Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 207

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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
Reunion (11)
One year ago.
The entire world was turned upside down.
The shock was as great as when a User named Bahala first appeared and triggered a total of four World Messages over the course of a year.
The reason was that something no one had broken in three years was finally shattered.
It was the Wooden Dummy Breaking Achievement.
The Wooden Dummy Breaking Achievement was no less significant than Bahala’s emergence.
The reason was that it was the only method officially announced by Pureum Corporation to trigger a World Message.
Because of this, people from all over the world attempted it.
Rather, they had no choice but to attempt it.
After all, hitting the Wooden Dummy was something everyone had to go through when visiting the Beginner Zone!
And since people from all over the world had actually tried it, they knew.
‘Those bastards at Pureum Corporation….’
‘How the hell are we supposed to break this?’
‘Wow, is it really true that the durability only decreases by 20%?’
Humans have the habit of needing to taste something to know whether it’s excrement or paste.
They had tasted it, so they understood just how remarkable this Achievement was.
It was certain that eventually someone would accomplish triggering the first World Message.
But not this one.
People around the world believed that even after twenty years, this would never be broken.
Not even with critical hits.
Not even with superior control.
Not even by collecting every Artifact available in the Beginner Zone.
There was nothing with such absurdly unreasonable difficulty for level 1 Users.
Yet someone boldly shattered the Wooden Dummy, posted a World Message, and did so anonymously.
People were absolutely losing their minds.
‘Who the hell is that!!’
‘What method could possibly have worked!!’
One of the world’s most renowned rankers made this statement.
“The User who broke the Wooden Dummy? That User is a prodigy in the making.”
And now, one year later, that prodigy in the making has revealed themselves to the world.
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-Reinforcements! Are there no reinforcements!? Get on the radio quickly!
-Ugh, there are too many enemies, Brigadier General!
Hahaha, this roleplay is so fucked up.
“Why the hell is a Brigadier General going out to the Battlefield, you idiots? lol”
Don’t be a coward about it lol
-Wasn’t a lieutenant colonel supposed to lead a squad? I got confused with a second lieutenant, anyway, could you support us…!!
“A warrant officer, lol that’s hilarious”
Not even a sergeant, just a second lieutenant lolololol
The Users in the Korea Ares Community were bewildered by the sheer number of Chinese people.
Then.
-Huge incident, huge scandal!(screenshot).
A single screenshot changed everything. The screenshot came from Hyeon’s Forge.
They hurriedly clicked on the screenshot.
-How… how did he do that…?
-You Chinese bastards, you kept insisting it was three times, now it’s four, what do you say to that!
-Was that Hyeon?
The Chinese were taken aback by the screenshot before their eyes.
[Congratulations.]
[You have successfully completed Wooden Doll Breaking for the first time as a User.]
[World Message.]
[All Users worldwide will be informed of your Achievement.]
[An anonymous someone. Successfully completed Wooden Doll Breaking for the first time.]
A tier-0 world message that Blacksmith Hyeon achieved the moment he started the game.
1.2 billion Users failed, but only Hyeon succeeded—a unique and unprecedented message!
The Korean Users spoke.
-Hey! Is our Hyeon number one in Ares or not!?
-Apologize, you bastards!!!
-Where’s your doubt coming from!
The flustered Chinese responded.
-Did… did Hyeon really break the Wooden Dummy?
-This can’t be.
The Chinese could no longer deny Hyeon.
Especially since the Chinese had a reason to acknowledge Wooden Doll Breaking.
It was because a Chinese Tycoon had once posted playfully on Jewtube about it.
I will give 2 billion won to anyone who succeeds in Wooden Doll Breaking.
A life-changing opportunity!
A considerable number of Chinese had desperately attempted it but failed.
The Korean Community Users cheered.
The Chinese kids are running away. lol
-Korean number one! Korean number one!
Even in the Chinese Community, some were saying that by this point, Hyeon had surpassed Bahala this year.
A Korean User in one Community summarized the situation in a single line, earning everyone’s agreement.
-A promising seedling has become the World Tree…?
The post was instantly pinned with 10,000 recommendations and shot to the top as a best post.
Meanwhile.
Yu Hwan, the journalist who had posed a disrespectful question to Hannah, harbored resentment toward Hyeon—the very man who had led China to defeat.
He had also burned with passion to shake the hearts of the Chinese people through sensationalist article headlines, compelling them to surrender Hyeon’s singular achievement.
He had been the first to pen articles attacking World Ares and Hyeon with pointed criticism.
—The connection between World Ares’s Deputy Director Hannah and Korea’s branch….
—Deputy Director Hannah. Suspected to be Hyeon’s lover.
—Hyeon. He cannot compare to Bahala.
And Yu Hwan had once said this:
‘After all, the masses believe whatever the press tells them. It’s an unchangeable fact that Hyeon wept three times and Bahala wept four times, isn’t it? The truth? Does that matter? We just need to make it seem like fact!’
Yes, he had been shaking the Chinese people with suspicions and speculative remarks, regardless of whether they were true or false.
The problem was that a single World message posted on Hyeon’s Forge had overturned the entire situation.
Even within China, the atmosphere had become overwhelmingly one of recognition for Hyeon.
Moreover, the Chinese people, who had moved as if bewitched, needed someone to blame.
The moment Yu Hwan was dragged into the director’s office, an ashtray flew at him.
“You damn dog^@!#!#!#!$%!$”
That evening, Yu Hwan had arranged to meet with an old friend.
He wanted to pour out his grievances to him.
Yu Hwan, who had arrived at the bar first, sat with a sorrowful expression, clutching his resignation letter in his pocket.
