Genius Blacksmith's Game

[Effect Application Rate 98%.]

The advantages of God’s Emergency Crafting and God’s Custom Crafting are clear.

They delete elements unnecessary to the user and, by the amount deleted, maximize what is needed.

What matters here is the effect application rate.

How far it is maximized is decided by that rate.

And to draw out this maximization, what’s required is the user’s complete skill.

What ingenuity you bring to bear to produce that effect, how you make it, how you understand it—those make the effect application rate.

And the higher this rate, the greater the artifact becomes.

(Damascus Crescent-Moon Blade)

Grade: Unique

Durability: 3,500/3,500

Attack: 201

Restriction: none for creator, 60–130

Special:

· Cutting Power +280% versus stone or mineral, etc.

Description: A Damascus Crescent-Moon Blade born through Emergency Crafting. A genius maker applied Damascus methodology and crescent-moon blade construction to create it.

The previous Four Tigers Sword capped at Rare.

This time, even if through Emergency Crafting, it is Unique.

Hyun is the one person who can make Damascus better than anyone.

Driving that Damascus Crescent-Moon Blade into the Stone Golem’s chest, he looks up at it, cold.

“Ku-wo?”

The Stone Golem cannot conceal its bewilderment.

It, too, knows its strengths.

Arms and armor cannot deal heavy damage to it, and it ignores the concepts of being cut or being pierced.

Yet here is a spear that wedges in as if digging into flesh.

“Rampage.”

[Rampage]

[An indiscriminate attack on all enemies recognized within a 10 m radius.]

[On activation, Attack Speed +70%, Physical Attack +30%.]

Rampage indiscriminately attacks all recognized enemies within 10 m.

But there were no enemies nearby, and the Damascus Crescent-Moon Blade had already pierced its chest.

The crescent-moon blade buried in its chest surges upward.

PU-HWAAAAK—

“...?”

From chest upward, the Stone Golem is split; its eyes go wide.

Rampage’s power begins cutting the monster without discrimination.

KWA, KWA-KWA-KWA, KWA-KWA-KWAK—!

KUUUUNG, KUNG-KUNG, KUUUUNG—!

With each slice of Rampage, chunks of the Stone Golem’s body shear off in every direction.

It tries to draw back its remaining arm to swing at Hyun.

But it cannot.

KUUUUNG—

Because the other arm is already on the ground...

The golem’s mind, divided among dozens of pieces, goes dim.

“...Insane.”

Someone murmurs it.

And the Stone Golem collapses.

“Huff, huff.”

Breathing hard, Hyun drops to a sit and scans the surroundings.

With the Stone Golem dead, the golem swarms are scattering.

A notification rings for the Stone Golem hunt at once.

[You have hunted the boss monster Stone Golem.]

[You gain 22,035 EXP.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up.]

[You have leveled up...]

In an instant, he jumps 14 levels. The Super Rookie tournament’s boss monster does not drop artifacts.

Instead, the reward is concentrated into gold.

[You gain 3,413 Gold.]

Thrilling and sweet. What should have been split among dozens of users by Contribution, Hyun monopolized alone.

And the awaited notification arrives.

[Current Contribution 12%.]

With the Stage 1 first-place reward and the short-term rise of ten in the tally, he held about this much Contribution.

[Contribution is being measured.]

[For solo hunting the Stone Golem, you gain an additional 10%.]

[For hunting a boss monster superior to the Blood Golem, you gain an additional 20%.]

[Total Contribution 95%.]

What...?

Hyun himself is the most shocked.

A total Contribution of 95%.

Contribution is shared among those who survived this Super Rookie tournament.

Of course, the additional gains just heard are presumed a reward for an astonishing feat.

Even so, it means Hyun alone raised more than about 65%.

[The Super Rookie tournament ends.]

[Congratulations.]

[You have achieved an overwhelming 1st place in the Super Rookie tournament.]

Then Bekel, who had been in invisibility mode, appears near Hyun. Bekel speaks.

“Do you remember when I said we would negotiate?”

“Yes, I remember.”

Tournament Director Bekel says it with sincerity.

“Thanks to you, there was a major incident this tournament, but it looks like we can pass through it safely.”

When he glances around, the users’ reactions are visible.

“Felt like 1st place was decided from the start.”

“Still, wasn’t it pretty fun?”

“It was fun. You need a little thrill sometimes. And we didn’t get force-logged-out.”

If everyone had been wiped, the tournament would have been heavily criticized.

But thanks to the man ahead, it didn’t turn out that way.

“I’ll petition the higher-ups to grant the largest reward.”

Bekel, patting his shoulder as he passes, halts mid-step.

“I don’t know what I can manage, but I’ll also try to arrange an audience with His Highness.”

“...Thank you.”

Bekel is nothing more than a tournament director. Even so, he believes Hyun has the qualifications.

Even if it is only for twenty to thirty seconds.

[The awards ceremony will begin shortly.]

[You can receive rewards at the ceremony.]

Hyun allows himself to hope. The main point of this ceremony was whether Sword King Barad would appear.

He waits for the awards to begin.

****

Lord meets Sword King Barad for the first time in a while. He has been inside the Grave of Swords for days.

The Grave of Swords is a kind of sword-training hall.

