Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 187

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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
Sword Master Lysen (2)
Sword Master Lysen.
Dignity emanated from him, a man who appeared to be approaching sixty.
Beneath Lysen’s house stood dozens of Sword Families in allegiance.
In Goyad Kingdom, the land of swords, his position was remarkably solid.
Some of the Swordsmanship techniques currently employed by the Royal Palace were said to have originated from his family, testament to the depth of his influence.
[Sword Master Lysen Lv.401]
That level was so high it nearly made me shrink back.
It truly demonstrated that his reputation was far from undeserved.
Had it been before the Spark of Skill was created, I would not have been able to welcome him with open arms.
Demonization.
That power, which I had created through the Hologram and forcibly named, was like this.
(Demonization)
Active Skill
Grade: Calamity
Level: 1
Penalty: None
Mana Cost: 1,000
Effect:
·Draw forth the demonic power inherent within your body to temporarily become as strong as a demon.
·All stats increase by 15~31% according to probability.
·All skill levels rise by 3.
·However, your HP will decrease while Demonization is active.
·Duration varies by probability, lasting 3~20 seconds.
·There is a chance the activation will fail.
Strengthened by 15~31%.
I had created this Demonization drawing inspiration from the Rampaging Blade.
‘A power that allows me to transcend myself, even if only briefly.’
If I assumed a 20% increase, I could instantly become over 60 levels stronger.
‘Perhaps I could become even stronger.’
My stat allocation was overwhelmingly higher than other Users of the same level.
But there existed a fatal weakness.
It could only be activated by burning HP.
‘And it might only last a mere 3 seconds.’
But the newly acquired Spark was superior to this.
(Spark)
Grade: Calamity
Level: 1
Penalty: None
Mana Cost: 1,500
Effects:
·The innate flame within your body will ignite, transforming into a colossal inferno.
·All stats will strengthen by 10~23% depending on probability.
·All skill levels will increase by 2~3.
·However, your HP will decline while the flame is active.
·If HP drops below 20%, there is a 5% chance that the true flame will activate, burning at its most intense while preventing further HP loss.
·The duration will vary depending on probability, lasting between 3~20 seconds.
·There is a chance the activation may fail.
The reason this flame surpasses demonization lies in the coexistence of both Active Skill and passive effects within a single skill.
Even though the stat increases are lower than during demonization.
Moreover, the passive flame that activates carries this inscription.
The true flame activates, burning at its most intense.
‘And the HP loss penalty is reduced as well.’
Thinking back, after hunting Helenya, I achieved remarkable growth.
I obtained two Calamity Artifacts and gained the set artifact effect.
‘I want to test the flame soon.’
The flame is a power that allows me to momentarily surpass my current self.
Because of this, it was difficult to verify that power against ordinary opponents.
Now that Sword Master Lysen has arrived, how could I not greet him with a smile?
“Welcome, Lord Lysen. I’ve heard much about you.”
‘This isn’t what I expected…?’
Lysen was taken aback.
Quickly composing himself, he concealed his true thoughts and spoke.
“Having heard of Count Hyeon-su, who will lead this nation in the future, how could I remain idle? I have accompanied many, but all of them have done so to familiarize themselves with the face of the one who will become king. I hope you understand.”
“I understand.”
Lysen also held the rank of Count.
However, his current influence within the kingdom overwhelmingly surpassed mine.
“I was also curious about the power of the hero who vanquished the First Calamity, Helenya, and saved the kingdom.”
Lysen had been beyond the barrier at that time.
He had witnessed everything.
‘The Twin Dragon Sword, was it called?’
That blade was extraordinary.
Because of it, Bella briefly became legendary, and an archer displayed transcendent momentum.
But that was all.
To Lysen, who exceeded level 400, Hyeon-su was someone he could easily crush.
“Are you suggesting a duel?”
“Yes, by dueling with the one who will inherit the Sword King’s position, I wish to discover my own shortcomings.”
“Very well.”
Hyeon-su and Lysen each took a step back.
‘What an exceptionally formidable opponent.’
And Hyeon-su was delighted by the fact that Lysen could wield flames.
Yet he did not forget Lysen’s true nature.
Even with flames, he was a Strong One that Hyeon-su could potentially fall to.
