Genius Blacksmith’s Game - Chapter 246

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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
Babylon (2)
“Ares is a world where gods truly exist.”
These were the words of a renowned User who walked the path of a priest.
“And I know this: because gods exist, one day we will be able to meet them indirectly.”
Meet them indirectly?
People could not comprehend those words.
Ordinary Users would never be able to meet a god.
No, even the greatest high-rankers would find such a thing difficult.
If it were possible, it would only be after more than a decade had passed.
To that, the User spoke again.
“By indirect, I do not mean an audience. I mean the things that can exist because gods exist. The Holy Grail, or perhaps something left behind by the gods. Or even divine weapons that gods once wielded. Through these things, we will be able to witness the greatness of the divine.”
The Users understood and resonated with this.
Something the gods scattered upon the earth.
They would come to know something the gods possessed, or some power the gods once held.
“The value of such things would be unprecedented and extraordinary.”
No one could deny it.
People understood.
The value of such things would truly be astronomical.
Hyeon-su felt the same way.
‘Divine materials must exist in this Ares as well.’
I was certain of it.
But my thoughts aligned with others.
Such things might only be obtainable years from now, or perhaps after a decade or more had passed.
‘Ares manages balance meticulously, after all.’
I had not expected to find such things now.
But now I felt it.
A handsome man of mysterious identity, his character information hidden.
The moment I saw the black, melted Sword he held, I heard a notification.
[You sense divine Ore.]
And I realized that because I was a descendant of the divine, I possessed a certain privilege of perception.
‘Divine Ore and I share some connection.’
In my understanding, every notification has a ‘reason’ behind it.
Other Users would not sense divine Ore from that Sword.
Yet only I had sensed it.
There could be many explanations, but one thing was certain.
‘Simply touching it directly would benefit me.’
I am a Blacksmith.
To encounter Mythic-grade Ore, something I might not see for years to come, was truly a stroke of fortune.
And touching that Ore could trigger unexpected and diverse circumstances, which would undoubtedly aid in my growth.
‘No, even without such things, merely observing and feeling divine ore is an education in itself.’
The real question was whether I would be granted permission to touch that Sword.
‘Could I touch it for a moment?’
Saying such a thing would make me look like a madman.
Most Users were reluctant to let others touch their Artifacts.
There existed an extremely small number of Users who could confirm Artifact information merely by bringing their hands close to it.
“Who are you?”
Hyeon-su asked.
Then something surprising happened.
“I’ve come to request the Restoration of this Sword.”
He presented the melted-down Sword Babylon.
The moment I had been waiting for.
*
*
*
“I came on the recommendation of Information Broker Kabel.”
Now Hyeon-su knew who the mysterious visitor was.
Thanks to Kabel, Hyeon-su had also eliminated both the Rebel Forces and the Chinese Users in one fell swoop.
Creating all of that process was no easy task even for Kabel.
This was someone sent by Kabel, who had done such things for me.
After learning who Kabel was.
I came to understand that his information was accurate and his work was flawless.
‘If he had judged it would harm me, he wouldn’t have sent this person.’
With that conviction, Hyeon-su led him to the Blacksmith Shop of Atlas.
‘Besides, I had already arrived near Atlas anyway.’
Hyeon-su smiled wryly.
Unintentionally, he had become the first outsider to set foot in Atlas.
Upon arriving at the Blacksmith Shop, Bahala broached the main subject.
“This Sword hasn’t been appraised yet. But according to the information obtained….”
‘Transcendent Grade?’
He let out a small exclamation of admiration.
Along with that, the power this Sword possessed that he knew about.
‘It obliterates 70% of a demon’s HP in one blow? That’s insane.’
Hyeon-su had hunted the demon Graut before.
But the demon Graut had been in a significantly weakened state compared to normal.
Moreover, the demon Graut had not possessed a name.
That meant he was called a demon, but not one of the Seventy-Two Demons.
Of course, Graut was still powerful.
However, those specimens called the Seventy-Two Demons were estimated to possess power levels that defied common sense.
Yet this Sword Babylon could obliterate even the HP of those Seventy-Two Demons by 70%.
‘The only sword in Ares right now that possesses the power to slay demons.’
Of course, that was only true once it had been restored.
“May I touch it?”
