Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 185
—————
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
Calamity and Preparation
Sponsorship donations alone totaled 800 million won.
It was undoubtedly an exceptional sum.
‘Ugh… the commission fees…’
The sponsorship money ultimately had to be split with the platform.
Since all the guild members had broadcast together, this portion would also be divided.
A text message arrived from Hye-in.
[Kim Hye-in: I’ll negotiate with AJ Internet Broadcasting Station to receive broadcast fees based on viewership numbers. The broadcast fees should be substantial as well. Of that amount, 20% will go to territorial development funds, 30% to guild members. The remaining 50%—roughly 400 million won—should go to you, Hyeon-su.]
[Kang Hyeon-su: Isn’t my share too much?]
[Kim Hye-in: Well, you and Ian basically secured everything^^;;]
And in the guild chat.
[Ian: I got a decent cut too ^^]
[Lee Jin-seong: I’m fine with money ^^]
[Kang Hyeok-su: I’m rich too!]
Hyeon-su felt the consideration of some guild members.
And since it was true that he had hunted nearly everything, he decided to accept it gratefully.
‘How much have I accumulated?’
Now Hyeon-su was at a level where he didn’t need to worry about hospital bills.
Burn treatment costs and Father’s hospital bills.
Beyond that, wrist rehabilitation therapy costs had been paid off without difficulty.
Through this, Hyeon-su was saving money bit by bit.
Hyeon-su checked his personal bank account.
[2,500,004,010 won.]
Including the amount that would be deposited soon, it came to a staggering 2.9 billion won.
The largest contributor to his savings was Jumong’s Horn Bow, which he had sold to Ian.
A phone call came from Hye-in.
-You’ve saved quite a lot, haven’t you?
Hye-in seemed to see right through Hyeon-su’s mind.
-Rather than just keeping it in your bank account, it would be better to buy a car or something. Don’t forget—you’re the first user to be designated as a royal successor. You deserve to enjoy it.
Hyeon-su’s past year had brought many changes.
What had once been mountains of hospital bills was now money piling up in his account.
Hye-in’s words meant he was justified in spending it.
But Hye-in didn’t know how much Hyeon-su had changed.
“Actually, I’ve already set a new goal.”
-Oh, really? What is it? A car? Or an apartment?
Hyeon-su now harbored a grand dream.
“As you said, I’m the first user to be designated as a royal successor. I thought I’d try becoming a king in reality too.”
-A king in reality? Becoming a king in reality through money… that’s quite a meaningful statement. How exactly do you plan to become a king in reality?
A person with money is a king.
Hye-in had already sensed that this wasn’t what he meant.
After hearing everything Hyeon-su said, Hye-in marveled.
“Perhaps you really are the king of Reality.”
*
*
*
A shabby real estate office located in Mapo-gu.
“Phew, whoever sells that thing must be incredibly lucky.”
Real estate agent Kim Pil-du sighed.
He poured water into his cup noodles and waited.
Not long ago, a building worth twenty billion won had been listed for sale in the Mapo-gu area where his real estate office was located.
The real estate agents had gone wild.
If they sold it, they could earn commissions in the tens of millions.
But for Pil-du, who was known for his scrupulous honesty and for turning away even potential customers by thoroughly explaining defects, it was nothing but a pipe dream.
‘Still, I have to sell it honestly.’
That was his creed.
Then.
Ding—
A customer walked in.
A tall, broad-shouldered young man wearing a hat.
“Welcome! Are you here to see an officetel?”
Just having a customer walk into this shabby place in the area was a blessing!
But the young man said something unexpected.
“Could I see the building out front?”
“That big building?”
“Yes.”
It was that exact listing.
His eyes widened in surprise, then he let out a bitter smile.
‘Haha, an ambitious young man, are we?’
Very occasionally, there were customers who came with aspirations like, ‘I’m going to earn a lot of money later and buy it.’
“Ah, yes. Let me show you.”
“Would you like to eat first?”
“No, I’m fine.”
