Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyunsoo looked at the Saint’s Sword and came to one firm conclusion.

The Saint’s Sword is a sword that wasn’t all that great—until someone poured an enormous power into it.

The fact that the Saint’s Sword was pathetic was proven by every metric.

Even if you just opened the artifact’s details, it was nowhere near Legendary—more like something that would struggle to even qualify as Rare.

But that power someone unknown had breathed into it.

That’s probably what the “Saint” setting is.

And as he looked at the Saint’s Sword, another thought came to him.

In real life, a master smith doesn’t restore an ordinary soldier’s sword.

It was obvious.

If a restoration happened, then the owner of that sword wouldn’t be some ordinary soldier—he’d be a hero who left behind a legend.

Most real-world smith restorations were aimed at famous blades.

And restoring famous blades was difficult.

Because you had to restore everything—the razor edge, the unshakable balance, the beauty the sword held within it.

So for Hyunsoo, restoring some sword that rolled around everywhere was nothing but an absurdly easy job.

And on top of that...

Anium.

The funny thing was, even the materials used in this Saint’s Sword weren’t anything special.

Now you add Anium, the mineral of legend.

Even an idiot could see it.

A better maker.

Better materials.

A restoration job that was easy to begin with.

[This restoration far surpasses the original maker.]

[The sword becomes sharper and more outstanding.]

[The sword’s special functions improve, and its physical attack power and durability rise greatly.]

[The holy power contained within the mineral exerts its strength.]

It was true that Hyunsoo didn’t have a Restoration skill.

But the Restore button existed.

If he pressed that Restore button, nothing happened to Hyunsoo.

It only showed him the process of restoration.

Of course, for other blacksmiths, that would be the start of applying the Restoration skill.

And Hyunsoo had already begun to immerse himself to an extreme degree.

Because even just imagining restoration work was enjoyable.

A sword the Saint had stabbed into the earth 800 years ago.

Even if time had rusted it into a sword that looked like it would snap if you flicked it, its nobility remained.

And the proof of that nobility was the territory residents living here.

In other words—now, it was with my people.

Hyunsoo was the type who would drown with nothing but his lips bobbing above water, but he had sincerity too.

Why would they stay in this miserable territory for 800 years?

Because of nobility.

Hyunsoo wanted to protect their nobility.

And at the end of the restoration, he heard it.

[This is the most perfect restoration method.]

[No one will be able to restore the Saint’s Sword this splendidly.]

He finished the restoration.

[The experience and knowledge of a blacksmith with the skill of a master smith are infused into it, making it superior to the original Saint’s Sword.]

[Legendary grade.]

Unfortunately, the grade itself didn’t go up.

No—wouldn’t it be even weirder if it did?

If you tore the Saint’s Sword apart piece by piece from the start, it had been a ridiculously shabby sword.

What was fortunate was that, with Hyunsoo’s touch, it might now possess power worthy of a true Legendary.

Then Hyunsoo’s eyes went wide when he saw the notification that popped up.

W-what did it just say...?

Hyunsoo screamed.

“N-no! Nooo, nooooo! I’m screwed...!”

He was screwed. Hyunsoo had no choice but to wail.

Without even realizing it, his hands tightened as he grabbed and tore at his hair.

[The blacksmith’s soul is activated.]

[While /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ making this sword, you immersed yourself more than anyone.]

[You empathized deeply with the obsession to create a better Saint’s Sword, and with those who, for 800 years, have protected this place without leaving, generation after generation.]

[The Saint’s Sword becomes one stage more outstanding.]

[Legend Above Legendary grade.]

The notification clearly said he’d obtained something even better.

In other words, this Saint’s Sword could be called a masterpiece.

The reason he was screaming was simple.

That means it really is a bug item...!

And the conclusion with bug items was always the same.

They got reclaimed.

Meaning, even if Hyunsoo made it insanely good, he wouldn’t be allowed to keep it.

