Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyunsoo had realized something while playing Ares.

The strong players people call high-rankers value pride and fame more than money. And rather than short-term greed, they look ahead.

Even Korea’s high-rankers lived in a world where they made tens of billions of won a year.

For high-rankers within the world top 100, it was over hundreds of billions.

I don’t know where they fall on that scale, though.

Through them, Hyunsoo had been picking up on it.

That they were probably the same as him.

As he was now, Hyunsoo could have played dumb and not repaid Kabel’s favor.

But he had the power to repay it, and more than money or his own greed, the relationship with them felt more important.

That was why he’d had this thought.

Even if I refused, I figured you’d do this anyway.

[A gift has arrived.]

[You received 2,000,000 gold anonymously.]

“Seriously... stubborn as hell. Seriously!”

Hyunsoo’s prediction had landed perfectly.

“I told you to give me just 1 billion, and you still sent 2 billion?”

A smile formed at the corner of Hyunsoo’s mouth.

If Villain’s Dagger reaches Transcendent, it’ll easily clear 2.5 billion.

Hyunsoo knew that too, and he was certain he’d pay it back in a different way.

What did they write?

He took out the note—one of their ways of paying him back.

In truth, Hyunsoo only knew that they were one of the strong assassins. He didn’t know they were the world’s best informant.

So without expecting much, he unfolded the note.

[Give me your blessing. To Lucky Lump.]

“......?”

Hyunsoo’s face turned puzzled.

The line on the note, “Give me your blessing,” was a kind of quest.

Hyunsoo began rewinding to the time he had awakened the Seed of Life in Atlas.

*****

After awakening so much in Atlas.

By walking the path of the Virtuous King, Hyunsoo came face-to-face with a notification.

[You already possess two of the three most powerful powers a Saint must have.]

[You can unlock the final one through a quest.]

By walking the path of the Virtuous King, Hyunsoo gained the qualification to obtain the three most powerful powers carried by a Saint.

And he had been waiting for the quest that would unlock that final one.

It triggered when Hyunsoo, exhausted, entered the Audience Chamber.

Ding!

[A ‘Hidden Quest: Give me your blessing’ is generated.]

Sitting in the Audience Chamber chair, Hyunsoo opened it right away.

[Hidden Quest: Give me your blessing]

Grade: S

Restriction: A candidate for the Virtuous King

Reward: One Who Bears Stories

Penalty on failure: You cannot become a Virtuous King

Description: Virtuous Kings were special kings who once led the continent, and they were known for their deep friendships with many outstanding and powerful people.

You, too, as a candidate for the Virtuous King, must prove that you will walk that path through meeting outstanding people.

Also, when you meet them, place a hand on their body and say, ‘Give me your blessing,’ you can receive their blessing and increase various things such as stats or skill proficiency.

Furthermore, depending on how much power the one granting the blessing possesses, the stats /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ or skill proficiency gained will differ. It can be done four times, and you must fill the blessing rate to 100% or more across those four times in order to succeed.

However, it cannot be applied to those who have granted you a blessing even once.

[Power flows that can let you meet four people and receive their blessing.]

If you defined this quest in a single sentence, it was a total jackpot.

Hyunsoo could choose the targets he wanted.

Of course, it would only be possible if the other side approved.

Anyway, even if they didn’t have the ability to bestow praise or a blessing, it still applied.

The most important point was this.

If it’s applied to someone outstanding, you gain that much more beyond just stats.

If it’s applied to someone insignificant, you gain things that are just as insignificant.

There was one more variable: the blessing rate.

If he didn’t meet the blessing rate requirement, he wouldn’t obtain “One Who Bears Stories,” the last of the greatest powers held by the Saint class.

I still don’t know exactly what the power of One Who Bears Stories is.

But he had something he was hoping for.

The ability Kern had once talked about—turning ordinary minerals into Story Stone.

