Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 234

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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
What Goes Around Comes Around (1)
After the server opened.
Ayaka checked the concurrent user count.
The concurrent user count was important because it served as an indicator of how eagerly people had been waiting for the Second Ares.
Moreover, through this concurrent user count, she could also gauge the daily active user numbers.
‘And it’s proof that they’ve watched Hyeon-su’s teaser extensively.’
Aside from Barad, the NPC who had become the main character, people couldn’t help but focus on the primary User star, Hyeon-su.
“That’s how ordinary game users are.”
A considerable number of Users were high-rankers. They didn’t care about the strongest monsters or the strongest anything.
In reality, nearly 50% of Users only knew one or two of the most famous players and simply focused on their own gameplay.
But this server integration teaser was different.
Whether they liked it or not, they had to watch it.
Why?
After the server integration, the teaser was that important, and there was no skip button.
All users had to watch this approximately one minute and thirty second video, and only after that could they skip.
‘And that’s not all.’
Ayaka looked out the window.
Pureum Corporation’s headquarters was located on the most expensive prime real estate in Gangnam.
On the massive display visible from there, a scene of Hyeon-su and Sword King Barad clashing their blades was being broadcast.
Early morning Gangnam-daero was completely congested with traffic.
Users who had stopped momentarily couldn’t tear their eyes away from the display.
And ordinary people who didn’t play games thought like this.
‘Is that the virtual reality game Ares…?’
‘It looks fun.’
Of course, the display’s content was merely a compressed twenty-second teaser excerpt, and precisely because of that, its impact was even greater.
‘To watch the teaser they just saw, they’ll have to log in.’
Because of that, people would see Hyeon-su even more.
And as the fact that Hyeon-su was the protagonist of the server integration teaser was revealed, the shockwave spread rapidly.
The people Hyeon-su knew.
His friend Ji-hoon logged in early in the morning to watch the server integration teaser, then was startled upon seeing his friend’s face.
‘Why are you appearing there…?’
The National Museum.
The restored Chilji Blade was already on display here.
Reporters were asking questions.
‘Who exactly is the master craftsman who restored the Chilji Blade?’
‘I understand that appraisers are calling him a genius who appears once in a hundred years!?’
‘Young people who want to craft Japanese blades are seeking to meet him!’
Since the fan-made video hadn’t been released yet, they hadn’t revealed his identity.
The museum staff marveled at the image of Hyeon-su clashing blades with Barad being broadcast on the screen.
Meanwhile, corporate executives ride in luxury sedans to work, listening to reports.
“This guy’s name is Master Craftsman Hyeon? And he became a king because of that?”
“It’s not that he became a king from the preview itself, but….”
“He beat out world-class figures and our country’s person claimed that position.”
“That’s correct, Chairman.”
“Prepare to recruit that guy. You know I don’t usually get involved in advertising, right?”
Why would chairmen involve themselves in such trivial matters? But this time was an exception.
“Of, of course. What conditions should we propose?”
“The best conditions possible!”
Then there were the politicians.
“I want to shake hands with that guy too… How about we take one photo of the handshake and use the title ‘Shaking hands with the one who walks the path of the king leading Korea’? Brilliant, right? Make the proposal.”
“We already made that proposal….”
“You already did?”
“We were blocked.”
“…?”
Even politicians trying to exploit Hyeon-su for political gain.
Breaking news continued to spread.
-Breaking news. It has been revealed that Master Craftsman Hyeon was an appearance in the Second Ares King’s Path preview, causing a stir….
-Viewers are giving high praise to Pureum Corporation for suggesting that Users can also become kings, and to User Hyeon-su for fulfilling that role….
-Users worldwide have begun the Second Ares alongside User Hyeon-su.
-Breaking news.
-Breaking news….
-Concurrent users….
-Hyeon’s Forge subscribers skyrocketing….
-As Hyeon’s value soars to unprecedented heights….
Yet there was one undeniable fact.
-Top-tier Users from countries worldwide are expressing their displeasure.
It meant that many side effects followed, and the burden to bear had increased.
