Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyun thought this when he heard “three successful attacks.”

‘Benson will know about my God’s Emergency Crafting.’

And the way to neutralize it.

Most skills are canceled if you’re struck while casting.

Because of that, he came up with this idea.

‘Apply an effect that detonates the instant the blade turns red-hot.’

And he added that, too, to God’s Emergency Crafting.

The blade shattered into hundreds of fragments that fanned out.

This sword, literally, was a useless one-time sword.

But it was the best power to pass Benson’s qualification test.

‘I don’t even need to deal damage.’

And when he succeeded in striking him fifty-nine times, Hyun thrilled.

[Skill Quest: Sword King’s Swordsmanship complete]

[You completed it with an astonishing achievement.]

[You may learn Sword King’s Swordsmanship.]

And then came Benson’s question as he stared down at himself, dazed.

“Hyun, to what realm have you reached as a blacksmith?”

Hyun understood the intent of that question at once.

But speaking it aloud was extremely dangerous.

He checked the room.

Only Sword King Barad, Bella, Benson, and himself were present.

And he felt certain this fact would not be revealed.

“I am the God of Blacksmiths.”

“Well? Is that sufficient proof?”

“No, Your Highness. I am simply overwhelmed with emotion that the God of Blacksmiths will learn Your Highness’s swordsmanship!”

[Affinity with Benson increases.]

Affinity with the kingdom’s knight commander rose.

That would yield very beneficial effects later.

It didn’t stop there. Benson bowed his head to Hyun.

“...Please, widely, widely let the world know what His Highness’s swordsmanship is.”

Benson’s thinking changed in a single moment.

The God of Blacksmiths.

A god, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) no less. Of course, he might not yet be a complete god.

Even so, the name itself was too precious.

As time passed, he would make his name even greater, and the swordsmanship he wielded would spread as well.

All of Benson’s talk of qualifications had sprung from concern for His Highness.

And Benson felt a heat he could not quite name.

‘His Highness Barad and the God of Blacksmiths are close friends...!’

At first, he’d wondered why His Highness would become friends with a mere blacksmith.

But now he thought it was truly well done.

“...I will do my utmost.”

And Barad smiled in satisfaction.

‘I am glad.’

That my close friend is far more valuable than I thought.

“Everyone, leave.”

Barad sent Bella and Benson out.

“Take up a sword, Hyun. For the next two weeks, you will receive my instruction.”

“Yes.”

Thus began two weeks of instruction.

“This is how you thrust.”

“When you swing, put your weight into it.”

“Use your toes, and know how to use your wrist properly as well.”

As time passed, Barad was a little surprised.

‘He’s quite outstanding.’

It was hard to understand. The Outsiders he’d met, after only a few clashes of blades, made it obvious they’d never held a sword in their lives.

‘Do Outsiders call it “control,” originally?’

God-control or whatever they called it.

Hyun had none of that problem.

There was something else.

“...Your grasp of a sword’s weight and the degree of a blade’s bite—and your ability to apply that power—are astonishing.”

Is it because he’s a blacksmith?

Of course, that would play a part. And yet he freely executed unorthodox forms as well.

‘That lord named Vance set a fine foundation.’

But this was beyond that domain.

Suddenly, in the first week, Barad asked:

“How old were you when you first held a sword?”

“Since I was ten.”

Barad smiled faintly.

‘A genius of a different stripe.’

Among the Outsiders, is there anyone who first held a sword at ten?

He believed there was not.

He’d heard their lands were far too peaceful.

In such a world, the only one who could have touched a live blade at ten would have been Hyun.

“Who bought the swords?”

“Those who cherished swords.”

I see.

Now it began to make sense.

In a world that does not need swords, those who still take up swords—

Many of them must have reached a high realm.

Of course, they could not be compared to those who live here.

“Every so often, the uncles taught me often with wooden swords.”

Dozens of them, finding the blacksmith’s boy admirable, must have patted his head.

