Genius Blacksmith's Game

It was said that high rankers invested an average of 11 hours into the game.

Considering that ordinary users might log in for five hours on weekends and maybe one or two hours on weekdays, it was truly a tremendous amount of time.

Among those rankers, some users increased their playtime because of a single turning point.

The Great Atlas War.

World Rank #2 Kali.

Mio, Vietnam’s Divine Archer.

The great mage Rund.

And many others who had participated in the Great Atlas War.

The reason they had increased their playtime.

That damned Hyun!

I’ll crush your Atlas no matter what!

I’ll definitely become stronger. No matter what!

Of course, it was true that they had increased their playtime because of their disastrous defeat in the Great Atlas War.

But most high rankers were proud, and their competitive spirit was on a level ordinary people could not compare to.

To be honest, that day, they thought it was the result of their own complacency and carelessness.

Sometimes, the ones who think more coldly than ordinary users and walk the right path are precisely the high rankers.

From that day until now, they had kept growing.

Beyond the average high ranker playtime of 11 hours—16 hours.

Aside from the time spent eating, sleeping, resting, and attending meetings, they had pushed themselves onward while sleeping only four or five hours a day.

It was thanks to the one who had sounded an alarm for their complacent selves that they had been able to grow so quickly.

In fact, Kali’s level had reached an astonishing 498.

According to the stories going around, for players, level 500 was said to be the second beginning.

Was it merely symbolic?

No. It was the conclusion reached after all kinds of speculation from experts and high rankers alike—that there would be a “second class advancement.”

And what about Mio?

She had chased after it.

The Bow of Ruin, which in the distant past had turned an ordinary archer into the Divine Archer.

Amazingly, this Bow of Ruin was Transcendence grade.

And Rund?

He had achieved the growth of an entire class.

A mage’s strength did not come from level.

A mage’s strength came from the growth of their class.

And today.

“Haa—”

The three of them sighed.

The top players of each country, all gathered in one place and sighing.

If their fellow countrymen saw it, they would have called it an unbelievable sight.

Why?

One had reached level 498, one possessed the transcendent bow Bow of Ruin, and one had achieved a new class growth. And all of them had been hiding that power.

So they could surprise Hyun later.

And now, this power.

It looked like they were going to use it for Hyun.

How could they not sigh?

“You were pretty good in that interview. ‘Isn’t that simply what an adult should do?’”

At Kali’s sarcasm, Rund snorted.

“Right. And after my interview, you slapped the desk and shouted, ‘I completely agree with Rund as well.’”

That was because Rund’s public image had sharply improved at the time.

The public had gone wild over it.

Rund acknowledges what should be acknowledged, even in an enemy!

Kali had taken the same approach and followed suit.

“This isn’t the time for us to be doing this among ourselves. Are we really going to show ourselves in public like this?”

At Mio’s words, Kali and Rund opened their mouths.

The status of the war between the Ares Church and the Calamity Church was being broadcast all over the world.

An enormous number of broadcasting stations were airing it live, and according to what they had heard, the total combined viewership exceeded 3 million.

And to appear at a time like this, fighting for Hyun’s Forge?

The experts would say:

And the headlines would probably come out like this:

“.......”

“.......”

“.......”

Just imagining it was horrifying enough.

Then the three of them spotted members of the Calamity Church.

And not all members of the Calamity Church were priests.

There were those who normally lived while hiding that they belonged to the Calamity Church, hiding their true nature.

So they could act like “normal people.”

When the great cause was about to arise, they revealed their true selves.

The three exchanged glances.

First, they killed those members of the Calamity Church and stole the black robes that symbolized them.

Then, after going inside, they saw a group from the Calamity Church.

“......We’re moving right now to kill Luxiu. It appears his escape route has already been cut off, and he is being cornered. The other legion commanders are moving as well.”

“For Gremory.”

“All hail Lady Gremory.”

Those who shouted with powerful voices began moving.

In the midst of hundreds of Calamity Church members.

Three beasts—three heretics within the Calamity Church—began to move.

*****

What symbolized Gremory was the legion.

The other great archdemons also kept legion commanders, but at most there were only two or three of them.

The reason Gremory was able to keep so many legion commanders.

It came from her nature.

She could raise demonkind, or strengthen up to 22 higher demons.

