Genius Blacksmith's Game

Jihoon still looked at Hyunsoo like he was some kind of villain as he tore into a chicken drumstick.

“Dexterity stat, huh...”

Hyunsoo knew the basics.

The five core stats and the special stats.

Dexterity definitely fell into the special-stat category.

And special stats were harder to gain than the five core stats.

“You’ve got 63 Dexterity already, so why isn’t there a clear change?”

“There are a few special stats like that. Still, they help sooner or later. And as far as I know, Dexterity helps in lots of different ways.”

“In lots of ways?”

Hyunsoo tilted his head.

Suddenly, what an Instructor had said flashed through his mind.

Dexterity is a stat that makes you better at anything you do with your hands.

“...I think it also said it increases Attack Power?”

“Oh, right. Attack Power does go up a bit!”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. If you put 1 point into Strength, your Physical Attack Power goes up by about 1. But with Dexterity, you need around 50 points to raise Physical Attack Power by about 1.”

He made it sound like the worst deal imaginable.

You had to put 50 points in Dexterity to equal the value of 1 point of Strength.

“But in the Beginner Zone it takes, what, five to six hours of grinding to raise Strength by 1, right?”

“Right?”

Jihoon grimaced.

He’d realized something was off.

“I raised 20 Dexterity in three hours, though...?”

“Gasp...”

Normal players needed at least five hours to get 1 Strength, which gives +1 Physical Attack Power.

In Hyunsoo’s case, it would take about seven hours of Dexterity gains to get +1 Physical Attack Power.

“Hoh...”

Hyunsoo stroked his chin.

“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

“Yeah. By your logic, Dexterity is at least relatively easier to gain in the Beginner Zone. Plus there are those ‘illogical action’ alerts I keep getting.”

Jihoon nodded.

“If I want to break the Wooden Dummy right now, I have to scrape together whatever I can.”

By any means necessary, he had to seize everything within reach.

“I even get paid while sharpening, my Dexterity goes up...”

“...”

“Affinity goes up, too?”

“...”

“And my Attack Power goes up on top of that?”

“...”

Right. There was no reason not to do it.

Smiling faintly, Hyunsoo downed his beer.

“Starting tomorrow, I’m going to gather Dexterity by any means necessary.”

Many a little makes a mickle.

The “stack Dexterity and break the Wooden Dummy” plan had begun.

****

The next day.

Hyunsoo saw Instructors who’d come looking for him from the neighboring town.

When he gave their weapons a clean edge, one of them exclaimed.

“As expected—amazing. Just like the rumors!”

“Instructor, do you know anyone around here who farms?”

“There are plenty of farmers.”

The Beginner Zone was a village, after all.

“I was asking because I want to extend this ability of mine to them as well.”

Hyunsoo’s eyes welled up.

“My grandmother used to farm, too.”

His lying had leveled up massively.

“I want to help the farmers by getting them better tools...”

Instructor Blen listened and was moved.

“Good heavens... you’ve got such a kind heart!”

[Affinity with Blen increases.]

Ah, to say he wanted to share his talent while his eyes shimmered like that!

“I’ll pass the word to my farmers.”

“It doesn’t have to be just farmers. If anyone needs my help, please spread the word.”

Sharp tools are essential to people.

With that, Hyunsoo had effectively secured even more customers.

Before long, he was greeting townsfolk trudging in from afar with bundles of farm tools on their backs.

“Welcome!”

A broad grin bloomed across Hyunsoo’s face.

****

Special User Management Team.

Team Leader Kim Taeseok met eyes with employee Lee Jihee.

Both of their pupils were shaking violently.

“Th-this is happening, right?”

“Yes, I think it is.”

“We’re not getting to go home, are we?”

“No, I don’t think we are...”

For a moment, their eyes turned watery.

“Looks like he’s trying to stack Dexterity...”

“How much Gold does that user have?”

“Sixty Gold...”

“...?”

Kim Taeseok couldn’t hide his bewilderment.

Why on earth did a Level 1 user have 60 Gold?

Ordinary users at that level didn’t even have 3 Gold.

“Dexterity?”

