Genius Blacksmith's Game

The era Bon had lived through had been special.

‘An era when the strong were alive.’

There had been countless strong people—so many it wasn’t even in the historical record.

And among them, the most representative figures were the three kings called the Absolute Overlords.

The Mad King. Tyrant Jabar.

The king who led the strong. Holy Lord Harun.

And there was Paewang Barok, spoken of as the king who had never once been defeated.

Bon knew.

Because he had lived in that era.

‘Something many people knew about, but couldn’t dare challenge.’

That was the path to becoming Paewang.

But then, a single knight inherited that very epithet of Paewang.

Like the undefeated king.

They called that knight the Undefeated Knight.

And what’s more, that Undefeated Knight had even caught Paewang’s eye and almost became their successor.

But it hadn’t happened.

That was the truth Bon knew.

There was only one thing that was certain.

The knight named Luxiu wasn’t just “knight-class,” not even close.

Even to Bon, the leader of the Black °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° Wind Corps, Luxiu felt far too strong.

Bon’s question—why are you here?

Luxiu answered with a calm face.

“He’s my master, that bastard.”

“.......”

At those words, Bon nearly let out a huge breath.

The Undefeated Knight’s master......?

It was unbelievable.

And Luxiu, the Undefeated Knight, was known as someone of tremendous loyalty.

No—this wasn’t a matter of “loyalty.”

It’s in their nature.

Someone with perfect chivalry.

Someone who carried the will to protect the one they served, no matter what.

And another interesting fact was that in the world where those geniuses lived, Luxiu had been the idol of knights.

But in that answer, Bon also saw something else.

“That bastard master”.......

That “bastard” told him Luxiu still hadn’t made the knight’s vow.

The knight’s vow.

A sacred oath to devote your life, to live for one person alone.

If Luxiu had made that vow, Luxiu wouldn’t have spoken like this.

And now, Bon focused on something other than admiration for Luxiu.

How.......

Luxiu was someone that made no sense even if you only “had them with you” for a moment.

Bon looked at Kang Hyunsoo and wondered how he’d obtained someone like Luxiu in just two months.

He also found himself wondering whether the man who had just been walking a dog when they passed by had really been that strong.

And Kang Hyunsoo—

[You learn part of Luxiu’s past.]

[Loyalty is low.]

[They will not tell you their past.]

Kang Hyunsoo was just as shocked.

But when the notice came, he smacked his lips in disappointment.

Meanwhile.

The Special User Management Team.

Team Lead Park and Associate Lee Jihee’s eyes shook.

Not long after, Lee Sejin came in through the door, and even he looked stunned.

[User Hyunsoo may come to learn about Paewang’s Path.]

“......Did what we were worried about become reality? It’s faster than expected.”

The moment Luxiu started following Kang Hyunsoo, the Special User Management Team and Lee Sejin had stayed on guard.

What they were watching was how quickly the hints about Luxiu would unravel.

Sejin knew this problem was complicated, and difficult.

So he looked at Associate Lee Jihee, who would one day lead the Special User Management Team.

“Normally, in User Hyunsoo’s case, he’s walking Holy Lord’s Path, so Paewang’s Path shouldn’t be able to take hold.”

That was true.

Kang Hyunsoo was already walking Holy Lord’s Path. But there was another issue.

“However, when Hyunsoo learned about ‘Holy Lord,’ his achievements were so outstanding that Saint was insufficient and Holy Lord was excessive. So he obtained Holy Lord’s power without acquiring a ‘dual class.’”

That was right.

User Hyunsoo was an exceptional, anomalous case.

It was clear he hadn’t acquired a dual class, yet because he was so outstanding, he ended up gaining the advantages that dual class would have had.

“This dual-class advancement for Holy Lord happens on the day User Hyunsoo succeeds in founding a kingdom. But there’s no need for him to advance as Holy Lord.”

Because Hyunsoo had already gained so much as Holy Lord.

And because he wasn’t in a state of having a dual class, other possibilities were open.

“......If he chooses Paewang’s Path and fulfills the ‘qualification of Paewang,’ User Hyunsoo may become someone who monopolizes two Absolute Overlord powers.”

At Jihee’s continuing words, Taeseok and Sejin’s chests trembled.

