Genius Blacksmith's Game

On the day Hyunsoo finally became able to pay off every hospital bill that had reached into the tens of billions, he cried so much at the bank.

That day, Hyunsoo set one new goal.

Hyun’s Forge, small and shabby.

The people who had believed in him and followed him.

For them—and for himself—he dreamed of making Radiance the best guild in the country.

Of course, he knew it wouldn’t be easy.

Guild ranking #1.

The guild master there was someone who held a Count title—one of only two people in the country with that rank.

And now, Hyunsoo, who had triggered a special story that maximized rewards—the story called “a story for you”—thought he might be able to close that distance.

[Your story is more beautiful than anyone else’s.]

Hyunsoo thought.

He didn’t know the conditions for triggering “a story for you.”

But wasn’t this notification the supercomputer Ares acknowledging him?

Soon, reward notifications slammed down.

[You have eaten the Small World Tree’s Grapes.]

[Experience points and artifact drop rate +50% is applied.]

[You have killed Red Dragon Brigade Leader Kuhn.]

Recently, Hyunsoo had defeated Frak, Heir of the Sky King, and gained an enormous amount of experience.

But Frak was someone still in the middle of rapid growth, while Kuhn was, in truth, someone whose growth had practically ended.

And yet Kuhn had been overwhelmingly stronger than Frak.

The experience Frak had given was about 290,000.

[You gain 403,311 experience points.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up......]

[You have acquired Assassin’s Token.]

[You have acquired a treasure map of unknown identity.]

Hyunsoo was shocked when he saw he had instantly leveled up fourteen times.

To gain fourteen levels at once in the 270s was something astonishing.

With that, Hyunsoo rose to level 290 in a single leap.

‘Level 300 isn’t far.......’

High level began at level 300.

But Hyunsoo was expecting something else even more.

[Kingdom Quest: Prisoner Rescue completed]

The quest he had received while coming to the prisoner camp.

It was a quest with a reward that gave double Negotiation Progress.

And the factors that determined the Negotiation Progress of this quest were many.

Out of the thousand prisoners, how many had been saved.

And how many Red Dragon Brigade members had been defeated.

In addition, the Negotiation Progress increase notifications that had kept ringing out steadily while fighting the Red Dragon Brigade had said they would be aggregated and announced later.

[Negotiation Progress will be aggregated.]

[Out of 1,000 prisoners, 918 have survived.]

[The Red Dragon Brigade has been annihilated.]

[An astonishing achievement.]

[Negotiation Progress will be aggregated.]

Right now, Hyunsoo’s Negotiation Progress had reached 102%.

When Hyunsoo returned to the Kingdom of Goyard, this Negotiation Progress would decide whether or not he would receive a noble title.

At that moment—

‘Ah, again......!?’

Hyunsoo suddenly felt his vision spin.

He knew what this sign meant.

It was the sign of Fainting.

For Hyunsoo, who still hadn’t even heard how much Negotiation Progress he would gain, it was absurd.

But today wasn’t that kind of day.

Ding!

[You have frequently reached the extreme limit of physical fatigue and mental fatigue by surpassing your limits.]

[You acquire the title To the Extreme Limit.]

“???”

In other words, it was a title you got for fainting a lot.

(To the Extreme Limit)

Unique Title

Grade: A

Special Ability:

· Applies when you are about to faint by surpassing your physical and mental limits.

· 25% chance to resist fainting.

· You are a holder of the Legend Stat Will. When you fall into a fainting state, or resist it, it is acknowledged that you have driven yourself to the extreme limit, and you obtain the stat Will.

The title To the Extreme Limit had clearly been born from a ridiculous situation, but its effect was outstanding.

[To the Extreme Limit]

[You have resisted fainting.]

[You gain 6 Will.]

Legend Stat Will.

It meant he had found a way to acquire more of this precious stat.

Today, because Hyunsoo didn’t faint, he could hear the notifications.

[You gain 48% Negotiation Progress.]

Hyunsoo’s existing Negotiation Progress had already exceeded 100%—102%—thanks to the Storm Brigade.