“It’s 89 right now. He’ll hit 100 soon.”

“Hundred... With 100, he’ll get that title...”

Kim Taeseok’s expression turned grave.

In truth, there were many users worldwide with over 100 Dexterity.

The highest had even surpassed 2,000.

Thanks to that, that user was getting hefty Dexterity-based bonuses.

But for a beginner—for a Level 1—to push Dexterity to 100 was a different story.

Even the user with the current highest Dexterity had only around 10 Dexterity back in the Beginner Zone.

So Pureum Co., Ltd. had prepared rewards for such a case.

“Ha... what good is complaining? It’s all that user Hyunsoo’s capability anyway.”

The reason Hyunsoo’s Dexterity was skyrocketing was the “illogical action” system.

In this game controlled by the supercomputer Ares, those alerts were special.

It meant he’d done something extraordinarily well—and the system awarded him accordingly.

And the reward, in his case, was Dexterity.

With the look of someone achieving enlightenment, Kim Taeseok spoke.

“Hold on tight.”

“Yes, sir...”

“That user’s going to rocket off after cashing a Dexterity reward!”

“Eek—eek! We’re flying!”

Lee Jihee gripped the table and mimed taking off in an airplane.

Making a living was hard.

****

[You have achieved 100 Dexterity.]

[Hidden Piece. You have proven the true value of Dexterity.]

[You gain 50 Dexterity.]

[You have acquired the title Dexterity For You Alone.]

“...Oh?”

Hyunsoo had just finished sharpening the last farm tool and was about to go teach blacksmithing techniques to Ren.

He immediately checked the title.

(Dexterity For You Alone)

Unique Title

Grade: A

Special Effects:

· All Stats +3

· Dexterity gain rate +50%.

· Sealed (Dexterity 2,000.)

· Sealed (Dexterity 4,000.)

“A...?”

Hyunsoo couldn’t hide his astonishment.

After he’d gone to the bar with Jihoon yesterday, he’d researched Ares even more meticulously.

With a Hidden Quest and an A-grade title at Level 1, he was, in plain terms, a broken character.

He could hardly find any case of someone at Level 1 with an A-grade title who had also received a Hidden Quest.

Especially an A-grade title.

Didn’t they say even high-rankers barely have seven or eight of those...?

That’s how rare A-grade titles were.

And he quickly figured out why this title was A-grade.

“...What the hell!”

Even seeing it himself, he couldn’t suppress his shock.

Dexterity gain rate +50%.

In other words, his chance to gain Dexterity from now on had increased by 50%.

Then, seeing the sealed special effects, he whispered Jihoon.

[Hyunsoo: I got a title, but it says ‘Sealed.’ What is that?]

[Jihoon: That means it’s a growth title. Super rare. As you meet the conditions, more rewards unlock. Why?]

[Hyunsoo: I got one.]

[Jihoon: Screenshot.]

[Hyunsoo: (screenshot.)]

[Jihoon: ...You villain. Blocking you.]

[You have been blocked by Jihoon.]

“...?”

Blocked out of envy, Hyunsoo tilted his head.

A growth title?

Since his best friend had blocked him, Hyunsoo opened the Ares community.

Basic searches were possible in-game via hologram.

[If it’s a growth title, can I treat it as one grade higher than its displayed grade?]

[Yeah. Every time you unseal, extra effects unlock. If it’s Grade B, it’s basically like getting Grade A. Why? Did you get one?]

[Yeah, got one. A beam of light has finally shone on my Ares life.]

[Oh, grats... I’m so jealous T_T]

[Wow, you got a growth title? Those are insanely hard to obtain!]

Hyunsoo realized growth titles were far rarer than he’d thought.

So it could effectively perform like an S-grade, huh?

He could suddenly understand why his best friend had blocked him.

[Jihoon: Hey, dial down the bragging now.]

[Hyunsoo: sry sry.] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Smiling, Hyunsoo stepped into Ren’s forge.

He organized his thoughts.

If I want to break the Wooden Dummy right now, I need a better sword.

To make a better sword, he needed better ore.

Sure, if he taught Ren, Hyunsoo could get “Beginner Zone’s Top-Grade Iron Ore.”

