Genius Blacksmith's Game

The continental war is a place where outstanding users from two nations compete.

And Pureum Co., Ltd. set the premise that China’s Reag Continent had invaded the Asgan Continent.

The place where the continental war unfolded was held on a small island not far from the Asgan Continent.

This island was a real, existing island, and only things like the fortress and bridge were created by the event.

And if users truly wanted to, they could also come to the place where the continental war was being held.

But nobody came.

Was the operations team stupid?

The reason the continental war was held on a real, existing island was to give it realism.

The setting was that this island would become a strategic chokepoint of the Asgan Continent, and the Reag Continent had to invade and pass through it to enter other continents.

In addition, an extremely powerful barrier had been formed, and the inside itself could not be seen.

And in preparation for any users who might come, Pureum Co., Ltd. nailed it down in an announcement.

[The location where the continental war is hosted is protected by a powerful barrier that even the top rankers cannot break. In addition, the location of this island will be opened after the continental war ends.]

The island existed, but no one knew its location, and even if you arrived, you couldn’t break the barrier.

Here, there were two people who knew him.

Ben and Barad, the two absolute rulers of the Asgan Continent.

An island you could reach in an instant by taking a small boat, as long as you knew the way.

It was similar to Korea’s Jeju Island.

There, Ben, Barad, and Kang Hyuntae. The three of them arrived.

“......I ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) don’t have time.”

Blocked by the barrier, he couldn’t see the inside at all.

And Kang Hyuntae knew himself better than anyone.

There was something his attending physician, Dr. Kim Jinseop, had come and muttered before.

‘I hope a Miracle of a Day happens for Patient Kang Hyuntae as well.’

That miracle that makes you wake up for a moment.

If short, six hours; if long, about two days.

It was real time, so in the game it was at least comparatively longer.

And Ben and Barad watched Hyuntae, who had been maintaining composure, grow impatient.

It was only natural.

No matter who it was, they couldn’t help it.

“Sword brat, can you break it?”

Barad looked at the barrier for a moment.

It was far too sturdy and solid. Even he didn’t seem able to break it alone.

And it was imbued with the power of regeneration, so even if it was broken, it would close again.

Barad shook his head, then smiled.

“Well, if we add the strength of that spear brat who’s nothing special, it should work.”

Right. If the two of them worked together, they might be able to.

“Let’s do it at the same time.”

Hyuntae knew the two of them were kings. When Hyuntae looked at them as if surprised, Ben smiled.

“I have one close friend. There’s this man called a father I heard about until my ears wore out from that friend. He’d always tell the story with reddened eyes, laughing as he talked.”

“Same for me. I too have a close friend who annoys me with how much he goes on about that story.”

Anyone would be the same.

A close friend’s father, who had been in a vegetative state, woke up.

And then he calls his friends saying he wants to meet his son.

What would happen?

Anyone would step up.

It’s just that those two were a bit exceptional.

“You’ll need to hurry in through the gap we open.”

The immense power the two gathered began striking the barrier, and a massive vibration rang throughout the arena.

Meanwhile.

Pureum Co., Ltd.’s CEO Lee Sejin was already watching it, and all the regional branch heads were the same.

John, head of the U.S. branch, flew into a rage.

-CEO Lee Sejin, you’re saying an outsider is breaking into the arena? How will you take responsibility for this? Are you going to say again that it’s something a user caused and we can’t interfere?

This was a variable no one had predicted.

But Lee Sejin was firm.

“Yes.”

-What......!

John, head of the U.S. branch, frowned.

But Lee Sejin was thinking this.

“Is there anyone, besides user Hyunsoo, who knows a user who can receive help from two legends?”

-.......

-.......

-.......

The branch heads fell silent. Two?

Forget two—there wasn’t even a user who could receive help from a single one.

“Ares pursues a high degree of freedom. Also, the first person to propose that we use a real, existing location within Ares as the space for the continental war, and then after the war ends, proceed so that quests can be done inside it, was Branch Head John.”

It was a clear fact.

Lee Sejin was someone who prepared for contingencies.

Of course, this was unexpected, but for contingencies he had suggested making it a completely virtual space.

However, there was a lot of agreement with John’s proposal.

Even if Lee Sejin was the CEO, it was something John had put forward first, and it received many votes.

The most important facts were the participating nations, China and Korea.

China’s branch head, Tao, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

-I don’t even think of it as becoming a variable in the continental war. Even if a level 1 user breaks into the continental war, what can he do?

You could see the uncontrollable curl of his lips beyond the screen.

Lee Sejin noticed the shallow trick.

‘After securing victory in the continental war, they’re planning a story: there was this kind of happening, and even so, we China won.’

China was already certain of victory.

Other branch heads spoke.

-If China’s branch head says it’s fine, I don’t think there’s anything more to say.

-That’s right. He’s a level 1 user, isn’t he?

-The power inside the arena will kick him out again in a few minutes.

Lee Sejin was meticulous.

“We’ll post an official apology statement, and from now on, have all cameras that were showing user Hyun shift to the Chinese users.”

Then China’s branch head, Tao, said:

-I’m not sure that’s necessary. The cameras will return to the Chinese users breaking the barrier anyway.

It was a remark that assumed victory.

After the video call ended, Lee Sejin quickly gave orders through his phone.

The screen on which he had conducted the video call showed the continental war again.

-Pureum Co., Ltd. has posted an official apology statement regarding what happened just now.

-Since it was the first continental war, it seems there were some insufficient parts in hosting the continental war.

-According to what Pureum Co., Ltd. disclosed, the user who entered is a level 1 user with power that cannot affect the competition at all......

