Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyunsoo reconnected to Ares and recalled it.

World blacksmith ranking #3. World forge rank #2.

Wang Gang, who had total subscribers of 50 million, was stoking the furnace for Chinese users.

The article Hyunsoo had read before reconnecting to Ares left a strong impression.

-Chinese users are expected to enter with a substantial number of Legend artifacts.

-Unique: more than 200.

-Chinese users backed by Black Dragon Forge, one of the strongest forges in the world.

The first time Hyunsoo crafted a Legend artifact was 10 months ago.

Back then, Hyunsoo was the only user in Korea who had crafted a Legend.

But once a single artifact starts getting released in the game, it accelerates and starts getting released faster.

When Hyunsoo made his first Legend, there weren’t even 20 Legends across the entire world.

But now, more than 80 Legends had been released.

‘Maybe there are even more.’

Because users kept growing more and more.

‘Chinese users are bringing multiple Legends. How many will show up? Four? Five?’

He didn’t know.

Then, suddenly, Hyunsoo checked himself.

One Transcendence: Advance Twin Dragon Sword.

One Supreme Saber at Legend Beyond Legends.

One Legend God-Forged Crown.

One Legend Calamity Necklace.

One Legend Calamity Armor.

“......When did it get like this?”

Hyunsoo’s level was 339.

The average level of the continental war participants was 370.

But his strength, enough to stand against them—

‘It’s that I have five things like this.’

And also—

‘I decided to participate in the continental war. If it’s come to this, I want to be MVP.’

And he also wanted to obtain new Transcendence-grade artifact materials.

So he needed a way to become even more outstanding.

‘To these five artifacts, I add yet another Legend.’

He suddenly imagined it.

Even if China brought six, seven, or ten Legends—

‘There’s no one who has more than five Legends alone.’

And a way to add another Legend on top of that.

It was to recreate the Lord’s Court and the Calamity Gauntlets.

He chewed on the word calamity.

That word—calamity—that humans fear the most.

A way to exploit their primal fear.

‘And a way to make a better coat and gauntlets.’

Hyunsoo made his decision.

He found one of the things people fear most.

‘This is it.’

How do you create it more specially?

‘Cutting power, defense, telekinesis, leap.’

He had no intention of giving up any of them.

Instead, he would dramatically pull up their performance—lowering other things instead.

‘The set artifact effect I got from wearing four artifacts.’

He had achieved increases so large they overflowed.

Because he wore them as a set, every performance became better by more than 10%.

‘I’ll lower those, and instead create my own calamity that makes enemies fear me.’

It was different from Flame.

Unlike burning myself, it would make the enemies tremble in fear.

Hyunsoo smiled.

‘Even without the attack-type Twin Dragon Sword, I’ll become MVP anyway.’

And as he recreated them, he heard the notification.

[You recreated it with craftsmanship superior to the existing creator.]

This was the notification that came from the Calamity Gauntlets.

[The effect of Calamity Gauntlets becomes 5% better.]

Next, the Lord’s Court, which he had recreated once before.

He recreated that as well.

Then Hyunsoo was startled.

[Your skill is superior to when you recreated it before.]

[The effect of Lord’s Court becomes 4% better.]

“......!”

Hyunsoo realized it.

‘I’ve grown more than I was half a year ago, when I made this.’

At last, it was recreated.

[The grade of Lord’s Court is upgraded.]

[The tenth legend is written.]

With this, Hyunsoo would enter with six items that were Legend or beyond.

Unfortunately, the gauntlets could not be upgraded.

But what Hyunsoo should pay attention to was this.

Lower the % increase from the set artifacts.

And his own calamity, made by downgrading everything except cutting, defense, leap, and telekinesis.

[Skill Black Night is applied through the set artifact effect.]

With this power, he believed it would do a large share in bringing him closer to MVP.

Hyunsoo logged out.

‘The day before the tournament, I should sleep well.’

It was so he could face the continental war in peak condition.

*****

The whole world was hot.

Because the day the continental war began had dawned.

Each broadcaster relayed the continental war with commentators and MC positions.

-The viewer count is unbelievable.

