Genius Blacksmith's Game

A landslide is a double-edged sword.

It had the advantage of being able to sweep the monsters away in an instant, but that enormous landslide could have swallowed even us.

Even now, the landslide rushing down at a tremendous speed was drawing closer.

RRRRRUMBLE

Hyunsoo hugged Arte and unfolded Calamity Leap, flying up.

SKREEEEEE-!

Because of the landslide, the flying-type monsters that had been launched high into the sky twisted their bodies toward Hyunsoo and Arte.

[Snow Mountain Gryphon Lv.343]

A flock of hundreds of gryphons.

If we went down to the ground, we’d be swept up by the tidal wave, and in the state of Calamity Leap, we couldn’t fight while holding Arte.

[It is a moment of crisis.]

Hyunsoo was someone who established a thorough plan and moved forward step by step.

Suddenly, he recalled a conversation with his father.

“Dad, where are we going today again?”

“Today, it’s Yeosu.”

Just like how they made the Bosingak Bell, designated as a national treasure of the Republic of Korea.

Just like how they restored the Four Tigers Sword, the Seven-Branched Sword, and the Dragonlight Sword.

There were things only hand-made master blacksmiths could make.

Yeosu, South Jeolla.

Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang.

Sacheon, South Gyeongsang.

Geumnam-myeon, Hadong.

And all across the country besides.

In a world growing more and more modernized, people came to love the old things.

“Arte, you said skill levels can be raised, right?”

Most of Arte’s power was centered on buffs.

“Give that power to me.”

Arte wondered if there was a secret plan.

[Arte’s Blessing]

[You can designate skill level 2 to raise.]

Hyunsoo applied that power to God’s Emergency Crafting.

In truth, it was Hyunsoo’s first time using Emergency Crafting on something that wasn’t an artifact.

But whether it was an artifact or this, the principle was the same.

If there were no materials, God’s Emergency Crafting used materials temporarily granted.

Temporary materials were usually the most worthless kinds.

But on this mountain, there was far, far too much of what would become its main ingredients.

[God’s Emergency Crafting begins.]

As he activated the skill, Hyunsoo briefly closed his eyes.

A blueprint spread open inside his head.

It was packed with complex, difficult materials.

But for the people who wanted to see the most perfect version of this, the blacksmith named Hyunsoo had understood and memorized this blueprint hundreds of times, thousands of times over.

FLASH-

At last, it begins.

The things that would become its main ingredients.

The trees of the Beres Mountain Range, rooted deep in the earth and settled in place, were uprooted by the trunks.

They were rapidly shaved down, becoming hundreds of different materials in different shapes.

The Sage’s Tower that had imprisoned the sage.

Those things that had been the Sage’s Tower distorted and shot up into the empty air.

The things that shot up were heated red and melted like lava.

And within the knowledge of a genius blacksmith, they became materials for joints.

Hundreds of iron pieces floating in the air for those joints. Screws and nails and the like.

At last, the hundreds of wooden materials moved to their respective positions.

The iron materials like screws and nails did too.

As they fused into one, endless sound resounded.

RATATATATATATANG-

RUM-RUM-RUM-RUM-RUM-KABOOM-!

The subtlety of Emergency Crafting was that if you input the number of strikes, it would be hammered accordingly.

Without a single hesitation, Hyunsoo input them one after another.

And the figure slowly being completed.

Arte’s eyes shook.

“H-how can you make something like that so instantly.......”

Total length: 20 m.

A height that easily surpassed giant-type monsters.

A dragon-head shape positioned at the very front.

[It will be the most perfect crafting method.]

Something called effect application rate only shone when it was made at the most perfect level.

[Effect application rate is 98%.]

Arte held it in their eyes and asked.

“What in the world is that?”

Because its shape was so strange.

Hyunsoo let out a small smile.

[This minister’s warship.]

“There were only twelve ships.”

[Still have twelve.]

“A ship that defeated 330 enemy ships with those twelve ships and saved the country.”

