Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 164

—————
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
Artea’s Wish (5)
A landslide is a double-edged sword.
While it had the advantage of sweeping away monsters in one fell swoop, that massive avalanche could just as easily consume us as well.
Even now, the landslide descending at tremendous speed drew ever closer.
Rumble rumble rumble rumble rumble
Hyeon-su clutched Artea and unfurled Calamity’s Leap, launching skyward.
Screeeeeee!
The flying monsters that had been hurled high into the sky by the landslide’s eruption twisted their bodies toward Hyeon-su and Artea.
[Snowfield Griffin Lv.343]
Hundreds of griffins in a flock.
If I descended to the ground, I would be swept away by the tidal wave, and I couldn’t fight while holding Artea in Calamity’s Leap state.
[A critical moment.]
Hyeon-su was someone who established thorough plans and advanced one step at a time.
Suddenly, I recalled a conversation with my father.
‘Father, where are we going today?’
‘Today, to Yeosu.’
Just as I had crafted the Bell of New Year’s Eve, a national treasure of Our Country, the Bosingak Bell.
Just as I had restored the Royal Sword, the Seven-Branched Sword, and the Dragon Light Sword.
There were things that only master Blacksmiths could create.
Yeosu, Jeollanam Province.
Tongyeong, Gyeongnam Province.
Sacheon, Gyeongnam Province.
Hadong Geumnam District.
And countless other places throughout the nation.
As the world grew increasingly modernized, people cherished the old ways.
“Artea, you said your skill level could be raised, didn’t you?”
Most of Artea’s power was concentrated in buffs.
“Give me that power.”
Artea wondered if I had some clever stratagem.
[Artea’s Blessing]
[You may designate Skill Level 2 and raise it.]
I applied that power to Divine Emergency Crafting.
In truth, this was my first time using Emergency Crafting on something that wasn’t an Artifact.
However, whether it’s an Artifact or this, the principle is the same.
Divine Emergency Crafting uses temporarily granted Materials when Materials are unavailable.
Temporary Materials are usually the most unremarkable ones.
But this mountain contained far too many things that could serve as its primary Materials.
[Divine Emergency Crafting begins.]
As I activated the skill, I closed my eyes for a moment.
A blueprint unfolds within his mind.
Filled with complex and difficult materials.
Yet for those who wish to witness this most perfect creation, the Blacksmith Hyeon-su has understood and memorized the blueprint of this countless hundreds, thousands of times over.
A flash—
At last it begins.
The primary materials that will comprise this.
Trees from the Beres Mountain Range, their roots deep within the earth, are uprooted wholesale.
They are rapidly carved into hundreds of materials, each of a different shape.
The Sage’s Tower that once confined the Sage.
Those remnants of the Sage’s Tower distort and surge upward into mid-air.
The surging materials glow red, melting like lava.
And within the knowledge of the genius Blacksmith, they become the materials for joints.
Hundreds of metal fittings suspended in mid-air for joining—screws, nails, and the like.
At last, hundreds of wooden materials move to their respective positions.
The metal fittings such as screws and nails do likewise.
As they merge into one, an endless sound reverberates.
Rat-a-tat-a-tat-a-tat-tat—
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-BOOM—!
The subtlety of Divine Emergency Crafting is that when you input the number of strikes, they are hammered accordingly.
Hyeon-su input them without a moment’s hesitation.
And gradually, its form takes shape to completion.
Artea’s eyes wavered.
“How… how could you create something like this in such an instant…?”
Total length: 20 meters.
A height that easily towers over giant-type monsters.
At the very front, the shape of a dragon’s head.
[This must be the most perfect crafting method.]
Effect application rate shines brightest when crafted with absolute perfection.
[Effect application rate is 98%.]
Artea gazed upon it and asked.
“What on earth is that?”
Its appearance was far too extraordinary.
Hyeon-su smiled softly.
[The Geumsin Warship of Our Time.]
“There were only twelve of them.”
[And yet twelve remained.]
“The twelve ships that defeated 330 enemy vessels and saved the nation.”
