Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 193

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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
Continental War (5)
[Attack Skills are restricted for 2 hours.]
[This is the power of the Poison King. There is no resistance.]
Poison King Liu.
I felt the blade of his spear cut into me, and poison spreading through my body.
Upon returning to the Fortress, the poison had spread completely, making it impossible to use Attack Skills.
I moved immediately.
Was I running away?
No.
A tingling sensation—
I had fought directly against Pond, Liu, and the Chinese Users.
And I felt it.
‘Each one of them is stronger than our guild members, no—even more so.’
All of the combatants.
The moment I fought there, I understood one thing.
‘I will lose.’
It seemed to echo in my ears.
[This is a critical moment.]
As always, I found a way.
I was not running away.
The place I entered was a Blacksmith Shop hidden in an unseen corner of the Fortress.
I drew out the Twin Dragon Sword.
‘This time, let me truly create it.’
Divine Customized Repair allows me to perform Recreation.
‘Twelve Turtle Ships.’
I thought that might become the variable in this place.
*
*
*
Pond was a person who needed to be restrained.
Under normal circumstances, he might have questioned why anyone would hold back someone as capable as Pond.
But this was the Continental War, a worldwide live-streamed event.
Every action was scrutinized, and every word became the subject of gossip.
That was why Zhuge had taken on the role of restraint.
The moment Zhuge died, Pond, believing he had been mocked by the Crazy Rookie, became unrestrained.
Like a tyrant.
“All forces, equip yourselves with the weapons supplied by Wang Gang!”
Clink, clink-clink, clink-clink—
The Chinese Users began arming themselves with impossible Artifacts.
Pond’s weapon was none other than a Legendary Artifact.
Six more Legendary grade items had appeared among the Users in total.
But what was truly astounding came next.
-A considerable number of Chinese Users are equipped with Unique Artifacts.
-We initially expected China to field approximately 200 Unique grade items!
-But the visible count alone exceeds 400!
Pond’s lips curved into a dark smile.
It was China’s stratagem.
After leaking the number 200 to the media, they had sourced Unique Artifacts from every Blacksmith Shop across China.
In other words, China had staked everything on this Continental War.
“Uoooooooooo!”
“Waaaaaaaaaa-!”
-The roars of Chinese Users seem to pierce the heavens.
-This is insane.
-When else would we ever witness 400 Unique Artifacts appearing simultaneously if not for the Continental War!
Pond crossed his legs.
Zhuge had devised such a plan from the outset to secure victory with maximum efficiency.
Yet even without efficiency, the fact remained that they would win.
Having crossed his legs, he rolled his eyes about rapidly.
‘Where the hell did that bastard go?’
The Crazy Rookie had vanished.
But soon his mouth twisted into a grin.
“Hyeon’s Forge is truly pathetic!”
He deployed the shallow tactics he had learned from Zhuge. It was public opinion manipulation.
“China’s Blacksmiths did their utmost for their homeland. But what have you done!?”
His gaze fell upon a woman named Nel.
The commentators were flustered.
-I hope everyone disregards what that User Pond just said.
-That’s right. The Continental War is an event for all, but how one participates is an individual choice.
Yet this was precisely what Pond had aimed for.
“Hyeon’s Forge is an individual operation. This is the clear limitation of individuals, and proof that your subscriber count is fraudulent!”
This argument carried weight, and the viewers agreed.
-Hyeon, you’re being unfair.
-Black Anvil and our country’s Blacksmith Shops were all obsessed, stoking their Furnaces for the Continental War, but Hyeon hasn’t even shown up.
-Hyeon’s just an individual Blacksmith.
-So it’s all hype lol
-fr, it’s like Korean apartments lololol
He was attributing Korea’s impending defeat entirely to Hyeon’s Forge.
By now, Chinese Users had begun colliding with the Castle Wall.
And massive spells hammered down upon the Fortress.
Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack-!
Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-boom-crash-
The Castle Wall’s durability plummeted at an alarming rate.
Korean Users emerged from all corners attempting to mount a defense, but they were being overwhelmed by the sheer power of the Chinese Users wielding formidable Artifacts and leveled equipment.
Pond harbored this vendetta for one reason alone: to trample Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop into dust.
After what the Crazy Rookie had done to him, this was the only way to satisfy his rage.
Crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-crash-boom-
Pond carved through the Korean Users with frenzied ferocity.
