Genius Blacksmith's Game

“We’re going to build several hundred ships.”

Daytime words are heard by birds, and nighttime words are heard by rats.

Back when he had received Hyunsoo’s order, Roun had mulled over that proverb.

“If we build several hundred ships, it’ll stand out too much. Then the enemy will find a way to counter the ships.”

Roun trusted Hyunsoo.

But this was not just any fleet. It was several hundred Turtle Ships.

And since Roun had once led the greatest blacksmith guild in name, he found it even harder to understand what Hyunsoo said next.

“We’re going to use human wave tactics. The ships will advance carrying the entire Atlas army. Since they’ll have to carry all of Atlas’s forces, it’ll take a huge amount of manpower and money, so we’ll build them quickly with the cheapest materials possible.” 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Roun flared up.

“...I don’t understand what you’re saying. You’re going to load that precious Atlas army onto ships made with the cheapest materials? A ship serves the role of transport. On a battlefield, when an attack lands, one soldier dies, but at sea, if one ship is allowed to be struck, countless people inside it meet pointless deaths. And yet you would put them aboard some ship made of the cheapest possible materials...”

“Roun.”

“...”

“It’s an order.”

“...!!!”

Back then, for the first time, Roun regretted immigrating to Atlas.

Human wave tactics.

The phrase literally meant a battle fought by overwhelming with sheer numbers.

It was the most common tactic of all, but also the one that caused the greatest losses.

Because of that, a significant portion of the Atlas army, which had been raised so carefully until now, might die.

Of course, Roun too had once looked down on NPCs and thought of them as artificial intelligence.

But now it was different.

Each and every person in Atlas felt precious to him.

Still, Roun had already chosen to remain in Atlas.

So he led the blacksmiths and continued building it.

And even while doing that...

If he really tries to load them on this thing, I’ll smash them all with my own hands and leave.

Roun had even gone so far as to harbor that frightening thought.

Then, one day—

Roun received a whisper from Hyunsoo telling him to come to the museum, and when he entered, he could not help but be stunned.

Takashi was there, for one—

As well as the master of the Sword Blacksmith Tower, and old blacksmith Peru, who was currently residing with Bahala.

And beyond them, dozens of the finest blacksmiths Atlas possessed had gathered inside.

Then—

SHHHHK—!

A sheet of blueprints spread open from Hyunsoo’s hand.

Roun stole a look at the design and could not help but admire it, and Hyunsoo said,

“...Do not let anyone know about the construction of this ship.”

“I’ll keep my words to a minimum.”

“...”

Roun noticed that this was Hyunsoo apologizing for how forceful he had been before.

Just as Hyunsoo had said, Roun judged that this absolutely could not be disclosed to the blacksmiths.

And Roun could see it.

The museum’s blueprint, which had already been extraordinary, was incredible.

It was so impressive that it could sail out to sea that instant and fight the enemy.

Roun was amazed by Hyunsoo.

He wasn’t just building a museum—he was making a ship that could fight at any time under wartime conditions. What the hell is this guy? How many moves ahead was he looking?

And his skill was telling him, just from looking at the blueprint alone, that this ship was already outstanding.

But...

“It’s not enough. If we go back over what we designed in the beginning, this ship will boast excellent durability. But the advantage of this vessel is that it moves faster than any other ship. The problem is that if we use that material, the ship may become sturdy, but it’ll also become slow and sluggish, and then it’ll just end up surrounded by enemy ships and bombarded by countless cannon volleys.”

At those words, dozens of top blacksmiths began putting their heads together.

Roun was appalled.

Hyun is directing this, and the minds of dozens of blacksmiths from this land are shaping an Ares-style Turtle Ship...

The genius knowledge of a handcrafting blacksmith.

And now, at last, the knowledge of blacksmiths from this fantasy world was being fused into it.

And while listening to the discussion, something flashed through Roun’s mind.

“...In a small village I once visited in the north, there are woodcutters who fell Ironwood. Ironwood. It’s an actual tree, but its strength is the same as iron, and it’s extremely light. What’s even more interesting is that even if you layer it and layer it again, it never exceeds a certain weight. That’s because Ironwood possesses the trait ‘Featherlike Timber.’”

