Genius Blacksmith's Game

Hyunsoo woke up early in the morning and called the construction company.

[If you’re expecting around 400 million won, that should be about right.]

Four hundred million won.

That was the cost to rebuild the forge from scratch.

Hyunsoo wanted a forge that looked the same as before.

‘So that when my dad comes back, he won’t feel like it’s unfamiliar.’

Of course, that didn’t mean a perfect copy.

Thinking about it, that forge had been there for nearly thirty years, so it needed rebuilding anyway.

In other words, even if the exterior looked the same, the inside would feel brand-new.

“I’ll see you later.”

Hyunsoo was going to meet a construction employee in front of a café two hours later and sign the papers.

The reason he was signing in advance despite not having the money yet was because he had confidence in his value now.

At the same time, he thought,

‘Vallas Territory....’

Developing Vallas Territory was likely to be an extremely important task for Hyunsoo.

It was an insane quest that could put 20 million won in his hands for every 10% increase.

Of course, a single user developing an entire territory didn’t seem like an easy issue at all.

[You have logged in.]

When he logged in, he was inside the forge that had been cleaned up neatly last night.

Even yesterday evening, Hyunsoo had already looked into Vallas Territory in broad strokes.

‘It was called a blacksmith territory, but nearly half the blacksmiths have already left.’

He was curious about why. Right on cue, Per, the NPC from the neighboring forge, came to visit.

“No name on the signboard.”

The old blacksmith Per chuckled. He looked at Hyunsoo with eyes like he was watching a cute grandson.

“Where did your other companions go?”

“They just visited because it was the first day we opened the forge.”

In reality, aside from Nell, Miner Banya and Bark had visited yesterday and then gone back.

“You look like an outsider who arrived here just yesterday, but it seems you chose the wrong territory.”

Per wore a bitter smile that Hyunsoo couldn’t read. A strange light flickered in Hyunsoo’s eyes.

Per seemed to be a blacksmith who had lived here a long time.

So Hyunsoo thought he might be able to get information from him.

“What happened?”

“Oh, it did. A very big thing.”

Hyunsoo frowned slightly.

Per, now serious, stroked his long beard and spoke with a sigh mixed into his voice.

“About a year ago, when the Edrol Merchant Guild came in, it changed into this.”

“The Edrol Merchant Guild?”

“Yeah. The Edrol Merchant Guild is a pretty big merchant guild around here.”

Hyunsoo caught on.

‘Did that merchant guild take over the territory?’

“The moment their master arrived, he proposed a wager to the lord. I don’t know why, but the lord approved it, and he lost. So the Edrol Merchant Guild was put in charge of managing the blacksmiths. After taking control, they raised the blacksmith tax to 70%, and doubled the working hours. That’s why.”

Per looked around at the remaining forges.

Empty forges.

“The blacksmiths started running away. And the few blacksmiths left are basically doing forced labor. If someone couldn’t escape in time, they got dragged into another wager, lost again, and fell completely into slavery.”

Hyunsoo’s expression sharpened. Per kept talking about these wagers.

‘A wager....’

One thing was strange.

A lord making wagers with the territory’s blacksmiths didn’t sound like something that made sense.

“So that’s why I’m saying you picked the wrong place. Still, you’re lucky. You look like a beginner-to-intermediate blacksmith. At your level, the merchant guild won’t really set its sights on you.”

It was a bitter story for Hyunsoo.

“Is it ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) because I’m not worth it?”

“That’s right, huh? Ha!”

Per laughed bluntly, trying to deliver a clean, brutal fact.

Of course, Hyunsoo wasn’t exactly hurt by it, but still.

Per put a hand on Hyunsoo’s shoulder.

“Still, you’re young. You’re a blacksmith with plenty of road left to grow. And luckily, isn’t this a rented forge? So leave while you still can. Once you become a higher-level blacksmith, they won’t stay still.”

“Thank you for the advice.”

Even after hearing such bitter words, Hyunsoo realized one thing.

Per was giving him this advice because he genuinely worried about Hyunsoo and this forge.

Then Hyunsoo grew curious about something and asked,

“Then are you doing forced labor too, sir?”

“No.”

Per shook his head.

“I was originally a blacksmith here too, but I served the lord at his side. And on the day the lord lost that wager, he sent me out of the lord’s castle and told me to win that wager someday and save all the blacksmiths. I’m a better blacksmith than you’d think.”

He was an interesting old man.

In other words, Per was basically the last reserve the lord had left behind.

“I went into seclusion for a while, came back after raising my skill, and I think I’ll probably take the wager soon.”

Hyunsoo nodded.

“I’ll be cheering for you.”

For now, Hyunsoo needed to watch the situation a bit more.

“And if you want to learn some blacksmithing, come by anytime, hah!”

Hyunsoo let out a small laugh as he watched Per say that.

