Genius Blacksmith's Game

Calm hated it.

A demon that leads the 22nd Legion—demon Gremory—invades Atlas in two years?

Just hearing it made his teeth grind.

Demon Gremory was strong on their own, but each legion commander under the 22nd Legion was the kind of being that could match a decent human legend.

Even if Atlas regains the same strength it once had, history will repeat itself.

That was why he wanted to return to the soil.

Giving up was better than clinging to a fleeting hope.

And becoming soil was a hundred—no, a thousand times better than facing demon Gremory, so he absolutely intended to go back.

Calm. You know what to do, right?

Bon and Calm had been together so long that one look was enough to know what needed doing.

The condition for Calm choosing the opponent was this:

Pick someone who looks like an easy mark.

This lord was trying desperately to hold onto them somehow.

And he claimed that a mere human had finished preparations for a demon invasion two years away.

So Calm would point at the biggest easy mark in this territory, shatter that arrogance, and force the lord to face reality.

And it wasn’t that Calm held malice toward Lord Hyunsoo.

Feel it. Feel it... and run, even if you have to abandon Atlas.

Hyunsoo was basically marked by Gremory like a pinned location.

Even if Calm didn’t serve him, if the current lord of Atlas and the Atlas he’d built collapsed, it would still leave a bitter taste.

So Calm rolled his eyes.

Who’s the perfect fit?

And then he saw one.

A white Jindo mix sprinting at full speed—and a human being dragged along as if on a leash.

“Lucky Lump, slow down a bit...!”

The guy looked like he’d fold in half.

A grown man getting dragged around by a puppy?

And he was skinny, wearing shabby, unimpressive clothes.

Of course, Calm was someone who’d been through everything—he didn’t judge by looks alone. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

A master at Calm’s level could gauge a person’s innate mana.

I can’t feel anything.

If you couldn’t sense it, that meant they were ordinary—or worse than ordinary.

Calm’s mouth twitched like he was losing it.

He raised a finger and pointed.

“I will fight the man walking the dog over there.”

The man walking the dog—Kabel—tilted his head.

The reason Calm couldn’t feel any aura from him...

As an assassin by nature, he had the passive skill “Stealth Assassin.”

And among all users, Kabel possessed the highest-level Stealth Assassin.

“Kabel, come here for a second—”

Before Hyunsoo even finished, Kabel was already coming over.

“Woof, woofwoof!”

Because Lucky Lump was thrashing around, desperate to get to Hyunsoo.

Kabel arrived and spoke in a grave voice.

“Lucky Lump’s poop is looser than usual.”

“.......”

Calm was completely thrown off.

This man, Kabel—he was dead serious. Profound, even.

He even had a hand to his chin.

“A dog’s bowel movements reflect its health. I feed him only good things every day, so I can’t understand why he suddenly had loose stool.”

“Is it because I gave him snacks yesterday?”

“...Didn’t I tell you not to give him random things? If you’re going to give him something, research it first. Read the ingredient label properly—give him something without preservatives and additives.”

The Black Wind Corps—Calm, Bon, and the men behind them—nearly clutched their stomachs and burst out laughing.

A grown adult man shaking like that over one dog?

The Black Wind Corps were Atlas’s finest, forged through brutal training.

At minimum, their levels were comparable to the Blood Ghoul Corps.

So watching Kabel, they thought—

Deputy Commander Calm picked the perfect one!

Hyunsoo explained what was happening.

“No. It’s Lucky Lump’s walk time right now. After this, he needs a nap.”

Calm almost started laughing out loud.

“What’s so important about some damn mutt? Your head’s rotten. What kind of soft life did you live to end up like this?”

Kabel hadn’t lived a soft life.

In fact, Kabel never stopped training himself.

Even among users, he was probably one of the ones with the harshest training regimen.

“That mutt? One bite and it’s over.”

You insane bastard—!

Hyunsoo panicked.

Some people see someone who treasures their companion animal like their life and call them excessive.

But to those people, dogs and cats become family—ones who heal wounds and soothe loneliness.

Hyunsoo was panicking because of what that remark would cause.

Then his eyes flared.

I’m pissed too, you know?

Thinking about it, he was furious as well.

Screw it.

And it happened exactly like Hyunsoo expected.

“.......”

Kabel, who hadn’t said a word, looked down at Lucky Lump for a moment.

“Woooof......”

Lucky Lump plopped down, clearly saying they could wait.

Kabel still didn’t speak.

That made it even scarier.

Because Asura’s killing had no sound.

And Calm, thinking his provocation had worked, chuckled—planning to end it as fast as possible.

When Kabel stepped forward a few paces, black wind energy surged from Calm’s body.

WHOOOO—

Swift-sword master Calm.

No one in Atlas besides Commander Bon could keep up with the speed of his blade.

His swift sword moved like light.

It was faster than a blink.

In an instant, the blade arrived, aiming for Kabel’s throat.

In that moment—

THUNK—!

“......?”

Calm’s vision swam.

Swift sword, my ass.

A dagger shot out at a speed he couldn’t even react to, driving precisely into the center of his forehead—and a skill manifested.

[Extinction]

[You strike a single target with 750% additional damage with 100% accuracy.]

[HP drops below 3%.]

Calm barely survived—and collapsed.

And Kabel was far more rational and cautious than Hyunsoo had expected.

He only looked at Calm with a gaze like he was staring at an insect.

“.......”

Calm was speechless.

And the one most horrified was Bon.

In one second...?

