Genius Blacksmith's Game

[Party of the Supremes]

A title for them alone

Grade: S

Special Effects:

· Activates when at least three out of the four people who obtained this title form a party, or fight together within a 100m radius.

· All party members’ stats increase by 5%, and status-ailment resistance increases by 25%.

· All party members’ attack power and defense increase by 5%, and status-ailment success rate increases by 20%.

· Through strong faith in one another, it conditionally activates the passive skill “Nothing at All,” which can resist any status ailment.

· If a being judged as a named target is hunted by the Party of the Supremes, experience points and artifact drop rate increase by 10%.

Description: An unprecedented, most powerful party has been formed, and by gathering individuals so overwhelming they surpass the greatest party from before, this title was obtained.

The strong of the current era entrusting their backs to each other and fighting—this will grant power capable of defeating any existence.

A party of the strongest. A title gained through the Hidden Piece achievement that followed.

A title for them alone.

Hyunsoo, Bahala, and Kabel had never seen a title this rare.

And it was exactly as the description said.

Facing Gremory—whose expression was clearly flustered—Hyunsoo didn’t feel even a trace of the fear Hyunsoo had felt at their first encounter.

World Ares rank #1.

The #1 most influential person for three consecutive years, and one of only two users who walk the path of a god.

Countless modifiers followed them—someone head and shoulders above the rest, a ruler among users, a genius born of Ares.

And that wasn’t all.

FLICK—!

As if doing a simple trick, they toyed with [Villain’s Dagger], catching and shifting it from grip to grip.

How did you already grow [Villain’s Dagger] to Transcendent? You’re insane.

Asura Kabel.

Hyunsoo hadn’t known Asura Kabel’s true worth. Hyunsoo had only thought of Kabel as an exceptional information broker. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

But you could think of it like this.

What you need to obtain higher-grade information people want—what you need to possess information no one else can dig up.

For that, you need strength.

Someone with that kind of strength inside [Villain’s Dagger].

And Asura Kabel, the second legend among users.

And this time, Hyunsoo looked at the one standing in the center, grinding their teeth.

Someone who had led an era.

And now that they were following Hyunsoo, Hyunsoo could finally check their condition.

They had reached the threshold of legend under the name “the Unyielding Knight.”

And now, they were manifesting legend-grade power—through Supreme Blade Hyunsoo had put in their hands.

And then there was Hyunsoo.

The first among users to become a legend and carve the name Master Blacksmith into the world.

And for Hyunsoo, this title was even more special than it was for the others.

This title will manifest again.

At the event Great Atlas War.

Hyunsoo’s chest burned hot.

Even before Gremory, a Transcendent species—and even before the hundreds, the thousands of the world’s greatest rankers who coveted Atlas—

With this lineup, there’s nothing to fear.

And Gremory.

The face that had recoiled a step in flustered shock twisted grotesquely.

It was shameful—having shrunk back from mere bugs.

They were nothing but opportunists.

This “opportunity” was them testing whether they could hunt her while she couldn’t call the 22 legions.

A demon’s alien rage rang out.

“WORTHLESS SPECIES!”

And it triggered.

Demon Descent was an entry skill that activated the moment all demons appeared.

Same context as Hyunsoo’s Master Blacksmith’s Pride.

But the true status-ailment technique she possessed was this.

[The legion commander’s rage.]

Those who heard that alien voice—

[Status ailment: Violent Bleeding is triggered.]

Just hearing it inflicted pain dozens of times worse than metal being scraped.

From every opening in the body that could bleed, blood poured out.

Worthless species with numbed reason would be unable to even face her—and die like that.

With the wave of her voice, Gremory expected to see their faces emptied of thought.

But the four of them began moving in their respective positions.

[The title Party of the Supremes shines.]

[Nothing at All]

[You are with an absolute party, and resist any status ailment!]

Nothing at all could dare suppress them.

To Demon Gremory’s left—

There was Bahala, the man who had collapsed pathetically before.

