TRGBM 59

Episode 59

059. Why Won’t It Open?

“You handle that headache-inducing stuff yourself! All I want is results! Use whatever means necessary and bring that so-called ‘Golden Hand’ to me immediately!”

It was annoying that the Mirae Group had gotten involved and complicated things, but it didn’t matter.
However, the situation was different now.
After all, that guy ‘Golden Hand’ wouldn’t even be able to lay a finger on the Ancient Void Iron Ore.
So, they just needed to make contact with Golden Hand.
If they offered him a sufficiently tempting bundle of cash, the Ancient Void Iron Ore would easily fall into Panteria’s hands.
At this moment, Cain genuinely believed that.

“Kang Moo-jin is truly Kang Moo-jin, that overwhelming gap…”

Geumson , lying on the worn-out sofa in his one-room apartment, burst out laughing as he watched Kang Moo-jin on the TV screen.
Having finished even the broth of his cup noodles, Golden Hand wore a deeply satisfied expression.

“Yeah, that’s more like it. Only then is it worth me setting the stage for him.”

In his past life, after his main weapon, ‘Storm’s Conductor,’ was destroyed, Kang Moo-jin had fallen into a six-month slump.
Using the need for reorganization as an excuse, he wasted his time appearing on all sorts of variety shows, and during that period, the gap between him and other rankers visibly narrowed.
That six-month void.
How critical a loss that period would later become for humanity, Geumson remembered with bone-chilling clarity.

‘Those six months were such a crucial time…’

He couldn’t let that time be wasted again.
Humanity only had about five years left.
It was the only golden time to prepare for the coming calamity.
For Kang Moo-jin, who was to become the strongest warrior, stopping his growth for even a single day was a loss for all of humanity.

‘Work hard on the raid, Kang Moo-jin. You have to keep running without stopping so the other guys will feel the heat and chase after you.’

This wasn’t just a setup for Kang Moo-jin alone.
The picture Geumson was drawing was far grander.

Kang Moo-jin and Choi Jin-woong from the Korean server.
Cain and the Panteria Guild from the American server.
The absolute ruler ‘Heavenly Demon’ and his blood alliance from the Chinese server.
The mysterious swordsman ‘Yoru’ from the Japanese server.
Even the ‘Maharaja’ Guild from the Indian server.

Geumson, with the memories of his past life, saw through all the top players from each nation’s server.
They were reigning like kings in their respective servers, complacent.
But Golden Hand had no intention of leaving them be.

‘I’ll put you all on the infinite competition train. I’ll make you so conscious of each other, so desperate not to fall behind, that you’ll level up like mad.’

There were only five years left until destruction.
Within that time, the average level of all humanity had to be raised as much as possible.
For that, the growth of the top rankers was essential.
Because following the paths they blazed, the latecomers could grow faster and safer.

Kang Moo-jin’s provocative interview was the first signal flare of that grand plan.
Soon, rankers all over the world would be paying attention to the Korean server’s ‘Moonshadow Venomous Serpent Sword’ and Kang Moo-jin’s movements.

‘Right now, the servers are independent by country… but that will change once the server integration event starts.’

With a satisfied smile, Geumson got up and stretched.
It was time to return to «Lepione» and prepare for the next phase.

Around the time Geumson was preparing to log into «Repion», discussions about him and Kang Moo-jin were trending on Repinet.

[Real-Time Popular Search Terms]

Kang Moo-jin
Moonshadow Venomous Serpent Sword
Nightmare King
Panteria
Golden Hand
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[Title: (Breaking News) Kang Moo-jin Declares ‘Nightmare King’ Raid! Panteria? Cain! Step Aside!]
└ [NationalPrideOverflowing]: Boss! Another bowl of national pride, please! Let’s go! Kang Moo-jin! Hero of Korea! Go for it!
└ [Analyst]: Speaking coldly, it won’t be easy. Panteria is a monster group where all members are armed with Unique or Legendary grade gear. The fact that they failed against a boss of the same grade, the ‘Lich King,’ for over a month means it’s not something that can be cleared by attack power alone.
└ [Yeah]: No serious talk, plz.
└ [KoreanAmerican]: Lol, the Americans are going crazy right now. Cain went live and started cursing up a storm.
└ [Yeah]: But isn’t that sword made by Golden Hand? So ultimately, Golden Hand is carrying him.
└ [KangMoojinFanclubPresident]: Are you disrespecting our Moo-jin’s skills? Golden Hand is just support!

[Title: Guys, Does Golden Hand’s Combat Power Make Any Sense? (Video of PK Godt Getting Wrecked Twice Attached)]
└ [AspiringHammerWarrior]: Godttu got wrecked again recently. Hammer warrior rise! Go for it! Golden Hand is the hope of hammer users!
└ [Yeah]: Golden Hand isn’t a hammer warrior. Is it okay for a blacksmith to be that strong?
└ [Asura13]: But why was Yeokcheon targeting Geumson’s? Wasn’t Yeokcheon after Geumson money?
└ [PKGodttu]: Hey you f***ers, cut it out! That’s a bug!! You still don’t get it even after seeing the evidence?
└ [Yeah]: Godttu bro appeared lol, but why so salty… tsk tsk.
└ [GoldenHandDevotee]: Our guy doesn’t just break people with a hammer, he breaks mines too, just breaks everything. He’s the God of Destruction.