But Hyunsoo steadied his breathing.

It came out too good, so I got worked up for a second.

The moment he checked again, his vision went dizzy.

I mean—how could I not get worked up...?

That third masterpiece-grade artifact was a sword he wanted to own that badly.

And the part that shocked him the most was this.

Oh my... does this even make sense?

The reason the original Saint’s Sword seemed like a bug item was because it had a skill that was pure nonsense: Saint’s Blessing.

It was consumable, but the number of uses was a whopping 200.

And because it had no cooldown, unless someone shaved off 100% of the owner’s HP in a single hit, the sword’s owner couldn’t die.

Until all 200 uses were consumed.

Why it was utterly broken could be summed up like this:

At this point, I’d kill demon Graut by myself.

Yeah—unless the level difference was 250 or more, it was huntable.

That was a level that went far beyond infinite regeneration.

But now, the already-insane Saint’s Blessing function had gotten even better.

This is actually, unbelievably insane.

Hyunsoo let out a bitter laugh.

That was when Kern and the territory residents approached Hyunsoo.

*****

Kern and the territory residents held their breath as they watched Hyunsoo, emotions they couldn’t name filling their faces.

A full four days.

During that time, they slept and ate.

But their newly arrived lord hadn’t.

And among them, the one most deeply moved was Kern.

In truth, Kern was someone who knew many stories of this place.

And as Kern watched Hyunsoo, one thought crossed their mind.

Was this how the ancestors felt when they looked at the Saint?

No—Kern was certain.

The respect I feel for the lord before me is even greater.

We had wished that the Saint’s Sword, which held its place for 800 years, would never break.

And yet we spent four days eating, sleeping, and relieving ourselves.

But our newly arrived lord poured all four days into restoring the Saint’s Sword.

It was for us!

They didn’t sleep for us!

A lord who knows how to cherish their people!

Of course, it was also a misunderstanding born from not knowing Hyunsoo’s production method.

Though it was also true that half of that heart was there.

Either way, their respect for Hyunsoo grew with every passing day.

And then Hyunsoo screamed while clutching his head.

Seeing him, they felt the restoration had failed.

But Kern and the territory residents looked into each other’s eyes.

Even so, they are our lord.

They did their best for us.

From now on, I serve Hyunsoo—not the Saint.

With reddened eyes, they approached Hyunsoo.

Hyunsoo watched the still-grimy territory residents coming closer.

A lot of them had tears pooling in their eyes.

Why are they reacting like this?

Kern suddenly bowed.

“My lord, it’s fine even if we have no Saint’s Sword.”

“That’s right!”

“Even if you failed to restore the Saint’s Sword, someone more important to us than the first lord has appeared!” 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“Lord Hyunsoo, even if there’s no Saint’s Sword from now on, we will create something like a Saint’s Sword together with you!”

“We will become only your people!”

They made a burning vow.

[All the people of Atlas Territory respect and cherish you.]

[They will never betray you, and they will do their utmost to develop the territory for you alone.]

[You obtain 10 Charisma.]

[You obtain 30 Fame.]

And yet—

“What are you all talking about? The restoration of the Saint’s Sword ended perfectly. It’s even far better than it was before.”

“...Pardon?”

They couldn’t help but recall what Hyunsoo had looked like a moment ago.

“Then why did you...?”

“...There’s a reason.”

Hyunsoo’s chest tightened.

With confidence, he held out the Saint’s Sword to Kern.

“See it for yourself. The thing you protected.”

Kern’s chest burned hot.

The thing they had protected for 800 years.

The instant they confirmed it, Kern felt like their heart stopped.

Swaying, wearing an expression of disbelief, Kern stared at the Saint’s Sword.

In that moment, one thought flashed through Kern’s mind.

Maybe... this person could surpass the Saint.

That was how incredible the sword’s changed performance was.

And to Kern, still staring in disbelief, Hyunsoo said:

“From now on, I’m your lord.”

