Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 176

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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
Twin Dragon Sword (1)
The members of Guild Gwangmyeong were always astonished whenever they saw Hyeon-su.
When Nel first met him, he was only in his fifties in level.
When Bark encountered him, he was barely around level sixty, and it was similar when Risel met him.
Those gathered here had once surpassed Hyeon-su in strength and power.
But not anymore.
Moreover, beneath the name of Lord, it felt as though they were leaning on his growth to move forward.
At this time, the Guild Quest given by Sword King Barad—Strengthening National Power—had greatly contributed to easing that burden.
[You have achieved a total contribution of 265%.]
[The national power of Goyad Kingdom increases by 2.6%.]
[You acquire 130 Charisma.]
[You acquire 100 Renown.]
Guild Quests combine the contributions raised by all guild members.
[You have completed the Guild Quest with remarkable achievement.]
Those who had proven their contribution through the Sword of Judgment exchanged words.
“With that contribution, we could acquire 130 soldiers. Since our current garrison is only 200 strong, this is a tangible result.”
“Hyeon-su would be pleased with this.”
Nel wore a bitter smile.
“But it’s still insufficient. I heard the Hwarang Guild’s total forces exceeded a thousand.”
“Ah…?”
Nel was the type who enjoyed casting ash on a nearly completed meal.
But there were things that had to be addressed clearly.
“We don’t know what might unfold soon.”
Nel was mobilizing every method to strengthen their forces.
“We’ve slain the Fifth and Fourth Calamities, and even defeated a demon.”
The Calamities worship demons.
“So it is said.”
Bella, Volson, and Philip stepped forward, and with Nel as their representative, the members of Gwangmyeong entered.
Sword King Barad, observing them, immediately got to the point.
“In recognition of your contributions, I shall dispatch 300 soldiers to Baldrom Fortress in your support.”
“…!”
Nel was astonished. The soldiers they were originally supposed to receive were only around 130.
“I have seen great potential in the kingdom development projects you have presented. Though each of those projects may not immediately fill the royal treasury, I have determined that subsequently, the national power will be increased by 5% or more, not merely 2.6%.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Sword King Barad, who held them in his gaze, spoke.
“My worries have been eased.”
Nel observed the king wearing a faint smile.
Though he possessed formidable strength and bore the title of Sword King, his hair had begun to show streaks of silver.
“The talented individuals who labored at Baldrom Fortress, not far from the Capital, will return tomorrow after enjoying their respite. You too should partake in the celebration.”
“…Thank you.”
Nel felt Barad’s consideration.
It was his way of telling her to deepen her connections with the other nobles there.
Indeed, nobles from all corners of the kingdom had gathered for this event to strengthen national power.
Nel and the members of Guild Gwangmyeong moved forward.
Nel shared this pleasant news with Hyeon-su.
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: That’s reassuring. Will you return after the banquet?]
[Nel: Yes, you miss us, don’t you?]
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: Just a little bit^^?]
[Nel: Hehe, I’ll get back as quickly as I can. But how’s the crafting going for becoming a legend?]
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: …It’s not easy.]
Nel tilted her head in confusion.
Such words rarely came from Hyeon-su’s mouth.
‘I need to hurry back after the banquet ends.’
[Nel: I believe in you!!! The greatest Blacksmith, Master Craftsman Hyeon!]
Nel ended the guild chat and headed toward the banquet hall.
*
*
*
Hyeon-su gazed at Nel’s guild message and offered a bitter smile.
He looked at the Twin Dragon Sword, roughly eighty percent complete.
Just as he picked up his hammer to forge again, Hyeon-su found himself stopping without realizing it.
“Huff, huff.”
Hyeon-su breathed heavily.
“It’s too heavy.”
What Hyeon-su meant by saying it wasn’t easy.
An overwhelming pressure had descended upon him.
Only this much Mythril existed in this entire world.
‘If I fail this, when will I ever become a legend?’
He would need to reach at least level 450.
One could tell just by looking at the levels of the current legends.
Not a single one of the 10 Legends was below level 450.
“I need to create the first grade ever made. Will this Twin Dragon Sword make that possible?”
Normally, Hyeon-su overflowed with confidence, but this was different.