Pil-du shook his head as he watched his cup noodles grow cold.
Still, wasn’t this a customer of sorts?
He took the customer to the building and did his best to explain everything thoroughly.
He explained the defects and spoke enthusiastically about the merits, spittle flying.
“You really know a lot about this place, don’t you?”
“You remind me of my own son!”
“Other real estate offices wouldn’t show us this, but you’re really kind in explaining everything.”
Kim Pil-du caught on to the reason.
A young man had suddenly come to view a two-billion-won building, so they’d likely rushed him out.
Kim Pil-du thought of those real estate agents who only catered to the lady and boss of the house, and clicked his tongue inwardly.
The two returned to the real estate office.
Kim Pil-du sat back down in front of his cup noodles, now blown cold.
Kim Pil-du had meant to say something.
‘Still, it’s so admirable that friends like you set such goals and push forward!? If you work hard, you could become a king among kings later—a building owner!’
But then….
“I’ll purchase this building.”
‘Huh?’
The building owner had arrived.
“I’ve deposited the 10% down payment.”
‘Whoa?’
The man wrote the name Kang Hyeon-su in the signature field.
‘Gasp!?’
After all the contracts were finalized, the man spoke.
“Thank you for the excellent guidance. I’ll transfer the broker’s fee right away. Much appreciated.”
And the broker’s fee was deposited.
‘Whoa!?’
Kim Pil-du, who had set aside his blown-cold cup noodles, was astonished.
‘What on earth is this young man doing for a living…?’
*
*
*
After completing the building purchase, Hyeon-su exited the real estate office.
-Congratulations, Hyeon-su. That building will continue to appreciate in value. Just match the amount as much as possible by the final payment date, and take out a loan for the rest—then it’s yours. Haha!
Before purchasing the building, Hyeon-su had discussed many things with Hyeok-su.
Stepping out of the real estate office, he looked up at the building.
I’d set the contract period very generously.
“I’ll keep the loan to a minimum and pay as much as possible with my own money.”
Hyeok-su’s voice carried a note of surprise.
-That’s right, you’ve gained confidence. That building would work perfectly as a facility for Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop as it continues to grow.
Large guilds often purchased buildings.
Hyeon-su intended to use this building for Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop in the future.
After ending the call, Hyeon-su looked up at the building.
Becoming a king in Reality.
That meant becoming a building owner.
I’d set the final payment date ten months away.
During that time, I’d save up steadily and pay it all at once.
My fist clenched tightly.
‘Another achievement under my belt….’
The sentiment felt fresh and new.
I was pleased with how my confidence had transformed once again.
After all, I’d promised to pay for it with my own money, not a loan.
But complacency was premature.
Hyeon-su had always been the type to reflect on his shortcomings and fill them in.
‘If only I’d been stronger back then….’
Of course, the Helenya raid had succeeded.
But that was only possible because my guild members were there to support me.
There was one thing I could do now to compensate for that weakness.
‘Create a calamity for myself alone.’
Hyeon-su, who was heading home to log into Ares, suddenly stopped.
People around him had suddenly erupted into commotion.
“Wait, really?”
“That’s insane….”
“What… a massive event!?”
Hyeon-su’s expression turned puzzled.
At the mention of a massive event, Ares came to mind.
Soon, a call came from Hye-in.
“What’s going on? Everyone seems shocked. They’re saying some massive event is about to start.”
-It’s exactly as they say. An event called the Continental War—the greatest event since Ares opened—is supposedly about to begin.
“The Continental War?”
Hyeon-su’s expression turned puzzled.
-World Ares posted an article about it. And the rewards are special. They might be particularly significant for you, Hyeon-su.
Hyeon-su’s expression turned puzzled.
‘Particularly significant for me?’
After ending the call, Hyeon-su accessed World Ares on his smartphone.
And he checked the rewards for this Continental War.
‘Insane…!’
Upon seeing them, Hyeon-su was astonished.
Just as Hye-in had said, they resonated deeply with him.
*
*
*
One hour earlier.