Then his friend walked in.
His friend’s appearance was a sight to behold.
His hair was disheveled, and his expression was devastated.
“…?”
Yu Hwan was taken aback.
That’s right—his friend.
Jin Cho, from the Chinese Branch’s Continental War Compensation Setting Team.
Yu Hwan quietly produced his resignation letter.
It was because of the director’s words to take responsibility and leave.
But what was this?
“You too?”
Jin Cho also quietly pulled out his resignation letter, gave a thumbs up, and laughed.
“….”
“….”
Then they began to wail together.
“Ugh, uuuuuaaahhhhh!”
“It’s basically a firing!”
“We both got fired!”
“Because of our records, we can’t get hired anywhere now!”
“Our lives are over!”
They made a vow: never to touch Hyeon again.
Of course, they no longer possessed the power to touch him even if they wanted to.
And there is a saying that birds of a feather flock together.
The two of them had become locked together in a stalemate.
At that very moment.
Someone unknown was observing everything Hyeon-su had accomplished.
News anchors chattered on the broadcast.
-Today, the story is filled entirely with Hyeon-su.
-The term “Master Craftsman Hyeon” has dominated every portal site.
-The second most searched term in real-time is “the one who broke the Wooden Dummy.”
-Hyeon’s Forge’s subscriber count is skyrocketing beyond reason.
-The growth that had been slowing is accelerating sharply once again.
-Many Chinese Users who participated in the Continental War are astonished by the fact that Hyeon-su is the User who broke the Wooden Dummy.
-It was an Achievement that even Bahala, the world’s most famous ranker, could not accomplish.
-People around the world are joking about it. They say, “Maybe even Bahala hit the subscribe button?” Haha. I couldn’t agree more.
-Considering that Hyeon’s Forge had fewer than 4 million subscribers before the Continental War, the current subscriber count is truly absurd beyond measure.
Soon, that unknown someone logged into the Ares Blacksmith Shop.
With slightly trembling hands, he clicked the mouse and entered Hyeon’s Forge.
Immediately, a number appeared before his eyes.
His eyes shook violently upon seeing that figure.
[Hyeon’s Forge Subscriber Count: 12,606,013.]
“He reached this level in just one year?”
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Hyeon-su uploaded a screenshot to Hyeon’s Forge immediately upon waking, then headed to the Hospital.
His emotions were renewed. The Hospital staff celebrated as though it were their own achievement.
What surprised him most was when the Hospital Director rushed over breathlessly to shake his hand.
‘Is this what it feels like to want to shake hands with a player who scored in the World Cup?’
Hyeon-su wore a bitter smile.
The Hospital Director, who had gripped his hand firmly, then said this:
“I’ll do my best to ensure no information about your Father leaks out.”
It meant he would do his utmost to protect patient privacy.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
“People are calling you the World Tree, aren’t they?”
World Tree? What was he talking about?
In any case, Hyeon-su headed toward the VVIP Hospital Room where his Father was.
Hyeon-su recalled what his Father had once told him.
‘Become a king.’
Hyeon-su understood what his Father meant.
It meant to never collapse, but to continue forward, always forward.
And hidden within this meaning was another significance as well.
“…I’ve taken one step closer, at least.”
Hyeon-su had just heard about the miracle of one day from his attending physician Jin-seop.
He had also learned that his Father was now listening to his story.
The possibility of his Father awakening had become far greater than before.
At that moment, a call from Hye-in came through to Hyeon-su.
-Hyeon’s Forge Guild has taken first place, so we need to go receive the Territory. And Hyeon-su, you’ve worked hard enough. I think it would be good for you to rest a little.
Her words carried a thoughtfulness that touched him.
In truth, Hyeon-su had run an impossible path in just one year.
“I’m fine without resting. There’s something I need to do.”
-Something you need to do… I think I know what you mean, don’t I?
“Yes, I’m going to accelerate now.”
-So you’re accelerating toward becoming a king. I understand. I’ll push with all my strength.
“Yes, thank you.”
After hanging up, Hyeon-su’s expression turned bitter.
He wondered if he should run even faster.
Of course, he had climbed high enough, but the road ahead was still long.
He thought of a long-distance run.
There comes a moment while running when strength fails.
But if you give up at that moment, you only become more exhausted.
However, if you continue running, at some point your breathing stabilizes through the adrenaline surging from your body.
Of course, it wasn’t solely for that reason.
Hyeon-su looked at his own hand gripping his Father’s hand tightly.
Faint scars that had not completely faded remained dimly on both their hands.
When his Father had told him to become a king, there was something his Father had said before that.
Those words were seared intensely into Hyeon-su’s mind.
Hyeon-su’s eyes grew cold and sharp.
He cooled the heat of having become a legend, and within that composure, he turned over the words his Father had spoken while embracing him.
At that time, his Father had whispered near his ear. It was an extremely cautious gesture.
It was because someone might hear through the broadcast.
Though others couldn’t hear it, Hyeon-su heard it clearly.
‘Hyeon-su.’
Hearing those words then, Hyeon-su fell into profound shock.
Five years of time flashed past like a panorama.
His Father, hovering at death’s door, was charred black as he entered the emergency room.
He himself had been covered in burns across half his body and had lost the use of his right hand, the most important as a blacksmith.
After that came hellish days.
His Father barely survived through CPR and was declared a vegetative state.
He had no choice but to struggle desperately to save his Father by liquidating his assets.
That is, hellish days had continued, and only then did Hyeon-su come to know part of the truth.
These years of hell were—
‘That day, there was someone in the Blacksmith Shop.’
Someone had created a hell.

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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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