Creating a first grade that had never appeared in this world before.
That weight pressed down on his shoulders, keeping him in endless tension and making him constantly review his work.
Doubt gnawed at him from that anxiety.
“Have I crafted this sword well enough to achieve the first grade?”
Hyeon-su was approaching this more carefully than usual.
But this excessive caution was suffocating him instead.
I paused the Crafting that hadn’t stopped for days.
In the Blacksmith Shop in Gyeongju, there was a Twin Dragon Sword charred completely black.
The one that Father and Hyeon-su had crafted together.
‘I need to see that.’
Hyeon-su Logged out.
Meanwhile.
“?”
“…?”
“?”
“…?”
Lee Se-jin, the representative of Pureum Corporation, and the Special User Management Team’s attention was fixed on the Artifact that Hyeon-su was creating.
Moreover, the new grade Artifact was originally scheduled to open only after a year.
The reason they wore puzzled expressions was due to the notifications appearing before them, which contradicted Hyeon-su’s words.
[Mythril Stone is reacting most intensely.]
“How can he say such things while crafting something so magnificent?”
At Ji-hee’s words, Se-jin nodded in understanding.
“It’s like a chain of connections. For a mere Outsider to become a king, he must gain recognition, and to achieve that, becoming a legend is absolutely necessary. At such a time, the Ore that opened that path yields only enough to craft two Artifacts. Not just me—anyone in this room would have suffered immense pressure.”
“…Even under such pressure, he crafted it most perfectly. That’s incredible.”
Tae-seok marveled.
“What Hyeon-su the User needs right now is simply the conviction that he is crafting well.”
And Se-jin had something to anticipate.
‘We were planning to release a new grade Artifact within a year.’
But what if Hyeon-su creates such a Sword within that year?
‘What kind of impact could it have?’
Suddenly, the content of an article he’d seen recently flashed through his mind.
[World Ares states that a new individual must emerge…]
[The public is known to no longer rely on the single most influential User…]
Se-jin felt his heart racing.
Hyeon had become the first Korean to reach World Ares.
‘But if he reaches the top position….’
It would be a historic event in the Ares world that could shake South Korea and even the entire globe.
‘Can he do it? With only enough Mythril Stone to craft two Artifacts?’
Se-jin gazed at the monitor with anticipation.
*
*
*
Hyeon-su, who had come to the Blacksmith Shop in Gyeongju, retrieved the large Blade from the Storage.
This Twin Dragon Sword, which Father and I had crafted together on the day of the fire, had been charred.
Part of the grip had melted, and the once-solid Blade had been crushed and dented beneath a fallen pillar.
Hyeon-su ran his hand across the Blade’s surface.
‘Father and I made it together, but I did all the actual crafting.’
Father assisted me and taught me about the method used to create this Sword.
As Hyeon-su wiped the blade and removed the black tarnish clinging to it, he was startled.
‘…What?’
Exceptional Blacksmiths possess a discernment that ordinary people cannot see.
The resonance of a Sword.
Its feel, texture, weight.
And the perfection that results from these.
This was what had bewildered Hyeon-su.
“The one I made in the game is superior?”
Seven years had passed in total.
And Hyeon-su could now understand the clear reason why.
He had crafted an enormous number of Swords within the game.
Originally, Father had been a Sword craftsman, and Hyeon-su had been a Bow craftsman.
But through repetitive Crafting in the game, he had surpassed his former self.
Memory, at times, becomes exaggerated.
Hyeon-su had remembered the Twin Dragon Sword he’d made back then as the most perfect Twin Dragon Sword he’d ever created.
Of course, if it had been released to the world, it would have been praised as an excellent creation.
‘Excellent—at this level, you could match the original creator.’
Father’s words echoed in his mind.
Which meant.
‘I’ve become capable of surpassing the original creator’s work?’
Hyeon-su’s heart surged with fervor.
Proof that his understanding of Swords had improved beyond what it once was.
The Twin Dragon Sword in Ares—the one he’d stopped crafting due to doubt, anxiety, and caution.
‘That Sword is far superior to this one.’
Confidence bloomed within him.
Hyeon-su hurried back.
He wanted to complete it quickly.