With this, it became 150%.

But it still wasn’t over.

[Your own quest: Defeat Red Dragon Brigade Leader Kuhn completed]

A story for you, triggered for the first time this time.

Its reward description had said: “astonishing Negotiation Progress increase.”

[You gain 34% Negotiation Progress.]

Hyunsoo’s chest tingled.

‘Total Negotiation Progress 184%.......’

At this level of Negotiation Progress, he could rise to the next rank of title.

But at this moment, Hyunsoo didn’t know.

That he would gain even more Negotiation Progress.

Anyway, thinking he had received all the Negotiation Progress, Hyunsoo suddenly remembered something.

He squeezed out the last of his strength and forced his body up.

Then he looked at a group.

*****

A thousand prisoners from the prisoner camp.

The one leading them was Eden, the militia captain.

When Eden had been attacked by an unknown assassin group called the Red Dragon Brigade, he had thought everyone would be slaughtered.

The Storm Brigade.

Even after they swept away some seventy assassins, when they were no longer in any condition to fight, it was the same.

The thread of hope kept slipping, again and again.

And it wasn’t just him.

A thousand prisoners.

All of them were the same.

Even when over a hundred arrows rained down, even when Red Dragon Brigade Leader Kuhn toyed with and violated Junior Baron Hyunsoo—there was no hope.

But he was different.

CRACK—

SPLAT

THUD THUD

SPURT!

THUNK

CRAAAACK—

THUD—!

KABOOM—!

With a body that wouldn’t be strange if it died on the spot, he moved like a ghost for a split second of time.

Unlike them, who had already abandoned hope, he didn’t let go of the will to fight until the very end.

“W-why.......”

Kan, standing at his side.

His whole body was covered in wounds, and he spoke with a faint smile.

“That’s just who he is. He doesn’t give up, and he doesn’t retreat.”

Eden had heard the conversation the Storm Brigade and Hyunsoo exchanged.

The Storm Brigade were monsters beyond common sense.

Yet they had loyalty to the point of insanity toward the noble named Hyunsoo.

“The brightest-shining sun—that is my liege.”

Eden’s lips fell open.

CRASH-CRASH-CRASH—

In the end, he won.

After a while, he fell to the ground.

And then he got up and looked at them.

The brown coat that had seemed only noble and old-fashioned at first was now soaked in sweat, blood, and dust.

The blood that had drenched his hair was drying, and his appearance was filthy.

But when he forced himself up, the first thing he did was put them in his eyes.

One by one, moving his gaze as he took them in, he spoke.

“Thank god.”

“...!”

Then, at last, he dropped to one knee and collapsed.

“Thank god I didn’t faint today. Help me out, Kan.”

[The respect of 918 prisoners of the Kingdom of Goyard for you is soaring to the heavens.]

And ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) one fact Hyunsoo hadn’t known.

[Negotiation Progress increases are applied until you fully return to your homeland.]

In other words, it could be applied to this situation itself.

[The prisoners of the Kingdom of Goyard will not forget today, and they will endlessly talk about the Negotiator.]

[Negotiation Progress increases.]

[Negotiation Progress increases.]

And more.

“Come to think of it, where did those archers from earlier go?”

“D-don’t tell me... they’re all dead?”

The prisoners looked around.

The forty or so archers had vanished without a trace.

And a notification came to Hyunsoo.

[Your guild member Ian has annihilated the Red Hood Guild members.]

[Negotiation Progress increases.]

Even if it wasn’t something Hyunsoo did himself, just as Negotiation Progress had risen because of what the Storm Brigade did in the Cradle of Hell—

It was being applied to Hyunsoo and rising. And then an old man arrived quickly.

The reason the old man came alone was because coming alone was faster than bringing attendants.

That old man, Sky King Ben, had practically believed all the prisoners would be dead.

But when Ben found Hyunsoo, who was on the verge of dying, he gave a small smile.

“Ugh, Your Majesty.......”

In truth, Hyunsoo looked a hair’s breadth from death—he just hadn’t fainted.