-Many people are watching to see Ares’s festival.

-What kind of event is the continental war?

-The continental war is a large-scale territory war, with Korea as the defender and China as the attacker. Korea will have 1,000 users participating, and China will have 1,100 users participating and performing.

-Why do Chinese users have 10% more?

-Because the defense position is advantageous in a territory war.

-Who are the participants?

-Most participants are users in the top 1%, selected by each branch, and by commanders temporarily assigned to both countries. For Korea, the commander is Lee Hwan, the master of Hwarang Guild and our country’s #1 ranker.

-It looks like the three major domestic guilds are also entering in force.

-That’s right. It may be an unprecedented event for this many rankers to gather in one place.

-How is victory or defeat decided in this continental war?

-Korea wins if it holds out for two days, and China is expected to win if they break the powerful barrier inside the fortress and steal Korea’s flag planted within it.

-At the moment we’re speaking, users are appearing on both sides.

-China has many users who have swept the world rankings.

-But we must remember that our country also has Lee Hwan, who shines as world rank #7.

On top of the wall.

Lee Hwan, master of Hwarang Guild, Korea’s strongest guild, looked down at the Chinese users from atop the fortress.

‘World rank #4 Pond, world rank #8 Wei, world rank #15 Kou, world rank #19 Liu.......’

Lee Hwan’s expression was dyed in bleakness.

As the one who took the commander position, he knew well what strength was.

Even world rank #4 Pond alone could handle more than twenty of our country’s users.

‘Among our country’s participants, I’m the only one within the world top 50.’

On the other hand, the enemies had more than seven users within the world top 50.

Of course, Korea possessed a few more top-50 rankers as well, but most of them did not participate.

‘Because with a gap in power like this, it would be hard to predict a victory.’

Lee Hwan’s participation couldn’t be helped.

As Korea’s #1 ranker in name.

And as the master of the guild considered the strongest, he had no choice but to participate.

If even he didn’t participate, it would truly be running away.

Lee Hwan was the strongest ranker who built Hwarang Guild without caring about means or methods.

Even if he was greedy and full of desire, he was someone who, in his own way, cherished his homeland.

He turned around.

The users were wearing excited expressions.

Because they still hadn’t fought the Chinese users.

No.

‘Because they haven’t fought real powerhouses.’

Lee Hwan had fought them.

Korea’s unofficial rankers.

Their power was truly tremendous.

To the point it was like the difference between heaven and earth compared to those outside the top 100.

-In 30 seconds, the continental war begins!

-World users have begun the countdown.

Lee Hwan and the users on the wall tensed.

Lee Hwan stared at the Chinese users.

‘What strategy did they bring?’

Among the Chinese users, there was also someone he had to be most wary of.

That was Zhuge.

Zhuge was a user, but in the China server he held the strategist role of a kingdom.

His ranking was low, but his influence was no different from the world rankers.

What strategy he drew up still couldn’t be known yet.

And the countdown began.

-5 seconds.

-4 seconds.

-3 seconds.

-2 seconds.

-1 second.

-The continental war opens!!!

BWOOOOOOOOOO-!

A horn blast rang out from both countries.

Soon, as he saw what was happening before his eyes, Lee Hwan suggests their eyes shook.

It was the same for the users behind him.

“.......”

Overwhelmed for a moment, everyone fell silent.

‘Zhuge, you bastard......!’

Their /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ strategy was a war of numbers.

Wei stood at the head of the Chinese users.

He was the world’s #2 necromancer.

Also, as Lee Hwan saw a large number of Chinese users wearing robes, pulling their hoods deep down to hide their faces, he sensed there was a move hidden in it.

And a large number of them were necromancers and summoners.

They had deliberately increased the proportion of necromancers and summoners among the participants.

Especially, Wei’s power was the most terrifying.

Right before him, about 400 undead at around level 340 appeared.

Then, following behind, about 1,500 undead from high-level necromancer users began advancing past the bridge.

And about 200 Chinese users were hiding among the undead as they came.

“Priests, infuse the archers’ arrows with holy power—fire!”

FWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIPFWIP-!