“A king who has embraced Holy Lord’s army, and has the power of Paewang, who never once lost.”

Sejin nodded slowly.

The Special User Management Team really was competent.

Everything matched what he’d been thinking.

The key was this.

“......Luxiu will become a guide who leads User Hyunsoo to Paewang’s Path.”

A named NPC who would open a colossal prologue.

“Of course, that’s assuming the knight’s vow is made.”

In the end, everything depended on Hyunsoo.

*****

Bon had no choice but to accept it.

Even if no vow had been made—having the Undefeated Knight Luxiu.

And that man who had been walking a dog(?) subduing Calm in a single move.

He had to accept it.

But Bon was the one who had raised the Black Wind Corps.

It was true Bon had a trashy personality, and a twisted disposition.

But he cherished the Black Wind Corps.

“......I’ll stay in Atlas. But if you want to command the Black Wind Corps, you’ll have to bring all of them down within five minutes.”

[Bon remains in Atlas.]

[It is not all Black Wind Corps.]

Right. What would remain was “Bon”—he never said the entire Black Wind Corps would remain.

“......Why go this far?”

Hyunsoo couldn’t understand.

“We saw the wall that day.”

Bon smiled bitterly.

“Atlas, called the greatest territory, was erased by a single breath, and we felt it. Sometimes there are things you can’t do with effort and stubbornness alone.”

Bon became honest.

“......The day Atlas collapses again, I think I’ll be shattered twice.”

Because demon Gremory would come here, 100%.

And demon Gremory, leading the 22nd Legion, would obviously exert power greater than a dragon.

“If I carry it alone, that’s enough.”

Hyunsoo could have felt offended at Bon contradicting himself.

But he didn’t.

Bon is like a mad dog.

But the reason he became a mad dog was to protect the “pups” who followed him.

Someone this cool and upright.

To bring someone like that in as a vassal—

And for someone like that to be loyal meant they’d become a mad dog for me.

Still, Hyunsoo couldn’t help feeling regret.

The Black Wind Corps members standing behind Bon.

At Bon’s choice, they trembled.

They didn’t want to part with Bon, but they wanted to face a demon even less.

Hyunsoo himself had seen [Demon Descent] directly.

‘A human who encounters a demon feels fear worse than death.’

Just facing it made your eyes, ears, and nose bleed.

[If 5 minutes pass, all Black Wind Corps except Bon return to the soil.]

“......When you’re truly prepared, I want you to awaken them then. That way, they won’t tremble like I did.”

Bon said with an embarrassed expression.

He knew it himself.

To neutralize a Black Wind Corps numbering two thousand in five minutes.

No matter what came, it was impossible right now.

But Hyunsoo’s gaze changed.

He reached for the necklace in his hand.

This was an experiment with the first thing he’d stored—and hope.

“Fenrir Charge.”

Bon and the two thousand Black Wind Corps suddenly saw a shadow fall over them.

“.......”

“.......”

“.......”

“.......”

And Hyunsoo, too, was awed and flustered as he watched Fenrir reveal itself directly.

It dropped from the sky with a thud.

KWAHHHHHHHANG—

KRAHHHHHHHHH—!

And the power called Fenrir Charge was simple.

Fenrir, towering at 11 meters at the shoulder, moved while trampling the Black Wind Corps.

KUKWAKWAKWAKWAKWAKWANG—!

Every time it slammed the ground, splash damage spread and swept the Black Wind Corps away.

This is that strong......?

Of course, Hyunsoo’s MP dropped sharply because of it.

And Bon was included among the targets and got trampled as well.

[Fenrir Charge ends.]

After Fenrir vanished, Hyunsoo swallowed dryly.

GULP—

It had all happened in less than ten seconds.

As the thick dust cloud cleared, two thousand Black Wind Corps—trampled to the brink of death—came into view.

[2,000 Black Wind Corps are neutralized.]

[You must fulfill the promise.]

“Uuugh.......”

“Ghh.......”

“Ugh...... no......!”

Watching them despair, Hyunsoo moved.

My way.

If they were afraid, he’d try it his way.

*****

The Black Wind Corps were afraid.

They weren’t as strong as Bon, nor as great as Holy Lord.