‘Did those dozens produce a talent?’

Barad, who had meant to walk to take a break, heard Hyun’s voice at his back.

“Are we not continuing?”

Gooseflesh rose.

‘The talent that was produced is a diehard, too.’

Teaching, Barad laughed.

‘I do not regret it.’

Not because he is the God of Blacksmiths.

‘A man like this deserves to take my swordsmanship.’

And he felt a pang of regret.

‘If you were not a blacksmith, I would have wished to make you my heir.’

And on the final day—

“Now this power will protect you, Hyun.”

Barad smiled gently.

****

[You have learned Sword King’s Swordsmanship.]

Hyun did not delay and checked at once.

(Sword King’s Swordsmanship)

Active Skill

Grade: Legendary 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Level: 1 Proficiency: 0%

Swordsmanship skill.

· Ch.1 Aura of the Beast.

· Ch.2 Raging Surge Blade.

· Ch.3 Cry of the Sword.

(Ch.1 Aura of the Beast)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 300

Cooldown: 5 minutes.

Effect:

· For 1 minute, Physical Attack +22%, Cutting Power +25%, and Penetration +30%.

· Applies Killing Intent as a status ailment to all enemies within a 10 m radius.

(Ch.2 Raging Surge Blade)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 100

Cooldown: 2 minutes

Effect:

· Launch a surging blade toward the enemy’s vital point: on hit, +100% additional damage; on vital-point success, +140% additional damage.

· 3% chance to deal 200% damage.

(Ch.3 Cry of the Sword)

Active Skill

Mana Cost: 400

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

Effect:

· Paralyses all senses of all entities recognized as enemies within a 20 m radius for 3 seconds.

· Slashes all recognized enemies for +190% additional damage.

· Targets within radius can be cut even without direct contact.

· Ignores all defense.

‘Insane...’

Its frame resembled the Prime Swordsmanship he already had.

But the effects themselves were overwhelmingly superior to Prime Swordsmanship.

‘Cry of the Sword is a wide-area attack like the Rampage I used before, and it even ignores all defense?’

Just from this, damage roughly doubled. Of course, regrettably, he had only learned a mere three chapters.

“You do not yet seem ready to learn the other chapters.”

Naturally, there are levels at which skills can be learned.

“Five chapters remain. When you can manifest every chapter at its best, come find me.”

Hyun’s level was low, and he had just learned them, so these effects could be considered at their weakest for now.

‘As time passes and proficiency rises, the chapters’ levels will grow.’

And every time he swung a sword, proficiency with sword-related skills would rise.

And Hyun marveled at the notifications that followed.

[You learned from the Sword King.]

[Beginner Sword Mastery evolves to Beginner Sword Mastery Lv.9.]

Each time Beginner Sword Mastery rises by 1, Sword Attack, Cutting Power, and Penetration increase by 3%.

That was an increase of over 15% at once.

And there was something Hyun had to do.

“Do you remember the promise you made before?”

“Promise?”

“Yes, the promise to tell me where Hundred-Year Cold-Iron can be found.”

“Of course.”

Barad smiled faintly.

“Cold-Iron may be obtained in the Mine of Frost. As for the Hundred-Year Cold-Iron, it was a treasure obtained within. Bella, enter.”

Bella came in at once.

“Give Hyun the entrance ticket to enter that place.”

She vanished and returned promptly.

[You obtain Entrance Ticket to the Mine of Frost.]

As he received it, Barad spoke.

“Would you consider becoming the royal blacksmith of the Kingdom of Goyard? I would grant you the authority to lead them.”

DING!

[Barad offers you the position of Royal Blacksmith.]

“We are close friends, but I have things I must do.”

Barad heard about those things he had to do.

‘A guild...’

As Barad knew it, Outsiders could found one starting at Level 100.

Barad had a good idea.

“On the first day you found your guild, come find me, Hyun.”