He had already drawn perilously close to the Castle Gate.
Pond allowed himself a moment of dark satisfaction.
Once the Continental War concluded, Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop’s subscriber count would drain away like a receding tide.
Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop’s subscribers were not a global phenomenon.
The current subscriber base of 3.7 to 4.5 million was overwhelmingly composed of Korean Users.
Those Koreans possessed remarkable unity.
Should they orchestrate a boycott or similar campaigns, the subscriber count could be halved.
It was a petty revenge, truly.
Then.
“…You’ve made a grave mistake saying that.”
Pond looked up at Nel.
She stood atop the Castle Wall, gazing down at him with an expression of resignation.
Pond cut down another User rushing toward him.
At that moment, Nel uttered something peculiar.
“Because of you, our people will become even more passionate.”
What nonsense was this?
“Who says? That Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop is a one-man operation. I’m sorry, but we’re not a one-man Blacksmith Shop.”
Pond’s eyes wavered.
‘Not a one-man Blacksmith Shop…?’
Something was going terribly wrong.
*
*
*
Two weeks before the Continental War’s commencement, Hyeon-su summoned the Blacksmith Per.
‘Please instruct all the Blacksmiths to craft only Horn Bows and Short Arrows.’
Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop employed five hundred exceptional Blacksmiths, all trained by Hyeon-su himself.
Their mastery ranged from advanced to supreme-tier Blacksmithing.
They threw themselves into crafting exquisite Horn Bows and Arrows.
While the Chinese Camp reeled from Hyeon-su’s sudden intrusion, Hyeon’s Blacksmiths made their preparations atop the Castle Wall.
“Short Arrows made by Hyeon’s Blacksmith Shop for sale~ Clearance prices, clearance~!”
“How much per arrow?”
“Twenty Gold each~!”
The Users were flustered.
“Short Arrows, you said? But they’re five times more expensive than regular arrows?”
20,000 Won per arrow. What kind of insane pricing was this?
“Would you like to verify?”
The Users who examined them widened their eyes in astonishment.
The penetrating power was nearly twice superior to regular arrows. They had never seen arrows this absurdly effective in all their lives.
“But still, five times the price is….”
“Don’t you know weapons cost more on the Battlefield? Think about it. If you shoot these arrows, you’ll take down Chinese Users, right?”
Nod—
“Then the entire nation will cheer, right?”
Nod—
“Then you’ll become a hero, right?”
Nod—
“We might actually win, right?”
Nod—
“Still won’t buy?”
“Give me 40 arrows.”
“I’ll take 50!”
Elsewhere.
“Epic-grade Horn Bows upgraded to Unique from Hyeon’s Forge are on sale~ We have many other masterpieces crafted by the Blacksmiths of Hyeon’s Forge, Short Arrows, Short Arrows!”
Of course, these were also over 40% more expensive.
But what mattered was this.
Our Country’s top-ranked Users were gathered here.
For them, this money was nothing.
They purchased the bows and arrows manufactured in the Balas Territory.
And such an effect emerged as well.
[A perfect combination.]
[Accuracy increases by 6%, and penetrating power increases by 8%.]
They could not hide their shock.
Furthermore, Commander Lee Hwan had just returned from fighting some 200 Chinese Users below.
He was acutely aware of his limitations.
‘At this rate, we won’t last even two hours. If only I had a Blade User….’
Lee Hwan was a Blade User. But he now wielded a Legendary Artifact longsword.
A Legendary longsword was superior to a lower-grade Blade.
Then, Nel approached.
“The Guild Master said to lend it out in exchange for a rental fee.”
“A rental fee? How much?”
“2,000 Gold.”
“…?”
Lee Hwan was bewildered.
Even for someone earning hundreds of billions of Won annually, the price was utterly absurd.
Twenty million Won just to rent it, not even to purchase?
“What are you… hmm…?”
Lee Hwan examined the great blade labeled Twin Dragon Sword and gasped in shock.
“I’ll rent it.”
“Ah, that’s per hour.”
Twenty million Won per hour. It was outright robbery.
Yet Lee Hwan had no choice but to rent it, swallowing his frustration.
‘Just what kind of person is Hyeon…’
Lee Hwan genuinely marveled at this.
In any case, Hyeon’s Forge and the Korean Users had been waiting for the Chinese Users to commit deeper and in greater numbers.