All the blacksmiths turned to look at Roun.

And Roun realized it.

When dozens of blacksmiths gathered like this and put their heads together, the result could become something absurdly beyond common sense.

With a look of amazement, Hyunsoo asked Roun,

“If its weight doesn’t increase past a certain threshold... then why isn’t wood like that famous?”

“...Because it’s expensive. And it’s the kind of wood that can’t be made into spear shafts or bow staves. Normally it’s the sort of thing that could only be used in construction—but what idiots would use something that expensive on buildings? But if it’s used to build a ship like this, that changes everything.”

And then Roun asked the thing he was most curious about.

“How much are you planning to spend on this one ship?”

“Ten million gold.”

“...!!!?”

Roun understood.

He was about to burn ten billion won of real money to make a single ship.

And yet what that would cause was shocking.

“Roun, go meet the woodcutters and buy up all the Ironwood. And as for the master of the Sword Blacksmith Tower, just as you said, imbue that effect into the protruding spikes on the Turtle Ship’s shell, and also...”

Things that could not be done became possible.

What things could not be done?

The things that could not be done for lack of money.

Now, Roun understood.

The greatest ship in this world was about to be born.

There were countless reasons why.

First.

Dozens of top-tier blacksmiths and tower masters—masters of the craft.

On top of that, there was Takashi, a real-world master craftsman, and there was Hyunsoo.

Second.

They were burning ten billion won of real money on a single ship.

In Ares, that was worth more than pouring tens of billions into this one vessel.

And third.

This place had already closed down and could no longer be entered, and inside it were dozens of blacksmiths.

And Roun, hammering away, felt that third reason with his own body.

[Ironwood has been applied, granting it higher durability than any other ship.]

And the trustworthy blacksmith rankers Hyun had brought in felt it too.

[Unique-grade. White Tiger Cannons have been installed.]

One by one, things bearing special powers were loaded onto the ship.

Ten billion won could do an awful lot.

If they could not make something, they bought it and put it in. And at times, the blacksmiths fell into extreme immersion and awakened the powers each of them held.

Roun—

[Unyielding Blacksmith]

[The durability of the ship being crafted increases by 5%.]

—unleashed such a power.

And some of the blacksmiths sank into even deeper immersion.

[Growth rate increases by 15%.]

[The growth rate of blacksmiths who serve the one who created a Mythic is faster.]

RIIIING—

[You are participating in the construction of a ship commanded by a Mythic creator.]

[Growth rate increases by an additional 10%.]

On top of that, another special quality of the Mythic creator, one even they had not known, was added.

The blacksmiths, realizing their own growth had sped up, immersed themselves even more deeply.

“You bastards, I’ll show you what it means to be a tower master who’s spent his whole life making weapons.”

[The master of the Sword Blacksmith Tower, Daeng, surpasses his limit.]

[He succeeds in creating the Legendary-grade weapon, Dragon Harpoon.]

Tower Master Daeng, whom Hyunsoo had met long ago, felt his chest swell as he looked over at Hyun, who stood off to one side with a thumbs-up.

And so, in every corner—

The hot sound of hammering echoed on.

CLAAANG!!

FSSSSSSHHH—

[Blacksmith’s Dedication activates.]

[The ship’s durability increases by an additional 12%, and movement speed increases by 5%.]

Some struck the ship itself, while others hammered at the cannons.

CLANG! CLAAANG—!

[Blacksmith’s Flame activates.]

[The attack power of the cannon he is crafting increases by 5%, and firing # Nоvеlight # speed increases by 30%.]

And others carefully hammered over the places the first group had already passed over once.

THUNK! THUNKTHUNKTHUNK! THUNKTHUNKTHUNK—!

[Blacksmith’s Conviction activates.]

[That conviction settles into the ship and, on a single occasion only, protects the ship from all attacks.]

And finally—

The weapon that thirty blacksmiths, Takashi, and Hyunsoo had put the most work into.

The symbol of the Turtle Ship, and the greatest weapon aboard it, was installed.

CLANK—!

[It is the Legendary cannon, White Flame Cannon.]