For now, I can’t receive this blessing from Barad, King Ben, or Saint Aria.

The description said it couldn’t be received from anyone who had granted him a blessing even once.

I’m curious. If I apply this to outstanding people, how much will it increase?

In any case, he could choose only four people.

For Hyunsoo, he had to be careful.

Fortunately, a notification like this also appeared.

[You will be able to take an example, once, by selecting a target.]

[However, if you receive Give me your blessing through the target you used as an example, your actual stats will not increase.]

In the current Atlas Territory, Hyunsoo could think of only one person worth using as an example.

KNOCK-KNOCK—

“Lord, may I come in?”

So Bella really does come when I mention her!

Hyunsoo walked over to Bella, who had come in to report.

“Bella, there’s something I need to check. Can you help me?”

“Of course.”

“Then hold my hand for a moment.”

“My hand? Why are you suddenly asking me to hold your hand?”

Bella looked flustered.

“I need to confirm something.”

“Ah... yes.”

Soon, Bella gently took Hyunsoo’s hand.

“Give me your blessing. Apply it as an example.”

[Applying Give me your blessing as an example.]

[Depending on how much power the one granting the blessing possesses, what you gain—such as stats and skill proficiency—will differ.]

[Bella’s blessing descends.]

[Blessing rate 18% is applied.]

[You acquire Sword Mastery 1.]

[Sword attack power and cutting power increase by 12%, critical hit chance increases by 15%.]

[Strength and Stamina increase by 1% each.]

[As this is an example, it does not actually apply.]

“......!?”

Hyunsoo was stunned. The effects it raised were greater than he had expected.

It was close to the level of the blessing of a friend that Barad had granted directly.

The blessing of a friend Hyunsoo remembered was: all stats +8, sword attack power +15%, sword cutting power +10%, and penetration +10%.

Even when it’s applied to Bella, it’s comparable to the blessing of a friend...?

Then he realized one fact.

The blessing rate only went up to 18%.

In other words, even if he met four people like Bella and applied the quest Give me your blessing, he wouldn’t obtain what the Saint left behind.

From that, Hyunsoo learned one thing.

At minimum, I have to receive it from a legend-tier.

GLUG—

If Bella was this much, he started wondering how much blessing a legend-tier would give.

“Lord, your hand....”

“Ah, sorry.”

Hyunsoo realized he’d been unconsciously squeezing and let go.

Anyway, watching Bella leave after finishing her report, Hyunsoo thought,

“This is harder than I expected....”

He had to meet four legend-tier people and either hold hands or have some kind of physical contact.

And they had to be friendly toward him and approve it.

If he walked up to some random legend and said, “Can you hold my hand?” he’d be forcefully logged out on the spot.

In other words, it really was a jackpot quest—but making it real wouldn’t be easy.

And Hyunsoo also had something he was curious about.

Does this include potential, too?

Potential referred to a being with the possibility of growing further in the future.

In Ares, there were many who hadn’t reached it yet but had the possibility of reaching legend-tier.

“Of course, with potential alone, it’ll probably increase less than an actual legend.”

That was why Hyunsoo felt regret.

“Damn it! Pureum Co., Ltd.! Damn it! Pureum Co., Ltd.!”

He realized just how crafty and calculating Pureum Co., Ltd. was.

If only I could receive it again from someone I already received it from, I could’ve gotten it from four people!

If that had been possible, Hyunsoo would have become far stronger than he was now.

Even though it was something he already knew, once he realized the power that descends as a blessing was bigger than expected, it stung.

The only one I can do this with right now is Sage Arte. Arte still hasn’t come back from Valas Territory, so I’ll have to meet them soon.

In other words, to fully clear this, it might mean Hyunsoo had to build ties with three more legend-tier people going forward.

Only then can I unlock the Saint’s final power.

Hyunsoo’s sigh grew deep.

“Eeeehhhhh.......”

Nothing in the world was easy.

That was what he’d thought back then.