[It is the most perfect crafted item.]

“It’s the Turtle Ship.”

[A seventh legend is written.]

[Even if it breaks]

[In a do-or-die moment of crisis, you found a breakthrough.]

[The completed ship’s effect becomes 8% better.]

Arte marveled. The violent energy felt from the ship was beyond common sense.

SKREEEEEE-

And the gryphon flock reached point-blank range.

The Turtle Ship, suspended in the air.

The completed thing settled down onto the mountain’s tidal wave of snow pouring down violently.

Hyunsoo, riding the Turtle Ship with Arte, said,

“Hold on tight.”

At last, the enormous warship touched down on the snow.

RUMMMMMBLE-

The subtlety of the seventh legend revealed itself.

[Defense power equivalent to 3 times that of a normal ship is applied.]

[No physical impact whatsoever will be able to easily break this ship.]

An astonishing level.

Three times the defense of a normal ship.

If it were reality, it would have been impossible. But if you produced something most perfect, Ares granted rewards.

And on top of that, it was the power of Hyunsoo’s custom crafting that wrote out the contents of that reward.

‘Why did he tell me to hold on tight?’

Arte made a puzzled expression.

Unlike those words, the ship itself was so perfect it had no shake at all.

Here, the second subtlety revealed itself.

[Turtle Ship Acceleration]

[The Turtle Ship advances at 2x speed.]

WHOOOOOOSH-!

The sail unfurled.

A fierce wind was blowing south, and that was directly downward.

SNAP-SNAP-!

SKREEEEEE- 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

The gryphons tried to attack the two of them.

But the sail drew taut, and the accelerated Turtle Ship burst forward.

RUMMMMMBLE-!

Arte was shaken violently, feeling the ship plunge downward.

The scenery around them streaked past at high speed.

Then their eyes went wide.

The dozens of trees and piles of rocks spread out ahead had already endured the landslide that had passed, still standing firm.

“U-uaaaargh!”

Arte hurriedly made a gesture to protect their face. They expected the ship to be shattered.

But Hyunsoo saw everything on the mountain.

The reason he had put in custom crafting that raised the ship’s defense to an extreme revealed itself here.

CRRRRRAAACK-!

Smashing even trees and boulders, the Turtle Ship kept going.

And the flying-type monsters in the sky couldn’t even dare to chase the speed of this Turtle Ship.

Also, the force of a landslide pouring down from a mountain was bound to weaken the farther down it went.

By Hyunsoo, who had calculated all of that, the Turtle Ship vibrated heavily.

RUMMMMMBLE-

[Turtle Ship Second Acceleration]

[The Turtle Ship advances at 3x speed.]

WHOOOOOOOAAAH-!

Generating propulsion on its own, the Turtle Ship didn’t slow down and descended even faster.

Arte was in awe.

The Beres Mountain Range where they had been trapped for 300 years.

And yet, this single ship was leading them to a new world in the blink of an eye.

The leveled-up Emergency Crafting time was 50 seconds.

In only 20 seconds, they came down nearly half of the Beres Mountain Range.

Just seeing the scenery flashing past. Just getting away from near the tower was enough for Arte to feel happiness.

At last, they made a decision.

Hyunsoo stood at the very front, keeping watch on the surroundings.

Arte’s hand touched his back.

[Skill creation for you begins.]

*****

Hyunsoo tried to turn back with a puzzled expression.

“Don’t look back. It’s a bit embarrassing.”

Arte’s voice was gentle. It was clearly different from when they first met.

“Normally, I would have given it to you only after I fully escaped.”

The two of them still hadn’t escaped from here.

“In truth, I’m also called the Eccentric Arte.”

The reason they were called the Eccentric Arte.

“Do you know this? I said I’d create a skill for you, but I never once said what grade I would create.”

“......”

Hyunsoo gave a bitter smile.

Arte might have been planning to toss him a single Rare-grade skill and be done with it.

