Genius Blacksmith's Game

Having logged out, Hyun came out from washing and towel-dried his hair.

“Ugh... that hits the spot.”

Sixteen hours in reality. Two days in-game spent crafting arrows.

Fresh from the shower, Hyun confirmed he had a sliver of time before the tournament.

He sat at his computer and opened the Ares homepage.

On the homepage, he could review the notifications he’d heard and check artifacts.

He pulled up the notifications he’d heard after finishing the arrow.

[An artifact imbued with God’s Custom Crafting is being completed.]

[The experience and knowledge of a blacksmith with master-grade skill have been infused, causing the effect application rate to skyrocket.]

[Effect application rate is 94%.]

[Orichalcum has shown peak efficiency, producing an even superior arrow.]

[Grade is Unique.]

[You have crafted an artifact closest to Legendary.]

[You have named it Hyun’s Third Custom Craft Arrow.]

[The Title God of Blacksmiths shines.]

[You have selected to apply the All Stats increase granted by crafting an artifact, which can activate once per week.]

[You gain All Stats +4.]

[You gain 50 Dexterity.]

[You gain 100 Renown.]

[Beginner Bow Mastery Lv.1 proficiency increases by 54%.]

After finishing the check, Hyun now inspected the Orichalcum Short Arrow—in other words, Hyun’s Third Custom Craft Arrow.

(Hyun’s Third Custom Craft Arrow)

Grade: Unique

Durability: Infinite

Attack: 321

Restriction: None for the creator; Archers Level 300+

Special Abilities

· Agility +1%.

· Penetration +130%.

· Arrow Speed +120%.

· Accuracy +35%.

· Active Skill charges.

· Active Skill Piercing Arrow.

· Passive Skill Piercing Arrow.

Description: The finest arrow born of a minute amount of Orichalcum. No arrow in existence surpasses this one.

“Man...”

Awe slipped out of him. And the surest way to see how exceptional this arrow was would be to compare it to a standard Short Arrow.

A standard Short Arrow’s durability was 100. The perfect example of “arrows break easily.”

But this Short Arrow’s durability was, of all things, infinite. Meaning, it does not break.

Its Attack, in particular, was outstanding.

Attack is more than triple.

Triple a standard Short Arrow, and Penetration and Arrow Speed had skyrocketed, and just as he wanted, it even had the function to return to the user.

And Hyun suddenly understood, from the description, why this arrow was “closest to Legendary.”

No arrow in existence surpasses this one.

This was the strongest arrow currently in existence.

Time’s up.

Hyun glanced at the clock and stood. Then he logged back into Ares.

[You have logged in.]

When he arrived at the place where he’d submitted his Super Rookie Tournament entry, there were already well over a thousand participants.

Some seemed to be here for fun, while others radiated a grim resolve to win.

And soon, the time came.

[You will enter the Super Rookie Tournament in 10 seconds.]

Hyun took a deep breath. He already knew how the Super Rookie Tournament proceeded.

[You will be warped to the Super Rookie Tournament.]

At once, a bright light enveloped all participants present.

When he opened his eyes, Hyun found himself on a vast plain.

“Oh, this is crazy cool!”

“Khaha, I shall become the Super Rookie!”

Users were burning with their own brand of enthusiasm.

KIEEEEEE—!

And Hyun spotted a wyvern descending from the sky.

Riding the wyvern was the one he’d seen not long ago, Bekel.

“It may be invisible to your eyes, but His Highness is watching. And not only he. Though hidden, take note there are quite a number of spectators as well.”

At those words, Hyun looked around.

They stood upon a vast plain, but there would be stands, and Sword King Barad would likely be seated there too.

“Orders will come down in three rounds total. Remember that you are to act in accordance with those orders. And you’ll soon understand.”

Bekel wore a small smile.

“Why there was no preliminary round here.”

Contrary to his expectation, most users already knew the reason.

KIEEEEEEEE—!

The wyvern soared back into the sky.

With tense expressions, users began scanning their surroundings.

The Super Rookie Tournament.

The reason a tournament to pick the strong had no preliminary round.

DING!

[The first stage begins.]

All users immediately clenched their weapons tight.

[Force at least three or more users to log out.]

[The Contribution system is being applied.]

[Contribution: 0%]

No prelims were necessary.

