Chapter 142 – Weapon Enhancement

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Translated by Jinmu

Read only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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That night, as I lay in bed, I went over the events of the day.

“…Yu Sein.”

Before leaving, she had left me with a phrase that sounded like a farewell.

— Might the blessing of the gods be with you.

Every time a blessing manifested, the voice of a woman resonated in my mind. That mysterious tone matched Yu Sein’s voice exactly.

But after saying that, Sein had walked away, insisting that she couldn’t tell me anything else. She had mentioned the penalty of ‘divine punishment’ multiple times.

I used the Blessing of the Sword God to sharpen my perception and observe her carefully, but I didn’t detect even the slightest lie in her gaze.

‘She even said that we shouldn’t meet too often.’

Not only was there a limit to what she could tell me, but we also had to restrict our meetings. Why had she decided to transfer to the academy? Since it was our first time seeing each other, there was no way for me to understand her true intentions.

However, analyzing the context of our conversation, I concluded that Sein was trying to present herself as my ally.

‘She said she came to help me level up.’

As I tossed and turned in bed, I sat up and leaned against the wall. The cold surface ran down my back. The brilliant glow of the full moon shone through the window at an angle.

As I stared at the moon, I pulled a stone out of my pocket. It was the Stone of Immortality. Absorbing the moonlight, it radiated a seductive glow. I ran my fingers over its surface.

It felt rough and coarse. Did it feel like fish scales before being cut with a knife? It had a completely raw texture. Even though it had been purified, the stone remained a concentrated mass of pure mana. This fragment of rock was more dangerous than most magical beasts.

I stared at the stone for a long time.

‘…But would this be enough to strengthen Permafrost? If, for some reason, Volundr fails…’

All the effort I had put in during the holidays would collapse in an instant. Just imagining it made me tremble. If that happened, I would experience something far beyond simple anger.

Especially since, based on my experience playing Miracle Blessing M, the failure rate wasn’t even that high. Around 7% at most. The problem was that Volundr had already failed before in a refinement process.

“Ah, this was making me anxious.”

But even if I didn’t trust it, I had no alternative plan. I had no choice but to believe in Volundr tomorrow.

“Well… but thanks to that chance of failure, when the enhancement succeeds, the satisfaction multiplies.”

My heart pounded with excitement. The pulse in my fingers transferred to the stone, making the cold fragment vibrate as if it had a life of its own. I put the stone back in my pocket.

Maybe it was because, deep down, I was still Korean, but the thrill of enhancing an item was inevitable. The risk of gambling was terrifying.

***

The next day, during lunchtime, I went straight to find Volundr. As soon as I opened the door, a blast of hot air and the strong smell of sweat hit me in the face.

By the forge, where embers were spitting sparks, a burly figure was greasing a massive hammer.

“Sir, I’ve arrived.”

“…What? You again?”

Volundr turned his head slightly and sighed. Even so, he set aside what he was doing and pulled out a chair, motioning for me to sit. I wasn’t sure if it was his craftsmanship etiquette or his fear of my persistence, but despite his lackluster attitude, he at least maintained courtesy.

“It’s been a while.”

“I wish it had been longer. A month was shorter than I expected. Anyway, sit.”

Volundr cleared the clutter off the table. There were weapon blueprints, order forms, measuring tools, pencils—just a pile of things. After organizing what was necessary, he brought over a teapot and some battered rice liquor cups. Without saying much, he filled one of the cups.

‘Seriously? Drinking alcohol in front of a customer, and a student at that?’

This guy never changed.

“I’ll tell you now—I’ve got a mountain of backlogged orders since the semester started. Even if I accept yours now, it’ll take at least a month, maybe more.”

Volundr took a long sip. Then, wiping his lips with his forearm, he asked, “So, what did you bring this time? Knowing how impatient you were, I doubt you spent the holidays doing nothing. Did you come back with A-rank magical beast materials again?”

“I brought something that makes A-rank materials look insignificant.”

“…What?”

The liquor cup stopped just before reaching his lips. I pulled out the stone and placed it on the table. Volundr’s eyes followed the stone as it rolled across the surface.

“W-Wait…! Don’t tell me…?”

His voice trembled uncontrollably. Holding his breath, he carefully picked up the stone with both hands.

“Wait, wait, wait! Isn’t this a mana stone?!”

His dilated pupils scanned the crimson stone meticulously. I nodded.

“Yes. Its official name was the ‘Stone of Immortality.’ What did you think? Isn’t it a material that completely outclasses A-rank ones?”

“…Hah. Damn, this was…”

Volundr let out a breathless chuckle. He looked like a child who had just received a new toy. He couldn’t take his eyes off the stone.

“Was it possible to enhance a weapon with this?”

“Ah… well.”

Volundr hesitated at my question and scratched his eyebrow awkwardly.

“I’ll be honest with you. I’ve been doing this for decades, so I won’t lie. Could you enhance a weapon with a mana stone? Sure. Even though it’s an extremely rare mineral and I’ve never worked with one, there were records of it being done before.”

His tone grew more serious as he continued explaining.

“…But the problem was the refining process. I don’t know if you’re aware, but if you make even the slightest mistake while handling it, the energy inside could go out of control. Right now, it looked like just a simple rock, but the malice trapped within was immense. No less than an A+ rank magical beast, maybe even higher.”

With just one touch, he had already determined its nature. It was impressive. I had almost forgotten, but in Miracle Blessing M, Volundr was recognized as the best blacksmith in the game.

“I’m not going to ask where you got this… I doubt you’d tell me anyway. After all, you’re Kang Geom-ma. If it’s your doing, nothing surprises me anymore. Nothing less from the ‘Saint of Sashimi.’”

