Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 155

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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
The One Who Flies Above the One Who Runs (2)
Pureum Corporation’s Audit Department.
Lee Ji-hee, an employee of the Special User Management Team, gazed at the mobile phone screen being handed to her.
[Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop Subscribers: 2,316,013.]
[Currently ranked 2nd among Korean Blacksmith Shops in subscribers.]
Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop.
The subscriber count, which had been in the 2.2 million range, had somehow swelled by another hundred thousand.
“…An extraordinary result. The world still holds considerable interest in Hyeon.”
The man who withdrew the mobile phone was John, the United States branch director.
The Timed Attack Dungeon rankings had shifted abruptly.
The world had every reason to be astonished.
It was all the work of a single blacksmith.
Pureum Corporation dispatches audit teams from world branches whenever an inspection is deemed necessary.
This time, the audit director was John, the United States branch leader.
“The world branches suspect that valuable information about the Ares game, created somewhere in Korea, might be leaking out. It could be you from the Special User Management Team, which has the closest contact with users.”
“You’re suggesting we leaked information to Hyeon….”
“Does this make any sense? The data we’ve confirmed on Hyeon doesn’t add up. Crafting six Legendary items is already extraordinary. Of course, he’s a genius blacksmith, but even so, it doesn’t make sense. Setting that aside, how do you explain this?”
John leaned back in his chair.
“How could a single user possibly possess two Legendary skills? The method to learn Swordsmanship from Sword King Barad, the method to learn Ghost Step from Spear Heaven Ven. Who revealed these secrets?”
Under John’s cold gaze, Lee Ji-hee gripped her collar tightly.
The pressure rendered her speechless.
Then.
Thud.
The door swung open roughly.
A man wearing horn-rimmed glasses entered and surveyed the audit team.
United States branch director John.
He wore an intriguing smile.
“So you’re the one—graduated top of your class from MIT, boldly rejected offers from each branch, and remained in your team leader position.”
It was Team Leader Kim Tae-seok.
Lee Ji-hee was startled, having heard this story for the first time.
“I’ll conduct the audit myself. You may leave, Lee Ji-hee.”
Tae-seok gently ushered Ji-hee out of the room.
Seated, Tae-seok listened carefully to what she had reported.
Then he spoke.
“There’s one thing missing.”
John’s expression grew puzzled.
“There’s also the Legendary stat that User Lee Se-jin obtained, is there not?”
“Now that you mention it, that stat exists too. Did you teach him the method to obtain that stat?”
Tae-seok smiled faintly.
“Do you know how to obtain a Legendary Stat?”
Tae-seok withdrew a USB drive and extended it forward.
It contained compressed footage of every moment User Hyeon-su had played.
“To unlock a Legendary Stat, a user must repeatedly strike against their limits. To put it simply, they must go without sleep for at least four days while devoting themselves entirely to a single pursuit.”
Four days.
“That alone is insufficient. Such ordeals must accumulate multiple times before the unlocking condition can be satisfied.”
One of the audit team members spoke up.
“You’re saying User Hyeon-su is an extraordinary user who hasn’t slept a wink, repeated such feats multiple times, and exerted efforts that others cannot achieve?”
“Well, the answer lies within that USB drive.”
They were astounded.
Where in the world could such a person exist, approaching a game in such a manner?
Soon, the entire audit team reviewed the contents of the USB.
With each passing moment, John’s expression shifted subtly.
The astonishing truth was that, without realizing it, they had all become entranced, focusing intently on the compressed footage of User Hyeon-su for over ten hours.
‘So that’s how he won over Sword King Barad’s heart?’
‘He became close friends with Spear Heaven Ven?’
‘He mastered Ghost Steps without sleeping for days?’
‘This is how the sixth Legend was born?’
Having witnessed all the footage, they were left speechless.
“Watching that footage, I thought to myself: there’s no way I could ever do something like that, no matter who asked me to.”
“….”
“….”
The audit team fell silent.
They all agreed.
John could not comprehend it.
‘Why does he push himself to such extremes in a game?’
The synergy born from a genius blacksmith and his unwavering obsession.
“Break, if you must.”
The audit team looked toward Tae-seok.
“That’s something User Hyeon-su often says. Even if broken, he rises. Even if that ordeal repeats, he never retreats—that is User Hyeon-su.”
