Genius Blacksmith's Game

“Hyunsoo—he’s a god!!!”

The battle at Elaim, where Japan’s top ranker Musashi and China’s top ranker Kouga invaded.

The words Master Lee Hwan shouted a few days ago earned far more agreement than anyone expected.

Master Lee Hwan dug into why Hyunsoo was a god.

Just like Musashi had said, he explained it by showing his own class penalty—how Drawmaster can’t equip Transcendent-grade artifacts.

And yet, with the combination of the scabbard and the Phantom Blade, Hyunsoo had sparked an impact on the level of a “second Twin Dragon Sword.”

The ripple effect was enormous.

And it wasn’t something that happened from the scabbard–Phantom Blade combo alone.

It was because all the countless, unbelievable achievements Hyun had already pulled off were backing it up.

Even right now, experts were making claims like these.

‘User Hyunsoo won’t be able to produce Transcendent-grade items going forward.’

‘It might be possible, but there’s no way to know how many years it would take.’

The experts’ opinions were reasonable.

The Twin Dragon Sword itself had been such a great and extraordinary creation that it had likely benefited from crafting-time correction effects, they argued.

And that was true to an extent.

However, this scabbard–Phantom Blade combination suggested there was a new possibility in Hyun, and because of that, “Hyunsoo—he’s a god” was exerting terrifying power.

Just how terrifying?

“Min-gyu, I’m a god!”

Students were using it as slang to refer to themselves whenever they won a game or got good grades.

“Kitchen auntie—she’s a god!”

Office workers in the cafeteria were using it when the food tasted especially good.

The catchphrase was even being used worldwide.

If someone used it to refer to anyone other than Hyun—if someone said, “So-and-so is a god!”—people would have responded like this: 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

What, an idiot?

But because Hyun had built up so many achievements, the phrase could carry that kind of force.

That was right. Hyun’s influence was now seeping into everyday life around the world.

Was that a good thing?

You could say it was half good—and half bad.

*****

[Nell: Searches for Atlas and Hyun’s Forge are exploding. According to the Ares Daily, Atlas is up 24x and Hyun’s Forge is up 16x.]

For Hyunsoo, who had just enjoyed a fun guild dinner, this could only be good news.

Even if Atlas isn’t accepting everyone who wants to join right now.

Still, the larger the pool, the more outstanding people there were.

It meant he could start selecting only the exceptional ones.

But that joy was brutally crushed by the notification that came a little later.

It was connected to a notification Hyunsoo had heard before.

The one he got when he brought down Blood King Brad.

[The first king falls.]

[By bringing down the Blood King, one of the five thrones’ kings, the other kings begin to guard against the unknown you.]

Back then, Hyunsoo had been “unknown,” and those kings referred to the five kings who led the era.

But now, the nature of that alert had shifted.

[Your existence, once unknown, begins to be strongly felt by them.]

The system was sending Hyunsoo a warning.

It knows I’m outstanding, but is it saying I might have to quit the game if I’m not careful...?

Either way, it was clear:

He was in an extremely dangerous situation.

Master Lee Hwan, seriously...!

Hyunsoo remembered Master Lee Hwan at yesterday’s dinner, drunk and doing a Zero Two dance with Park Daegil.

Master Lee Hwan’s worship was going to boomerang onto Hyunsoo.

But Hyunsoo shook his head.

This isn’t Master Lee Hwan’s fault—or mine.

Hyunsoo needed Hwarang’s power completely.

And Master Lee Hwan needed Hyunsoo’s power completely.

As a result, Master Lee Hwan grew stronger—and as a chain reaction, Hyunsoo gained the solid backing of Hwarang, the guild Master Lee Hwan led.

The problem is me... and Atlas.

He was standing out too much. Yet compared to that fame, Atlas was still weak.

The five kings... no, the four kings now. I still don’t know how strong they really are.

And the declaration that he would become a king probably played a big role too.

Another set of notifications followed, implying that not everyone was simply threatening him.

[A colossal king is hostile toward your revealed existence.]

[A noble king feels curiosity toward your revealed existence.]

[An immortal king mocks your revealed existence.]

[The king of ??? ??? your revealed existence.]

Hyunsoo realized the identities of two of those kings.

But he had no idea who the other two were.

Those two were still hidden behind a veil.

Still, Hyunsoo let out a small laugh.

Heh. The notifications are pretty considerate...

But it felt like a notice of an execution date, so he couldn’t laugh it off.

Meanwhile, the perfect enemy—one even Hyunsoo acknowledged as absolute—and the colossal king.

[Sword Emperor Bolond Lv.581]

He was undeniably one of the kings leading this era.

The title “king” didn’t really fit him, but “king” was a name given to someone who led a powerful host, or someone with unmatched strength.

Bolond was the Chinese continent itself.

The entire continent was in his grasp, and he was the only person who could command an army of ten million.

He had the largest territory and the greatest military power.

He was a complete enemy.

Sword Emperor Bolond had sent the Blood Wraith Corps to target Sword King Brad—but that bastard Hyun killed Fenrir.

“You kill the dog I was raising, and now you want to become a king?”

Bolond was displeased.

That displeasure came from Fenrir’s death and the Blood Wraith Corps’ defeat.

And also—

“And now that insignificant thing is being called a god?”

The word “god” provoked him.

Even he wasn’t called a god.

“So I’ll have to see with my own eyes whether a god can stop my army.”