A tall man with features drawn as beautifully as a noble’s.

Holding Babylon, a pitch-black sword that contrasted with the white armor he wore.

Someone who walked the Sword God’s Path.

His special trait was this: even skills ordinary swordsmen would use, he wielded like the Sword God.

And after executing the lesser demon Luxiu, that power had been reinforced into something absurd—

[Sudden Quest: Another demon is created.]

Triggering a quest, like the title of the Sword God who had once protected the continent.

Something ordinary for a mere user—yet for Bahala, a special first page unfolded.

“Down to the ground.”

PFFFFF—!

[You slam the target down with 600% attack power!]

[The opponent falls into a 2-second stun.]

Gremory, who had been standing in midair, couldn’t resist and crashed down.

In the instant where the massive impact made her vision swim and her mind couldn’t catch up—

She realized this wasn’t a single strike. It was a chain.

Before she even hit the ground, Bahala was already waiting below.

“Up to the sky.”

KABOOOM—!

In a perfect stance, he launched the demon upward.

“Kuh-hyaaaaaaak!”

What spilled from the demon’s mouth—

[You have succeeded at a Link.]

[Additional attack power is increased from 600% to 900% and applied!]

It was a scream and rage—and she resisted the petty force called stun that had suppressed her in one blow.

Freed in midair, Gremory widened her eyes, expecting that the man would be right in front of her.

But he wasn’t there.

Bahala was someone who could pull off control so insane it was grotesque.

The world said it.

There was a world-famous gamer who shook the world twenty years ago—“Faker.”

In the VR game Ares, Bahala’s control was Faker-tier.

Maybe even beyond.

Now the true value of that showed itself.

A chill crawled down Gremory’s back.

Within the bounds of “normal movement,” Bahala should have leapt in front of her.

And like Bahala said, Bahala was someone who made even a swordsman’s plain attacks into something special.

“One strike.”

[Three Link successes!]

[900% attack power is increased to 1,400% damage!]

The moment Bahala drew Babylon from its scabbard—

SHKAAAA—!

Gremory fell into an illusion of her body being split in half.

It was the first time.

A demon with a body beyond humans.

The first time she faced the fear of her body being cut apart.

But—

FWOOM—!

A massive demonic energy surged, and in an instant it tore that illusion away.

Demons, too, possessed traits and unique power.

Legion Commander Gremory’s “primary” was in strengthening and leading legion commanders and armies.

But even by displaying her “secondary,” she unleashed tremendous power—proving why she was in the 600s even without a legion.

[Tajio’s Power]

It was the power to borrow the traits of the twenty-two demons under her command.

The Seventh Legion Commander, Tajio, was the strongest warrior in the legions.

Demonfolk ultimately had appearances similar to humans.

But Tajio was a giant nearly 3 meters tall, with strength that could collapse mountains.

Like a hammer formed of massive demonic energy coming down with both hands, it struck Bahala.

FWOOM—!

[HP drops below 60%.]

“Cough...!”

Bahala couldn’t believe it.

And Gremory sank into pleasure.

The human’s power was impressive, but before Gremory it only looked flashy.

Because Gremory had taken only 4% damage from Bahala’s chain.

[Gremory’s HP drops below 25%.]

And in the meantime, she had already recovered to nearly 30% again.

But what about Bahala?

Falling to the ground, he lost 40% HP in an instant.

From a single blow.

Gremory’s confidence swelled.

“Is this all the possibility you made?”

Growing arrogant, she felt the others aiming elsewhere were just as pathetic, and she drowned in self-satisfaction.

Until the Killing Wraith murmured.

“Hell Path.”

The demon’s heart dropped.

Hell.

It couldn’t be compared to the Demon Realm.

That was true only if you spoke of the Demon Realm as a whole.

A hell that spread for one individual was immense.

It happened in an instant.

Her surroundings became hell, the stench of the dead and red lava surging up everywhere.

[Hell Path.]

[You fall into Asura’s space.]

Just moments ago, she’d mocked Bahala.