Tae-seok let out a soft chuckle.
“The global headquarters claims his account should be suspended. Someone leaked information. It’s absurd.”
He met the audit team’s gaze directly.
“He sleeps less than others and strives harder than others. Balance collapse? Perhaps. But he created it himself. Shouldn’t we call it something different rather than a balance collapse?”
Tae-seok spoke of Hyeon-su as he truly perceived him.
“That user is genuinely amazing.”
*
*
*
John dismissed Tae-seok.
Not long after, Lee Se-jin arrived.
As John prepared to leave, Lee Se-jin asked him a question.
“What was your assessment?”
John, the branch director, disliked Lee Se-jin.
A genius developer from the small nation of Korea who had created Ares.
But John spoke nonetheless.
“The finest user I’ve ever witnessed.”
The United States was the nation holding the world’s number one ranking.
Lee Se-jin smiled subtly.
John had also observed something else.
“…You’re aware of it as well, aren’t you, Director?”
Lee Se-jin’s expression turned puzzled.
“…That user is growing.”
He wasn’t referring to systemic growth.
“Through encounters with the Sword King’s Swordsmanship, Ghost Step, and countless other formidable masters, his skill steadily improves. What was originally at 40% has now reached 70%.”
John couldn’t have imagined it.
The level of rankers could be considered around 80%.
“I’m curious to see how far he’ll climb given time. Furthermore.”
John recalled an intriguing idea.
“We’re currently discussing server integration, and on the day of integration, we’ve decided to broadcast our main advertisement worldwide.”
This advertisement would be the largest ever seen.
“I believe it would be magnificent if Hyeon-su were featured as the main face of that advertisement.”
“…!?”
The main face of the advertisement was chosen by majority vote among the branch directors.
Apart from Se-jin, the person wielding the greatest influence was John, the American branch director.
“However, it would need to be a user who has first reached legendary status.”
In other words, if Hyeon-su became a legend, John would lend his support.
“You seem quite impressed, Director John?”
At Lee Se-jin’s smile, John let out a hearty laugh.
In truth, it was the most stirring footage he’d seen all year.
And now both John and Lee Se-jin recalled the same image.
The Master Craftsman’s figure that would be broadcast on the world’s main advertisement.
*
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*
The entrance to the Beres Mountain Range.
Hyeon-su had just arrived there.
As he stepped into the depths of the Beres Mountain Range, a notification reached him.
[You have entered the Beres Mountain Range.]
[Class Quest: Sage Artega in progress.]
[If you fail to meet Sage Artega within three days, the Quest will fail.]
‘A failed Quest?’
Hyeon-su’s face darkened.
‘Sage Artega had sound reasons for constructing his tower in the Beres Mountain Range.’
First, the path ascending the Beres Mountain Range was notoriously treacherous.
Moreover, the Beres Mountain Range was a well-known high-level Hunting Ground.
‘I’ll scale this mountain alone within three days.’
The greatest obstacle was knowing the Sage’s Tower existed somewhere in the range, yet having no idea of its precise location.
This was because the Sage’s Tower’s position shifted every two weeks.
After all, this was Sage Artega.
He granted an audience to no one easily.
“Ugh….”
Hyeon-su shuddered at the biting cold and donned the Fenrir Set.
The Fenrir helmet in particular, fashioned as a wolf’s head wreathed in fur, provided exceptional insulation.
‘Charging in blindly could prove catastrophic.’
Hyeon-su gazed at the snow-blanketed mountain with apprehension.
And a man watched him intently.
His name was Dun.
He possessed a Hidden Class: Mountain Guide.
The Mountain Guide class was, by definition, specialized in ascending and pioneering mountains.
Most of his skills were honed specifically for mountain traversal.
Moreover, as a Mountain Guide, Dun understood mountains better than anyone, allowing him to guide others to their desired destinations.
Yet Dun was someone who exploited this advantage for an entirely different purpose.
‘Fenrir…?’
One of the legendary monsters of the continent.
The man wore a helmet evoking that very Fenrir.
The necklace around his neck and the coat he wore were clearly expensive items at first glance.
‘Jackpot…!’
Dun realized his fortune had arrived.
‘If I lure him to the Blessed Snowy Field and kill him, how much will he drop?’
