Genius Blacksmith's Game

The branch heads and Representative Lee Sejin were on the verge of falling into ecstasy.

Because they too had that same instinct that the newly forged artifact would turn out to be something incredible.

They too were people who had risen high enough in some field to become branch heads.

And their instincts were right nearly 90% of the time.

Another reason they were pleased was that it had not come out with a name like Hyun’s Fifteenth Sword.

—Full Bloom? That’s an incredibly cool name.

Just as the new branch head Lee Hwan admired it, all of the branch heads agreed.

One branch head rose from their seat, another straightened their crooked glasses.

Someone else craned their neck forward, wanting to confirm the grade of the newly forged artifact, Full Bloom.

Lee Sejin was among them.

Gulp—

Unlike his usual cold composure, he swallowed dryly.

But then—

[The grade of Full Bloom is Unique.]

“......”

—....

—....

—....

—....

—....

It was a grade that brought a moment of silence.

Most of the branch heads here in particular were under the effect of a kind of stimulant.

No matter how exhausted a person may be, if they become deeply immersed in and excited by something, they can forget all their fatigue for a while and focus entirely on it.

The momentum of the branch heads, who had fallen into that deep immersion, went slack in an instant.

Thud—

One branch head dropped back into their chair as if collapsing, while another took off their glasses and rubbed tired eyes.

The Russia Branch Head spoke in a weary voice.

—For us to be worked up over nothing more than...

But they did not finish the sentence.

If the blacksmith’s soul was infused into a Unique item, it became a legendary-grade artifact.

Even if more than hundreds of them had already been released into the market, it was not something one could call nothing more than that.

But everyone agreed even without hearing the rest.

They were the branch heads representing their respective countries.

There were more than fifteen of them here at minimum.

And the artifact that had made all of them so absorbed and so exhausted was only legendary?

Lee Sejin too wore an expression of disbelief.

Was his luck just bad...?

Or else...

—...It seems User Hyunsoo’s original creation is still inferior to imitations based on legends. That is unfortunate.

Most of the branch heads were nodding in agreement.

Sejin still found it hard to accept.

Did it really only become truly powerful when based on legend...?

Was User Hyunsoo still too young, with too much road left ahead of him, for an original creation that could lead an era to be possible?

At that moment, an unexpected voice drew everyone’s attention.

It was the voice of the new branch head, Lee Hwan.

—User Hyunsoo completed the crafting, and even though the grade turned out to be legendary rather than what we expected, why does his expression look relieved?

—...?

—...?

At that moment, Sejin shot to his feet with a startled expression.

On the other side of the screen, he had expected to see Hyunsoo blaming himself, disappointed, wearing a bitter expression.

In truth, everyone here had been avoiding looking at him.

Because they did not want to witness his three days of effort turning to foam, and his passion cooling in an instant.

But the expression on Hyunsoo’s face on the screen was nothing like what they had expected.

It was the expression of someone who had done it.

The expression of ecstasy.

And the smile of someone who had grown.

—Hahahahaha!

No way...

Something flashed through Lee Sejin’s mind.

But it was to the point where he could not believe such a thing was possible.

That was why he kept denying it inside himself, and kept doubting it.

But with the notification that now rang out, he came to understand.

All of this had been part of Hyunsoo’s crafting process.

He intended it...?

And the notification ringing out to User Hyunsoo said—

[The record of history begins.]

That sword was not an ordinary legendary sword.

*****

Laughter burst from Hyunsoo’s mouth.

What he had crafted with complete originality from start to finish had arrived at exactly the result he wanted.

One had to pay attention to the three materials.

Regenerative blood.

Jae Stone.

Grout.

Regenerative blood possessed two things: infinite regeneration and infinite strengthening.

Its weakness was Grout’s revival.

And Jae Stone served to imprison and control Grout.

But no matter how outstanding Jae Stone was—

Could it really imprison a demon over Level 500? 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

No. If anything, that bastard would keep aiming for his heart.

Of course, he did not forget the premise of a demonic sword with a demon dwelling inside it.

Then how should he do it?

