Genius Blacksmith's Game

After becoming the lord, Hyunsoo logged out and fell asleep immediately.

After sleeping soundly for a full day, he walked to the capsule.

‘Me, a lord.’

Watching the people of the territory show him respect yesterday ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) had stirred something new in Hyunsoo.

The Hyunsoo who had started the game just to get the Ares VVIP capsule had, before he knew it, become the master of ten thousand people of the territory.

[Ares connection begins.]

Hyunsoo had also urged the people of the territory to rest, and ordered them to assess the damage situation.

Then he entered the audience chamber and slowly walked toward the throne.

Hyunsoo sat down and curled his lips into a small smile.

‘Let’s see.......’

Yesterday, after receiving a sword from Ger, Hyunsoo had logged out.

The most important time had arrived.

It was time to check what he had gotten yesterday.

Hyunsoo checked the notifications that had chimed yesterday.

[You have hunted Fourth Calamity Ronso.]

[You obtain 356,862 experience.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

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

The required experience for leveling up becomes brutally extreme as the leading digit grows higher.

Users in the 290s sometimes take an average of more than two weeks just to level up.

And yet, Hyunsoo had leveled up nine times in one shot.

‘Kind of a shame.’

Hyunsoo’s current level was 299, so he was short by exactly one level from 300.

[You obtain 121,803 gold.]

[You obtain 9 Blessed Enhancement Stones.]

[You obtain the Necklace of Calamity.]

[You obtain 500 Fame.]

[You obtain 200 Charisma.]

The rewards were excellent, too.

Especially, what he liked most was, of course, the second Calamity artifact.

(Necklace of Calamity)

Grade: Legend

Durability: 3,000/3,000

Defense: 108

Restriction: Level 290 or higher

Special Abilities:

·Attack power against evil increases by 30%.

·Defense against evil increases by 30%.

·Active Skill Calamity Leap.

·Passive Skill Absolute Domination.

·Passive Skill Damage X2.

·When additionally equipping a Calamity artifact, all effects increase by 5%.

Description: An artifact symbolizing Fourth Calamity Ronso.

Unlike the Coat of Calamity, which had been the first Calamity artifact, this was a Legend artifact.

On top of that, the effect that increased all effects by 5% when additionally equipping a Calamity artifact was applied.

Of course, what he liked the most was Calamity Leap.

Because thanks to this skill, Hyunsoo could now fly through the sky fairly freely.

But they weren’t only good notifications.

[You have killed two Calamities.]

[You become hostile with the Cult of Calamity.]

[Danger may come.]

It was a truly unsettling notification. Still, thankfully, thanks to this Necklace of Calamity, his attack power and defense against evil increased by 30%.

And there was also the most important notification Hyunsoo had to check.

Hyunsoo had heard this notification before.

[You are approaching a special name.]

Hyunsoo had been curious what that name was.

This time, he learned what it was.

[You have crafted a total of six Legend artifacts.]

[You can now challenge the new Ten Legends.]

[The legend of the Master Blacksmith is written.]

Hyunsoo was completely stunned.

‘Me becoming one of the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends like Sword King Barad and Sky King Ben......?’

The notification clearly says it.

He can challenge the new Ten Legends.

In other words, the notification saying the legend of the Master Blacksmith was written was nothing more than a one-time notification he heard because he had met the conditions.

Hyunsoo had gained the right to go through the process of becoming one of the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends.

And he could also view those conditions.

But Hyunsoo rests when it’s time to rest and works when it’s time to work.

Even though the conditions to become one of the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends had appeared, he hadn’t checked them yesterday because he wanted to rest with an easy mind.

Hyunsoo checked the quest.

[Legend Quest: Ten Legends Master Blacksmith]

Grade: SSS

Restriction: One who has crafted six legends

Reward: Ten Legends

Penalty on failure: Unable to place your name among the Ten Legends.

Description: By crafting six Legend artifacts, you have gained the qualification to challenge the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends. The method to become one of the Ten Legends is simple. Create an artifact of a new grade.

“What......?”

Hyunsoo put on a shocked expression.

The way he could become one of the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends.

It was none other than crafting an artifact of a grade that had not appeared in Ares.

‘SSS grade, huh.’

Since even Hyunsoo was receiving a quest of this grade for the first time, he thought it wouldn’t be an easy craft by any means.

Still, it was something worth challenging.

Hyunsoo could say it with certainty.

‘If an artifact of a new grade is born.......’

It would be far more valuable than the six Legend artifacts Hyunsoo had made.

Just then, Nell came in.

Nell had been appointed as the chancellor of Vallas Territory.

When Hyunsoo told them this, Nell was surprised.

“To be able to challenge the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends for the first time as a user, that’s amazing. If you become one of the Asgan Continent’s Ten Legends, you’ll probably become much stronger than you are now.”

The result hadn’t been revealed yet, but it was an obvious privilege.

And Hyunsoo asked.

“Tell me honestly. How is Vallas Territory right now?”

Nell had checked the financial statements of Vallas Territory and various other things before coming.

Nell spoke coldly.

“Low scale of people of the territory, low scale of the territory’s area, mid-low troops of the territory, and so on. Only revenue and net profit are high.”

Put simply, Vallas Territory needed far too many things right now.

Troops and more people of the territory, and land that could accommodate them.

“Why are there so many things at the very bottom?”

In an ordinary case, Hyunsoo’s question was reasonable.

There were clearly many customers, and revenue and net profit were high.

“First, the terrain around the territory is extremely rugged, so monsters are swarming. And they’re strong ones. Because of that, expansion itself was impossible, and former Lord Belin protected the territory from monsters by paying a certain cost to nearby lords, including Baron Ronso. Of course, it was semi-coercive. And because of that, a lot of taxes were taken away, too.”