Bahala extended Babylon toward me.
I let out a bitter laugh.
‘Such overwhelming confidence.’
Ordinarily, Users never hand over Artifacts carelessly.
There were too many instances of theft.
But Bahala brimmed with confidence—he knew exactly what would happen if anyone dared to abscond with Babylon.
And I had no intention beyond simply examining this Babylon, forged from divine ore.
Yet.
[Your class responds.]
[You can appraise Babylon.]
I could appraise it.
And as mentioned before, every notification carries meaning.
Sensing that ore previously was the foundation.
It may be a harbinger of a Quest.
‘I appraise it.’
Information unfolded before me.
Ding!
(Babylon)
Grade: Legend Beyond Legend
Durability: 50/50
Attack Power: 679
Restriction: Swordsman Level 450 or higher.
Special Abilities:
·All Stats increased by 0.5%.
·Cutting Power increased by 130%.
·Attack Power against Evil increased by 160%.
·Passive Skill: Demon Hunt.
·Passive Skill: Judge.
·Active Skill: Annihilate Evil.
·Consumable Artifact.
·Annihilate Evil uses remaining: 3/3
·Upon exhausting all uses, this artifact will vanish.
Description: Babylon is the legendary sword crafted to hunt demons. A god hostile to the Demon Realm invested 100 grams of divine ore, supplemented by ordinary materials. After three uses of Annihilate Evil, it will disappear, and demons will be cast into hellfire and melted away.
Upon the third use of Annihilate Evil, the sword will vanish, and demons will be consumed by infernal flames and dissolved.
(Annihilate Evil)
Active Skill
Mana Cost: 3,300
Usage Penalty: HP and MP reduced by 50%
Cooldown: Once per month.
Uses Remaining: 3/3
Effect:
·Deletes up to 40% of the maximum HP of all entities deemed evil.
After reviewing the information, I felt utterly bewildered.
‘Divine Ore, 100 grams? A hundred grams of pork belly wouldn’t even make a few slices.’
Swords vary in weight, ranging from 1 to 10 kilograms.
A sword in the 1-kilogram range approaches the minimum threshold, and typically, crafting a single sword requires several kilograms of ore.
Yet this Babylon Sword contained 100 grams of Divine Ore mixed within it.
‘There’s no way they’d grant Divine Ore so easily.’
In other words, if I melted this down, I could only obtain 100 grams of Divine Ore.
Then I was struck with shock.
‘…Wait, it only has 100 grams mixed in, yet it’s a sword of this caliber?’
I couldn’t begin to fathom the true power that Divine Ore possessed.
‘What kind of power would a single sword possess if it were forged entirely from pure Divine Ore?’
The power of a Mythic-grade sword that I had imagined.
For now, I set that aside. I needed to address the most critical points.
The man before me apparently couldn’t appraise this sword.
“I can appraise it, though. It’s probably because I’m a Master Craftsman.”
“Is that so?”
Bahala showed considerable interest.
He had only heard rumors and never properly examined the sword even after obtaining it.
But I shattered his expectations.
“This sword doesn’t possess the power you imagine.”
Bahala’s expression grew puzzled.
I began to break down the details of this Babylon.
“First. Its durability is 50. A durability of 50 itself is absurd. You know that once durability drops below a certain threshold, the weapon becomes unusable. This Babylon would reach that point after striking someone just a few times. Even though it has Annihilate Evil, I judge that a sword with durability of 50 cannot withstand the manifestation of such power.”
“Second. The Annihilate Evil I’ve heard of is different from this one. The effect is identical, but the percentage is 40%, not 70%.”
“Third. Babylon is indeed a sword that unleashes transcendent power. However, it’s classified as a legend beyond legends. The reason is that Babylon is currently a consumable artifact, and consumable artifacts have their grade reduced by one tier.”
Bahala looked as though he’d been struck on the head.
All the information and expectations he’d held were shattered.
First, the fact that Annihilate Evil only reduced HP by 40%.
“It has 3 uses available. The problem is that each use requires a one-month cooldown. Of course, due to durability, even one use might not be possible.”
Bahala was beginning to realize it.
‘Even if it’s restored, it can’t defeat that demon…?’
The creature Bahala had faced couldn’t be dealt with by merely shaving off 40% of its HP.
