Chapter 245: Chapter 245

Su-ho immediately activated his newly upgraded S-grade Blessing.

[ Blessing has been activated. ]

As the Blessing took hold, a radiant light enveloped Su-ho, far brighter and more overwhelming than before.

“It’s definitely different at S-grade.”

The brilliance wasn’t just a matter of intensity — it felt almost divine.

At that moment, the hammer came crashing down toward Su-ho once more.

The impact seemed stronger than before.

It wasn’t just his imagination.

Su-ho knew that as time passed, both the speed and power of the hammer strikes would steadily increase.

“But the hardness itself won’t change.”

Su-ho swung his sword toward the hammer’s handle without hesitation.

[ Steel Sever has been activated. ]

Pouring all his strength into the swing, he struck true.

A heavy, satisfying feedback traveled up through his hands.

Su-ho couldn’t help but smirk.

It had connected properly.

It wasn’t a hallucination.

The blade, wrapped in radiant light, had traced a perfect straight line, cutting through the hammer’s handle and even striking the ground beneath.

And then, as the hammer tried to lift again—

Only the severed handle shot upward, while the hammerhead itself collapsed limply to the side.

Su-ho approached the fallen hammerhead.

He tried pushing it, but it didn’t budge.

Even striking it with his blade only produced a resonant clang!

“It doesn’t disappear right away.”

After confirming this, Su-ho lifted his gaze to the Dwarf.

The Dwarf, now without its hammerhead, remained motionless.

It didn’t change expression, didn’t react, didn’t attempt to swing the broken handle.

It just stood there like a broken machine.

Su-ho narrowed his eyes as he stared.

“Now, what will you do?”

He didn’t expect the gate to clear just because the hammer was broken.

He had no such hopes.

After all, the system's purpose was to ensure players’ growth — and in its eyes, growth came through hardship and trials.

“And the hardships the system designs are always right on the edge of death.”

Moreover, the system hated giving anything away for free.

Su-ho was certain they wouldn’t allow a gate to be cleared this easily.

And just as he thought that—

A short system message appeared.

At the same time, flames erupted from the Dwarf’s entire body.

The statue, which had been motionless just moments ago, now blazed like a hellish demon, fire roaring around it.

The severed hammerhead near Su-ho also caught fire.

The burning Dwarf moved.

It lifted its unused hand, grabbed the flaming hammerhead, and slammed it onto the broken handle.

Miraculously, the hammerhead reattached.

“You’re fixing it like that?!”

Was that even a Dwarf?

Su-ho, who had seen real Dwarves, found the crude repair method absurd.

But in this situation, such details didn’t matter.

The enraged Fire Dwarf, having reclaimed its hammer, immediately resumed hammering.

The flaming hammer crashed down onto the ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) anvil.

Su-ho dodged nimbly once again.

Another hammer strike.

Su-ho’s frown deepened.

The hammer strikes had clearly become faster after the flames ignited.

“Is this the second phase?”

The speed wasn’t just faster — it was ferocious.

It wasn’t impossible to dodge yet, but it was definitely harder.

Still, it wasn’t a critical problem.

Thus, Su-ho bided his time.

Waiting for a chance to once again sever the hammerhead.

Finally, the opening appeared.

[ Steel Sever has been activated. ]

The radiant red blade swung fiercely, slicing through the blazing air.

A numbing sensation traveled through his fingers.

Su-ho’s eyes widened.

A metallic crash rang out, sparks flying.

Thinking it might be a mistake, he swung again.

The result was the same.

Only a faint blue spark scattered as the Blood Sword clashed with the handle.

Meanwhile, the hammer was raised again.

Flames roared around Su-ho, forcing him to retreat.

Su-ho bit his lip in frustration.

Only flames had ignited, yet suddenly he couldn’t cut the handle?

Had its hardness increased?

With no better options—

Another flaming hammer strike fell.

As he did, he frantically searched his surroundings, rolling his eyes and brainstorming solutions.

The flaming Fire Dwarf still wore a furious expression.

Yet strangely, it also seemed... pleased?

The tempo remained blindingly fast.