[The most perfect creation.]
“It is the Turtle Ship.”
[The seventh legend is written.]
[Rather than bend.]
[You have found a breakthrough in this moment of absolute crisis.]
[The completed ship’s effectiveness increases by an additional 8%.]
Artea gasped in admiration. The vast aura emanating from the ship transcended all conventional understanding.
Kieeeeeee-
And the flock of griffons drew near.
The turtle ship suspended in mid-air.
The completed vessel descends into the torrential avalanche of the mountain.
Hyeon-su, aboard the turtle ship with Artea, spoke.
“Hold on tight.”
At last, the massive warship touches down upon the snow.
Kugrgrgrgrg-
The seventh legendary subtlety reveals itself.
[A defense rating three times that of an ordinary ship is applied.]
[No physical impact whatsoever will easily destroy this ship.]
It was wondrous beyond measure.
Three times the defensive power of an ordinary ship.
In reality, such a thing would have been impossible. Yet when one creates something perfectly flawless, Ares bestows its reward.
Moreover, it is the power of Hyeon-su’s Custom Crafting that inscribes the very nature of that reward.
‘Why did he tell me to hold on tight?’
Artea’s expression grew puzzled.
Contrary to his words, the ship itself was so flawless that it did not waver at all.
Here, the second subtlety reveals itself.
[Turtle Ship Acceleration]
[The turtle ship advances at twice its speed.]
Whoooooosh-!
The sails unfurl.
The fierce wind blew southward—directly downward.
Pang-pang-pang-!
Kieeeeeee-
The griffons attempted to strike at the two.
But as the sails drew taut and the accelerated turtle ship burst forward, they were left behind.
Kugrgrgrgrgrg-!
Artea felt the ship shudder violently as it plunged downward.
The surrounding landscape blurred past in a rush.
Then her eyes widened in shock.
The dozens of trees and rock piles sprawled before her had already endured the landslide and stood firm.
“Ugh, ahhhhh!”
Artea quickly raised her arms to shield her face, bracing for the ship’s destruction.
But Hyeon-su had seen everything the mountain held.
The reason I incorporated Custom Crafting to elevate the ship’s defense to an extreme degree reveals itself here.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-!
Shattering trees and boulders alike, the Turtle Ship surged forward.
Meanwhile, the flying-type monsters soaring through the sky couldn’t even begin to match the Turtle Ship’s velocity.
Moreover, the force of a landslide cascading down from the mountain naturally weakens the further down it travels.
Accounting for all of this, I caused the Turtle Ship to vibrate powerfully.
Rumble-rumble-rumble-rumble-
[Turtle Ship Second Acceleration]
[The Turtle Ship advances at triple speed.]
Boom-boom-boom-boom-!
Generating thrust of its own, the Turtle Ship descends faster without slowing its pace.
Artea was in awe.
The Beres Mountain Range, where she had been trapped for three hundred years.
Yet this single ship was guiding her to a new world in the blink of an eye.
The upgraded Divine Emergency Crafting lasted fifty seconds.
In merely twenty seconds, we had descended nearly halfway through the Beres Mountain Range.
Simply witnessing the landscape blur past—just stepping away from the tower’s vicinity filled Artea with happiness.
At last, she reached a decision.
Hyeon-su stood at the very front, vigilant of his surroundings.
Artea’s hand touched the small of his back.
[Skill creation for you begins.]
*
*
*
Hyeon-su turned with a puzzled expression, about to look back.
“Don’t look back. It’s rather embarrassing.”
Artea’s voice was gentle—distinctly different from when they first met.
“Normally, I would only grant this to you after we’ve completely escaped.”
The two of them hadn’t yet escaped this place.
“Truth be told, I’m also called the eccentric Artea.”
The reason she was called the eccentric Artea.
“Do you know? I said I would create a skill for you, but I never said what grade of skill I would create.”
“….”
Hyeon-su let out a bitter laugh.
Artea might have simply intended to toss him a single Rare-grade skill and call it done.
