NOVEL WEB Chapter 51
Chapter 51: Blacksmith Elgeni (2)
It wasn’t too difficult for four Spectrals to subdue a single Dark Elf Ranger.
Although Eltis had roughed him up excessively, causing some trouble with the cleanup, there were no major issues in completing [Spectral Transmutation].
[Transmutation Great Success!]
[With 95% completion, the original body has been restored to transmute the Spectral.]
[Spirit 3, Wisdom 3, Dexterity 3 increased!]
[The world will remember your magnificent life transmutation.]
Bronze skin, golden eyes, pointed ears, and an unnecessarily handsome face akin to a gigolo.
He wasn’t Yeonwol’s favorite type, but his abilities were undeniable.
‘A half-Dark Elf, huh. That’s not just rare, it might be one of a kind.’
Elves held purist ideologies, considering any mixing of blood with other races a grave sin.
Dark Elves were even more rigid in this belief, making the mere existence of the living, breathing Aldein before me astonishing.
“Your name is Aldein.”
[You have assigned the name ‘Aldein’ to the Spectral, but subjugation has failed.]
[Based on Spectral Aldein’s stats, he has been designated as ‘Elite Soldier.’]
[Aldein Lv. 171]
Though subjugation failed, it didn’t matter. Yeonwol, without resorting to any tricks, cleanly subdued Aldein in a one-on-one duel.
-… I will pledge my allegiance.
[Spectral ‘Aldein’ swears loyalty.]
Once subdued, there was no further need to exert violence.
Having fully earned Aldein’s loyalty, Yeonwol checked his skills.
[Intermediate Bow Mastery]
[Intermediate Dagger Mastery]
[Sudden Strike] [Rapid Fire]
[Sniping] [Shadow Step]
[Intermediate Stealth] [Assassin’s Brand]
[…▼]
There were quite a few useful skills.
Ideally, he would have been fully specialized in archery, but he turned out to be a prodigy equally adept with daggers.
“You’ve trained your skills evenly.”
To become the ‘Agent of Darkwood,’ it was necessary to excel as a ranger.
[Memories of Spectral Aldein’s past life flow into you.]
Yeonwol closed his eyes and received Aldein’s memories.
The Agent of Darkwood.
A title referring to the most exceptional Dark Elf who protected their clan and a dream revered by all Dark Elves.
Aldein, too, aspired to become the Agent of Darkwood.
But he was a half-breed.
A half-Dark Elf who didn’t even know his father. His mother had already been executed for the crime of birthing a half-breed.
Aldein was left in the village because, unlike other Dark Elves, he wasn’t cursed, granting him the advantage of traveling beyond the village.
In other words, he was kept alive to be used as an errand boy.
However, Aldein had no intention of living a dutiful life as an errand boy.
…Did Aldein live for revenge for his mother?
Did Aldein desire a life that was common, cliché, and predictably vengeful?
No.
While he sought to become a complete Dark Elf, he ironically strove not to be consumed by revenge.
‘I want to see the Darkwood bloom at your fingertips…’
His mother’s last words.
Dark Elves, notorious for their vengeful nature, were even nicknamed “Avatars of Vengeance.” Aldein, however, did not want to become a Dark Elf consumed by vengeance. To live for his mother’s revenge would make him no different from the Dark Elves who had killed her.
Yet, just before her death, his mother expressed her wish to see the Darkwood bloom at Aldein’s fingertips.
And so, Aldein dreamed of becoming a Dark Elf.
Because only a true Dark Elf could make the Darkwood bloom…
‘He’s lived a life full of irony.’
A man who hated Dark Elves yet, driven by his mother’s dream, aspired to become one.
Yeonwol spoke to Aldein.
“Whatever goals you had in life no longer matter. Your sole purpose now is to serve me.”
-Becoming the Agent of Darkwood pales in comparison to serving you, Master. My past life was merely preparation to become a more useful existence for you…
“Uh, I didn’t plan to brainwash you to this extent.”
Slightly taken aback, but perhaps it wasn’t a problem.
Now, you’re the youngest!
-… I am a higher level, though.
While the Spectrals chatted among themselves, Yeonwol stretched his neck and shoulders.
Transmuting two Spectrals in a short time had been mentally taxing.
Even if told to do it only once a month, it would still feel like grueling labor.