Yeah. Just one second.

In one second, Calm had been pushed right to the edge of death.

What was even more shocking was that he’d looked like an ordinary passerby.

Bon couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Even decent legends can’t neutralize Calm that fast......

Of course.

Assassins had weak defense, but their single-hit damage was about twice the usual output.

And their skills were built around that—packed with pseudo-instant-kill effects.

“Is that enough now?”

At Hyunsoo’s question, Bon refused.

“Did you hide it on purpose?”

“......?”

Hyunsoo tilted his head. To be honest, he hadn’t hidden anything on purpose.

Kabel had just happened to be passing by, and Hyunsoo had gotten inspired and proposed it.

“One more time.”

“Why would I do that?”

“Because I haven’t sworn.”

He was whining like a child.

Bon knew he was being unreasonable.

So, to shut it down, he said—

“Atlas information. If you win this time, I’ll tell you one thing.”

Atlas had many secrets.

And what Hyunsoo knew was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

And Hyunsoo was curious what kind of talent slept here.

“I accept.”

Bon used his eye for things.

There was someone who had come along with Hyunsoo when he came to meet Bon.

If we pick that one, it’ll be perfect...

Bon put forward another person.

“Basam. Step forward.”

Basam wasn’t on Calm’s level, but he was still an excellent knight.

[Black Wind Corps Member Basam Lv.445]

He was a tanker—defense and HP abnormally high compared to most.

Basam grew cautious.

The man walking a dog was that strong... so who do I pick? Maybe...?

He looked at Nell.

Maybe that one would be very weak?

No.

He’d been burned once—would he get burned twice?

Better to pick someone who looked decent but maybe wasn’t.

No. Stop thinking about picking the weak one. Pick someone I can beat—at least a knight-class.

And his gaze fixed on one spot.

“I will designate that one.”

The man he pointed at.

Hyunsoo almost wanted to dance with his hips.

Wow. You guys have the worst luck.

That man was currently absorbed in something.

*****

Luxiu had been trapped in Gremory’s prison for a long time.

In there, Luxiu had felt many kinds of desire, but the strongest was hunger.

It wasn’t surprising.

He’d slept enough, and the torture had been bearable, but in Gremory’s prison—

In other words, living on the food demons ate—Luxiu endured for decades.

It was things like rotten centipede innards.

Aged pig intestines and blood.

The decayed antlers of a dead deer.

If he’d been used to that from the beginning, maybe.

But for Luxiu, who was used to human food, it was hell.

So he thought this.

When I get out, I want to eat human food.

The first thing Luxiu did the moment he arrived in Atlas Territory—

Was eat chicken breast.

Luxiu had always been strict about maintaining his body even in the past.

And after decades of eating centipede innards, the instant chicken breast hit his mouth, he heard a heavenly harmony.

That dry, bland taste felt tender and moist.

And the more he chewed, the richer it became.

So—

CHOMP-CHOMP—

SMACK-SMACK-SMACK

MUNCH—

Even while following Hyunsoo, he kept eating nonstop.

It was chicken breast with no seasoning at all—just boiled in plain water.

Yet Luxiu’s eyes even turned red the moment he ate it.

And Luxiu still looked like a beggar.

Luxiu stood close to Hyunsoo, tearing into chicken breast.

Basam pointed at him.

Why?

...Chicken breast can’t possibly taste good. That guy has to be out of his mind.

The Black Wind Corps were strict about their bodies, too.

Just seeing chicken breast was enough to make them want to gag.

But that man was eating it like he was in bliss?

And he was eating like he’d seen food for the first time in decades—more than enough to think something was wrong with him.

Then the designated Luxiu said—

“Annoying.”

“......?”

It was short, blunt.

Basam thought—

Yeah. He looks ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) like he won’t listen.

And Basam was convinced it was because Luxiu was scared.

The one who became impatient was Hyunsoo.

Ah—just help me once.

Of course, this happened because he still hadn’t earned Luxiu’s heart.

In truth, Luxiu had become someone belonging to the territory, but it was hard to call Luxiu Hyunsoo’s vassal with certainty.

And if the fight fizzled out like this, it could reflect badly on Hyunsoo.

Hyunsoo’s mind raced.

If another plan went off track, he’d have to find a new direction.

But before he could, Basam spoke.

“You scared?”

“......?”

Hyunsoo froze.

Luxiu, who had been tearing into chicken breast and enjoying it, stopped.

Who was Luxiu?

The one who killed 52 commander-class targets in the 450s—and the supreme commander in the 480s.

Why are these idiots digging their own grave with a shovel, popping open the coffin, climbing inside, and closing the lid on themselves......

Luxiu didn’t make some big gesture.

He simply drew the dagger at his waist—

SHNK—

Threw it—

THUNK—!

And hit Basam exactly between the brows.

[Basam’s HP drops below 10%.]

He watched Basam collapse—then went right back to CHOMP-CHOMP on his chicken breast.

“.......”

“.......”

“.......”

“.......”

But do you know what it is?

Overwhelming someone without any grand gesture.

Nothing was scarier than that.

The Black Wind Corps held their breath.

And this overwhelming strength was about to reveal one unexpected truth to Hyunsoo.

Bon stepped back, startled, staring at him.

“...Why are you here?”

Bon couldn’t understand why he was in this place.

That was right—these two had lived in the same era.

That single question made the Black Wind Corps, Nell, and even Hyunsoo go pale with shock.

“One who walks the path of the Paewang, Luxiu. Why are you here?”