Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 149

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
Weapons of the Peak (3)
Hyeon-su woke early that morning with a puzzled expression.
His mobile phone, linked to the Auction House, had received numerous notifications.
[Subscribers are being updated.]
[Hyeon’s Forge subscribers: 1,730,013.]
[Current ranking among Korea’s Blacksmith Shops: 7th place.]
“What’s going on?”
The count had jumped by 300,000 overnight. Unfortunately, his ranking hadn’t changed.
Puzzled, Hyeon-su soon learned the reason through a message from Hye-in.
‘I had no idea it would have this kind of effect….’
It was because Hyeon’s Forge had been written on the Ferocious Labyrinth Time Attack dungeon rankings.
‘The Americans?’
Hyeon-su had also checked the interview video in question.
‘It’s certainly a double-edged sword….’
Hyeon-su’s expression turned bitter.
For now, it was undoubtedly a positive effect for Hyeon’s Forge.
In reality, it would be impossible for hundreds of thousands of subscribers to join just because the Time Attack ranking gap had narrowed.
Will’s statement must have given people expectations about just how far Hyeon’s Forge could close that gap.
‘I absolutely have to pull this off.’
Hyeon-su logged into Ares.
The three people already logged in greeted him with gloomy faces.
“You’re here?”
“Yes, but why do you all look so down?”
“…It’s weighing on us.”
Following Hye-ji’s words, Tae-hoon forced a bitter smile.
“There’s this pressure—if we fail this, what will become of us?”
“It’s trending 6th on Naver’s real-time search as ‘Ferocious Labyrinth Time Attack.’ Quite a lot of people are interested. And because of Will’s interview, things have gotten even bigger.”
The three of them seemed to be feeling immense pressure.
Hyeon-su, thinking about how to lift their spirits, asked playfully.
“Oh, did I mention it?”
Hyeon-su fumbled in the inner pocket of his coat.
Then he pulled out three sheets of paper and a pen from his Inventory.
“I’m a fan. Could you sign these for me?”
“Pfft.”
“What is that?”
“Shouldn’t you have gotten that when we first met?”
“I missed the opportunity… Anyway, I’m a fan of all three of you.”
There would certainly be those who mocked him, but national heroes were stars loved by many.
Hyeon-su was no exception.
The atmosphere grew noticeably lighter.
“We have two chances left now. And we need to clear it by today.”
Once today passed, the Ferocious Labyrinth time attack would be completely over.
“Let’s go in.”
The four of them entered the Ferocious Labyrinth.
Their condition today was at its peak.
Literally, today they were blessed with fortune.
Hyeon-su’s counterattack had produced three Artifacts, and their Critical Hits landed far better than usual.
[Ranking updated.]
[5th place Korea 16 minutes 19 seconds.]
They’d entered the top five.
Their hearts raced with excitement.
Riding this momentum, they threw themselves into the attempt with desperate determination.
The final chance—their tenth attempt.
On this fortunate day, the four of them were performing even better than their ninth clear.
They pressed forward, silently praying and willing themselves to succeed.
The final tenth attempt.
[4th place Korea 15 minutes 49 seconds.]
They’d broken into fourth place.
And the four of them stood in the dungeon in silence for a moment.
In the end, they had proven to be no threat whatsoever—unlike the American Will’s provocation suggested.
Hye-ji, Han-ul, and Tae-hoon stood with heavy expressions on their faces.
Unlike them, Hyeon-su was verifying something through leveling up.
Then.
[Hidden Piece. Those who drew near to the true Ferocious Labyrinth completed.]
They wore puzzled expressions.
A Hidden Piece.
Special rewards hidden in countless places throughout the world.
The four recalled the interview content from the American User Will.
When a reporter asked Will how he’d closed a five-minute gap, he answered thus.
“That’s something Users from other countries will need to discover themselves.”
Of course, all Users from every nation who’d entered the top four must have achieved this Hidden Piece.
But perhaps they and America had wanted to keep the information they’d found hidden.
Soon that information would be revealed.
[The true Ferocious Labyrinth opens.]
