Genius Blacksmith's Game

Korea Hotel.

Before 2 p.m., Ayaka stepped out of a Mercedes S-Class.

A company car from Pureum Co., Ltd.

On paper, she was “just” a team lead—but the title in front of her name was World Promotions Team Lead.

In most branches, that carried the same weight as a deputy director.

Ayaka waited for Hyun and looked up at Korea Hotel.

The most beautiful hotel in Korea. And one of the most expensive.

As she stood there, something she’d seen in a community post on the way over surfaced in her mind.

Right now, no matter what he did, Hyun was loved by the people of the Republic of Korea.

That wasn’t the point.

You still need a level of dignity that matches the seat you’re in.

Ayaka let out a bitter little smile.

And then—

VROOOOM—

The hotel staff suddenly broke into motion.

What?

A citizen heading inside blurted out,

“No way...... that’s a Rolls Black Pearl Edition......? There are only thirty in the world!”

“I can’t believe I’m seeing it in person.”

Ayaka liked cars too. A Rolls with a sleek black body was gliding into the entrance.

Did a chairman show up or something?

What threw her off was the timing.

The car stopped right behind theirs.

Why here? Why behind us?

No matter how high her title sounded, she was still only a team lead.

She found herself shrinking back for no reason—just as a hotel employee opened the door for the Rolls.

A young man, impeccably dressed, stepped out.

Beside him, a woman she took for a secretary got out as well.

For a moment, Ayaka didn’t recognize him.

Korea has a young tycoon like that?

Then a citizen’s voice snapped her out of it.

“Master Craftsman Hyun......!”

“......?”

Ayaka stiffened.

“T-Team Lead......?”

“Right now, this is.......”

Even her team members looked openly rattled.

A minute ago, they’d been hyping themselves up—Let’s show him the power of elite corporate workers, let’s go!

Hyun walked over.

“Team Lead Ayaka?”

Ayaka smoothed her expression into a pleasant smile.

In contract negotiations, she had a favorite method—one that often knocked the other side off balance.

She spoke Japanese instead of Korean.

If the other person didn’t understand the language, they’d get flustered. And she’d start from higher ground.

Ayaka switched to Japanese.

“How surprising. The First Legend is far more impressive than I imagined.”

She smiled with her eyes, expecting to see Hyun’s confusion.

But Hyun didn’t change expression. He simply turned his head to the side.

The woman beside him spoke instead.

“I’m Manager Kim Hyein. It’s an honor to meet the famous Team Lead Ayaka in person.”

Ayaka froze.

Her Japanese was smooth—good enough that Ayaka could’ve believed she was Japanese.

And then—

“Also, I heard you speak Korean very well, Team Lead Ayaka. Is that not true?”

Ayaka didn’t know much about Hyein.

Hyein had come back to Korea only a few days ago, and she’d been in the United States until recently.

Ayaka recovered and replied in Korean, a little too quickly.

“That’s right. I’m fairly good at Korean as well. Let me greet you properly again. I’m Team Lead Ayaka.”

They headed into the hotel together.

Ayaka felt her lips drying out.

What is this?

The World Promotions Team covered the entire world, so it was packed with people from different countries—

the United States, Russia, Italy, Japan, France, and more.

But what stunned her was this:

Kim Hyein seemed to read their nationalities at a glance—and spoke to each of them in their own language.

Five languages?

No—since she hadn’t confirmed it, it could’ve been more than that.

They entered the hotel conference room.

Now the real part starts.

She had to begin the negotiation over the contract fee.

Before that, Ayaka remembered the one lever they could still pull.

“I heard you brought a montage. Is that correct?”

A montage—

a tight edit of the coolest, most epic moments.

It was something Ayaka herself had suggested.

Because no matter how hard she searched, she couldn’t find a single video Hyun had uploaded personally.

Did he make it in one day? Or did he already have it prepared?

Ayaka didn’t know.

She only planned to watch it first—and set the contract fee based on what she saw.

Hyunsoo took out a USB.

Ayaka said, “Have you heard the saying, ‘A ranker and a star are different’?”

“Yes, I have.”

“Even if your ranking is high, people split into those who become stars and those who don’t. The ones who become stars are extremely rare. Was the editor someone competent?”

Hobum flashed through Hyunsoo’s mind.

This montage had been edited by Hobum.

Hyunsoo knew Hobum had once worked under the name Jin—an editor who’d been famous.

After receiving the file last night, Hyunsoo had asked him straight.

Hobum. Are you confident?

Hobum had replied on KkakkaoTalk with a single line.

[A masterpiece of a montage is in the making. (A masterpiece of a montage is being written.)]

He was riffing on the feeling from when he’d made Jumong’s horn bow.

Hyunsoo had watched the finished cut himself.

He was confident too.

“I think the contract fee will be different before you watch it and after you watch it.”

Ayaka’s number was one billion won.

Hyunsoo continued, “It’s not a video I plan to release yet. Have everyone step out. From here on, the negotiation will be just the two of us.”

Ayaka almost felt relieved.

Good. She could clear Hyein out.

And she made a face like she wasn’t expecting much.

Do you even know what my job is? Watching montages. Rewinding videos hundreds of times a day.

Rankers’ videos were no different.

Ayaka put in her earphones.

And she focused entirely on the laptop.

The opener will be the same as always. Grand music swelling in right away.

CLICK—

The video began.

A black screen.

And contrary to Ayaka’s expectation—no grand music.

Only a heavy silence.

Inside Ares, Hyun sat in a chair, dressed neatly—almost too clean.

White subtitles appeared beneath him, and the sound of keys being typed filled the quiet.