And Nel had been stalling for time through conversation with Pond, creating precisely this opportunity.
“…?”
Pond’s expression twisted in bewilderment.
The archers who had been firing standard arrows from atop the Castle Wall moments before now switched their bows to Horn Bows and their arrows to Short Arrows.
And the woman called Nel spoke coldly.
“This is why.”
Pond’s face contorted grotesquely.
“The reason we eliminated Zhuge first—the head of China.”
Indeed, Nel was certain that had Zhuge been alive, she would never have dared such a reckless gambit.
Hundreds of Short Arrows were released simultaneously.
Whiiiiiiing—
Crash—
A User struck directly flew backward nearly seven meters.
“Gaaahhhhh!”
“…?”
A rain of Short Arrows—the salvation of the small nation of Joseon—was unleashed.
Normally, arrows should whistle softly through the air.
But the Chinese Users heard that sound and doubted their own ears.
Crash, crash-crack, crash, crash-thud, crash-crack!—!
“Ugh, ugghhhhh!”
“Krraaaaahhh!”
“Kheeeeegh!”
Dozens of Users were sent flying into the air continuously.
Since they too were equipped entirely in Unique grade items, the damage wasn’t catastrophic.
Yet the arrow barrage inflicted unexpected and devastating casualties nonetheless.
Furthermore.
“Move out.”
Creak—
Thud—
The Castle Gate opened, and Lee Hwan, wielding the Twin Dragon Sword, advanced with the Korean Users.
“Uaaaaaaah!”
The Chinese Users and Korean Users began clashing fiercely.
The spectators erupted in excitement at the sight of neither side yielding an inch.
But Nel watched this unfold with a different thought in mind.
‘How much longer can they hold out…?’
Three hours? Four hours?
Even if they were evenly matched now, Korea would eventually be overwhelmed by the crushing level disparity.
At that moment.
Kang Hyeon-tae remembered everything Hyeon-su had told him.
His physician, Jin-seop, had once mentioned that only a rare few patients could hear what people were saying.
Kang Hyeon-tae was one of them.
When he expressed his desire to see Hyeon-su, the Blacksmith Ren brought him to Lord’s Castle.
Lord Vance opened the gates leading beyond the Territory, and they guided him into the world.
Lord Vance and Hyeon-su still exchanged letters with one another.
They were not extraordinary letters—merely correspondence about how Hyeon-su had been faring recently.
Those letters had proven helpful.
When Vance sent his falcon, I was able to meet a powerfully built man called the Sword King and Ben.
“Hyeon-su certainly takes after his father.”
“Haha, I’m delighted to meet you like this.”
These two were not men one could meet just anywhere.
Yet they were bound by the name of being Hyeon-su’s close friends.
My friend’s long-cherished wish. The thought that it could be fulfilled drove me here.
“Hyeon-su is currently participating in the Outsider’s Festival. However, due to a powerful force, most people cannot enter.”
Kang Hyeon-tae asked in a bewildered voice.
“…Then I cannot meet my son?”
The Sword King and Spear Heaven exchanged glances.
“We will find a way to get you inside, so do not worry.”
“Getting one person in there is hardly a problem.”
Kang Hyeon-tae watched the two men smile broadly. He boarded the Carriage and headed toward where his son was.
The Blacksmith Shop flashed past the window of the Carriage.
I recalled what Hyeon-su had said before participating in the Continental War.
‘Dad, I want to become someone cool too. There are people who believed in me and followed me. But in that war, I don’t know how far I can go.’
My son Hyeon-su was always someone who found a way.
Even he was afraid. It was inevitable.
In this world, there were always things one wished to do but could not.
‘I’ll do my best. I’ll end this magnificently and come back. Please watch over me.’
Kang Hyeon-tae asked Ben, who sat across from him.
“Could I borrow a pen and paper?”
Ben handed over a pen and paper.
Scratch, scratch, scratch—
Ben watched in astonishment as the designs took shape with remarkable speed.
‘I’ve seen Hyeon-su sketch out crafting methods before.’
His father was far faster and more precise than Hyeon-su. Ben grew curious about what he was creating and asked.
“What are you drawing, sir?”
Kang Hyeon-tae answered with a slight smile.
“The crafting blueprint for the Twin Dragon Sword.”
The carriage was drawing near to the Battlefield where the Continental War was unfolding.

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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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