TRGBM 50

Episode 50

050. The Answer Is Set

Calis the Collector, who recognized that look, also felt a deep interest in Gold Hands.

“Hahaha, you are truly… amusing. Very amusing!”

It seemed Calis the Collector had genuinely taken a liking to Gold Hands.
He wasn’t too disappointed about not obtaining the Phantasmal Elementia Egg.
Rather, he was more intrigued by the existence of this fascinating person named “Gold Hands”—enough to want to add him to his collection.

Yeom Tae-hoon.
The future Spear Ghost, Yeom Tae-hoon, returned immediately after receiving the spear from Geumson—back to the training grounds in Neman Village, where Spear Instructor Bark was.

Bark snorted upon seeing Yeom Tae-hoon reappear after just a few days.

“Hmph, back again. Persistent bastard. Still insisting on filling all 1,000 tries… Can’t you let it go?”

Bark’s taunting words and demeanor.
But Yeom Tae-hoon was not cowed as before.
In his hand, he firmly held the Spear of Azure Flash crafted by Gold Hands.

“I’ve come to challenge it again.”

At Yeom Tae-hoon’s unwavering gaze, Bark’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
He glanced briefly at the new spear in Yeom Tae-hoon’s hand.

“Oho, seems you’ve gotten yourself a decent spear somewhere. But what matters isn’t the weapon—it’s the will of the one who wields it. With that half-baked determination of yours, even a hundred attempts will yield the same result.”
“We’ll see.”

Without another word, Yeom Tae-hoon walked toward the training dummy.
A few players training nearby began to whisper.

“Huh? That guy’s back. Isn’t he the tenacity guy who failed after over 800 tries last time?”
“Wow, he’s really relentless. Couldn’t he just complete the quest normally? It only requires 100 hits.”
“But his spear changed! Oh! Is that the one? The one Gold Hands made….”

Their whispers didn’t reach Yeom Tae-hoon’s ears.
His eyes saw only the red dot painted on the dummy’s solar plexus.
He took a deep breath in, then exhaled.

Thud—!

The first thrust.
The spear tip pierced precisely through the center of the red dot.
It was a movement incomparably more stable and sharp than before.
A glint of interest finally flashed in Bark’s watching eyes.

Thwump—!

The second thrust.
A faint blue light trailed its trajectory.

Thud—!

The third.

A trajectory similar to Gold Hands’s, yet distinctly his own, cut through the air.
He no longer forced his thrusts with brute strength alone.

Time began to flow.
The surrounding noise faded, and the players’ whispers died down.
Everyone held their breath, entranced as they watched Yeom Tae-hoon move as if dancing.

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.
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Thud—!

998th.

Thud—!

999th.

Sweat poured like rain from Yeom Tae-hoon’s forehead, and the muscles in his arms swelled as if about to burst.
But his gaze never wavered.
He focused all his spirit onto the spear tip for the final strike.

Thwump—!

Crack!

1,000th.

The spear tip pierced through the dummy—and didn’t stop there, splitting it cleanly in half.
Silence fell.
Every eye in the training ground was fixed on Yeom Tae-hoon.

“He… he did it….”

Yeom Tae-hoon slumped down, breathing heavily.
It felt as if all strength had drained from his body, but a bright smile spread across his face.

“Insane… He really did it. That guy’s not normal either.”
“Where did that spear even come from? Was it because of the spear that he succeeded?”
“Is it the spear’s effect…? From what I saw, it just looked like his own effort.”

Players analyzed Yeom Tae-hoon in their own ways.
Ignoring them, Bark stepped before Yeom Tae-hoon and spoke.

“This year… is very interesting indeed. So, what’s your name?”
“Yeom Tae-hoon.”
“Yeom Tae-hoon… A good name. It suits that indomitable will of yours.”

At that moment, a cascade of system messages flooded before Yeom Tae-hoon’s eyes.
As he read them, his fist clenched tightly.
Bark smiled with satisfaction and extended a hand to Yeom Tae-hoon.

“Stand up, Yeom Tae-hoon. Would you consider becoming my disciple?”
“You’d… accept me as your disciple?”
“For someone like you? Of course. But a talent like yours is too precious to rot in a rural village like this. Why not come to the Royal Capital with me? I’ll teach you everything I know and introduce you to my old comrades there. Someone like you could undoubtedly become the continent’s greatest spearman.”

Without hesitation, Yeom Tae-hoon grasped Bark’s hand.

“I’ll go, Master.”

At his reply, Bark laughed heartily.
As Yeom Tae-hoon prepared to depart for the Royal Capital, he looked down at the Spear of Azure Flash in his hand.
And Gold Hands’s words came to mind.

‘Someday, when I need help, you can fulfill my request.’

