Genius Blacksmith's Game

[The Blood King episode may disappear.]

The Blood King was a figure seated on the half-finished five thrones.

The four kings did not acknowledge him, but because the last seat was vacant, he was nothing more than a forced stand-in filling the gap.

Even so, the Blood King was an important figure.

If he had swallowed Luxiu, he might have been acknowledged as one of the five thrones in an instant, like the wind.

Anyway, at the alert, Pureum Co., Ltd. fell into emergency mode.

There were over a hundred quests in preparation related to the Blood King.

There were also a great many large-scale quests.

That meant he was a powerful king who, as things stood, was extremely difficult to kill.

So Sejin held a video call with the regional branch heads.

-This is premature worry. The supercomputer Ares isn’t one hundred percent accurate, and how could a mere lord of a single territory bring down the Blood King’s army?

-Huh? Why did the army collapse?

-......

-......

-This is insane. Trying to break through fifty thousand troops alone and go to the audience chamber—there’s no way.

-......No, he broke through this?

At the admiration, Sejin agreed.

Hyunsoo’s movements as he tore through fifty thousand troops—this wasn’t the Hyunsoo Sejin knew.

He’s growing too fast.

Sejin wondered how such growth had happened.

Because he crossed a death line.

User Hyunsoo, up to now, had faced many enemies far stronger than his level.

You could say he’d crossed more death lines than any other user.

But Bahala is a different story. Bahala met enemies twice, three times as strong as user Hyunsoo at the same level.

But Bahala had the control, skill, and strength to fight them, so it couldn’t be called a death line.

By crossing situations where death was right in front of him, over and over again, user Hyunsoo had forged insane growth.

...Is it really starting?

Sejin had a thought—could it be?

It was still too early.

They said the road of kings was the path to a second Ares, but it had only been three months since it opened.

-Luxiu decided to follow user Hyunsoo?

-This...

-Isn’t Luxiu the most loyal and strongest knight in the Ares setting?

They weren’t shocked just because he was strong.

It was because a knight—an existence that lives only for someone—had become Hyunsoo’s person.

The branch heads’ stomachs twisted.

Their wish that he would be their country’s user had been shattered.

And on the other hand—

-We can’t catch him.

-He seems to have prepared Annihilating Evil, but he’s a king you can’t catch with Annihilating Evil alone.

-The Blood King’s regeneration transcends even demons.

Even that expectation was broken.

-Annihilating Evil that prevents regeneration?

The branch heads and Sejin alike were stunned.

Hyunsoo had guessed what effect might be embedded if the Sain Sword and Babylon were combined, and gambled on luck.

And that luck hit one hundred percent.

At last, the Blood King fell.

[The first king falls.]

Seeing the world message ringing out, people across the globe were horrified.

And it wasn’t just them.

The branch heads, who witnessed it in real time, wore expressions full of awe.

It got to the point where even Branch Head Tao—who hated user Hyunsoo to the bone—muttered.

-I really wish our Chinese users had done even just that much.

A slip of the tongue.

-Incredible.

-How did he make a result like this?

-User Hyunsoo is truly amazing!

Sejin’s heart pounds.

He understands what the branch heads’ words mean.

They’re starting to acknowledge him.

-...It looks highly likely the first king will be user Hyunsoo.

-He brought down the Blood King, so he’s met part of the qualifications.

-He’s also secured the strength to protect his territory himself.

Sejin was stunned by how much Hyunsoo had changed their reactions.

Watching him, limping on one leg as he looked over one million people of the Kingdom of Enya, Sejin marvels.

A new era is opening...

It was the era of user Hyunsoo.

-...Gulp.

Someone swallows dryly.

Everyone here knew what they should be paying attention to.

-The ones who will live have no choice except to serve user Hyunsoo.

-What matters is how many of the one million choose to live.

Right—how many will live for him.

Everyone was watching him.

*****

[Those who will live will serve you.]

Hyunsoo stands before a chance that will never come again.

Almost one million people.

Among them, those who choose to live will return with him.

This isn’t luck from the heavens.

Hyunsoo feels discomfort stabbing through his body, and he smiles faintly.

I did this.

Even with Annihilating Evil, killing the Blood King was never an easy thing.

But there was one regret.

[94% of the Kingdom of Enya’s people wish for rest.]

Over ninety percent.

Hyunsoo understood completely.

They had lived too long.

The finite life humans live is a blessing—telling you to spend your days with those you live alongside.

But for over a hundred years, they had watched the people they cherished be eaten by the Blood King.

And because they neither aged nor changed, they lived without any goal.

They must have felt self-loathing at the grotesque appearance they took on, again and again, as demonkin.

Because they’d already lived like that for a long time.

They were exhausted to the bone. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Unless they found a new goal, they no longer wanted to live.

In fact, the reason they cheered—

because they could fall into comfortable rest.

Don’t be greedy.

He won’t beg or plead with those who truly want rest.

Still, some words itch at the back of his throat.

When he tries to speak as he looks at them, they all close their mouths.

It’s telling him that all of them are focused on his lips.

And then—

Hyunsoo felt his head go ding.

As his lips moved, he recognized the sign.

It was the sign of “that dizziness again,” something he hadn’t felt in a while!

Hyunsoo looked at them with a slack expression and grinned.

“...Thank goodness.”

THUD—!

[You have fallen into the status ailment: Fainting.]

At the sudden collapse, startled voices spread everywhere.

Sword Duke Lysen, Prak, Luxiu, and Saint Aria remained calm.

“Did you push yourself that far again? You wanted to protect this kingdom that badly.”

Sword Duke Lysen’s words spread through the one million people.

Hyunsoo had thought this—

that because they had “no reason to live,” they would wish for rest.

