Genius Blacksmith's Game

Bahala, who had been clashing with Luxiu, flinched to a stop.

Between the lingering remnants of Extinguish Evil’s splash-damage effect—

[It is attack power that even the Sword God cannot dare to reach.]

[The Sword God is special.]

[Rather than despairing when you face someone’s immensity, you should move forward.]

In that place, Bahala’s eyes caught Hyunsoo standing there—and Legion Commander Robs collapsing.

The notice left Bahala flustered.

The targets of this “even the Sword God cannot dare” notice—

These were notices Bahala had heard while facing legends across the continent back when Bahala was only in the level 300s.

And after Bahala passed level 400, it had never rung even once.

This notice was what you heard when you felt a gigantic wall.

Right now... I feel a wall?

Of course, Bahala knew it too.

That was nothing more than the logic of percentages—power that manifested at an utterly vicious probability.

But Bahala couldn’t deny it, because Bahala stood at the very top—and because the one who had obtained it was Hyunsoo.

In the end, that is Hyunsoo’s power.

And no matter how strong that power was, it couldn’t kill a legion commander in a single blow.

The reason it had been possible.

Even while afflicted with status ailments, Hyunsoo had slammed Legion Commander Robs into the splash-damage radius.

And even knowing certain defeat, Hyunsoo hadn’t retreated—Hyunsoo had searched for a method.

A memory flashed through Bahala’s mind.

“You’re too weak.”

“......”

“A lot.”

The words that had gouged into Bahala’s chest when Hyunsoo had asked to come along.

They stabbed in again.

When will I ever be able to deal a single-hit damage like that?

The one standing at the highest point was Bahala.

And today, the “highest” of something had been stolen by someone else.

Two?

Come to think of it, including the number one of the year—this was already the second time.

Bahala thought.

I want to fight you one year from now.

For Bahala, the rank #1 who had never had a worthy opponent, fighting spirit boiled up.

Then Bahala quickly sorted their thoughts.

In the middle of combat, getting distracted... huh?

Bahala turned their head, and froze.

The lesser demon who had been fighting fiercely with Bahala until just a moment ago.

The one with eyes so black that you couldn’t tell whites from irises.

Somehow, whites had appeared—Luxiu was now staring at Hyunsoo with an expression even more shocked than Bahala’s.

*****

A moment—brainwashing, blurred.

But Luxiu couldn’t stop fighting, and continued endless collisions with the man in front.

Then Luxiu’s gaze was stolen for an instant by the splash’s lingering remnants, and Luxiu saw one man being brutally toyed with.

Because Luxiu saw it in the gap where the brainwashing loosened, Luxiu made a mistake.

Luxiu understood the Demon Realm’s hierarchy better than anyone.

Ordinary demonfolk displayed about level 350 strength.

Weak for demonfolk? No.

It meant an ordinary demonfolk, as “ordinary,” displayed 350.

Among ordinary humans, there weren’t even people who could display level 100 strength.

Anyway.

Ordinary demonfolk: 350.

Trained demonfolk: 400.

And above that, another rank.

Combat demonfolk—comparable to knights among humans—were 450.

And above that. Legion commanders at the commander tier displayed strength between 480 and 550.

And legion commanders were superior to other races at the same level.

That was what demonfolk blood was.

A combat race specialized solely for fighting.

A race with regeneration that far surpassed humans, and superior even to dark elves—said to be born for battle.

And because Robs was legion-commander class, even if cut, recovery should have occurred to some extent immediately.

But—

SHIIING—!

It was only one strike.

Thud—

Its head fell.

And the cut surface of that falling head was so [N O V E L I G H T] clean that it couldn’t even recover, as if announcing death.

Luxiu fell into massive shock, and one power Hyunsoo possessed activated on Luxiu.

(The Lord’s Grace)

Unique Title

Grade: S

Special Ability:

·If it is judged that someone has received a favor from you that they can never forget, it triggers at an 8% probability.

·When it triggers, they will develop a desire to be with you, or deep respect and loyalty, and may develop other feelings as well.

·They may volunteer to become your vassal.

As written, it was a power that triggered when it judged someone had received a never-forgettable favor.

Until now, Luxiu had been tormented by Legion Commander Robs’s inferiority complex and jealousy.

With bullshit like “This is part of Lady Gremory’s test,” Robs would carve Luxiu’s body with a blade and cackle, “How’s a lesser demon’s recovery?”

Having Luxiu’s head ground under a foot was daily life.

Especially the order to erase a kingdom with Luxiu’s own hands—a kingdom where Luxiu’s family, and a father who might still be alive, could be.

Even if Luxiu had been called the undefeated knight, Luxiu was nothing more than a human with emotions.

No matter what the man’s intentions were, the moment he severed Robs’s neck in a single strike, Luxiu’s long rage and resentment melted.

And Luxiu had just heard him say it.

I, too, am a legend.

The highest realm a human could stand upon.

And ironically, the aura Luxiu felt from the man was paltry.