A vein throbbed on my temple. Volundr quickly tried to backtrack.

“Tch—it’s a compliment, a compliment! Anyway, back to the point. Could this be used to upgrade a weapon? Yes. But before that, the malignant energy inside the stone had to be purified.”

“So, could it be refined? Or should I entrust it to someone else?”

“There’s no one to entrust it to—I don’t even know anyone capable of doing it.”

Volundr shook his head.

“Even if there were, it would be impossible. If a human tried to refine it by artificial means—cutting, polishing—the magical energy would dissipate. There’s only one way to do it. You had to suppress the malice within the stone with human willpower.”

“…?”

“In simple terms, you had to tame it with sheer would. To put it in a way you’d understand, it’s like domesticating a wild beast and turning it into a pet.”

I fell into thought. The concept itself made sense. Although some of the malice had already dissipated, the stone remained what it was. Purifying it before smelting was a necessary process. I asked him directly how it was done.

“This whole ‘suppress it with would’ thing… how exactly did I do that?”

“It’s not complicated. When I activate my blessing and strike the stone with my hammer, its magical energy would erupt all at once. At that moment, you’ll had to place your hands on it and suppress it. That should do the trick.”

“…Since when did you have a blessing, Ahjussi?”

“Hey! Did you think I ended up at Hoakin Academy by pure luck? Of course I had one! …Though my blessing was completely useless in combat, so I was never a hero…”

For a moment, sadness crossed his face. He shook his head to chase away the thoughts and added, “Anyway, here’s the summary. Yes, the weapon could be enhanced. But I could’t did it alone. If the energy inside this stone was truly at an A+ or S-rank magical beast level, then my willpower alone isn’t enough to suppress it. Unless it’s someone on the level of the Seven Heroes, I doubt anyone could handle it.”

“……”

He handed the stone back to me with a look of frustration. He bit his lip, powerless. His pride as a blacksmith had taken a hit.

‘…Hmm.’

I glanced back and forth between Volundr and the stone. I couldn’t let Volundr give up so easily. If we could overcome this first hurdle, the two future enhancements would be much easier. If I wanted to strengthen other stones in the future, I needed him to gain experience now.

I looked up. Volundr was drinking his liquor with a bitter expression. His pride was bruised.

“Ahjussi!”

I grabbed him immediately. If I left him like this, he’d get drunk and become completely useless.

“I’ll be the one to suppress the stone’s energy.”

“Cough! W-What did you just say?”

Volundr choked. He first looked at me like I was insane, then furrowed his brows tightly.

“Hey! Did you even know what you’re saying?! If something went wrong, you could lose your sanity forever!”

“I’ll handle it.”

Suddenly, Volundr shouted at me. Despite his harsh tone, his voice was full of concern. I was grateful in my heart. But for Volundr, defending his personal feelings was more important.

‘Originally, I hadn’t planned to say anything.’

I looked him straight in the eyes. He flinched and set his glass down. A cold air lingered in the hot space.

“I defeated the demon that spat out this mana stone.”

“…I see.”

Volundr’s voice was steady, though he stammered slightly. It was as if he had expected it.

“I saw how eager you were to enhance the mana stone earlier. Wouldn’t it be a shame to give up?”

“……”

“And I won’t go crazy or anything. Even though I’m like this, I trust my mental fortitude.”

In my past life, I had been rolling in the dirt since I was seventeen. Besides, during my three years in the military, I had also trained my mental resilience. How could I succumb to something so trivial?

Volundr’s expression hardened for a moment, deep in thought. Then, he closed his eyes tightly and took another drink.

He let out a sharp breath as he downed his liquor. His already flushed face turned bright red. Volundr looked at me with wide eyes.

“…Alright, let’s did it. I’ll try to control the amount of magic power that leaks out as much as possible.”

“Let’s light up the forge.”

Volundr smirked. “First, let’s lower the blinds.”

***

Volundr quickly completed the preparations for the enhancement. Would he ever get another opportunity like this in his lifetime? Enhancing a weapon using a mana stone. He postponed all the accumulated orders and lowered the shop’s shutter. He had closed the business for the rest of the day.

But his heart was pounding. He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the warm air of the forge. The searing heat coursed through his veins like liquid fire.

He swallowed hard. As he pressed the bellows with his foot, a shower of sparks scattered across the smithy. A heat intense enough to melt liquid metal enveloped his body.

But Volundr didn’t lose focus and fanned the flames even more.

‘This temperature should be enough.’

He raised the hammer above his head. Before striking the stone, he glanced toward Kang Geom-ma.

“Let’s begin.”

Kang Geom-ma nodded silently. At that moment, Volundr activated his blessing and poured all his power into the Stone of Immortality.

Clang!

Upon impact, a sharp cracking sound echoed throughout the workshop. A crack immediately formed in the stone, and from the opening, a black smoke began to seep out.

A chill ran down Volundr’s spine. A dark mist, denser than the very shadows, suppressed the heat of the forge. A sinister energy invaded his mind, gnawing at the edges of his vision.

“…Ughh.”

It was a power beyond comprehension. His fingers began to lose strength around the hammer.

Kang Geom-ma had drawn Permafrost. Unfazed by the overwhelming energy around him, he extended his lone hand.

[Unauthorized external intrusion detected.]

[However, the opponent’s level is insufficient to trigger the program.]

[‘Mind’s Rank’ will be activated to suppress ‘Energy of Immortality.’]

The moment his hand touched the source of the devouring magic, Kang Geom-ma spoke with absolute composure.

“Was this all you’ve got?”

Fwoosh!

[The Blessing of the Sword God: ‘Annihilation’ has been activated.]