Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 150
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
The Genius Blacksmith’s Game
The Pinnacle Weapon (4)
Krraaaaaaagh!
The barrier slowly melted away.
Standing side by side, they looked at each other.
Hye-ji, whose eyes were swollen from crying so much.
Twaaang—
She drew the bowstring taut.
And Han-ul, who despite his youth carried himself with an adult’s composure and quiet demeanor.
Along with Tae-hoon, whose cheerful disposition was unmistakable.
And Hyeon-su, the Blacksmith of Reality, whom they had only just come to know.
In this moment, they all felt it.
The three of them had fought together for so long that their coordination was unmatched.
And Hyeon-su.
Though we had synchronized only five times, I had melded into the team as if we had known each other for years.
‘Our final chance given to us.’
[Ferocious Labyrinth.]
[For 30 seconds, all skill usage will be restricted.]
The American Users must have spent the longest time at the entrance.
But for them, it was an entirely different story.
With their real-world skills reaching an incomparable level, they could clear it faster than the American Users.
Whooooosh—
Soon, Lycan beasts tried to pour through the completely dissolved barrier.
But faster than that.
Pierrrgh—!
A Lycan’s forehead was pierced precisely, and the arrow continued through to pierce the one behind it as well.
Pierrrgh—!
Pierrrgh—!
Rapid fire.
And.
[Critical Hit triggers.]
[Critical Hit triggers.]
Hye-ji’s arrows, defying all logic, blocked the approaching Lycans’ advance.
Soon, dozens of Lycans came scaling the walls.
That’s when Tae-hoon kicked the wall.
Craaaaaash—
Bang, crack-crack, craaash, bang!
Kicks linked together in rapid succession.
First strike.
Second strike.
3 times.
13 times.
Kicks flowing like water cut off all approaches from the Lycans.
Keeeeing
Han-ul, the greatest swordsman wielding a sharp blade, slaughtered the surging horde.
But Lycans were formidable creatures—fast on their feet, boasting high HP, and ferociously fearless.
Their relentless attacks kept piercing through and pouring down.
Splurch—
And the last person.
Hyeon-su, now wielding a new weapon.
He moved, gripping a curved blade with a dark sheen—a supreme saber.
In Ares, there was a notification that displayed damage amounts whenever you attacked or were attacked.
This function had an on/off toggle, so users employed it according to their preference.
And all three people except Hyeon-su were using this function.
Han-ul, a swordsman with advanced Sword Mastery wielding a Rare Sword, slashed another Lycan down.
Slash—
[You dealt 3,130 damage.]
And Hyeon-su cut down the Lycan that was charging at Hye-ji.
Screech—!
[You dealt 5,113 damage.]
“…!?”
“…!?”
“…!?”
All three were struck with astonishment.
Hyeon-su moved freely between the Lycans.
[You dealt 4,933 damage.]
[You dealt 5,243 damage.]
Previously, Hyeon-su’s damage output had always been higher than Han-ul’s.
But never by this much.
‘What on earth is that blade…?’
‘This is insane…!’
There was something else that shocked them even more.
[Critical Hit triggered.]
[You dealt 7,313 damage.]
[Critical Hit triggered.]
[You dealt 6,741 damage.]
‘How are Critical Hits triggering so consistently?’
Hyeon-su’s Critical Hits were triggering far too easily.
Critical Hits normally triggered when hitting vital points or similar conditions, dealing higher damage than usual.
The truth behind all of this lay in the blade Hyeon-su had newly acquired.
(Pinnacle Blade)
Grade: Legend Beyond Legend
Durability: Infinite
Attack Power: 619
Restrictions: Creator has no restrictions, Swordsman level 400 or above
Special Abilities:
·All Stats increased by 2%
·Critical Hit probability increased by 70%
·Cutting Power increased by 50%
·Sword Mastery increased by 6 levels
·Passive Skill Eight Slashes
·Passive Skill Swordsmanship’s Subtlety
·Passive Skill Once More
·Active Skill Draw
·Active Skill Rampaging Blade
Description: A masterwork created exclusively for Hyeon. No other blade could ever surpass this one.
Compared to the White Night I previously possessed, it is incomparably superior.
White Night’s attack power was 401, while the Pinnacle Blade’s attack power is 619.
Furthermore, through the artifact effect’s 70% Critical Hit probability increase, Hyeon-su could now inflict Critical Damage several times more frequently than ordinary people.
Crunch, crunch—!
Additionally, through the merit of the 50% Cutting Power increase, the Lycans that were slashed were being severed.
Han-ul’s expression became one of wonder.
‘…Is this the power of a Blacksmith in reality?’
But soon, Han-ul came to understand.
Even he, who knew little of Blacksmithing, could see that the Pinnacle Blade was extraordinary.
He corrected his thoughts.
‘Is this the power of the greatest Blacksmith?’
Soon Han-ul felt the Lycans pressing further into the narrow space.