Because his three-hit chain had only shaved off 4%.

Because it reminded her again how tremendous a demon’s total HP, absurd regeneration, and defense truly were.

That arrogance crumbled.

[All defense decreases by 50%.]

[All of Asura’s attack power increases by 25%.]

“......!?”

Panicked, Gremory snapped her head around, searching for Asura.

The reason Asura was called the Killing Wraith.

Because it was like a ghost that killed without sound.

Like that, the Killing Wraith approached without a sound.

“Blink.”

GRIP—!

It happened in a blink.

Like a lamp going out and back on.

A dagger pierced straight through her face.

[You deal 1,100% damage!]

Lower damage than Bahala’s chain, “One strike.”

But this was Asura’s space.

Gremory—who had mocked the 4%—turned pale.

[Gremory’s HP drops below 19%.]

Six percent of her HP vanished in a single hit.

And the silent ghost’s swing came again—just like that.

SHRK—!

The instant her abdomen was cut, Gremory was swallowed by horrific pain.

The reason: [Villain’s Dagger], grown to Transcendent, dealt 90% critical damage.

And the most horrifying part of [Villain’s Dagger] was the power Hyunsoo had forged into it—the six-fold stabbing.

One attack delivering multiple instances of damage in a chain.

Five or six would be enough to make the world gape.

But the fully grown version made even a demon suffer.

[16 stabs.]

PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF-PFF—THUNK—!

“SKREEEEEE—!”

Something like Satan’s scream burst from Gremory’s mouth.

Sixteen hits of basic attacks—on the level of Blink just now.

[Gremory’s HP drops below 12%.]

Recovery couldn’t keep up.

But Gremory recognized reality.

The only reason it couldn’t keep up was because she was taking attacks.

Buying time was easy.

And this Hell Path would scatter if the caster took a massive shock.

The Third Legion Commander’s power.

[Varka’s Power]

A legion commander with the power to hit and cut the enemy with 100% accuracy.

The sword of that legion commander—normally swung as a massive greatsword—cut into the ghost-walking Asura.

SHKAAAA—!

“Tch...!”

[HP drops below 50%.]

Seeing Asura stagger with 50% HP deleted in a single blow, Gremory gained a chance to kill him.

GRRRRRR—!

[Hell Path disappears.]

The instant Asura staggered—

Gremory was sure.

Lose even one out of the four, and the party collapses, and they fall back into mere novices.

And while Gremory couldn’t summon legion commanders, there were plenty of substitutes.

Just one minute. The time she needed to summon him.

A demonic beast from the deepest hell.

A child birthed by Cerberus—feared even by demons.

An existence Demon Baal had handed to Gremory.

“Tear him apart.”

[A one-headed Cerberus is summoned.]

[A one-headed Cerberus Lv.547]

The Cerberus that appeared at her side roared.

“Kuh-ahhhhk!”

A normal Cerberus was small, but this lesser strain was huge.

Eight meters tall.

No supernatural magic-like power, but teeth that could pierce even dragon hide.

The moment it opened its jaws wide at Asura—

Kabel let out a small laugh.

“......?”

In that brief confusion—

Flash—!

With Hell Path gone, Gremory saw the man standing beside her.

The Babylon creator, in a brown coat.

A lowly human who had the advantage of being Babylon’s creator, and the advantage of being strong “for a blacksmith,” yet still fell short of the other three.

That human gripped a “dagger-shaped necklace” in his hand and spoke.

“Kneel before me.”

Gremory realized.

Bahala’s first attack, and Asura’s Hell Path—both were the groundwork for this.

Power born of certainty: that a legion commander demon would command another summoned beast.

KRAAASH—!!!!!!

The 8-meter-tall Cerberus shoved Gremory into its maw and chewed.

CRACK, CRACK—!

As her bones twisted and broke—

“How is it?”

Hyunsoo twisted ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) his lips.

“How does it feel getting bitten by the dog you raised?”

A demon—felt humiliation at a human’s hands.