Krrrrrrrr—
The dungeon began to emit a tremendous tremor.
Ding!
[Sudden Quest: Ferocious Labyrinth]
Rank: S
Restriction: Those who have entered the 15-minute tier
Reward: Significantly reduced clear time
Penalty on failure: None.
Description: You have now qualified to challenge the true Ferocious Labyrinth. The Ferocious Labyrinth is far more powerful than before. In exchange, you gain the privilege of time reduction.
[The Labyrinth becomes ferocious.]
[You can now challenge the Ferocious Labyrinth one final time.]
Along with this, they received a fresh final opportunity.
They were transported to the entrance of the dungeon.
Standing in the safe zone, they could immediately see the transformed Ferocious Labyrinth.
[A dungeon of a new format that breaks the existing rules.]
[The boss monster has changed.]
[King of the Ferocious Labyrinth Lv.383]
Then the three could see it.
A transparent barrier stretched across the space.
Within it, hundreds of monsters swarmed densely.
[Lycan Lv.344]
“Grrraaaaahhhhh!”
Bipedal werewolves with jet-black fur standing behind the barrier unleashed a horrific roar.
Behind them, a mysterious boss monster crouched in the shadows.
[The Ferocious Labyrinth begins in 1 minute.]
“The clear time for the true Ferocious Labyrinth simply has to be far shorter….”
The existing labyrinth had stretched nearly 3 kilometers in total length.
But here, all the monsters were concentrated within a 500-meter radius.
In other words, it could be cleared through swift, decisive action.
Grrraaaaahhhhh!
Grraaaaaahhhhh!
Grrrrrrrrr-!
Yet the three felt fear.
“How are we supposed to clear this….”
They came to feel the gap between themselves and the United States.
A towering wall.
At their current level, clearing this was absolutely impossible.
Eventually, Hye-ji collapsed to the ground.
The true Ferocious Labyrinth possessed such overwhelming strength that it crushed the will to fight.
Hye-ji, collapsed on the ground, covered her face; Tae-hoon leaned against the wall and sighed; Han-ul cursed under his breath.
“This is… too much for me….”
Hye-ji murmured.
The world did not know.
Nineteen years old.
They who had become national representatives and risen to stardom in an instant.
At first, I was happy.
But as time passed, it returned as an immense pressure.
And since they started the game, they hadn’t had a single day of peace.
Users from the Ares Community said:
-They’re gold medalists, so obviously they’ll be rank 1 lol
-Yeah right
-Our proud gold medalists!
-Let’s go catch those world-class rankers!
Once they became the cursed trio, they changed completely.
-So disappointing lmaooo
-Take off that Korean flag.
-What? If they’re skilled in reality, shouldn’t they be skilled in the game too?
-They’re total trash content lol
-Lmaooo
-Pathetic bastards
Of course, there were far more who didn’t say such things.
But to those who criticized them, they had to become number one.
Grrraaaaahhhhh!
Watching Lycan howl at me, Hye-ji finally burst into tears.
Tae-hoon, watching him with a bitter expression, approached Hyeon-su.
“You’ve reached level 300, haven’t you? Congratulations.”
I couldn’t hold onto hope.
In this hopeless situation.
I wondered if reaching level 300 could really change anything.
With that, Tae-hoon handed over the promised ore—the finest Orichalcon.
“Still, you managed to break into the top 5.”
And Hyeon-su accepts it from him.
“I hope we meet again next time. Oh, and you really won’t tell us the secret?”
They asked together.
What was the secret to how Blacksmith Hyeon crafted a legend?
Rummmmmble—
[58 seconds.]
Hyeon-su, looking at them, smiled faintly and spoke.
“…I was envious.”
He stepped forward and looked at the three of them.
[54 seconds.]
“Of you all descending from the airplane to applause.”
Everyone looked at Hyeon-su.
“When I said I was a fan, I meant it sincerely. And I’ve longed for it, at least once.”
[50 seconds.]
“I too hope to be recognized like you all someday. Of course, I had no idea you were facing such difficulties.”