It was the moment the dragon’s head was mounted.

A notification rang out to everyone present, and Hyunsoo’s eyes shone.

At the beginning, this ship had been a building, and that fact had not changed.

[It is the greatest structure ever created by users in Ares.]

[During its construction, the special powers of dozens of blacksmiths were activated, making it even more perfect.]

[It is so sturdy and so excellent that its level of completion cannot be expressed.]

[The legend of a structure is being written.]

A World Message rang out.

To the world, that message ended only with: someone had created the first Legendary structure.

People began imagining things.

Had someone built a 101-story building in Ares?

Had some group, acting under a king’s orders, created a magnificent castle?

Or perhaps Chinese users had built a modern Great Wall?

After all kinds of speculation, Roun and the blacksmiths present here looked upon the truth.

It was no mere structure.

It was a structure, the greatest weapon, and a warship.

[You receive the reward for participating in the creation of the first Legendary structure.]

[All Stats increase by 10, and blacksmith-related skills increase by 1 level.]

[The level of the skill Construction rises to Advanced.]

Amid the similar yet individually different notifications, one lone ship stood on the ground in noble silence.

And as Hyunsoo approached before he knew it, Roun felt grateful to him.

Because just now, thanks to him, Roun had grown once again.

...You really don’t leave a man regretting it.

Roun had taken the entire Black Anvil and immigrated to Atlas while enduring the scorn of all blacksmiths.

Madman.

Idiot.

He had lived hearing that Black Anvil was a disgrace.

But today, he felt not a shred of regret about any of it.

And yet Roun was deeply worried.

Because now that they had completed it, Hyunsoo had heard through Pretty that the Parion Empire was crossing the Erion Strait, which connected the two continents.

So Roun knew that Hyunsoo had just gone to meet Barad.

And Roun also knew what kind of order Barad had given.

But from Hyunsoo’s smile, Roun could tell—

Hyunsoo had succeeded in persuading Barad.

Even so, Roun looked up at the Turtle Ship, towering higher and higher into the sky, with worried eyes.

“...The enemy fleet numbers 913 ships. Their troops number 300,000. Compared to that, we have only a single ship.”

Even as he said it, Roun’s heart pounded like mad.

The reason was simple.

Because they already knew a certain historical fact.

After that day, he had remained in history and been passed down to descendants like Roun and Hyunsoo.

And because of that, Roun knew.

“If Hyunsoo boards this ship and succeeds in blocking the strait, then he’ll succeed in carving a new line into the history of Ares.”

It was not going to be easy.

No—he found himself wondering whether such a thing was even possible.

But then Hyunsoo said,

“I’m not boarding the ship.”

“What?”

At that moment—

WHOOOOSH—!

Roun’s eyes flew wide as he saw the man who had already finished speaking with Hyunsoo appear together with flames.

Roun could only stare, spellbound, as the man walked forward with the broken Twin Dragon Sword hanging across his back.

His hand slowly brushed over the ship.

He raised his head and looked at the dragon’s head.

Then he accepted the blueprint.

“Place the Dragon Harpoons on the port and starboard sides of the ship and balance its center of gravity.”

“Widen the spacing of the White Tiger Cannons. Leave the central White Tiger Cannon as it is, but angle the left and right White Tiger Cannons slightly so they can fire across a wider radius.”

[The Turtle Ship’s center of gravity is adjusted perfectly.]

[The placement of the cannons and various other components of the ship is changed to the most ideal arrangement.]

[The ship’s speed increases by an additional 15%, and it becomes capable of attacking more enemies.]

Only a very small number of people knew that the Story King existed.

Until just a moment ago, Roun had thought this.

That a battle between 913 enemy ships and a single vessel could never be easy.

But now, from the level displayed before his eyes—

And from the notifications that rang out the moment that man boarded the ship—

He came to understand.

[Two most perfect tales meet.]

[The Story King’s Ship Utilization skill is Legendary-grade.]

[The Story King’s Ship Utilization is upgraded to Transcendent-grade.]

[All abilities of the Turtle Ship increase by 18%.]

That legends begin where the impossible begins.