*****

Now.

He read the contents of the note again.

[Give me your blessing. To Lucky Lump.]

Who the hell were you, anyway?

Hyunsoo asked the question to his nameless friend.

It meant they had known about this quest he had obtained.

“Do you have some kind of Clairvoyance or something?”

If Kabel heard that, it would have hit close to home.

“What exactly is Lucky Lump?”

From the start, the fact that his nameless friend had known meant they possessed information power that exceeded Hyunsoo’s expectations by far.

They understand this quest too, so they’re telling me to try it on Lucky Lump.

In truth, he could only apply it four times.

And since he had to fill the blessing rate to 100% within those four times, it made him cautious.

But Hyunsoo trusted them—the one who’d been told to send 1 billion and still sent 2 billion.

Let’s do it.

Hyunsoo moved to find Lucky Lump.

*****

Dogs sleep a lot.

In reality, Lucky Lump was often found asleep all over the territory.

In the fruit shop owner’s arms.

Beside the guard soldier, Pao.

Sometimes he’d be found at the soldiers’ training grounds, or in the stables.

Today, for some reason, he was sleeping on the dog cushion Hyunsoo had laid out.

“Lucky Luuump~”

Hyunsoo called out to Lucky Lump and felt dumbfounded.

Earlier, he’d been crying because his friend had left. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

But now, the little guy who’d been sleeping deeply lifted his head slowly when he was called.

With some of his fur flattened, he looked at Hyunsoo with sleepy eyes.

“WOOF....”

Still not fully awake even as he yawned, he wagged his tail like a helicopter—it was ridiculously cute.

Then he padded over lightly, and Hyunsoo scooped him up.

“Yeah, my baby. Yeah, my baby.”

That puppy smell tickled Hyunsoo’s nose.

“WOOF....”

Holding him tight, Hyunsoo looked at the little guy with snot running from his black nose.

And the notification he’d heard when the little guy first woke from the wolf egg flashed through his mind.

[It will be the most special existence.]

But unlike his expectations, Lucky Lump only looked like an ordinary(?) mixed-breed country dog.

Always hungry, cute, and when he sees me, he comes running with that chubby butt.

Just an extremely common country puppy.

What kind of power does he have?

Of course, Hyunsoo still didn’t know about the many things Lucky Lump had accomplished.

He was only betting on one expectation.

I’ve seen the interviews too.

Hyunsoo was becoming a hot topic among peak-tier rankers.

Now that the server merge had happened, they might already be trying to track down his Atlas.

He had to get stronger.

Strong enough that they can’t even predict it....

All over the world, outstanding analysts and high-rankers were analyzing everything about Hyunsoo.

Damage output, defense, the skills he had, artifact skills—down to how to respond to him.

Hyunsoo needed power that had grown in ways they couldn’t predict.

“Lucky Lump, give me strength!”

The moment Hyunsoo applied Give me your blessing, light rippled from Lucky Lump.

“WOOF...!”

As if Lucky Lump felt the light too, his eyes widened.

[Lucky Lump’s blessing descends.]

But when no other notification came, Hyunsoo panicked.

Was there a condition to apply it? Like, maybe it can’t even be applied to something too weak...?

That was possible.

Lucky Lump’s Attack Power was about 3, and his Defense was 2.

Then a notification came.

[It is not easy to measure.]

[It is an existence that possesses infinite potential.]

Hyunsoo had once made a hypothesis.

Even if potential is high, does that much power get applied?

He’d forgotten.

That this fluffy, cute puppy’s potential was uniquely ∞ in this world.

[Measurement is complete.]

[Lucky Lump’s blessing descends.]

[You acquire blessing rate 49%.]

Hyunsoo was horrified.

Considering Bella had been 18%, it was unbelievable.

And his heart started pounding like crazy.

Because of the expectation of how much Lucky Lump could make him stronger.

Then the notifications surged wildly.