Genius Blacksmith's Game

Press conference waiting room.

At the remark that an invasive species was headed for the Hunting Training Yard, the head of the development team asked,

“How should we handle this? He’s an extremely illogical user.”

No one understood the point of the question better than CEO Lee Sejin.

“How else? Leave him be. It’s his own skill.”

Lee Sejin of Pureum Co., Ltd. was a man of firm conviction.

In the waiting room, he listened to Special User Management Team Leader Kim Taeseok recount what had happened so far.

Rewards for illogical actions.

The first**-ever** Rare artifact craft.

Ore creation.

And finally, crafting an Epic artifact.

Then breaking the Wooden Dummy—something 2.5 billion people had failed to do.

But those were all things that user had achieved.

If there was only one concern—

“...Was one of the conditions to attain the Legendary class Blacksmith to refuse an Epic or higher class once?”

Legendary class—a privilege reserved only for the chosen.

User classes exist in the order of Common, Hidden, Epic, and Legendary.

Among 2.5 billion players, not many had obtained that class, and all who did became name-brand rankers.

To obtain a Legendary class, several conditions must be met.

For a blacksmith, one was “Refuse an Epic class offer.”

Pureum wanted to confirm it.

How desperate was he for blacksmithing.

Could he remain unmoved by temptation.

Did he deserve to become a legend.

“An Epic class offer, huh...”

Special User Management Team’s Kim Taeseok smiled wryly.

“Ah—come to think of it, there is somewhere in the Hunting Training Yard he’s headed where such an offer could be made. Judging by Hyunsoo’s current Status Window and weapon, it might be possible.”

“You mean the Epic class Radiant Knight?”

“Correct.”

Radiant Knight.

A very strong Epic class—but nothing compared to a Legendary class.

“Even this Radiant Knight class requires an absurd achievement to obtain...”

That’s how it was for the conditions to get Hidden, Epic, and Legendary classes.

But Lee Sejin looked unconcerned.

Truthfully, from what he had seen, even if Hyunsoo became a Legendary class, he couldn’t deny it.

He was a user who had more than enough qualifications.

There was only one worry he couldn’t voice to Team Lead Kim or the dev team.

Surely he won’t climb all the way to a Divine class...?

A realm not one person had reached yet.

Divine class.

But soon Lee shook his head.

The conditions to attain a Divine class are far too hard and exacting.

He felt it wasn’t time to worry that far yet.

****

Leaving the Wooden Dummy training yard, Hyunsoo logged out at once.

Jihoon, waiting in front of the capsule, looked at Hyunsoo with eyes full of envy.

“Soon you’ll be playing at home in a VVIP capsule, huh? You’ll let me try it too, right?”

“Depends on how you behave.”

“Man, I’m so touched I could cry.”

As they walked, Jihoon said,

“By the way, didn’t you say the Beginner Zone where you started was the Vardin Territory?”

“Yeah, why?”

“tsk, tsk—poor guy. Do you even know what the Vardin Beginner Zone is like?”

“?”

Hyunsoo looked puzzled. He hadn’t researched the hunting area yet.

Breaking the Wooden Dummy had been the top priority.

After saying so, Jihoon’s face hardened.

Or... maybe that’s child’s play to him now?

Suddenly, the Epic sword and stats the guy had came to mind.

“What’s it like?”

He was just about to answer when they reached a fork.

“Go home and look it up yourself. See you.”

Parting from Jihoon, Hyunsoo soon entered his place.

Back home, he logged into the Ares community.

Then he searched for the Vardin Beginner Zone.

[Guys, I started in the Vardin Beginner Zone. Am I screwed?]

[Yeah. Super screwed lol.]

[For real. Anyone starting in Vardin, enjoy the suffering lol.]

[You started in the Vardin Beginner Zone? Close your eyes. What do you see?]

[Nothing...?]

[That’s your future, gg.]

[lololololololololololololol.]

[Wow, the Vardin hunting yard difficulty is hell. Of all the hundreds of Beginner Zones, starting there means your luck’s in the gutter.]

[How hard can a Beginner Zone be?]

[Vardin’s different... In Vardin’s newbie hunting yard, instructors give you 1:1 lessons...]

[One-on-one?]

[Because it’s hard as hell lol.]

[Why so hard?]

[By setting, once you leave the Vardin Territory you start in the Prime Kingdom, and the Prime Kingdom is surrounded on three sides by monsters. So they train you like crazy. Other Beginner Zones make you hunt roe deer, right?]

[Yeah, roe deer. They don’t even attack you, super easy.]

[Vardin starts you with goblins, kekeke. Ah, why am I tearing up. T_T]

[lol so you were a Vardin user lololol.]

[Hey, write a review.]

[Goblins are too strong. I died three times and barely got out. They don’t let you leave until you successfully hunt a goblin...]

[lololol.]

[For real. Human weapon training. And you’re Level 1 lol.]

Hyunsoo nodded. He could see why the Vardin Beginner Zone was considered brutal.

But for some reason, he felt a twinge of regret.

Crafting is way more fun than hunting... Isn’t there anything I can make?

Still, it was a process he had to go through to leave the Beginner Zone.

Setting aside the regret, Hyunsoo lay on his bed and tried to sleep.

****

The next day.

Hyunsoo logged into Ares.

After walking a bit further, a blue, semi-transparent barrier came into view.

He knew that crossing this barrier would start the Hunting Training Yard tutorial.

He stepped through the blue barrier without hesitation.

[You have entered the Hunting Training Yard.]

Just like the Ares community users had said yesterday.

Upon entering, he saw countless users receiving 1:1 lessons.

Soon, an instructor approached Hyunsoo.

“Hey, rookie. Take this sword.”