“Hold them back!”
And the three of them smiled bitterly.
Without realizing when.
‘We’ve been following him.’
Yet it didn’t feel unpleasant, and they accepted it as natural.
The three desperately held back the creatures pressing in.
Tree Branches erupted above Hyeon-su’s head.
He nocked a single Arrow onto the Bowstring.
Twang—!
Having coordinated many times before, the moment the Arrow was released, all three ducked simultaneously.
A brilliant flash of light.
A single Arrow multiplied in number to match the Lycans.
Crash—crash—crash—crash—crash—crash—crash—boom—!
The moment those creatures slammed into the ground, Hyeon-su shouted.
“Push in!”
Confined spaces could sometimes work against you.
Four figures surged forward simultaneously into the depths.
[Ferocious Labyrinth’s Wrath.]
[Lycans become 15% stronger.]
[Lycans recover 20% of their HP.]
Thud—thud—thud
Growl—
Roooaarrr!
Screeeeeech!
The four scattered.
The creatures advanced, now far more formidable.
Before Hyeon-su had forged the Supreme Blade, they had been certain they could never clear this dungeon.
After all, you couldn’t know something without trying it yourself.
But the Supreme Blade had opened a door of possibility.
The problem was that this possibility stemmed entirely from Hyeon-su.
The number of Lycans they had managed to thin out was merely around thirty.
As Han-ul fought against the surging Lycans, despair washed over him.
There were limits to what skill alone could accomplish.
As Han-ul continued retreating, his back suddenly collided with Hye-ji’s.
She too was confronting her own limitations.
Han-ul gazed at his own seemingly insignificant Rare-grade Sword.
“I envy you.”
“…Me too.”
What if they possessed weapons like that?
Could we increase our chances of clearing this place?
“Kyaaaah!”
Hye-ji took severe damage from the Lycans.
Han-ul stepped forward to shield her.
His mind mapped out the trajectory.
Six in total.
‘I can’t…’
I cannot cut through them all.
Not with my Sword’s damage output.
Then.
Whoosh—
“Han-ul!”
A Sword flew through the air toward him.
It was the masterwork of an elderly craftsman born in a small domain.
The Sword Baekya.
Han-ul moves, gripping it in hand.
Shhhhwing—
Moving with blinding speed, he cleaves through six Lycans in a single breath.
A genius of the blade.
The “closest to legend” now gripped in Han-ul’s hands was making him the strongest at this very moment.
“This is insane!”
I feel as though I’m soaring.
The Lycans that hadn’t been cut down collapse, creating new pathways of movement.
‘I’m envious….’
As Hye-ji marveled at Han-ul like this, Hyeon-su appeared, cutting through the throng of Lycans.
[You obtain an Orichalcon Short Arrow.]
[You obtain 300 Tonga.]
[You obtain 300 Short Arrows.]
“…I was curious.”
Hyeon-su grinned wickedly.
“What kind of power you all would display if you fought with the finest weapons.”
Five times we’ve cleared this together.
The reason I gave Baekya to Han-ul was because I now possessed the Jisungdo.
And the reason I gave the Orichalcon Short Arrow to Hye-ji was because I had come to trust them.
“Do you know how to use it?”
“Who do you think I am?”
Hye-ji’s eyes gleamed with light.
Click—
With skill more practiced than anyone else’s, she nocks it on the bowstring.
Though there was no notification, had there been one, this is how it would have appeared.
[The greatest archer and the mightiest arrow converge.]
[Accuracy and penetration power increase by 25%.]
Twannnng—
Drawing the bowstring, she releases toward the oncoming Lycans.
Screeeech
Crash—
The Short Arrow pierces through one, sending it flying backward, then penetrates three more Lycans behind it.
Immediately after, the Short Arrows and Tonga that Hyeon-su provided are released.
One shot per second.
Screech—!
Screech—!
Boom boom boom boom boom boom—!
Even watching it directly, Hyeon-su couldn’t believe it.
Short Arrow.
This weapon, known as a hand cannon, boasted devastating power and impressive range, but it harbored one critical flaw.
That flaw was its catastrophically low accuracy rate.
Yet Hye-ji’s Short Arrows found only the vital points of the Lycans.
[Critical Hit triggered.]
[Critical Hit triggered.]
[Critical Hit trig——]
“They’re melting, melting away!”
Where her arrows passed, ash scattered in their wake.
Then.
A notification sounded—one that shouldn’t have appeared at this moment.
[You have hunted numerous Lycans from the Ferocious Labyrinth in a short span of time.]
[A new story begins.]
“…!?”
Hyeon-su’s face twisted in anguish.
‘The difficulty increases here? How exactly does it escalate?’
Soon Hyeon-su could see it.
Among hundreds of Lycans.
An unknown creature that had been crouching stretched itself awake.
‘Could it be…!?’
Ding!