The first and second stages sort them the moment the tournament begins.

The weak who came for kicks are eliminated on the spot.

Those who dream of being true Super Rookies won’t get to show their wits.

And Hyun heard an additional notification.

[The one who defeats the most users will be granted +10% Contribution.]

“...?”

Hyun hadn’t known the details down to this point.

And he immediately saw a barrage of spells and arrows flying in.

Hyun grew curious.

After crafting Hyun’s Third Custom Craft Arrow, he’d only tested it on a target.

He’d seen that shocking sight of trees being pierced through.

But more important was whether it would be highly effective against users or monsters.

Any ordinary users around?

The easy way to gauge the arrow’s power is to shoot the most ordinary users in your level bracket.

That’s how you know how strong you are relative to your level.

While he was scanning about like that, someone began closing in on Hyun.

****

“This time we’re counting on that steel shield you bought.”

“Ah, obviously~”

Swordsman Col entered the Super Rookie Tournament with a friend.

Alone would be impossible, but with two, maybe it would work—so he thought.

“Hey, who do we wreck first?”

“Standard play is you start by picking off the clueless.”

And his friend wasn’t special, but he wasn’t bad either—an Assassin class.

Then someone entered Col’s sights. The guy had a sword at his hip and a bow in his hand.

...Swordsman or archer?

Col caught on.

“Yo, that’s a hybrid.”

“Oh, for real? He’s actually a hybrid? You can’t ever go hybrid in Ares.”

Because if you go hybrid, it gets hard to raise any single mastery.

In a game where a swordsman obtains sword skills, and an archer obtains archer skills, hybrids have no merit at all.

In short, it was proof that user had made a foolish choice.

And when told to force users to log out, this guy was rolling his eyes and looking around—he looked every bit the clueless type.

“Let’s take him. Stick to my back.”

Col brought up his newly purchased rectangle shield.

The rectangle shield was large enough to hide all of Col’s body.

“When we get up there, we both jump him.”

Col was looking out for his friend. This was their plan.

Block attacks with the shield, then the two of them strike together.

There was another reason he chose that user.

Against a user with a bow, a user with a shield is a bad matchup—for the archer.

What kind of weapon is an arrow?

Aside from the arrowhead, it’s a weapon of little note.

It doesn’t have destructive power or force, either—so most arrows can’t pierce shields.

“Let’s go.”

Worried someone might snatch his prey, Col called out to the scanning-around user.

“Hey.”

Then Col wore a puzzled look.

Huh?

Why is he smiling at me?

Wearing that puzzlement, Col hid even his face behind the steel shield and began to approach, slow and steady.

CLICK—

A strange, unknown sound came.

What does an arrow have to do with a click?

Puzzled, he gingerly poked his head over the top of the shield.

Bamboo?

The user he’d called out to.

That user was slotting some unknown arrow into a bamboo tube.

What is that?

Col had never seen an arrow like it.

From the arrowhead to the shaft, a mysterious black arrow through and through.

At a glance it was so mesmerizing it drew out a gasp.

But Col soon smiled.

At the end of the day, an arrow’s still an arrow.

FWIIIP—

The user ahead drew the bowstring. But Col didn’t care. He kept his friend hidden behind him and stepped forward, one, two—

Watching the man over his shield as he walked, Col saw the man’s string release.

All right, time to see what the new shield can—

Just then.

SWEEEE—!

Col frowned.

SWEEEE...? How does an arrow make a swEEEE sound while flying?

In that instant—

KWA-RRRRRRRK—!

The moment the mysterious black arrow touched the shield, a massive shock slammed into him.

“W-What the hell!!!?”

Startled by the impact, Col felt himself—hands gripping the shield—get shoved back.

In that instant, he had the illusion that the pushback had vanished.

KWA-AAAAAACK—!

The shield was pierced through, and the arrow ripped through Col’s heart and out.

“Ghaaaargh!”

Blown back roughly four meters, Col couldn’t hide his shock.

W-what did I just get hit by?

A gun?

No—the thought hit him that even a gun couldn’t put out this kind of power.

Worried for the friend behind him, he turned his head.

“Hey, Taeseong. You alr— huh?”

Col couldn’t hide his dismay as he turned.

“This is nonsense...!”

His friend was crumbling into ashes.