A colossal enemy was aiming at the Hyunsoo who was rising.

Elsewhere.

A noble one who felt curiosity.

A man leaned his back against a vast, enormous World Tree.

His skin was white as jade, and his arms and legs were slender.

But unlike that frail-looking body, his gaze was every bit the equal of any king.

Wearing a crown woven from branches, he had already heard the story.

A man who crafted a bow that held colossal flames.

He already knew what that bow truly was.

The only material that can pour out colossal fire is a small World Tree.

He’d been shocked at the time.

A human—who isn’t even a dwarf—can craft something out of a small World Tree?

Yet the story kept tickling at his ears.

And now—

“A human the humans worship as a god...”

[Elf King Gordon Lv.???]

The one leaning against the World Tree.

He, too, was one of the kings leading this era.

He turned, stroked the World Tree, and spoke.

“He will reach this place on his own.”

Another place. The most dangerous one existed there.

[Tyrant Jevar Lv.???]

Just now, he had killed a young maid because the tea wasn’t warm enough.

And a man was disposing of the maid’s corpse.

His name was Baron.

An unofficial ranker, and Tyrant Jevar’s agent.

Baron led Tyrant Jevar’s followers—and most of those followers were unofficial rankers as well.

In other words, unofficial rankers who didn’t reveal their power gathered under Tyrant Jevar.

Why they stayed at Tyrant Jevar’s side—

Because there was a lot to gain from a mad king.

He’s getting more violent by the day. Good. Even better.

The more violent Jevar became, the massive guild Baron belonged to steadily devoured Jevar’s territory.

Hyun didn’t know.

He didn’t know that the guild Baron belonged to was already far stronger than Atlas.

It couldn’t be helped.

Hyun had built everything from nothing.

Baron’s guild had been swallowing what already existed, one piece at a time.

“For a mere blacksmith to be worshiped as a god.”

Tyrant Jevar had someone he’d taken interest in recently.

The one the rumors called a god.

The one who said he would become a king.

And of course, the biggest reason was this.

“Atlas... ended up in the hands of a blacksmith?”

Tyrant Jevar was someone who, centuries ago, had targeted one of the absolute rulers—Saint King Harun.

More precisely, he had targeted Atlas, the territory that grew with infinite potential.

But Jevar had failed.

“The Saint King back then was impressive.”

Baron spoke words that sounded flattering.

“Even so, in Lord Jevar’s case—”

“No. You’re wrong.”

Tyrant Jevar remembered that day clearly.

“He gathered the continent’s strong and fought my host.”

“......”

Baron thought of Hyun. Maybe Harun’s choice really had been extraordinary.

That gathering has already begun.

He was an incredible user.

Like the name “Saint King,” he was drawing in strong people one by one.

Baron got excited.

“Then all the more, shouldn’t we devour Atlas before his host grows larger?”

In truth, the tyrant barely cared about the territories he devoured.

So Baron thought he might be able to use Tyrant Jevar’s power to devour Atlas easily.

“No.”

“...Why?”

The tyrant was definitely insane. But sometimes, Baron got chills from Jevar’s insight and plans.

To the point where he wondered # Nоvеlight # if Jevar wasn’t insane at all.

“A meal after the table is set always has more to eat than a meal before it is set. You’re duller than I thought, Baron.”

“...I’m sorry.”

If they ate Atlas now, it would be nothing more than devouring a large territory.

But if Hyun inflated its scale even more, Jevar would be able to steal far more of what Atlas held.

Baron agreed with that, too.

However...

Baron judged that it was impossible for Atlas to grow any further.

“......”

“...It is, though?”

Sejin couldn’t bring himself to continue as he watched Hyunsoo denying it on the screen.

Ares notifications aren’t kind enough to tell you everything ahead of time.

This was simply a warning because user Hyunsoo’s current situation was too special.

The one fortunate part was that Bolond had things he needed to deal with, Tyrant Jevar was waiting for the right time, and Elf King Gordon didn’t interfere in human affairs.

But it’s only a matter of time.

As Sejin was thinking that—

“...?”

He saw a shocking notification.

A notification sent by the supercomputer Ares.

Hyunsoo had seen this:

[The king of ??? ??? your revealed existence.]

But Sejin had authority to see what the ??? were.

[The King of Stories needs your revealed existence.]

“...Insane. To think even he’s heard about him.”

The King of Stories.

That wasn’t his true name.

Just like Bolond, who was called the “colossal king” because he ruled the greatest empire—

This one had that name because he was the king of the Island of Stories, a new continent that hadn’t opened yet.

Of course, not even the official designation had been finalized.

But one thing was certain.

He was the final king hidden behind the veil.

Is this luck?

No. It wasn’t luck.

If there were those who threatened Hyun because he was so outstanding, then it was only natural that there would also be someone who needed him.

That was right.

All of it—connections Hyun had created.

Of course, we’ll have to see how it plays out...

How it would be resolved was homework left to Hyun.

Meanwhile.

A new continent untouched by users.

A place called the Island of Stories.

A man listened to a tale carried by the voices of NPCs, not users.

A towering height that reached 188 cm.

A man with features like a tiger.

He showed interest in the story being delivered to him—and the greatsword he held was nearly broken.

“How interesting.”

He slung the greatsword back over his shoulder, turned his body, and thought—

So the Twin Dragon Sword exists on another continent, too.