Even 70% reduction would be questionable.
“Check it yourself.”
I took a screenshot and shared the information with him.
Upon seeing him, Bahala denied the possibility and tortured himself with false hope.
“…I’ve heard that exceptional blacksmiths can sometimes upgrade and restore artifacts. Could I permanently modify this and maximize the effect of Annihilate Evil?”
The reason he wanted permanence was to account for various contingencies, even assuming that Annihilate Evil would shave 70% off the demon’s HP.
Hyeon-su shook his head slowly.
“Half is possible, and half is impossible. From the start, converting a consumable artifact into a permanent one requires more than just skill.”
Bahala began to face harsh reality.
“What’s needed now is materials. You can only convert a consumable into a permanent artifact by using that much additional material. And yet, you’re asking for something else.”
Hyeon-su narrowed his eyes.
“You’ve brought me a consumable artifact of Legend-rank and above, and you’re asking me, a skilled blacksmith, to make it permanent, enhance the Annihilate Evil effect, and essentially elevate this consumable all the way to Transcendent-rank. Do you honestly think that’s feasible by any reasonable standard?”
Bahala nearly shook his head.
Even by his own assessment, it was impossible.
“So it’s a matter of insufficient materials.”
“There are various factors, but that’s my current assessment.”
“How much would be enough to upgrade it?”
“The same amount used to create the consumable artifact.”
By sharing information, Bahala learned for the first time that 100 grams of Divine Ore had been used in its creation.
100 grams of Divine Ore?
He couldn’t obtain even 1 gram.
That was the current state of Ares.
Hyeon-su spoke from the position of one tasked with restoration.
“If everything you’ve mentioned becomes possible….”
“I’ll pay you whatever compensation you ask for.”
Of course, Bahala was grasping at straws.
Even if Babylon were consumable, he couldn’t defeat the demon, and even with Annihilate Evil in its current state, he couldn’t.
And now he was asking Hyeon-su to elevate a Legend-rank artifact to Transcendent.
And Bahala watched as Hyeon-su briefly calculated the fee for such an impossible task.
What would be the commission for accomplishing the impossible?
“I’ll charge 4 billion Won as the restoration fee.”
An absurd amount.
But it wasn’t absurd.
Creating a blade meeting Bahala’s current conditions was itself an impossible task.
‘It will be harder than when I forged the Twin Dragon Sword. No, the Twin Dragon Sword was possible to craft because materials existed, but this—restoration itself is impossible. Because there are no materials.’
Bahala, being among the greatest, could understand this.
In this Ares, there were things possible and things impossible.
Of course, 4 billion Won itself was excessive compared to the blade’s value.
But Hyeon-su’s intention suggested a degree of impossibility that justified it.
“Will you still attempt the restoration?”
But he still had to commission the restoration.
“I ask for your help. I’ll be generous with the compensation.”
“It will take about a week in game time.”
Bahala entrusted the sword to me and logged out.
After logging out, Bahala sank into a profound sense of loss.
He had attempted to purchase information on how to hunt divine ore or summon another demon.
The highest grade of information he could obtain was top-tier.
Yet nowhere could he find it.
Neither the divine ore nor any information about it.
‘…I’ve lost half a year.’
That sense of loss was beyond words.
Moreover, if I failed to clear the Class Quest: Path of the Sword Saint, I would have to suspend walking that path for some time.
All humans are the same.
No matter how high one reaches, when everything crumbles to dust, despair inevitably follows.
After a week of finding no information, Bahala felt bitter.
‘The promised time has come.’
He logged in.
‘I hope Demon Slayer has risen to at least 60% power. The durability has been restored too.’
It was my last hope.
Then, upon entering Hyeon’s Forge, he froze in astonishment.
“…?”
Bahala could not believe what lay before his eyes.
The perfected Babylon was magnificent.
A longsword forged in obsidian light.
An aura that evoked demons themselves.
And a grip shaped like a demon’s head roaring in fury.
Yet what astonished Bahala was not the magnificent form.
‘Two blades…? Why does Babylon exist in two forms?’
Indeed. I stood holding two identical Babylons, one in each hand.
As if I had duplicated something.
I turned my head.
A Master Craftsman—confidence itself incarnate—I spoke.
“Four billion. Prepare it.”

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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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