Nell continued the explanation.

“Second, it’s because it hasn’t been long since it became an emerging territory. People of the territory who look for a livable place don’t need to move all the way out to this borderland just because there are many excellent blacksmiths. And they couldn’t even move here. To a place that can’t expand because of monsters—why would they?”

That meant Hyunsoo, as lord, had a lot of work to do going forward.

‘Secure troops and secure people of the territory, and for that, first I need to secure land too.’

It wasn’t easy.

You couldn’t say securing taxes was only a good thing.

A territory has to keep developing steadily like this, and if it doesn’t, losses occur instead.

And soon, a notification reached both Hyunsoo and Chancellor Nell.

[The restoration cost for damage in Vallas Territory is 11,000,000 gold.]

“Ghk.......”

Hyunsoo was horrified.

Right after becoming lord, he was about to be hit with an enormous expense.

Meanwhile, Nell wore an expression like they had expected it.

“That’s why all guilds keep doing business.”

They gave a bitter smile.

Territory management is a double-edged sword: if you do well, you gain massive money, but if you do poorly, you lose the territory, lose the money, and even have your rank stripped.

And Nell had one concern.

‘Can Hyunsoo and I really run the territory well?’

It was true that Nell was competent.

But that didn’t mean they had ever run a territory.

Actually running it and not running it were worlds apart.

Just then.

KNOCK KNOCK-

“This is Belin.”

It was Belin, now the former lord.

With Hyunsoo’s assent, Belin entered.

Now she was courteous to Hyunsoo, who held a higher rank than her.

And she said something completely unexpected.

“I want to compensate all damage costs and pay an additional 20%. With the additional amount, please consider the hearts of the people of the territory who lost family.”

In a way, it was something natural for Belin.

It was something that had happened during the period they were in office.

But the willingness to pay an extra 20% was special.

“It’s a final gift for the people of the territory.”

Belin knew they had to leave.

Sadly, there was a strange tradition on this continent.

A former lord had to leave that land.

Belin looked around the audience chamber for a moment.

In truth, it made their chest feel heavy.

It was the small territory that their father and they had built for their entire lives.

Soon, Belin handed Hyunsoo a potion.

“This is repayment for saving the territory.”

Hyunsoo took the potion and marveled.

‘All Stats +1?’

According to the description, it said Lord Belin had manufactured it personally.

Of course, it also said it was the best thing Belin had made.

And just as Belin was about to step forward, Hyunsoo spoke.

“I have a request.”

“A request?”

Belin made a puzzled expression.

“I want you to stay in the territory and help me.”

At those words, Belin’s eyes wavered.

But she steadied herself.

“My lord, on this continent, when a new lord comes, the former lord must leave. That is the tradition.”

It was a tradition meant to prevent two forces from colliding.

Hyunsoo let out a small laugh.

“I’ll be honest.”

Meeting Belin’s eyes, Hyunsoo spoke.

“I’m still lacking, and I don’t know how to lead a territory. My people are also still lacking, so we have a long way to learn. If the former Lord Belin stays by our side, I think we would be very grateful.”

And Belin realized it.

Part of it was truly wanting help, and in truth, he was also trying to make sure she could remain here.

As for the worry about tradition, Hyunsoo said it.

“And I’m an outsider. Do I need to follow that tradition?”

But Belin still had another concern.

“Then under what pretext should I remain here?”

At that, Hyunsoo spoke as if he had something in mind.

“It seems the former lord is exceptional at alchemy.”

In reality, Belin’s alchemy was exceptional.

“How about passing it on to those who want to learn alchemy?”

At those words, Belin drew a small smile.

Hyunsoo added.

“It’ll probably take a long time before they become proficient, so Lord Belin will probably have to stay here for the rest of your life.”

At that, Lord Belin smiled brighter than anything in the world.

“I will do my best. Advising you, my lord, and teaching alchemy as well. In addition, I will establish an Alchemy Academy. I will do all of this with my own private funds.”

In this moment, Belin thought once again.

Choosing him as the new lord was something they did not regret even a little.

Soon, a notification sounded.

[Former Lord Belin remains in Vallas Territory.]

[You possess a specialness that others did not attempt.]

[You obtain 10 Fame.]

[You obtain 2 Charisma.]

[An Alchemy Academy will soon be established in Vallas Territory.]

Watching that scene from the side, Nell looked at Hyunsoo and Belin.

‘Hyunsoo really is different.......’

Up to now, what many guild masters did after becoming lords was drive out the former lord.

Because they feared the former lord might threaten their position.

Or to solidify their standing.

Of course, Belin and those people were somewhat different, but Hyunsoo silently walked his own path.

And look at the result it produced.

‘We can establish an Alchemy Academy for free.’

They didn’t know yet what profit it would create.

Ninety-nine percent of blacksmith NPCs were men.

But because of the situation Hyunsoo had guided, the women of the territory would now learn alchemy.

If that happened, idle hands would disappear, and the territory would gain a foundation that would let it develop even faster.

Even Belin was happy.

“I will definitely produce outstanding alchemists.”

The one who said she would establish the academy with her private funds was burning with motivation.

After Belin left, Nell silently slid their thumb out.

Hyunsoo gave a small smile.

Just then.

CRRRK-CRRRK-CRRRK-

[The Wolf Egg hatches.]

Hyunsoo’s heart pounded.

‘Finally?’

He hurriedly took the Wolf Egg out of his Inventory.

Cracks began spreading across the egg’s surface at a rapid speed.

Hyunsoo’s biggest interest in the Wolf Egg was what kind of appearance the thing born inside would have.

Soon, the notification he heard heightened his anticipation.

[It will be the most special existence.]

Then the egg broke, and it revealed itself.