-You can view it as one of the very small bugs that occurred in the continental war......

People forgot him in an instant. The war was nearing its end.

-Lee Hwan and the surviving users are engaging in one last fierce close battle.......

-The power of the legend artifacts worn by the Chinese users is vicious!

-Unable to create an upset, they are being forcibly logged out at high speed.

-The barrier’s durability drops sharply.......

Lee Sejin had no choice but to stare at the barrier breaking apart.

*****

Kang Hyuntae had listened to Hyunsoo’s story for four years.

Listen. He had to listen.

With the thought that he had to hear the story of his son who had been left alone in the world.

Of course, those stories were only an extremely small portion of what Hyunsoo had told.

Because that voice had only come faintly, only sometimes.

One year, two years, three years.

Hyunsoo’s voice laced with despair.

He thought he might have to sell the forge, it wasn’t easy to work because of the burns.

He missed him so much.

He had lived through that hell where he could only lie there, hearing those words.

But Hyunsoo started to change.

‘I started a game called Ares.’

Laughter began to appear in the kid’s voice.

‘They say it’s incredible, the blacksmithing skills you taught me.’

‘Today I made a legend artifact for the first time.’

‘Dad! Listen, I finally got the forge back!’

‘......Dad, I have a new goal.’

Hearing those stories, Hyuntae was happy.

The day he woke up listening to the TV sound of the continental war, he couldn’t think of anything.

‘I want to see my son.’

So he ran here. But on the way, he fell into fear.

What could he say to him, the one who had left him alone for four years?

Wasn’t he shameless?

But there was something he had to do.

He knew his son better than anyone.

And he also knew where his son was trying to reach.

So he said:

“Hyunsoo, get up.”

And as if it had been his groundless worry, to him—someone who had done nothing for him—Hyunsoo threw himself into him with all his strength.

WHAM-

Clinging to him, Hyunsoo’s mind began to return fully.

In this moment he had wished for over years, he held him with all his strength.

“H-hk, khhk, daaad.......”

Hyunsoo had a tickling sentence caught at the back of his throat.

That he’d had it so hard. But he didn’t spit it out.

Hyuntae cupped Hyunsoo’s cheek as he cried.

And he held Hyunsoo’s hands, full of injuries.

Before he knew it, the hands that had been small were now much bigger than his.

A few burning words went back and forth.

[Forced logout in 20 seconds.]

Hyuntae said.

“I’ll fall asleep again. But don’t worry. I’m certain I’ll wake up.”

Hyunsoo’s expression was stained with confusion, and Hyuntae handed him what he had drawn.

“It’s the crafting method for the Twin Dragon Sword.”

But to Hyunsoo right now, those words didn’t come in.

More than anything, he only held the father in front of him.

[Forced logout in 5 seconds.]

[Forced logout in 4 seconds.]

Hyuntae spoke urgently.

“I don’t think there’s anyone in the world who can make it just from seeing the crafting method. But among the people I know, exactly one.”

Hyuntae smiled faintly.

“You might be able to.”

KWAH-AHHK-

Once again Hyunsoo clung to Hyuntae.

He held his father to his chest as he scattered into light.

The moment he felt him scattering in his arms.

Hyuntae knew Hyunsoo better than anyone.

So he said the last words.

The last words that followed woke Hyunsoo’s mind.

Hyuntae, smiling brightly, scattered completely within Hyunsoo’s arms.

Before he knew it, the duration of the status effect Delirium ended.

Hyunsoo began to walk toward the castle, step by step.

-After 2 minutes, the barrier is expected to break.

-The Korean users really fought well!

-This time, the MVP is expected to be taken by the Chinese user Pond.......

The father he met after four years was the same as always.

The last words his father said before disappearing set Hyunsoo’s heart firmly upright.

Before he knew it, he had imprinted the crafting method his father had handed him into his eyes.

Just once. Holding it in his eyes a single time was more than enough.

Hyunsoo was certain.

‘I am, the last master craftsman in this world.’

Now Hyunsoo wanted to become king.

The Story Stone soared into the sky.

In the continental war, hundreds of cameras were running.

Those cameras began to track Hyunsoo’s actions.

-What is that mineral?

-It’s Crazy Rookie. Many experts have guessed he’s a weapon master, and it seems he’s going to summon another weapon.

-Even if he summons some weapon now, it doesn’t seem like anything will change.

-I want to send applause to Crazy Rookie for doing so well.

But it wasn’t what they knew.

HISSSSS-

A greatsword blade that finally revealed itself after finishing smelting and refining in the sky.

A crimson blade, heated red.

It could look similar to the buff-type Twin Dragon Sword, but the faces were harder and sharper, and it was more special.

[Story responds to the most perfect crafting method.]

[After several crafts, it surpasses its own limits by far.]

Below it, a black grip that was three times longer than an ordinary greatsword revealed itself.

Finally, in the sky, a mere blade and a mere grip met, and the most powerful perfect sword began to combine.

CLANK-

The patterns engraved into the blade, cooled from crimson into the brightest iron color, shone black.

KUGGGGGGG-

The screen the viewers watched shook along with the surging earth.

Behind the brief joy and sorrow of reunion, the words his father had carved deeply before disappearing.

“Hyunsoo, become king.”

Hyunsoo knew better than anyone that it meant: as always, don’t break down—move forward.

So he proved it.

[True Transcendence is written.]

It was engraved as a new history into the game called Ares, and as his father said, he became king.

[Congratulations.]

[You have risen to legend for the first time in the world.]

The king’s name, Master Craftsman Hyun, was Hyun.