I make Full Bloom gradually, little by little, gnaw away at the original power Demon Grout possesses.

But there was something required in that process.

If Hyunsoo had forged a Transcendence-grade artifact, then it would simply become Transcendence, and the Grout dwelling inside it would instead become harder to control.

And the advantage of regenerative blood itself lay in infinite strength just like infinite regeneration.

What would it have been like if I had forged a Transcendence item?

That would have been the end.

The artifact would simply have ended there.

It would have remained eternal Transcendence grade.

But now, this would no longer remain eternal Transcendence.

Was that just him interpreting it however he liked?

No.

From beginning to end, everything had proceeded through his mind in a single flow.

And the result also revealed that this had been his plan.

That revelation began with checking the artifact’s crafting information.

(Full Bloom)

Grade: Legendary

Durability: 6,000/6,000

Attack Power: 639

Restriction: Swordsman level 500 or above, creator

Special Abilities:

· All stats 2.5%

· Critical hit chance 110%

· Cutting power 75%

· Highest-grade Sword Mastery +3

· Passive Skill Demon’s Prison

· Passive Skill Infinite Growth

· Passive Skill Infinite Regeneration

· Active Skill Full Bloom Transformation

· Active Skill Bloom in Splendor

· Active Skill Summon Grout

· As an effect, when it drinks blood and Full Bloom Transformation activates, the sword will be dyed the color of cherry blossoms and bloom in full.

· A notice announcing the appearance of a sword that leads an era may rarely sound, and it can be turned on or off.

Description: A sword of infinite growth crafted by a blacksmith who leads an era. It is a creation of Full Bloom and the blacksmith’s tale, recorded in history.

(Demon’s Prison)

Passive Skill

Effect:

· Helps the sword grow by using demonic power as its source.

· Controls the demon so it cannot escape at will, and endlessly absorbs the demon’s power.

· Weakens the demon by absorbing its power.

· The demon’s strength is determined according to Full Bloom’s grade.

· It can lull the demon to sleep.

(Infinite Growth)

Passive Skill

Effect:

· Allows the sword to grow infinitely by using Demon Grout’s power as its source.

· Whenever the sword’s grade rises, all skill levels including the sword’s attack power will increase.

· Full Bloom grows by feeding on the blood of enemies. Strong and extraordinary enemies—or whenever it drinks demon blood—its proficiency will rise by a far greater amount.

· There is no limit to how much it can grow. At times, it may even set its sights on mythology itself.

(Infinite Regeneration)

Passive Skill

Effect:

· Rapidly recovers by using the blood of enemies.

· Restores 3% of the damage dealt.

· Creates synergy with Infinite Growth, and when the grade rises, that 3% recovery increases drastically.

(Full Bloom Transformation)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 1,000.

· Accumulates the blood that flows after cutting down enemies.

· According to the power accumulated, Full Bloom transforms, and all attack power of the bloomed Full Bloom rises.

· Whenever the transformed sword tears enemies apart, an effect forms as though blood explosions are occurring.

(Bloom in Splendor)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 2,000.

· Full Bloom, having entered among the enemies, blooms wide like blood cherry blossoms.

· Dozens of blades each inflict an additional 170% damage, ignore all defense, and extend out to a radius of 20 meters.

(Summon Grout)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 50 per second

· Awakens Demon Grout sleeping inside Full Bloom.

· He is in a weakened state because he is imprisoned in Demon’s Prison.

· He is not an easy demon to control.

And the second result lay in the tower notification that rang out.

[Tower of Honor is measuring the record.]

Would the Tower of Honor see this as nothing more than an ordinary legendary item, or as something beyond that?

The answer was simple.

[The Tower defines it as a new grade rather than legendary.]

[The grade of the artifact you crafted is judged to be Infinite.]

[You have set a new record.]

[A marvelous achievement.]

[This fact will be delivered to the previous record-holder, Mio.]

[Honor Points 493,000... omitted...]

[...omitted]

[omitted...]

Infinite.

It was neither arrogance nor something hollow.

It was described as setting its sights on even beyond mythology, and Full Bloom could continue growing even past that.