“Skill creation is a trait I possess, but I cannot produce them indiscriminately.”
If she could create them so carelessly, Artea would have been called a god.
Skill creation is a power that magnificent and extraordinary.
“I can create one hundred Rares in my lifetime, thirty Epics, and five Uniques. And.”
Warmth emanated from the tips of Artea’s fingers.
“Once every decade, I can forge a Legendary skill exactly twice.”
The words reached Hyeon-su’s ears.
[The power of legend settles within your body.]
“…!?”
Hyeon-su was astonished. Artea was bestowing upon him the most precious legend at this very moment.
“This energy will read the information about you and grant you the most suitable power.”
Skill creation following logic similar to Custom Crafting.
“Remember this—the power you possess is still feeble.”
It referred to level.
“Just as the Sword King’s was, just as Spear Heaven’s was. This too may require repeated growth.”
Additional power settled in immediately.
[Three temporary skill creations for you are bestowed.]
“These are consumable skills that can only be activated once each. They dwell within your body, so use them when needed. They will manifest the power of Unique skills within appropriate parameters.”
In other words, Hyeon-su could use three consumable skills however he wished.
“Ah, the creation of a Legendary skill will take some time.”
Hyeon-su felt it.
Artea’s hand gently stroked his back slowly.
“When you first said you would climb the mountain, I doubted and denied it. When you broke through the blizzard, I was genuinely amazed. When you cured my hair loss, I was delighted. When you fired an arrow to return me to Graut, I was grateful.”
Hyeon-su smiled faintly. Though the time was brief, he and Artea had grown closer, and now Artea acknowledged him.
“You truly gave your all. May I ask the reason?”
Hyeon-su spoke something rough in his throat.
“…You wished to visit my mother’s grave.”
Of course, the greatest reason was the reward. But this too was truth.
Hyeon-su shared his story with Father.
“Even when Father is before my eyes, I cannot speak with him. And you had to part from your mother three hundred years ago without understanding why.”
And Artea must have worried about her all this time.
Such stories possessed the singular power of empathy.
Artea spoke in a gentle voice.
“I was grateful. With you here, I have no worries, even if one seat becomes vacant.”
Hyeon-su’s expression grew puzzled.
Artea spoke as though he would soon depart.
And the hand touching his back began to tremble.
“So that I may become legend, I withdraw from here.”
“…?”
Hyeon-su’s face contorted as he turned around.
A sword pierced through Artea’s back.
The one who lifted him aloft cast Artea aside as though discarding an insect.
“Cough…!”
There, a figure was taking shape from black currents.
[Demon Graut descends.]
[Graut, Blood Demon Lv.745]
[The true body descends.]
[Not a trace of demonic energy remains.]
[Graut, Blood Demon is weakened.]
[Graut, Blood Demon is weakened.]
[Graut, Blood Demon is weakened.]
Demons never descend to the surface in their true forms.
Without demonic energy, the surface world weakens them considerably.
They refuse to come down, prepared for unforeseen dangers.
But this time was different.
“He forced me to descend in my true body.”
Because of one man, Graut experienced a pain he had never felt in all his existence.
Rage and resentment drove him to overcome even that danger.
And the reason Hyeon-su had installed a speed-enhancement function on the Turtle Ship was to escape the mountain before he arrived.
But he was already waiting, having descended in advance.
Now, with Graut’s weakening lifted, his true power was finally revealed.
[Graut, Blood Demon Lv.501]
A level that defied all logic. Seeing it, Hyeon-su’s head snapped urgently toward Artea.
[Artea’s HP drops below 13%.]
“Cough!”
Artea’s face drained of color as blood spilled from her lips.
Hyeon-su kicked off the ground and charged at Graut.
Within Hyeon-su stirred an immense power that Artea had left behind.
[Skill exploration complete.]
[Creation requires time.]
[Beginning creation of Skill Karma.]
I didn’t know then.
That a single skill would shift the tide of this entire battle.
And then it echoes.
[The final story begins.]
The end of this episode.

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