And she possessed power worthy of the title demon of legion commanders.

That power was an abnormal “buff.”

A tale had been passed down among humans that it was as though the pope of the demon realm himself had descended.

And now.

That fact was being proven.

[Gremory’s Mercy]

[All attack power of the Calamity Church rises by 18%.]

[All defense of the Calamity Church falls by 2%.]

[All those of the Calamity Church forget fear, dread, and pain.]

[Total HP and MP increase by 30%.]

[Skill cooldowns are reduced by 20%.]

Black rain poured down like a torrential storm.

That rain, slick like oil, delivered despair to those fighting for the Ares Church.

[Pope’s Blessing is dispelled.]

[Return Scrolls and all teleportation for those who worship good are restricted.]

On the other hand, members of the Calamity Church opened their mouths and drank the falling black rain, spread their hands to gather it and wash their faces, and rejoiced at the coming day of her resurrection.

-According to old books of Ares, on the day the sealed demon awakens, black rain falls and stains the surface world with evil. This proves that to be true.

-This isn’t just a simple resurrection. Gremory is the demon of legion commanders, and as though she were the pope of the demon realm, she is strengthening the members of the Calamity Church.

-The members of the Calamity Church are going wild while taking in the rainwater. They’ve even forgotten pain, so no matter how much they’re cut down, they refuse to retreat.

Just as the commentators said.

There were those moving through the gaps in the falling black rain.

Gremory’s resurrection, prepared over a long period of time.

Her plan.

1st Legion Commander Vera.

And there had been others who had heard the voice of the great archdemon Gremory long before that.

2nd Legion Commander Fuoruo and those awakened by Baal’s Original Sin?

No.

Six legion commanders had struck Atlas’s front gate.

And eight legion commanders had struck the rear gate.

Also, on the day Gremory was sealed, one legion commander had met death.

Even so, seven legion commanders remained alive and well.

Among them, those who had not been able to drink Baal’s Original Sin awakened together with Gremory’s Mercy.

Ninety percent of her plan had been completed.

Leador.

Gremory......!

Though he was a lower-ranking legion commander, he was one specialized in the power to kill individuals.

Even so, the reason he was ranked among the top ten legion commanders was because he did not “command a territory,” or more precisely, because he chose not to.

Leador had no interest in commanding territory.

Thus, among the legion commanders, he was the weakest in terms of dominion, but in individual martial force he was the strongest, and he had heard the telepathic message before anyone else.

-On the day I awaken, I wish to gift you the position of 1st Legion Commander.

Of course, this too was a reward.

Before Gremory awakened, Leador had to accomplish the greatest task.

Luxiu, whom the demon Gremory had coveted and brought in.

That dog had abandoned its master and attached itself somewhere else.

He had to cut off that dog’s head and offer it to Gremory.

“......Complete the resurrection.”

“I will.”

The 2nd Legion Commander Fuoruo was reaching the end of Mother’s plan.

Now, once they offered just 30 more Ares Church believers, she would awaken.

Before that, they had to kill Luxiu and the remnants of Hyun’s Forge.

“......Luxiu and the people of Hyun’s Forge have killed 9,000 members of the Calamity Church. Luxiu in particular has killed around 500 high-ranking priests and high-ranking knights.”

“.......”

High-ranking priests and high-ranking knights meant people above level 440.

In other words, they were elites even Lady Gremory would treasure.

He killed over 500 of those by himself?

It made him understand why Gremory had coveted Luxiu.

But that was exactly why.

Now is the perfect time!

If he had cut down 500, he could not help but be exhausted.

And still, still, members of the Calamity Church were pouring in from every direction to kill them.

“They are currently surrounded.”

“With the power of great Lady Gremory, they cannot even flee.”

“But that man Luxiu prevents the defensive line from collapsing, and the one called Bon is impressive as well.”

Listening to that, Leador had arrived before he knew it.

They were holding back the Calamity Church members surging toward them with a cliff at their backs.

As expected, the man called Luxiu was formidable.

The skill with which he cut down those rushing at him—and though he was breathing hard, there was no disorder in the swing of his sword.

“At this level of legion commanders, it’ll be more than enough to sweep them away.”

They began pushing inward at high speed.

At that moment.

“......These bastards?”

Luxiu and Hyun’s Forge noticed them.

Sooner than expected, at that.