Hyun lowered his head.

His body was rigid, like he was searching for the right words.

Then it loosened.

Slowly, he lifted his head and spoke his first line.

The silence peeled away.

Grand music surged in—fast, driving.

A scene flashed: Hyun collapsed before the demon Graut.

Demon Graut asked,

The screen cut rapidly.

And through the fast-tempo music, a sound punched in—one everyone recognized.

Hammering.

CLANG!

On the screen—

[The first legend [N O V E L I G H T] is being written.]

Hyun stood holding a single sword, and raging waves of ice burst outward around him.

The first sword for Barad.

A woman’s voice—unknown—rang out.

From there the cuts accelerated, snapping from moment to moment.

CLANG!

[The second legend is being written.]

A dragon-flame sword forged in a world without dragons.

CLANG!

[The third legend is being written.]

A Four-Tiger Sword (a four-in sword), forged for the people—and for the nation.

CLANG!

[The fourth legend is being written.]

A trident revealing itself before a burning World Tree.

[The fifth legend is being written.]

Jumong’s horn bow—Korea’s folklore itself.

CLANG—

[The sixth legend is being written.]

The Supreme Saber, the most powerful longsword in the world.

CLANG—!

[The seventh legend is being written.]

The twelve ships that saved the nation—the turtle ships.

[The eighth legend is being written.]

The demonic sword Tyrfing, [Use the Enemy to Control the Enemy].

[The ninth legend is being written.]

A Legendary-grade attack-type Twin Dragon Sword.

And finally—

[The tenth legend is being written.]

The Lord’s Coat (Lord’s Court).

The screen shifted.

Hyunsoo was shown slumping, exhausted from endless blacksmithing.

His eyes were soaked with sweat and fatigue.

Then—

the instant he jerked the hammer up—his gaze flipped like a switch.

CLANG—!

The moment it came down, the notification the entire world had wondered about—what everyone wanted to see—was carved into the scene.

[The first Transcendence is being written.]

Ayaka’s heart started pounding hard.

The tempo surged toward a peak, and her palms dampened with sweat.

And then—the final continental war.

Hyunsoo walked toward the castle.

Above his head, ore surged upward like a column.

When it finished forming—when it became complete and settled into his hand—Ayaka nearly cheered out loud.

[True Transcendence is being written.]

The music slowed.

The sound softened.

And through that softening, the opening scene returned.

The first screen.

Demon Graut’s question.

Hyunsoo, seated in blood, said with an unshaken face—

The screen darkened again.

In the darkness—

[Master Craftsman Hyun.]

The words appeared.

And on the black background, the path he’d walked unfolded—everything born from his hands.

Ten legendary swords and two Twin Dragon Swords formed a circle, standing upright at right angles, flaunting their grandeur.

The video ended.

For a moment, Ayaka couldn’t speak.

Her earlier boredom had vanished.

Why is this... fun?

She didn’t know who edited it, but the craft was exceptional.

And it wasn’t just the edit.

Hyun’s artifacts backed it up—real weight, real history.

Ayaka liked stories, too.

And instead of opening with music, it opened with Hyun’s story.

Her lips dried again.

A thought rose up, uninvited.

If I’m hooked... how hooked will viewers be when this goes public?

But she forced herself back into business.

She watched this to negotiate the contract fee.

Even if she was captivated, she still had to point out what didn’t work.

“I... wanted to live. It’s a line that hits the heart. But if you put it in just to look cool, it’ll backfire.”

Ayaka knew that better than anyone.

The world hates fake emotion—manufactured sympathy.

But Hyun said, “...What if they relate to it? People worldwide like stories.”

“They do. But a forced story that doesn’t even exist—”

“It’s not forced.”

Hyunsoo began unbuttoning his suit jacket.

“People like stories about someone who gets back up after being trampled. They like a hard-won climb more than a silver-spoon victory.”

He rolled up his sleeves.

“Also, the power I have is something people like more than you’d think. People believe I got this far because I obtained a legendary profession.”

Ayaka tilted her head.

Then she saw it.

Faint burn scars, still visible beneath the skin.

Ayaka’s eyes shook.

Just like he’d said.

People like stories.

Especially stories that begin in despair—and then take flight.

Hyunsoo looked at her and said, “My manager said you’d set the contract fee low.”

Ayaka’s number had been one billion won.

And Hyunsoo knew his value better than anyone.

His power wouldn’t rust.

If anything, time would only make the server merge preview shine brighter—more valuable.

He remembered what Kim Hyein had told him.

You decide the contract fee, Hyunsoo.

The value Hyein had assigned to his appearance in the server merge preview.

“Three billion won. I won’t do it for less.”

Ayaka went still. (Ayaka went rigid.)

But as she replayed everything Hyunsoo had said, her eyes snagged on something else—

a scar on his right hand, unusually pronounced.

Her breath caught.

“No way... Master Craftsman Hyun....”

If her guess was right, this wasn’t just marketable.

It was worth more than any story she’d seen in her life.

“You were the real Master Craftsman Hyun...?”

And suddenly, Ayaka remembered his line from earlier.

The contract fee will be different before you watch it and after you watch it.

Now she understood.

Hyun wouldn’t just be a ranker.

He would be a global star.

The moment she realized I wanted to live was true, the sense of dramatic empathy surged upward—violent, undeniable.

Before she even returned to the contract fee, Ayaka had something she needed to say.

It was only a one-minute video.

She was a businessperson too, but she could admit what deserved to be admitted.

“This isn’t a video.”

Hyunsoo looked at her, puzzled.

“It’s art.”

Yes.

The path Hyun had walked for a year—

was art.