Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyunsoo, who woke up early in the morning, wore a puzzled expression.

It was because a lot of notifications had come in on the phone linked to the auction house.

[Subscribers are updated.]

[Hyun’s Forge subscribers: 1,730,013.]

[Current Korean forge subscriber ranking: 7th.]

“What is it?”

It had gone up by three hundred thousand overnight. Unfortunately, there was no change in ranking.

Hyunsoo, wearing a puzzled expression, soon learned the reason through a KkakkaoTalk message from Kim Hyein.

‘To think there was an effect like this.......’

It was because it said Hyun’s Forge on the Time Attack dungeon rankings.

‘Those Americans?’

Hyunsoo also checked the interview video.

‘It really is a double-edged sword.......’

Hyunsoo wore a bitter expression.

Temporarily, it was definitely a good effect for Hyun’s Forge.

In truth, even if you narrowed the gap in the Time Attack rankings, it’s impossible for hundreds of thousands to rise.

Will’s remark must have given people anticipation about just how far Hyun’s Forge would narrow the gap.

‘I have to pull it off.’

Hyunsoo logged into Ares.

The three who were already logged in greeted Hyunsoo with dark faces.

“You’re here?”

“Yeah, but why do you all look so bad?”

“......Because it’s a burden.”

Following Hyeji’s words, Taehun gave a bitter smile.

“It feels like pressure—thinking about what happens to us if we fail this.”

“It popped up as ‘Savage Labyrinth Time Attack’ at 6th on FindNet’s real-time search rankings. A lot of people in the country are interested, and because of that interview from Will, it’s gotten even bigger.”

The three of them seemed to feel enormous pressure.

And Hyunsoo thought about how to loosen their dispirited mood, then asked playfully.

“Ah, did I say it?”

Hyunsoo rummaged around in the inside pocket of his coat.

Then he took out three sheets of paper and a pen from his inventory.

“I’m a fan. Please sign for me.”

“Pfft.”

“What is that?”

“Then shouldn’t you have gotten them when we first met?”

“I missed my chance...... anyway, I’m a fan of all three of you.”

There would be the public who cursed at them with sarcasm, but national heroes are stars that many people like.

Hyunsoo was the same.

The atmosphere became noticeably lighter.

“Now we have two chances left. And we have to clear it within today.”

If today passed, the Savage Labyrinth Time Attack would end completely.

“Let’s go in.”

The four of them entered the Savage Labyrinth.

Today, their condition was top tier.

Literally, today they were lucky.

Hyunsoo’s Reverse produced three artifacts, and their critical hits popped better than usual.

[Rankings are updated.]

[5th Republic of Korea 16 minutes 19 seconds.]

They entered the top 5.

Their hearts pounded.

And riding this momentum, they threw themselves in desperately.

The tenth run, the last chance.

On this lucky day, the four of them were doing even better than the ninth run.

Advancing while shouting please and we can do it inside their hearts.

The tenth run, the last chance.

[4th Republic of Korea 15 minutes 49 seconds.]

They entered 4th.

And the four of them stood in the dungeon for a moment without saying anything.

In the end, they still couldn’t become any threat at all, just like American Will’s provocation.

Hyeji, Hanul, and Taehun stood there with faces heavy and stifled.

Unlike them, Hyunsoo was confirming something by leveling up.

Then.

[Hidden Piece. Completed: Those who approached the true Savage Labyrinth.]

They wore puzzled expressions.

Hidden Piece.

A special reward hidden in countless places.

The four of them recalled what the American user Will had said in the interview.

To the reporter’s question of how he had narrowed a five-minute gap, Will answered like this.

‘That’s something the users of other countries have to find themselves.’

Of course, the users of every country that entered the top 4 would have achieved this Hidden Piece.

But perhaps they, and the United States, wanted to hide the information they had found.

Soon, that information was revealed.

[The true Savage Labyrinth is opened.]

KURURURURURUR-!

The dungeon began to cause a massive vibration.

DING!

[Sudden Quest: Savage Labyrinth]

Grade: S

Restriction: Those who entered the 15-minute range

Reward: A much shorter clear time

Failure Penalty: None.

Description: You have become able to challenge the true Savage Labyrinth. The Savage Labyrinth is far stronger than before. Instead, you can obtain the privilege of time reduction.

[The labyrinth becomes savage.]

[You become able to challenge the Savage Labyrinth for the last time.]

In addition, they received a new final chance.

They were moved to the dungeon entrance.

Standing in the safe zone, they could soon see the changed Savage Labyrinth. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

[It is a new form of dungeon that breaks the existing rules.]

[The boss monster is changed.]

[Savage Labyrinth King Lv.383]

Then the three of them could see it.

A transparent barrier.

And inside it, hundreds of monsters swarming.

[Lycan Lv.344]

“KHUWOOOOOOO!”

The bipedal monsters behind the wall—werewolves with black fur—let out a howl.

Behind them, a crouched boss monster of unknown identity could be seen.

[In 1 minute, the Savage Labyrinth begins.]

“The clear time for the true Savage Labyrinth can’t help but become much shorter.......”

The existing labyrinth had a total length approaching 3km.

But here, all the monsters were concentrated within a 500m radius.

In other words, you could cut it down in a blitz.

“KHUWOOOOOOO!”

“KHUAAARGH!”

“KRRRRRRR-!”

But the three of them felt fear.

“How do we clear this.......”

They had no choice but to feel the difference between the United States and themselves.

A huge wall.

At their current level, it was a level that was absolutely impossible to clear.

In the end, Hyeji collapsed to the ground.

The true Savage Labyrinth had an overwhelming strength that was enough to make you lose all will to fight.

Hyeji, collapsed, covered her face, Taehun braced a hand on the wall and sighed, and Hanul spat curses.