-User Kali, who earned the MVP in the United States versus Russia Continental War, has agreed to an interview. Kali is known to be ranked 2nd globally and is known to be one of the few counts. Hello?
-Yes, hello.
-How did you feel about Master Craftsman Hyeon’s preview this time?
-It’s a good video, but there are certainly inconvenient aspects.
-What aspects are inconvenient?
-Hyeon walks the path of the king. This implies that all Users can walk the path of the king. However, I judge that the appearance failed to generate sufficient empathy.
-Failed to generate empathy?
-Yes. The total number of guild members in Hyeon’s Forge Guild, where the appearance User Hyeon-su belongs, is fewer than ten. Furthermore, I understand that even combining all the residents of the Balas Territory he possesses, the number falls short of four thousand. Of course, since he achieved Korea’s MVP, he likely obtained his territory recently and would have many residents. Still, I believe it’s insufficient. I believe this is not just my judgment, but that of noble Users worldwide.
-For such a User to walk the path of the king seems like exaggerated advertising. Just our Splinter Guild alone has a total of around twenty thousand residents, making it a major territory. Moreover, China’s Pond lost in the Continental War but commands two thousand guild members and possesses seventeen thousand territory residents.
-That’s extraordinary.
-Exactly. It’s extraordinary. This raises doubts about whether User Hyeon-su’s appearance was truly appropriate. And since the servers have been integrated, this fact will soon be proven.
-Proven, you say?
-Hyeon will have to face our Splinter Guild soon enough.
Such was the sentiment.
Peak-tier Users.
Top-ranked players representing their respective nations were being interviewed, and all eyes were fixed on Hyeon.
Pond, the User representing China and a top ranker.
-Now that the server integration is complete, we finally have the chance to settle the score from the Continental War.
Musashi, representing Japan.
-The Korea and Japan servers are quite close, and I’m curious about the Master Craftsman’s power as well. But he won’t be a match for me.
Mio, representing Vietnam.
-My territory is special. It’s filled with soldiers who’ve reached level 260, far exceeding the average soldier level of 250. Moreover, our archery unit will crush Korea with ease.
They burned with competitive fervor, yearning for the glory that would come from defeating Hyeon-su.
And Cassandra, a User from Russia, turned this arrow toward Korea’s top ranker.
-I’m certain that Lee Hwan, Korea’s number one ranker, shares our sentiments.
The journalist sought out Lee Hwan, Korea’s representative, for an interview.
-Do you share the same thoughts, Lee Hwan?
-Not at all.
-…?
-I believe Hyeon-su deserved to be featured. Among all the rankers interviewed, doesn’t Hyeon-su have the best appearance? When a handsome person says “I am king” versus an ugly person saying the same thing, of course you’d cast the handsome one. Plus, he was selected as the most influential person last year. And he’s the first Legend. And he possesses the first transcendent Artifact… And… And….
-….
-….
-….
-….
They couldn’t even break even.
Rankers from around the world fell silent, and Cassandra from Russia was flustered.
She had assumed Lee Hwan would answer the same as they did, but she had been wrong.
‘I wonder if Hyeon saw this footage? Perhaps he might discount the rental fee or lend me an Artifact even better than the Twin Dragon Sword.’
Lee Hwan, Master of the Hwarang Guild.
He was the first disciple of the Church of Hyeon-su.
*
*
*
If one were to name the User who had anticipated the server integration the most, many would choose a single person.
Pond.
The supreme being of China, called the heir of the Sword Emperor.
Whenever Pond watched the Continental War footage, he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole and hide.
That was how thoroughly China’s rankers had been crushed by the User Hyeon-su.
On this very day, the server integration had been completed.
‘Finally, my chance has come.’
Pond, as he had revealed in the interview, possessed guild members and forces that overwhelmed the User Hyeon-su.
A thousand guild members. And beside him stood the Poison King Liu.
With the server integration complete, he now possessed the glory of freely traversing the Korea Server, and at last, he set foot upon it.
From the very first day of server integration, danger descended upon Hyeon’s Forge.
“Since the information broker provided this intelligence, the location of Hyeon’s Territory must be certain, yes?”