Part of the plan had gone wrong, but Leador and the legion commanders had nothing to fear.

Because even if they had been noticed, it was already too late.

With Leador at the forefront, the legion commanders charged rapidly toward them, their backs to the cliff.

Leador’s speed in particular was superb.

THUNK—!

In an instant, he reached the exhausted Luxiu’s side and succeeded in stabbing his flank.

Among the legion commanders, Leador possessed the greatest killing power.

That was because he was an assassin class.

That was why he had not built a territory.

And ordinarily, when someone was stabbed in the side, a gasp escaped them and strength drained from their body......

KRAKAKAK—!?

“......?”

Leador was bewildered.

The man called Luxiu, who was clearly exhausted, was knocking him away.

He thought that the man called Luxiu had far stronger mental endurance and raw force than he had expected.

But by then, already—

THUNK, THUNKTHUNK, THUNKTHUNKTHUNK—!

Multiple wounds were being carved into Luxiu’s body.

I’m attacking him, but I’m in danger too?

Even more than the exhausted Luxiu, his own HP was falling faster.

The power this man could produce at full condition—he could not even dare estimate it.

That was exactly why.

This man had to die.

For an instant he drew up the power within his body and sent it into a rampage.

RUMMMMMBLE—!

Unlike Luxiu, who had spent most of his strength, his own power was boiling over.

THUNK—!

After stabbing Luxiu in the chest once—

BOOOOOM—!

When Luxiu knocked him away, he planted a hand on the ground and instantly sprang up like an explosion, aiming for the bastard’s throat.

Right at that moment.

“For Lady Gremory!”

A beautiful harmony reached his ears.

Yes, right now they were completing Gremory’s plan for Lady Gremory’s sake.

The one who had just praised her.

It must be someone expressing joy at witnessing Luxiu’s death.

Turning his head toward the voice, Leador smiled.

He was expressing joy at the true praise of her.

One arrow shot toward Luxiu.

It was flying straight at the back of his head.

Whether Leador killed him or that person killed him did not really matter.

Leador shouted together with them.

“For Lady Gremory!!”

But then......

THUNK—!

It pierced Leador’s glabella.

“......?”

His thoughts froze, unable to understand what had happened.

Even more horrifying was the damage.

W-what is this?

In all his life, he had never heard of an arrow inflicting such powerful damage.

That believer drew the bowstring again.

“All hail Lady Gremory!”

THUNK—!

One arrow to the glabella.

“Praise Lady Gremory.”

THUNK—!

Another arrow to the glabella.

“For Lady Gremory’s eternal life.”

THUNK—!

Yet another arrow to the glabella.

The skill was unbelievable as well.

The tips of four consecutive arrows pierced through one another, so that a total of four arrows were lodged in Leador’s glabella.

And he began to wonder if what that person was saying was actually true.

No way......!?

Coming to his senses, Leador realized it.

Even within the same church, there were those who held completely different ideologies.

Their ideas were different.

Though they worshiped the same being, the direction of their thinking was different.

But Leador could not shout that she was a heretic.

In this moment, one thing became certain.

Whether she was a heretic, or a believer who truly served Lady Gremory—

If she is truly a person of the Calamity Church, ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ then she must be an archer of a caliber that appears maybe once in a hundred years!

The reason he thought so.

RUMMMMMBLE—!

It was because a power that could split heaven and earth was condensing at the tip of her arrow.

Meanwhile.

-An unexpected turn is taking place.

-Luxiu survives by a miracle!

-An enormous power is gathering at the tip of the arrow of an unidentified archer!

The woman who shouted All hail Gremory while aiming at Legion Commander Leador.

It was, of course, Mio.

That bow is no ordinary weapon.

The gigantic red bow she held was so imposing that its aura could be felt even through the television screen.

Suddenly Hyunsoo felt it.

The three people I sent, too.......

They had all achieved enormous growth in the meantime.

How much they contributed in this battle would play a decisive role in the board Hyunsoo had laid out up until now.

Then, at that moment, Hyunsoo was flustered.

“Whoa...... what the hell?”

That was because the power of that bow was far greater than he had expected.

Drip, drip—

Cold sweat began to form on Hyunsoo’s forehead.

Do they catch Gremory even without me?

That was how enormous the power shaking the entire world had become.