And because of that, the anvil’s descent was also accelerating.

After dodging another hammer blow—

A sound like something burning.

Where is that coming from?

Looking around, Su-ho realized — smoke was rising from his own feet.

His soles were melting.

Su-ho immediately retreated.

And then he understood.

The floor beneath the anvil had turned a reddish hue — not just from color, but because it was superheated.

Moments later, another hammer strike descended.

But he noticed: wherever the hammer struck, the floor glowed red.

“It’s friction heat.”

When metal is hammered violently and continuously, it generates frictional heat — enough to ignite if severe.

Su-ho had never heard of a gate where the terrain itself changed .

This was a phenomenon specific to the second phase.

Su-ho laughed bitterly, glaring at the Fire Dwarf.

Still the same furious expression — but now it almost seemed like it was mocking him.

“Fine. If you changed tactics, I’ll just change mine.”

The ground beneath the anvil was finally starting to show through.

Another hammer strike.

Then, spinning sharply, he stretched out his hand.

Guiyeong Spear erupted from the floor into his grasp.

Su-ho hurled it with all his strength toward the Fire Dwarf.

[ Spear Throw has been activated. ]

Thanks to the skill effect, the spear surged forward at high speed.

The Fire Dwarf didn’t flinch or move to dodge.

Thus, the spear struck true.

Though it hit, it didn’t pierce.

Had the Dwarf still been shrouded in darkness, the spear’s penetration effect might have applied.

But now, cloaked in flames, it wasn’t.

Penetration wasn’t his goal anyway.

Immediately after the Guiyeong Spear bounced off—

[ Shadow Movement has been activated. ]

Just before the spear fell, Su-ho appeared at its location.

This had been his plan all along.

Stretching his Blood Sword long, he spun and slashed at the Dwarf’s neck.

“If I can’t cut the handle, I’ll cut you!”

That was Su-ho’s new strategy.

[ Steel Sever has been activated. ]

The glowing Blood Sword slashed downward.

This was Su-ho’s maximum output.

The moment his sword struck—

A shattering metallic sound.

The strongest he'd heard yet.

But with it, Su-ho’s hand trembled violently.

The recoil traveled straight into his wrist — a sign the Dwarf’s neck was harder than his full-powered strike.

Meaning: he failed to cut it.

Still, Su-ho didn’t give up.

He summoned Guiyeong Spear again and threw it upward.

Teleporting again, he rose even higher than the Fire Dwarf and swung down anew.

Blue flames burst out.

And again, fire engulfed Su-ho.

But he gritted his teeth, endured the searing heat, and swung again.

Yet the Fire Dwarf ignored Su-ho entirely.

It simply continued hammering the anvil relentlessly.

Perhaps enraged by Su-ho’s interference, its hammering grew even faster.

But Su-ho didn’t care.

Using Guiyeong Spear and acrobatics, he continued raining attacks on the Fire Dwarf.

The Fire Dwarf hammered the anvil.

Su-ho hammered the Fire Dwarf.

Each hammering the target before them.

By now, the anvil glowed red-hot, almost white from the heat.

“If I step on that, even with S-grade Blessing, I’ll suffer serious damage.”

Even with the Flame Avatar he obtained from the Martial Tome, it only offered 10% fire resistance at B-grade.

Thus, Su-ho continued attacking without touching the anvil.

Tiny cuts started appearing across the Fire Dwarf’s body.

A different kind of crash echoed out.

It wasn’t the usual Kaaang! but a heavy Boom!

At the same time, the Fire Dwarf’s hammering stopped.

[ The gate has been cleared. ]

[ The MVP of the gate clearance is ‘An Su-ho’. ]

[ Additional experience is awarded for MVP selection. ]

[ 1 bonus stat is awarded for MVP selection. ]

[ Your level has increased. ]

[ All stats have increased by 1. ]

[ You have gained 1 bonus stat. ]

The gate had been cleared.

Su-ho furrowed his brows.

“Did I fail to find it after all?”

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

[ You have fulfilled the conditions. ]

A new system notification appeared before Su-ho’s eyes.