But do you know what that meant?

Because he has paltry power, he can still grow.

Luxiu held a dream, and saw hope.

Luxiu’s whites darkened again as the brainwashing returned.

Please grant me a chance for revenge.

Luxiu had thought it.

If anyone gave Luxiu a chance for revenge, Luxiu would do anything.

But Luxiu’s eyes had already turned pitch-black again, and Luxiu fell back into being a lesser demon.

*****

I am a legend, but I felt a gigantic wall in front of other legends.

It was a reality Hyunsoo couldn’t deny.

Even standing on the same realm, Hyunsoo knew Hyunsoo couldn’t line up shoulders with them.

And the notices Hyunsoo had heard, Hyunsoo’s low level now, and the continent’s reactions—those were proof.

However—

[Legion Commander Robs, who massacred humanity, was the object of fear for many humans.]

Today, Hyunsoo broke through one wall.

[You have hunted Legion Commander Robs.]

Beyond that fallen wall, there were higher walls still—but now Hyunsoo gained one certainty, and one confidence.

I will soon break down those walls, one by one.

Having a low level meant—

There’s room to grow faster than other legends.

And if the only legend-level achievement Hyunsoo had accomplished was crafting Transcendent grade artifacts—

It means that in countless battles and stories ahead, I can leave new achievements and keep moving forward.

Hyunsoo finally understood.

It wasn’t that becoming a legend had been insufficient. From here on, Hyunsoo could build it up.

In fact, in this moment, Hyunsoo—who had been low level compared to other legends—grew stronger.

[You receive the privilege of defeating a legend.]

[3x experience and 3x drop rate are applied.]

[You acquire 4,310,010 experience.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

It was an extraordinary amount of experience. With the single achievement of solo-hunting a legend, Hyunsoo pulled off twelve level-ups.

Twelve level-ups while still in the 300s was undeniably a shocking number.

[You acquire 531,689 gold.]

On top of that came roughly five hundred million won’s worth—and items.

[You acquire the legion commander’s training manual.]

[You acquire Legion Commander Robs’s whip.]

And Hyunsoo expected something else as well.

That expectation was tied to the original reason Hyunsoo had come here.

When Hyunsoo first encountered Robs, Hyunsoo saw the black light of Skill Collection.

[Legend grade. You can acquire the legion commander’s horns.]

[Legend grade. You can acquire the legion commander’s blood.]

The notices said Hyunsoo could obtain those two materials.

Unfortunately, Hyunsoo’s number of successful hits on Robs was, at best, only one.

Nothing....

Collection had a 3% chance, upon a successful hit, to bring back a material from the target.

It was regrettable, but Hyunsoo was satisfied enough.

[If the achievement becomes known, bards will create songs for you and praise you.]

[Poets will write the poetry of a master blacksmith for you.]

[The bereaved who lost their families will carry respect and gratitude for the legend—Master Blacksmith—and spread your name widely.]

[Some of the legends who denied you will partially acknowledge you.]

Ding!

[Legend Quest: The Legend Who Defeated a Legend completed.]

[Legend Skill. You acquire Master Blacksmith’s Pride.]

(Master Blacksmith’s Pride)

Grade: Legend

Level: 1

Penalty: None

Mana Cost: 100

Effect:

·If they are 50 levels or more below you, merely facing you will plunge them into status ailments.

·They will feel the pride of you—who climbed from the lowlands to legend—and will fall into the status ailments “Helplessness,” “Dignity,” and “Self-Loathing,” weakening.

·If you show pride one more time during battle, you may weaken them further.

·Depending on the situation, Master Blacksmith’s Pride manifests even if their level is similar to yours or higher.

·At times, your pride will resist any status-ailment technique.

·It has an on/off function.

It was a good title, and it was different from the effect caused by the legend stat Overwhelm that Hyunsoo possessed.

The Overwhelm Hyunsoo had experienced mostly occurred during battle.

Of course, it might be different once Hyunsoo’s Overwhelm stat grew far larger, but for now, that was how it was.

But this Master Blacksmith’s Pride triggered at first contact.

And if Hyunsoo showed pride one more time during battle, Hyunsoo could weaken the opponent further.

And the point that was completely different from Overwhelm was that Master Blacksmith’s Pride was aimed solely at an “enemy.”

Because Overwhelm was a superior version of charisma, it also applied to allies—territory residents, and the like.

If Overwhelm was the lord’s own dignity, then Master Blacksmith’s Pride was about crushing an enemy’s momentum and forcing submission.

However. There was one disappointing part.

Mana cost 100?

This cost seemed to apply per single target.

Overwhelming someone for only 100 mana?

But it could also be seen this way.

If I use it when thousands are gathered, or when hundreds of monsters are present, it means my MP gets drained before I even realize it.

No skill could be completely broken.

Maybe this was the difference between NPCs and users.

Now Hyunsoo focused on something else.

Hyunsoo watched Luxiu charging fiercely at Bahala.