Still, there was a reason he had approved the sparring match.
‘There was no way to avoid it anyway.’
Soon Lysen stomped against the ground.
In that instant, Hyeon-su’s eyes widened.
‘So fast….’
Helenya’s strength lay in her primordial defensive power.
Lysen too possessed an absurd physique.
What Hyeon-su had not known was that in terms of pure skill alone, Lysen ranked second only to the Sword King.
Had Lysen been younger, it would have been he who sat in Bella’s position.
Clang—!
Lysen pressed forward against Hyeon-su, who wielded the Calamity Blade, and they engaged in a fierce exchange of attacks and defenses.
‘Slow, crude, and lacking!’
At this level of skill, he was inferior to the disciples of most Sword Families.
Perhaps it was only natural.
Even if Hyeon-su had learned from many, that period was far too brief.
Conversely, the Sword Master had ascended to his position through skill alone.
Screech—
‘How easy it is to knock him from his perch!’
His blade, seizing the opportunity, pierced Hyeon-su’s vital point—the solar plexus.
After all, Outsiders were immortal, resurrecting even after death.
‘Once killed and reborn, he will surely face reproach from those gathered here.’
But then….
Crash—!
[The Calamity Armor radiates with light.]
[A defense multiplier of 3x is applied.]
“…?”
Lysen was bewildered.
His blade struck the armor.
Though he had thrust with force, channeling his aura, the blade could not pierce through the armor—it halted as if blocked by stone, unable to advance further.
Tremor—
The tip of his blade quivered.
What was more astonishing came next.
[Cleaves All]
[Instantaneously increases cutting power by 4x.]
The bizarre power of the Calamity Gauntlet activated.
Watching the dark current being drawn into the blade through the gauntlet, Lysen was struck with awe.
‘If I’m cut by this, I’ll be severed as well.’
A power that utterly transcended superhuman physicality.
Lysen, who barely evaded it, acknowledged the truth.
‘He certainly possesses only extraordinary things.’
Yet there was something even that couldn’t overcome.
Screeeech—!
Hyeon-su slashed wildly against Lysen’s relentless assault from all directions.
[Your HP has fallen below 80%.]
[Your HP has fallen below 70%.]
I was astonished by the Sword Master’s power.
The reason I hadn’t activated my flames yet was to gauge the extent of my own abilities.
Know your enemy and know yourself.
In this moment, I was discovering just how lacking I truly was.
That deficiency became my strength.
Because knowing my shortcomings meant I could advance further and improve.
Lysen, who had been pressing me hard, faltered.
[Pull]
Whoooosh—!
My body was suddenly drawn in.
And the moment I was struck once, I was horrified.
[Nine Cuts]
Boom-boom-boom-boom—!
One permitted strike delivered nine successive impacts.
Crash-crash-crash—
What shocked him more was my sudden disappearance.
“Ghost Step.”
Lysen marveled at it.
He understood perfectly.
The gap between our levels was as vast as heaven and earth.
Lysen pursued the vanished Hyeon-su using only his senses.
Clang, clang-clang, crash—whoosh—!
Out of over fourteen consecutive attacks, he allowed only three through and parried them all.
“The Sword Master is truly formidable!”
“Count Hyeon-su is no easy opponent either!”
And my HP plummeted below 40%.
Lysen’s relentless assault was overwhelming.
I was about to activate my flames.
The skill gap between us had become far too wide.
Then my eyes met those of one person among the talented individuals standing behind Lysen.
He was shaking his head firmly.
Through him, Hyeon-su grasped a singular truth.
‘Even if I win, it won’t count as a victory?’
They understood the essence of this nation and the worldview of this realm.
‘They’re just like the yangban of old.’
Like the Joseon era before, they possessed their own rigid frameworks and needless obstinacy.
‘If I wield power that appears to be Mystical Power, I cannot capture their hearts?’
Yet Hyeon-su was clearly not being pushed back by Lysen at this very moment.
Hyeon-su had come to understand something.
‘Even victory becomes only a half-measure.’
And it seemed Lysen already knew this about him.
A sharp metallic ring echoed through the air—
Lysen, having driven Hyeon-su back, surged forward with blinding speed.