But that fainting just now, and the sincere “Thank goodness” he said as he looked at them—

it gave the one million people of the Kingdom of Enya a new emotion.

And through those who knew him, that story spread to all one million.

“Did he fight for us until he fainted?”

“Thank goodness—did you see his face? He looked relieved, like it was his own business.”

A soldier of the Kingdom of Goyard said.

“He’s always been that kind of person. Someone who does his best for something, and sometimes pushes even his mind to the limit for others.”

“...?”

“That’s why I serve him—the man who will become king ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) in the future. Just thinking about serving him already makes my heart race.”

“.......”

The soldier’s expression.

It was written all over his face—how happy he was to follow Hyunsoo, who would become king.

The hearts of the Kingdom of Enya’s people tremble.

He was completely different.

Unlike King Brad, who used them and killed them to become stronger—Hyunsoo truly cherished everyone.

If a new goal is born in my life, what will it be?

Their gazes land on Hyunsoo, fainted.

Their new goal.

To build a new kingdom with him.

Something like that is planted in them.

And an alert was ringing for fainted Hyunsoo.

[Those who wish to live increase.]

*****

Hours passed.

A commander and knights and soldiers—reunited after a long time.

Because he knew some would soon depart down the road of rest, Luxiu smiled at them with all his strength, thumped their backs.

“Haha—back then, when this brat Sun fought a boar and got turned into mush...!”

“Hahahaha!”

After the tavern chatter full of laughter, Sun asked.

“...What will you do now?”

At the question, every soldier fixed their eyes only on Luxiu.

A legendary knight who had lived only for a single king.

A man who held a sacred nobility that never bent his will—so every soldier listened.

“I might try making a new king.”

“.......”

“.......”

Those words struck them like a new shock. On their faces was a thought like—

Is he really that kind of man?

Luxiu nodded.

“You all saw it, didn’t you? He just drops like that—if he keeps dropping like that, then someone like me has to look after him, don’t I?”

Yes, they saw it.

And because Luxiu said that, other knights who had been about to choose rest began to hold a new thought.

We want to go with him, too.

Their thinking was changing.

[Those who wish to live increase.]

Elsewhere—

some people had a question.

Why is this person here?

A figure mixed among countless children and ordinary civilians.

It was Saint Aria.

“Don’t fear that moment. I will be with you.”

At Saint Aria’s bright smile, people feel relieved.

Whether they want death or fear the pain of that moment, Aria intends to be here on the day of their choice.

A civilian asked.

“How did you come all the way here?”

They knew the Ares Church’s mission was to eradicate evil, but she wasn’t someone who would move to this extent.

Aria was that big of a figure.

Aria answered honestly.

“...Because I want to be friends.”

“...What?”

“Ah—someone Saint Aria wants to be friends with?”

Who was Saint Aria?

The most noble good that the god Ares had sent down to the earth.

And she wanted to be friends with someone?

“...He did keep collapsing, but he’s a man who holds that kind of power.”

The civilians are shocked.

The image of him fainting and saying “Thank goodness” flashes in their minds.

Is he really someone Saint Aria would say that about?

Maybe the pain won’t repeat again?

Another reason ordinary civilians wanted to enter rest was this.

They were afraid that by following another king, the same pain would repeat.

But Aria’s words changed that.

Someone Aria herself vouched for.

So they felt they could trust him.

And the civilians began to hold a new thought.

Maybe... it would be okay to choose living.

[Those who wish to live increase.]

*****

Sleeping Hyunsoo didn’t know.

“...Why is Asura here?”

“Hiiik—Hell Army...!”

Questions thrown by Kingdom of Enya assassins at Asura, who wore a calm expression.

Kabel answered in an equally calm voice.

“To protect my friend.”

“.......”

“.......”

[Those who wish to live increase.]

They asked Prak and Sword Duke Lysen too.

“So the army you brought was borrowed?”

“That’s right.”

“Is something like that possible?”

“...It is. He is the hero of a nation, and the king who will lead a new nation.”

“Waa...”

“Then who is this?”

“Ah, I’m Prak of the Kingdom of Praham.”

“And why are you...?”

“Because Count Hyunsoo is the benefactor of our Kingdom of Praham.”

While Hyunsoo slept,

many hearts were changing.

And Hyunsoo, who slept a long sleep of thirty-two hours—

as he slowly wakes, he remembers what happened.

Don’t regret it, even if the number of people who follow me didn’t increase as much as I wanted.

It can’t be helped.

Even ten thousand would satisfy him.

No—given Atlas as it is now, ten thousand would be a blessing so great he should be grateful for it.

So as Hyunsoo gathered himself, he frowned at the noisy alerts.

Why is it going off so much?

Soon the sound becomes clear.

[Over 90% of the people wished for rest.]

[Their thoughts have changed greatly.]

Luxiu is standing in front of him.

[16% of the people want to live.]

[You caused their change of heart.]

“You’re up?”

Luxiu approaches with a small smile.

CREEEAK—!

He opens the closed door.

And those who will live reveal themselves.

[You can accept 140,301 civilians.]

[You can accept 3,113 soldiers.]

[You can accept 211 knights.]

Hyunsoo’s expression turns shocked.

Numbers no noble anywhere in the world had ever been able to recruit.

Hyunsoo had managed to fill those numbers. As Hyunsoo stared in awe, another joy rose.

Luxiu was still speaking casually to Hyunsoo, but something had changed.

“I’ll join the Great Atlas War. Someone has to protect a weakling like you.”

[Vassal Luxiu swears loyalty to you.]

It meant Luxiu would now live for Hyunsoo.

[You have recruited vassal Luxiu into Hyun’s Forge.]

It was the moment the strongest knight returned to his arms.