Arrows flew without pause.

But the problem was that, with a time gap, China kept, kept summoning undead again and again.

“Commander Lee Hwan......”

“Right.”

At a ranker’s voice, Lee Hwan nodded.

“They’re saying they’ll take it in three hours.”

Lee Hwan looked over the users and shouted.

“Save your skills and magic!”

“What? But.......”

“Their coming speed is faster than our killing speed!”

What Zhuge aimed for.

Users had a limit.

That was skill cooldown.

If everyone poured everything out right now, they could sweep those undead away.

But if they did that, the Chinese users would push in immediately.

Korean users stuck in cooldown would die to their skills.

“What do we do?”

“They’re already crossing the bridge.” 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

“There’s a clear limit to priests weakening the undead!”

The priests’ undead weakening only applies within 20m.

And only 30 priests participated in this battle.

Lee Hwan agonized.

‘Use skills to catch the undead? Or somehow hold with basic attacks?’

Lee Hwan’s chest burned away.

The users also started to recognize how serious the situation was.

“......They’ve almost crossed the bridge already!”

“Do we use skills!?”

“Commander, the order......!”

“.......”

Lee Hwan’s face crumpled.

‘We need to weaken the undead.’

To the point they could be killed with a few arrows.

But for now, it was impossible.

In the end, he had no choice but to make an unavoidable decision.

Lee Hwan was about to shout.

“Everyone, permission to use skills—”

At that moment.

“No.”

A woman approached.

‘Was it Nell?’

Lee Hwan frowned.

“I know what you’re going to say. But that kind of talk everyone knows—”

“That’s not it. Let the undead come close to the fortress.”

“Huh?”

Lee Hwan’s face crumpled.

“In our Hyun’s Forge......”

At those words, Lee Hwan’s eyes were dyed in surprise.

“......You’re saying there’s an artifact like that?”

“Yes.”

Lee Hwan fell into thought for a moment.

‘Is there really something like that?’

Lee Hwan hurriedly opened a hologram alone.

Connecting the Ares community, he searched the artifact.

And he was horrified.

‘......It really exists?’

Soon, Lee Hwan made his decision.

“Respond with basic attacks. Absolutely forbid the use of skills!”

“......What!?”

“W-what......!”

“If you disobey the order, I’ll force logout! And priests, assemble in front of me!”

Before he knew it, the undead crossed the bridge.

“The undead are approaching right in front of the fortress!”

“The number of swollen undead is 2,200!”

“The shot-down number is only 300!”

“A-at this rate, we’ll be taken immediately!”

But Lee Hwan waited.

Shrieks and shouts ran wild everywhere.

Even the commentators shouted.

-I know what Commander Lee Hwan is thinking!

-Right now, this is a situation where you must deal with the undead first!

-If you don’t deal with those undead, they’ll crawl up the wall.......

Cold sweat ran down Lee Hwan’s back as he waited.

Then the commentators let out stunned voices.

-......Huh?

-Isn’t that mineral?

Soon, everyone’s gaze reached the sky.

A large quantity of minerals flew up into the sky and began to melt.

Smelting.

Impurities were removed.

Refining.

And the tremendous sound of hammering captivated viewers all over the world.

CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG-!

Then it cooled.

SSSSSSS-!

Viewers and commentators wore puzzled expressions.

The figure of the completed thing.

That thing floating in the sky.

No one could not know what it was.

-A bell?

-It’s a huge bell!

A commentator recognized it.

-It’s the Bosingak Bell, designated as a national treasure of our country.

-The Bosingak Bell is that very bell used for the New Year’s Eve bell tolling!?

-Why is the Bosingak Bell here?

Then, a man spoke.

“Pull.”

The bell vanished before their eyes.

They rolled their eyes, searching for the bell.

And soon they could find it.

-C-Crazy Rookie!!!!!?

Crazy Rookie Hyunsoo. The bell was placed in front of him.

The real name of the thing that resembled the New Year’s Eve Bell was not the Bosingak Bell.

The bell’s true name.

‘Ramas’s Bell.’

It was a sacred bell that saved Carsel Territory from the undead.