“Of course. I expect to remain in the Kingdom of Goyard for the time being, so I’ll come often. And is there, perhaps, an ore in the Mine of Frost superior to Hundred-Year Cold-Iron?”

Barad shook his head.

“I am in the position of receiving tributes, so I do not know the exact details, but it may exist. Go and find miner Lex.”

[Quest: Meet Miner Lex]

Grade: B

Restriction: One who received Barad’s proposal

Reward: Ore Information

Failure Penalty: You cannot learn the ore information.

Description: Miner Lex may know whether there exists an ore superior to Hundred-Year Cold-Iron. Go and meet him.

After bidding farewell, Hyun set off to find an ore superior to Hundred-Year Cold-Iron.

‘Does Ten-Thousand-Year Cold-Iron truly exist?’

Of course, even if it wasn’t Ten-Thousand-Year Cold-Iron, Hyun could be satisfied with just Hundred-Year Cold-Iron.

‘I have to make one more ice-attribute artifact.’

There was someone who made Hyun smile just by imagining him. Kang Hyuksoo.

Hyun had never once forgotten his promise with him.

When he sold the forge back to Hyun, Hyun promised he would craft him an artifact.

Thinking on it, he had repaid Jihoon, the landlady, and the hospital staff, but not yet Hyuksoo.

‘Shall I check on him again?’

He had once received the information for the artifact Hyuksoo needed in a small notepad.

He opened the screenshot he had taken of that information.

[A shield with high fire-attribute resistance. It would be nice if it also had the ability to attack enemies. Must not melt even under high heat. If it could carry a power that can freeze within a 2 m radius, that would be good.]

“Heh.”

A small smile came to Hyun.

Back then, Hyuksoo had tilted his head at the sudden talk of gifting an artifact.

He’d especially looked puzzled when Hyun asked him to write down the effects he wanted.

And yet, hadn’t he written out, as best he could, the information for the artifact he needed?

‘Uncle Hyuksoo is my benefactor.’

Shouldn’t he give as much as he received?

‘Does the artifact he wants still remain unchanged?’

That mattered, too.

Hyun sent a whisper using the unique code written at the bottom of the note to pay his respects, but the reply took a long while to come.

‘Is he busy?’

Wearing a puzzled look, Hyun kept walking toward the Mine of Frost.

After some time passed, a whisper arrived.

****

The Fire-Dragon’s Nest is a vast land divided into several hunting-ground sectors.

One of them is the Salamander Dungeon. It is the lowest-difficulty hunting ground in the Fire-Dragon’s Nest.

But the Salamander Dungeon has never yet been cleared.

Sword King Barad cleared the highest-difficulty Ifrit’s Tomb, yet even this lowest-difficulty hunting ground was too hard for users.

A middle-aged man sat on a rock there.

He was the unofficial ranker and tank, Bark.

Bark could match the official Rank 3 tank.

Bark let out a sigh as he looked at his square shield, completely melted.

[Durability is below 30%.]

[All shield effects drop by 60% or more.]

“...Damn it.”

Bark, who was progressing a class quest, had challenged the Salamander Dungeon several times and failed.

‘What can I do when all artifacts melt.’

What use was being an excellent tank if all his armaments melted away?

Bark even had high fire-attribute resistance because he was a tank, and still.

‘Rumor says Sword King Barad obtained an excellent sword from a maker and felled Ifrit.’

But that was still only a rumor without certainty.

“Is there no decent shield?”

But it wasn’t easy to find. An artifact’s grade is usually determined by its effects.

The problem is with Unique grade: it often has many effects, and many of them are ones you do not actually need.

So it was with the shield Bark held. He had plenty of money. The problem was there was no maker who would craft such a shield.

‘Did a whisper come in?’

Bark, who hadn’t been able to check while hunting, checked it soon and smiled.

There are people who make you smile just by seeing them—or even just by reaching you.

To Bark, the one who had just whispered was such a person.

[Hyun: Hello, this is Hyun. I’m reaching out to see how you’re doing.]