It was an instructor named Relson.

Hyunsoo had sharpened blades for countless instructors.

But this was his first time seeing one named Relson.

[You have obtained a Rusty Iron Sword.]

Hyunsoo looked over the iron sword, rusty in places.

Attack 17, huh...

Radiance currently had 143 Attack. Hyunsoo slid the spare sword into his inventory.

“I’ll be using my own sword.”

“...A blacksmith, are you?”

The instructor’s words as he glanced at the sword at Hyunsoo’s hip.

When Hyunsoo slowly nodded, Relson let out a hollow laugh.

“To take on such a paltry profession—how pitiful.”

“...?”

Hyunsoo’s face twisted.

NPC personalities were truly varied.

There were those with good personalities.

Those with bad ones.

And those who believed whatever they did was the best, unconditionally.

But Hyunsoo had no need to understand him.

As a kid—

Hyunsoo had been teased a lot at school because his father was a blacksmith.

Hey, think your dad could make me some gear?

Hyunsoo, can you craft gear too?

Of course, they got a harsh lesson from him.

People who came to buy things at his father’s forge would also say this when they wanted the price knocked down:

Tsk, tsk. That’s why you’re still running a forge in 2040.

His father was an elite.

He had once worked for a major corporation, and the reason he first became a blacksmith was incredible.

I heard every blacksmith in our country had vanished. Since I’d admired blacksmiths from childhood, I quit—to become the last blacksmith.

We blacksmiths are not people to be looked down on.

We are people of value.

But there had been no way to prove it right away.

Here, it was different.

Here, he could prove what this sword was.

He could show how much they had labored.

He could show what their value was.

“Instructor.”

Hyunsoo’s voice turned hard.

His father had said,

Don’t endure it. Why should we be the ones to endure?

We are blacksmiths—the only ones who have inherited Joseon’s spirit.

Does this look paltry to you?

At Hyunsoo’s chilled voice and gaze, Instructor Relson flinched.

What is this look...?

Not the look he saw from mere outsiders.

Instructor Relson knew people who had eyes like these.

At the very least, those who had reached the top in their field.

Is it because they had reached the top that they could wear such eyes?

No. They were the die-hards who nursed ruthless resolve to reach that height.

“You must have seen many geniuses, Instructor.”

“I have. Many have passed through me—wasn’t there an outsider named Hanul?”

“...?”

As it happened, the recent kendo gold medalist, Hanul, seemed to have completed the Hunting Training Yard under this instructor.

“He was extraordinary. So strong that blacksmiths like you couldn’t even dream of it. You should have taken up the sword like that fellow. You might have made a fine swordsman.”

Hyunsoo was coming to understand the Ares game bit by bit.

He ventured a guess.

What would have happened for a user of Hanul’s caliber.

“He hunted goblins magnificently, I assume?”

“Correct. And that all? I put additional monsters in front of him and he hunted many of them on the spot. Know this? At the same level as you, he almost hunted a Level 15 Mad Goblin.”

That morning, before logging in, Hyunsoo had learned more about the village of Vardin.

Sometimes, instructors recommended hunting stronger monsters to truly outstanding users.

This was common to all Beginner Zones.

If you hunted magnificently—roe deer elsewhere, goblins here—they’d do so.

Watching the instructor rave about Hanul, Hyunsoo grinned.

“Then right here, I’ll hunt more monsters than Hanul did.” 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

At that, Instructor Relson wore an incredulous look.

****

Instructor Relson wondered if he’d misheard.

Hanul? He’d hunt more monsters than that swordsmanship prodigy?

In his life, he’d never seen a genius like Hanul.

He was the one who killed a goblin with just two strikes when ordinary users needed five.

And that possessed movement and superb swordsmanship?

Moreover, instructors could present additional trials to outstanding users.

Those additional trials ran up to four stages, and killing this weakened goblin belonged to Stage 1.

Amazingly, Hanul was a user who had nearly succeeded up to Stage 4.

Being an instructor, Relson knew that no one in the world had cleared Stage 4.

And now what was this load of nonsense?

“Are you angry? Hahahaha. But face reality!”

There was a limit to youthful bravado.

“A mere blacksmith claims he’ll hunt more than Hanul? Ridiculous.”

Relson clutched his belly.

“Ahaha—my apologies then. Don’t be mad. Well, I’ll summon one for you for now.”

Snap—

When Instructor Relson flicked his fingers, a goblin appeared ahead.

[Weakened Goblin Lv.3]

“You’ll attack and kill this thing. Note that ordinary outsiders need five hits to kill it. Also, watch out for daggers and needles.”

The goblin was small, about 120 cm tall, with green skin.

“Well, if you’re in danger, I’ll help. What, have you even swung a sword besides making them?”

Relson was delighted.

Teasing this user was a good bit of fun.

Moreover, he was someone who strongly pushed the line that the sword is supreme!

“First, learn how to make it your opener.”

Hyunsoo drew his blade.

Srrrng—

The sword Radiance came free with a clear, bell-like tone.

“Now, give it a light tap.”

Hyunsoo did exactly that—a light, downward cut from above.

Thunk—

“Kiiieeeeek!”

He had only swung lightly, yet the goblin’s body split to both sides as green blood geysered up.

The goblin wore a face like it didn’t even know what had just happened to it.

Then, cleanly severed, it divided in two and oxidized to ash.

[You have hunted a Weakened Goblin.]

“...!?”

Instructor Relson’s eyes went round.

Even Hanul had taken two strikes to hunt a Weakened Goblin.

Flicking off the green blood with a shhhk, Hyunsoo smiled in satisfaction.

Welcome—first time meeting a blacksmith prodigy, isn’t it?