[Sudden Quest: The King of the Ferocious Labyrinth and the Lycans]
Rank: SS
Restriction: Ferocious Labyrinth Initiates
Reward: 20% reduction in clear time upon success
Penalty upon failure: None
Description: The original method of hunting the boss monster after defeating all Lycans has been altered. Emerge victorious against the Lycans and the King of the Ferocious Labyrinth.
‘They’re saying we face the boss monster simultaneously with the Lycans, not after defeating them all?’
All of them wanted to deny reality upon hearing this notification.
Of course, the reward was a 20% time reduction.
Soon Hyeon-su saw the creature that had been crouching unfurl itself.
Silver fur.
The face of a wolf.
Unlike the other Lycans that towered at three meters, this one stood roughly at Hyeon-su’s height.
[King of the Ferocious Labyrinth Lv.383]
A tingling sensation——
Hyeon-su’s instincts screamed danger.
The creature vanished before his eyes in an instant.
A deafening crash——
“Ugh!”
Hyeon-su’s HP plummeted by 9% in an instant. In the same breath, the creature struck Han-ul, Hye-ji, and Tae-hoon’s chests at the speed of light.
“Kyaaah!”
“Cough!”
“Ugh!”
Hyeon-su understood now.
The creature’s specialty was speed that defied all logic.
It came again, its ferocious gaze blazing with malice.
The moment I collided with it, I was seized by shock.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-!
Its razor-sharp claws descended upon my chest six times in a single heartbeat.
[Your HP has fallen below 50%.]
Staggering, I sensed it approaching Hye-ji, Tae-hoon, and Han-ul once more.
‘This cannot happen….’
It was cycling through us.
Strike one person, then immediately the others, then the next.
It was toying with us.
Three more screams pierced my ears.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Hye-ji!”
“Cough-hack-ugh!”
I realized it then.
‘If the third cycle begins, we all die.’
And so I waited.
Whoosh-
Soon I heard it approaching.
*
*
*
The Labyrinth’s King was irritated.
These humans who had awakened it from its slumber.
They possessed considerable skill, it had to admit.
Yet it possessed speed four times that of an ordinary Lycan.
And with the trait ‘Wind-like’, these creatures could never catch it.
The Labyrinth’s King knew well.
From the third cycle onward, ordinary humans typically learned and adapted.
As expected.
This human was no exception.
When I approached at the speed of light, it swung its sword to counterattack.
Flash-!
In an instant, the Labyrinth’s King altered its trajectory and moved elsewhere.
The Labyrinth King, closing the 20-meter distance in a single breath, charged forward to ram me with his body.
But then he sensed something amiss.
[Pull]
The speed at which I closed the 20-meter gap was 0.7 seconds.
Yet in just 0.3 seconds, I was suddenly before the man.
“Caught you.”
Hyeon-su’s eyes gleamed.
The newly acquired Supreme Blade was extraordinary.
The skills within it were created by Hyeon-su himself.
A concentrated embodiment forged through what was most efficient for him, most superior, and most effectively applicable.
[Instantly pulls an enemy close and stuns them for 3 seconds.]
Moreover, Hyeon-su knew well.
This was an enemy he had to defeat alone.
Yet there was an advantage to this.
The Wolf King title obtained from hunting the Ash Wolves.
[The Wolf King title shines brilliantly.]
[Attack power and defense increase by 17% against wolf-type monsters.]
And the power Hyeon-su had inscribed into the Supreme Blade.
This power was inspired by the Gauntlet of Strength.
The Gauntlet of Strength was literally the power to transcend the single stat of strength in an absurd manner.
Another power dwelling within the Supreme Blade activates.
[Rampaging Blade]
Kuhooooo—!
Black energy surging from his body is drawn into the Supreme Blade.
[Attack power is determined by probability.]
[40% probability applies 200%~, 20% probability applies 300%~, 10% probability applies 400%~, 2% probability applies 600%~.]
[By 10% probability, the blade’s base attack power increases by 401%.]
[It lasts for 15 seconds.]
Base attack power of the blade increased by 401%.
Kwazaaaak—
“Kuhaaaaak!”
The Labyrinth King, struck by such a Power Strike, felt pain he had never experienced in his life.
Yet the Labyrinth King possessed high intelligence.
Damage of this magnitude could not kill him.
Yes, one could normally think this way.
Wouldn’t it be far better to inflict an additional 600% attack power instead of creating a skill like Rampaging Blade that merely raises base attack power?
“Krrrrr…!”
The Labyrinth King too had noticed this.
But it was different.
Hyeon-su was more cunning and intelligent than anyone, and he devised thorough plans.
‘Yes, this is….’
A 401% increase in base attack power.
What would happen if this strength were added to that?
Hisssss—
Hyeon-su laughed coldly, and the King of the Ferocious Labyrinth realized something had gone terribly wrong.
Hyeon-su intoned.
“Ghost’s Stride.”
A specter wielding a sword enhanced by 401% walked forth.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————