‘With this, I’ve gathered five Spectrals. Their combination is excellent. Plus…’
[Skill
Perhaps because of the immense proficiency gained while transmuting Velinessa and Aldein, I had quickly achieved 20% proficiency.
[Spectral Resurrection]
*Description: Embeds a Force Vessel directly into the Spectral’s body. If injured, the Spectral consumes the Vessel’s MP to automatically initiate a healing transmutation.
*Force Vessel MP: 1,000
※ However, recovery speed is significantly slower than ‘Spectral Transmutation,’ and recovery efficiency decreases by more than half during combat. If the Vessel’s MP is depleted, the Necromaster must manually recharge it.
“…An incredible skill.”
A self-healing ability that didn’t require Yeonwol’s intervention.
This was a hallmark ability of Necromancers.
The infinite cycle of death and rebirth of the
Skeleton Army!
It’s the invincible undead legion’s ability to endlessly rise again that incites fear.
Although the recovery speed and mana capacity were still limited, they would improve as the skill proficiency increased.
Right then and there, Yeonwol procured materials to immediately transmute five ‘Force Vessels’ and embedded them into the chests of the Spectrals.
“Now, with these, you can heal yourselves.”
-Infinite gratitude for the Master’s boundless grace…
Then, a sudden thought crossed his mind.
‘Can a priest be made into a Spectral?’
If it were possible to create a Spectral capable of wielding divine power, the synergy could be overwhelming.
‘Hmm, no. These guys can now self-heal and won’t die even if injured. Using one of my five summons for a priest would be a waste.’
However, priests not only offered healing but also buffs that enhanced the entire party’s combat power, making it worth considering.
“Well, there’s no guarantee I can turn a priest into a Spectral. I’ll think about it later. For now, you’re all dismissed.”
Yeonwol gestured to unsummon the Spectrals, but Velinessa raised her hand.
-Master! May I take this hand mirror with me?
“…Huh?”
At Velinessa’s sudden request, Yeonwol tilted his head in confusion, and Eltis and Aldein interjected.
-How dare you be rude to the Master.
– A thoughtless woman.
“Hey, never mind that. Why?”
-Look at me!
“…?”
-I’m beautiful, right? Gorgeous, right? Makes you want to dive into my ruby-like eyes and swim forever, doesn’t it?! I feel the same way! I live to admire myself in mirrors, but there are no mirrors in that world. It’s so boring!
-Foolish woman. Use that time to practice magic.
-I’m already practicing plenty!
-Wall!
Yeonwol suddenly realized he had been missing something during the Spectrals’ trivial conversation.
“Come to think of it… all of you stay in that life-and-death boundary place, don’t you?”
-Yes, Master.
-It’s completely empty!
Since there was no reason to return there, he hadn’t thought about it.
That hollow, dark, empty space where they simply waited for Yeonwol to summon them again.
Velinessa’s simple request to take a hand mirror back seemed incredibly modest.
“Sigh, understood. From now on, if you need anything, just let me know without hesitation. You need to relieve stress and live comfortably to maintain your combat effectiveness. Your well-being is all for my sake.”
The Spectrals fell silent for a moment before speaking one by one.
-I’ve been thinking it’d be nice to have a place to train my muscles.
-An archery range with targets…
-Wall!
-Mad says as long as there’s space to run around, it’s fine, Master!
-Kulk…
-Our Cooling says a warm bath would be wonderful.
He’d only asked about items, but suddenly they were talking about gyms and archery ranges.
The scale had unnecessarily grown.
Still, having promised, he couldn’t retract it, so Yeonwol nodded for now.
[Yeonwol: Rapion, are you available? I’d like to purchase supplies for gym and archery range facilities. Also, I’m interested in buying a large number of books from the magic library…]
-Oh, and I want to do makeup! I’m tired of wearing the same clothes all the time.
[Yeonwol: …Is it possible to purchase wardrobes and vanities like those celebrities use?]
After a brief wait, a positive reply came back.
[Rapion: You’re ordering some interesting things. Haha, it’s all doable. Shall I connect you right away?]
[Yeonwol: Please do.]
[Rapion: Not a problem. Oh, by the way, I shared the ‘Injection Potion’ idea you mentioned earlier with some reliable alchemists. They were amazed and said it has significant market potential.]
Of course.
