeleton too?”
“What skeleton’s that gorgeous?”
“So pretty, sis!”
Oh, right.
First time meeting Yui-sa?
The public only knows up to Bone Arms from the Earth Dragon fight footage.
Now learn.
Among my subordinates, she’s the most broken.
I smirked and read the item info.
[Item: Destruction Dragon’s Necklace]
[Grade: SSS]
[Type: Necklace]
[Description: A necklace crafted by ‘Demir’ and ‘Joo Dong-hoon’ with ‘Vinasa’ as the theme. It contains tremendous destructive power within.]
[Effect 1: Stamina +1,000.]
[Effect 2: Mana +100.]
[Effect 3: Spirit summon speed +200%.]
[Effect 4: Spirit power +200%.]
“Hoo.”
As a buff type, the necklace’s setup differed from the others.
Only four effects, but luckily tailored for Yui-sa with spirit-related boosts.
Spirit power, huh?
“Wow, Master!”
Before I could wonder, Yui-sa explained.
“The Spirit Kings love it! They say I can draw out twice their original power!”
“Twice...?”
“Yes, exactly. If it was 10% before, now it’s 20%.”
Ah.
That’s what it meant.
Still a jackpot?
Not 100% is a shame, but that’d be too broken.
Equivalent to turning four Spirit Kings into eight.
Basically another Yui-sa added.
A real game-changer.
“Whew.”
I exhaled shortly.
All the hard-crafted items distributed.
Only one left.
“Bone Twelve.”
Creak!
Bone Twelve hasn’t even unlocked his abilities yet.
No dedicated weapon, no class.
Just a plain basic skeleton.
So he was the trickiest.
For tricky cases?
Standard buff, obviously.
“Wear this.”
I slipped the ring onto his index finger.
Designed and made for him, it fit snugly.
[Item: Destruction Dragon’s Ring]
[Grade: SSS]
[Type: Ring]
[Description: A ring crafted by ‘Demir’ and ‘Joo Dong-hoon’ with ‘Vinasa’ as the theme. It contains tremendous destructive power within.]
[Effect 1: Stamina +3,000.]
[Effect 2: All stats +100.]
Made without a specific class in mind,
The ring was pure stat inflation.
But that alone made it an insane item.
Stamina +3,000, all stats +100.
SSS-grade value right there.
“Phew!”
After handing out everything, I deeply exhaled and sat down.
Finally.
At last.
The ‘Destruction Dragon Set’ production complete.
“Demir.”
“Kehhehe, Master. You worked hard.”
“I declare here.”
“Hm?”
“No more Destruction Dragon Sets. Ever again.”
“...Right.”
Demir nodded, understanding my feelings.
He knows.
How many thoughts I had swinging that hammer.
How desperately I racked my brain.
That emotion couldn’t come without care for others.
- Care for my subordinates.
- Gratitude toward them.
Without that, I couldn’t have made it.
That’s why it was a masterpiece, why Demir ascended to constellation.
I lacked confidence.
Confidence to work this hard for anyone but my subordinates.
Rip!
Hearing me, Demir tore the ‘Destruction Dragon Set’ blueprint cleanly.
That one-in-a-million rare blueprint.
“I understand, Master.”
Demir spoke with a relieved expression.
“In this universe, there will only be these ten Destruction Dragon Sets.”
Us.
A promise between blacksmiths.