Give me, your loyalty and The Lord’s Grace ringing at the same time....

It meant the chance of gaining Luxiu was that high. Just imagining it made Hyunsoo’s heart shake.

But there was also an absurd fact.

It’s impossible.

Luxiu was a target they ultimately had to kill.

Hyunsoo couldn’t shout, “Bahala, stop and make him my vassal!”

The moment they gave Luxiu room for that kind of deliberation, Hyunsoo and Bahala would be forcibly logged out.

Luxiu was that insanely strong.

Even more astounding was the fact that Bahala—one who walked the Sword God’s Path—was exchanging sword strikes evenly with lesser demon Luxiu.

In skill, he’s on Bahala’s level too.

In the first place, this path was Bahala’s job quest—top priority.

[Party member Bahala’s HP drops below 70%.]

“Kgh!”

Bahala shaved off 6% of Luxiu’s HP and took 30% damage in return. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

There was nothing Hyunsoo could do about it—and it was the choice Hyunsoo had to make.

SHKAAAA—!

Hyunsoo joined in.

Hyunsoo’s chest burned, aching hot.

Someone who might have become a vassal—Hyunsoo had to kill with Hyunsoo’s own hands.

And even if Hyunsoo was weaker than Bahala, Hyunsoo’s stats were still high-ranker class—roughly level 430.

And thanks to the effect of absurd artifacts, Hyunsoo’s intervention changed the balance.

SHRK-SHRK-SHRK—!

Transcendent blades swung from both sides, increasing the damage dealt to Luxiu’s body.

[Luxiu’s HP drops below 3%.]

It had already reached the highlight.

At last, we go toward a new Sword God’s Path.

Bahala fell into immense anticipation.

Farewell, Luxiu.

SHIIING—!

Hyunsoo cut into Luxiu’s side and felt a bitter taste.

[Luxiu’s HP drops below 2%.]

Hyunsoo pulled back the Twin Dragon Sword for the finishing blow—then froze.

Rapture and despair struck Hyunsoo at the same time.

Jackpot...!

First, rapture.

Ding!

[Hidden Quest: Luxiu’s Liberation]

Grade: SS

Restriction: One who drove Luxiu to liberation

Reward: Luxiu returns to human form.

Penalty on failure: You cannot liberate Luxiu.

Description: Luxiu is a powerful human knight who has never lost. Demon Gremory, valuing that talent, abducted him and injected demonic energy, turning him into a lesser demon. If you succeed in killing Luxiu, Luxiu as a lesser demon will die, and he will regain his true form from the past.

The final piece of every puzzle.

And the despair that followed made curses burst from Hyunsoo and Bahala’s mouths.

“X damn it!”

“Insane!”

[Demon Gremory descends.]

Robs’s corpse.

From within it, in an instant, a woman appeared—two massive horns rising up.

A mesmerizing woman, even before being a demon.

But her power stood in stark contrast.

[Demon Descent]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Despair status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Frustration status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Fear status ailment.]

[Status ailment......]

[Status ailment......]

Amid endless notices—

[Demon Gremory Lv.604]

The two of them were overwhelmed by Transcendent-species power.

The Genius Blacksmith’s Game

Royal Shop (7)

Crunch, crunch.

A being stretched with a yawn, emerging together with black demonic energy surging up from within Robs’s corpse.

“Haaah.”

A sound of bone joints aligning, at odds with that elegant stretch.

If Saint Aria was beautiful like good, then she was beautiful like evil.

A voluptuous body and black skin.

A presence where decadence and beauty coexisted.

She looked simply beautiful—yet the notice told you who she was.

[Legion Commander Gremory is the only demon who commands 22 legions.]

Like Legion Commander Robs, she was also a kind of tamer.

But she was on a different level than Legion Commander Robs.

Robs was merely a legion commander who led demonfolk and demonic beasts in the level 370–430 range.

But she commanded twenty-two legion commanders like Robs—she was a queen and sovereign of more than a million in total.

In the Demon Realm, there was no one who had formed an army as peerless as hers.

And also—

[Demon Descent.]

[Even with Sword God’s Dignity, you cannot resist.]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Despair status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Frustration status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Extreme Fear status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Unreachable Wall status ailment.]

[You are afflicted with the Infinite Helplessness status ailment.]

Bahala and Hyunsoo wanted to deny it.

Does this make any sense?

One being causing five status ailments...

[All stats decrease by 20%.]

[All attack power decreases by 20%.]

[All defense decreases by 23%.]

[All agility decreases by 28%.]

[You may fail to activate skills.]

Hyunsoo and Bahala were weakened by roughly 25%.

Just from encountering her, their breathing tightened, and their legs trembled like aspens.

And lesser demon Luxiu—only the last touch remained.

Even as they tried to force strength into their stiffened arms in the act of swinging at him—

The moment their eyes met Gremory’s chilling gaze, they couldn’t move those arms at all.

[For the first time among users, you encounter a Transcendent species.]