Genius Blacksmith's Game

Receiving the horn bow from Hyunsoo, Vance ran his hand along the bow stave.

It’s the same...

It was exactly the bow he had once held with his father.

Though the signs of use seemed gone, that was unavoidable.

This horn bow was certainly as he remembered it.

Here, even NPCs could check an artifact’s information by the mystic power of Ares.

With a trembling expression, Lord Vance inspected the Marksman’s Horn Bow.

(Marksman’s Horn Bow)

Grade: Epic

Durability: 3,500/3,500

Attack: 253

Restriction: Level 80+

Special Abilities:

· Agility +0.9%.

· Accuracy +22%.

· Bow Attack Speed +17%.

· Bow Mastery +1

· Passive Skill: Archery Like the Wind.

· Active Skill: Triple Shot.

Description: The Marksman’s Horn Bow, reborn with craftsmanship far more precise and superb than that of the original maker.

“—Kh!”

Vance let out a gasp before he knew it.

At a glance, he had thought only that the restoration had succeeded.

But this went beyond a mere successful restoration.

How can such a thing be possible...?

His father’s keepsake had not only been restored—it had advanced a grade.

“I didn’t achieve a perfect restoration. Even so, you’re satisfied, aren’t you?”

Hyunsoo smiled wryly.

Yes—if it were a perfect restoration, it would have to be identical to before.

Vance gave a breathy laugh.

“You’ve made my father’s keepsake even better. Thank you—thank you!”

Who would dislike that it was now superior to the original?

What is this, I wanted it the same as before!

In reality, no one would say that.

Vance drew the newly recreated Marksman’s Horn Bow into his arms.

“I will never lose you again...”

From his face, Hyunsoo could see how precious that bow was to him.

It had been a deeply rewarding restoration for Hyunsoo as well.

It had taken roughly forty days.

But that was in game time.

In reality, about thirteen days had passed.

I gained quite a lot, too.

Through forty days of repetition, he had gained around 80 Dexterity, and Strength and Endurance had risen steadily as well.

Hyunsoo knew the blacksmith’s greatest weakness.

A class that cannot procure materials on its own.

By the nature of the job, blacksmiths only repeat making.

Craft → sell → buy materials with the proceeds → craft again → sell.

Which is why, even starting the game together, blacksmiths’ average levels are far lower than ordinary users’.

However, if he stacked gains like this at Level 1 in the Beginner Zone, his stat gap versus other users would steadily widen.

Moreover, while combat classes hunted to obtain materials, Hyunsoo would achieve self-sufficiency.

Hyunsoo checked the new title he had acquired.

(Restorer Who Surpasses Limits)

Multi-Title

Grade: A

Special Abilities:

· When restoring, +18% chance to produce an artifact one grade higher.

· When crafting artifacts, +3% chance to produce a superior result.

This time it was a multi-title.

A title already obtained by multiple people.

It seemed the condition for Restorer Who Surpasses Limits was not mere restoration but an upgrade in grade.

He didn’t feel disappointed in the least.

No one else will have earned this title at my level.

An immediate quest completion alert chimed.

[Chained Quest: Restore the Marksman’s Horn Bow complete.]

[You have completed the quest with a miraculous outcome.]

Vance smiled at Hyunsoo.

“Having received something so valuable, I cannot sit idle.”

The value of an artifact’s grade-up was immense.

Lord Vance had a soldier bring in money from outside.

[You acquire 1,000 Gold.]

He had been promised 500 Gold!

A reward twice as large!

And that wasn’t all.

Ordinarily, blacksmiths lacked even a single decent attack skill.

Yet Vance had been passing his swordsmanship to Hyunsoo.

After setting the bow down with care, Vance picked up his sword.

“How much longer do you expect to stay?”

“I think I’ll remain another month.”

Hyunsoo now had to make a bow for himself with the remaining materials.

He also had to repair the Radiant Lord’s Old, Rusted Armor.

“The Prime family swordsmanship you’ve been learning was merely a degraded version taught only to direct scions. I am thinking to pass you the true Prime Swordsmanship that only direct scions may learn. Will you take it?”

Ding!

[Vance offers higher-tier Prime Swordsmanship training.]

[Existing training progress will be erased.]

[Higher-tier Prime Swordsmanship is Epic grade.]

Vance smiled faintly.

Why would he teach a house’s direct-line sword art?

Just as Hyunsoo had elevated the Marksman’s Horn Bow by a full grade, Vance wished to present Hyunsoo with something more precious in return.

“It will not be easy. Just as you were restricted when making artifacts, this too will likely be beyond what your body can yet master.”

“I’ll do my utmost to learn.”

Thus began the higher-tier sword training.

It truly was at a level difficult for Hyunsoo to master; training progress rose slowly.

He spent five hours each day on swordsmanship, and the rest of his time on bow-making and armor restoration.

As time passed thus—

Lord Vance was genuinely astonished.

What are you...

He did not merely teach three sword movements.

He taught the basics, understanding and application, cuts, thrusts, and blocks.

He taught not merely a skill, but these things, so that when Hyunsoo went out into the world it would help him.

And because he was simply grateful.

Still engraved in Vance’s mind was the young man who spent days and nights for the sake of restoring his father’s keepsake.

And among those impressions, “genius blacksmith” burned especially bright.

Yet that thought was now changing in part.

Why do you not tire?

He did not tire.

He learned Vance’s sword for five hours straight.

Why do you learn so quickly?

He was like a sponge.

Teach him one, and he learned two, and sometimes even applied them.