[Title: So When Is Golden Hand’s Next Piece Coming Out? I’m Getting Dizzy Here.]
└ [GoldenHandSubscriber]: If Golden Hand makes gear now, the baseline will probably be Legendary. Agree?
└ [Geumson]: I plan to focus on personal growth for the time being. You’ll have to wait a bit for my next piece. ^^7
└ [Yeah]: Ah, got trolled. Thought it was Golden Hand, but it’s Geumson.
└ [GoldenHandDevotee]: Bro! Growth is good, but make some gear too!
└ [Yeah]: He said he’s Goomson! Not Golden Hand!

[Title: (Pilgrimage) I Knew This Guy Would Hit It Big Someday. Go Golden Hand!]
[Title: [Price Prediction] Ancient Void Iron Ore, If It Goes to Auction, What’s the Starting Price?]
[Title: (Info) Viper’s Dagger, Becomes Legendary Material and ‘Skyrockets’ lol (PK Godttu Needs Urgent Re-evaluation as Supplier!)]
[Title: Is It True That Land Prices in Kratum Are Rising Because of Golden Hand?]
[Title: (Guild Promotion) Our Guild Is Desperately Looking for Golden Hand. Any Conditions…]
[Title: Guys, You Know What? That Bird on Golden Hand’s Shoulder Previously Showed as ‘Unidentifiable.’]
[Fan Art] Tried Drawing Golden Hand with a Hammer. (Note: Muscular Hottie)
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At this very moment, Repinet was a chaotic mess.

But Geumson simply finished his preparations silently and logged into Repinet.
Things were going well.
So, precisely at times like this, he needed to push even harder.

[Logging into «Lepione».]
[TIP. Observing the changes in your body is another pleasure.]

‘Now it’s even telling me to observe other people’s bodies. Are you a pervert?’

Golden Hand grumbled at the nonsensical tip message.
But that grumbling didn’t last long.

A massive cliff appeared before Golden Hand’s eyes.
Right in the middle of the cliff face was a huge cave entrance, as if punched through by a giant.
Moreover, around it, towering stone statues stood densely like tombstones, seemingly reaching for the sky.

‘This is the place… but where’s the entrance?’

He had heard the stories.
But actually trying to find it himself proved to be incredibly difficult.

Golden Hand took out the ‘Forgotten Ancient Ruin’s Iron Rod’ he had won at auction.
He began wandering among the stone statues, searching for a spot where the rod would react.
After wandering for a long time, at the base of the largest giant statue’s foot, the rod began to emit a faint light and vibrate.

“Here it is.”

Golden Hand discovered a moss-covered altar at the statue’s foot.
In the center of the altar was a groove perfectly sized for the iron rod.

‘Do I just insert it?’

Clearly, the old miner Seo Joo-won had said this iron rod was the ‘key’ to finding the ‘Forgotten City of Giants.’
Moreover, he had found a hole that looked like a perfect fit.
So without hesitation, Golden Hand inserted the rod and tried to turn it.

Screeeech—

“Huh? It… won’t turn?”

The rod fits perfectly.
It’s not the wrong rod.
It just won’t turn.

“Walker! Come try turning this.”
“Walker? Walkeer!”

The moment the Iron Walker confidently stepped forward and turned it—

Grinddddd—
Tick—
Tik—

“Whoa! W-wait! Stop, stop!”

Golden Hand quickly stopped the Iron Walker.
If he forced it with brute strength, it seemed like the ‘Forgotten Ancient Ruin’s Iron Rod’ would snap in two.

“What’s going on? It’s definitely the right place… Why won’t it open?”

The location was right. The key was right.
But the dungeon entrance wouldn’t open.
Watching this, Tia—

Tweet! Tap! Tap!

—started flapping her wings urgently on Geumson’s shoulder, pecking at his hand as if she had discovered something.

The place Tia led Golden Hand to was near the giant statue’s toes.

“What are you trying to show me?”

There was nothing resembling an entrance, no particular traces.
But Tia, as if insisting here, flapped her palm-sized wings with great effort from her perch on his shoulder.

Tweat! Tap! Tap!

“Alright, alright. I’ll check it out. Happy now?”

Pestered by Tia, he simultaneously activated ‘Resolute Intuition’ and ‘Insight of the Veins.’
Instantly, Geumson’s vision changed.
The surface of the ordinary-looking cliff was now covered with a spiderweb of countless red dots, blue dots, and endless thread-like lines.

‘Well, look at that.’

Golden Hand took out his hammer and lightly tapped at the red and blue dots.
Perhaps breaking these would reveal the entrance.
But—

Thud—
Thud thud thud—

Rumble—

—each time he tapped with the hammer, an unsettling sound echoed.
If he hit it properly with force, it seemed the giant statue itself might collapse, completely sealing off whatever entrance might exist.
However, there was something curious.