Injection Potions were a must-have item in the distant future, especially after the “Synchronization Crisis.”
Thus, Yeonwol used the [Mirror of Spectrals] to fill the boundary between life and death with various facilities.
Gyms, cooking areas, bathrooms, archery ranges, flower gardens, libraries, fashion rooms, bedrooms, and more.
As he added them one by one, it truly became a diverse space.
‘It must look quite glamorous over there now.’
The most satisfied Spectral was Velinessa.
She had requested the cooking area, fashion room, library, and bedroom.
Cooling seemed disappointed that a hot bath wasn’t feasible due to technical limitations.
Feeling sorry for his dejected demeanor, Yeonwol thought there was no helping it since electricity didn’t work there.
-Kyaah~! I’m so happy!
Watching the delighted Spectrals made Yeonwol feel inexplicably good.
“Stay peaceful now.”
-Yes!
As the Spectrals returned in high spirits, Yeonwol immediately left the building.
He had many tasks to attend to, but first, there was something weighing on his mind.
‘I need to contact Elgeni.’
The Famous Blacksmith Guild, Malphi’s Hammer.
A year ago, they weren’t particularly well-known.
They didn’t have blacksmiths with unique hidden classes or exceptionally high skill proficiencies.
The guild master, a high-level blacksmith, was their only notable feature. At the time, he fit the trend of being a “combat-capable craftsman.”
Even before Yeonwol began combining alchemy with combat, it wasn’t uncommon for craftsmen to take on combat roles.
Most ended up as jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none characters, ridiculed by others.
Malphi’s Hammer master, Lamalphio, was exactly one of those cases.
Despite equipping expensive gear and personally entering battlefields, he struggled against monsters significantly below his level.
His current level was 250.
With equipment bonuses, his combat power barely reached 170. While impressive for a craftsman, it wasn’t enough to justify the “combat-capable craftsman” label.
Public opinion still valued level over combat power, so Lamalphio used his level and expensive gear to market himself as a “fighting craftsman,” but with minimal success.
However, his unique sword, “Ancient Will of the Overlord,” was quite famous.
Though its stats were undisclosed, level 200-restricted unique swords were rare.
Considering the abundance of melee classes, especially swordsmen, interest in unique swords was natural.
Lamalphio was also infamous for never using his unique sword in combat.
For some reason, he always hunted with an epic sword instead of showcasing the power of his unique one.
Many who came to see the unique sword’s prowess left disappointed.
‘A unique sword is just a stepping stone for my business.’
It was then that Lamalphio noticed Elgeni.
Though Yeonwol hadn’t used it, Elgeni had a special skill.
[Enhancement of Blessing.]
A skill that dramatically increased enhancement success rates to 99% at the cost of significantly reduced enhancement effects.
Yeonwol had undervalued Enhancement of Blessing and refrained from using it.
Until Elgeni’s skill advanced in the future, probabilistic enhancement far outperformed guaranteed enhancement.
However, from a layman’s perspective, the ability to guarantee weapon enhancement was an extremely appealing craft.
Naturally, Elgeni began receiving offers.
At the time, Elgeni was overjoyed.
‘I’m so glad I started this game!’
She saw an opportunity to make a fortune doing what she loved—blacksmithing.
Players from various backgrounds and levels spread the word, flooding her with DMs.
One particular DM caught her eye: Lamalphio’s “Unique Sword Enhancement Request.”
[Skill ‘Enhancement of Blessing’ increases base enhancement success rates to 99%. However, failure and destruction rates may increase depending on the item’s condition.]
Back then, Elgeni was young, a newbie, and inexperienced in the world.
Perhaps something had gone wrong the moment a teenage girl jumped into a game to make money.
Unique swords were rare, with few blacksmiths having handled them and even fewer successfully enhancing them.
‘Elgeni, your skill guarantees a 99% enhancement success rate. But your fame doesn’t match it. How about this? Enhance my unique weapon and make your name known to the world!’
Elgeni was swayed by his words.
If she succeeded in enhancing a unique sword, it would catapult her reputation.
And most importantly…
‘Handling a unique item would be so thrilling!’
The allure of reforging a unique weapon led Elgeni to meet Lamalphio as her first official client as a blacksmith.
[Unique Equipment ‘Ancient Will of the Overlord’ enhancement failed and was destroyed!]
And so, the incident occurred.