Genius Blacksmith's Game

A short while earlier.

A press conference was held in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States.

Reporters from all over the world made their way to the venue despite the inconvenience.

What awaited the countless reporters of countless nationalities were the top users of each country.

There was a reason they had all come so far.

The Atlas invasion pact had already been dissolved, and those now publicly calling themselves the User Kingdom Union had already begun attacking Hyun’s Forge.

It was drawing enormous attention across the world.

China’s number-one-ranked user, Fond.

Standing at the podium, he spoke.

“At last, the moment when our long-cherished wish is about to be fulfilled has come. We finally have the chance to punish Hyun, who monopolized the blacksmiths and distributed artifacts only to his own people.”

They began by justifying the reason for their invasion.

“Artifacts are things that should ultimately circulate through trade, things many users should have the right to possess. But Hyun used his unrivaled power to gather blacksmiths to himself, forging countless artifacts and keeping them under his control, preventing them from ever leaving his hands. That is why our User Kingdom Union intends to punish Hyun.”

They were trying to rationalize their cause.

And when enough people said the same thing, people around the world had no choice but to wonder if maybe they had a point.

At that moment, a producer from a Korean internet broadcasting station raised his hand.

It was Kim PD from AJ Internet Broadcasting Station.

He, too, had come with a reporter from AJ Internet Broadcasting Station to get an interview.

AJ Internet Broadcasting Station had once been a network on the brink of collapse.

But what about now?

Back when Hyun had still been hiding his identity, they had put him on air. And now, carrying the title The one true network that recognized Hyun for who he really was, they held first place in market share among Korean internet broadcasters.

And the reason Kim PD had raised his hand—

It was not simply because he owed Hyun a debt.

At most, he was just a salaried employee. Even if the company struck gold, it was not as though some enormous reward would fall into his lap.

It was simply this.

Kim PD was not a reporter, but he was still an upright producer who understood that people had the right to know the truth.

“You’re saying Master Blacksmith Hyun deliberately tied all the blacksmiths to his own guild and produced artifacts in order to monopolize them, the way people used to monopolize hunting grounds in old RPGs.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“In reality, though, artifacts from Hyun’s Forge haven’t been circulating in the world at all. More precisely, they couldn’t. The Parion Empire had been controlling that the whole time.”

Kim PD looked at Fond, who was holding the microphone.

Fond smiled confidently and asked,

“Is there anyone else with a question?”

Kim PD almost laughed in disbelief.

And the viewers, who had been unsure what to think until now, reacted too.

Fond frowned, puzzled.

Why isn’t any other reporter raising their hand?

And some time earlier—

He was the same man who had tried to recruit the mage Rund, only to be rejected.

And back then, Rund had said something cryptic.

I gave those trash reporters a proper beating once. If it got through to them, maybe they changed.

“...?”

The reason the reporters were not raising their hands.

Was it really because they had learned something?

In truth, some of them had.

And some of them were also certain that whatever Kim PD said now would become far more talked about.

That was why they let him speak.

“Yes, go ahead.”

Unexpectedly, Kim PD asked for exactly what the User Kingdom Union wanted most.

“It seems the User Kingdom Union is confident in the war against Atlas. Could you tell us what preparations you have in place?”

Fond and the high-rankers’ faces lit up.

This was exactly the topic they wanted.

“Generous supporters are helping us. More than ten Named NPCs will be assisting us in this battle, and as befits the User Kingdom Union, tens of thousands of users stand with us. And as I mentioned, many Named NPCs are joining us as well—people who represent nations, or figures whose names alone would be recognized anywhere. They are all with us. For one reason only.”

“......”

Fond and the other users smiled faintly.

“For the sake of righteousness alone.”

The User Kingdom Union was certain that the righteousness of those joining them would also give people a reason to stand on their side.

That certainty lasted only until Kim PD spoke.

“I’ve heard rumors that the top users have been liquidating their assets rather quickly, so I wondered if they had really been brought over with money and promises of positions in the kingdom to be founded. But I suppose that wasn’t the case.”

“......”

“......”

“......”

“So if the User Kingdom Union wins, you intend to declare yourselves a nation before the entire world and stand proudly in an unrivaled position.”

Fond could not make sense of what Kim PD was saying.

Is this guy’s whole style giving poison and medicine in the same breath?

In fact, it was exactly the interview answer they wanted most right now.

“That’s right. After the war ends, after we seize all the territories of Hyun’s Forge, we will declare it before the whole world.”

CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK—!

“The first kingdom ever founded by users.”

Reporters from around the world began hammering their shutters at blistering speed.

This was the heart of the press conference.

But then another core point emerged.

As mentioned before, Kim PD was the kind of man who raised his hand for the sake of the viewers’ right to know.

And he also wanted to communicate exactly what was about to happen.

The moment they were busy praising only themselves, he brought out the truth.

“...If.”

The rankers from around the world, basking in the spotlight, looked puzzled.

“If Hyun’s Forge wins, then Hyun becomes king, doesn’t he?”

“...!?”

“...!?”

“...!?”

“...!?”

That single question changed the atmosphere in the press hall.

“That’s true...”

“If they defeat the User Kingdom Union, then Hyun’s Forge actually...?”

“B-breakthrough! It’s a breakthrough!”

The press conference hall exploded into chaos.

The viewers reacted the same way.

Enraged, Fond confronted that man named Kim PD.

“Did Hyun’s Forge slip you money under the table!?”

“Money under the table? If anything, we’re the ones who keep sending him premium Korean beef gift sets every day asking him to appear on our network... I’ve never even received one myself. Bet they’re delicious.”

“......”

“......”

“......”

Kim PD’s expression made it obvious he was completely sincere.