Ben knew why Hyunsoo had become like this.

It was because Hyunsoo had fought without retreating, as always.

“...Thank you. It’s all thanks to you.”

Because of this incident, the Prahum Kingdom and the Kingdom of Goyard had nearly had their peace treaty shattered forever.

Yet a single blacksmith and five soldiers pulled it off.

And Ben was the central figure who stood at the heart of the Negotiation Progress.

Ben knew well how he should repay him.

[Negotiation Progress greatly increases.]

Using his authority, he granted him a reward.

At last, the Storm Brigade and the prisoners began their return to their homeland.

‘Man, I’m exhausted.’

Riding in the carriage, finally returning to his homeland, Hyunsoo gave a bitter smile.

‘This Negotiation Progress is insane.......’

Including the Negotiation Progress he received as a reward for killing Red Dragon Brigade Leader Kuhn, it had been a total of 184%.

But based on many other things, Hyunsoo had gained Negotiation Progress that far surpassed even that.

Suddenly, Hyunsoo remembered what Ben had said to him before they parted.

‘I’m curious. When you return home, how far will you rise?’

Even for Hyunsoo, it was something he was looking forward to.

‘With this absurd Negotiation Progress... what do I get?’

Meanwhile.

[You have annihilated the Red Hood Guild.]

Ding!

[Hidden Piece. The true owner of the Divine Archer.]

[Legend Class. You have changed jobs to Divine Archer.]

[All stats are rearranged, and 300 bonus points are evenly applied.]

[Skills change, and you will possess power greater than before.]

[Divine Archer is a class that handles a bow better than any archer.]

Ian, who had barely survived, leaned against a hill and watched the departing group.

He wasn’t the type to step in front of people in the first place, so being here was comfortable for him.

In this moment, Ian was overwhelmingly happy.

‘Now, just like Hyunsoo wanted, I can protect Radiance better.’

It was thanks to the bow Hyunsoo had put in his hands.

A few days later.

Hyunsoo and Ian met.

In that short time, Ian heard many stories from Hyunsoo.

Ian, a former editor, promised him.

That he would produce exactly one video.

Even though he had already become a member of Radiance, he decided to make only one because he had his own unspoken circumstances.

The people of Radiance didn’t pry.

Ian simply thought that this one video would be a huge help to Hyun’s Forge.

“This video will cause an enormous shockwave later.”

After hearing so many of Hyunsoo’s stories, Ian could already tell something huge was about to happen.

People would start talking about Hyunsoo as “balance-breaking.”

And people still held doubts about how he created those legends.

At that time, this video would resolve all those questions—and beyond that, raise him even higher.

And as an editor, Ian saw possibility.

The potential of the person being filmed, as a star.

‘Of course, Hyunsoo has more than enough star quality.’

But having aptitude and truly becoming a star were completely different matters.

Ian said he would make only one video for Radiance and Hyunsoo.

But that thought could change at any time.

‘If I develop the desire to raise Hyunsoo higher.......’

If it didn’t go that far, Ian didn’t want to return to the life of an editor.

Yeah. This was a small test.

A test of whether Ian would remain in Radiance as only an archer, or stay here as an archer and an editor.

But Ian didn’t expect much.

Expecting that from an ordinary person was unreasonable in the first place.

“Just one sentence. Please express your life in one sentence, Hyunsoo. This will be Hyun’s Forge’s first greeting to the viewers.”

Hyunsoo looked extremely embarrassed.

Since even in Ares you could use the camera function, he sat on a chair, fidgeting.

“Rolling.”

At Ian’s words, he wore an expression like he’d sunk into thought for a moment.

Hyunsoo lowered his head, lost in thought.

Then he spoke.

When Ian heard those words, his heart pounded.

Hyunsoo had gifted him a Masterpiece.

And just like that, he became certain that this one video would become Ian’s Masterpiece.

It shook the heart.

His chest trembled.

And it made him vow again, right in this moment.

‘...I should keep making videos for Radiance.’

Hyunsoo slowly lifted his head and said—

“I wanted to live.”