Then he went back outside and looked around at the forges.

‘It really is.’

The remaining blacksmiths were in awful shape.

If their workload had been doubled, then no wonder—they looked one step away from dying.

‘With nearly 70% of their taxes going to the merchant guild, of course the territory’s collapsing.’

Hyunsoo thought that if he solved just this problem alone, he could raise the development rate quite a bit.

And he also saw the crest of what looked like the Edrol Merchant Guild painted here and there.

‘I’ll need to look into Edrol too.’

Then Hyunsoo logged out.

It was almost time to meet the construction employee.

****

Late at night.

Per was working hard in his forge.

Even though he was, astonishingly, a top-grade blacksmith, he was obsessed with the pressure of needing to become a true artisan.

He didn’t know exactly what kind of power the Edrol blacksmith had, so he was honing himself.

‘I’ll take this territory back no matter what.’

Per recalled when this place had once been full of blacksmiths’ laughter.

Now, after so many had fled, there were rumors the territory might soon disappear.

‘It’s this old man’s last regret.’

Bringing back the laughter of this place.

That was when he heard footsteps coming inside.

Per turned his head, puzzled.

The one who had made the wager with the lord was coming in, leading Edrol knights with him.

“Are you the blacksmith named Per who arrived here recently?”

“Yes, but what brings you—”

“I am Books, blacksmith examiner of the Edrol Merchant Guild. I heard there’s a blacksmith with good skill, so I came to propose an evaluation.”

Per shook his head.

‘Not yet.’

He still wasn’t sure he could beat a blacksmith examiner.

And then another puzzled look crossed his face.

‘Examiner?’

Did they actually evaluate blacksmiths?

Per didn’t know it, but Books was a being with a peculiar power.

Books was one of the special NPCs.

The power he held was literally the examiner’s authority.

Under the name of “evaluation,” he could impose a wager, and if the other party lost, he could force them to carry out whatever he had set as the stakes.

If they didn’t carry it out, divine punishment would strike them.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to take an evaluation yet. Please come again later.”

Per wasn’t stupid.

He wanted to sharpen his blade inwardly a little more.

But—

“No. An evaluation can’t be postponed. I will evaluate you.”

[An evaluation begins.]

“......?”

Per was flustered.

Even though he hadn’t consented, the sound was forcing him into participation.

‘S, so that’s why the lord...?’

Now he understood why the lord had approved that absurd wager.

Per had only been told to run right away.

[If you fail the evaluation, you must accept his demanded conditions.]

[You may also state your own conditions.]

“If you fail the evaluation, I will take your head, Per, blacksmith of the lord.”

Per’s vision swam.

From the start, Books had come knowing everything about him.

“A man who fails the evaluation can’t speak of my special power. Ah. Though it doesn’t matter, does it? You’ll be dead anyway.”

[If you fail the evaluation, you must carry it out.]

Per’s eyes trembled.

So this was how he had sealed the lord’s mouth and the other blacksmiths’ mouths.

[State your conditions.]

Per steadied himself quickly.

“If I win, nullify every wager you’ve imposed on the lord and on all blacksmiths.”

[Your life is at stake.]

[This is a possible condition.]

“Very well.”

Books moved his arm, and two gigantic forges appeared as holograms.

“This is the Dream Forge. With knowledge, judgment, experience, and thought in your head, you can craft weapons quickly. It’s a mysterious power that lets you finish in one day what would normally take five.”

Per nodded.

“Begin the evaluation.”

Per moved his hands inside the holographic forge, using knowledge in his mind as Books said.

Refining and purification began according to his skill.

“The one who makes the higher-grade sword wins.”

Per crafted quickly, just as he had trained all this time.

He did his absolute best.

Cold sweat poured down his whole body.

And he realized—

‘A good sword will come out.’

He was a top-grade blacksmith.

Once, he had been called the best blacksmith in this territory—a rare talent.

But then Per glanced to the side and froze.

Books’s artifact was surpassing Per’s.

A blacksmith has instinct.

Mine is Epic.

His is Unique.

Per knew it.

He would die today.

And he thought.

There were still many processes left—hammering, quenching, and more.

In this situation, did it even mean anything to continue?

Wouldn’t it be better not to do this stupid evaluation at all?

Then—

“Pay more attention to shaping and finishing the tip.”

“......?”

A strange voice reached him.

Per turned his head and saw a young man standing there.

He was Hyunsoo—the beginner-to-intermediate blacksmith who had rented the forge just yesterday.

Still puzzled, Per clung to the advice like grabbing straw and refined the tip more carefully.

CLANG, CLANG, CLAAAANG—!

He figured he had nothing to lose.

But then another strange notification rang out.

[Your understanding of swords far surpasses your usual skill.]

[You are receiving instruction from a Master Blacksmith.]