Recalling those words again, Yeom Tae-hoon vowed to himself:
Someday, without fail, he would keep that promise.

Around the time Yeom Tae-hoon passed Bark’s test, Geumson was…

“I suppose I should do this first.”

…spreading out materials in Dusar’s empty private forge.

[Phantasmal Elementia Egg (Damaged)]
[Ancient Void Iron Ore]

Two main items.
Among them, he picked up the Ancient Void Iron Ore.

Gold Hands let out a short exhale.
In his past life, as humanity hurtled toward destruction—
The greatest threats weren’t only the monstrous beings with overwhelming physical power.

The interdimensional wizards legions that crossed over, and the spirits and magical beasts they commanded.
Nightmarish memories surfaced: defensive lines evaporating entirely from a single wide-area spell, thousands of soldiers disappearing without a trace.

‘What should I make with this?’

Countless options flashed through Gold Hands’s mind.
Memories from his past life, the countless shortcomings in battles—they all swirled chaotically in his head.

‘Should I make a shield? Or focus on armor and other defensive gear?’

Defensive gear was the first thing that came to mind.
The Void Iron Ore’s magic-absorption ability seemed tailored for defense at a glance.
It could undoubtedly create an absolute shield that nullified any magical attack.

A stable choice.
But Geumson heart wasn’t stirred.

‘Something feels… lacking.’

It wasn’t wrong, but it felt slightly unsatisfactory.
As he hesitated with that lingering regret, the Ancient Void Iron Ore’s properties resurfaced in his mind.

‘Magic Absorption, magic Distortion, Anti-Magic Field….’

Defensive gear was certainly an excellent choice.
But it was merely a defensive option.
What Gold Hands needed wasn’t simply survival.

He needed overwhelming power—power to shatter the approaching calamity head-on, to restore the ashen skies to their original blue.
He needed offensive power.

‘Resolution’s Intuition reveals physical weaknesses, Pulse Insight reveals magical weaknesses. What if the power of magic Distortion is added to that?’

A weapon that simultaneously exploits an opponent’s physical and magical weaknesses, severing the very flow of their magic—
Truly, a calamitous weapon for mages.

‘It’s the same during crafting. The higher the grade of material, the wilder and more unstable the magic imbued within, making it harder to handle. But with this power….’

He could subdue even the wildest magic-infused materials.
Moreover, he could fully draw out a material’s latent potential.

Gold Hands’s eyes shone.
His gaze shifted to the item hanging at his waist—his first masterpiece.

[Forgotten Artisan’s First Hammer]
Grade: Legendary (Lv.50 Required)
Creator: Gold Hands
Status: Bound
.
.
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Passive Skill ‘Companion Growth’: As the wearer’s level increases, the hammer’s latent potential unlocks.

‘Companion Growth….’

Gold Hands’s level was 31.
There was still leeway until the equip requirement of level 50.
But he realized now was the optimal time to upgrade the hammer.

‘I have no intention of hesitating to upgrade the hammer at level 50.’

He needed to reach level 100 as soon as possible—
Only then could he embark on hunting the Serpent.

‘Yes. The answer was already set.’

Gold Hands’s eyes took on a resolute glint.
He picked up the hammer.
Not to create something new, but to break through the limits of what already existed—to rebirth this hammer, which had grown alongside him, by infusing it with ancient power into a tool of unimaginable realms.

That was the one and only choice he had to make now.

‘Shall I prepare a bit first?’

Geumson opened his detailed status to check his attributes.

[Player Detailed Information]
[Base Attributes]
Strength: 47(+20)
Agility: 37
Stamina: 37(+20)
Magic: 37
[Unlocked Attributes]
Luck: 82
Precision: 56
Divinity: 36
Leadership: 40
[Remaining Attribute Points: 88]

‘These stats really accumulate fast.’

Unlike ordinary players who gained 4 attribute points per level-up, Gold Hands gained 8—thanks to his unlocked attributes granting an additional 4 each.
Thus, he already had 88 remaining points.
He distributed them accordingly.

[Strength: 47 → 67]
[Agility: 37 → 57]
[Stamina: 37 → 57]
[Magic: 37 → 57]
[Precision: 56 → 64]
[All remaining attribute points have been allocated.]

An arduous crafting session with an ancient item lay ahead.
He distributed the new power evenly and invested an additional 8 points into Precision.

‘This should be enough.’

After finishing his attribute allocation, he checked his character information.
These were the results achieved alongside the Forgotten Artisan’s First Hammer, crafted by Geumson.

[Player Information]
Name: Gold Hands
Level: 31
Class: Blacksmith
Sub-Classes:
Magic Engineer
Alchemist
Titles:
Narcissist
First Heretic
Sun’s Right Hand
Heir of the Cogwheel