The Blessed Snowy Field.
A special zone within the Beres Mountain Range.
Upon entering the Blessed Snowy Field, all Users receive triple drop rates and triple experience gain.
Hearing only this, the Blessed Snowy Field seemed like an extraordinary place.
But it wasn’t.
Why else would Dun attempt to lure him there?
Upon entering the Blessed Snowy Field, even forced logout increases drop rates threefold, while experience loss triples as well.
In other words, the Blessed Snowy Field was a double-edged sword.
[Dun: A fine hunting prospect has been spotted.]
And waiting in the Blessed Snowy Field were Dun’s hunting hounds.
Having decided on his target, Dun took a step forward.
“Greetings.”
“…?”
Hyeon-su’s expression turned puzzled.
First, Dun channeled a special power to win his favor.
As Dun opened his palm before him, a warm aura settled over Hyeon-su.
[Mountain Keeper’s Blessing]
[Attack power against ice-attribute monsters increases by 5%, defense increases by 5%.]
[The cold recedes somewhat, and you feel warmth.]
Hyeon-su felt the warmth settling into his body.
“Oh…?”
“I am Dun, the Mountain Keeper of the Beres Mountain Range.”
“A Mountain Keeper?”
Dun explained his profession.
“For a certain fee, I guide travelers to wherever they wish to go.”
This was quite an appealing proposition to Hyeon-su.
“Moreover, since I know this mountain like the back of my hand, I can ensure you don’t lose your way. Even though Ares is just a game, freezing to death after getting lost in a snow-covered mountain is far more agonizing than you’d imagine. And if you venture deeper, even Return Scrolls become unusable.”
Hyeon-su certainly felt the necessity of a Mountain Keeper.
Just then, a whisper came to him from Nel.
[Nel: Hyeon-su, I’ve gathered information about the Beres Mountain Range. First, the Beres Mountain Range is….]
Nel, his reliable ally, relayed the crucial details.
[Nel: Especially the Blessed Snowy Field is….]
‘Hmm?’
Hyeon-su’s expression grew curious.
It was a peculiar place.
Dun spoke.
“Might you have come seeking the Tower of Sage Artega? I currently know where Artega’s Tower is located.”
And this was true.
After all, to catch fish, one needs to bait the hook with some truth.
So he spoke in half-lies, half-truths.
“There is a shortcut. By passing through a place called the Blessed Snowy Field via that route, you can arrive in no time.”
Hyeon-su didn’t overlook the mention of the Blessed Snowy Field.
And one detail from Nel’s whisper.
[Nel: There’s also news that recently, hunting dogs composed of high-rankers have been active, luring people to the Blessed Snowy Field.]
He explained to Nel.
[Hyeon-su: …It might not be the case, though.]
[Nel: What will you do?]
Hyeon-su gazed at the snow-covered mountain.
[Hyeon-su: Either way, traveling together would be more convenient for me. And there’s a good method….]
[Nel: Oh… that’s a brilliant idea. So this is the legendary double-cross I’ve only heard about.]
And Hyeon-su proved to be a master of deception.
At the Frost Mine.
And again in Balas Territory, he had gained much.
“Well, since I’m just a Blacksmith, I was thinking of heading back.”
“Oh my, is that so? But don’t worry—though the compensation may increase slightly, as a Mountain Guardian I’m quite formidable on the mountain itself, so I can certainly escort even a Blacksmith up the peak.”
A certainty crystallized within me.
For the Mountain Guardian, escorting a Blacksmith would be no trivial task.
The reason he was pushing forward.
“No, I’d rather not. It’s far too frightening.”
“Ahahaha, well, you are a Blacksmith after all—the monsters might indeed be rather terrifying for you. I’ll tank everything up front. I’ll protect you without fail. Just trust me.”
Dun’s expression turned childlike and innocent.
Hyeon-su, unable to resist, feigned reluctance and agreed.
“Shall we give it a try together?”
Dun nodded benevolently.
‘Fool. You’ll meet a miserable end the moment we reach the Blessed Snowy Field. Kehehehe…!’
Dun laughed.
And as Dun led the way, his various Artifacts caught Hyeon-su’s eye.
‘Tehehehehe….’
My lips twisted into a grin.
‘Ohohohoho…!’
There was always a bigger fish.

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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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