*****

China Branch Head Tao ran straight to the China Special User Management Team.

The moment they opened the door and stepped inside, they couldn’t hide their baffled expression.

Because of the state the team was in—like people soaked in something foul.

Their eyes were hollow, dark circles carved deep beneath them.

And as if their necks had stiffened over the past few days, they were even sticking their necks forward like turtles.

On top of that, dozens of takeout disposable cups were piled in front of each team member, and the ashtray had cigarette butts stacked like a hedgehog mountain.

The most outrageous sight was Team Lead Wang.

Someone who hadn’t been able to properly wash for days.

Even the suit that had once been neat was loosened and hanging open.

But Tao pushed all that aside.

They had already heard everything through the reports.

And also, Tao had agreed to take full responsibility for everything happening in Atlas.

They checked the restored Saint’s Sword—and went speechless.

(Saint’s Sword)

Grade: Legend Above Legendary

Durability: Infinite

Attack Power: 501

Restriction: Lord of Atlas

Special Abilities:

·Holy Power 26%

·Physical Attack Power and Magic Attack Power against evil +60%

·Active Skill: Eyes That See the People

·Passive Skill: With God

·Active Skill: Back Down

·Active Skill: Holy Protection

·Active Skill: Saint’s Blessing

Description: A holy relic of Atlas designated by the first lord, the Saint. A sword that had been losing its edge as time passed has, by the fingertips of a master smith, become vastly superior to the original Saint’s Sword.

Tao’s eyes shook.

W-what is this?

Beside them, Team Lead Wang spoke in a voice that couldn’t believe what they were seeing.

“Branch Head, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. A small mistake that Team Lead Jincho made has turned into a real bug because of that user.”

Tao agreed completely.

A small mistake had created a real bug.

Tao steadied their breathing.

The core was Saint’s Blessing.

Everything depended on what kind of power this Saint’s Blessing held.

And the moment Tao checked it, they went speechless again.

They fully agreed with Team Lead Wang’s words.

A normal mistake... met a user, and became a dangerous bug...

(Saint’s Blessing)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: None

Cooldown: None

Uses Available: 450/450

Description: Upon activation, restores HP and MP by 100%.

First of all, the uses had increased by 250 compared to before.

And now even MP filled to 100%.

China Branch Head Tao’s vision went dark.

With a hand pressed to their forehead, they looked like they might stagger.

As mentioned, Tao had to take full responsibility for everything.

Meaning—

“With a sword like this, what are we even supposed to put on the table as bargaining power?”

Tao hated user Hyunsoo.

Because he had led their country to defeat in the Continental War.

The problem was that the China branch had to reclaim that sword even if it meant giving Hyunsoo the best reward they possibly could.

*****

To Hyunsoo, there was something more important than the Saint’s Sword.

There’s something in this territory.

Something that could turn Hyun’s Forge of despair into hope.

Now Kern, eyes overflowing with respect, spoke.

“The Atlas Territory the Saint left behind is an ancient territory.”

Just as Hyunsoo had expected.

“At one time, this place was a great territory. You can tell just by looking at the vast land spread out before you.”

Even in the Kingdom of Goyard, it was hard to find a great territory like this.

“It was also the most powerful great territory—one that even the kingdom couldn’t do anything about. It overflowed with talented people, and it had strong soldiers, and an immense number of territory residents working to develop the territory.”

And then Kern told a tragic story.

“Those people met death on the same day, and now they have become the people of antiquity. And the legend was passed down.”

What Kern was describing was one of the dozens of levers Lee Sejin had inserted.

In Ares, there was no button that let you just buy territory residents or troops with currency.

But there was one method—the only method—that could make it possible.

“The countless people who lived in ancient times, who built a great territory... and the great territory Atlas.”

Kern looked at Hyunsoo and said:

“The day you meet a true lord... everything that sleeps awakens.”