A Sword superior to the Twin Dragon Sword he’d made seven years ago.
Inside the bus.
As Hyeon-su returned to Seoul, he felt his Mobile Phone vibrate.
Bzzzzzzt
“…!?”
Hyeon-su’s face contorted.
-Breaking news: The First Calamity and Second Calamity have descended upon Baldrom Fortress, located in the Goyad Kingdom Capital.
Hyeon-su’s eyes wavered.
‘The First Calamity and Second Calamity have descended upon the Capital together?’
Nel and I had remained endlessly vigilant.
The demons—and as the price for slaying the Fifth Calamity and Fourth Calamity, they might target us.
I hurried into Zeltube.
I clicked on the broadcast titled “Goyad Kingdom in Crisis!” on the main screen.
Experts were explaining the current situation.
[It’s a complete lockdown. The First Calamity and Second Calamity have seized control of Baldrom Fortress and established a barrier, preventing outside forces from entering.]
[What kind of place is Baldrom Fortress?]
[Baldrom Fortress is a fortress within the Royal Capital that the Goyad Kingdom used during wartime a hundred years ago. It has since lost its military function as a new fortress was constructed elsewhere. The interior has been renovated to serve as a massive banquet hall, and…]
[Breaking news. A national emergency order has been issued for the Goyad Kingdom, and the Kingdom Message has been broadcast.]
A Kingdom Message.
A lesser version of the World Message that resonates throughout Users within the Kingdom.
[Approximately 600 Goyad Kingdom nobles were holding a banquet in Baldrom Fortress…]
[Approximately 30 have been confirmed dead…]
[This is a crisis for the Goyad Kingdom and Sword King Barad.]
[Why is this a crisis for Sword King Barad and the Kingdom?]
[The Goyad Kingdom had gathered nobles from across the nation for this banquet. Hundreds of the Kingdom’s finest talents were assembled there. In the worst-case scenario, they could all be annihilated.]
[Fortunately, it appears they are still engaged in fierce combat.]
[It has been confirmed that Knight Order Commander Bella is currently inside the fortress. Bella is responding to the enemy…]
Hyeon-su knew the truth.
‘They won’t last long.’
The moment I arrived home, I logged into the Capsule.
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: Are you all okay?]
[Nel: On the verge of death^^;;]
[Bark: Hyeon-su, I’m dying^^]
Risel: Guild Master, we need backup. The First Calamity and Second Calamity are both over level 400.
[Hye-ji: Dammit! If I were just 70 levels higher, I’d crush them all!]
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: How long can you hold out?]
[Nel: About 2 hours, can you make it in time?]
I stared at the Sword that was roughly 80% complete.
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: No.]
[Nel: What…]
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: Instead, I’ll send someone sharper than me first.]
[Nel: What do you mean by…]
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: Nel, for now…]
I relayed instructions to Nel.
[Nel: Understood. But are you confident about crafting that Sword?]
I let out a bitter laugh.
[Guild Master Hyeon-su: I’m confident.]
[Nel has entered a no-chat zone due to the Calamities.]
The chat was cut off by the Calamities.
I returned to crafting.
The Twin Dragon Sword that surpassed even its original creator.
Time flows swiftly as the creation nears completion.
And at last, the Legendary Stone and the system respond, breaking their silence.
[The legend that protects the nation resonates most intensely.]
[The system responds to the Sword Crafting.]
[The system has been storing your entire crafting process as data.]
[It now displays the most exceptional Sword Crafting method among all those processes.]
[An effect application rate of 100% is applied.]
[The power of the Legendary Stone draws forth an even more maximized force.]
[This will be the most perfect crafting method.]
[The system searches for information regarding the Twin Dragon Sword.]
Engraving the patterns, I draw ever closer to completion.
[The Twin Dragon Sword consists of two blades in total.]
[Only when these two blades meet will the Sword shine with its greatest brilliance.]
“….”
Regrettable, yet true.
This Legendary Stone responds to narratives and desires the most perfect story.
But my skill alone allows even a single blade to wield tremendous power.
Now I understand.
Legend—the name that comes next.
[The first Transcendence is inscribed.]
A Transcendent Artifact.
A unique and incomparable Artifact—the only one of its kind in this world.

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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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