Lee Se-jin conducted a video conference with branch directors from countries around the world.
The Continental War, a massive event that Pureum Corporation had been preparing for a long time, could be described as a territorial dispute between two small nations.
Before announcing it to World Ares and making it official through an article, they discussed the rewards.
These rewards were for the users.
Naturally, users who participated in the event would receive compensation.
And naturally, the reward given to the most outstanding performer had to be exceptional.
“There are no objections to the MVP selection reward, correct?”
A video conference with branch directors from each world.
The first continental war.
The MVP reward given to the most outstanding User in Korea versus China.
His selection had been determined by consolidating the opinions of all branch directors.
-None.
-We judge it most appropriate.
-It seems most fitting to grant the MVP User a cash prize of one billion won and the right to choose one of three options.
Those three options were as follows.
The rewards they could select and receive, displayed in the upper left corner.
1. A top-tier Legendary Artifact of the desired type.
2. A top-tier Legendary Skill of the desired type.
3. Ore and crafting materials of a new grade.
All of them were extraordinary.
Moreover, the MVP would secure one billion won in prize money.
Isn’t that excessive for a single game’s reward?
Absolutely not.
This is a game enjoyed by over 1.2 billion people.
Consider the rewards given to players who win the World Cup. They secure value exceeding five billion won.
Furthermore, the final option of ore and crafting materials of a new grade was proposed by branch directors from multiple nations including China, the United States, and Russia.
-Formalities are always necessary.
-Non-combat classes comprise only 15% of Ares. If we don’t provide rewards for them, they’ll raise their voices about discrimination. So we need to prepare an attractive-looking candy wrapper. One filled with nitrogen inside.
Lee Se-jin agreed.
Soon he spoke.
“I’ll cast my vote.”
Everyone unanimously approved the rewards, and Lee Se-jin was among them.
“I’ll call World Ares. Official announcements will be released now.”
After ending the video conference, Lee Se-jin wore a bitter smile.
It was natural that non-combat classes had limited contributions in territorial warfare.
Like they said, packaging was necessary.
‘The question is whether the contents inside that wrapper are nitrogen or filled with candy. That depends on who opens it.’
They had suggested adding new ore as if bestowing a favor.
In that process, they hadn’t considered Hyeon at all.
He himself hadn’t thought much about Hyeon either, truthfully.
But one thing.
‘What if User Hyeon-su becomes the one who opens that candy wrapper?’
Inside it might not be nitrogen anymore, but rather very delicious and excellent candies filling it completely.
Lee Se-jin opened the door and stepped out.
Now the Korean headquarters also had to accelerate preparations for the continental war.
‘Fourteen days left until the Continental War?’
He wore a bitter smile.
‘By now, has the User Hyeon-su seen the reward details?’
The User Hyeon-su that Lee Se-jin knew was the one who understood best what this newly revealed reward truly meant.
*
*
*
Hyeon-su’s eyes trembled as he reviewed the article through World Ares.
[MVP. A title bestowed upon the single User who achieves the highest performance.]
[Rewards including a prize of one billion won are granted, and you may select one of three options.]
Hyeon-su read through the reward details.
But his eyes could not focus on anything else.
Only one reward captured his attention.
‘What…?’
It was truly an absurd reward.
But the reactions of others were different.
-What’s the last reward lmao
-What? A new tier ore or material? lol, is there even anyone who can handle that?
-Haha, it’s obvious without even looking. Probably level cap 500.
-Why give us fruit we can’t eat. You bastards at Pureum Corporation!
-Non-combat classes can’t get MVP anyway right?
-Yeah that’s probably true.
-Who the hell picks crafting materials as a reward. Just pull a top-tier legendary skill or gear.
-Top-tier legendary gear and skills are pretty insane though.
Yes, this reward was a treasure trove only for Hyeon-su.
And there was a truth that only he knew, which they remained ignorant of.
‘A new tier ore? Then that ore must be of the Transcendent tier, right?’
Ore that only Hyeon-su could work with.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————