“Skill creation is my trait, but I can’t craft them indiscriminately.”

If they could churn them out indiscriminately, Arte should have been called a god.

That was how great and mighty skill creation was.

“In my lifetime, I can make 100 Rares, 30 Epics, and 5 Uniques. And.”

Warmth could be felt at Arte’s fingertips.

“On a ten-year cycle, I can forge exactly two Legend skills.”

It reached Hyunsoo.

[Legendary power dwells within your body.]

“......!?”

Hyunsoo was shocked. Because at this moment, Arte was giving him the most precious legend.

“This energy will read your information and grant you the most suitable power.”

Skill creation by a principle similar to custom crafting.

“Remember this. The power you have is still weak.”

They meant level.

“Just like Sword King’s was, just like the Sky King’s was. This, too, may need to grow over and over.”

Immediately, additional power dwelled within him.

[Three temporary skill creations for you dwell within you.]

“This is a consumable skill that can be brought out only once each. It is dwelling inside your body, so use it when you need it. Within suitable rules, it will bring out Unique powers for you.”

In other words, it meant Hyunsoo could use three consumable skills however he wanted.

“Also, Legend skill creation will take some time.”

Hyunsoo felt it.

Slowly, Arte’s hand was gently stroking his back.

“When you first said you’d climb the mountain, I doubted you and denied it. When you broke through the blizzard and came, I truly marveled. When you cured my baldness, I was happy. And when you fired that single arrow, saying we should return it to Graut, I was grateful.”

Hyunsoo let out a small laugh. It had been a short time, but the two of them had grown close, and Arte was now acknowledging him.

“You really did your best. May I ask the reason?”

Hyunsoo spoke the thing that felt rough in his mouth.

“......I wanted you to go to your mother’s grave.”

Of course, the biggest reason was the rewards. But this was also true.

Hyunsoo told them his story with his father.

“Even with him right in front of me, I can’t talk with my father. And you had to separate from your mother 300 years ago without even knowing why.”

And Arte had worried about her for their entire life.

A story like this let something called empathy become a kind of power.

Arte spoke in a gentle voice.

“Thank you. With you here, I won’t have worries. Even if one seat becomes vacant.”

Hyunsoo made a puzzled expression.

Arte spoke like someone who was about to leave.

And the hand touching his back began to tremble.

“Become a legend. I’m stepping back here.”

“......?”

Hyunsoo’s face twisted as he turned his head.

A sword was piercing through Arte’s back.

The one who lifted them up as if looking at a bug flung Arte away.

“COUGH......!”

There was something there, taking form in black currents.

[Demon Graut descends.]

[Blood Demon Graut Lv.745]

[It is the descent of the true body.]

[Not a trace of demonic energy can be found.]

[Blood Demon Graut is weakened.]

[Blood Demon Graut is weakened.]

[Blood Demon Graut is weakened.]

Demons never came to the surface in their true bodies.

Because if they came to the surface where there was no demonic energy, they would be greatly weakened.

They didn’t come down, preparing for any risk just in case.

But this time was different.

“You made me come with my true body.”

By one man, Graut had felt pain they had never felt in their entire life.

By rage and resentment, he had taken even that risk.

And the reason Hyunsoo had put a function to raise the Turtle Ship’s speed was to leave the mountain before he came.

But he had been waiting, having already descended.

At last, the weakened Graut revealed complete power.

[Blood Demon Graut Lv.501]

A level range beyond common sense—seeing him, Hyunsoo urgently turned his head ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) to Arte.

[Arte’s HP falls below 13%.]

“COUGH!”

Arte’s face, coughing up blood, went pale.

Hyunsoo kicked off the ground and charged at Graut.

And within Hyunsoo, one enormous power Arte had left behind was writhing.

[Skill search is completed.]

[Creation takes time.]

[Skill Creation: Fate begins.]

At this time, he didn’t know.

That one skill would change the course of this battle.

And then it came.

[The final story begins.]

The end of this episode.