But he wondered if iron from the Beginner Zone could truly surpass a Rare-grade sword.

As he pondered for a moment, something flashed through Hyunsoo’s mind.

If there isn’t [N O V E L I G H T] ore, I’ll make it myself, won’t I?

He was about to attempt something other users would never even imagine.

He asked Ren:

“You said there’s a beach nearby, right?”

“Yes, there is. But why the beach...?”

Ren couldn’t hide his confusion.

Why bring up the sea just when he’d come to teach blacksmithing?

“Good.”

Hyunsoo smiled.

He headed out with Ren.

On the way, they stopped by the Beginner Zone’s general-goods NPC.

The general store really did sell everything.

“Do you have a large magnet?”

“Yes, we do. Why?”

“I need it for something.”

He bought a magnet.

“...?”

Ren simply couldn’t understand what Hyunsoo was doing.

Soon, Hyunsoo and the blacksmith Ren stood before a vast ocean.

Seeing Hyunsoo spread his arms and breathe in the salty scent to his heart’s content, Ren’s face stiffened.

Did I pick the wrong person...?

Ren had been awed by Hyunsoo’s blacksmithing.

That’s why he’d asked to become his disciple.

Meanwhile, Hyunsoo had burned through a ridiculous number of whetstones in Ren’s forge.

He’d even sharpened the Instructors’ weapons so much that Ren was going to be starving for a while.

But Ren had thought it was worth it if he himself could grow.

And yet, after promising to teach, they’d come to the sea?

Was he going to play tag or something?

“Hyunsoo, what exactly are you going to teach me here...?”

Distrust crept onto Ren’s face.

Hyunsoo, staring at the ocean, felt his chest open up.

He hadn’t been to the sea in so long, not since burns had covered his body.

Seeing Ren’s doubt, Hyunsoo spoke.

“Ren, do you see it?”

Yes, he saw it. A damnably vast ocean!

But what Hyunsoo said next was shocking.

“The ore lying beneath this sea.”

“Excuse me...?”

Had he gone mad?

Claiming there was ore on this beach?

Hyunsoo stepped onto the sand.

“Fortunately, it looks like that is here.”

That what?

Pointing at the sand, Hyunsoo smiled.

“Iron sand.”

Hyunsoo took a large magnet from his inventory.

He shoved it into the sandy beach and dragged it around in several places.

Then he lifted it to reveal fine iron filings clinging to it like grains of sand.

No—“filings” was the right word. It was powder-fine.

He swept them into the sack he’d prepared.

“Ren, today I’ll teach you about iron-sand ingots.”

“I-iron-sand ingots...?”

“This is from where I come from. And an old smelting method.”

Once, only Hyunsoo’s father could do it.

No—now, only Hyunsoo could.

It was a way to obtain ore that had once existed on the Korean peninsula.

****

Special User Management Team.

“I-iron-sand ingots...? I’ve never heard of that ore.”

“That’s not all. Iron-sand ingots don’t currently exist in Ares.”

Ares is run by the supercomputer Ares.

And it’s no exaggeration to say the supercomputer Ares contains all the world’s information.

Using the program linked to the supercomputer, Lee Jihee searched for “iron-sand ingot.”

—Iron-sand ingot. Obtainable via a traditional Korean smelting method, but not used today because various alloys and steels are available.

—The ring-pommel sword of Baekje’s 25th king, King Muryeo, was produced using this method.

“...?”

The two of them looked stunned.

“A smelting method used back in the Baekje era?”

Team Leader Kim Taeseok couldn’t hide his amazement.

Of course, since the information was in the supercomputer Ares, people other than user Hyunsoo could use it, too.

But who on earth would know to look for such a thing?

Many thoughts ran through Kim Taeseok’s mind.

The illogical-action alerts that would come from creating an ore not in Ares.

And though the smelting method exists in reality, iron-sand ingots don’t exist in Ares.

And he was dying to know the quality of the completed ingot.

Kim Taeseok’s heart beat strangely fast.

“This is going to be fun...!”

A smelting method vanished by history was about to be reborn at the fingertips of a Level 1 user.