One arrow had pierced the shield, pierced him, and then pierced his friend, killing him.

If anything, the only reason he himself survived was likely because he had a bigger HP pool than his friend.

I told you not to dump everything into the sword and to buy armor...!

Another reason: his friend was an Assassin who had all-in’d into his weapon.

Col couldn’t hold back his fury.

“Y-you son of a—!”

He charged at the man. Col figured it out: that arrow was the man’s finisher ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) just now.

Therefore he wouldn’t be able to shoot that arrow again...

“Recall.”

The man murmured.

Col frowned.

Recall?

The word recall.

Col knew it meant come back.

What was coming back?

With a sudden, uneasy look, Col turned his head—and saw it.

SSSKAAAAK—!

The arrow embedded in the ground yanked free on its own and, at tremendous speed, raced back to its owner.

And that arrow pierced his back once more.

PUH-OOOORK—!

[Recall.]

[Returns to the user.]

[If there is a monster or enemy, it returns while dealing 50% of the damage previously inflicted.]

Pierced in the back again, Col looked at the man.

CHAK—

That mysterious arrow slipped smoothly into the man’s hand.

“Uuugh... sir, what skill is that?”

Col dropped to his knees with a thud and asked.

He’d never once heard of low-level archers having a skill like this...

“It’s a basic attack.”

“...Huh?”

Col stared in disbelief. The man thrust the black arrow through his neck and strode past.

PUK—

Col’s vision went black.

****

[You have forcibly logged out two users.]

[The stage ends in 5 minutes; those who have not forcibly logged out 3 users will be eliminated from the Super Rookie Tournament.]

Insane...

Having tested the power of Hyun’s Custom Craft Arrow, Hyun couldn’t help but be impressed.

Piercing a user’s shield and then forcibly logging out the user behind him?

Granted, the two looked to be on the weaker side among Super Rookie entrants.

A Fireball from somewhere slammed into Hyun.

KWA-A-AANG—!

[HP drops below 91%.]

He swallowed a wry smile.

It barely tickled.

Thanks to his out-of-bounds stats and the effect of the Light Legion Lord’s Armor.

Even if they’re Super Rookie hopefuls...

They didn’t seem to measure up to him.

And Hyun suddenly grew curious.

I’ve only used one skill so far.

The Orichalcum Short Arrow had a total of three skills.

One was Recall; the other two had the same name.

“Piercing Arrow.”

The reason there were two Piercing Arrows was that both a Passive and an Active existed.

Where to try it...

Hyun’s real plan hadn’t begun yet.

But even if he used a skill now, he was confident the cooldown would be back up in time.

And soon Hyun found a spot where users were clustered and beating on each other.

If you log out the most users, you get +10% Contribution.

FWIIIP—

Hyun drew his bowstring, aiming at them.

[Piercing Arrow]

And he activated the skill.

****

Sword King Barad.

The tournament was being displayed through a scrying crystal, but he showed not the slightest interest.

“Boring.”

The reason he’d created this tournament was to find a strong martial man.

But in truth, such a man was hard to find.

“Your Highness would naturally feel so,” a retainer said.

Barad gave no answer, merely turning pages.

CHARAK—

Just then—

—SWEEEE—!

A pause.

For the briefest moment, Barad’s hand stopped.

With his preternaturally honed senses, he recognized the sound.

There’s an archer, it seems.

That was the end of it. He turned the page again.

CHARAK—

CHARAK—

Then Barad wore a puzzled look.

—KWA-RRRRRRK—!

Another pause.

Frowning, he knit his brows.

What is that?

His senses told him this was not the sound of a sword being swung.

Nor was it the sound of magic.

It was the sound of something boring through air at high speed in a short span.

Barad lifted his head and fixed his eyes on the display. And then a shocking scene unfolded before him.

An arrow, tearing the air with a sonic screech, flew into a knot of entangled outsiders.

KWAJIIIII—!

The first outsider struck had his chest gouged open as if torn apart.

The arrow that pierced him went on—through a second, a third.

Piercing a total of five, and then they began to crumble into ash.

The retainer at his side was shocked by the king’s next actions.

TOK—

First, because His Highness Barad closed his book—and second, because with a look of curiosity, he said this:

“An interesting one.”

And he began to watch the display with keen eyes.