They were only slightly-exceptional soldiers living off their pay.

To them, Transcendent species were objects of fear.

Especially—

In two years, we’ll encounter a demon.......

How painfully will we die?

They say demons are cruel, so it’ll hurt even more.

Even with Lord Bon’s consideration, in the end... ghhk.......

People who had effectively confirmed their most horrific death two years from now.

Could they truly live those two years happily?

No.

Each day would feel short, and as they watched time approach, they’d become like people living out a terminal sentence.

Even if they stayed in Atlas, they’d have no future, so they’d have no motivation either.

Right—if they couldn’t break that wall, it wouldn’t matter whether they were here or not.

Humans were beings that became endlessly powerless before the fact that they would soon die.

Just like there’s no one who studies or exercises when they know they’ll die in a month.

Some of those who had been trampled by the enormous Fenrir, forced into pain and a “terminal” life, shed tears.

And through the thick dust.

Hyunsoo’s [Overwhelm] and [Master Blacksmith’s Pride] exerted their power.

Standing there in a brown coat, looking them over, Hyunsoo captivated the Black Wind Corps.

“Bon saw that I sealed demon Gremory.”

All of the Black Wind Corps already knew that.

The problem was, the Black Wind Corps and Bon believed he had sealed the demon using someone else’s power—or by some method.

Right. That it hadn’t been Hyunsoo’s own complete strength.

Because the strength Hyunsoo showed right now was far weaker than a fully realized Holy Lord.

But the words that followed peeled away part of their fear.

“......That day, the people here were together.”

“......!?”

“......!?”

“......!?”

They learned a new fact.

Even Bon, collapsed and groaning, realized it.

The dust was blown away by the wind.

At last, the complete picture was revealed.

People they hadn’t known—those called “lamps.”

A person chewing chicken breast.

CRUNCH, CRUNCH.

With a single dagger throw, he had easily subdued a knight.

And the one Bon himself had said was walking Paewang’s Path.

“Gremory? Next time, I’m taking their head.”

Luxiu’s calm words made them understand it was the truth.

And then their gaze landed on the man who had been walking a dog.

He looked ordinary, but he was the one who had subdued the deputy commander in a single blow.

And the person named Kabel was smart.

“......Nice to meet you. I’m Asura Kabel, and I’ll be fighting alongside you.”

“......!”

“......!”

“......!”

Asura, the killing wraith.

A legendary existence that governed hell.

A being that granted silent death when you were an enemy, but silently guarded you when you were an ally.

They realized it.

That day, Asura would protect us.

The Black Wind Corps began to push themselves up.

SHIIING—!

Hyunsoo drew a single sword forged in opposition.

No famous sword in the world could be this clear and pure. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

THUNK—!

Hyunsoo tossed that tremendous famous sword onto the ground, and they looked at it.

The sword’s name was Babylon.

“On that day, the first person to cut down the demon will be me.”

Bon, who recognized the sword first, staggered back.

And the Black Wind Corps, seeing the sword, straightened without even realizing it, and looked at him.

The maker of a famous sword that should not be able to exist in the world—a maker that spanned eras.

“You hide behind me.”

And he was strong, too—so they began to think differently.

A lord who has Asura and someone walking Paewang’s Path at his side.

They couldn’t even gauge his potential, or his power.

And it opened a possibility.

“Until two years from now, what will you do?”

The possibility had opened.

Because this was the territory where those who sealed the demon were gathered together.

“If we train and try to kill the bastards who invade, that seems like what we should do.”

Their eyes changed—eyes that had been powerless before even fighting.

The fact that possibility had opened.

They thought they’d been living a terminal life—but when they learned they had a 40% chance or more to live, they struggled and improved to seize life.

Watching it, Bon was moved the most.

[Bon’s intimacy increases.]

As a ruler, Hyunsoo had done what must never be forgotten.

Those who followed him had to have faith in him.

By shining a massive faith, he made those who had been afraid boil over.

Bon took a step and approached Hyunsoo.

The Black Wind Corps, once disordered, now stood aligned in ranks of five and ten—like they had long ago, when they had dominated battlefields.

And Bon stood at the very front as their representative.

And Hyunsoo knew it.

This time, it would never fail.

“Give me your loyalty.”