Watching Kim PD walk away after saying that, Fond hired a competent Korean to investigate him from the shadows.

“...Even after digging, not a speck of dirt turned up. He hasn’t had any contact with Hyun’s Forge lately either, and...”

“......”

“He really has never received a single premium Korean beef gift set. AJ Internet Broadcasting Station is a truly ruthless place.”

“......”

And then Kim PD.

When he returned to Korea, Director Lee approached him.

“I heard you told foreign reporters you’d never even gotten a premium Korean beef set once. I’ll buy you one.”

“...No thanks.”

“Why? You said you wanted Korean beef.”

“......”

Kim PD looked straight into Director Lee’s eyes with a grave expression.

“Gift sets bought with the company card are always the tastiest.”

“...!”

It was an eternal law of the universe.

And Director Lee was impressed.

“If Hyun wins, he becomes king instead—that one statement raised the standing of this tiny AJ Internet Broadcasting Station all over the world. You were aiming for that all along, weren’t you?”

“No?”

Director Lee frowned.

“Then why did you say Hyun would become king if he wins?”

“Because it’s true.”

It was.

An absolute fact.

Kim PD stared at the war footage being broadcast from all over.

The war that had broken out about three days earlier had thrown the various territories owned by Hyun’s Forge into grinding clashes.

Aldron Territory.

Bolaon Territory.

Graan Territory.

And Balas, and Atlas as well.

At least Balas Territory had become impossible for anyone to overrun now, thanks to the combination of the Great Bow of Demon-Slaying and Hyeji.

“The NPCs they recruited, the users who latched onto the User Kingdom Union hoping to cash in on the rewards, even the followers of the old top-ranked users—it’s all combining into an absolutely enormous army. To be honest, it’s true that stopping them doesn’t look easy.”

“...Right. It won’t be easy.”

“But people still need to know this. If you do what was supposed to be impossible, you stand at the very top.”

Of course Kim PD liked Hyun. He liked Hyun’s Forge too. But there was no private emotion in what he had said.

No—if anything—

“...These days, he doesn’t even come looking for us anymore.”

Hyun had become such a giant that he no longer needed to seek out AJ Internet Broadcasting Station at all.

Just then—

“I heard if someone mentions me, even Hyun shows up.”

A call came in.

Surrounded by dozens of monitors showing the battlefield, Kim PD picked up.

“...Thanks to you, I’ve seen a new possibility.”

Kim PD smirked.

Looks like, busy as he is with the war, he hadn’t thought that part through after all.

Kim PD spoke.

“What do you need?”

“I was hoping AJ Internet Broadcasting Station could broadcast a single attack.”

“A single attack?”

Just one?

Then Kim PD heard the full explanation.

“You’re gathering artifacts to maximize the effect of a single arrow?”

Kim PD wondered whether something like that was even possible.

Artifacts.

They had equipment restrictions, after all.

Then he realized.

Ah... does Master Blacksmith Hyun simply not have those restrictions?

That was what people had long speculated.

That a Master Blacksmith had no artifact equip restrictions.

It seemed that speculation might be true.

Then Kim PD thought it over carefully.

Artifact slots.

Artifact slots were the equipment slots a user could fill with artifacts.

On average, ordinary beginners were given seven slots.

Main weapon, main armor, boots, helm, gauntlets or finger guards, one ring, and one necklace.

And as users leveled up, the number of slots could increase.

For example, they might become able to wear earrings, or wear two rings instead of only one.

And slots also varied by class.

Assassins often had only four or five.

In any case, the number of slots could influence a user’s strength.

They’re chances to increase not just defense, but special abilities and everything else.

And because of that, users were obsessed with them.

Most rankers had around nine slots.

Hyunsoo probably has nine too. And he’s going to fill all of them with this in mind?

It was an astonishing idea.

But it was also one that was far from easy.

Finding artifacts with the exact effects you wanted was difficult.

Just the idea of filling every slot with them was hard enough.

Of course, if he filled them with Normal and Rare artifacts, maybe it could be done. But would that really produce that much power?

Naturally, it would still produce more power than before.

But even so, one thought kept coming back to him.

Even if it works, he wants a whole broadcasting company to air just one arrow?

Kim PD was honestly disappointed.

Maybe—

Does User Hyunsoo think that now that he’s become this powerful, he can easily bend a network like ours to his will?

Master Blacksmith Hyun had grown enough for that.

A bitter taste filled Kim PD’s mouth.

The idea that he wanted to move an entire broadcasting station for the sake of a single arrow.

He almost wanted to rebuke him for it, but shook his head instead.

“Have you gathered everything?”

“Almost.”

“Would it be possible for us to see it in person? This is an important matter for us too. Should we head to Balas Territory?”

“Yes. I’ll be leaving for another location soon, so please hurry.”

Kim PD explained everything to Director Lee.

“...That’s way too arrogant.”

Director Lee also reacted bitterly to how much Hyunsoo seemed to have changed.

A moment later, Kim PD stepped into one of the network’s capsules.

[Connecting to Ares.]

Balas Territory was one of the places he had saved with a scroll, so he could move there immediately.

[Warping to Balas Territory.]

There, Kim PD was able to meet Hyunsoo.

Hyunsoo had changed a great deal from the past.

“They came together at just the right time. It’s even better than I expected.”

Kim PD let out a sigh.

No matter how remarkable it was, he still could not understand Hyunsoo’s request for exclusive filming from their station over a single arrow.

For the moment, Kim PD decided to look over the list and give him a piece of his mind.

“Can you share it?”

“Yes. I’ll send it over now.”

After receiving the shared list, Kim PD spoke in stunned disbelief.

“No, Hyunsoo.”

“Yes?”

Kim PD voiced his honest feelings.

“What do you mean, you went and built a nuclear bomb...?”