But right now, Hyunsoo’s attention was fixed not on the endless stream of reward notifications the tower was spitting out, but on something else.

Because something unexpected was sounding from the plan he had made from beginning to end.

[You obtain the title One Who Leads an Era.]

(One Who Leads an Era)

Multi-title

Grade: S

Special Abilities:

· The probability of a superior artifact appearing increases by 20%.

· When crafting something that leads an era, all stats increase by 10.

· If you craft 3 or more things that lead an era, something special will occur.

· The title can evolve.

· One Who Leads an Era notification on/off

Description: A title given only to the chosen ones who lead an era. It is granted only to the four pioneers, and states that you are one of the leading figures of the current Ares.

[One Who Leads an Era shines.]

[You obtain All Stats 10.]

And the other unexpected event continued in a linked reaction.

[You become the protagonist of a tale.]

It was a message sounding for him for the first time.

This was not a tale created by imitating something.

Nor was it a tale that occurred because his outstanding subordinate Bella had awakened.

Nor was it the record of those who had to ascend, recorded after receiving the energy of the Twelve Signs.

[You are recorded in history.]

This is a record for me alone.

It announced the birth of a blacksmith leading a new era.

Just like the blacksmith of the Twin Dragon Sword forged in another age.

Just like the blacksmith of the Four Tiger Sword, created when a king of another age had ordered a sword for the people.

[You are standing on the road that leads an era.]

[You and Full Bloom will become an example to all blacksmiths and lead them onward.]

The record of history was amazed by the sword, but it was also amazed by the blacksmith.

And thus the name of the record that came into being—

[Tale. Full Bloom and the Blacksmith are recorded.]

It described Full Bloom and the present Hyunsoo who held it.

Only then did Hyunsoo read the detailed description written on Full Bloom once more.

A sword of infinite growth crafted by a blacksmith who leads an era. It is a creation of Full Bloom and the blacksmith’s tale, recorded in history.

Hyunsoo smiled brightly.

It was telling him that Full Bloom had been recorded as a work of the era, and that he, its creator, would be remembered as the protagonist.

At that moment—

With the tension leaving him, a long wave of exhaustion came crashing in.

Stagger—

Hyunsoo caught his balance and did not fall.

Bracing himself with both hands on his knees, bent over, his body began trembling faintly.

He felt the ecstasy of having grown.

And also—

If you keep following and making things, someday you’ll create a work that is your own. This father believes you’ll do it brilliantly.

He shed tears of gratitude for the father who had made this moment possible.

*****

None of the branch heads said a word.

As they looked at the being on the other side of the screen, the one who had become a leading figure of an era, these were the thoughts they had.

Thank you for showing me that moment.

That was wonderful.

Full Bloom and the story of the blacksmith who forged it... Thank you for letting me live in the same age as that moment.

Today is the first time I have ever been this glad to be a branch head.

And through his faintly trembling body, one more thing was reflected.

A few drops of tears wet the floor, but at the corners of his ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ mouth there was a smile of ecstasy.

Everyone here knew in the end.

The path he had walked.

And that the birth of Full Bloom, which would lead an era, had by no means been easy.

Click—

As if they had all agreed in advance not to preserve the sight of him crying, someone turned off the screen.

Without a word, all of the branch heads ended the video call and chose to remember only that Full Bloom and the blacksmith had existed.

—....

—....

—....

Meanwhile, in that gap—

“......”

The tale notification, branded so deeply into Lee Hwan’s memory that it would never fade.

Full Bloom and the Blacksmith was a tale as perfect as that.

And today—

...Is it all right for even a branch head like me to become someone’s fan?

SMACK—!

Lee Hwan slapped his own cheek.

As a branch head, he should not be like that.

But one thing was certain: the person called Hyun had become an object of admiration even to branch heads in a single instant.

Lee Hwan, who wanted to become a proper branch head, decided to leave only one scene in his mind.

It was the most beautiful scene in the story he had seen—

one scene from the tale called Full Bloom and the Blacksmith.

The image of the blacksmith holding Full Bloom and smiling radiantly.