Inside, not even whispers could be exchanged, and Lord gave his utmost to earn Sword King Barad’s recognition.

At last, he achieved a visible result.

Enough for Sword King Barad to offer a single “well done.”

“...Is this as far as I go?”

Lord, heir to the sword king, is a high-ranker. But to Sword King Barad, he is meager at best.

“...My apologies.”

Lord cannot grasp Barad’s benchmark.

How high must he climb to satisfy him?

And though he has taken Lord as his heir, he shows him no affection.

Perhaps it is that much—he does not acknowledge me.

Even this Sword King Barad occasionally lets one name cross his lips.

“Hyun’s Forge. When is that blacksmith coming?”

“When we contacted him last time, he said he would come find you himself.”

Of late, the sword king’s greatest interest is the maker of the sword that cut his blade.

And Lord does not know it—that among the hundreds of whispers piled up, one outgoing whisper is his.

“Tell me about him.”

From his voice, Lord senses greed. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

For some weapon, he hungers.

A weapon the Sword King desires?

A hollow laugh escapes him.

If one satisfies the Sword King, what can one possibly gain?

He cannot even imagine it. And he is in no position to daydream.

All he can do is bow to a king whose eyes know no satisfaction.

“Many rumors are circulating. In my personal view, he is an unofficial-ranked blacksmith.”

“Unofficial-ranked. One of the hidden powers you speak of?”

“Correct.”

Lord has seen many speculations about Hyun’s Forge. But he thinks no more deeply than other blacksmiths.

Some say he is a low-level user; as a non-blacksmith, that defies his common sense, so he assumes “unofficial-ranked.”

And Sword King Barad is the same.

In his life, he has never seen a maker of such a sword.

Barad has even met the dwarves once. Even they could not forge a blade with such power.

By no consideration can he believe the man is one of those low-level beings the foreigners speak of.

Then, a voice from outside.

“Your Highness, the awards ceremony is scheduled to begin soon.”

At that, Lord smiles wryly.

Days ago, he had heard Barad tell his retainers, “I feel no need to meet the winner now.”

Lord agreed. The notion of Sword King Barad meeting a mere Level-50 rookie was laughable.

He had attended in case a great talent might appear, but his interest had already cooled.

However—

“...I will go shortly. Tell them I shall bestow the prize upon the winner personally.”

“...You will go yourself?”

Lord is startled.

Go himself? And personally bestow the prize?

Never before has he, even when attending a ceremony, handed over the prize.

He would sit, nod with a bored face, and toss out a casual, “Well done.”

But to bestow it with his own hands?

“An amusing one—he wielded sword and bow freely.”

The smile of interest at Barad’s lips stings Lord with jealousy.

A mere Level-50?

And a look Barad has never once shown Lord.

Yet relief follows quickly.

Even so, the heir is already me.

As he sets out, Sword King Barad sinks into thought.

Weapon Master, is he.

Many legends of the continent have yet to awaken. Yet Barad is a man with access to more information than anyone.

A Weapon Master is a legendary figure who wields all weapons freely.

Indeed, that foreigner handled bow, spear, and sword.

That crescent-moon blade he made in an instant.

Barad has heard Weapon Masters summon weapons in a heartbeat.

Yes—through Barad’s lens, it was a special mode of summoning.

But it is not because he might be a Weapon Master that Barad moves.

It is because he ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) faced the impossible without fleeing.

The awards ceremony.

Second place, third place—none may mount this dais.

He sweeps into the hall, his crimson cloak billowing.

Before him kneels a man on one knee.

His eyes are very keen.

And those broad shoulders rival Barad, famed for his robust frame.

A martial man. To the core. It calls to mind my boyhood.

A pity. Had an heir not already been named, the sword king’s heir might have been his.

Were he not a Weapon Master, Barad might have bared his greed for him.

The retainers are flustered.

They hold a paltry prize in their hands.

Barad takes that prize from them.

“The winner is... no.”

Wearing a proud expression, Barad says:

“Let the martial man receive.”

A martial man. That one word strikes the retainers’ hearts. Few are those whom his lips will name “martial man.”

The man steps forward and raises both arms respectfully.

“To you I bestow a reward of 13,000 Gold.”

The man accepts it and steps back a few paces. Barad watches him and cracks a faint smile.

The man says nothing. He only bows his head in thanks.

Barad knows why he does not speak. He did not order it, but the retainers will have instructed him so.

In truth, Barad does not think highly of foreigners, and conversation with them offends his mood.

It is done.

Barad turns to leave.

Then—

“I heard you were looking for me.”

“You cur!”

“How dare you before His Highness...!”

Barad halts. His face hardens.

Among foreigners, he is one of the weak.

Though reborn as a Super Rookie, even if he is a Weapon Master, nothing has changed.

He understands the struggle to meet Barad, but to utter this now is too arrogant—

“Blacksmith Hyun. That is me.”

“What...?”

Gooseflesh rises along Barad’s back.

He had thought him a martial man—yet he is the maker Barad sought.

Retainers move toward him.

“You dare claim His Highness was seeking the likes of you!”

“Now nothing remains in your sight, is that it!”

Knights draw their swords to menace him.

Then Barad lifts a hand and speaks in a voice edged with excitement.

“I have been waiting for you. Blacksmith Hyun.”