Why do you put me on edge?

He could not comprehend it.

The youth he had thought was merely a genius blacksmith exceeded his expectations.

He was a genius blacksmith, yes, but also a genius of effort.

Just as he had restored the bow in forty days—meticulously honing, hammering, and tempering himself.

Thus he had become a genius blacksmith.

Vance, exhausted, would go rest after sword drills ended, but Hyunsoo would enter the forge and resume his work.

And on the final day—

Hyunsoo heard the alerts. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

[You have reached 100% training progress.]

[You have learned Prime Swordsmanship.]

And shortly thereafter, the bow-making was finished as well.

Ding!

[You have crafted an unbelievable bow in the Beginner Zone.]

[Grade is being assessed.]

[Grade: Rare.]

[Please name the bow.]

Hyunsoo had made two bows in total. That this was possible in a short time was because, while restoring the Marksman’s Horn Bow, he had gradually prepared materials to make another bow.

When he glanced at Vance, the lord seemed pleased with him and readily assented.

One artifact, as the alert said, was born Rare.

Ding!

[A peerless, once-in-the-Beginner-Zone master bow has been born.]

[Grade is being assessed.]

[Grade: Epic.]

[Please name the bow.]

The other, like this, was born Epic.

Hyunsoo intended to avoid attaching the “Hyun” name to what he would personally use.

[You have named the bow Hyun’s Second Bow.]

This Rare bow he planned to sell.

And the second, the Epic-grade bow—

[You have named the bow Bow of Water Buffalo Horn.]

This Bow of Water Buffalo Horn was the one Hyunsoo planned to use consistently.

Hyunsoo brought up the Auction Board hologram.

It’s been a while.

His subscriber count had risen a bit.

[Hyun’s Forge subscribers: 347.]

He began writing the details for the second auction item.

[Hyun’s Second Bow.]

Description: Regrettably, this one also has a level restriction. However, it seems extremely usable for its level.

As he wrote, an alert popped up.

[Please set a starting bid for the auction.]

Hyunsoo realized he had made one mistake in the previous auction.

That was proceeding with “Auto Auction” enabled.

Auto Auction is a system where, if the bid rises to nearly ten times the initial price, the sale completes automatically.

Originally, you set an auction duration, and when that time ends, the highest bid wins.

The time can be set for a minimum of 1 hour up to a maximum of 3 days.

Hyunsoo chose 24 hours.

Then he paused at the starting bid and stroked his chin.

It’s the same grade as the previous one, but the performance is far better—so are the materials.

He now knew the previous auction’s hammer price had been to get on his good side.

Even so, this auction’s starting bid was much higher than before.

[Start the auction at 500 Gold.]

A starting bid five times higher than last time.

But Hyunsoo was confident.

It’s a far better artifact than before.

****

Rune, master of the Golden Shield guild, was ranked no. 12 among Korean blacksmiths and no. 87 overall—a top-ranker.

Browsing the Auction Board, Rune suddenly thought of a certain user’s page and entered it.

[Hyun’s Forge.]

It had been well over twenty days since the first auction item had appeared on Hyun’s Forge.

Back then, Blacksmith Rune had frowned at the vice guild master’s ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) fuss.

Why make a fuss over a Level-1–50 auction item?

But after seeing the information the vice master sent, that thought vanished.

Rune had immediately ordered them to bid at all costs, and the artifact had ended up in his hands.

Rune took “Hyun’s First Sword” out of his inventory.

A Beginner Zone sword he’d purchased for ₩1,000,000. In a way, a very steep price.

Gripping the sword, Rune used top-tier blacksmith skills to recheck the materials composing it.

[Beginner Zone’s Lowest-Grade Iron Ore]

Even on review, it was an extraordinary artifact.

In principle, two factors determine an artifact’s high grade.

One: using materials that cannot help but surpass Common grade.

Two: the blacksmith’s various skills and level advantage.

The surprising thing was that Hyun’s First Sword had strayed from both.

If it used the Beginner Zone’s lowest-grade iron ore, that means the user was Level 1...

How in the world was this sword made?

Moreover, the blacksmith’s page functioned like a community; you could leave posts.

He checked the posts.

[Is this the place? The forge that scammed Golden Shield into overpaying for a sword lol.]

[Rune, what were you thinking buying this? Just give me the allowance instead!]

Rune swallowed a wry smile.

Would you look at that?

Half were genuine jabs, half weren’t.

He could see other blacksmith guilds deliberately posting as if this forge were nothing special.

Soon he found a post.

[I’ll speculate. Didn’t that user hit a serendipity at Level 1 and snag an Epic or Legendary class?]

Among them were those who felt no need to stir the pot.

Rune agreed.

It sounded silly, but there were many precedents in practice.

Those who meet a named NPC at game start and gain a special power!

It seemed highly likely.

In that case, I should pay even closer attention.

If they could recruit him to the guild or sign an exclusive contract, he’d be a tremendous force.

But there was also this post:

[Ah, stop overrating him lol. Obviously a named NPC showed him how to forge, and he just went along once beside him.]

That, too, was plausible.

What lent it credence was that no auction item had appeared for over twenty days.

Proof, perhaps, that there was nothing sale-worthy.

Or that he lacked the skill to make anything.

So it’s going to flare once and fade, after all?

With a regretful look, Rune was about to close the Auction Board.

Just then—

[Hyun’s Forge has started the auction for “Hyun’s Second Bow.”]

“...!?”

Is he outstanding—or not?

A second auction item had appeared to prove its worth.