At Poison King Liu’s words, Pond nodded his head.
“The information broker is the most reliable person in the world when it comes to information. We even paid a million dollars for this intelligence.”
A million dollars.
That was precisely what Pond had been waiting for all this time.
They led a thousand guild members through the perpetually dark and humid forest.
Then Liu grew flustered.
“Isn’t this where we were just before?”
“Huh? Is it?”
Had they walked in a complete circle?
“The roads on the Korea Server are a complete mess.”
They walked once more.
And then.
“This place again….”
“What is this?”
They grew alarmed.
Even when they marked the trees and turned right instead of left, they kept arriving at the same location.
And though they did not know it, this place boasted the highest difficulty rating on the Korea Server.
After an hour of stepping foot inside, one would understand what hell they had entered.
[You have been trapped in the Endless Maze.]
[You cannot escape for two weeks.]
Pond and Liu panicked.
“Send a whisper message at once.”
Pond sent a whisper to the information broker.
[Communication blocked.]
“…?”
Then a pigeon flew in.
Upon receiving the pigeon, they could claim a gift of approximately a million dollars in Gold.
They understood.
“Trapped here for two weeks…?”
*
*
*
Server integration creates many changes.
Some had to move in search of better content, while others had to fight to protect what they possessed.
Flap—
Kabel, who had sent the pigeon and returned the million dollars, saw Bok-deung-i standing before him.
“…It’s fine. I’ve decided to stop living as an information broker.”
The birth of the first legend announces the arrival of the second and third.
The time for Kabel to depart has come.
“Woof, woof!”
Kabel laughed as he watched Bok-deung-i bark as if pleading him not to go.
An orphan by birth, Kabel had never known a life of being cherished.
Yet somewhere along the way, he had come to genuinely treasure this creature called Bok-deung-i.
No one had ever waited for him.
But the moment he logged in, Bok-deung-i would rush to find him, nestle into his arms, and wag his tail.
Whenever he left, the creature would follow him to the entrance of the territory to see him off.
That is why he prayed the beast would not die.
As a final gift, he had trapped those who asked him about the location of Hyeon’s Forge in the Endless Maze or sent them to Korea’s most difficult dungeon.
“Two weeks should be manageable.”
Now he had to walk a new path.
Then Kabel’s gaze fell upon the forge.
‘What is he crafting from dragon bone?’
For the past week, User Hyeon-su had been creating something.
He was more solemn and focused than usual.
And now it was nearing completion.
Before departing, Kabel gazed at the forge and thought of Hyeon-su.
‘You were the same as me.’
Guild Master Hyeon-su felt like a kindred spirit.
His own life had been nothing but frustration and darkness, and so had Hyeon-su’s.
Yet there was something different between them.
‘Your side overflows with people, while mine has none.’
Perhaps that was why he felt an inexplicable envy toward him.
‘What exactly is he making?’
Sudden curiosity seized Kabel, and he activated the skill he possessed: Clairvoyance.
Clairvoyance was an ability that allowed one to glimpse another’s notification window.
A notification appeared before Kabel.
[This is Unique grade.]
[Blacksmith’s Soul has been activated.]
‘Blacksmith’s Soul?’
[While crafting this dagger, you immersed yourself more than ever before.]
[This stemmed from your heart’s concern for the future of a nameless friend.]
[You obsessed over it more than any moment before, striving to create a superior artifact, and for the sake of this nameless friendship, you burned your very soul until finally completing it.]
[The eleventh legend is written.]
Kabel was awestruck.
‘The eleventh legend, no less. Extraordinary.’
Having seen him one last time, Kabel turned his body away.
Now truly, the time to depart had arrived.
Then I turn the notification over in my mind.
‘Born from a heart concerned for the future of an unnamed friend… what kind of friend is that? I really do have so many friends…’
Then Kabel was taken aback.
“Hey.”
Hyeon-su, who had suddenly stepped in front of him, held out a dagger.
“Take this.”
Whoooosh—
Wind swept in, blowing between the two of them.
The epic of Master Craftsman Hyeon and Asura Kabel was beginning.

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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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