Hyeon-su, who had positioned himself beside Hye-ji, gazed beyond the transparent barrier at the Lycans.
[48 seconds.]
[45 seconds.]
[44 seconds.]
Above him, a black ore surged upward.
Screeeech—
Tae-hoon, Han-ul, and Hye-ji turned to look at him with bewildered expressions.
It was supreme-grade Orichalcon.
“I apologize for saying this at such a moment.”
Hyeon-su smiled wryly.
“I too have lived doing my utmost in my own field.”
[40 seconds.]
They watched as the smelted ore was rapidly refined before their eyes.
Tae-hoon’s expression shifted to one of shock as he observed him.
The words—that he had done his utmost in his own field.
“W-wait, could that secret technique be…!”
They had been assuming Hyeon-su possessed some special skill or perhaps an extraordinary class.
Hyeon-su smiled wryly and spoke.
“That’s right. I’m a genuine Blacksmith.”
*
*
*
Having revealed his identity, Hyeon-su left them in their astonishment behind.
Supreme-grade Orichalcon.
Wasn’t it too precious to use for emergency crafting?
No.
Hyeon-su had just reached level 300.
[Congratulations.]
[You have achieved level 300.]
As a result, he received countless notifications.
[You gain 15 to all stats.]
[Blacksmith Quest…]
[…]
[…]
[…]
[A new skill of the Blacksmith’s Deity is unlocked.]
Ding!
[You obtain the Deity’s Special Emergency Crafting.]
(Deity’s Special Emergency Crafting)
Active Skill
Grade: Divine
Level: None
Penalty:
Effect:
·You can now permanently possess Artifacts created through Emergency Crafting.
·Available only once every three months.
The refined ore before Hyeon-su is rapidly forged into shape.
Ching—
The blade, glowing red-hot, finally reveals its true color.
A sword whose blade is wrought entirely in black, mimicking the hue of Orichalcon.
[28 seconds.]
Clang—
At last, a character is branded into the sword connected to its grip.
This sword does not originate from any legend or tale.
It is a blade I conceived with the finest materials, crafted solely for myself.
Created through my transcendent skill and effort comparable to that of Han-ul, Hye-ji, and Tae-hoon combined.
The character branded upon that slightly curved blade radiates with light.
Zizun Blade.
The pinnacle achieved when the greatest Blacksmith meets the finest ore.
The moment I finally grasp the sword, a notification rings out.
[Your second Masterwork is inscribed…]
Ding!
[Masterworks can only be crafted once every three months.]
Masterwork.
It signified the greatest creation of one’s lifetime.
Moreover, having witnessed the Masterworks of countless Blacksmiths, I understood that the Masterwork notification itself possessed a function that elevated the corresponding Artifact even further.
Yet I was not flustered in the slightest.
I had already confirmed this fact through the Ares Community.
Instead, I wore an expression of deliberate arrogance and conviction.
‘This game rewards me exactly as much as I deserve.’
And so I smiled with confidence.
‘This is my greatest Masterwork, a sword unlikely to appear again in Ares.’
The notification responds to my conviction.
[This is the most perfect sword only you can create.]
[No one can deny your story.]
[The system ignores its own restrictions.]
The notification had been about to say that a second Masterwork is inscribed.
The notification changes.
[Your unique Masterwork is inscribed.]
[A legend above legends.]
“Rise.”
[7 seconds.]
Hyeon-su extended the newly crafted Supreme Blade.
Dark currents of energy rippled across his sword.
[6 seconds.]
A confident smile crossed Hyeon-su’s face as he reviewed the blade’s detailed information.
That smile mirrored the arrogant expression he’d worn moments before when questioning the system’s constraints—”Can you even stop this?”
[5 seconds.]
Three geniuses now stood beside the genius blacksmith in perfect alignment.
[2 seconds.]
And the genius blacksmith who had never seen light gripped the sword firmly with both hands and spoke with cool determination.
“Let’s take first place.”
[The barrier dissolves.]
[This is the final challenge.]
The story of four geniuses was beginning.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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