“I’m... so tired.......”

Hyeji murmured.

The world didn’t know.

Nineteen years old.

How they became national team athletes and shot up into stardom.

At first, they were happy.

But as time passed, it returned as an enormous pressure.

And when they started the game, there wasn’t a single day they were at ease.

Community users said:

-Gold medalists, so of course they’ll be rank 1 lol

-Ah yup yup

-Our proud gold medalists!

-Let’s go catch the world rankers!

When they became the cursed trio, they changed.

-This is so damn disappointing lol

-Take off the Taegeuk mark.

-What? If you’re insane in real life, aren’t you insane in the game too?

-They say those guys are doomed lol

-Lmao

-Total idiots

Of course, there were more people who didn’t.

But to those who condemned them, they had to become first place.

“KHUWOOOOOOO!”

Seeing the Lycan howling at her, in the end Hyeji burst into tears.

Taehun, looking at her bitterly, walked over to Hyunsoo.

“You hit Level 300, right? Congratulations.”

He couldn’t expect anything.

This hopeless situation.

Could it really # Nоvеlight # change just because he became Level 300?

As he thought that, Taehun handed over the promised mineral, Highest-grade Orichalcum.

“Still, we succeeded in getting into the top 5.”

And Hyunsoo took it.

“I hope we meet again next time. Ah, right. And you really won’t tell us that secret?”

They asked together.

What was the secret behind Blacksmith Hyun forging legend.

KURURURURURUR-!

[58 seconds.]

Hyunsoo, looking at them, said with a small smile.

“......I was jealous.”

Stepping forward, he looked at the three of them.

[54 seconds.]

“You—getting off the plane while receiving praise.”

Everyone looked at Hyunsoo.

“What I said about being a fan was sincere. And I’ve wished for it at least once.”

[50 seconds.]

“That someday I’d be acknowledged like you. Of course, I didn’t know there was hardship like this.”

Hyunsoo, now standing beside Hyeji, looked at the Lycans beyond the transparent wall.

[48 seconds.]

[45 seconds.]

[44 seconds.]

Black mineral surged up above him.

HISSSSSS-!

Taehun, Hanul, and Hyeji looked at him with puzzled expressions.

It was Highest-grade Orichalcum.

“I’m sorry to say this in a situation like this.”

Hyunsoo gave a bitter smile.

“I’ve also lived doing my best in my field.”

[40 seconds.]

They soon saw the refined mineral being rapidly purified.

Taehun, looking at him, wore a horrified expression.

The words, I did my best in my field.

“S-So don’t tell me that secret is......!”

They had been thinking Hyunsoo had some kind of skill, or some special class.

Hyunsoo said with a bitter smile.

“That’s right. I’m a real blacksmith.”

*****

Having revealed his true identity, Hyunsoo left the stunned three behind.

Highest-grade Orichalcum.

Wasn’t it a waste to use it for emergency crafting?

No.

Hyunsoo had just reached Level 300.

[Congratulations.]

[You have reached Level 300.]

Because of that, he heard countless notifications.

[You obtain 15 of all stats.]

[Class Quest......]

[......]

[......]

[......]

[A new skill of the God of Blacksmiths is opened.]

DING!

[You have obtained God’s Special Emergency Crafting.]

(God’s Special Emergency Crafting)

Active Skill

Grade: God

Level: None

Penalty:

Effect:

·You can permanently keep the artifact made by emergency crafting.

·Only possible once every 3 months.

The refined mineral in front of Hyunsoo was quickly being forged.

HISSSSSS-!

The blade that had been glowing red finally revealed its color.

A sword that even its blade was made of black, like the color of orichalcum.

[28 seconds.]

CH-CLANK-!

At last, as it connected to the grip, characters were being branded onto it.

This sword was not a sword born from some story.

A sword that only Hyunsoo had thought: let’s make it with the best material just for me.

It was being created by skill that transcended common sense, and by effort comparable to Hanul, Hyeji, and Taehun.

On the sword, whose tip was slightly curved, the branded characters emitted light.

Supreme Blade.

The summit completed by the greatest blacksmith and the greatest mineral meeting.

At last, the moment Hyunsoo grasped the sword, it rang out.

[The second Masterpiece is writt—]

DING!

[A Masterpiece can only be crafted once every 3 months.]

Masterpiece.

It meant the best work of your life.

And Hyunsoo, who had seen many blacksmiths’ Masterpieces, knew that the Masterpiece notification itself also had a function that made that artifact even better.

But Hyunsoo wasn’t flustered in the slightest.

He had already confirmed that fact in the Ares blacksmith community.

Rather, he wore an expression that was deliberately arrogant and full of certainty.

‘This game gives rewards worthy of what you accomplish.’

That was why Hyunsoo smiled with confident eyes.

‘This is my best Masterpiece, and a sword that will be hard to appear again in Ares.’

At that confidence, the notification answered.

[It is the most perfect sword that only you can craft.]

[No one can deny your story.]

[The system ignores the restriction.]

The notification had been about to say that the second Masterpiece is written.

That notification changed.

[Your own Masterpiece is written.]

[It is a legend above legend.]

“Get up.”

[7 seconds.]

Hyunsoo let down the newly crafted Supreme Blade.

Black energy billowed from his sword.

[6 seconds.]

After checking the sword’s detailed information, a confident smile brushed across Hyunsoo’s face.

That smile was the same as the arrogant expression he had made as if to say, can you stop this? at the system’s restriction just a moment ago.

[5 seconds.]

Before he knew it, the three geniuses stood side by side next to the blacksmith genius.

[2 seconds.]

And the blacksmith genius who had never seen the light clenched the sword hard with both hands and said coolly.

“Let’s go take first place.”

[The barrier is released.]

[It is the final challenge.]

The story of four geniuses was beginning.