‘So you’ve finally grasped it!’
But Hyeon-su smiled invisibly.
‘If I use that…’
Though he felt apologetic toward Lysen, there existed a method to momentarily overwhelm his Swordsmanship.
It was born from the power Artea had granted him.
It was Karma itself.
Karma possessed such power.
‘You may unleash the power held within your Karma once, as though you had truly become them.’
Karma was the strength of those Hyeon-su had briefly touched.
He could wield their skills as he possessed them, using them as they truly would.
And when Artea came to Balas Territory, she had told Hyeon-su:
‘What you have now is merely a fragment. The true Karma will gradually reveal itself.’
One of those small fragments had recently manifested before Hyeon-su.
[Karma activates.]
*
*
*
The scions of Noble Houses.
The treasures of the Goyad Kingdom.
The power of these not-yet-adults was greater than one might expect.
They were individuals who could elevate or depose a king.
Some had come not merely following Lysen’s words, but to witness the true heir to the throne.
In any group, there exists one who reigns supreme.
The future Lysen.
The one who led dozens of Noble House scions.
His single decision altered their thoughts, and they followed his every choice.
His name was Child.
Child observed the current situation with cold precision.
He was the most important figure in this place.
Why?
Whether Hyeon-su became king or Lysen became king.
That was a story for after time had passed.
When that time came, Child would have become another Sword Saint.
Standing in this place, watching the two of them, Child pondered.
‘Who is the superior swordsman?’
A man bound by the prejudices of the Sword Nation deep in his bones.
He believed that because this was the Sword Nation, swordsmanship prowess must be exceptional.
He had no doubt that this foundation moved and protected the nation.
‘Even if Count Hyeon-su wins, I will stand with Sword Master Lysen.’
His overwhelming skill had been proven. Of course, that didn’t mean he would make Lysen king.
But if he stood with Lysen, it meant everyone in this place stood by Lysen’s side.
In that moment, Lysen’s bizarre, anomalous sword on its eccentric trajectory aimed for Hyeon-su’s back.
‘What extraordinary swordsmanship!’
No one in this place could stop it.
That instant.
‘What?’
Hyeon-su’s eyes transformed.
Without even turning around, he drew his sword and blocked the descending blade.
Clang—
“H-how did he block that?”
“What…!”
And Hyeon-su had not forgotten his essence.
‘I am a User.’
How could I possibly match those born with a sword in hand through skill alone?
They had their advantages, and I had mine.
Such was the power of the enlightened bond.
[For 30 seconds, you move like someone you know.]
[They must be someone with whom you have built a deep connection.]
Hyeon-su extended his body.
Lysen’s eyes wavered.
‘Why, why…?’
Being close, he felt it more vividly than anyone.
‘His Majesty is showing through him!?’
A flustered Lysen unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Power flowed through his feet pressing against the ground, advancing like a tempest.
Whoosh—!
And Hyeon-su moved as Barad, reciting the words His Majesty had taught him.
The sword aiming for his waist was blocked against the blade.
Clang—!
“You taught me that a sword must be flexible rather than merely rigid.”
A blade cuts through the tempest.
Lysen draws his sword back with tremendous force once more.
The tip of his descending blade meets the tip of my sword, halting its descent.
Crash—!
The sword that entered the storm swings once, subduing all the wind in its wake.
A moment of silence.
Screech—
I evade the piercing blade by twisting only my feet.
Lysen, a master of unconventional technique, moves his sword tip brilliantly, altering its trajectory to aim at me.
“And you also taught me that a sword can unleash great power through minimal force.”
Yet I sidestep him effortlessly and strike his chest with the hilt.
Boom—!
Lysen, sent flying backward, was bewildered.
Regaining his footing and advancing again, Lysen was soon horrified.
“Sometimes you taught me to seize that sword and aim it at the throat.”
Clang—!
It happened in an instant.
Lysen’s sword flew from his grasp and embedded itself in the earth.
Thud—
“….”
Lysen’s eyes trembled violently.
He had come here to test and crush him.
Yet now I stood before him with my blade at his throat.
“The duel is not yet over.”
Lysen understood.
‘How… how could this be…!’
It was he who now stood upon the trial block.

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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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